[Adriana R]

I’m looking at Purina Pro Plan sensitive skin and coat salmon. The ingredients I’m asking about are: barley, ground rice, oatmeal, brewers dried yeast. Are those all grain free? The bag claims for it to be “no corn, wheat or soy” but does that mean grain free?

• This topic was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by Mike Sagman. Reason: Fix Duplicate Topic

[anonymous]

No, it’s not grain free. However, that’s not a bad thing. I have decided to try the Pro Plan Focus salmon food mentioned for one of my dogs, when I finish up the Zignature, good but a little expensive.
I have found that some dogs do best on grain and potato free, just my experience.
However, I will pay for quality, so I will continue to use Zignature as a base also.

https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/ (excerpt below)
Grain free diets have become all the rage in the last few years. I suspect this has stemmed from greater recognition of gluten sensitivity in humans. Most pet food companies have jumped on the band wagon following the marketing success of grain free human diets. The truth of the matter is that there are no dog or cat studies showing a health benefit to grain free foods. A myth has been perpetuated that grains are unhealthy. In fact, whole grains contribute vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids and are highly digestible by dogs and cats. Allergies to grains are actually very rare, and only the Irish Setter breed has been demonstrated to have a gluten sensitivity. Many grain free diets substitute potatoes and tapioca, which have less protein, more sugar, and less fiber. And typically these come at a higher cost.

[Adriana R]

Is your dog “sensitive”?
3 of my dogs really aren’t sensitive when it comes to kibble but I was thinking maybe Sunshine needs a more sensitive dog food as she’s getting older (I understand that might sound crazy) and it’s good on calories for the other 2. Plus it wouldn’t do them bad if their really not “sensitive”
But on the bag it says “Focus” Is that’s just how they marketed it? It doesn’t really have to do with anything?
Im trying to figure out if I want to put them on Pro Plan or Authority.
What I don’t want is to have to be buying 3 different dog foods like I have in past. It’s just to much to keep up with. 3 dogs will be on Authority or Pro Plan. And Jr will be on Simply Nourish. Because I doubt that the chicken is making his ears itchy. If he had a true allergic reaction his entire body would be itchy.

[anonymous]

I’d go with the Pro Plan Focus, just my opinion.

Yes I have a dog that is sensitive, doesn’t do well with potato. My other one has environmental allergies, has nothing to do with the food. In fact, I am using Mighty Dog (grains and all) as a topper for this one with good results.

Every dog is different, buy a small bag first and see how it goes.

[Adriana R]

Buddy Bear is soon going to be done with his 5 pound bag of puppy food.
I’m debating whether I should buy him another bag of puppy food? Or is 5 pounds enough?

[anonymous]

Why not stay with the puppy food? If he is doing well on it….
If he is stable, go by what the vet advised.

[Adriana R]

I’ll have to ask the vet to see what he thinks.
I noticed in the beginning he had a “tummy” now he’s looking a bit “slender” than when I 1st increased his food. And he’s getting the same amount a cup and a third. He still feels “heavy” but he doesn’t seem to have the “tummy” he 1st got.

[pitlove]

Adriana-

Is this a puppy we are talking about? If so what kind of puppy? No dog should ever have a “tummy”. Being overweight is bad for puppies and adult dogs. Please google Purina Body Condition System to see what ideal weight should look like.

[Adriana R]

pitlove-
Not a puppy, he’s a 7 year old Chihuahua. Took him to the vet last Monday just because he was looking “very thin” and they gave me dewormer and had me put him on puppy food to gain weight. I looked at the Purina chart and he honestly was like probably a 1/2 and now probably like at 3. He’s always been on the thin side (5.ish pounds) and when they weighed him on Monday he was only 4 pounds. I think he got a “tummy” because he was having extra food and his stomach wasn’t use to it. I looked at him again this morning. And I know can see he seems to be “even” now. His ribs almost line up where his tummy is (don’t know how to describe it) He used to be just ribs and then where it was his tummy it was very sunken in almost. And now he actually has a bit of a shape. You can finally see a “tummy” on his sides. That’s the best way I can describe. But I can assure you I did take him to the vet and they told me he was extremely thin and I could keep him on puppy food for a while.
I decided to buy another bag (15 pounds) and once he’s done with that I will switch him back to adult.

I ended up buying both lamb and salmon sensitive skin and stomach (small bags) for my girl dog. She actually likes the salmon. As long as she continues to do good I might keep her on it long term.

