Wellness??

[worrier79]

Any imput from people that have dogs currently on Wellness dry dog food would be great!

I just switched my guy over to this and was told this week that it has caused skin problems in some dogs lately. Is there any truth to this????? I am sure he does not want any skin problems.

Thank you!!

[Prin]

No, wellness is good. Every dog is different and you just have to find the food that your dog does best on. If your dog happens to be allergic to it, it could cause itchiness, ear infections, itchy anal glands, etc but being that the wellness foods don't have corn or wheat or soy, it's not likely that your dog will be allergic unless you have a really sensitive dog.

Basically, Wellness is a good food, but you have to see how your dog likes it and how his body reacts to it. Just be sure to switch gradually and if you were feeding a lesser quality food before, you might have to reduce the amount you feed as well to get the stool to firm up properly.

Good luck.

[worrier79]

Originally Posted by Prin

No, wellness is good. Every dog is different and you just have to find the food that your dog does best on. If your dog happens to be allergic to it, it could cause itchiness, ear infections, itchy anal glands, etc but being that the wellness foods don't have corn or wheat or soy, it's not likely that your dog will be allergic unless you have a really sensitive dog.

Basically, Wellness is a good food, but you have to see how your dog likes it and how his body reacts to it. Just be sure to switch gradually and if you were feeding a lesser quality food before, you might have to reduce the amount you feed as well to get the stool to firm up properly.

Good luck.

Thanks!

Although, usually he just eats until he is full and has been doing well on that regiment. Something else to think about. I switched him very gradually and all seems fine so far.

[Prin]

Sounds good. Some dogs did have a problem with it when Old Mother Hubbard changed some of the formulas without warning people beforehand. But again, there would only be a real problem in really sensitive doggies.

[worrier79]

Originally Posted by Prin

Sounds good. Some dogs did have a problem with it when Old Mother Hubbard changed some of the formulas without warning people beforehand. But again, there would only be a real problem in really sensitive doggies.

My vet recommended this food because of allergies so I hope she's right.

[worrier79]

Do you know what has changed in the formula? I was not aware they had changed it recently. There had to of been a reason for the change, it would be nice to know what that was.

[Prin]

They just "enhanced it". Probably more vitamins and more probiotics and things. You can always email them and ask...

[worrier79]

Originally Posted by Prin

They just "enhanced it". Probably more vitamins and more probiotics and things. You can always email them and ask...

lol well of course they will tell me it was "enhanced."

I hope it was not a price cutting thing. Thanks again for the info.

[Prin]

Probably not. They were among the first to remove the bad synthetic vitamin K from their foods, so we know they're at least trying to do things right.

If you email, just say What do you mean when you say the food has been "enhanced"?
lol

[rainbow]

They were among the first to remove the bad synthetic vitamin K from their foods, so we know they're at least trying to do things right.

Wellness was not one of the first to remove menadione from their food. They have only just recently removed it this year after much persuasion.

[Prin]

Really? Considering there are more companies that still haven't removed it than that have, I figured they were pretty good.

[Puppyluv]

Originally Posted by rainbow

Wellness was not one of the first to remove menadione from their food. They have only just recently removed it this year after much persuasion.

I had layla on Wellness from 6 months, and when I started it (over a year ago) they didn't have menadione, so it's been a while longer than that Rainbow.

[odindog]

Wellness has changed the formula b/c they wree looing a marketing battle. Dogs love chick fat... big surprise.

Welness never used to spray their food with the fat, but dogs were takingt o foods like Old Roy, Iams, dog chow, nutro, sciene diet, pro plan, nutrience, and such. (pretty much all kibbles spray theire food after it has been extruded, it just depends on the brand, as to how many laygers they put on it. Foods like Old roy, that actulay have NO MEAT SORCED PROTIEN, it mainly comes from soy, have like 20 coats. But foods that up the scale a bit like dog chow, and Iams, will put about 10 coats on, and foods like Nutros and such will only put about 5 coats on.)
So Wellness has always been a baked food, not extruded and never used to spray with chicken fat. But in Jan of 2006 they changed allthat and they are now an extruded food, and spray a small amount of fat on the food so dogs will eat it. becasue if your dog wont eat it are you going to buy it?? Didnt think so.

