Switching dog foods

[Chinmama]

My dogs are currently eating Nurto Ultra, and I'm thinking of switching them to Solid Gold Hund-n-Flocken. I suspect my border collie may be developing food allergies, and I've been wanting to switch their food anyway so it seems the time is right. Anyone here feed this? Just wanted to get some opinions.

 

[Dolyphinm]

Solid Gold is a good food. I like this site and actually this is the review of solid gold's hund-n-flocken http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=302&cat=4

 

[3CsMommy]

I've fed both of those. The Solid Gold was a little too rich for Cleo's tummy, but it was better for her than the Nutro (this was during the recall in 2007 or 2008).

If that one doesn't work out, check out Blue Buffalo or Orijen foods too. California Naturals is another brand I plan to try the next time I decide on dog food.

 

[Jenn]

I feed my dogs Taste Of The Wild, and supplement with chicken (wings, bone and all), chicken livers, and chicken hearts.

 

[blondeangel]

I feed my dogs a mix of Avoderm, Merrick, Halo, Nutro Ultra, Nutro Natural Choice, Nature's Recipe and Wellness Simple. I know that sounds crazy, but variety is the spice of life right?

If your dog possibly has food allergies switching from Ultra to Solid Gold might not help as it has a lot of common ingredients. Switching to an Allergy, Grain-Free, or Limited Ingredient formula might help more. Natural Balance is extremely popular for allergies. Potato & Duck, Venison & Sweet Potato and Fish & Sweet Potato are popular.

 

[Dolyphinm]

BlondeAngel, it isn't good to feed your dog such a large variety of kibbles as that tends to aid in them developing food allergies later in life. Although if it's same kind of protein and carb it might not, but I think you might want to rethink that tactic. Dogs don't need the variety. They are different from humans.

 

[Cassi]

I feed my dogs Taste Of The Wild, and supplement with chicken (wings, bone and all), chicken livers, and chicken hearts.

Just in case, thought I'd throw this out there...

You shouldn't feed raw with kibble unless it's aprox. 8-12 hours apart from each other (not saying that you do!). The digestion time is not the same and can there for the raw stays in the digestive tract longer than it should. The problem here is that there is a higher chance for bacterial growth with the raw.

 

[blondeangel]

BlondeAngel, it isn't good to feed your dog such a large variety of kibbles as that tends to aid in them developing food allergies later in life. Although if it's same kind of protein and carb it might not, but I think you might want to rethink that tactic. Dogs don't need the variety. They are different from humans.

I think a lot differently, infact I believe giving them a variety will less likely cause them to have allergies and/or digestive issues now & later in life due to the fact their have the option to eat so many different things. their bodies become capable of handling & digesting a variety of proteins, veggies and carbs. its not like i throw all these foods in one bin as a mix, but rather give my dogs a choice of 2 brands a day.

I work with pets, pet parents and food issues day in and day out at work everyday, and most of the issues I have seen with dogs and food is the fact they have been fed the same food day after day, year after year their entire lives. When you feed a dog one single protein, say chicken for example, everyday their bodies are really thrown out of wack of they happen to start eating say, beef or bison. Hence the "switch gradually over a 2-3 week period" rule. If a you introduce different proteins at a young age, their bodies grow accustom to eating different protein sources, therefore not causing such issues later. It may not be a proven scientific fact, but to me its very logical - and works for me and my dogs.

 

[Jenn]

Just in case, thought I'd throw this out there...

You shouldn't feed raw with kibble unless it's aprox. 8-12 hours apart from each other (not saying that you do!). The digestion time is not the same and can there for the raw stays in the digestive tract longer than it should. The problem here is that there is a higher chance for bacterial growth with the raw.

I don't feed it raw. I know there are a lot of raw food lovers out there, but I feed the meats cooked. I tried the raw for my picky pup before and she won't touch it. I feed kibble in the morning, when she is most apt to eat it, and then the cooked meats later in the day when she becomes more picky.

 

[Megan]

I have a very food sensative dog here, paw licking, yeast infections on the stomach, vommitting and very runny stool.

The only food I have found that has worked so far has been TOTW. We use the prarire forumla. In the almost 4 years that I've had him, switching to TOTW gave him his most regular bowel movements, has stopped him from constantly licking his paws, and his tummy is actually skin colored and not bright reddish brown.

While solid gold is a good food, I have heard several times now that it tends to be too rich for many dogs.

Jenn--
I do want to point out to please don't feed your dog COOKED chicken bones. Raw bones are perfectly fine and healthy, however when they are cooked they tend to splinter when being chewed and can harm your dog.

 

[Cassi]

Jenn--
I do want to point out to please don't feed your dog COOKED chicken bones. Raw bones are perfectly fine and healthy, however when they are cooked they tend to splinter when being chewed and can harm your dog.

I'd like to echo this and also mention that cooking the meat basically cooks away most if not all the beneficial nutrients, so rather then feeding her the cooked meat I would just feed her straight kibble.

 

[Jenn]

This thread isn't about my dog and what I feed, so I don't want to get into a debate, but I do sear the meat for the liver and hearts because she won't eat them raw. They are barely cooked at all, and I believe she is still getting a lot of benefit from the meat and it gives her another option besides the kibble. I also add, The Missing Link, to my dogs' diets so they get extra nutrition. But I will admit that I didn't know not to cook the chicken bones, so from now on the bones themselves won't be cooked first.

Just to throw out as well, for dogs with sensitivities, I don't know about allergies, though, that I make a bland food as well. My dobie has a very sensitive stomach and can't eat straight kibble of ANY kind without getting diahrea and horrible gas. I make burger (lean and drained of fat), brown rice, mixed veggies that have been cooked and pureed, sweet potato, and yogurt - mix this together and then feed a half kibble, half bland food diet to him. It totally firms up his stools and rids him of gas.

Both of my dogs (chihuahua and dobie) have beautiful coats and have been praised by the vet. I don't know if the bland food diet would help with allergies, but when mixed with my dobie's kibble, it makes such a huge difference.

 

[Dolyphinm]

. If a you introduce different proteins at a young age, their bodies grow accustom to eating different protein sources, therefore not causing such issues later. It may not be a proven scientific fact, but to me its very logical - and works for me and my dogs.

I have read in several places to not use the more "exotic" (bison, duck) of the meats incase of allergies developing because then you have nothing to switch to if your dog has had it all since it becomes much more difficult to figuring out what is causing the problem.

I do see the logic in getting it at a younger age developing the ability to handle the different proteins, I do. I just hope you aren't giving them all the meats possible for that very warning i have read. I just don't see how you can easily figure out if something goes wrong what caused it, but to each their own. I personally feel a lot of people have issues with dog food over time because it's just bad dog food like Iams or Science Diet and think they are feeding a good dog food. That's my theory, if you work with it you probably see all sorts of brands causing issues after awhile.

 

[blondeangel]

Dolyphinm: I personally do not use the more exotic proteins for my dogs. Only recommend them for dogs that might have allergies or sensetive to other more common proteins. My dogs diet mainly contains beef, lamb & chicken.

I do agree that alot if dogs with food problems do stem from poor quality foods over common proteins used in them. I completely hate when people come into work and say "I must use science diet because my vet told me to". Drives me insane because science diet is horrid.

 

[maquignon]

Solid Gold is a very good food. Almost anything is better than Nutro. The menadione alone is reason enough not to feed Nutro, not to mention the corn wheat and soy. Other very good foods are: Blue Buffalo, Wellness, Castor & Pollux, Merrick, Taste of the Wild, Canidae and AvoDerm.