Which is a better dog food?

Question

Is Iams a good dog food? or is Beniful? Tell me all the bad stuff in dog food I feed Purina One. Can you reccomend something for me? Thanks

Answer 1

Iams and beniful are both bad dog foods. And purina One is bad too. I recommend a raw food diet. Or Innova Evo, BARF, Timber wolf or Canidea. The bad stuff is sugar, wheat gluten, byproducts, soy and corn. and a lot of other stuff. Here is a website.



http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/



Look at the ones over four stars. This is what your dog eats.



http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=1243&cat=all



A lot of the stuff in your dog food is in the list of what not to have.

Answer 2

From my own experience, none of those are any good. When I got my Maltese she was on Eukunuba from the breeder. She was always scratching, pulling and biting the hair off her leg, her coat wasn't nice, she was always getting urinary trac infections,ear infections and scabs on her skin. I switched her to Royal Canin and her fur got very soft but still had the problems with the skin. I tried AnnaMaet from the vet and still had some problems,plus she didn't like the food.

So I did some research on the internet and decided to give the holistic food a try. I'm so glad I did. In 2 weeks her health problems started to disappear, her coat is so soft and silky, no more infections or scratching and best of all I have a happy dog who loves the food now. I give her Eagle Pack and Solid Gold Wee Bits. It's more expensive than the Purina etc. but you don't need to feed as much since it is a better quality food. So it is cheaper in the long run. I give her 1/4 cup twice a day. Plus the money I save on vet bills. She is worth the extra money for the good food.

Answer 3

i feed solid gold. it is a good food, costs more but fills the dog up better. the above mentioned foods, not to be mean, but i will not feed beniful, not a good product, iams, not feeding either, purina one, of the three that is the better one..not the best out there, but better. try looking at the list people have mentioned. the foods 4-6 star do cost more but when you look at the ingredients, you will see better quality, less fillers, more meat, etc. do not feed a food with corn, meat-by-products, or corn-syrup {sugar}. wellness core is a newer food, not as high as solid gold, but a good food. try it if price is an issue. by the way...science diet...from what i have heard and read...ground up peanut hulls are used as the filler...not what you want to feed...

Answer 4

My favorite question!!! (cracks knuckles as she prepares to type...;-) I feed and all RAW diet. Yes all RAW, that is I feed mostly a whole prey model diet, meaning I feed my dogs, whole chickens, whole duck, whole cow, whole deer, whatever. I chop it into appropriate pieces, since I have very small toy dogs, but they all eat it, just the same. I use leg quarters, they eat the whole thing, bone and all. I feed on the system of 80% meat, 10% edible bone and 10% organ. edible bone is anything they can EAT. Chicken, duck, turkey and some pork are favorites here. I get big venison hind quarters and shoulders from hunter friends and sometimes I cut the meat off and toss the meaty bones to the dogs for a little recreational chewing and then serve the meat later as a meal. You want to avoid the large weight bearing bones of larger mammals such as the marros bones of cows, etc, those will wear down the dogs teeth and can chip them.

Remember cooked bones are bad, raw, is good! This is a species appropriate diet for my canine family becuz dogs are CARNIVORES, they are not omnivores, they are not vegetarians as some would have you believe, but carnivores and should be fed as such. Issues such as food allergies, skin issues, obesity, and dental problems etc are non existant in raw fed dogs.

Good for you on doing your homework on this important issue and do check out the links Ive included below for more information.

Hope this helps,

Answer 5

Not Beneful, not Purina, Not Iams, Not Eukanuba or Science Diet.. Definately Not Ol Roy.. Check Wellness or Canidae, Evo even..

Answer 6

I want my dog to live a long healthy life...and a dog trainer I know strongly reccommends "Solid Gold" which is made with salmon, bison etc...I can't afford to buy $40 bag a week either...but my dog weighs 75 lbs. and eats three meals a day, and usually doesn't finish them...I buy no more than one 40lb. bag a month and it's priced at $42 dollars - not bad. If you dog is allowed to eat all day w/o control, you probably will have a bigger dog food bill and an overweight dog - no fun, for you, or your dog. But "Solid Gold" hasn't given my dog any problems and he loves the taste. Before that he was on Nature's Recipe, didn't have any problems, but didn't care for the flavor.

Answer 7

I have and will always feed my dogs (and cats) Science Diet. It is a little pricier, but isn't the life of your pet worth it? They are your four-legged and furry children. Would you feed your baby based on the price of the food or based on what is in it?



We have 4 dogs. Three of those dogs are still puppies. We have a mini dachshund (4 months old), standard dachshund (6 months old), and a dalmatian (6 months old). The fourth is a puggle and she is almost 2 years old. We buy a 40lb. bag (it is about $40 at PetsMart). They eat twice a day. That bag lasts us about 2 months.



