TDG

courtnek, cheese does have quite a bit "extra" calcium that would balance out phosphorus, but in regards to calories and the amount you'd have to eat (or feed the dog), there are better options. i think it's more viable for humans than for dog feeding. :) example: 100 grams (3.53 oz) of shredded parmesan cheese have 415 kcal and contain 1,253 mg calcium and 735 mg phosphorus. that leaves 371 mg of calcium "free" after substracting the amount needed to balance the phosphorus present in the cheese to a ratio of 1.2:1. one teaspoon of egg shell powder has roughly 1,800 mg of calcium. if you used above mentioned parmesan cheese instead, you need 480 gram (16.9 oz). that would also contribute 1,992 calories! :o that's quite a lot when you look at a recipe that yields for example 11 cups of dog food and a total of 2200 kcal if you don't include the cheese. :)

the grains he uses aren't any higher quantities than you'd find in commercial food as well. economically and environmentally pitcairn's feeding philosophy is sound, but you can still adjust if you want to use less grains. i guess you are referring to authors like for example schultze, who are dead set against grains, which is just another view, and i wouldn't call it any more or any less valid than those of the authors of other books on home prepared diets. :) i can only come back to recommending the nutritiondata.com website if you don't want to follow formulated recipes from a book. it lets you combine all kinds of food sources into custom recipes, which give you average amounts of just about any nutrient you can think of. from there on, all you need to do is to calculate the amount of egg shell powder to add.

[quote]but then again a lot of fresh meat is not good for our domestic dogs and can bring about hypoallergenic reactions and rashes as well as unstable body mass fluctuations.[/quote] i do indeed disagree with this statement, because highly processed, rendered proteins are far more likely to cause allergies or sensitivities than fresh, unprocessed meats, regardless if raw or cooked. i guess the "hypoallergenic" in there was a typo, otherwise it wouldn't make sense at all. :) if you read literature of veterinarians who have done their own research on nutrition and not just taken elective classes that are sponsored by the big pet food companies like hill's, purina or waltham, you will find more info on this topic. a dog's digestive system is designed to handle large amounts of proteins and fats but lacks the makeup to break down carbohydrates, yet all commercial dry foods consist of at least 50% and up to 85% grains. due to their adaptive nature, dogs can live on such a grain heavy diet, but it is done for the convenience of humans and far from the truth that dogs eating a diet that includes large amounts of fresh animal protein are more prone to allergies and body mass fluctuations. statements like these are usually found in industry sponsored materials and hardly unbiased. as for the canned food - it is certainly a much better feeding option for animals that are prone to a number of health issues, especially kidney problems and urinary tract infections (here's the reference to shih's, which are predisposed to both, so many shih tzu experts recommend canned food rather than dry), where you want to keep fluid intake as high as possible, especially when the animal is not very motivated to drink. it is also the better option for dogs who tend to become overweight easily, because it fills them up more and causes less glycemic fluctuation than products that are high in carbohydrates. last but not least, canned has a lot less preservatives, stabilizers and other artificial additives than dry food, since the canning process seals the food into a sterile environment. in most cases it also has more fresh ingredients rather than rendered products compared to the dry products of the same line, so more nutrients are preserved during the manufacturing and the food is overall of a better quality. i'll also address the "canned food is bad for the teeth" argument. there is not much difference between the condition of teeth of a dog eating wet or dry food. dry food is recommended as "abrasive" and "removing plaque", but i have seen on my own dogs how badly dry food (especially oven baked varieties!) can stick to the teeth and causes tartar buildup worse than any wet food (canned or home prepared) would. this is a very individual, genetically linked thing, just like in humans. some people brush their teeth only once daily and have healthy teeth all their lives, othes brush three times a day and still have problems. the answers aren't as cut and dry as just feeding one food type rather than another. :)

that book will give you recipe suggestions to follow, which makes things a little easier than calculating things yourself, if you don't want to do that. the book isn't very expensive, only about $15 or so, and has a wealth of information. :)

