What food has given you the best results?

[spiderbitten]

I would like to preface this by saying that I would above all prefer to feed a raw diet, but at the present time that is not entirely possible.

So, the kids get high quality dry kibble with cooked meat, yogurt, salmon, etc., mixed in.

A long time ago and far far away, Kell was on NutroMax. Shortly before the recalls happened, Kell threw up all of his kibble twice in one day. It made me a little nervous, so I tossed the rest of the bag and started feeding much better quality stuff after a lot of research. The recalls made me feel much less paranoid, but I will never feed low grade kibble again.

Draki (my boy CC) has a very sensitive belly, and Evo gave him diarrhea, even though I slowly mixed it in with his previous food, and the diarrhea lasted too long for my comfort. He didn't have the runs on Innova, but everyone still had dry skin, so I decided to try other foods and see what the results are. So far California Natural has been fantastic...no more flakes, Draki has no diarrhea.

I'm interested to hear about the results of other kibbles used, though. In particular, can anyone tell me how their dogs did on "Timberwolf"? I'm pretty much only interested in grain-free food.

Thank you!

 

[Renee]

EVO RM. With EVO, if you're getting the runs, it's usually because you're feeding too much

My supplier ran out and very kindly GAVE me a couple of bags of other g-f foods to try, Merrick and Before Grain (black and red bag?) They sucked for my dogs. All three dogs looked at me. Kharma went so far as to spit it out disgustedly and walk away . . . and this is a dog who will eat barn rats, along with just about any sort of human food -- including oranges, avocados, sauerkraut . . . When I did convince the three of them that that was all there was for now, well, NONE of mine normally fart. Not even the APBT.

They almost killed me with the gas.

And I am so thrilled to be back to those compact, non-smelly little EVO RM poops, lol!

Not every food is going to work for every dog, but I do know the EVO will cause diarrhea with overfeeding.

 

[Tailcreek]

A couple of our dogs are on kibble, the others on raw.
For the kibble we feed Orijen. It is grain free and made in Canada. One of the things I like is that all the ingredients are from Canada. Nothing is imported from overseas. With all the problems in the dog food industry it is extremely important to me to know where the ingredients come from. This food is available in the US. The company that makes the food is called Champion Pet Foods.

Jennifer
www.tailcreekmastiffs.com

 

[Renee]

A good place to go to help you make informed choices is www.dogfoodproject.com

 

[jeoestreich]

We feed Taste of the Wild, the fish formula. One of my dogs has food allergies bad and this is the only food that I have food where he is not all itchy and red on. It is grain feed which I love!!

 

[Zoom]

Sawyer had issues at first on EVO (runs galore) but now it's fantastic. The poops are like...chihuahua sized, it's awesome. And he's only eating 1 cup a day, split into 1/2 cup feedings twice a day. It's half of what he was eating on Innova Adult, which had previously been my favorite for him. I supplement with raw chicken quarters and RMB's as well. He likes a bit of yogurt in his food every now and again anyway, just for a treat.

I'd love to switch to raw, but I need to not have a dinky little apartment freezer first.

 

[spiderbitten]

EVO RM. With EVO, if you're getting the runs, it's usually because you're feeding too much

Not every food is going to work for every dog, but I do know the EVO will cause diarrhea with overfeeding.

Hmmm...well, I did feed less than I would with other foods. I guess I may have still been feeding too much? Perhaps I should give it another try...

 

[spiderbitten]

Sawyer had issues at first on EVO (runs galore) but now it's fantastic. The poops are like...chihuahua sized, it's awesome. And he's only eating 1 cup a day, split into 1/2 cup feedings twice a day. It's half of what he was eating on Innova Adult, which had previously been my favorite for him.

How much does Sawyer weigh? My little CC is about 95 lbs, so I'm curious how much I was feeding him compares.

Yeah, a nice big freezer would definitely help us out a bit with the raw feeding.

 

[Zoom]

He weighs between 50-55lbs, we haven't seen a scale for awhile. I like to keep him around 52lbs, but with as much muscle as he's put on between all the hiking, he might be closer to 55lbs now. The EVO is also fantastic for building muscle.

I can't quite explain how he can eat so little of it...it's lower calorie than the Innova...but the protein is about twice that of the Innova, so that might be making up for it. He also gets treats and bones and stuff which also serves to even things out I think.

 

[Renee]

My 145 pound Fila bitch eats between 3 - 3.5 cups a day normally. I'll vary it some depending on the season (more in the winter) and how busy her day is. Filas are very economical eaters compared to other dogs but that might give you more of an idea of how much to aim for.

