Should I feed dog food with by-product or no by-product?

Question

Over the last 6 months I've fed Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice, Iams Simple and Naturals Chicken, and now Purina One Smartblend Healthy Weight. I know that Blue Buffalo and the more expensive brands are considered 'better' for them, but my dogs hardly touch it. Same with the Iams, which has no by-products either. But when I give the Purina, they gobble it down.

Both are very active, healthy dogs. oO is about a year old, the other is almost 3. Both at good weights, and no health issues. We walk at least 2 miles a day. Just really well rounded dogs.

I want to feed them what's best for them, but I just don't really know what side of the by-product argument I should be on, and the more research I do the more confused I am. I've read that by-product contains 300% more protein than actual meat but does that make it good for them?

I'm not concerned about price, I just want to get them what's good for them, but at the same time, they hardly touch the 'good' stuff, and they, obviously, need to eat.

I will be asking my vet as well(I work at a clinic), but just wanted to attempt to get a general consensus from other dog owners. Is the 'better' food really that much better? Will it really prevent health issues and lengthen a lifespan?

Answer 1

Feed what is best for your dogs-what they respond to.



I don't like Purina or any of the common store brands because I have seen the difference from a dog eating Purina and then switching to a 'higher' brand of food(Natural Balance).



I feed my own dog Natural Balance- Because their food is grain free and it's what my dog responds best to. My own dog has sensitivity to grain so any of Natural Balance formulas are what my dog responds best to-so that's what I go with.



As mentioned before I have seen the results of a dog switching from a lower food(Purina) to a higher quality food(Natural Balance).



This is that situation:



My father owns a dog-a mixed breed- who is now ten years old. Her whole life she was fed Purina, she didn't have any major health issues. She would get constant ear infections, but that's it. Physically, she always looked skinny. Her ribs and hips would show, as would her spine. She has always been free fed and also fed scraps but she just wouldn't gain weight. Her energy level has always been so-so.



Two years ago she was switched to Natural Balance. Within a week one could easily see the difference-physically. Her coat became softer, her energy went up. Her ear infections started lessened and within a week-she filled out. Not so she was fat, but she looked healthy-fit. When my father took her into the veterinarian-he was amazed at the physical changes and also other changes. Her gums were a lot healthier as were her teeth.



Similar changed happened with the family cat, she too was fed purina her whole life. Last year-when she was nearing 17 years of age- she started to lose her fur, throwing up, had less energy, etc. The veterinarian couldn't find anything wrong with her. After seeing the change in my father's dog, my parents thought 'why not' and switched her food to Natural Balance too. Again right away, one could see the changes. Her energy came back, her fur stopped falling out and became very soft. She also stopped throwing up.



It's amazing what simply changing an animals food can do for them.



You can also try feeding your dog a raw diet.

Answer 2

Think of it this way...a lot of people love junk food and fast food, and gobble it down a lot more readily than a plate of lean protein and veggies (even though the junk food is bad for them and nutritionally deficient)...



Your dog's seeming preference for "doggie junk food" doesn't make that an appropriate choice...look up the foods you consider feeding on dogfoodadvisor.com so you'll at least have some idea if you are feeding your furry friend something beneficial, or just garbage that is calories but has nothing else going for it...



I avoid food with "by product" in it...my dog deserves the best I can afford, and I prefer she eat food made from human grade ingredients...I love her and I see no reason to feed her crap just because some dog food company decided to made it into kibble and sell it to unsuspecting people...



There are MANY brands of food out there your dog may like, that are actually good for him...if he doesn't like Blue Buffalo, try one of the other good brands...i wouldn't touch anything made by IAMS or Purina personally...

Answer 3

No by-product of course! By-products are not what you want your dog to be eating.

I would stick with Blue Buffalo if you're not concerned about the price. Iams Naturals are okay, better than the older, other lines of Iams dog foods, but still not as good as Blue nutrient-wise.

And purina is not a brand of dog foods I trust at all.



Your dogs are picky. But this is easily gotten rid of. Get whichever dog food you choose and stick with it. Once your dogs realize that this is what they're getting, they'll eat.

Answer 4

The better quality foods are better for digestion, coat, internal organs and general overall health. Dogs fed a good diet are less prone to being overweight, having allergies, digestive upsets, kidney issues and uti's. Also studies strongly suggest that corn & soy may be the cause of unexplained seizures in dogs. Corn & soy are major ingredients in most supermarket brand foods. Stay away from cheap low quality foods such as Beneful, pedigree, IAMS/Eukanuba, Science Dirt, Purina Dog Chow and other supermarket type foods..they are loaded with the cheap fillers & by products and some of them (like Beneful) contain dyes and chemical preservatives. Look for foods such as Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, Canidae, Blue Buffalo, Premium Edge, California Natural, Solid Gold, Innova to name a few.These are good quality foods with out all the crap. Dogs are not grain eaters..they are not designed to extract nutrition from grains.It takes up to 3 times more of a grain based food then it does a good quality meat based food for a dog to obtain proper nutrition. It is poor economy ot feed the low quality cheap foods..since you need to feed a lot more of it and it also produces more waste.

Answer 5

Any kind of By-Product is bad for dogs, you shouldn't really feed your dog that regularly.

Answer 6

All the so-called "premium" feeds are SCAMS.

Guilting the gullible into wasting money for no reason.

& giving the low-self-esteem's a "brag"..."I waste more money than *you* do."