whovian
Junior Grey Lover
River (a.k.a Iruska Cool Chic) has claimed me as her "friendbeast"
Posts: 171
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Post by whovian on Jan 25, 2014 9:05:30 GMT -5
Hello. At the recommendation of her vet, I have been feeding River Royal Canin dental kibble more or less since I brought her home. She really does chew the stuff so I can agree with RC's claims that it helps clean teeth that way at least.
The kibble is $100 a bag though (averaging $20 a week for us) and it doesn't exactly get rave reviews online. I was just wondering what other people fed their greys. What's a reputable nutrition analysis site? I'd like to start making better informed decisions about what she eats.
I'm primarily interested in the kibble diet for now (I know a lot of people on here feed raw) just because I don't have a lot of time to make her food. I'd rather spend all the time I have training and playing with her. I also don't have any space to store it right now if I were to make it in bulk.
Thanks!
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lanlove
Junior Grey Lover
Posts: 179
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Post by lanlove on Jan 25, 2014 11:16:46 GMT -5
I have spent way too much time researching this topic myself. Dog food advisor is an excellent website to get you started, they have good reviews and they indicate where the food is made. I prefer to stick to Canadian made foods and currently Lanny is being fed ACANA Lamb and Okanagan Apple...not as good as some of the other ACANA foods but he developed colitis about two months ago and this food seems to work well for him, he used to be on ACANA pacifica and he was doing well on it but after his colitis issue (we think it was due to some treats not the food) I switched him to lamb and less protein (25% vs. 31%). He was also on NUTRECO Lifetime lamb and oatmeal and did really well on it but he pooped a lot, nice firm ones but at least 3 a day and with 2 dogs to deal with there is enough of that around already, ACANA seems more digestible due to the single grain ingredient or grain free. Some other good quality foods are NOW and GO made by Petcurean and also NUTRECO makes healthy grains and grain free diets (made in St. Mary's Ontario). I have heard good things about Horizon Pulsar as well but I can't get it in my area (it is made in Saskatchewan). I don't take diets lightly and like you just don't have the time to prepare each meal for him (2 young kids, full time job, and a farm to run doesn't leave a lot of time available) but I have been happy with the kibbles available but they can be pricy. I am educated in pet nutrition (B.Sc major in animal science at University of Guelph) but in the end each dog will differ in what works for them and sometimes it just takes time to figure out which food will suit your dog best but make sure you transition over to a new food very slowly, take at least 2 weeks of increasing the amount of new food to the old one before switching completely or you could run into diarrhea and gas issues. Good luck with your search for a new kibble and I am sure others will have lots of good advice for you as well
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Post by Heather (& KC) on Jan 26, 2014 8:54:42 GMT -5
lanlove mentions Dog food advisor. I used it to determine what I was going to feed Thunder. Here's a link www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/brand/After much research and talking to a couple of friends we chose ACANA. We started on the prairie naturals but after a stress triggered diarrhea, and based on our history with Mr Max, we switched to pacifica which is a fish-based protein. He's done really well on that although I must say, it's not a cheap food either. We get it at Global Pet Foods which has a buy xx bags and get one free.
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scarletta
Grey Lover
On FB as "Onyx Can-Do"
Posts: 537
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Post by scarletta on Jan 26, 2014 13:58:33 GMT -5
I have a friend who is a dog nutritionist and trainer for a living. I asked this exact question since I researched the heck out of it and still needed guidance. She feeds her boy Eagle Pack large dog and suggested it to me with wonderful results once he adjusted. They have a few varieties but only one flavor of the large dog kind. My friend also does RAW with that kibble which is where I am heading with my boy and am currently starting him off slowly with some added raw here and there but it is not necessary really as the food is very complete. The large bag costs me $53 at the local pet store but not everywhere sells it so call around if you cannot find it and want to give it a try. Good luck! Getting a really good quality food while not being gouged is tough!
