Grain free foods

Here is a useful link from the Dog Food Project listing grain free foods and their stats.

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=grain_free

Thanks, I use Natures Variety Duck and Turkey. I started it to help with Vivian's ear infections, hard to tell if it's working but I do think it has helped a bit.
I'm not sure how to read the protein to fat, is it good if it's high protein or is that to much for some dogs?

Personally, I like high protein--and when I feed kibble I feed Wellness Core which has protein in the 30s. And some dogs don't do as well on high protein like Orijen at 42(?), but okay in the 30s. Depends on the dog. I don't believe that high protein food causes kidney problems as some vets would lead you to believe.

I'm currently feeding Maisie Wellness Core Reduced Fat because a dog with a gall stone needs high protein and low or lower fat--hard to find in the no grain foods.

Here's the catch with grain-free kibble, as I learned in my discussions with Blanche and like a billion people at the pet supply store.

Grain-free kibble still requires a binder, so all grain-free kibble will contain some type of potato as a major ingredient. We couldn't use grain-free kibble because our pugs get yeast infections and ear infections at the drop of a hat and the potato is the leading food culprit for yeast infections. They have less problems with grain than they do with potato.

The only option for us to move to completely grain-free, potato-free food was to move to raw.

Kendi how are the boys doing on their raw??

smoochieface wrote:Here's the catch with grain-free kibble, as I learned in my discussions with Blanche and like a billion people at the pet supply store.

Grain-free kibble still requires a binder, so all grain-free kibble will contain some type of potato as a major ingredient. We couldn't use grain-free kibble because our pugs get yeast infections and ear infections at the drop of a hat and the potato is the leading food culprit for yeast infections. They have less problems with grain than they do with potato.

The only option for us to move to completely grain-free, potato-free food was to move to raw.

Yep--potatoes and sweet potatoes convert to sugar and yeast loves sugar. the other issue with potato as a binder is that it is in the nightshade family and is not recommended for dogs with arthritis. Makes it tough to find a food.

Lilos Mom wrote:Kendi how are the boys doing on their raw??

Really well! Thanks for asking. They go nuts for the stuff. I started with the dehydrated patties but they were just too expensive so I took the leap and bought the frozen raw patties. It's been very simple for us and I'm giving Bruno and Leo less patties for the moment so it's helping with weight loss, too - they need to lose about 3 lbs each.

We still feed a kibble for the morning meal. We use a single protein, single grain kibble that they seem to tolerate pretty well. But that is simply because my husband does the morning feeding and his small brain hasn't converted to raw yet. But it's a workable compromise.

So far (knock on wood) no infections and no itchies!

smoochieface wrote:

Lilos Mom wrote:Kendi how are the boys doing on their raw??

Really well! Thanks for asking. They go nuts for the stuff. I started with the dehydrated patties but they were just too expensive so I took the leap and bought the frozen raw patties. It's been very simple for us and I'm giving Bruno and Leo less patties for the moment so it's helping with weight loss, too - they need to lose about 3 lbs each.

We still feed a kibble for the morning meal. We use a single protein, single grain kibble that they seem to tolerate pretty well. But that is simply because my husband does the morning feeding and his small brain hasn't converted to raw yet. But it's a workable compromise.

So far (knock on wood) no infections and no itchies!

What patties and kibble are you doing? I did Natures Varity medallions at night and kibble in the am, I stopped and changed to grain free to help w/ Viv ear infections. I had not known about the potato being a binder and not good for yeast.

Donna wrote:
What patties and kibble are you doing? I did Natures Varity medallions at night and kibble in the am, I stopped and changed to grain free to help w/ Viv ear infections. I had not known about the potato being a binder and not good for yeast.

We use Stella and Chewy's frozen raw patties and California Natural chicken and rice kibble.

smoochieface wrote:

Donna wrote:
What patties and kibble are you doing? I did Natures Varity medallions at night and kibble in the am, I stopped and changed to grain free to help w/ Viv ear infections. I had not known about the potato being a binder and not good for yeast.

We use Stella and Chewy's frozen raw patties and California Natural chicken and rice kibble.