if you are feeding a varied diet (which means not falling into the trap of feeding the same items [b]all[/b] the time), magnesium will be present in sufficient quantities. dairy products, meat, fish and seafood, apples, blackstrap molasses, avocados, bananas, dark leafy vegetables and whole grains are all sources of magnesium. i'm sorry i can't really give you a cut and dry answer on the calcium, as i mentioned before, supplementation depends on the recipe you are feeding, not just on how much meat is present. personally i aim for a ratio of 1.2:1, which means the amount of calcium present in the food is 1.2 times as high as the amount of phosphorus. to achieve this balance, you [b]have[/b] to know what's present already, and obviously if you include a lot of calcium deficient items in a recipe, you will have to supplement more than in a recipe that is more balanced due to its ingredients already. amounts and proportions matter. just so you get a general idea, here are some items and their average calcium and phosphorus content: [b]meats, eggs, dairy products[/b] chicken, white meat only, per 100 grams: ca 11 mg, ph 196 mg chicken, dark meat only, per 100 grams: ca 12 mg, ph 162 mg ground turkey, per 100 grams: ca 25 mg, ph 196 mg turkey heart, per 100 grams: ca 6 mg, ph 222 mg turkey liver, per 100 grams: ca 5 mg, ph 279 mg ground beef , 80% lean, per 100 grams: ca 18 mg, ph 158 mg beef heart, per 100 grams: ca 7 mg, ph 212 mg beef liver, per 100 grams: ca 5 mg, ph 387 mg ground pork, per 100 grams: ca 14 mg, ph 175 mg 1 large egg, average 50 grams: ca 26.5 mg, ph 95.5 mg cottage cheese, lowfat, 2% milkfat, per 100 grams: ca 69 mg, ph 151 mg plain nonfat yogurt, per 100 grams: ca 199 mg, ph 157 mg cheddar cheese, per 100 grams: ca 952 mg, ph 676 mg [b]fruits & vegetables[/b] parsley, raw, per 100 grams: ca 138 mg, ph 58 mg zucchini, raw, per 100 grams: ca 15 mg, ph 38 mg carrots, raw (not baby carrots), per 100 grams: ca 33 mg, ph 35 mg baby carrots, raw, per 100 grams: ca 32 mg, ph 28 mg apple, raw with skin, per 100 grams: ca 6 mg, ph 11 mg banana, per 100 grams: ca 5 mg, ph 22 mg [b]grains and other carb sources[/b] oatmeal, cooked with water, per 100 grams: ca 8 mg, ph 76 mg pearled barley, cooked, per 100 grams: ca 11 mg, ph 54 mg whole wheat pasta, cooked, per 100 grams: ca 15 mg, ph 89 mg white potatoes, cooked in skin, without salt, per 100 grams: ca 5 mg, ph 44 mg sweet potatoes, baked in skin, without salt, per 100 grams: ca 38 mg, ph 54 mg taking the above values, a recipe made from beef heart, zucchini and whole wheat pasta calls for a different amount of calcium than one made from dark meat chicken, parsley and oatmeal.

i feed a variety of raw and cooked foods, depending on the sources i get them from. overall i'm very comfortable "sitting on the fence" between hardcore advocates of either feeding philosophy and try to stay tuned to what works best for [b]my[/b] individual dog. when i can get a hold of decent-priced organic stuff, i'm not going to destroy any of the nutrients by cooking. it gets fed raw, and pronto. i used to be a lot more worried about feeding raw items, but since i have been feeding raw bones for over 24 years, at one point it hit me that it seems somewhat odd to [b]not[/b] feed raw meats as well. if there are bacteria, they will be in the meats as well as the bones. of course what you feed depends on the individual person's comfort level, but it is important not to forget that a dog's digestive system is very different from that of humans. someone brought up the argument that "wolves eat when they kill", so they would basically be eating fresh food, but that statement isn't entirely true. wolves are scavengers and eat whatever is most convenient - which can be fresh prey (if it can be obtained), or it can be carrion. the digestive system of a healthy dog will be perfectly able to handle the load of bacteria. if you have an animal with health issues or a depressed immune system and you suspect that problems could arise - don't feed raw. it's not worth risking. coming back to raw vs. cooked - even when i do cook meat, i take great care not to cook it too long or at high temperatures. ground meats for example get "cooked" enough from just stirring them into a pot of hot oatmeal, rice, barley, bulgur etc. - no need to cook it any more than that. by the time the "stew" is at feeding temperature, the meat is done too. i'm not a big fan of "premade" barf diets at all, unless you buy just the "pure" meats, organs, bones etc. and do the rest yourself. with anything premade you lose control of ingredient quality for the most part, plus the stuff is processed, stored and transported who knows where from. and it is expensive! after all my research i have found that i can do a [b]lot[/b] better by doing my own shopping. it's not all that time intensive, with my feeding routine it takes about 2-3 hours every 4-6 weeks. i don't have a big freezer either, so i tend to not buy and stock too much at any given time. as for calcium supplementation, i have addressed the topic here [url]http://forum.dogomania.com/viewtopic.php?t=12539[/url]