 

[Miakoda]

My 145 pound Fila bitch eats between 3 - 3.5 cups a day normally. I'll vary it some depending on the season (more in the winter) and how busy her day is. Filas are very economical eaters compared to other dogs but that might give you more of an idea of how much to aim for.

Since I've never owned a full-grown Fila, I cannot compare notes with you. But having owned a 7-month-old for a short time, I can tell you she was a damned Hoover vacuum when it came to food!

 

[Renee]

Oh, when they're growing they can eat, lol.

 

[2Mastiffsowner]

Nutro Natural Choice does wonders with both the Neopolitan Mastiff and the Tibetan Mastiff. But we mix with yogurt and stuff like that. Because the Mastiff breeds are prone to Bloat, we had the Old English Mastiff Bloat three months after he had both hips replaced. The breeders did Recommed Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed. DId you know most dog foods have Yellow Ground corn as an ingredient. That is hard for dogs to digest. Nutro and other Natural dog food does not have Yellow Ground Corn. i have a basset hound and he and the Mastiffs are both on Nutro. I would not change their dog food after i talked to my friend that works for Nutro.

 

[Miakoda]

My dogs are on Prarie right now and they love it. I had been feeding that and Merrick, but have since switched to that entirely now.

I had fed EVO RM for a while and I did have 2 dogs that had some runny stools from it. So right now, I'm letting it slide.

Oh, and Nature's Variety (Prairie, Instinct) informed me via email that they've lowered food prices in an effort to help people stay with the food during these hard economic times. So watch the prices at your local supplier. They want to know if the suppliers are keeping the prices the same, or reducing them to show the markdown. Ours have since marked them back down. Which rocks!

 

[Zoom]

Nutro has gone through far too many recalls and FDA complaints for me to feel comfortable feeding it. Sawyer was on this when he first came to me and he wouldn't touch it for a week, even with an egg mixed in.

This is the ingredient list for Nutra Natural Choice Large Breed chicken formula:

Nutro Natural Choice - Large Breed Adult

Ingredients:
Chicken meal, ground rice, rice flour, corn gluten meal, rice bran, dried beet pulp, wheat flour, poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of natural vitamin E), natural flavors, sunflower oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of natural vitamin E), potassium chloride, choline chloride, dried egg product, lecithin, dried kelp, vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, zinc proteinate, biotin, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), manganese proteinate, glucosamine hydrochloride, manganous oxide, chondroitin sulfate, niacin supplement, calcium pantothenate, copper sulfate, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin A supplement, copper proteinate, sodium selenite, riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), vitamin D3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, folic acid

Guaranteed Analysis
Protein: 26%
Fat: 12%
Fiber: 5%
Moisture: 10%

Calories
335 Kcal/cup

Other Nutrient Guarantees
Calcium: 0.6% min, 1.4% max
Phosphorus: 0.6% min, 1.3% max
Glucosamine: min 625 mg/kg
Chondroitin Sulfate: min 500 mg/kg

Post Extras:

It has corn gluten in it, is mostly comprised of rice and corn gluten, though it is nice to see chicken meal in there...dried beet pulp isn't all that great...egg product not so much...

if it's working great for your dogs, that's awesome, every dog does different, but it's nothing I would ever feel comfortable feeding my dogs.

 

[Renee]

No way in all the hells would I feel safe recommending feeding a bloat prone breed a food full of corn and/or other grains.

 

[Zoom]

It still has Menadione in it too, even after pretty much every single other manufacturer bowed to greater science and removed it. I even thought that Mordy's site might be out of date, so I went straight to the Nutro site and looked up the ingredients they themselves are listing...nope, same list.

 

[2Mastiffsowner]

my friend recommended it and she works for Nutro Dog food Company. I have no problems what so ever with Nutro. I had them on Iams but that was not the right food for my two Mastiffs, the vet said and i asked her what she would recommend. THey are high-energy Large Breed. I am very careful what me and my aunt's Mastiffs eat because of what happened to Zues three month after he had his hips replaced. he was i forgot what kind of food but that type of food caused a lot of Problems. It was in certain kinds of Nutro Dog and Cat food that was recalled. i would not change their diet because when the puppies are old enough to start eating solid food, they are going on immediately Nutro Puppy food. they are just a little over 2 weeks of age.