If you are following the feeding directions on the bag, there is no way anyone should go through a bag a dog food a week (you'd have to be buying a bag less than 20 lbs.). I just checked the bag of Science Diet Puppy we have and for the biggest dog (120 lbs.) between 4-9 months of age, she/he should be getting 9 cups of food. And no dog should be fed more than 3 times a day (two times is usually sufficient).

Answer 8

neither of them r good. both have corn in them which is a huge allergen for many dogs some good foods r canidae, chicken soup brand, merrick, wellness, innova, dont feed purina or iams it is all crap they care more about advertising than they do about the food itself



EDIT: just to Jill F. there is a problem if u r buying a bag of dog food every week for ur dogs. i have two dogs one of which is a 60 pound dog who eats like a hog and a 20 pound bag of chicken soup brand food lasts me a month and a half. seriously there is a problem if ur buying dog food weekly.

Answer 9

We feed Canidae only, our pup (Akita) is healthy, doesn't smell like "dog", good teath, never had a problem with fleas.... tons of benefits.



Please don't buy the grocery store stuff.



(I agree with all the other comments about the preservatives, byproducts, and fillers.... not good!)



Oh... and Canidae isn't too expensive either... our 90 lb dog goes through a bag every 4-5 weeks (about $36).



:-)

Answer 10

Tips for Choosing a Dog Food Brand



Have you ever wondered whether the food you’re giving your dog is actually healthy for him? Follow these simple steps to “grade” your dogs food and see its true quality.



Start with a grade of 100



1. For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points.

2. For every non-specific animal source (meat, poultry, meal, or fat) reference, subtract 10 points.

3. If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points.

4. For every grain mill run or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points.

5. If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. ground brown rice, brewers rice, rice flour are all the same grain), subtract 5 points.

6. If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points.

7. If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points.

8. If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points.

9. If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points.

10. If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points.

11. If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources) subtract 2 points.

12. If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points.

13. If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points.

14. If it contains beef (unless you know that you dog is not allergic to beef), subtract 1 point.

15. If it contains salt, subtract 1 point.



Extra Credit:



1. If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points.

2. If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points.

3. If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points.

4. If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points.

5. If the food contains fruit, add 3 points.

6. If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points.

7. If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points.

8. If the food contains barley, add 2 points.

9. If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points.

10. If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point.

11. If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point.

12. For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count chicken and chicken meal as only one protein source), add 1 point.

13. If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point.

14. If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point.



Score:

94-100+ =A

86-93 =B

78-85 =C

70-77 =D

0-69 =F



Here is how some of the major dog food brands scored:







“A+” Rated Food Brands

Artemis large/medium breed puppy 114 A+

Authority Harvest Baked 116 A+Canidae 112 A+

Chicken Soup Senior 115 A+

Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium 122 A+

Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato 106 A+

Foundations 106 A+

Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables 110 A+

Innova Dog 114 A+

Innova Evo 114 A+

ProPlan Natural Turkey and Barley 103 A+

Royal Canin Boxer 103 A +

Royal Canin Bulldog 100 A+

Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult 106 A+

Timberwolf Organics Lamb and Venison 136 A+

Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken 110 A+



“A” Rated Food Brands



Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula 99 A

Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice 97 A

Solid Gold 99 A

Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold 97 A



“B” Rated Food Brands



Diamond Lamp Meal and Rice 92 B

Eukanuba Natural Lamb and Rice 87 B

Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold 93 B

Nutrisource Lamb and Rice 87 B

Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy 87 B



“C” Rated Food Brands



Alpo Prime Cuts 81 C

Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice 83 C

Eukanuba Large Breed Adult 83 C



“D” Rated Food Brands



Iams Lamb Meal and Rice Formula Premium 73 D



“F” Rated Food Brands



Bil-Jac Select 68 F

Diamond Maintenance 64 F

Ol Roy 9 F

Pedigree Adult Complete 14 F

Pedigree Complete Nutrition 42 F

Pet Gold Adult with Lamb and Rice 23 F

Purina Beneful 17 F

Purina Dog 62 F

Purina Come-n-Get It 16 F

Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ 63 F

Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies 69 F

Answer 11

Neither! Read the ingredients. If there is corn, wheat or soy, these are the most common causes of allergies in dogs and cats.



If there is by products these are hard to digest.



The first five ingredients are what make up most of the food.



Additives and preservatives are not good for us or our pets.

Answer 12

I personally would not reccomend ANY of those dog foods you mentioned. I give my Dogs Canidae, Lamb & Rice formula and they absolutely love it. It is also great for their skin & coat. Good Luck!

Answer 13

Neither is good because they both contain numerous by-products and fillers.



You need to feed Innova or Canidae. They use human-grade ingredients and have no by-products or fillers.

Answer 14

It really depends on your dog. I know that my dog has some allergies so some foods just don't work for her. She has done very well on Science Diet Large Breed (she is large) lamb & rice. It is mid range in price..so we aren't breaking the bank with the top of the line but it isn't a low grade either.