pitbulletta, i just answered your post in the "care" forum. a proper calcium/phosphorus content in the diet is absolutely crucial, since excess, unbalanced phosphorus causes kidney damage. cheese isn't going to do much for balancing out a diet, since it doesn't have a very high amount of "excess" calcium - cheese contains phosphorus too, so that content needs to be taken into consideration as well. the cheapest, most natural calcium supplement is ground egg shell powder, which contains roughly 1,800 mg of calcium per teaspoon. if you don't use a lot of eggs, you can also get calcium citrate or coral calcium at the health food store or supplement aisle at the supermarket. just make sure these products don't have anything else added, since many human calcium supplements are fortified with vitamin D, which is toxic in excess amounts.

not knowing the exact recipe you are feeding, it's hard to suggest a specific amount of calcium you should supplement. not only boneless meat is calcium deficient, but so are a lot of vegetables and other foods. another problem is that different meats have different nutrient profiles. to avoid deficiencies it's important to feed red meats as well as light ones and to also include some organ meat now and then. heart counts as muscle meat but is much richer than other muscle meats, so don't feed it in too large amounts. for this reason it's best to follow a balanced recipe (e.g. pitcairn's) or to calculate nutritional content of a specific recipe using for example the nutritiondata.com website, which is a free service and easier to navigate than books on the topic. if you just feed "whatever", even a home cooked diet is going to lead to a lot of health issues long term. there's more to it than just mixing a few veggies and meat. the calcium phosphorus ratio is so important in the diet because calcium binds excess phosphorus. high amounts of phosphorus (if unbalanced) damage the kidneys, and kidney disease is one of the leading causes of death in domestic dogs. the bad thing is that it is not detectable until it is so bad that a dog has already lost 75% or more of his kidney function. you should adjust the food you prepare to a calcium-phosphorus ratio of betwen 1:1 to 1.3:1 calcium to phosphorus. if you use the nutritiondata.com website, you will be able to determine the calcium and phosphorus already present in the food and then you can go from there. example: - a prepared recipe contains 95 mg calcium and 850 mg phosphorus. - for a proper 1.2:1 ratio, it would need a total of 850 x 1.2 = 1020 mg calcium. - 95 mg of calcium are already present, so you need to add 925 mg. one teaspoon of egg shell powder contains roughly 1,800 mg of calcium. here's how i make my egg shell powder: whenever i use eggs, i immediately wash the shells and pull out the membrane that sticks to them. it's easier to pull out if you wash the shells in really hot water. then i let them dry for a few days until i have about 10 or so of them. i stick hem in the oven for 10 minutes at 300 degrees F to get rid of the mineral oil coating that is put on some eggs and to make them more brittle. after they have cooled, i stick them in my blender and grind them until i have a fine powder. make sure to grind them up well so you don't have any sharp little pieces. as for feeding amounts, the rule of thumb of x percentage of the body weight fed per day applies to the entire amount of food, not just to the meat. the proper mineral balance is only one aspect of a balanced diet. i always urge people to [b]not[/b] dive into it until they have read a few good books on the topic, because it's so easy to cause health problems - regardless if a raw or cooked diet is fed.