[pitlove]

Ok I see. Most people when they say their dog is too thin think that a dog that is a 5/9 or 4/9 (which is ideal) is too thin, but yes a 1 or 2 is too thin. Especially for a Chihuahua. You may want to consider a puppy food for a short time to get him back to a 4 or 5 out of 9 and then try to maintain that. Edit: Sorry I see you do have him on a puppy food, so yes keep him on that.

I am a big fan of Purina Pro Plan and fed the Sensitive Skin & Stomach formula for about 1 1/2 years to both my dogs. If it has the right amount of calories your dog needs I would recommend it. I will caution you though that the pieces are probably too big for a tiny dog like that.

[Adriana R]

Yeah when I read your 1st comment I understand where you could have misunderstood as I didn’t give much info. But he was extremely thin and it was just because he wasn’t getting enough calories. I think he has a very high metabolism. Which honestly I’m surprised as he isn’t very active. But he is finally gaining weight. I was going to just put him back on adult after the small bag but at the pet store I decided that buying a little bigger bag would actually be good for him. I don’t know if he’ll ever be at a 5 but I’m at least aiming for a 3/4 for now.

My girl dog doesn’t a specific amount of calories I just wanted to try a food that was easy on her tummy.
But I don’t know if Buddy Bear would do better on Authority or Pro Plan sensitive. Pro Plan has higher calories per cup. So I’m thinking if my girl dog does well on Pro Plan. I should just feed him that. As I don’t want 3 or 4 different dog foods as it’s insane to keep up with. As I have 2 other Chi’s.

[pitlove]

I dont know much about Authority other than it is PetSmarts house brand. I’m personally more comfortable with Pro Plan. I’ve used Pro Plan for almost 2 years come the end of this month and I’ll never use another brand.

[Adriana R]

And I’ve used Authority grain free for probably about 2 years. As well as Simply Nourish grain free which is also a PetSmart house brand. I’ve bought Pro Plan once along time ago but I never bought it again. But I’ve decided she or Buddy Bear don’t need grain free. Authority is technically cheaper. I haven’t seen the price for a large bag at PetSmart yet. When I went yesterday they where having a buy 1 get 1 free sale on the small bags so it was worth to give it a try. I didn’t even look at the price for a larger size bag.

[crazy4cats]

Hi-
FWIW, Authority is manufactured by American Nutrition. The formulas are established by PetSmart. I have fed this brand a few times and my dogs do well on it also.

[Adriana R]

I didn’t know that. Is that why they don’t have an Authority website?
So the lamb (498) has more calories than the salmon (429)
Puppy food is at 450.
He’s getting about 600 per day.
Should I go for the 498 (lamb) since it’s higher or would the salmon be just fine? (Will eat either, not picky) Maybe I can rotate between the 2. Or just stick with the cheaper 1.
I can’t seem to get the right calculations of how much will get him at 600 roughly per day. It’s either short or too much.
All the #’s are Kcal/cup

[pitlove]

You can likely choose whatever food you want and just increase the portion of food he gets

[Adriana R]

So I saw the bag of kibble and it’s meant to have little speks on the dog food, right? There sorta the color of the kibble. I wish I could upload a pic but it looks exactly the picture they have online so I know it’s fine (mom also looked at it) but it’s bothering me a bit. Hoping you can put my mine at ease as you also feed the same to your dog.
I honestly don’t know which one is “better”
I’ve read fish is “worser” overall but then again you really can’t trust what’s online anymore.

[pitlove]

When I used the Sensitive Skin & Stomach yes it had speks on it. Never hurt my dogs in anyway. Plenty of foods have stuff like that on them.

The best food is the one your dog does best on. Not the one rated the best on here. What have you read fish is worse for?

[anonymous]

My small breed dogs have been on fish kibble as a base for about 5 years now with good results.
Zignature or Nutrisca. I am going to try the Pro Plan Focus salmon next.

[Adriana R]

Oh okay. I was freaking out a bit as I’ve never bought dog food with speks before.
I contacted Purina Pro Plan and they said it wasn’t “normal” I I didn’t give Sunshine it for dinner as I was a bit “afraid” Then I started looking online and it seemed like it was “normal” for this kibble.
So I changed my mind and fed her it for breakfast this morning. And I know you said you fed your dog this before so I figured I might as well just ask. What did you change to? Why?
Yeah I know that it’s getting to me that supposedly Authority is 3 star but I decided to try Purina Pro Plan a 2.5 star
It’s been a while I don’t remember very well I think they did a test and the protein with the fish had more toxins because of the fish it self. It was maybe truth about pet food (I think)

[anonymous]

That study is not a reliable source of information. And the site you are referring to is a homeopathic site.
I use kibble as a base, add chicken broth or tuna or scrambled egg, plus a little water.
So that the kibble is about 1/2 to 2/3 of the diet. I find this works well.
I first went to fish kibble with no potato, because my sensitive dog with environmental allergies does best on it, it works for my other dog too 🙂

[Adriana R]

Do you make homemade broth? I know a lady who gives her small dogs store bought. When Sunshine got sick the vet said no broth because of the ingredients might be too much for her tummy to handle. But my dogs get broth very rarely.
Jr can’t have egg he vomits every single time he can’t tolerate it.