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whovian
Junior Grey Lover
River (a.k.a Iruska Cool Chic) has claimed me as her "friendbeast"
Posts: 171
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Post by whovian on Feb 2, 2014 22:27:44 GMT -5
Thanks everyone for the tips! I picked up a bag of Acana Adult Large Breed kibble from Pet Planet yesterday, and I thought we'd give that a try. I've still got about a 1/3 of a 14 kg bag of the old stuff, so there's lots of time to transition. So far she seems to think it's quite tasty, and eats all of the new kibble before starting the old stuff.
I opted for the large adult recipe because it seems to have a lot of vegetable content, and River goes mad for veggies. Her favorite treats are broccoli stalks and carrots, which she's actually chosen over stewing beef, chicken, and liver when the option was there. And she and she goes crazy trying to get into my chlorella supply - though I never let her chlorella is a powder made from algae). The Adult Large contains sweet potatoes and apples and kelp and a ton of other veggies, so I thought it might help satisfy her cravings.
I'd be interested in trying the Lamb and Okanagan apple or the Duck and Bartlett Pear versions too, but my reasons for that are mostly selfish - I have a severe seafood allergy, and it'd be nice not to have to deal with fishy kibble. That said, I'm not sure that those are better choices for her system, and I really don't mind wearing gloves when I get her meals. So we will just have to wait and see.
No matter which one I get, it looks like I will be saving a fair bit of money. She's supposed to get 2.25-3.25 cups a day of the Acana, and I was feeding her 4 cups a day of Royal Canin. So assuming the bag lasts about the same length of time, I'm spending $66 instead of $106. Even the more pricey Acana options are cheaper than what I'd been spending. It's great, especially when you throw in Pet Planet's buy 12 get one free deal! And it's always nice to buy Canadian and support local businesses instead of the big chains. All-in-all, it's a win-win-win.
Now all that's left to do is endure the transition farts...
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Post by BirdNerd on Feb 9, 2014 10:42:01 GMT -5
Now all that's left to do is endure the transition farts... Ah yes, the transition farts! Willow has those at the moment, as we've just switched from the Hills vet kibble (we got a free bag - I can't afford to buy that stuff), to the Kirkland Nature's Domain Salmon & Sweet Potato (there are a couple other varieties too). Willow loves it, then again, Willow loves everything made of food! Her farts were super raunchy for a few days, but things seem to be settling down now, and her poops are firming up again. Huzzah! And it's less than $40 for the big 35lbs bag So far, so good - I'd recommend!
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Post by hopefullygrey on Apr 7, 2014 11:24:07 GMT -5
I also researched the heck out of this in trying to determine what would constitute her base diet. I settled on Nutrience Grain Free, I don't recall how much the bag was, but it didn't seem that expensive at the time. It is readily available in many stores, and particularly at the local pet shop I frequent (I tend to like to support local pet shops and will buy some things at them even if they are a few $ more than could be found at say Costco or a big box place). Having bought cat food for many years I quickly realized that cat owners get ripped off lol.
I'll see how it goes for this bag at least. So far she's made no complaints. Yet to have any transitional gas but it'll be another day or two before the new food is completely through her system.
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patsmith
Junior Grey Lover
Gable Style (Michel)
Posts: 113
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Post by patsmith on Apr 7, 2014 14:32:10 GMT -5
Took us over a year to find one for Michel -- we use Kirkland Lamb and Rice with Vegetables. Solid poops and little to no farts. So nice to be able to pick up her poop. She has been on Kirkland Lamb and Rice for 5 years now -- would like to try some of the other varieties but afraid to try. Sorta like 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' If they had a smaller bag to test we would but for now it's Kirkland Lamb and Rice. Our little Whippet Isobel does well on it too -- but then she would probably do well on anything, she just loves food.