guest, if you bother to do some reading, you will find documents from the iams company itself admitting to certain issues and pledging to rectify the situation. however, you can't tell me that there isn't something fishy going on with a company that doesn't even adopt out its retired research animals but ships them off to a kennel in alabama and doesn't even allow any media representatives whatsoever access to the facility. i don't like PETA either and think they are a bunch of nutjobs, but they seem the only organization with enough financial backing who is able to pull off the huge campaigns to alert the public. let's turn the tables on you for a moment, do you have [b]any[/b] proof whatsoever that the allegations [b]aren't[/b] true? here's a fact that has to make the most ignorant person think: take purina - probably the company with the largest market share in pet foods. they do testing too, yet they were never targeted by animal rights groups [b]and[/b] they welcome the public to visit their research facility, which even has a visitor center. interesting they don't have anything to hide, huh?

if you are interested in learning more about quality differences in commercial pet foods, have a look at [url]http://www.mordanna.com/dogfood[/url] - it's pretty scary what goes into some products. and yes, what you heard/read about the iams company is true, they even admitted to it themselves in a later statement. other than that, their food is of poor quality anyway, and there are better quality ones that are in some cases even cheaper. petco carries natural balance and royal canin natural choice, which are both good foods. there are better ones, but if you are limited to what you can get at petco, natural balance is an excellent choice. another place to look for dog food is farm and feed stores, they often carry less known brands that are also of good quality, such as for example premium edge.

here's a link for you American Mixed Breed Obedience Registration [url]http://www.amborusa.org[/url] AMBOR registered mixed breeds can participate in ASCA (australian shepherd club of america) events, UKC events, and many local events hosted by training clubs. that way you can even get obedience titles on your dog: [url]http://www.amborusa.org/obedtitl.htm[/url] hope it helps. :)

well that's just not quite enough i'd say! rofl! innova is an awesome food tho. it's my personal favorite.

aurora, i know it's difficult for you aussies. :( i have aussie friends on another forum who face the same troubles. eagle is definitely much, much better than science diet or eukanuba, i even consider eagle's lower-end line (prism) as better than those two and a number of other popular brands. other brands definitely worth looking into (those are imo also better than the non-holistic eagle) are canidae and innova. canidae is usually more affordable than either eagle or innova.

eagle pack holistic select is definitely a good line of food, but i don't like their non-holistic formulas all that much. there are better products out there. as for [quote name='Aroura']I was planning to alternate the foods, I've heard that feeding the same food for long periods of time can lead to build ups in the body, so its best to alternate every few months. They've got a fair variety at eagle pack, I went to the site, so I'll alternate between them[/quote] you should be aware that the purpose of rotating foods to avoid over- or underfeeding certain nutrients is defeated if you only rotate between foods of one single manufacturer, since they use the same vitamin/mineral premix formula for all their products. if you are still feeding a variety of other, fresh foods, there is nothing to be concerned about sticking with the same brand and type without rotating. :)

pitbulletta, this is not a thing you should dive into unprepared if you want to make sure your pet stays healthy. pick up a few good books about homemade dog food, dr. pitcairn's "complete guide to natural health for dogs and cats" is a good start. it has recipes for a meatless diet and discusses the proportions of nutrients and what kind of supplements are required. if you feed a dog a vegetarian diet, grains, legumes, eggs and cottage cheese will be the main sources of protein and they need to be balanced properly for the correct amino acid and mineral content. you can find information for example at [url]http://www.vegetariandogs.com[/url] but i would not make any changes to the feeding regimen without consulting professional literature.

[quote]I always thought the veggies should be lightly steamed before being pureed. The nutrients are made available by slightly cooking them. I always steam my carrots, broccoli sweet pototoes etc. and then puree them for my dog. [/quote] if you puree them, it's not necessary to steam or otherwise cook them. the pureeing breaks down the cell walls enough to make the nutrients available for the dog. on the other hand, if you steam them, the cell walls are also broken down and you can skip the pureeing step. just cut them up into manageable pieces. as a general rule, the less you process the vegetables, the more nutrients will be preserved. heat is damaging to many of them, so if you feel it's absolutely necessary to cook the veggies, keep the time short and don't throw out the leftover water, since it will have some of the nutrients leeched into it.

karma is probably the highest quality food currently on the market. all the ingredients except the vitamin/mineral mix is certified organic, which adds up to over 95% of the ingredients used. it is true that there are less expensive foods that are also of good quality, but for someone who is very concerned about buying and feeding organic things, it's a nice option. that being said, while it is a nice food, it might not be right for every dog. it's quite high in grains (and thus carbs), and even if they are of outstanding quality, not all dogs tolerate them. i've talked to a natura rep at an event recently and he said they are going to come out with a comparable food for cats too, and are also looking into including more certified organic ingredients in their other lines (california natural, innova).

