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DAJA
03-15-2009, 11:00
Hello folks,

My old girl Tessa, is a 10yr old Cocker Spaniel and my trail mate... Since she was a pup I've been feeding her a dry food bought from my vet... She's never eaten human food, more so to limit the begging than for particular health reasons.. Lately she has grown tired of her food..

Just wondering if some of you dog folk could offer suggestions of another healthy brand of dog food for an aging dog...

I've also been looking at recipe's to make my own dog food. Has anyone made their own dog food? How long will it keep fresh?

Any suggestions or advice would be greatly apprechiated!

Cheers

DJ

Maddog
03-15-2009, 11:13
wow! you wasted alot of money on "vet dogfood"! it's way overpriced! most dogfood brands offer an older dog formula! good luck! :)

wrongway_08
03-15-2009, 11:19
Hit up Smart. Look for something like Natures/natural brand of dog food, around $35-$40 a bag but it is good stuff, no corn filler. As you most likely know, this means the dog uses more of the food so theres less crap. This also means youll feed him less (pound for pound) compared to most other brands.

Really any dog foor that is in the $35-$45 a bag price range will be the good stuff - just make sure corn meal is not in the ingred. list.

The bags are usually 35 - 45 pounds, depending on brand and style of food.

wrongway_08
03-15-2009, 11:21
The vet dog food is good stuff but really high dollar for what it is, your bettter off at PetSmart.

Feral Bill
03-15-2009, 13:37
My vet sells expensive dog food. He recommends basic Purina Chow.

If your dog is not eating her usual food, you might get her checked for medical problems.

Puppy
03-15-2009, 15:56
When two of my dogs got older - it started to look like they lost interest in food..... but I watched closer and it seemed that the dry food started to be hard for them to chew.

All I do now to fix it is I add about 1/2 can of Iams wet food to the dry (and lessen the amout of dry to even it out). I stir it up so the wet helps coat the dry. It is like night and day - now they are excitied to eat it. Instant fix.

wrongway_08
03-15-2009, 16:00
He recommends basic Purina Chow.

If your dog is not eating her usual food, you might get her checked for medical problems.


Watch the puppy chow, lots of fillers that dont do anything for your dog or its health. Does how ever create more waste for you to step in.

Dollar for dollar, your better off buying the higher dollar food. Both for you wallet and the dogs health.

Cabin Fever
03-15-2009, 16:26
Every vet and dog person I know says Nutro is the best choice. We buy ours at PetSmart and it is not bad on the wallet.

wrongway_08
03-15-2009, 16:29
Every vet and dog person I know says Nutro is the best choice. We buy ours at PetSmart and it is not bad on the wallet.

Thats what I use! Thanks, not at home right now and could think of the right name.... Good stuff, they eat less and there is a lot less poop to clean up then feeding them the cheap crap!!!

superman
03-15-2009, 16:49
I pay $70 for a 35 lb bag of perscription dog food for Winter.:)

DAJA
03-15-2009, 18:20
Thanks for all the feedback... As far as health problems...that was my initial thought as well...Long story short, after a vet visit they found some "lumps" they wanted to remove as a precaution...After recovering from that she seemed to return to her old eating patterns, but now seems to be eating less and less and for the most part not interested in it.. So as a stop gap to see if it was the food, I went out and bought some... I think IAMs Aged Dog Blend dry food to try... She seems much more interested in this and has been eating her usual amount again....

So I was just curious if others simply buy store brand food as opposed the vet stuff... I'm going to look for some Nutro next time i'm in the States...(Can't find it here in Canada.) I live in a border town so I'll be going over this week sometime to gas up...

Again thanks for all the good info...

Desert Reprobate
03-15-2009, 18:34
If you ate the same thing every day for 10 years you might be bored

Cabin Fever
03-15-2009, 19:29
Looks like there are lots of dealers around Bangor. Nutro.com has a dealer locator tool.

wrongway_08
03-15-2009, 21:05
Thanks for all the feedback... As far as health problems...that was my initial thought as well...Long story short, after a vet visit they found some "lumps" they wanted to remove as a precaution...After recovering from that she seemed to return to her old eating patterns, but now seems to be eating less and less and for the most part not interested in it.. So as a stop gap to see if it was the food, I went out and bought some... I think IAMs Aged Dog Blend dry food to try... She seems much more interested in this and has been eating her usual amount again....

So I was just curious if others simply buy store brand food as opposed the vet stuff... I'm going to look for some Nutro next time i'm in the States...(Can't find it here in Canada.) I live in a border town so I'll be going over this week sometime to gas up...

