[MissMolly]

Does anyone use this brand?

Or, have you heard anything about it?

We feed this to Molly, she LOVES it, but I've heard some people don't like it.

What have you heard?

 

[Lisar4]

I feed this brand to Shyla. She will eat it as long as she has a pouch of wet food with it. I buy the Beneful Healthy Radiance. I've never had a problem with it. I used to feed her the expensive stuff but she sheds and smells like fritos no matter what I feed her. LOL

 

[Miss Emmas Daddy]

Originally posted by MissMolly:

We feed this to Molly, she LOVES it, but I've heard some people don't like it.

That might be because it is dog food!

I'm sorry. It is Monday and I just couldn't help it.

 

[Guest]

Yeah, I'm not very partial to dog food either. But the kids liked it when they were young!

 

[Marcia]

The objection I have to Beneful is the artificial colors, preservatives and flavoring agents. I feel these things can have long term ramifications in regard to the dog's health.

 

[Mikey T]

We feed this to Molly, she LOVES it, but I've heard some people don't like it.

First of if the dog is healthy and doing well on the food there is no reason to change food but specifical why some do not like Benefull first and third incredient is corn and the fourth is wheat. This is a large precentage of the food being grain and not meat. Proteins from grains ared cheaper and more poorly absorped.

see Beneful Original
Ingredients

Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), rice flour, beef, soy flour, sugar,...


Crude Protein (Min) 25.0% Calcium (Ca) (Min) 1.1%
Crude Fat (Min) 10.0% Iron (Fe) (Min) 200 mg/kg
Crude Fiber (Max) 4.0% Selenium (Se) (Min) 0.2 mg/kg
Moisture (Max) 14.0% Vitamin A (Min) 10,000 IU/kg
Linoleic Acid (Min) 1.5% Vitamin E (Min) 100 IU/kg


CALORIE CONTENT
Metabolizable Energy (ME)
3689 kcal/kg
1674 kcal/lb
360 kcal/cup

Compare to What I Feed

Royal Canin Max light 27
"Ingredients
Chicken meal, brown rice, corn gluten, oatmeal, barley, rice hulls, cellulose, chicken fat (naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols), chicken, natural chicken flavor, lamb meal, beet pulp (sugar removed), brewers yeast, fish oil,

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein Minimum 27.0%
Crude Fat Minimum 11.0%
Crude Fiber Maximum 11.5%

Moisture Maximum 10.0%
Vitamin E Minimum 400 mb/kg
Vitamin C Minimum 300 mg/kg
L-Carnitine Minimum 200 mg/kg
Glucosamine* Minimum 390 mg/kg
Chondroitin* Minimum 110 mg/kg

270 kilocalories per cup ME (metabolizable energy) on an as fed basis (calculated).

Eukanuba Adult Large Breed Premium Performance

First Ten Ingredients
Chicken
Chicken By-Product Meal
Corn Meal
Brewers Rice
Fish Meal (source of fish oil)
Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of vitamin E, and Citric Acid)
Ground Whole Grain Sorghum
Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed)
Natural Chicken Flavor
Dried Egg Product

Guaranteed Analysis

Nutrient (percent)
Crude Protein not less than 30.0%
Crude Fat not less than 20.0%
Crude Fiber not more than 4.0%
Moisture not more than 10.0%
Vitamin E not less than 140 IU/kg
L-Carnitine not less than 40 mg/kg*
Docosahexaenoic Acid not less than 0.10%*
Omega-6 Fatty Acid not less than 3.35%*
Omega-3 Fatty Acids not less than 0.45%*
Glucosamine not less than 375 mg/kg*
Chondroitin Sulfate not less than 35 mg/kg*

431 kcal/cup


Natural Choice High Energy
"Ingredients
Chicken Meal, Ground Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of natural Vitamin E), Dried Beet Pulp, Rice Bran, Rice Flour, Lamb Meal, Natural Flavors, Sunflower Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of natural Vitamin E),

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (minimum) 30.00%
Crude Fat (minimum) 20.00%
Crude Fiber (maximum) 4.00%
Moisture (maximum) 10.00%
Linoleic Acid (minimum) 4.00%
Magnesium (minimum) 0.10%
Zinc (minimum) 200 mg/kg
Vitamin E (minimum) 200 IU/kg
Ascorbic Acid (minimum)* 60 mg/kg
Glucosamine (minimum)*‡ 625 mg/kg
Chondroitin Sulfate (minimum) *‡ 500 mg/kg

393kcals/per cup


Quite a difference in the protein source.

