natural dog food
as im hunting through google trying to find a dog food that Baden isnt allergic to and seeing just how many brands are out there its over whelming but a question occurred to me. most holistic dog food has lots of berries and veggies in it which is fantastic and everything but am i paying more for a dog food that has berries and such in it just because i think he has to have that in his food? i mean when i read apples on the label i cant help but think i have never seen a dog eat an apple lol so im just wondering since the more veggies and berries they have on the ingredient list the way more expensive it is
im not trying to start anything, i was curious as to hear what you think on the subject
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Yuki & Ellie on
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Dogs are not obligate carnivores and do benefit from eating a variety of foods, but I wouldn't say that they "need" berries or specific types of fruit. My two will happily eat fresh produce if it's offered, though. Heck, not 30 minutes ago I was tossing bits of carrot and cucumber to them while preparing dinner. They will also beg for apple, melon (any variety), blueberries, lettuce, and squash. :)
Regarding the cost, are you certain it's the fruit that is making it more expensive? My experience is that foods with more fruits and vegetables also tend to have more real meat within the first 4-5 ingredients. And, in those cases, the real meat tends to be the culprit since there's more of that and less of the filler. Have you checked out "limited ingredient" dog foods? I'm not sure if these are what you've been looking at, but they're helpful when trying to avoid particular ingredients.
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Permalink Reply by Katy on
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I like your reply. I have fed my dog apples, it's rather funny to watch him nibble on one while I'm holding the core.
Regarding the Holistic foods, they are just that. Complete nutrition. They have the vitamins and minerals usually derived from the foods used in the process of making them and also added into the food.
I feed more holistic food to my dog. Nutrisource's Pure Vita. My dogs love it and do SO well on it. I opt for the grain free version only because it's what has worked but they aren't allergic.
What kind of food are you searching for? What are the parameters?
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Permalink Reply by Rebecca Marie O'Bryan on
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i also think its a great reply. i am looking for a holistic food that is grain free. he had a huge habit of licking his paws but my vet recommended trying a grain free food and that worked wonders but now trying to find a food that is just made with venison or bison is so hard because he hates any other flavor. i had him on taste of the wild but after hearing horror stories about the company i thought it woud be best to just stay away from diamond
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I'm actually getting ready to make the move off of Taste of the Wild, too. Yuki and Ellie have always done well on it, but lately Ellie has been having some tummy troubles and I'm inclined to think it's the dog food. I'm (hopefully) moving them over to Back To Basics, though I won't like the increased cost of the food.
It looks like Natural Balance offers limited ingredient varieties with bison or venison, but has about the same price hike I'll be experiencing with Back To Basics. Be sure to check the calorie counts on the foods you look at, though, and compare it to what you feed now. You might be able to get away with feeding a bit less of the new food if it's more calorie-dense and save a bit of money that way. And then you can help fill his tummy the rest of the way with some of those fruits and veggies in raw form. ;-)
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thank you for the tip, funny how i was only looking at the price but not the calorie content. i may just be able to get a big bag but feed less to save money :) i was looking at natural balance or earthborn its grain free and has lots of different veggies and protein but as long as its bison based i think baden will like it lol
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what u said makes total sense, im glad i asked :) i thought maybe it was the fruit but come to think of it it might just be the meat. since some companies use multiple meat sources like lamb and chicken, etc. while others are cheaper due to using only one meat source
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California Natural also has limited ingredient, red meat formulas. They do carry venison, lamb, kangaroo (!) and then some others. I'd pay good money for my dogs health, but I haven't gone to Orijen or Acana route quite yet ;)
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lol i hear ya, some foods out there cost waaaaay to much. like prairie natures variety has a great food but for the larger bags, they almost $99!! just for a 4.5 poun bag was $21 great food but no way. thats interesting that California natural has kangaroo. if baden turns his nose up to the bison im sure he would love this
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Permalink Reply by Vicky Hay on
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Check tack & feed stores for better prices on some of these "natural" extravaganzas. Also, my son found the fancy food he gives his dog at Amazon for less than he's been able to get it anywhere here in town.
IMHO it's cheaper to make your own than it is to buy prepared dog foods branded "holistic" and "natural."
:-D Some of my doggie friends have been willing to eat anything...you'd think they were coyotes, not dogs. Cabbage hearts. Raw carrots. Apples for sure. Pears. Walnuts. Blueberries. And of course, the ever-present bermudagrass and houseplants!
Some foods (and lots of houseplants) are toxic to dogs, notably onion, garlic, chocolate, anything with caffeine in it, anything with alcohol in it. Apples are OK, though. Blueberries: high in oxalic acid, so be careful of yours is one of those corgis prone to urinary problems.
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thank you for the info, i actually didnt know about the blueberries. thats interesting but good to know just in case we run into that when he gets older. i would like to make his food but is it a lot of work? and i want to be sure hes getting all the vitamins and minerals he needs too.
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Well, it depends on what you're used to. If you cook your own food -- rather than eating out a lot or mostly microwaving or oven-heating prepared foods -- then it will seem as nothing. If you're not in the habit of cooking 90% or more of your meals, it will seem like a giant PITA.
FOOD -- real food, not the commercially processed stuff -- contains all the vitamins and minerals you, i, or our dogs need! How did people survive before some chemist invented a vitamin pill and some industrial magnate decided to get rich marketing it? How much longer have humans and dogs been around than junk food, industrial food (dog and human), and vitamin pills have been around? Seriously...a balanced diet of healthy, minimally processed foods does the trick.
If you're worried, go to the grocery store and buy a bottle of Sergeant's reasonably priced dog vitamin pills. Toss one to the pooch each day.
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great info thank you :) i eat all natural and organic food myself so i cook and prepare all of my meals. i eat nothing out of boxes but maybe a can occasionally like tuna or pasta sauce but i mean if frying up some ground venison and tossing some veggies and some fruit is good enough for him then yes i would save a ton of money. i would love to have my pets eating organic like i do. cooking up a big pot of that would last me forever. i could measure it out and freeze the rest of his meals and always have it on hand
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