[A.Sandy]

I feed Victor, I like it a lot. But Acana, Orijen puppy,and Taste of the wild high prairie puppy are also excellent, a bit higher in carbs but high quality feed.

Ana
pet nutrition expert/advisor
pupcatnutrition.com
@pupcatfacts

[charliegn]

Any suggestions for large breed puppy food that has no chicken? Most of the ones on the list are chicken based and looking for something other than that.. lamb is fine. My puppy is almost 10 months old retriever about 60 lbs. is he old enough to transition to adult or all life stage food at this point.. that would be much easier to find a non chicken based appropriate food. We are in Ontario and can’t get all the foods suggested.. our other adult dog is on Acana and doing well.

[Amanda Newcomb]

Hi everyone,
So I switched my 6month old 11lb dog from Purina One Smartblend Puppy to Acana Regionals grasslands. Lately he seems starving all the time. He scarfs down his food in seconds, usually not even chewing, and he didn’t do that with the Purina. He chewed that patiently.

Is he acting this way because he likes the Acana more? Or does grain free make him feel hungrier? I don’t want to feed him more because he’s a good weight now, but I certainly don’t want him to feel ravenously hungry either!

[PetClubEmployee]

Thanks for the response!
Ok so he continually coughs in the morning and gags my vet says it’s the kibble expanding in the esophagus. If that was true I’d think my vet should be a little more concerned.
My puppies currently get acana ranch lands which has pretty large kibble peices I’m just worried he will choke when I’m not home from not being able to swallow it properly.

[bizquik]

We just got the diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease for my 3yr old Standard Poodle. We’ve tried raw (Darwin’s Zoologic Turkey), multiple high-end dog foods (Sojos, Acana, etc), and I’ve cooked him turkey/rice. So far nothing has worked. The vet wants to put him on high dose of Prednisone. I’m a bit worried about the long term consequences of steroids. Can anyone suggest a food — either homemade or “commercial” that has worked for them? I feel like I’m running out of options.

[A.Sandy]

There are a few choices in LID diets there is Pure Vita, Acana(non-grain free),Nature’s variety and try adding a tablespoon of canned pumkin to firm the stool.

-Ana
pet nutrition Expert/advisor
pupcatnutrition.com
@pupcatfacts

[theBCnut]

One of the important numbers with calcium is grams of calcium per 1000 kcal. This is a better determination of how much calcium the dog is actually getting. It needs to be under 3.5gm of calcium per 1000kcal and all of the Acana line, as well as the Orijen line, is too high.

[davinoj]

Hi all, we are new to this terrific post/forum. We have a new Bouvier des Flandres puppy coming home in two weeks. We fed our last one from the ACANA line and wondered why none of their products are included. The Pacifica in particular has a great ingredient list, no fillers and has the right calcium and phosphorous amounts and ratio. It seems to fit. Here is the analysis from their website. We’d like to know if this is ok for our puppy. Also, the ‘Singles’ Duck & Pear also looks good except the protein is at 25% and perhaps a bit low. Here is the Pacifica info:
Crude protein (min.) 33%
Crude fat (min.) 17%
Crude fiber (max.) 5%
Moisture (max.) 10%
Calcium (min.) 1.5 %
Phosphorus (min.) 1.2%
Calcium: Phosphorus Ratio 1.3:1

[RescueDaneMom]

kms- Thanks for the update. I was wondering how it was going. The Perfect Form is perfectly safe and I would suggest starting it ASAP. It is not sold in some states because of the herbs that it contains. Some states are weird about what they will allow in. For example, many of the Acana varieties of dog food can’t be sold or shipped to the US because of the “botanicals” they contain. I’m not sure why it is such a concern. I don’t know if they have an issue with them being non-native or what.

If I were you, I would try the Perfect Form and give it two weeks to see if there will be any improvement. I would keep up the double doses of probiotics. If things haven’t changed in two weeks then I would consider changing to a different food.