When we moved from Mississauga to Welland we had no problem transitioning her, she stayed with friends in Oakville for a couple of weeks and then we brought her to her new home, she goes back and forth to Oakville if we have long hospital stays and she is great on Kirkland. Kirkland costs about $35.00 bag and we go through a bag a month with two dogs. Michel gets 4 cups kibble, glucosamine, cod liver oil capsule, coconut oil and green beans and Isobel get 2 cups kibble, glucosamine, cod liver oil capsule, coconut oil and green beans nightly. All is good for them both.
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laara
Junior Grey Lover
Posts: 112
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Post by laara on Apr 7, 2014 21:42:06 GMT -5
A quick and easy way to evaluate a kibble to determine if it would be a good choice is: #1. The first ingredient needs to be an identifiable form of meat. It should reed Chicken, or Beef, or something like that, not meal, not beef meat etc. #2 Avoid use of corn and other cereal grains. Dogs don't need them and their digestive systems are not designed to process them. #3 Absolutely no by-products. If a food meets these criteria you should be good to go. Hope this helps.
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troysmom
Hound Nut
Troy & Leopold
Posts: 1,717
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Post by troysmom on Apr 8, 2014 8:00:49 GMT -5
I use Orijen which is the same company as ACANA. Both are Canadian and rated as top food. The Origjen is on step higher and pricier then the Acana since it has more protein.
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whovian
Junior Grey Lover
River (a.k.a Iruska Cool Chic) has claimed me as her "friendbeast"
Posts: 171
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Post by whovian on Apr 8, 2014 10:31:27 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice all! River has been on the Acana Adult large dog formula for a while (since February). She likes it a lot, and I have noticed an improvement in her coat, but the stinky (and I mean eye-watering stinky) dog farts have not gone away. I didn't want to change her diet too often, but it's intolerable. Next I am going to try the Acana Wild Prairie, as it is grain free, and we'll see if that helps. If the bog of eternal stench (as I've taken to calling the room with her crate) does not dissipate, I may give Orijen a shot.
For now, I am really looking forward to spring. It'll be good to open the windows.
Sent from my SGH-I747M using proboards
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Post by hopefullygrey on Apr 8, 2014 11:21:21 GMT -5
Maybe try supplementing the dry food with some cooked chicken breast and oils (coconut, cod). Or add in a bit more raw meat in general. Dogs are in some ways similar to us. Greens can cause gas, so if the dry food is high in plant products that may contribute to it. Also if the fiber content is too high. Some yogurt and/or other digestive aids may help. Also, the swallowing of air can be a contributing factor in the volume- if River is eating too quickly she may be in taking more air than she should. Most of the dietary ideas that work for humans work in dogs from the research I've done in the past few months. Things like avoiding dairy if she gets any cottage cheese etc. That said, Greys tend to be hit and miss on whether they peel paint. you may just have to keep the trial and error going with foods and supplements. Here's a thread on greytalk that also discusses the issue and has a number of different home remedies/solutions that various people have been trying. forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/257180-is-this-a-common-greyhound-trait/
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Redhead
Grey Lover
Teague (Natural Red Head)
Posts: 823
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Post by Redhead on Apr 8, 2014 20:27:40 GMT -5
I'm still liking the new PC Nutrition First grain free kibble. I was feeding Acana which is great but so expensive. The PC ingredients are quite similar, and I believe that it gets a top rating on DogFoodAdvisor (keeping in mind the person who runs this site has no background or training in dog nutrition...although I do think it is important to look at ingredients). The cost is about 40% less than Acana and Taste of the Wild and it apparently does not contain ingredients from China. I don't feed a lot of kibble so can't judge it completely but my sensitive guys do well and I am very happy with it. Never thought I would ever buy dogfood from the grocery store but now I do.
www.presidentschoice.ca/en_CA/products/productlisting/pc_nutrition_first_grain_free_salmon_potato.html
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2014 22:06:22 GMT -5
The Duchess eats Performatrin Grain Free (Pet Value brand) and has always done really well on it.
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