 

[Zoom]

I'm sure the people who work for Iams or Science Diet recommend their foods as well and we all know how crappy those foods are. Like I said, if it's working, that's great but there are much better foods out there for Large Breeds. No one is entirely sure what causes bloat either, in some Dane circles there is the theory that it's somehow tied to the full moon as more Danes seem to bloat around that time of the month. But I do know that feeding a high quality diet seems to stack the deck in your favor.

Too...Nutro is fairly overpriced for what it is and with how much I'm sure you're having to feed... :scared2:

Even something like Diamond Naturals orChicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul (aka Kirkland Signatures in Costco) has a better ingredient list and is about half the price of a bag of Nutro. If you get it from Costco, a 40lb bag will cost you about $23. The last time I looked at a bag of Nutro, it was almost $50.

Here's the ingredient list for Diamond Naturals Chicken and Rice:

Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, white rice, cracked pearled barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), oatmeal, beet pulp, egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, fish meal, potassium chloride, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Feeding Guideline (standard measuring cups/day)

Weight (lbs.)Standard Measuring Cups/Day 10 or Less1/2 - 110 - 201 - 1 1/220 - 301 1/2 - 230 - 402 - 2 1/240 - 602 1/2 - 3 1/460 - 803 1/4 - 480 - 1004 - 4 1/2
Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein 26.0% Minimum Crude Fat 16.0% Minimum Crude Fiber 3.0% Maximum Moisture 10.0% Maximum Zinc 150 mg/kg Minimum Selenium 0.4 mg/kg Minimum Vitamin E 150 IU/kg Minimum Omega-6 Fatty Acids * 2.5% Minimum Omega-3 Fatty Acids * 0.4% Minimum

Here is the ingredient list for Chicken Soup...Large Breed:

Chicken, turkey, chicken meal, cracked pearled barley, whole grain brown rice, oatmeal, millet, white rice, ocean fish meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), potatoes, tomato pomace, duck, salmon, egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, choline chloride, glucosamine hydrochloride, dried chicory root, chondroitin sulfate, kelp, carrots, peas, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, yucca schidigera extract, L-carnitine, dried fermentation products of Enterococcus faecieum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid. Containing antioxidants Vitamin E and Selenium, this nutritious formula also contains glucosamine and chondroitin for optimal joint health.

Protein: 23% Fat: 13%
Calories: 3,566 kcal/kg (334 kcal/cup) Calculated ME
Available in 6 lb, 18 lb and 35 lb bags.
Feeding Guideline (standard measuring cups/day)

Weight (lbs.)Standard Measuring Cups/Day 10 - 201 - 1 2/320 - 301 2/3 - 2 1/430 - 402 1/4 - 2 3/440 - 602 3/4 - 3 3/460 - 803 3/4 - 4 2/380 - 1004 2/3 - 5 1/2100 - 1255 1/2 - 6 1/2125 - 1506 1/2 - 7 1/2150 - 1757 1/2 - 8 1/3175 - 2008 1/3 - 9 1/4200 - 2509 1/4 - 10 3/4
Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein 23.0% Minimum Crude Fat 13.0% Minimum Crude Fiber 4.0% Maximum Moisture 10.0% Maximum Sodium 0.3% Maximum Zinc 150 mg/kg Minimum Selenium 0.4 mg/kg Minimum Vitamin E 300 IU/kg Minimum Omega-6 Fatty Acids * 2.2% Minimum Omega-3 Fatty Acids * 0.4% Minimum L-Carnitine * 40 mg/kg Minimum Glucosamine Hydrochloride * 1000 mg/kg Minimum Chondroitin Sulfate * 250 mg/kg Minimum

 

[2Mastiffsowner]

i will think about it but i do not want to mess the puppies stomachs up when they are weened. i think Nutro is the right dog food for me. i feed 5 or 6 times a day. these are the only two Mastiffs i have now. i am going to start two breeding programs with these two. I am very lucky to have a wonderful Petsmart in Huntsville, ALabama that has done stuff for me and my animals. it may cost a lot but before i got the Mastiffs, i had my bassett hound that i happened to rescue from the local pound, he was on Iams too and it was not good food because of his allergies. I went to Nutro and he looks great. When my aunt got these two, and i started showing them and they live half of the time at my home anyway, i changed their dog food to Nutro from Iams because i like Nutro dog Food. But i think what is a little extra money going towards two breeds you love to make sure they are healthy? for me, it is because Zues was on Nutro after he bloated and stuff, he lived a 1 and 1/2 years longer than any Old English Mastiff did.