Just remember if you are going to switch food, to start mixing in the new food gradually so that you don't give your dog an upset stomach.

Answer 15

None of the above. All three foods you mentioned are low-quality. Here are reviews of the foods that tell you, based on ingredients, why those foods aren't good.



Iams - http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=143&cat=all



Beneful - http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=69&cat=all



Purina One - http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=258&cat=all



All three foods receive a rating of only 1 star.



I recommend using only 4, 5, or 6 star rated foods. http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/



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Read the ingredients before you buy. Go with a high-quality dog food.



Here is my "short list" of rules when I am looking at dog food ingredients:

1) When I chose a dog food, I chose one high meat content. I want to see preferably at least 2-3 out of the top 5 ingredients be meat or meat meal (first ingredient must be!). Meal is simply the meat with the moisture removed.

2) I want to see higher quality grains, such as barley, brown rice, and oatmeal, instead of seeing wheat and corn. Or an alternative starch/carbohydrate such as potatoes or sweet potatoes.

3) I don't want to see any byproducts.

4) I don't want to see a lot of fillers.

5) I don't want to see preservatives that are believed to be carcinogens (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin).

6) I don't want to see artificial colorings such as the Red, Blue, and Yellow dyes.

7) I don't want to see added sugars (sugar, corn syrup).

8) I don't want to see mystery meats (meats identified only as "meat" or "poultry".)



Here is an article about byproducts:

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=ingrd



And an article on what ingredients to avoid:

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients



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There is no food that is the *best*, different individual dog may thrive on different foods. What is best for one may not be the best for the next. And just because a food is good quality, it doesn't mean it will jive the best for your dog.



What you want to find is the high-quality food that *your dog* does best on.



Here are some examples of high quality foods:

* Artemis

* California Natural

* Canidae

* Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul

* Eagle Pack Holistic Selects

* EVO

* Fromm

* Innova

* Merrick

* Nature's Variety

* Orijen

* Solid Gold

* Taste of the Wild

* Timberwolf Organics

* Wellness



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Higher quality food may seem more expensive at first, but it evens out. The higher quality the food, the less fillers eaten (and therefore the less poop comes out the other end). Your dog eats more of a low-quality food to try to get the nutrition it needs, and most of the food just passes right on through. Also, higher-quality food will make your animals healthier, so you save money on vet bills in the long run.



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Stay away from grocery stores brands. They are low-quality foods chalk full of fillers, preservatives, dyes, etc.. (Grocery store foods are those like Beneful, Old Roy, Alpo, Pedigree, etc.)



Beware "premium" foods. "Premium" does not always mean good nutritionally, and is not a nutritionally high quality food. Most of these foods have the same types of ingredients as grocery store foods, just a bit better quality of those not-so-good ingredients. (Premium foods are those like Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc..)



Another thing to be wary of: A lot of vets will recommend what they sell in their office. They get profit from the brands they keep on their shelves, that's why they push it. Truth is, vet schools don't focus a lot on nutrition. It's not saying that a vet is a bad vet because he recommends those foods, a lot of vets just are told "this is good food", so they pass the message along without proper nutrition knowledge. Also, some dog food brands (like Hills) support vet schools, so vets have heard of it from the time they start college, which makes them think it's good as well.



Hills company, the makers of Science Diet, are heavily involved in vet schools. "Hill's scientists author more than 50 research papers and textbook chapters each year and teach at leading schools of veterinary medicine" (Source of quoted section: http://www.hillsvet.com/zSkin_2/company_... )



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"Big box" petstores like Petco and Petsmart rarely have quality foods. (I do believe that PetCo sells "Solid Gold" and "Natural Balance" brands and Petsmart sells "Blue Buffallo", which are all higher quality foods, but most of the foods aren't.)



Also, grocery stores and Walmart aren't good places to buy food either.



Your best bets for getting quality dog food are:

- small, locally owned petstores

- dog boutiques

- farm supply stores



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When switching foods, do it gradually. I do this over about a two week timespan:

25% food A, 75% food B

50% food A, 50% food B

75% food A, 25% food B

100% food A

.

Answer 16

My dog has had Science Diet since he was a puppy. It has always been ok for him - never got sick or anything on it. I now have a cat and she eats Cat Science Diet. Whatever you choose should be fine just make sure when putting the dog on the new food you do it gradually by slowly mixing it in with what he/she is eating now until eventually all the dog eats is the new food. Hope this helps!

Answer 17

Dear God. All of those foods you mentioned are just HORRIBLE.



Check out www.dogfoodanalysis.com--there are lots of quality foods out there.

Answer 18

eukanuba is a great dog food. always look for a food with the first ingrediant of chicken,pork, lamb

Answer 19

I like....well my dogs like....purina cibbles and bites or something like that. (well only one of my dogs) Only because one of my dogs cant have colored dog food or he throws up.