[RescueDaneMom]

I have a Great Dane (155 lbs). When I was feeding him grain-free kibble, I fed Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural (very low fiber), Annamaet Grain Free, Go! Fit & Free (by Petcurean), and Acana Regionals (grain-free). I also have a rottweiler in the house (my brother’s dog). The rottie has done well on Horizon Legacy, Horizon Pulsar, Fromm Adult Gold, Acana Regionals, and Nutrisource Adult Chicken & Rice.

Fiber could be the culprit. The rottie is very sensitive to fiber in his food. Too much fiber makes him poop his brains out too. You could try the Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural. It has 2.5% fiber which I think is pretty low for kibble. Also, not all dogs do well on “5 star” foods. It really depends on the dog. I wouldn’t give up on grain-free foods just yet. I would try another brand like Earthborn or Nutrisource.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[Akari_32]

YES (those on this list are definite options)
California Natural Chicken Meal and Rice Puppy
California Natural Lamb Meal and Rice Puppy
*Canidae Life Stages All Life Stages
Dr. Tim’s Kinesis All Life Stages
Dr. Tim’s Pursuit Active
Eagle Pack Puppy (yellow bag)
Eagle Pack Pork Meal and Chicken Meal (large and small bites)
Eagle Pack Power
Earthborn Puppy Vantage
Earthborn Small Breed
Earthborn Costal Catch
Earthborn Great Plains Feast
Earthborn Primitive Natural
Fromm Gold Small Breed Adult
Fromm Gold Puppy
Holist Select Radiant Adult Health Lamb Meal
Horizon Pulsar Grain Free Fish
Merrick Classic Real Chicken, Brown Rice and Pea Adult
Merrick Classic Real Lamb, Brown Rice and Apple Adult
*Merrick Classic Puppy Real Chicken, Brown Rice and Green Apple
Merrick Classic Real Chicken, Brown Rice and Pea Large Breed
Healthwise Chicken Meal and Oatmeal
Nature’s Variety Prairie Kibble Chicken and Brown Rice
Nature’s Variety Prairie Chicken Meal and Brown Rice Puppy
**Nutrisource Performance
**Nutrisource Super Performance
Nutrisource Adult Large Breed Chicken and Rice
Nutrisource Small and Medium Breed Puppy Chicken and Rice
Nutrisource Grain Free Heartland Select w/ Bison
Nutrisource Grain Free Seafood Select w/ Salmon
**Nutrisource Grain Free Chicken
**Nutrisource Grain Free Lamb
**Nutrisource Grain Free Chicken Large Breed
Nutrisource Grain Free Lamb Large Breed
Precise Endurance Formula
Precise Natural Grain Free Chicken
Vets Choice Health Extension Little Bites
Vets Choice Health Extension Original

MAYBE (foods on this list are more for sale watches or when I have a bit more money to spend)
By Nature—Pork
Castor and Pollux Beef and Barley
Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lovers Soul—Large Breed Puppy
Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lovers Soul—Puppy
Eagle Pack Original Lamb Meal
Eagle Pack Large and Giant Breed Adult
Earth Born Vantage Adult
Earthborn Ocean Fusion
Earthborn Meadow Feast
Fromm Gold Adult
Holistic Select Radiant Adult Chicken Meal and Rice
Holistic Select Large and Giant Breed Adult
Merrick Whole Earth Farms Puppy
Merrick Classics Beef, Whole Barley and Carrot Adult
Natural Balance Ultra
Nutricource Adult Chicken and Rice
Nutrisource Large Breed Puppy Chicken and Rice
Nutrisource Large Breed Adult Lamb and Rice
Precise Sensicare Lamb Meal and Rice
Precise Chicken Meal and Rice Foundation
Premium Edge Weight Reduction
Wellness Complete Health Chicken
Acana Chicken and Burbank Potato

NEED MORE INFO (these need more digging to find calorie counts)
Nature’s Recipe Easy to Digest Fish Meal and Potato
Nature’s Recipe Large Breed
Nature’s Recipe Easy to Digest Chicken Meal, Rice, and Barley
Nature’s Recipe Healthy Skin Venison Meal and Rice
PetGuard LifeSpan

* Just over 4 cups for Dweezle
** Less than 4 cups for Dweezle

[Amanda Newcomb]

I feed my 6mo puppy acana regionals grain free, so I’m assuming this means his treats should be grain free as well? If so, can anyone recommend a brand that I can buy a petco or petsmart? I purchase his acana from a woman who runs a cat rescue and sells premium pet food out of her home, but she doesn’t sell treats.