gooeydog, try increasing the salmon oil from what is a "maintenance level" to a threapeutic level. i'd suggest 1000 mg of fish oil per 15-20 lbs of body weight daily. probiotics (beneficial bacteria) often have a beneficial effect on problem ears. you'd have to feed 1-2 tablespoons of a quality cultured yogurt (needs to have the proper cultures, not just starter cultures, see [url=http://www.mordanna.com/dogfood/index.php?page=probiotics]here[/url]. read the ingredient panel on the yogurt container to see if it has more than the two starter cultures, which do have benefits but do not survive the acid environment in the stomach, so they do not colonize the intestine. with severe allergy problems i'd even start out with a high dose probiotic supplement rather than just relying on the yogurt. the yogurt is good for maintenance tho. a good yogurt brand i have found available at most stores is stonyfield farm. you can feed the regular, lowfat or nonfat, depending on what is best for your dog. the cottage cheese in the "fresh supplement" recipe from dr. pitcairn's book doesn't generally have probiotic cultures, but it is a good source of protein. so in order to not confuse you even more: you would be feeding yogurt and cottage cheese for different purposes: the yogurt to help with the ears and to stimulate the immune system and the cottage cheese as a supplement of fresh animal protein to a kibble diet. the lecithin, kelp and nutritional yeast etc. you can buy at health food stores, general nutrition stores and sometimes they can be found at the vitamin/sports nutrition aisles of department stores and drug stores. personally i order them online which is usually 30% to 50% cheaper than at a walk-in store, even if you include the shipping. my last order was $19 including shipping for - 10 oz nutritional yeast flakes (NOW brand) $ 5.99 - 8 oz norwegian kelp powder (NOW brand) $ 2.99 - 1 lb lecithin granules (NOW brand) 4.49 the pitcairn recipes are definitely easy to make and use, and you don't have to feel insecure about doing something wrong. he's a veterinarian with a lot of knowledge in the nutrition department as well as other things. :)

this is from dr. pitcairn's "complete guide to natural health for dogs and cats": [b]fresh meat supplement:[/b] - [b]4 teaspoons vegetable oil[/b] (wheat germ oil is good, lots of vitamin E) - [b]4 teaspoons "healthy powder"[/b] (recipe below) - [b]1,100-1,200 mg calcium[/b] (1 3/4 teaspoons bonemeal or 2/3 teaspoon egg shell powder or an appropriate amount of another calcium supplement like calcium citrate - this is important, do not leave it out!) - [b]50-200 IU vitamin E[/b] (you can use the lesser amount if using wheat germ oil, but this is an excellent antioxidant, so a bit extra is always good) - [b]5,000-10,000 IU vitamin A[/b] - [b]1 pound chopped or ground raw turkey or chicken or lean hamburger or lean chuck or lean beef heart[/b] mix oil, powder, calcium source and vitamins well, then stir in the meat until everything is well mixed. yields about 2 cups. give 1/4 cup of this supplement per cup of kibble fed. you can also prepare larger batches and freeze it in appropriate portions. you can also use cottage cheese or egg to make this kind of kibble supplement and rotate between them. if you do this, you can omit the vitamin A from the meat and cottage cheese recipes. for the cottage cheese one, use 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons healthy powder, 300 mg calcium (or 1/2 teaspoon bonemeal or 1/8 teaspoon egg shell powder), 2/4 cup creamed cottage cheese and (optional) 1/4-1/2 cup minced or pulped veggies. this is enough to supplement 2-3 cups of kibble. for the egg one, use 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon healthy powder, 200 mg calcium (1/3 teaspoon bonemeal or 1/8 teaspoon egg shell powder), 2 eggs this is enough to supplement 1-2 cups of kibble. [b]healthy powder:[/b] - [b]2 cups nutritional yeast[/b] (this is not the same as brewer's yeast and much more nutritious) - [b]1 cup lecithin granules[/b] - [b]1/4 cup kelp powder[/b] - [b]9,000 mg calcium (1/4 cup bone meal or 5 teaspoons egg shell powder)[/b] - [b]1,000 mg vitamin C[/b] (personally i leave this out and give 500 mg vitamin C daily separately) mix everything in a tightly sealable container and refrigerate. shake well each time before using. use in recipes as instructed or feed 1-2 teaspoons/ day to cats and small dogs, 2-3 teaspoons to medium dogs and 1-2 tablespoons to large dogs. this supplement powder is balanced in itself and can be added to any food or recipe in reasonable amounts. * yeast substitution: if you omit the nutritional yeast, reduce the calcium to 3,200 mg or 5 teaspoons bonemeal or 1 3/4 teaspoon egg shell powder and only use half of the amount specified for recipes and daily feeding. since this way a lot of nutrients are left out, feed a complete multivitamin/mineral supplement daily and do not use any additional vitamin A, C or E. * kelp substitution: if you omit the kelp, add 3/4 teaspoon of iodized salt and 1/4 cup of alfalfa powder or montmorillonite (this is a natural trace mineral powder) you may also omit the kelp if you are giving a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement already. i highly recommend the book to everyone, besides food recipes it has a lot of information on treating all kinds of problems with homeopathic methods, natural grooming tips etc. maybe one of the homeopathic schedules would help your dog with allergies and ear problems.

