(Part 2) Best dog food according to redditors
We found 334 Reddit comments discussing the best dog food. We ranked the 205 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
Hooman says Amazon has stuff called "Nummy Tum Tum Pure Pumpkin For Pets". It comes in can. Petsmart has stuff in supplemental section as well if you want to get today.
Acana Duck & Pear, Acana Wild Prairie, Acana Grasslands, Acana Chicken and Potato
Orijen Adult, Orijen Fish
Stewart Raw, Stella & Chewy's Raw
You can absolutely do serious damage to a small dog by feeding a home-cooked diet without proper nutritionist consultations. There are plenty of properly formulated premium kibbles available in trial sizes. Dogs care more about smell than taste, so if you add hot water to their food so it smells stronger, they're more likely to be attracted to it.
1.5yo 55lb mutt.
The big things are:
Throw in some costs for toys/treats/misc. and I'm at around $700~$800 (conservatively) a year.
For food, I get the 35lb bag of Purina Pro Plan Shredded Chicken/Rice.
For flea/tick/heartworm preventative, I get the 6-pack of Revolution. I like this one because I don't have to give her one medication for flea/sticks (like Frontline) and a second medication for heartworms (like Heartgard). I've never found a flea or tick on her and she's never had heartworms.
When I have expendable income (I'm still a college student), I plan on getting pet insurance for her.
What do you guys feed your puppies? I'm looking at this one, but this one looks good too. Neither of them have fish, how important is that? I'm trying to learn as much as I can as quickly as I can.
I've seen my late dog aggressively devour tuna, and I've seen him devour raw tofu with the same zeal. Dogs are food driven but things other than meat taste good. We are, after all, talking about the same creatures who like to eat feces.
Also, most people who say that their dogs need meat are just feeding them whatever dry kibble they find. The "meat" part of that is not quality or prominent. We mostly feed my girlfriend's dogs this food and they love it.
Before you have your dog go vegan/vegetarian check with your vet.
Some dogs, just like some people, will need extra attention after going meat free. Some dogs might also be grain intolerant!
I know natural balance(vet recommended brand) has a vegetarian canned dog food. I've got a chihuahua and she tends to go on hunger strike in the middle of a veg can more than any other variety. Each can usually lasts 4-5 days. Nothing bad happens to her in the short term on the veg food. If anything it's the least hard on her stomach judging from poop quality.
So I mean, you can feed them commercially available dog food that's just as balanced as normal dog food. You might have a dog with grain intolerance which mean these veggie formulas likely won't work out for you, but if you consult with your vet before switching over they can tell you what to look out for.
Edit: Here are some amazon links if you want to read up on this brand or the food.
Dry: https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Balance-Vegetarian-Formula-28-Pound/dp/B000634HD2?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0
Wet: https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Balance-Canned-Vegetarian-Recipe/dp/B004HFRMFA/ref=pd_bxgy_199_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=2PJRCKWEG5SJEYGJ6H18
I use Wellness CORE Grain-Free (Ocean Formula) which uses fish as its protein source since my pit is allergic to poultry. You can use Wellness CORE Grain-Free (Large Breed) if you want poultry-based protein in your dog food.
I suggest you stop using Pedigree as it most likely contains a lot of unhealthy fillers and grains - you want clean and protein-dense food for your dog.
Pull ups and dog food are always needed around here. Thanks for the contest.
We feed her Wellness.
Our frenchie was really picky when we first rescued her and would only eat foods that were harmful for her (ie: had grains).
There have been a lot of recalls on Taste of the Wild, so we avoided that brand. May be better now, but just an FYI
I'm afraid you won't find anything that's really that great for $1/lb. The closest I can think of is Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul. It is probably the best value-for-quality food. Lots of animal protein, no soy, no corn, no animal by-products, and most of the grains are whole grain.
I have worked at a pet food/supply store for four years and we carry everything from Purina Dog Chow (50 cents per pound) to Orijen (rated the last two years as the overall best dog food; $2.50 per pound).
EDIT: I'm not saying Whole Earth Farms is a bad food. For the price, you're getting really good value out of it. Merrick is a pretty good brand of food.
We use the Holistic Select brand. It's really healthy for the pup and I have not seen any recalls for them in the past. Right now we are using their Large & Giant Breed Puppy Food -- 30lb bags are going for ~$42 on Amazon. (http://www.amazon.com/Holistic-Select-Health-Oatmeal-30-Pound/dp/B003M5XJTY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422388705&sr=8-1&keywords=holistic+select+puppy+large)
We moved our dogs to a limited ingredient dog food from Natural Balance when one of them started getting sick after every meal. We've since stuck with the premium formula (Link #1) but started out with the Venison and Sweet Potato mix (Link #2).