Any feedback would be awesome!

[LLdog]

Hi,

I am wondering if anyone knows where and how Earthborn Holistic food is made? And where the ingredients are sourced from? I can’t find information about the company. The website seems to be focused on how earth-friendly the packaging is, but doesn’t have a lot of information about the actual food!

My dane mix has a sensitive stomach and I have trouble keeping weight on her. She tends to have somewhat loose or large stools on many foods, even high quality ones supplemented with tripe and probiotics. She’s otherwise healthy, high energy, and has regular vet checkups.

I was feeding her a mix of acana and earthborn, and she was doing very well and having very small hard bowel movements.

However, I’m totally paranoid with so many companies having recalls, and so many high quality dog foods being taken over by bigger companies with low standards.

Does anyone know any further information about this food, or the company it is made by?

Where is all that tasty bison coming from??
Thank you!

[LLdog]

Hi,
I am wondering if anyone knows where and how Earthborn Holistic food is made? And where the ingredients are sourced from? I can’t find information about the company. The website seems to be focused on how earth-friendly the packaging is, but doesn’t have a lot of information about the actual food!

My dane mix has a sensitive stomach and I have trouble keeping weight on her. She tends to have somewhat loose or large stools on many foods, even high quality ones supplemented with tripe and probiotics. She’s otherwise healthy, high energy, and has regular vet checkups.

I was feeding her a mix of acana and earthborn, and she was doing very well and having very small hard bowel movements.

However, I’m totally paranoid with so many companies having recalls, and so many high quality dog foods being taken over by bigger companies with low standards.

Does anyone know any further information about this food, or the company it is made by?

Where is all that tasty bison coming from??

Thank you!

[Strike12]

Orijen and Acana are both Canadian made and so is Go. I honestly don’t know if either company makes canned food as I’ve never looked and their website is not opening for me right now, but I am assuming they do. Compliments probably is not a high quality food.

[samgreen]

Strike12, She is eating Orijen Regional Red, I am quite sure that Compliments is a Sobey’s item (I get it from a small store and they get it from a larger chain store) I am quite sure that Sobey’s falls under Loblaws/IGA/(L&M brand I am unfamiliar with).
She also ate the Acana Lamb and Okenagan Apple. I want to stay with something from my own country. Not that I am prejudiced, I just want to feed her something that I know is made locally and not from China.

[Strike12]

Here in Ontario we can’t get most of the foods Sandy listed. Acana, Go Fit and Free, Hi Tek grain free are also foods that are higher in protein and fat and lower in carbs. You might be able to find Epigen but you’ll really have to search for it. Is the Compliments you’re talking about the Loblaws/IGA/L&M brand?

[InkedMarie]

Ok so if they had Acana that HAS potato (is Nutro potato free?), then I’d say it may be the potato. Dogs don’t need grains but lots of dogs do fine with grains. My advice to you is to look at Natures Logic. No potato and the only grain is millet. My dog does spectacular on it. Go to their website, look for the link to their blogs, lots of information. I have to order it because no one has it local but I highly recommend it.

[gmcbogger38]

Sorry. I started off with ACANA (not potato free) from Nutro and that is when I started seeing issues. Thinking it was yeast, I then switched them to a grain free and potato free food. I have tried several high quality brands, and even raw, but nothing is helping. So, I wondered if the ACANA with potato could have triggered allergies and if that would even be possible? I then wondered if switching them back to a grain inclusive food would help, since they did fine before with grains. I mean my ultimate question is this: is it possible that some dogs do better on grain inclusive foods? It just seems like everyone says grains are bad.

[InkedMarie]

I’m a little confused. You said they’re on grain/potato free now, then you mentioned Acana. Is the Acana you fed grain/potato free? Sorry if I’m not following along. As far as Nutro, I’ve never thought much of their foods, there are better choices, IMO.