Some interesting nutritional articles

Nutrition for Large-Breed Adult Dogs

Focusing On Protein

Nutrition...The Foundation of Good Health

DOG FOOD PROTEIN AND ITS AMINO ACIDS

The Importance of Animal-Based Protein in Iams Dog Foods
"Their gastrointestinal tract is simple and does not have the capacity to digest large amounts of plant products.

Animal-based proteins help dogs achieve optimal health."

and one of the most balanced articles on the web
Dog Foods Help in making the choice easier
"I am a believer in keeping things simple. My dog food guides are The Dog Food Book and Dog Health & Nutrition for Dummies by Christine Zink DVM. Both are no nonsense and to the point. Neither gets caught up in "fads" unlike some of the others out there who say you are killing your dog if you don't feed a super (read: expensive) premium food.

Oh I tried to be a better dog mom. I tried most if not all of the foods listed in a certain magazine as being the 10 best (based on ingredients - not testing). I felt guilty for feeding a food that can be found in most pet food stores. I felt guilty unless I did the best I could for my dogs which meant feeding an expensive dog food. I also spent hundreds of dollars trying to get my dogs back into shape afterwards. For the most part, feeding these foods was a disaster for my dogs. I learned my lesson.

I feed what works for my dogs! Whether that's Purina, Iams, Eukanuba, Diamond or whatever. This is my advice for you. FEED WHAT WORKS!!! Don't let anyone guilt you into or suck you into buying a food based on a magazine's 10 best foods or prejudice towards certain dog food companies. If it works for your dog, then feed it. "

[ February 20, 2006, 05:17 PM: Message edited by: Mikey T ]

 

[Guest]

We picked this up during the hurricanes in 04, just to have in a pinch, if we couldn't get to Petsmart. We did run out of Nutro and Belly LOVED THIS STUFF! I had the weight management formula but my vet said that he needed to be back on his Nutro Ultra as soon as we finished the two bags.

It was the only food he had ever eaten "dry" ...without some moist goodies mixed in.

 

[Basset Momma]

I've used Beneful a few times-but my dogs flat don't like anything except kibbles & bits... I've tried- I bought Purina 1... Eukanuba lamb and rice... I tried the Science senior diet b/c of Abby- Finally my vet said the dogs were doing fine on what they liked- shiny coats- not smelly- so to leave them be... So I feel guilty for using something not top of the line- but bottom line- with 4 dogs this fits my budget fine... and it's my vet approved

 

[Guest]

I feed my three dogs Purina One Healthy Weight formula and they love it. I get the kind for big breeds, as they like it better. The first ingredient is chicken.

 

[Guest]

José eats Beneful Weight Management.

I give him about 2 1/2 cups of that & then sprinkle some BilJac on the top. He was in good shape at about 1 year but was such a picky eater I couldn't find an adult dog food he liked. Well, he had me trying everything & I got to Bil Jac and he loved it and all was well... until little Fattie gained too much weight. I let him eat what he wanted because he never ate much to begin with. So now he needs to be coaxed with a little Bil jac. But he will eat Beneful on its own most times.

I really keep him away from treats - just a couple small ones during the day. No human food, he doesn't beg (he has every other annoying habit though!!). He does beg when I am in the kitchen chopping vegetables, though. He knows something will fall & he gobbles up carrots or spinach or anything. He may not beg but he does watch my husband intently when he eats on the couch by the coffee table. Husband has been known to be a bit messy so he is on crumb alert.

 

[Guest]

Toby is on Natural Choice now and his houndie smell is reduced about 90%! We read labels carefully and avoid anything with any corn in it as that seems to make the smell much worse. Toby does not care what we feed him, so long as it is on time

 

[Guest]

we used to use beneful healthy radiance did great for the dogs coats but then found out through the behaviorist that you shouldn't feed your dog any purina product because it has some really bad stuff in it ,its made with ---- rendered companion products and also contain(which can only come from the rendered companion) uthinasia drugs and antibiotics. guess this has been on the news too (although i didn't see it) so we have switched to canidae which is more expensive but its all natural no perservatives and i looked on the web sight www.canidae.com and it sounded really good. this food was also recomended by the behavorist. She said she knew of a basset owner who started useing this food and no longer had to clean the bassets ears out.

 

[barblkr]

I had reservations about Beneful, because of the high grain content, but I bought Daisy some Beneful to tempt her to eat when she went off her feed after spaying. She does not exclusively eat Beneful, but she does *love* it. I just mix it in the with Purina One, or let her have a bowl of Beneful occasinally becasue she does enjoy it so much. It may not be the greatest food, but I figure if I can have a Big Mac once in awhile, she can have a little Beneful once in awhile too.