Link #1 - http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003C5TCYU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Link #2 - http://smile.amazon.com/Dick-Van-Pattens-Natural-Ingredient/dp/B00JR99JB6/ref=pd_sbs_petsupplies_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0FTNTEKVWK7EZ68G3Y0X
My husky is running low on food, and I have not been able to buy him enough due to me not making much at my UPS job.. It would be amazing if you can order this for him.. I would be grateful
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Buffalo-Wilderness-Recipe-24-Pound/dp/B002ZNW346/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1319073001&sr=8-3
Your pet store is pricey. I would try Amazon. I can't attest as to whether [this] (https://smile.amazon.com/Aqueon-Shrimp-Food-Pellets-2-Ounce/dp/B004HSOTZI) brand is specifically ideal for Triops, it'll probably work fine, but just using it as an example, it's $4.08 for 184g and you don't have to worry about the risks of buying from bulk eBay sellers.
One of ours has a sensitive stomach as well. We started adding Entero to her meals. It definitely helped, but we still noticed loose stool from time to time, so we switched to Hill’s and the problem has been basically eradicated. She has awful anxiety so sometimes when she gets too nervous or excited we’ll notice it coming back but I don’t believe it’s diet related. The Entero has also done wonders for her gum and teeth health. Those things are white as can be!
For treats we do the Better Belly Rawhides, Milk Bone Minis, and Freeze Dried Dog Treats. We tried the real meat bones and they were a huge failure. Our dog loved them but they gave her all kinds of stomach problems. We stick to these religiously now, with the occasional peanut butter Kong ball. Dog flora is incredibly sensitive to diet changes so I think consistency is key.
I switched Stitch immediately to Wellness Core Grain Free Puppy when I first got him. If you do switch, add some pumpkin to it.
Also, the Wellness Core Puppy is a bit expensive, but I figured you'd want the best for your puppy. But there's also Blue Buffalo Grain Free Puppy, which is about $10 cheaper than the Wellness. I've heard great things about both Blue Buffalo and Wellness Core.
My newfie eats Natural Balance's large breed food. She's not really a big eater - probably something like 4 cups a day (I just refill her bowl when it runs out). She's about a year and a half old, and ninety pounds.
My guy used to have small episodes and it really just came down to his blood sugar and how much he had eaten. I always have food out and supply some healthy treats. He's currently on Purina and doing great albeit the ridiculously high temperatures.
If you can find it locally, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul is a quality food for the buck. Not grain free, but much better quality than purina or the like. Ridiculous name though... In the NW I can find it at Mini Pet Mart a bit cheaper than amazon, right around $1 per pound in a larger bag. Haven't compared prices to grocery store brands but at least for amazon prices, that's cheaper than or right in line with purina depending on what you pick.
I also find Taste of the Wild pretty affordable locally. It's a grain free dog food and is not terribly expensive here, though might be getting out of the purina range. I have a small dog so I just buy a 5lb bag which costs me about $12 (lasts me 3 weeks). Amazon has 30lb bags for $44 which is about $1.50 a lb, but it's a bit cheaper locally for me. Not sure how that compares to purina though.
Ditto Merrick. Get the grain free stuff.
One bag is expensive but if you get this it'll last a mini for literally 3-4 months.
http://www.amazon.com/Merrick-Grain-25-Pound-Buffalo-Potato/dp/B0089A5JY0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397352149&sr=8-1&keywords=merrick+grain+free
Royal Canin Dalmatian is great, but only when the dog is 14 months and older.
For my boy as a puppy I used Blue Buffalo
Here's a good one I've used: https://www.amazon.com/Primal-Pet-Foods-Freeze-Dried-Chicken/dp/B0082C00P8/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1497766332&sr=8-14&keywords=freeze+dried+dog+treats
Edit: you can get it cheaper too. My friend buys a different brand in bulk on eBay.
I give my Golden Wilderness Blue Buffalo Large Breed
Our vet told us grain-free and large breed. So I researched popular choices for Goldens and that's what I found.
My Boston survived parvo as a pup and has had tummy issues ever since. We feed her Primal. She does really well on it. This was a good resource when we were looking for better food for her.
Nutrisca
Wellness Core and Blue Buffalo Wilderness are also good food.
> Note: The blue buffalo rocky mountain recipe version is crap, so make sure you buy the kind I linked.
For treats I give Petco brand bone strips ($10, lasts a month), double chews, BIXBI jerky, and Dogma Biscuits.