[gmcbogger38]

I have a question, but a quick history, first. I had my two dogs, American Bulldog and Rat Terrier, on Nutro Ultra for about 2 years and never had any issues. When I got my Saint Bernard I switched them to Nutro Natural Choice and fed them that for awhile and, once again, never had any issues. I started research on foods and found that there are better foods than Nutro, so I switched my dogs to ACANA and ever since then I have fed them high quality, grain free kibbles and even fed raw for a little bit. They are now on grain free/potato free kibble, but ever since I switched to ACANA my Saint Bernard starting having, what I believe, is a yeast issue. Could it be the potato that ultimately caused the yeast because she never had it before. Anyway, that is when I switched to a grain and potato free kibble and fed raw. Her issues never stopped and now my American Bulldog is having some skin issues. The only things I have changed was their food. Now, I am thinking I need to go back to Nutro and see if it really is the food causing their new issues. Has anybody else experienced this? Is it out of the ordinary that they would do better on a grain inclusive kibble?

[LS14]

Hi Kat,
I have a 11 ish year old standard poodle with a lot of the same symptoms as your itchy boy. She is itchy snd very gassy. She also ests grass at time and tends to lick the air. Right now I have her on Acana Lamb and Apple. Yet she had bad gas issues after each meal and bit later too. Right now she is on meds and herbs for help with itchiness but the gas issues are very frustrating including her. At times I can tell she is very uncomfortable. It is difficult because she loves her food and we have tried many different brands as well. Someone suggested I try Earthborn Primitive. I need to do some research
I am so glad I found your post. Maybe we both can get some much neede help for our babies.

[DogFoodie]

I second Patty’s NutriSource recommendation. It does seem to be very easy to transition to for most dogs. Last year, I had to switch my Golden pup cold turkey and he had no problem. I used the Adult Chicken & Rice formula. It would be a big step up from the Purina One and then you’d be able to make the transition to the Acana much more easily.

Also, it’s a good idea to choose foods to use in a rotational feeding plan that are not only different proteins, but different manufacturers as well to avoid prolonged exposure to not so desirable ingredients and to add in beneficial ingredients not used in one particular food you like.

I have a Cavalier that can eat anything who is just over two years old and I don’t know if she’s ever eaten the same thing twice. My Golden has yeast issues and I have to be very particular about what I feed him, but am always trying new things for him to hopefully find another food that he does great on. Sam does best on Horizon Legacy and Canine Caviar and does well on a couple of other foods, but I’m always searching for another that he does great on to make part of his regular rotation.

[theBCnut]

I like to suggest NutriSource as a transition food because dogs usually switch to it pretty easily. Yogurt is ok, but not great, as a source of probiotics. It usually only has 3 different strains of probiotics. Kefir, which can be found in the yogurt aisle, is much better with about 10 different strains.

[Amanda Newcomb]

And would yogurt be a good probiotic to add?

[Amanda Newcomb]

Is there another quality food that would be an easier transition for him?

[theBCnut]

Since that is a big change, try one that has ingredients in common to start with and transition slowly. Add more of the new food only when you see that his stool is good. Have canned pure pumpkin on hand to add to his food, if he should get loose stools. And consider adding probiotics and digestive enzymes while transitioning and for a bit after.

[Amanda Newcomb]

I’m switching my 6 month old chihuahua/dachshund over to Acana Regionals. But I’m having a hard time choosing which of the four varieties to buy. Does the protein source make a big difference? He is currently on purina one puppy from his previous owner.. Would one Acana flavor work better than another as a transition? My goal is to eventually rotate his food, but I have to start somewhere.

Anyone recommend a specific Acana Regionals flavor?

[theBCnut]

Rotation is good for a healthy digestive tract so don’t worry about getting one that goes with Acana, worry about getting as big a variety as you can. As long as the canned foods are for All Life Stages or Growth, you can use whatever amount you want and you can even mix it with extra water to make a gravy. If the canned foods you find are Adult or Maintenance foods then you should only make the canned food about 20% or less of the diet. Use cans within 3 days of opening and store the canned food you don’t use immediately in a sealed container, not in the can. If you have a small dog and you won’t use a can that fast you can freeze it in the right size protions and defrost as needed.