Again thanks for all the good info...

My dog Cody had the same problem. He started eating weird and I kept taking him back to the vet. They found out it was Cancer but a certain type that doesnt bother dogs till its in the very final stages. Needless to say - by the time the eating problems started it was way to late to do anything. He died in a little less then a month.

Cody also did the same thing with the food, we changed from dry to wet to mixed to people food. Some times he would eat a certain type for a few days, then we would have to change it up. Vet said it was due to the cancer, it was spread everywhere and caused the dog to not want to eat or get sick from certain foods.

Some days he would eat, sometimes he wouldnt eat for a 1 or 2 day period off and on. Sometimes he had full energy, other days he could hardly lift his head.
It wasnt till the last 3 days that he just stopped eating, had lost all energy, he died with me me at least.
Only good thing is it seems that the cancer does not cause pain to the dog.

I would have them checked just to make sure.

Rouen
03-16-2009, 10:32
For those looking at switching food but dont know what makes a food good, this website ranks them by what they use as fillers and meat content.

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

DAJA
03-16-2009, 10:48
Great link, thank you..

Phreak
03-16-2009, 11:33
Innova EVO is what I feed both of my dogs.

Mercy
03-16-2009, 19:05
What do you guys feed when you're hiking... and can only get dog food from a grocery store? I did some food drops last year, but this year I figured I'd get dog food from the grocery store.

CrumbSnatcher
03-16-2009, 19:11
Hello folks,

My old girl Tessa, is a 10yr old Cocker Spaniel and my trail mate... Since she was a pup I've been feeding her a dry food bought from my vet... She's never eaten human food, more so to limit the begging than for particular health reasons.. Lately she has grown tired of her food..

Just wondering if some of you dog folk could offer suggestions of another healthy brand of dog food for an aging dog...

I've also been looking at recipe's to make my own dog food. Has anyone made their own dog food? How long will it keep fresh?

Any suggestions or advice would be greatly apprechiated!

Cheers

DJare you planning on hiking with your old dog?

DAJA
03-16-2009, 19:27
are you planning on hiking with your old dog?

No, unfortunately her hiking days are over... At least for long stretches, she'll still come along on short overnighters and day hikes, but she'll be missing the extended hikes I have planned for the spring/summer/fall...

CrumbSnatcher
03-16-2009, 19:28
No, unfortunately her hiking days are over... At least for long stretches, she'll still come along on short overnighters and day hikes, but she'll be missing the extended hikes I have planned for the spring/summer/fall...
sorry for you, but good for the pooch:D by the way i used IAMS maturity 7+ years old dog food. and pedegree soft food. my dog seemed to like both!

ishmael86
03-21-2009, 10:12
Hey! Let me chime in in support of making your own dog food : o ) It's not too hard--I make up a batch that lasts about four days, put it in the fridge, and forget about it. My dog is extremely happy about it, she's slimmer, poops less, and is generally in a better mood, I think. It's also much, much better for your dog--laws regulating commercial dog food, even those expensive brands, are pretty lax. I won't go into the gory details, but look at the ingredients in expensive food, and compare them to cheap grocery store brands, you often won't find too much difference.

I would recommend getting a couple of good books on the subject, you can find tons at amazon--just read the reviews and look for some that have information on dogs' dietary requirements as well as recipes. You can also find some recipes online. I just generally follow the rule of balance--make sure she's getting enough protein, and don't always feed the same kind.

Good luck!

willsnow
03-21-2009, 11:20
can you dehydrate a BARF recipe? im just tryin to think of ways to get more calories without a lot of weight. im concidering mixing it in with his normal food for the extra energy. or maybe one in the morning and one whe we stop for the day

Rouen
03-21-2009, 13:19
It's also much, much better for your dog--laws regulating commercial dog food, even those expensive brands, are pretty lax. I won't go into the gory details, but look at the ingredients in expensive food, and compare them to cheap grocery store brands, you often won't find too much difference.
Good luck!