Kendie, can you tell me about how much it is to feed your 3 a month on the raw patties and kibble? I really want to switch to raw, but am not confident enough to make my own. Unfortunately, cost is a factor for us with purchasing pre-made raw too. Right now I'm having to buy 2 different kinds of food so I'm thinking it might even out in the long run if I go ahead and just switch them all to the patties and a kibble for breakfast. Dennis does breakfast feedings too, so I have to keep it simple for him.

Cost is also an issue with us. Unfortunately, it is still more expensive to feed the raw and kibble than just the kibble, but it may be a wash if you are buying two different kibbles now.

Anyway, a 15lb bag of California Natural kibble is about $27.

S&C's makes small patties for smaller dogs. I buy the 3lb. packages, 2 at a time. Each package is $13.99 and has about 33 patties. Because we're still in weight loss mode, I feed Chester and Leo 1.5 patties at dinner with a small handful of no-salt canned green beans. I feed Bruno only 1 patty at dinner with green beans. Each patty is only 70 calories, so that is not enough for regular maintenance. I feed less now to get the weight down and because I am 100% positive that Karl overfeeds them in the morning, no matter what he promises.

Once we get them down to a manageable weight again, I estimate I will feed Chester and Leo 2.5 to 3 patties at dinner, with green beans, and Bruno will get about 2 patties at dinner (poor Bruno has no metabolism to speak of).

So right now, I pay about $55/month for the raw plus $27 for however long the 15 lb bag holds out. But I will eventually be paying about $110 per month for raw once we're done losing weight. It's a pretty hefty financial commitment for us, but we've paid about $2,000 in vet bills this year for skin, ear, and teeth issues so we're hoping the pay-off comes in fewer vet bills.

Thanks for the info. I think we may be able to swing that. A few bills have gone down since we've moved so I'm going to talk to Dennis and see what he thinks. I haven't had any health issues with the pugs other than Sue-Shi's mange, which is under control now. I'm lucky for that, but I want to keep them as healthy as possible and on the best food I can afford.

smoochieface wrote: It's a pretty hefty financial commitment for us, but we've paid about $2,000 in vet bills this year for skin, ear, and teeth issues so we're hoping the pay-off comes in fewer vet bills.

THIS is what I always tell people when they balk about raw food costs - especially those with dogs with allergies/meds/infections/vet visits. It ends up being cheaper in the long run for dogs with allergies/issues.

Sadly, raw doesn't help hyperactive pugs that think they are tiny Rotties and the vet bills associated with that.

Raw doesn't have to be expensive. We spend around 20-25 on stuff to make lola's food every 3-4 weeks. I buy everything from the farmers market and switch it all up everytime. I know I have said it before but after working in a meat market for the past four years I want to see exactly what I or my dog is eating, I can't tell you how much "human grade" food I have seen that would make you lose your lunch. The latest was a nice looking chuck that when I cut into it my knife came out with a pasty yellow puss all over it. A good market will throw the whole thing away and collect a credit, like we did but I can't say the same thing for every meat market around town. If you go but the recipe on the forums making raw food is a breeze.

Nature's Variety Instinct is Grain Free and doesn't use Potatoes at all, they use tapioca.

"Chicken Meal, Tapioca, Chicken Fat, Pumpkinseeds, Menhaden Fish Meal, Sun-Cured Alfalfa Meal, Montmorillonite Clay, Natural Chicken Flavor, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Carotene, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide), Sea Salt, Dried Kelp, Direct-Fed Microorganisms (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Yeast Culture, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Extract, Dried Trichoderma Longibrachiatum Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract), Inulin, Flaxseed Oil, Apples, Carrots, Peas, Cottage Cheese, Chicken Eggs, Mixed Tocopherols with Citric Acid (a natural preservative), Rosemary Extract, Freeze Dried Chicken, Freeze Dried Turkey, Freeze Dried Turkey Liver, Freeze Dried Turkey Heart, Ground Chicken Bone, Butternut Squash, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Salmon Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Blueberries, Alfalfa Sprouts, Persimmons, Olive Oil, Duck Eggs, Pheasant Eggs, Quail Eggs, Rosemary, Sage, Clove"
http://www.naturesvariety.com/Instinct/dog/kibble/chicken

Just an option to throw out there so people know that don't want to feed raw.