[Amanda Newcomb]

So I’m going to be switching my puppy’s food soon (he’s on Purina one smart blend puppy right now, what the previous owner fed him). I’m very interested in feeding him Acana regionals dry food because of all the positive reivews, but I’ve also read that dry food alone doesn’t supply enough moisture in a dogs diet. I don’t want to feed him solely canned food for fear of him gaining weight. He’s a small dog and while I walk him daily, he otherwise doesn’t get much exercise.

Would mixing canned food with the Acana be a good way to suppliment his moisture intake? If so, how much canned food to dry food, and how do I choose a brand that goes well with the Acana?

[RescueDaneMom]

I googled Belcando because I had never heard of it either. It is made in Germany. It looks like an OK food but I wouldn’t switch to it from Acana. They say “All protein sources come from animals deemed fit for human consumption.” But I don’t like that they use “poultry meal” or “poultry fat.” It doesn’t tell you what kind of poultry it is- chicken, turkey, or duck?

[RescueDaneMom]

Acana Pacifica is also grain-free, chicken/egg-free, yeast-free, and flaxseed-free.

INGREDIENTS: Boneless salmon (natural source of EPA, DHA), salmon meal, herring meal, russet potato, peas, whitefish meal, sweet potatoes, salmon oil (preserved with vitamin E), sun-cured alfalfa, boneless herring, boneless flounder, natural fish flavors, pumpkin, turnip greens, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, apples, organic kelp, cranberries, blueberries, juniper berries, black currants, chicory root, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile flowers, lavender flowers, summer savory, rosemary, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, zinc proteinate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, vitamin B5, iron proteinate, vitamin B6, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, selenium, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

[RescueDaneMom]

Just to clarify a few things first:
No chicken- does this include eggs too?
No brewer’s yeast- what about “yeast culture,” “hydrolyzed yeast,” or other yeast products?

Acana Ranchlands is grain-free, chicken/egg-free, yeast-free, and flaxseed-free.
INGREDIENTS:
Deboned beef, beef meal, green peas, deboned lamb, lamb meal, whitefish meal*, herring oil, field beans, red lentils, whole potato, salmon meal, deboned bison, beef liver, lamb liver, sun-cured alfalfa, pea fibre, whole apples, whole pears, sweet potato, whole pumpkin, butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, spinach greens, cranberries, blueberries, kelp, chicory root, juniper berries, angelica root, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, lavender, rosemary.
* ACANA’s whitefish meal contains wild-caught flounder, halibut and cod.

I know Ranchlands is pretty pricey. This is all I could think of off the top of my head. I’ll keep looking. It would help if you could clarify the ingredients. Hope this helps!

[ikaros]

hi, i have 11 dogs and i am feeding acana. thinking of changing to belcando. any thoughts? does anyone know this brand?

[theBCnut]

My thought was that your vet should be able to diagnose pano, so if he thought it was pano, I would listen. All Acana formulas are too high in calcium and while I love raw goats milk, I’m not sure if it helps with the calcium equation. Pick a food from this list.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?srcid=0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk&pid=explorer&efh=false&a=v
This is Hound Dog Mom’s list of foods that have the correct calcium levels for large breed growth. Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch is on the list and might be comparable.

[Monica]

Ok, so I’ve been reading through the posts and am in need of some advise. I’m very concerned about what I am feeding my pup. He is a 6 month old Alaskan Malamute. We had some digestive issues which has subsided since feeding Acana Pacifica. He gets 2.5 cups a day. I also add 2 oz. raw goats milk for pro/prebiotics daily. After reading this, I’m concerned about protein and calcium ratios. Protein is 33%. Calcium/phosphorous ratio is 1.5 to 1.3. Is this a good diet? He recently developed a limp and vet stated possible pano, hence the diet concern. But I’m not convinced it is pano. Couple weeks before limp he really fell and tweaked leg. Any thoughts?

[InkedMarie]

I’d feed Dr Tim’s, Eagle, EArthborn, Holistic Select, Natures Variety, NutriSource and Acana

[Naturella]

Akari,

I also have a similar food list myself, although a lot shorter (for now).
Of your foods, I would feed the grain-free versions of:
Dr. Tim’s, Acana, Wysong, Wellness, Earthborn Holistic and Canidae.