Look for the older bags, smaller pet shops should have some in stock somewhere, unless their local rep came and replace them. the new bags say "food" after the dog, or puppy on the bottom of the bags. the older ones dont have the "Food" listed at the bottom.

Get in touch with the owner of the store, if they dont know which is which, i would think twice about buying there. Any one who cares to sell it should care to know what they are selling!

[Prin]

Wellness has changed the formula b/c they wree looing a marketing battle. Dogs love chick fat... big surprise.

Umm, where's the chicken fat?


Wellness Super5Mix Chicken Ingredients:
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Barley, Ground Brown Rice, Rice Bran (from brown rice), Rye Flour, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a natural source of vitamin E), Whitefish, Tomatoes (natural source of lycopene), Natural Chicken Flavor, Flaxseed, Ground Millet, Carrots, Apples, Spinach, Blueberries, Sweet Potatoes, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride

[Puppyluv]

Originally Posted by Prin

Umm, where's the chicken fat?

Prin, I was wondering that too. In their FAQ section, they say this:

Q: Is your new flavor in the dry dog formulas sprayed on?

A: Most of our flavor is achieved in the recipe/dough. We do add a little to the outside of the kibble to appeal to the dog's sense of smell.

I don't know what this "Flavour" is. Being curious, I sent off an email, and will let you know when I get a response.

[Prin]

They say flavor is this in their ingredients breakdown:

natural flavor:
Natural flavor is a powder or liquid made by taking clean animal tissue (usually liver) and breaking it down using enzymes. Natural flavor is used for its ability to improve the taste of dry foods. It is sprayed on the exterior of dry food or dusted on after canola oil is sprayed on the dry food.

No fat there either- liver instead.

[Puppyluv]

well, canola oil is fat, but not really much of a concern compared to a nice dose of chicken fat sprayed on.

[odindog]

powder or liquid made by taking clean animal tissue (usually liver) not always liver...marketing

Natural Chicken Flavor - thats where it would come in

Dont get me wron guys, I think wellness is a great food. They are the only one who uses actual human gratd chk. they debone, they have maintained their integrity through the whole marketing rig-a-ma-role.

but keep in mind Companies want your MONEY!!! no kidding they are not going to tell you taht they use disgusting fat rendered useless for consumprion. But what do you think your getting for two bucks a pound. I cant even buy fruit for that!!

Just dont be koy and fall prey to all the gimicks and *** covering that is going on in the corperate world today.

[Prin]

Originally Posted by odindog

but keep in mind Companies want your MONEY!!! no kidding they are not going to tell you taht they use disgusting fat rendered useless for consumprion.

Including your company that is so much better than all the others? I see a pattern.

[odindog]

hey, im not sellin to you ar anyone here, i dont need your money Prin, dont you worry. I do this b/c my dog eats it. I want to give treats for training, so i make them. i had others aproch me and ask me to make it for them too.

so you can keep all your money and spend it on all the pet gimicks you want

I jsut want it to beknown that KIBBLE IS DISGUSTING> There are more than enough suggestions everywhere to support it.

I could never type enough words to express my disguset with what people put into thier dogs stomachs.

RESEARCH, if you found out dogs and cats were in your food, would you feed it...

just a thought.

[Prin]

Originally Posted by odindog

RESEARCH, if you found out dogs and cats were in your food, would you feed it...

How do you know what you're feeding? Do you raise the cows, chickens and grow the veggies yourself? How do you know what sort of science (good or bad) is in the food you eat every day? In the world we live in, we don't really have control over what we eat, even if we think we're buying whole raw unprocessed ingredients.

