[katiebear]

This is a great thread! One of the biggest things I've discovered as a pet owner is how uneducated we can be and how easy it is to believe marketing ploys of the big companies. I'll be sharing this info with all my friends!
I did want to comment - I know someone mentioned they were looking for an inexpensive "good" dog food. Always keep in mind that you get what you pay for - if the food is cheap, it's because it's using cheap ingredients (otherwise, the company wouldn't be able to stay in business). Now, an expensive food doesn't equate to quality (look at the vet brands) however, but a quality food WILL cost more than a substandard one. As pet owners though, we can't just look at the price of a bag of dog food - we have to look at the health of our pet. A healthy pet will cost much less over our pets' lifetime than a sickly one. If we can be proactive in feeding a good diet to our dogs, then in theory they should be healthy which will result in much less vet bills. Certainly diet isn't the only element in the equation, but it is one of the most easily controlled factors. Let's create a society that no longer buys into the deceptive marketing of the big pet food companies. Here's to feeding our pets right and to eliminating the market for cheap (and deadly) dog food!