On my list I also have Back to Basics (not the GF versions), and the GF versions of Victor, Orijen, EVO, Innova Prime, amd Timberwolf. Some of those are quite pricy so I would use them as “mixers” to a bigger bag of more affordable food, for example mix a small bag (4-6 lbs) of Back to Basics in a big bag (12-18 lbs) of Wellness Core Wild Game, etc. I would also use Wysong Epigen as a mixer food, the prices I found were … mixer-food-like, lol.

My “maybe” list consists of GF versions of all Dogswell Live Free, Nutrisca, Taste of the Wild, and Blue Buffalo Wilderness (although Bruno is on it right now and seems to be doing great).

But your list looks great too, I may be snatching ideas from it myself! 🙂

[Akari_32]

Revised list. Not too different. Took some off, and added markers at the beginning of each different food.

-Dr Tims’s Pursuit Active
-Dr Tim’s Kinesis ALS
-Avoderm Natural Chicken and Brown Rice
-By Nature Active
-By Nature Pork
-California Natural Chicken Meal and Rice Puppy
-California Natural Low Fat Chicken Meal
-Canidae Life Stages ALS
-Canidae Beef and Ocean FIsh Meal
-Castor and Pollux Ultramix Beef and Barley
-Castor and Pollux Large Breed
-Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul ALL
-Eagle Pack (all but reduced fat and senior)
-Earthborn Puppy Vangate
-Earthborn Small Breed
-Earthborn Primitive Naturals
-Fromm Gold ALL
-Holistic Select Vital Senior
-Holistic Select Radiant Adult Chicken
-Holistic Select Radiant Adult Lamb
-Holistic Select Large and Giant Breed
-Holistic Select Anchovy
-Horizon Pulsar Grain Free Chicken
-Horizon Pulsar Grain Free Fish
-Merrick Whole Earth Farms Adult
-Merrick Whole Earth Farms Puppy
-Merrick Classic Beef
-Merrick Classic Lamb
-Merrick Classic Chicken
-Merrick Classic Adult Large Breed Chicken
-Healthwise Chicken Meal and Oatmeal
-Nature’s Recipe Adult Lamb and Rice
-Nature’s Recipe ETD Chicken Meal and Barley
-Nature’s Recipe Venison
-Nature’s Recipe Large Breed
-Nature’s Recipe ETD Fish Meal
-Nature’s Recipe Healthy Weight
-Nature’s Variety Lamb and Oatmeal
-Nature’s Variety Chicken Meal and Brown Rice Puppy
-Nutrisource Lamb Meal and Rice
-PetGuard LifeSpan
-Precise Naturals Grain Free Chicken
-Premium Edge Healthy Weight 1 Weight Reduction
-Solid Gold Wolf Cub
-Vet’s Choice ALL
-Wellness Complete Health Chicken
-Wysong Adult
-Wysong Growth Puppy
-Acana Chicken and Burbank Potato

[InkedMarie]

The foods from your list that I would buy are Dr Tim’s, Earthborn, Eagle, Fromm, Grandma Lucy’s, Nature’s Variety and Acana.

The foods I wouldn’t feed from your list are Natural Balance and Evangers.

[Akari_32]

Would a few of you guys care to make a top 10 (or however many) list for me from my 4 mile long thing here? I think I’m over the Grandma Lucy’s (btw, they told me I could BUY samples from them. What the crap good does BUYING samples do for me?? I don’t have the money for that crap, that’s why I asked for some! ‘Tards…).

Small to medium kibbles would be best (for Bentley– Haley and Dweezle do fine on the smaller piece), a few adult-appropriate puppy foods perhaps, and different meats. And please don’t give me all the more expensive ones.

