Premium dog food vs plain ol' dog chow - a question

Bessiethebassetsdad · 07-31-2011, 12:05 AM

Greetings from the wild wacky world of sister bassets.

The breeder had Bessi and Smili on watered down puppy chow. I have read the articles about bloat and citric acid and adding water to kibble, so I have avoided doing that since I got my girls over 3 weeks ago. I was not crazy about feeding them puppy chow, so I very slowly introduced them to a "Premium" puppy food. They are now on Natures Recipe Puppy. This stuff is not overly cheap at $23 per 16lb bag. They have been doing well on it since the transition.

I have an older dog who is very spoiled. He is a very picky eater, so one of the employees at Petco suggested Halo brand dog food. I was a bit reluctant b/c of the price tag...$45 for a 16lb bag....But I figured he is worth it and I fear that he is getting near the end and I want to treat him to somthing nice. He does eat this food better than all of the others we have tried.
The interesting thing is that the puppies LOVE to eat the Halo food out of his bowl. They seem to really enjoy the taste as well. I thought of changing their food again and then did the math.....It would be well over $150 per month now and likely to increase to $200 just in food within a few months.

So...what do you feed your Bassets? Do you think that the "Premium" brands are really worth it?

jaleely · 07-31-2011, 02:01 AM

My kids eat Holistic Select. It's about 50 bucks per 30lb bag. My beagle has horrible stomach issues...that disappeared completely on this food. We recently tried to go cheaper (some Purina brand, and Dr Fosters and Smith brand, and before this they were on California Natural) but NOTHING has beat out Holistic Select as far as health for the dogs. Bowser loves Junk Dog Food (Purina lol) but after some coaxing will eat what he should.

So a round about way of saying i do think it's worth it...check the protein content, and check that there are no bi-products, and no fillers like corn. If it has probiotics even better, though don't pay extra for it since you can give them supplements for that. The cheaper dog foods are well-loved because they have attractants and extra bad tasty stuff in them so everyone likes them!

mhvonalmen8908 · 07-31-2011, 02:19 AM

I feed mine IAMS Natural Selects as a base. They love it and do really well on it. I've started mixing in a little bit of extra special food like Pruina ONE and Simply Nourish just to give them something extra to look forward to. Doppler hasn't been eating real well since Chris deployed and so I've decided on this to get him to eat. He really likes the Purina ONE. No problem with him eating that when it's mixed with his food. I say go with what you can comfortably afford and what your pups do well on. And I don't moisten with water. If I want to make their food a little wetter, then I add wet food occasionally or use the gravies that are available.

charady2 · 07-31-2011, 03:11 AM

It may all be in my head, but we saw a HUGE difference when we switched from dog chow to chicken soup for the dog lovers soul with our rottie. So when I noticed that flash's poo was grainy, like the puppy chow he was on, I suggested we change it. Couldn't find the puppy version of what our rottie had been on, so I looked up ratings and found that I could buy Taste of the wild all life stages here in town (most "good" foods would require a trip to the city, an hour at least away for me). So we buy that now and flash does well on it. It is 23.99 for 15 lbs at our farm store here in town. But from all the dog food sites I have been to, it is rated very well (I like this one Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble because it seems to have a ton of brands, and broke down even into different formulas/flavors).

But I agree with others, buy what you can afford.

Kirska · 07-31-2011, 08:56 AM

We have seen a huge difference with premium dog food vs big name brand. Other people always comment on how soft their coats are, too.

bubbad · 07-31-2011, 01:08 PM

My adult dogs are on Wellness I had gone to Iams for some conveinence but their coats do better on Wellness about $50.00 a bag don't remember the weight of the bag ,not huge.The puppies, I feed Purina Pro Plan for Large Breed Puppies. Their coats are beautiful,they have no growing issues with their bones but they may only get this for the next month or so before I switch them to a good adult food to slow the growth a little.(I picked up some Iams Puppy (conveinence) and half way through the bag the puppies got itchy,I took them off) I use to add water and canned when they first got their teeth but at about 6 weeks old they could crunch up the food with no problem so they they got it dry.You have to be careful if you have a puppy that eats fast the food expands about 5 times its orignal dry size once water is added so you don't want them eating dry food fast, and drinking a lot .The food will expand inside the puppy making them uncomfortable and looking like balloons. My puppies eat slowly.

JerseyGirlsMom · 07-31-2011, 05:47 PM

Jersey Girl is the first Basset we have owned but we have owned about four different breeds of dogs over the years. We have seen first hand, the difference between the general dog food vs. quality dog food. We've tried Solid Gold, Canidae, Blue Buffalo, Wellness Core, Chicken Soup for The Soul, Natural Balance. After trying many brands, the only thing I can say is that we've seen a HUGE difference in all aspects of a dogs health when you choose to go 'grain free'. It keeps their system free of yeast and if you give them acidophilus capsules sprinkled on their food, it also helps keep their systems perfect. I wish I could stay 'grain free' also, but staying away from breads, pastas, and starchy foods is almost impossible for the average 'carb' addict' like me! LOL!

