organic dog foods

[Puppy_Pal]

Hi,
Wondering if anyone has an opinion on different dog foods.
I have a 6 month old labradoodle. I had started her off on large breed puppy lamb and rice (Nutro).
My vet had run some precaution bloodwork on her since she was drinking too much water. He said a few counts were off and that he wanted me to change her diet to see if it helps. He recommended chicken as a more basic protein than lamb. He recommended a couple of brands he was familiar with and I ended up going with Euckanuba by IAMS.
I asked him about Organic foods, as long as it was still chicken and he said he didn't reccomend as they don't do enough testing.
I can't help but notice the Eucaknuba is loaded with filler (corn meal etc) though and that she has been scratching a bit more.
Her stool HAS been the best yet, so maybe it's helping there, but I eventually would like to get her to something not so full of "crap".
Any suggestions. I am listening to my vet right now...but could the fillers in the food make her itchy? Are there better foods out there, or are the organic foods a big phase?
What are you all feeding your dogs? I don't mind paying the high price.

[Tommysmom]

The price for high quality foods isn't really that much higher when you consider that your dog will probably eat less of the good food, so it lasts longer - less fillers means they don't need to eat as much to get the nutrients they need! Corn and other fillers also are a big culprit for the itchies and other allergies. Eukanuba is not really a very good food and if you read the pet food information on this forum you'll really learn a lot about some of the not-so-great ingredients.

My dog did not do well at all on Nutro lamb and rice, that's what the breeder had him on. We've been on a bit of a roller coaster ride when it comes to foods because he's had severe digestive issues, so we've tried almost every brand on the market, LOL. He's been on Orijen for a while now - we use the fish, as he's allergic to chicken, but many on this board use the chicken one. It's the best he's ever been, no itchies, no allergies, great poops!

I don't know if organic or grain-free foods are a fad or are truly better than anything else... all I know is what I see in my dog. At one point we truly feared we would lose him due to his eating issues. He is now 14 months old and healthy with clear eyes, shiny coat and lots of energy. This is the first food he voluntarily eats every single day, straight out of the dish. First time we've had consistently solid poops. So, fad or not, I couldn't care less - it works! I think you'll hear a lot of good things about Orijen on this board, too, since this is where I heard about it.

[wdawson]

i feed my older guys TIMBERWOLF ORGANICS and my puppy canadea all life stages and will switch her to the other when its time.....poops are great...no allergy issues,shiny coats,ect.
i believe that high end food is the best.....no grocery store food for my guys and girl......as for cost....$85 for 33lbs...that lasts 1 1\2 months for two dogs..one is 60lbs and the other is 30lbs....so its about $50 a month for them,
the puppy is about $20 a month on all life stages....good luck

[Bentley'sMom]

I've come a long way in the past year or two on what we feed our dogs. For years we fed Science Diet or Eukanuba because they advertised so heavily and were vet-recommended. Then, a friend recommended that the Nutro ingredients were much better than what we were feeding (which was true). So we tried it, but our golden retriever became very itchy over time and often vomited small amounts of bile. Then we put him on Natural Balance Fish and Sweet Potato (single source protein and carb) to clear out his system. Finally, I wanted a formula with higher protein and better all-around ingredients so he has now been on Orijen for 10 months. It is such a positive experience: no more itchies, lots more energy, and he even lost a few needed pounds which I believe is due to Orijen being grain-free. We have put our new 15 week old lab on Orijen Large Breed Puppy and are equally satisfied so far. Good luck with your search. I don't think the term "organic" matters so much as the actual ingredients and in what percentages.

[geisha]

Hi there. I too fed my dogs IAMS then moved onto Nutro Lamb & Rice. That was 2 years ago. My senior samoyed developed allergies, had loose stools & low energy. Then I discovered California Natural Herring & Sweet Potato for her. Her energy level increased, no more itchies, or loose stools. Since then I rotate her on Orijen Fish, Go! Salmon & Timberwolf Organics Ocean Blue. Our vet said she acts like a dog half her age (she's almost 13). Our other samoyed is on Orijen, Go! Fruit & Veggie, & Wellness Core. I also suppliment their diet with Wild Salmon Oil for their coats. remember it's what your dog does best on. Good luck
Some brands that are recommended are: Wellness, Innova, Evo, Orijen, Solid Gold, Timberwolf Organics, etc.

[Puppy_Pal]

Originally Posted by geisha

Some brands that are recommended are: Wellness, Innova, Evo, Orijen, Solid Gold, Timberwolf Organics, etc.