Dr Tims’s Pursuit Active
Dr Tim’s Kinesis ALS
Avoderm Natural Chicken and Brown Rice
By Nature Active
By Nature Pork
California Natural Chicken Meal and Rice Puppy
California Natural Low Fat Chicken Meal
Canidae Life Stages ALS
Canidae Beef and Ocean FIsh Meal
Castor and Pollux Ultramix Beef and Barley
Castor and Pollux Large Breed
Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul ALL
Eagle Pack (all but reduced fat and senior)
Earthborn Puppy Vangate
Earthborn Small Breed
Earthborn Primitive Naturals
Evanger’s Chicken and Brown Rice
Fromm Gold ALL
Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Grain Free Pork
Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Grain Free Chicken
Grandma Lucy’s PureFormance Chicken
Holistic Select Vital Senior
Holistic Select Radiant Adult Chicken
Holistic Select Radiant Adult Lamb
Holistic Select Large and Giant Breed
Holistic Select Anchovy
Horizon Pulsar Grain Free Chicken
Horizon Pulsar Grain Free Fish
Merrick Whole Earth Farms Adult
Merrick Whole Earth Farms Puppy
Merrick Classic Beef
Merrick Classic Lamb
Merrick Classic Chicken
Merrick Classic Adult Large Breed Chicken
Healthwise Chicken Meal and Oatmeal
Natural Balance Ultra
Natural Balance Fat Dogs
Nature’s Recipe Adult Lamb and Rice
Nature’s Recipe ETD Chicken Meal and Barley
Nature’s Recipe Venison
Nature’s Recipe Large Breed
Nature’s Recipe ETD Fish Meal
Nature’s Recipe Healthy Weight
Nature’s Variety Lamb and Oatmeal
Nature’s Variety Chicken Meal and Brown Rice Puppy
Nutrisource Lamb Meal and Rice
PetGuard LifeSpan
Precise Naturals Grain Free Chicken
Premium Edge Healthy Weight 1 Weight Reduction
Solid Gold Wolf Cub
Vet’s Choice ALL
Wellness Complete Health Chicken
Wysong Adult
Wysong Growth Puppy
Acana Chicken and Burbank Potato

[RescueDaneMom]

I am not a fan of TOTW because it it made by Diamond and they have a big recall history. If you shop at the big stores like Petco and Petsmart, I would consider Merrick Grain Free, Wellness Core, and Nature’s Variety Instinct. I fed my Dane a rotation of different foods including: Acana (Grain Free), Earthborn Holistic (Grain Free), Go! Fit & Free (by Petcurean), Horizon Legacy, and Annamaet (Grain Free). My Dane is a picky boy when it comes to kibble so I was somewhat limited. Other brands I like but he didn’t: Fromm (Grain Free), Nature’s Logic (has smaller kibbles), Orijen, Evanger’s (Grain Free), and Zignature (Grain Free). I would recommend going through the 4 and 5 star reviews to see what you like and what may work for them. If you want to try one of the brands that aren’t carried in Petco/Petsmart, I would get it online from chewy.com or petflow.com.

I know you want to get her off TOTW ASAP so you don’t want to gradually mix in another food. The faster you switch the more likely she is to have some GI upset like diarrhea. To try to avoid that, you can add a tablespoon of canned pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) to her new food- that will help with the diarrhea because of the fiber. I would also get digestive enzymes and probiotics and add them to her food to help with the switch.

On another note, your GD rescue that is 7 months old should still be on a restricted calcium/phosphorous food for slow growth. See this list for large breed puppy appropriate foods: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit?pli=1
Luckily, the NV LID Turkey is on there.

Good Luck! And please post any other questions you have. Hopefully we can help! 🙂
-Caroline

[RescueDaneMom]

pugmomsandy- I tried the Annamaet Salcha (grain-free poultry formula) awhile back and Max loved it. I didn’t try the other varieties because Max only likes poultry-based kibbles. If I recall, they had a medium size kibble. Not small like Nature’s Logic but not large either like Orijen or Acana. I would recommend it. 🙂

[theBCnut]

Most Acana foods are a no-no for one of my dogs. He has intolerance issues with chicken, many grains, and, I recently discovered, tomato. I haven’t tried a lentil/legume heavy food on him yet, but I only feed grain free.

For Swanson’s, my favorite probiotics are Dr. Stephen Langer’s and Soil Based Organisms. Their Swanson’s Premium Enzymes are great. The 2 in 1 is probably fine for your purposes though, my dog has issues.