After looking at all the options, I've settled on a food for my doggies. The result has been soft, shiny fur, higher energy, great teeth, and great overall health. :

[worrier79]

So does anyone know offhand what available food don't have the layers of fat? My dog will eat everything so I am not worried about that. I guess I will look around for no 'natural fats' but there are good fats too right? They should be more specific. So any 'natural flavors' ??? Because they all seem to have this.

Old bags; how long would they be good for?

[jesse's mommy]

worrier79, Wellness is just fine. It's a good high quality food for dogs. The post starting with the marketing battle was a threadjack and you really should pay no mind to it. You've brought the subject back to your original concerns. As for Wellness, I had Jesse on it for a while and she did wonderful with it. I switched because I was having problems with my supplier, not the food and now she is on Merrick.

[mastifflover]

Every bag will have an expiry date stamped on them. I always look for the newest stock but make sure you check because some stores stock sits on the shelves and some are lazy and do not check or rotate there stock. If you find expired food tell them and check the next time to see that it is gone if not email the manufacturer and they will send a rep and replace the stock in the store. I learned the hard way with a bag of Canidae it had bugs in it the store was not rotating the stock and the food was 3 months expired. I emailed Canidae and they had a rep out to the store delivered me 2 bags to my door with a buch of other goodies and an apology even though this was not there fault but the fault of the store. Most companies take it very seriously especially those that promote such healthy eating for our pets. There reputation depends on freshness and quality. Wellness is a good food and I believe you have to find what works best for your dog and sometimes it is a lot of trial and error but when you find a good one you will see it in your dog. Look at Prins dogs coats and eyes they are beautiful and that has a lot to do with food

[OntarioGreys]

Originally Posted by worrier79

So does anyone know offhand what available food don't have the layers of fat? My dog will eat everything so I am not worried about that. I guess I will look around for no 'natural fats' but there are good fats too right? They should be more specific. So any 'natural flavors' ??? Because they all seem to have this.

Old bags; how long would they be good for?

Where the problem comes in on dog food is if the fat source eg "Animal" if not specificied then it likely comes from a renedering plant. When I look at a label I want to see as specified meat source fat eg "Chicken" fat.

Dogs need higher amounts of fat than people do, dogs make better use of animal or fish based fats than plant based fats, it is necessary for good health, many people who have dogs that spend alot of time outdoors doing physical activitity in the winter months will increase their dogs fat consumption as it helps to increase their tolerance to the cold, I noticed this to be very true with my one greyhound when I had put him on a low fat/low protien diet because of weight gain he still gained weight and , I had to put a coat on him just to go potty in the yard as he was screaming from the cold. I has since put him on high protien/high fat diet and last winter he did not need a coat once just for going out to potty. And his weight decreased without the grains despite being on the high protein 42% high fat 22% diet. which is up 14% protein 6% fat most standard kibbles are 12% fat and most owners are still having to add oils because their dogs have dry flaky skin, which suggests they are not getting enough fats from the the kibble alone and that 12% is still too low

[worrier79]

Originally Posted by OntarioGreys

Where the problem comes in on dog food is if the fat source eg "Animal" if not specificied then it likely comes from a renedering plant. When I look at a label I want to see as specified meat source fat eg "Chicken" fat.

Dogs need higher amounts of fat than people do, dogs make better use of animal or fish based fats than plant based fats, it is necessary for good health, many people who have dogs that spend alot of time outdoors doing physical activitity in the winter months will increase their dogs fat consumption as it helps to increase their tolerance to the cold, I noticed this to be very true with my one greyhound when I had put him on a low fat/low protien diet because of weight gain he still gained weight and , I had to put a coat on him just to go potty in the yard as he was screaming from the cold. I has since put him on high protien/high fat diet and last winter he did not need a coat once just for going out to potty. And his weight decreased without the grains despite being on the high protein 42% high fat 22% diet. which is up 14% protein 6% fat most standard kibbles are 12% fat and most owners are still having to add oils because their dogs have dry flaky skin, which suggests they are not getting enough fats from the the kibble alone and that 12% is still too low

I am not worried about giving him animal fat, it's just that I would like to know what type of fat they are putting in the food. I am sure they can be more specific with types and exact amounts if they wanted to or if they were obligated to by law (which should be the case). Just listing them in order isn't enough for me I guess.