You wont? the brand of food I feed has one filler, tomatoes, and 5 meat sources(4 are the first ingredients). it is ethoxyquin free and BHA/BHT free, where as something like pedigree uses BHA/BHT, is loaded with corn and wheat and only has 2 or 3 meat sources. and laws regulating our own food are lax as well.
I'm not saying BARF is less healthy than kibble(depending on where the meat comes from) but rather that not all dog kibble is created equally.

peanuts
03-21-2009, 13:22
my dogs eat blue buffalo brand no fillers, preservative, corn, wheat, soy and glutten free... they have never done so well!!

mateozzz
03-21-2009, 13:26
Have you had your dogs teeth cleaned occasionally? Bad teeth and gums can lead to a load of health problems and cause the dog to not like to chew. My dog has never been much of a bone chewer so I have t get his teeth cleaned every 1-2 years. Unfortunately, it is expensive, up to $300 per.

ishmael86
03-21-2009, 16:30
You wont? the brand of food I feed has one filler, tomatoes, and 5 meat sources(4 are the first ingredients). it is ethoxyquin free and BHA/BHT free, where as something like pedigree uses BHA/BHT, is loaded with corn and wheat and only has 2 or 3 meat sources. and laws regulating our own food are lax as well.
I'm not saying BARF is less healthy than kibble(depending on where the meat comes from) but rather that not all dog kibble is created equally.


I didn't say all dog kibbles were full of fillers and bad stuff for dogs, just that most expensive brands have the same ingredients as most grocery store brands. Most dog owners already know that not all kibbles are created equal--I'm glad you found one you were comfortable with. In St. Louis I searched a dozen stores and only found one food I wanted to feed my dog--at a price high enough that it's really no different to make her food instead. I don't use the BARF diet either.

WritinginCT
03-27-2009, 15:40
We went through the food wringer with our older boxer- she had a sensitivity to something in food that caused a skin condition- we just couldn't figure out what it was exactly. We tried everything per the vet. And our girls have been on practically every prescription and high-end kibble out there. We finally ended up with them on regular ol' yellow bag Pedigree. And they are thriving. Beautiful coats, decent stool, and lots of energy.

A trick for sometimes getting dogs to eat is to simply add some hot (tap- hot) water to the kibble. It can not only make it a little easier for them to eat, but it also enhances the smell of the kibble making it more appealing to the dog.

Wise Old Owl
03-27-2009, 18:31
On the trail I feed my dog a choice of Slim Jim and homemade mild jerky. - He loves it, Oh I still have all my fingers!

moonshiner
03-31-2009, 20:53
x-----2323

CowHead
04-01-2009, 19:30
Hello folks,

My old girl Tessa, is a 10yr old Cocker Spaniel and my trail mate... Since she was a pup I've been feeding her a dry food bought from my vet... She's never eaten human food, more so to limit the begging than for particular health reasons.. Lately she has grown tired of her food..

Just wondering if some of you dog folk could offer suggestions of another healthy brand of dog food for an aging dog...

I've also been looking at recipe's to make my own dog food. Has anyone made their own dog food? How long will it keep fresh?

Any suggestions or advice would be greatly apprechiated!

Cheers

DJ

I buy from petsmart just for my cocker royal canine, he's 10 also and good for about 12 miles a day

superman
04-02-2009, 18:50
I've got 4 dogs. I bought a large bag of Meaty Bites at Big W and was
standing in line at the check-out.

A woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

On impulse, I told her no, I was starting The Meaty Bites Diet again,
although I probably shouldn't because I ended up in the hospital last
time. I lost 25 lbs before I woke in Intensive Care with tubes
coming out of most of my legs and IV's in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way it
works is to load your pants pockets with Meaty Bites and simply eat
one or two every time you feel hungry.... the food is nutritionally
complete, so I was going to try it again.

I have to mention here that practically everyone in the line was by
now enthralled with my story, particularly a guy who was behind her.

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in the hospital because I had been
poisoned by the food. I told her no, it was because I'd been sitting

in the middle of the road licking my ass and a car hit me..

I thought one guy was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so
hard as he staggered out the door.

Stupid baster...why else would I buy dog food:)

Wise Old Owl
04-03-2009, 15:25
Hello folks,

My old girl Tessa, is a 10yr old Cocker Spaniel and my trail mate... Since she was a pup I've been feeding her a dry food bought from my vet... She's never eaten human food, more so to limit the begging than for particular health reasons.. Lately she has grown tired of her food..

Just wondering if some of you dog folk could offer suggestions of another healthy brand of dog food for an aging dog...

I've also been looking at recipe's to make my own dog food. Has anyone made their own dog food? How long will it keep fresh?

Any suggestions or advice would be greatly apprechiated!

Cheers

DJ

Yes you need to change it up! I head down to the shop rite and get a case of canned gravys and mix it up in the store. Chicken, beef, mushroom etc. They are all fat free and add flavor to the kibble which is mostly flavorless corn meal.

CowHead
04-03-2009, 19:32
I've got 4 dogs. I bought a large bag of Meaty Bites at Big W and was
standing in line at the check-out.

A woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

On impulse, I told her no, I was starting The Meaty Bites Diet again,
although I probably shouldn't because I ended up in the hospital last
time. I lost 25 lbs before I woke in Intensive Care with tubes
coming out of most of my legs and IV's in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way it
works is to load your pants pockets with Meaty Bites and simply eat
one or two every time you feel hungry.... the food is nutritionally
complete, so I was going to try it again.

I have to mention here that practically everyone in the line was by
now enthralled with my story, particularly a guy who was behind her.

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in the hospital because I had been
poisoned by the food. I told her no, it was because I'd been sitting

in the middle of the road licking my ass and a car hit me..

I thought one guy was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so
hard as he staggered out the door.

Stupid baster...why else would I buy dog food:)


yes i'm going to used this next time

Nina
04-30-2009, 15:49
Is it pretty much neccesary to do mail drops for dog food? It's heavy, but what are the chances of finding the same brand as you stop for supplies?

jrnj5k
04-30-2009, 16:56
we use Innova which has an adult formula. Its a very high quality no preservatives brand. If you read the ingredient list on the back you'll recognize every word.

Aussie922
05-14-2009, 20:25
This is kind of an old thread, but I figured I would throw in my 2 cents...
Try to keep away from dog foods that have corn, wheat, or soy, especially in the first few ingredients. Nutro lamb & rice is okay. I had my three dogs on it for a couple years. It would occasionally give my two Australian Shepherds runny stool, though.
For the past four years I have been feeding Canidae PAWS (for puppies, adults, working dogs, and seniors). Unfortunately, they changed the formula a few months ago, which didn't agree with my younger Aussie. I now have her on Flint River Ranch. It's more expensive than what I usually spend on dog food, but it's cheaper if you have a few people that you can buy in bulk with.
She also has a recurring UTI problem that appears when her diet is too rich. As a result, I can't feed her a lot of the higher quality "pet store foods"- Innova, Royal Canin, etc.

2011_thruhiker
05-15-2009, 09:34
First-how is her weight? What is her current excersize structure? What are her calorie demands currently to keep her at an optimal weight? Does she have any special vitamin/nutrient requirements?

When switching dog foods-that is these are the FIRST considerations that you need to take in. There are several very healthy dog foods out there-Purina, Iams, Hill's Science Diet, Nutro, etc. However, just because it is a "healther" dog food, doesn't always mean that is the right dog food for your dog.

For example-I notice you now have her on Iam's for older dogs. The one complaint I have heard about Iams across the board-and experianced first hand (We have 5 vets on staff here and speak with them often because of what my job is) is that it is known to be a high fat content dog/cat food. But if your pooch is a little underweight then this is a good dog food for her to be on. If she is at her optimal weight or over weight and not active-this is not the dog food she should be on-as she will gain weight very fast. In an older dog you must really be careful of this as it is harder for them to loose weight and an overweight older dog is more likely to suffer from heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, etc. You also do NOT want to feed less than what is recommended (ex: due to the high fat content)-because now they are now not receiving the important recommended daily dose of vitamins and nutrients. Which could lead to skin/coat problems, heart disease (not enough good cholestrol can induce a heart attack), anemia (low iron), diabetes etc.

Supplementing vitamins is not always recommended either unless done so by a vet. Your vet can calculate by what your feeding, how much you are feeding, the dog's weight and what is the proper dosage of vitamins needed. Some vitamins can be toxic when too much is given. Further, supplementing vitamins doesn't take care of the nutrient deficiency when feeding less than what is recommended.

I only put the dogs here on Iams when we go on the trail and in the winter where they are burning more body fat to keep warm. In the summer everyone goes on Purina One because it is not as high in fat-it's an excellant quality food with the proper vitamins and nutrients. But I also have young dogs with a high prey drive-so they are very active. They are also working dogs as well.

If you choose to keep your dog on Iams-she is going to need to get out on the trail-even if it is for short day hikes. As her excersize is going to need to be brought up to ensure she doesn't become obese on Iams.

Of course you don't want a dog food with fillers-it can cause all sorts of issues with their liver and kidneys. But that isn't the only consideration you will need to take in. This is how we pick a dog food:

1. Calorie intake the dog needs (based on activity/weather)
2. Vitamin/nutrient daily needs (based on activity/weather)
3. Choose the dog food based on the above, with the LOWEST filler content.

My advice, talk to your vet. See what he recommends. Out of that list he recommends, do your research on what the pro's and con's of each is and then decide what would be best for your dog AND your wallet.

Phoenixdadeadhead
05-15-2009, 10:05
Have you tried pouring some hot water over the food? It doesn't take much just a few ounces, and you will know pretty quick if it works.