[anonymous]

I boil a small chicken once a month in a huge pot, nothing added, then let it simmer for 3 to 4 hours.
Let it cool for a couple of hours.
When cool enough to handle, remove the chicken and debone, be very careful and throw out small pieces and such as tiny bones could be in there. When in doubt, throw out.
Put the pot of broth in the fridg on cold temp for 24 hours, the fat will rise to the top so that you can easily remove it.
Separate the broth in individual containers or freezer baggies (3 or 4 day supply each) store in freezer.
Do the same for the chicken meat.
Its a bit of work and messy, but cost effective, and you know for sure that there are no added ingredients.
The store bought has preservatives and salt. The more expensive brand in the organic section might be a little better.

[Adriana R]

Yes I was considering the organic chicken broth just to have on hand at all times.
You do an entire chicken?
I only cook/give my dogs chicken breast.
I know sometimes the entire chicken can be on sale and very cheap. I’ll keep that in my mind.

[anonymous]

Yep, the whole chicken, I keep my eye open for a small (under $10) one.
But, sure, you could just boil/simmer a chicken breast and get a similar result. It would be less fat, less mess.

[Adriana R]

I’ll try that with the chicken breast next time.

[Adriana R]

How long can dry dog food (kibble) last after the expiration date?
I know it might be a little different from brand to brand and maybe even type but what’s the general “rule”

[anonymous]

How long past the expiration date are we talking? Do you mean the expiration date or the best by date?
It may depend on how it was stored.
I wouldn’t take a chance. It may be okay for a month or two after, or not.
If you are going to buy a large bag, divide it up in airtight freezer bags or such. Store in the fridg. But, I would not go beyond the expiration date or best by date.
In the fridg or tightly closed container the kibble should be good for a month, two at the most.
I have stored kibble in the freezer, but check with the dog food company, some don’t recommend.

[Adriana R]

Best By Date.
So probably about 6 months ago I went to PetSmart and I bought about 9 bags of dog food that were soon to expire. Ranging from about 5 to 20 pounds and the brands were Natures Variety Instinct, Blue Buffalo and Nutro. All different varieties/lines and proteins/flavors.
Before I go any further: It wasn’t for my dogs, my dogs got none of this food. It was for a person in my neighborhood who was struggling to buy food for his 3 dogs, his dogs are not “sensitive” whatsoever. They did just fine on the kibbles I bought, none got sick. And by the time they ate all the kibble they were eating expired kibble.
When I went to PetSmart this week I got two bags of Purina Pro Plan lamb. After getting some more items I walked to check out. Right before I got in line it occurred to me I should check all the expiration dates as I usually do but I usually do it as I grab the item’s. And 1 of the Pro Plan bags said Best By Date: NOV 2017 Now I wouldn’t buy my dogs expired food. But I figured if they give me a good deal I’ll consider for someone in the neighborhood. I grabbed a salmon bag for my dog and told one of the workers. She told me we’d have to act as if it weren’t expired and give me 90% off, I agreed.
The bag was opened and a bunch of white lint was inside the bag. THE BAG WAS THROWN, NO DOG ATE THE FOOD (just in case someone thinks I’m getting dogs in my neighborhood sick)
My thing is this: why did the other bags bought 6 months did just fine and buy the time the dogs ate it/finished the kibbles were technically “expired” ? Is it because the food is “lower Quality” Tbh it gave me a bit of a “scare” to the point where I’m reconsidering if I will switch Sunshine off Pro Plan. When I go home I will open the lamb bag and check it just in case but its not expired. The next morning after coming from PetSmart I decided to open the salmon 1st. I doubt something is wrong with the other bag of lamb (not expired) but I want to make sure.
Now I know I was probably “stupid” for buying expired kibble but even when I bought the 9 bags, 1 was actually already expired but the kibble was just fine. I will from now on not buy kibble that’s already expired. But I will continue to buy kibbles “soon to be expired” for example when the store marks them down (50/75/90 percent off)
I will not make a claim to Purina or PetSmart as I knew the bag was expired and I still bought the bag.