Soundtrack · 07-31-2011, 10:58 PM

There is definitely a difference in quality of dog foods, but price is not necessarily an indicator. There are some pretty expensive brands that I consider to be crap, and some decent foods that are pretty reasonable in price.
I suggest researching ingredients, don't fall for hype (for ex.ple, the much reviled by-products aren't really that bad, and "meal" is actually better than "meat").
To me the best indicator of how good a food is how well does YOUR dog do on it. What may be a wonderful food for one dog could be awful for another.

Wworm · 08-01-2011, 03:01 AM

Hiya Gator Twins,

My fav subject!
Melikes Solid Gold Wolf Cub Large Breed Puppy chow. When I'm older and don't need puppy food anymore, I will probably eat a couple different brands, including Merrick's Turducken & Grammy's Pot Pie (we already started stocking up on this when we got coupons to use at Petsmart & Petco): Merrick Pet Foods - Dry Dog Food

Me also likes Chicken Soup for the Soul, as someone mentioned; Newman's Own; and I like Halo too! in fact, we gave out some samples of Solid Gold & Canidae in the doggie bags at my partee (courtesy of our local pet store) and also a can of Halo's Spot's Stew.

mmmmmm. yum.

i feel like eating again, even tho i already had dinner.

this is my FAVORITE part of being a dog.
--Worm

Bessiethebassetsdad · 08-01-2011, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wworm

Hiya Gator Twins,

--Worm

Gator Twins! I LOVE it!!

Wormie....I think that you have found their new nickname!

07-31-2011, 12:05 AM	#1 (permalink)
Bessiethebassetsdad Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Sunny South FLA Posts: 191	Premium dog food vs plain ol' dog chow - a question Greetings from the wild wacky world of sister bassets. The breeder had Bessi and Smili on watered down puppy chow. I have read the articles about bloat and citric acid and adding water to kibble, so I have avoided doing that since I got my girls over 3 weeks ago. I was not crazy about feeding them puppy chow, so I very slowly introduced them to a "Premium" puppy food. They are now on Natures Recipe Puppy. This stuff is not overly cheap at $23 per 16lb bag. They have been doing well on it since the transition. I have an older dog who is very spoiled. He is a very picky eater, so one of the employees at Petco suggested Halo brand dog food. I was a bit reluctant b/c of the price tag...$45 for a 16lb bag....But I figured he is worth it and I fear that he is getting near the end and I want to treat him to somthing nice. He does eat this food better than all of the others we have tried. The interesting thing is that the puppies LOVE to eat the Halo food out of his bowl. They seem to really enjoy the taste as well. I thought of changing their food again and then did the math.....It would be well over $150 per month now and likely to increase to $200 just in food within a few months. So...what do you feed your Bassets? Do you think that the "Premium" brands are really worth it? __________________ Basset Hounds are a lot like potato chips....You can't have just one!

07-31-2011, 02:19 AM	#3 (permalink)
mhvonalmen8908 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Sumter, SC Posts: 671	I feed mine IAMS Natural Selects as a base. They love it and do really well on it. I've started mixing in a little bit of extra special food like Pruina ONE and Simply Nourish just to give them something extra to look forward to. Doppler hasn't been eating real well since Chris deployed and so I've decided on this to get him to eat. He really likes the Purina ONE. No problem with him eating that when it's mixed with his food. I say go with what you can comfortably afford and what your pups do well on. And I don't moisten with water. If I want to make their food a little wetter, then I add wet food occasionally or use the gravies that are available. __________________ Megan & Chris -Mom & Dad to Doppler (2 year old Basset/Redbone/Golden mix) and Virga (1 year old Basset)

07-31-2011, 08:56 AM	#5 (permalink)
Kirska Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 934	We have seen a huge difference with premium dog food vs big name brand. Other people always comment on how soft their coats are, too. __________________ Mom to Anabelle and Lila, rescued ladies and Harley, Corgi/Beagle/Basset/?? mutt "Saving just one dog won't change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog." - Richard C. Call

07-31-2011, 10:58 PM	#8 (permalink)
Soundtrack Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,581	There is definitely a difference in quality of dog foods, but price is not necessarily an indicator. There are some pretty expensive brands that I consider to be crap, and some decent foods that are pretty reasonable in price. I suggest researching ingredients, don't fall for hype (for ex.ple, the much reviled by-products aren't really that bad, and "meal" is actually better than "meat"). To me the best indicator of how good a food is how well does YOUR dog do on it. What may be a wonderful food for one dog could be awful for another. __________________ Rosie-Ch Soundtrack Cracklin' Rose CGN AGN RA Am RN TT Melody-Ch Soundtrack Unchained Melody TT Sailor-Ch Soundtrack Expedition Sailor RN TT Chili-Ch Soundtrack Spice Up Your Life Curry-Ch Soundtrack Canadian Brass Pepper-Ch Pennieslogon Living La Vida Loca CGN Vina-Ch Soundtrack Grand Illusion Leila-Ch Soundtrack Almost Paradise Deela-Ch Soundtrack Wink Of An Eye Hermione - Soundtrack Spellbound Eowyn - Soundtrack Rain Dance