as far as i am informed, potatoes are a pretty hypoallergenic source of carbs, and i haven't heard anything about them causing or aggravating yeast infections. if i were you, i'd try an elimination diet and see if the chicken is the culprit. are you supplementing with fish oil and probiotics? both tend to help a lot with allergy problems. as far as the canned food goes, have you ever considered leaving that out entirely and instead feeding a fresh meat supplement with the kibble? that way you are eliminating a lot of "unknowns" from the diet, your dog gets the benefits of fresh food and it's not very expensive either. a pound of ground beef, pork or turkey generally costs about the same or less than a can of dog food, which isn't even pure meat. i can give you a recipe if you like.

[quote name='Hannamari Immonen']Hello Crested! I feed my dog whit BARF and I think that wheat doesn't belong to dog diet. Thats because dogs natural preys (moose, deer...) doesn't eat wheat.[/quote] just for the sake of debate - i doubt very much that "wild" dogs would hunt moose, deer or other large sized prey. dogs are not wolves. regardless of the relatively recent renaming of the species from "canis familiaris" to "canis lupus familiaris" (which i don't agree with at all by the way), they are not the same animal. wolves have different skull and body proportions compared to dogs. dogs have smaller skulls and smaller jaws and teeth, much less suited for hunting large prey. as far as i see it, "wild" dogs (as far as that term is even applicable, after all what [b]is[/b] a wild dog?) are scavengers that mostly live on small prey they consume whole, including fur, skin and bones (mice, lizards etc.) and whatever they can scavenge - which most frequently includes discarded scraps from garbage dumps as well as feces of large animals and humans. if you are interested in reading about the topic, buy a copy of ray and lorna coppinger's "Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior & Evolution". i know for a lot of people it's a romantic thing to see their dogs as something like the noble wolf, but i think that is neither correct nor fair. neither is the situation dogs live in at this point in time comparable to what things were like 10,000 years ago. today, we have billions of people and millions of dogs, all competing for resources grown in a more and more polluted environment. the more people and the more dogs want to eat high quantities of meat, the more of the environment gets cultivated for farming (either to produce feed or to house animals) and polluted with pesticides, manure etc.. on top of that you have industrial pollution and emissions of all kinds of vehicles. among anything edible, meat and fish are the most polluted items. for those reasons, i find it selfish when people just go by a theory of what "wild" dogs "would" eat, instead of taking into consideration the state of our environment and the cost of producing commercially farmed meat, fruits, vegetables and grain. there is sufficient literature written by respected holistic practitioners that cites dogs can and do thrive on a diet that includes grains and legumes. further, there are many dogs who live on entirely vegetarian diets, and the oldest dog alive to date is a vegetarian as well.

