Best & healthiest Dog Food

[Denaluvscorgis]

I'd like to get some opinions on what the best & healthiest brand of dog food is? I have my dogs on a brand called "Exclusive", I buy it at a local feed store. It is made with fresh Chicken and rice. They seem to do very well on it. They're both really healthy, and have "good poop"...never runny or yucky.

[pitbulliest]

I've never heard of Exclusive. I know that Wellness is a high quality food but I recently found out that it certainly isn't the best when it comes to dry food. I like to feed my dogs cooked diets whenever I get a chance. Its alot more work since you're making the food for them and you have to prepare everything, but I just couldn't imagine my dogs eating dry kibble for their entire lives. Its not fair and no matter how good a dog food is, its still DOG FOOD.

I was feeding my pooches Wellness but I just recently switched over to the Timberwolf Organics brand. I find it to be excellent. Its really high in protein (well, they do have a "lite" version if you will), so its great for dogs that are really active or if you have an underweight pooch.

I feed my dogs the Black Forest formula. Its lower in protein and great for dogs that aren't that active.

Have a look at their site:
http://www.timberwolforganics.com/

[Denaluvscorgis]

I'll check that site out. What kind of cooked food do you do? When Chloe was pregnant, I baked chicken for her, she also had scrambled eggs & cottage cheese.

It really doesn't seem fair to feed them kibble only.

Thanks,
Dena

[Renee750il]

I've had my tribe on Innova - Shiva and Kharma have been on it since they first came home. Recently I switched them from the Puppy kibble to the Innova EVO and have been soooo impressed with it and their response to it.

[Denaluvscorgis]

Thanks Renee...I'll check that food out. I did a search on it, and there are quite a few places not to far from me where I can buy it.

[pitbulliest]

When I feed cooked I usually use chicken. Then I'll cook brown rice and chop raw veggies like carrots and celery and some squash (I rotate veggies so that there is more variety). I use ground up eggshell for the calcium (gotta regulate the ca : ph ratio)...and then as a supplement I add a mix that I made and keep in a big jar (got that from pitcairn's book). I'll add a tablespoon of it to the serving, not the entire recipe. These are my ingredients for the mix:

2 cups nutritional yeast / 1 ½ cups bone meal powder / ½ cup kelp

And you can also make an oil mix which is a good idea; it adds extra protein and fat...something you need when you're making a home cooked diet, as it will usually lack in fat (add about 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons to the serving):

1 ¾ cups vegetable oil / ¼ cup cod liver oil / 50 I.U vitamin E (prevents spoiling)

If you need more information on home cooked diets and whatnot, just let me know and i can post some additional information for you.

[Denaluvscorgis]

Thanks Renee....I'm really interested in doing this for my animals. I don't want them to get bored with the dry all of the time.

[Brattina88]

I had my dogs on Eukanuba until I got real and relized what's in dog foods. I did TONS of research and then switched to raw & cooked food (mostly cooked). The funny thing is is not only are the dogs eating Much healthier; I am too!

Anyone look at the 'new' eukanuba natural lamb and rice stuff? Is is any different from the 'old' stuff

pitbulliest I LOVE the new pics in your siggy, they rock!

[candy722]

I've never heard of Exclusive.

[pitbulliest]

Brattina..lol thanks..they're quite recent.