Dboardman wrote:Raw doesn't have to be expensive. We spend around 20-25 on stuff to make lola's food every 3-4 weeks. I buy everything from the farmers market and switch it all up everytime. I know I have said it before but after working in a meat market for the past four years I want to see exactly what I or my dog is eating, I can't tell you how much "human grade" food I have seen that would make you lose your lunch. The latest was a nice looking chuck that when I cut into it my knife came out with a pasty yellow puss all over it. A good market will throw the whole thing away and collect a credit, like we did but I can't say the same thing for every meat market around town. If you go but the recipe on the forums making raw food is a breeze.

My girls are on their 6th week of raw, I joined a good forum and do their meals myself I sure wish I could find a good butcher around here, but their few & far between. When I find meat on sale I'm stocking up and it really is'nt all that expensive. Just takes me forever reading labels to make sure it's unenhanced and the right sodium level.

Gotta say, I'm loving this thread!!!

MandyPug wrote:Nature's Variety Instinct is Grain Free and doesn't use Potatoes at all, they use tapioca.

"Chicken Meal, Tapioca, Chicken Fat, Pumpkinseeds, Menhaden Fish Meal, Sun-Cured Alfalfa Meal, Montmorillonite Clay, Natural Chicken Flavor, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Carotene, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide), Sea Salt, Dried Kelp, Direct-Fed Microorganisms (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Yeast Culture, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Extract, Dried Trichoderma Longibrachiatum Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract), Inulin, Flaxseed Oil, Apples, Carrots, Peas, Cottage Cheese, Chicken Eggs, Mixed Tocopherols with Citric Acid (a natural preservative), Rosemary Extract, Freeze Dried Chicken, Freeze Dried Turkey, Freeze Dried Turkey Liver, Freeze Dried Turkey Heart, Ground Chicken Bone, Butternut Squash, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Salmon Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Blueberries, Alfalfa Sprouts, Persimmons, Olive Oil, Duck Eggs, Pheasant Eggs, Quail Eggs, Rosemary, Sage, Clove"
http://www.naturesvariety.com/Instinct/dog/kibble/chicken

Just an option to throw out there so people know that don't want to feed raw.

You're right! I forgot about that. We looked into Instinct but couldn't do it for Bruno because on top of being prone to allergies and yeast infections, he is also prone to struvite crystals so we need to keep him on the simplest formulation we can find, which is, at most, single protein, single grain, and no added minerals. Bruno is my special child!

pugpillow wrote:Gotta say, I'm loving this thread!!!

Hilary, I remember when Blanche emailed me your raw compendium, what like 4 years ago? I was a slow convert but we finally got there!

LOL - most people are slow to embrace it, but many eventually get there. My latest soapbox theme is that if your dog is prone to stones/crystals, get them off kibble. The best thing for stones/crystals is to get as much water into the dog as possible. If their bodies are using up lots of water to rehydrate kibble, then it is not available to do the much-needed flushing of the kidneys.

MandyPug wrote:Nature's Variety Instinct is Grain Free and doesn't use Potatoes at all, they use tapioca.

"http://www.naturesvariety.com/Instinct/dog/kibble/chicken

Just an option to throw out there so people know that don't want to feed raw.

I'm so happy to hear that although I should have known ahead of time about the potato.
This is the brand I feed my two because of Viv's ear infections, I went w/ duck.
I do their kibble in the morning and their canned version of the same at night.
So far so good.

With Emmy's constantly recurring skin infections and nasal congestion, I have just recently started seriously thinking about switching him to a raw diet (after exhausting just about every other option and monthly vet visits, steroids, very $$$$ food that I order for him, etc.)...but didn't really know where to start. I'm going to check out the Stella & Chewy's line...and it looks like there is a place not too far away that carries it. Thanks for the info everyone!

Our Yoda monkey is on Ziwi Peak, and i SWEAR by it !!!!!! Its actually all thanks to Lisa (6 beautiful pugs), when I was a newbie, she recommended Ziwi, and its been the best change of Yoda's life !!

Here is a link to their ingredients, no grains, no filler, NADA.....
http://www.ziwipeak.com/nzl/ingredients.shtml