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amyn1919

BrownsFan4Life

A few weeks ago I went to the pet store after having done a lot of research and we decided to go with Blue Buffalo.  When we got there they didn't have the two I needed for two different dogs.  After talking to the associate for a while we went with Earthborn Holistic.  They don't advertise so it was significantly less money than Blue and the ingredient list was slightly better in my opinion.  My dogs LOVE the taste. 

aggiebug

why are you trying to go grain free?

starlettedir

aggiebug:

why are you trying to go grain free?

I'd venture to say because it's a lot better thaN stuff with all sorts of fillers

aggiebug

I know that is a common perception about grain free, but grains =/= fillers.

RedheadBaker

aggiebug:

I know that is a common perception about grain free, but grains =/= fillers.

Seeing as grains are not a necessary part of a canine diet, what else would you call them?  

aggiebug

Well actually when apart of a well balanced diet they can be an important source of nutrition.  They are just as likely, and maybe more likely, to have been eating by ancestors of the domesticated dog than say flaxseed, dried pumpkin, or kelp which are very commonly used is diets touted as grain free.  

 

nital

Actually, grain-free diets usually have millet, tapioca, or potatoes as the filler.  They may have small amounts of flax, pumpkin, or kelp, but not enough to be a significant part of the food.  And they are necessary as a binding agent.  Otherwise the kibble would be powder.  I still prefer grain frees because a lot have a significantly higher proportion of meat. 

I'm in camp prey model raw.  Grains and carbs and fillers are for dogs that can't get more MEAT!  

aggiebug

nital:

Actually, grain-free diets usually have millet, tapioca, or potatoes as the filler.  They may have small amounts of flax, pumpkin, or kelp, but not enough to be a significant part of the food.  And they are necessary as a binding agent.  Otherwise the kibble would be powder.  I still prefer grain frees because a lot have a significantly higher proportion of meat. 

I'm in camp prey model raw.  Grains and carbs and fillers are for dogs that can't get more MEAT!  

I will say the same thing about potatoes, millet and tapioca as I did about kelp etc. grains are more likely to be apart of an ancestral canine diet. Primarily meat diets are higher in fat and protein. Protein is the most expensive part of a diet and unfortunately all that is in excess is peed out. Fats are what make the coat shiney but it can also lead to obesity if not careful. High meat diets can be ok but are not for every (i would say most) dogs. Grains can be an important part pf a balanced diet.

aggiebug

holy moly! sorry for the triple post my phone is disagreeing with TN

aggiebug

sorry

kartish

The ancestral dogs (ones who hunted) ate the stomachs of their prey, so they get all the veggies and grains that the animal ate. So the problem isn't the grain, the problem is that traditional dog foods have too much grain and too much filler, wheras some of the newer "grain-free" have much more natural ingredients. If you want your dog to each a natural diet, the ratio of meat should be much higher than grain or anything else, including pumpkins or kelp. I really like Merrick brand pet foods as for the op question.

UCcc1086

When we got our dog last year the breeder was very specific on the type of food we fed our dog. She asked to avoid certain things, she said if the first 5 ingredients weren't foods we ate then it wasn't a good choice. We researched the prices on the list of foods she gave us & they were all more than we wanted to spend, so we did our own research. We found a food called Fromm. The store gave us a sample bag to take to the breeder when we picked up our pup & they were very impressed. Only problem is that its not sold in chain stores so its hard to find at least in my area.