December 2: Dog Food Research

Now that I am the owner of my first puppy, there are a lot of things I find myself thinking of that I haven't been able to have the option of doing with the PITS. One of those is food choice; With GDF we have been feeding the dogs IAMS but are now allowed to use Purina One;

According to the food lady at one of our local pet stores, those are the two WORST brands on earth! Of course the one she was promoting wasn't much better....but I digress.

After some research, I have come to this conclusion; The good stuff is EXPENSIVE!!!!

And here a few tips that I found useful in my search.

CRITERIA #1
Things Your Pet Food Should NOT Contain

1. Chemical Preservatives - BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin
2. Corn - known allergen, poor source of protein, highly indigestible, recent source of fatal fungal infections caused by Diamond Pet Products.
3. Wheat - same as above, Soy - same as above,
4.By-Products - indigestible beaks, feathers, feet, heads, etc. Does not have to contain meat, 5.Animal Fat (non-specific) or Beef Tallow - hard, indigestible fat source,
6.Flour - of any kind, used as a filler,
7.Pentobarbital - from tainted meat sources. Same chemical used in euthanizing animals

CRITERIA #2
Things Your Pet Food SHOULD Contain:

1. Whole Foods - Apples, carrots, spinach, etc.Live Probiotics - micro encapsulated friendly bacteria, supports intestinal health,Chelated Minerals - scientifically proven to be 40% better absorbed
2. Natural Preservative €œvitamin E, not just“mixed tocopherols- a source of vitamin E
3. Grape Seed Extract - very potent anitoxidant source
4. Hormone and Steroid Free Meat - Your pet is eating the same food day in and day out. A little exposure every day adds up to a lot!
5. Chicken MEAL - not just chicken. Chicken MEAL is the best cut of the meat

Click Here for more information. Further on down the page it gives the list of dog foods and there ingredients

The three that are on the radar screen are: Blue Buffalo, Nutro, , Royal Cain for Dachshunds, Life's Abundance, and Wellness. None of these contain any of the "bad" stuff. So now its research time.

What I personally am looking for is: 1. Price, 2. Ingredients 3. Is it available at a local place

First up is:

Blue Buffalo: Love the website, almost all its ingredients have links to definition so you know exactly what you are giving your pup. They also offer a coupon for $5 off your first purchase so defiantly a plus in my book! Their food includes: Real Meat, Fruits and Veggies, Cold Formed Nutrients and Antioxidents, NO animal by-products, NO artificial coloring and NO corn, wheat or soy. (don't tell them that corn is a veggie..but once again that is O/T)
I"m checking out the:

• Lamb and Brown Rice Formula for Puppies,

Ingredient/Nutrient	Benefit
High-Quality Protein	Muscle Growth
Calcium & Phosphorus	Bone Development
DHA	Cognitive Development
Vitamins & Chelated Minerals	Immune Strength
Omega 3 & 6 Fatty Acids	Healthy Skin & Shiny Coat
Fruits & Veggies	Free Radical Fighters

• Weight Control

Ingredient/Nutrient	Benefit
Natural Vegetable Fiber	Helps Maintain Ideal Weight
L-Carnitine	Lean Muscle Maintenance
Omega 3 & 6 Fatty Acids	Healthy Skin & Shiny Coat
Green Tea, Fruits & Veggies	Free Radical Fighters
Vitamins & Chelated Minerals	Immune Strength

This food is defiantly in the running, on to the next. A+

Royal Cain for Dachshunds: Not much impressed, they don't have a puppy food for the dachshund variety. It does have L-Carnitine in it which helps burn fat, so that is a plus for this food. Also not much information about what the food will do for your dog. B-

Life's Abundance: First down factor is the price, a 40lbs bag cost almost $60!!!!!! That price is way out of my range so I'm on the next brand.C

Wellness: I appreciate the sites that are willing to define their ingredients!! They use USDA grade foods that are Fit for Human consumption. They have foods for all steps of life as well.
Their Healthy Weight and Just for Puppy foods are what I'm interested in; A big plus is that their HW food is high in Fiber, which helps the dog feel fuller as well as reduced calorie and fats, Definatly what Bubsy needs;
Just for Puppy food, high amounts of protein and carbohydrates to help that high energy and muscle growth, and Smaller Kibble Size for Smaller Mouths A+

Congrats if you got through all of that!!!!!

So from my search, its seems that for what I'm looking for, Wellness and Blue Buffalo are coming out on top; we'll see what the prices run locally and go from there!