Also, I think that when there is less protein and fat in the food, the dog eats less of it, correct? So even if there is 12-15% fat he would be eating more quantity than if he was eating a richer food. I hope this is the case, otherwise it would be nice to know exactly what protein/fat levels are appropriate for animal weight, season of year, activity level, etc. I am also very weary of feeding high protein food to adult dogs if they are not racing or working all the time. Even then 42% seems so high to me (I realize for greyhounds it may be different since they are so poorly protected from the elements here in Ontario).

[Prin]

Well, being that it's natural chicken flavor, if it isn't liver, it's chicken fat or other chicken tissues.

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by Puppyluv

I had layla on Wellness from 6 months, and when I started it (over a year ago) they didn't have menadione, so it's been a while longer than that Rainbow.

This is the information posted on the dog food project website:

This is from Oct. 10/05:

Formula Changes, New Products and Reorganization
#32003 - 10/10/05 02:24 AM Edit Reply Quote Quick Reply



In the past few days, I have made the following updates:

1. The entire Old Mother Hubbard's Wellness line of dog food (with exception of the "Simple Food Solutions" products) has undergone a makeover, changing the formulas considerably. Super5Mix Puppy, Super5Mix Chicken, Super5Mix Lamb, Fish & Sweet Potato, Senior SuperMix and Weight Management all have different ingredient lists now, with decreased amounts of omega fatty acids and downgraded ratios, smaller amounts of holistic ingredients like herbs and probiotics (some have even been removed completely) and all of them contain menadione now.


This is from May 19/06:


It's been a while!
Admin | May 19, 2006 12:14 pm
Dear DFP readers,

I know it's been a while since the last update, but I've been so busy recently that I've had little time to spare.

I'm still around and doing my research though, new foods are constantly hitting the market and old formulas change, so it's sometimes a little difficult keeping the database current. Many updates will be forthcoming soon!

For today I'd like to leave you with some more good news about the removal of Menadione from pet foods:

Petcurean

Thank-you for your enquiry. This ingredient has been removed from our food, and will take about 6 months for us to be through the bags we have in stock.

Wellness

Since launching our enhanced dry dog food this past fall, we have heard some feedback surrounding our use of Vitamin K (Menadione). Some of the feedback was from people who were simply curious, and some of it was negative, questioning our use of Vitamin k. We listened to all feedback, re-evaluated the ingredient, and have decided to remove Vitamin K from all dry dog diets.

[...]

We will remove Vitamin K from our nutritional premix sometime in the 4th quarter. Upon the next printing of bags, it will no longer appear on the ingredient panels.

And further:

We are working to make sure there will be no confusion regarding the menadione. When we remove it from the food the bags will reflect the change. Once you see the change on the bag, menadione WILL NOT be in the food.


I have sent an email to OMH asking for clarification and will post it here when I get an answer.

[Puppyluv]

Rainbow- now I'm truly confused, because your info sounds really reliable, but when I chose wellness, Vit K was one of the reasons, it wasn't listed as an ingredient, and the owners of the pet store said it wasn't used. Granted, the ingredient list I was reading wasn't printed directly on the bag, it was a sticker, due to language laws, and I suppose there IS the possibility that it was wrong, but still, that shouldn't have happened.

[Prin]

But the dog food project only contacts by email just like the rest of us. I don't think she goes in a back door. The reps don't know much about what is going on within the company. You have to email the same person a few times before they actually start asking around.