08-01-2011, 03:01 AM	#9 (permalink)
Wworm Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Left Coast Posts: 1,970	Hiya Gator Twins, My fav subject! Melikes Solid Gold Wolf Cub Large Breed Puppy chow. When I'm older and don't need puppy food anymore, I will probably eat a couple different brands, including Merrick's Turducken & Grammy's Pot Pie (we already started stocking up on this when we got coupons to use at Petsmart & Petco): Merrick Pet Foods - Dry Dog Food Me also likes Chicken Soup for the Soul, as someone mentioned; Newman's Own; and I like Halo too! in fact, we gave out some samples of Solid Gold & Canidae in the doggie bags at my partee (courtesy of our local pet store) and also a can of Halo's Spot's Stew. mmmmmm. yum. i feel like eating again, even tho i already had dinner. this is my FAVORITE part of being a dog. --Worm __________________ see what the Worm is up to: http://bassetworm.blogspot.com/

07-31-2011, 02:01 AM	#2 (permalink)
jaleely Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Ventura, CA Posts: 942	My kids eat Holistic Select. It's about 50 bucks per 30lb bag. My beagle has horrible stomach issues...that disappeared completely on this food. We recently tried to go cheaper (some Purina brand, and Dr Fosters and Smith brand, and before this they were on California Natural) but NOTHING has beat out Holistic Select as far as health for the dogs. Bowser loves Junk Dog Food (Purina lol) but after some coaxing will eat what he should. So a round about way of saying i do think it's worth it...check the protein content, and check that there are no bi-products, and no fillers like corn. If it has probiotics even better, though don't pay extra for it since you can give them supplements for that. The cheaper dog foods are well-loved because they have attractants and extra bad tasty stuff in them so everyone likes them!

07-31-2011, 03:11 AM	#4 (permalink)
charady2 Senior Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Iowa Posts: 184	It may all be in my head, but we saw a HUGE difference when we switched from dog chow to chicken soup for the dog lovers soul with our rottie. So when I noticed that flash's poo was grainy, like the puppy chow he was on, I suggested we change it. Couldn't find the puppy version of what our rottie had been on, so I looked up ratings and found that I could buy Taste of the wild all life stages here in town (most "good" foods would require a trip to the city, an hour at least away for me). So we buy that now and flash does well on it. It is 23.99 for 15 lbs at our farm store here in town. But from all the dog food sites I have been to, it is rated very well (I like this one Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble because it seems to have a ton of brands, and broke down even into different formulas/flavors). But I agree with others, buy what you can afford.

07-31-2011, 01:08 PM	#6 (permalink)
bubbad Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Boiling Springs,Pa Posts: 1,347	My adult dogs are on Wellness I had gone to Iams for some conveinence but their coats do better on Wellness about $50.00 a bag don't remember the weight of the bag ,not huge.The puppies, I feed Purina Pro Plan for Large Breed Puppies. Their coats are beautiful,they have no growing issues with their bones but they may only get this for the next month or so before I switch them to a good adult food to slow the growth a little.(I picked up some Iams Puppy (conveinence) and half way through the bag the puppies got itchy,I took them off) I use to add water and canned when they first got their teeth but at about 6 weeks old they could crunch up the food with no problem so they they got it dry.You have to be careful if you have a puppy that eats fast the food expands about 5 times its orignal dry size once water is added so you don't want them eating dry food fast, and drinking a lot .The food will expand inside the puppy making them uncomfortable and looking like balloons. My puppies eat slowly.

07-31-2011, 05:47 PM	#7 (permalink)
JerseyGirlsMom Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Amarillo, Texas Posts: 24	Jersey Girl is the first Basset we have owned but we have owned about four different breeds of dogs over the years. We have seen first hand, the difference between the general dog food vs. quality dog food. We've tried Solid Gold, Canidae, Blue Buffalo, Wellness Core, Chicken Soup for The Soul, Natural Balance. After trying many brands, the only thing I can say is that we've seen a HUGE difference in all aspects of a dogs health when you choose to go 'grain free'. It keeps their system free of yeast and if you give them acidophilus capsules sprinkled on their food, it also helps keep their systems perfect. I wish I could stay 'grain free' also, but staying away from breads, pastas, and starchy foods is almost impossible for the average 'carb' addict' like me! LOL!

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