Hi everyone.
Thanks very much for your opinions. She is going in to get spayed next week, so I will probably try to change her after she recovers so that she does not have an upset tummy while trying to get better.
I have a friend who uses Innova and loves it, and I see alot of you reccommend Orijen, so I will probably look into one of those.
I just want to give her what's best for her too!!! She's a healthy dog overall, so hopefully this will take care of some of the odds and ends (anal glands, etc.)

[erykah1310]

Im going to add my 2 cents for Orijen too...
And considering Orijen costs less than Pukanuba its win win!!!
I have been feeding it for some time, my dogs got a little... umm... pudgy, because I felt that they needed to eat alot (like they did before on crappy foods) but... they dont.
One thing to keep in mind is you definately dont need to feed as much of higher quality kibble to get good results, there is no "useless ingredients or fillers" so everything your dog is eating, is being used...
Just keep that in mind, dont fill the dish with the same amount of food as before.

Good vibes for the spay, and soon to follow food switch.

[kashtin's kin]

...not really a vote, because each situation is unique (critter, person, $$ etc.), but I first heard of 'Wellness' on this BB and 'Origen' from a gat guru; I've gradually pretty much switched over from sort of middle of the pack food, and do notice a real difference in both cats and dogs. For me, a great furbuddy food is actually appealing to ME, just as great horse hay makes me almost! want to dig in too.

I have had dogs and cats on average food (and mice etc. when I had barn cats) and lead quality lives of 17+ years, but I think in general the foods with no icky fillers which may appear to cost more up front benefit the 'animules' and our wallets when all is said and done. Just as with people food, ya put in better vittles, ya get better results...which is why I've won the Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes, AND an Olympic gold medal or two??!!

[mummummum]

The first ten ingredients of any food you want to feed are important. What you want to see is meal first rather than bird or cow or ....

Why? Meal is what's left when the "water" is extracted. ~ and that is more nutritious. Optimally, out of your first five ingredients three are direct protein sources, preferably meal.

And watch carefully for the division of grains ~ they like to do that to provide an extra ingredient but you need to remember it's a filler your dog passes but doesn't REALLY benefit from ~ dogs need protein not carbs.

[mummummum]

Whoops... forgot to mention. I'm a real fan of Orijen. I like their philosophy, I like that they are Canadian and more importantly, I like their food and so do my dogs!

[Puppy_Pal]

I still haven't changed her diet yet. Her bloodwork after the surgery showed high alk phosphates, which can be related to liver. it wasn't so high as to cause immediate concern, but rather to keep an eye.
Orejin and Evo have higher protiens than most dog foods, which some say may be harder on the liver in puppies to begin with. I am a bit worried about adding any extra stress on anything until we get he bloodwork back to normal.
I have thought about trying Innova. She is still on Euckanuba for now and doesn't seem to be itching quite as much anymore...still a bit though.
I'd like to have something else to offer her though as I've been told that switching food every couple months might be good to add variety?
So you all know...she is energetic and happy as can be, and my vet feels confident he can keep things in line and keep her that way. They lover her down there at the vet's place.
I just feel a better quality food might benefit her, but I have little understanding of bloodwork results, so I'm hesitant to make a switch.

[breeze]

I feed my dog timber wolf orangic.. we tired oriegin but it was to high in potien for her tummy. so I switched.. It has lower portien so she can digest it better IMO..
We also had her on holistic select when she was a puppy.. IMO all is good because they have no grains in them...

[crazydays]

Hi PuppyPal!

Yes you do need to be cautious with your dog until blood results return to normal. I did switch my Standard Schnauzer to Innova to get her off the lamb. She had been on years of Iams (who knew). Cagney loves the Innova. She had been losing weight and I was unable to increase the amount she was getting related to stooling issues. Her weight has returned to normal, her skin and coat are excellent and she loves it. The protein content is adequate. I like to top dress her with 95% canned protein several times a week. Innova is a 5 star premium food.

[MissScout]

I swear by Eagle Pack Large breed puppy...and also I use Holistic Blend for my older lab & poo...once pup is older she will be going on HB. Its made in Mississauga. Its done wonders for my sensitive poodle with chewing and brown staining. She is brighter and happier since switching. I get it in the organic section in Fortinos aka Loblaws and it can be found at a few pet stores. They have a web site. I have always supplemented my dogs with veggies and organic organ meats.