[InkedMarie]

Monica, go to the Diet and Health issues sub forum here. At the top, click the link for the food for large breed puppies, there is a link of the appropriate foods on page 15. Acana isn’t on there.

[dzdubz]

Hi,

I have a beautiful 5 month old German Shepherd puppy, that has consistently had very soft stool/diarrhea since I got her. I was feeding her Orijen large breed puppy formula, and recently switched to Acana LBP, with no noticable change to her stool.

I’ve searched for advice but have not found an answer anywhere. My dog walker thinks her diet is too high protein and that Shepherd’s have sensitive stomachs. On her advice I’ve tried adding white rice and carrots, but neither has shown any effect.

Could you please help me with any suggestions for food or some kind of supplements that I can give her? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!

Cheers,
Dave

[Monica]

This is of great concern to me as well as Ihave received various stories of protein levels verses calcium/phosphorous ratios. I am feeding my almost 6 month old Alaskan malamute Acana Pacifica for about a month now. This week he was diagnosed with growing pains. Could the food be contributing to this. Is he growing too fast? He did have a growth spurt of 4 lbs in a week but prior to this only gained 2 pounds in the previous 3. Fed Acana the whole time.

[mix123]

Hi All. I have a 4 month old frenchie. When we first got her she was on Acana Puppy so we kept her on that up until about a week ago. We were giving her a cup a day. Her poops were pretty runny and she was pooping alot. Last week they got really bad with lots of gas. So we put her on a bland diet for 2 days of pumpkin, chicken and rice and her stools firmed right back up.

Went to the dog food store and talked to the guy there and he told us that Acana and Orijen is too high in protein for most house dogs and usually only recommends it to people with farm dogs. So he recommended we try something with a little less protein. We went with First Mate All Life Stages BlueBerry and Chicken. We had already started putting her back on the Acana slowly by mixing it into the bland food diet we were feeding her. So we just started giving her a mix of Acana and the new food mixed with pumpkin for a few days. We have now switched her over completely to the First Mate and still mixing it with pumpkin and giving her some yogurt for a treat mid days. Seems to be going good.

http://www.firstmate.com/dog-food/grain-free/chicken-with-blueberries/

Here are my questions…

– The First Mate recommended feeding say feed a dog her size 1/4-1/3cup a day and the guy atthe store recommended the same. We’ve been giving her a cup…. Why do they recommend so low?
– Should we keep feeding her pumpkin?
– Is yogurt a good idea?

Thanks In Advance for the info

[Mom2Cavs]

BRT….Sounds like you have a good plan. Mine don’t seem to like the taste of pumpkin lol. I tried ACV years ago with my 2 mixed breeds and Lucy WOULD NOT take it in any way, so I gave up. Haven’t tried it since. I used to have to give my boy mixed breed, Desi, a joint supp. due to both rear luxating patellas. I gave Springtime Joint Health chews and they worked great for him. I like all Springtime supplements. But, Lucy doesn’t like Longevity at all lol. So I just use their chews and their Omega 3-6-9 (when I use an omega supp., that is). I started adding a little of the Beef Frittata in and so far, ok. But I am so worried it’s not gonna go as well as I hope with the Fromm. They really do well with the Pacific Stream, though I think Lucy is not doing as well as the Cavs with it. It could be the fish protein with her. My cat, Princess, does really well with Earthborn, Fromm, Tiki Cat canned food and loves Instinct, Orijen and/or Acana dry. I just bought a bag of Fromm Gamebird for cats and she is loving it! She is fed canned am and pm and the dry is left out for her to graze on.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[BluesMom]

Hope this hasn’t been posted previously and if I missed it please let me know… I am wondering what opinions are on feeding my dog kibble (acana, nature’s logic, merrick GF, orijen) and RMBs? I can’t afford premade at the moment and am not ready to make the leap to raw so I thought this might be a good place to start.

Is this OK? And when I do this, does the bone count as a meal? He is 45 pounds and active…
Thinking of starting with chicken backs. Would love any advice. Thanks in advanced.