[Tyrionthebiscuit]

It could be anything, from the way it was stored at the store to a tiny hole you couldn’t see and moisture got in. Same thing will happen to foods within the best buy date if there is a hole in the bag.

[Adriana R]

I was reading that sometimes it is the way it’s stored.
There might have been a tiny hole.

[Bobby dog]

Adriana R, that is a very kind gesture to help your neighbor fill their puppy’s bellies!! 🙂

[pitlove]

Adriana-

I had to switch to a different Pro Plan formula because after we switched my dogs food thinking it would be better for his allergies, he had a bad reaction (vomiting, diarherra) to it and after that the Sensitive Skin & Stomach no longer was working for him. After talking to a lady at the Purina vet diet customer service line for an hour we determined he might need a lower fiber food, so we went back to the Pro Plan Sport 26/16 and hes been perfect ever since.

Edit: As far as the expired foods go. The only time a store should be putting foods on sale are when they are CLOSE to expiration, within a month or so. If they are not checking their shelves regularly for expired product that is an individual store issue. PetSmart is known for having food be in poor conditions like this. You might be better off buying from chewy.com or seeing if any of your independently owned local pet stores will order the product for you or carry it in store. They will likely not have storage issues.

[Adriana R]

Bobby dog
Thanks 🙂

pitlove
Oh okay.
I don’t buy things online (at all) so that’s not a option. I honestly tend to stay away from local pet stores because I think they’re just expensive.

You just made realize something. Sunshine seemed a bit constipated a couple weeks ago. She was on Authority grain free and it has 4.5% Fiber (max) Now I can’t really say she did “better” with Simply Nourish grain free as she was only on it for a day but it has 6% Fiber (max) Pro Plan has 4% Fiber (max) I was going to put her on Authority (regular) but that as well has 4% Fiber (max) so it wouldn’t make a difference.
She’s still mainly on rice, I’m slowly introducing her to this kibble but once she’s fully switched I will see if she’s a bit constipated. Can pumpkin be added on and off like all the time? Maybe she just needs a bit more fiber. I think she just might be getting a bit older but at the same time it’s not like she’s extremely constipated either, just a thought.

[pitlove]

I worked at an independently owned pet store for 2 and a half years and at least at my store, we would always get comments about how much lower our prices were than Petco and Petsmart. Also they will usually price match for you, unless its a sale item or online price. Independent stores can not usually compete with online pricing, but they try their best.

I’m not sure about Authority or Simply Nourish, but I know with Purina I can call them and they will tell me exactly how much fiber is in the formula I’m asking about. The Pro Plan formula I use reports 3% MAX fiber, but when I called and asked how much the actual true value was it was much lower (dry matter fiber was 1.6%). It is possible that she may need a little more fiber in her diet yes. However, if you chose to go with a food that reports the MAX fiber high like 6% I would not also add pumpkin as it could cause too loose of stool.

Also I would highly encourage you to contact Purina Pro Plan directly. Their customer service is beyond wonderful and I think they will help put your mind at ease.

[Adriana R]

I honestly always thought small owned pet stores were expensive. But maybe I should look around.

I didn’t know that that about the true fiber value.
If I add pumpkin it’ll be to Pro Plans kibble.
I don’t know about Purina I contacted them for a concern I had about the specks on the dog food to see if it was “normal” and the lady was telling me it wasn’t normal in which of course I freaked but then later on my own I realized it was normal.
But I will contact them.

[pitlove]

I contacted the Pro Plan customer service line and then was directed to their veterinary diet team because they felt they could help me better there. So perhaps contact their veterinary diet team first?

[Adriana R]

When I contacted them it was online chat.
But because of the time difference it seems like I can only catch them “on” when it’s morning. Which mornings are hectic so I really don’t have time to talk. Maybe an email would be my best bet.

[Adriana R]

So I guess I was wrong seems like their on/off daily…? Idk But I asked a Pet Advisor through chat and they couldn’t give me an answer. They wanted email so they can respond later. I told them if I call would it be the same, person said yes. I then asked about the vet diet team. Said they could pass along the # but I said no. I don’t feel like needing to know the fiber % of kibble I should talk to a vet it be different if my dog had a bad redaction to the kibble.
So I just filled the online form and now have to wait.

[Boris-Frank N]

Great recipe. Thanks.

[Author]

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