[quote name='Anonymous']Yes. Healthypetnet is the website for Life's Abundance Dog Food. It is Human Grade with no animal by-products, chemical preservatives, artificial coloring or flavors. There isn't anything better you can do for your dogs. You should check out the website. You should be aware that Eukabuba does have animal by-products and alot of other poor ingredients. If you want to buy commercial feed grade dog food you should consider switching to Nutro Natrual Choice. It has no by-products and good quality ingredients.[/quote] there is a good number of food brands out there that i would rate higher than life's abundance. it may not have any [i]animal[/i] byproducts, but it has potato product (a byproduct of the potato processing industry that consists of peels, trims, culls and various pieces) as a major ingredient, instead of fresh, whole potatoes. to point out some other weak points: - it also contains egg product instead of fresh, whole egg (see potato product). - it contains more salt than carrots, apples and other supplements and herbs. i find that disturbing. - it includes an unspecified type of fish meal, and any fish meal not destined for human consumption has to be preserved with ethoxyquin according to US coast guard regulations. meals from single sources (salmon, herring, menhaden etc.) are produced differently. - contains menadione dimethyl-pyrimidinol bisulfate, which is vitamin K3, a synthetic version of vitamin K that was originally designed as a feed additive for short term use on animals slaughtered for meat, not on pets that generally have more than 10 times the life span.

while life''s abundance (sold through healthypet.net) is not a bad food, it is way overpriced for the quality it offers. it's sold through a multilevel marketing program, so you don't have a real expert to talk to most of the time, just someone who wants to sell you a product to make a profit - unlike other places where a variety of different products is sold. if you want to read about commercial pet food and compare over 500 products side by side, have a look [url=http://www.mordanna.com/dogfood/]here[/url].

chicken soup is a decent food. i wouldn't rate it quite as high as many other high end foods due to some statements diamond makes (or doesn't make) about it, but nevertheless it's a quality product. as for [quote]The Whole dog journal has it as one of its top dog foods. This is a very high dog food rating when the WDJ gives its seal of approval[/quote] i have to strongly disagree. first of all, a food being approved by the Whole Dog Journal means that the food has been reviewed and recommended by this magazine. nothing more, nothing less. there are other quality products out there that were not recommended, simply because they have not been reviewed. so take it with a grain of salt, it's not the "be all and end all". the ingredients determine the quality of a product, not a magazine recommendation. second, there are no differences in the Whole Dog Journal ratings, meaning they will [b]not[/b] recommend one food over another. a food is rated and either gets approved or not.

as long as you are feeding a quality brand, it doesn't matter if you feed only dry, or dry and canned mixed, or only canned. it's a very personal decision everyone has to make for their own dog. in my personal opinion, the worst thing to do is to feed any kind of food (dry or canned) that is sold at grocery stores or department stores. those foods are [b]never[/b] of good quality and should be avoided. roughly 75% of what's available in pet stores is also garbage, and mostly totally overpriced compared to premium products. if you are interested in reading about this topic, have a look [url=http://www.mordanna.com/dogfood]here[/url], it covers the entire topic quite well. viable alternatives are - feeding some "real" foods with the dry food. cooked or raw meat and veggies can be added to commercial dry foods to about 1/5 of the entire meal without upsetting the calcium/phosphorus ratio of the diet. the bonus is that you add fresh things that haven't already been processed to "near death". - feeding a home cooked diet. a little more work than pouring kibble from a bag or opening a can, but a much healthier alternative. do NOT jump into this without doing any research, it's not all that complicated to feed a dog but you do need to follow a few basic rules. here's a [url=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0875962432/qid=1085719593/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-6740518-2154469?v=glance&s=books]book suggestion[/url] for you. easy to read, complete with recipes etc. - feed a raw diet. a little less work overall than feeding home cooked (in my opinion), but needs more planning and you have to be very careful to keep the diet varied and not fall into a habit of feeding the same things all the time. this is also not something you just want to get into without preparation. i don't have a book recommendation on the topic yet since i seem to disagree with a lot of the stuff written by so called "BARF gurus" (BARF stands for bones and raw food or biologically appropriate raw food), but you can find a lot of information on it on the internet. there are various different approaches to this, from carefully prepared and supplemented meals to "prey model" feeding, you'll just have to see what appeals to you. i'm a "middle of the road" feeder without any extremistic views towards either commercial or raw foods, but i hope this short list will help you a little bit in finding a better way to feed your dog. :)