The running theme here is grain free, and made from ingredients that a human could consume. Further, the distribution of protein, carbs and fat is evenly distributed in appropriate ratios.
We order our dog food from Amazon. I know you don't want to waste time to have it shipped, but it's significantly cheaper online than at Petco. It's called Taste of the Wild. It's grain-free, and that helps with my bulldog's gas problems and its quality keeps the size of poops from being so big. We typically buy the salmon version, but here's the puppy formula which is also grain free.
Taste of the Wild is about $45 for 30lb bag on Amazon prime. We fed it to our pup before graduating her to their other formulas. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006BU77F4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_lCa1xbAKN86J1
This is what I have been planning on feeding him:
http://www.amazon.com/Merrick-Grain-25-Pound-Buffalo-Potato/dp/B0089A5JY0/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1EENZIBNRFX0P&coliid=IC1MT7YFQD50R
I feed mine Pedigree.
I was very happy with:
Holistic Select Natural Dry Dog Food - Large Breed Puppy
I just used [these] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HSOTZI/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_.5e7wb1SCEC35) for the food because I don't expect beginners to be feeding live foods or using expensive food tailored for every species in their tank.
But yes you're right! It's just for the one tank. Most people get multiple tank syndrome eventually but I figured it'd be unfair to start out with three 100 gallon tanks and only one dog lmao. Besides look at how much you can save every month by not getting one dog and you can save up enough to get your next tank in no time :)
Yes, stock is like a brick of fat that people put in their soups to make them more rich. I'm no chef though, so I could be wrong.
They sell pumpkin specifically for dogs. I'm not talking about the pie filling, I'm just talking about canned pumpkin. This is a specifically dog-friendly canned pumpkin brand (that's a box of 12). You could try searching for something like this at dog stores where you live, or order some online.
Sweet potato is also a favorite of my dogs. You can purchase some sweet potatoes and boil them, and then mash them up really good and add a little bit to her kibble each day.
You mean this stuff, or an actual Hills prescription diet, like i/d?
http://www.amazon.com/Hills-Science-Sensitive-Stomach-30-Pound/dp/B003MGAIDI
I feed my GSD the Science Diet as well. After parvo and giardia in her first year, my GSD's gut was ruined and long term prescription food costs (like the i/d) were getting insane. She does very well on this.
This is what we've been feeding ours and he almost never farts anymore unless we feed him too many treats for being a good boy.
I don't know what amazon you order from but it's $25 min free shipping...
Here is a 30 lbs bag with free shipping :
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B003C5TCYU
We do Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain Free Dry Dog Food, Duck Recipe. We picked this one because four of the first five ingredients are meat and it has no wheat, corn, or soy in it. When we first got her we went from Purina Pro Plan and then through a number of pet-store quality foods (like this one) to find one where she would eat it and her stool was healthy.
I just looked up the item that makes prime "worth it to us" and I'm blown away because I looked it up on a browser I never "signed in" to, and instead of the "Prime logo" - I see "& FREE Shipping" since it's over $35... hmmmm.... order it 5-8 days sooner than I'll need it? Or keep prime?
Here's our item: http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Balance-Limited-Ingredient-Breeds/dp/B002VROXD0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394741877&sr=8-1&keywords=natural+balance+large+breed $44.95 and petco, and $36.58 at amazon... my dog eats 2 & 1/2 bags a month give or take, so that's $210 savings right there, not to mention our gas and time since the closest store that carries it is 14 miles away...
monthly service that delivers treats and toys to your door, slightly customized depending on the size of your dog. you can google it for more info.
most of the toys are ok...my dog destroys them in minutes most times but even the worst ones are still empty husks that are good for a game of tug or for him to just throw around. every once in awhile we get a really great toy out of it (I have 4 or 5 so far over the past year that are extremely durable and great for him playing by himself). They put really good treats in there too...Zuke, Stella & Chewy...stuff like that. I got this exact bag one month. We pay 16/mo (or maybe 19, I forget) for 6 months and that bag alone is $10. And there was another bag of treats in it, a bully stick, and a toy.
This is super helpful, thank you!
Answers:
I have no idea what he weight it, I don't own a scale but it's on my "to buy" list. Though I'd say she's probably around 25 pounds give or take.
Her body looks fine, probably a little skinny which is what prompted me to ask, but I can post a picture later for you to see.
And she's on Blue chicken and brown rice (Blue chicken and brown rice for puppies
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000W5QSZE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01
All natural, and Linus loooooves it. Pricey though.
I used to get him Royal Canin because thats what the breeder had him on, but since ive switched all his skin issues have gone away.
Unfortunately he already has a bald spot on his tail, and even the best food in the world wont fix that :(