[Kenneth A]

I am glad to read about Bailey’s positive outcome. Your story is so scary. I often carry a stun gun when I walk with my lab just in the event a dog charges us.

[Kenneth A]

I went to the Pet People Store today to purchase Acana Heritage and the store manager convinced me to purchase Farmina Grain Free instead. Arrived back home and to my relief Dog Food Advisor rates it with 5 stars. Certainly hope Earl likes and does well on Farmina. If not I will purchase Acana next.

Ken

[Kenneth A]

Sue:

I live in Raleigh, NC and Pet People is a local pet store that only carries what I would classify as quality, higher rated pet foods. Pet People carry Fromm, Zignature, Acana, Orgin, etc.

Good luck!

[Kenneth A]

Sue:

I experienced a similar problem with my previous Labrador when I fed him Blue Brand Dog Food. I switched him over to a different brand and things improved very quickly. Science Diet may be a good food but your dog is not processing it correctly. As zcRiley posted above many of the Pet Stores I have recently visited highly recommend Zignature Essentials for dogs with sensitive digestive systems.

Good luck and let us know how this works out.

Ken

[Kenneth A]

Mike:

Thank you very much for writing solid advice about the dog food lawsuits. I have conducted a lot of research about Dog Food to include joining this site as I want to feed my Earl with a top quality food. After making the decision to switch to Acana the news about the lawsuits broke and yes it made me feel uneasy, questioning my decision to switch. Your message puts things back into perspective.

Thanks again,

Ken

[Kenneth A]

Mareike:

Thank you for the Snuffle Mat recommendation. I ordered one and hope Earl will enjoy, not destroy, it! LOL!

Based on the recommendations I strongly leaning toward trying Acana Heritage Poultry.

Thanks again,

Ken

[Kenneth A]

Thanks to everyone that has responded to my posts. Many people have described labs as always being hungry and will eat almost anything. Describes my Earl perfectly and he will eat 7/8 cup of Pro Plan (three times per day) in approximately 15 seconds when fed in a standard bowl. We now feed him using a bowl full of internal rings which slows him down to approximately 1 min per feeding.

Since his surgeries Earl has been on a walking regiment of approximately 5 miles per day and we have reduced his quantity of food. His weight is down to 80 lbs. from 88 so I feel I contributed to the ruptured ligaments in his knees (totally unintentional – just did not know). The specialist that conducted the surgeries would like to see Earl down to 75 lbs and I do not want to put him on a Senior Dog Food since he is only 2 years old (Jan 6th birthdate). I should also note that prior to his surgeries Earl was being fed a lot of treats (cookies) purchased from the local Pet Store. Unfortunately, I did not think about the extra calories I was feeding him and now his treats consist of baby carrots.

So, after Earl had the TPLO Surgeries I have learned so much about the requirements of being a good and hopefully responsible pet owner. Earl’s local Vet. told me that many retrievers have or need TPLO Surgeries because of the pressure they place on their knees when they run, jump and cut. He said the TPLO Technique was developed to allow field trial dogs to be able to return to field trial work. However, being 10 lbs. or so overweight, in my mind, definitely contributed to Earl’s knee issues.

I have had discussions with my Vet. about Pro Plan Focus prior to the TPLO Surgeries. His feedback was that Pro Plan is a good food, Earl was not experiencing any food related issues and to possibly consider a different food sometime down the road. Well, here I am two surgeries and $8000 later!

Thank you again for the advice. I have two bags of Pro Plan to use (Petco double shipped me last month) and toward the end of consumption Earl will be transitioned to a new food. My goal is to find one quality kibble and stick with it unless Earl demonstrates a need for a change.

Ken

[Kenneth A]

Deb B.

Thank you for your response concerning your experiences with Pro Plan and ACANA. Do you happen to know if the ACANA you feed is produced in the Canadian or Kentucky Kitchen? ACANA is a brand I was also considering but many comments I have read on this site about the brand seem to feel the food from the Canadian Kitchen may be a superior product. As I stated in my original post it is very confusing trying to select a “better food” for Earl. I do not want to try and improve on his food and feed him something that is not good for him.

[Kenneth A]

PitLuv:

Thank you for responding to the post I left for Hound Dog Mom. I believe you have hit the nail squarely on the head when you when you make the comment, “Personally, I see no reason to switch simply because this website rates it 2.5 stars, especially since you’ve noted your dog is doing quite well on it.” Maybe it is paralysis by analysis – LOL!

The issue I face, like I suspect many members of this site, is that we chose Earl to be a member of our family and thus want to provide him the best we can afford. The question when it comes to “best dog food” is highly contentious and most of us that know of dogs that have done well on “cheap dog food” and dogs that have done poorly on very expensive brands.

The Vet, Show Dog Competitor, I purchased Earl from fed all 20+ of her dogs Pro Plan Focus. She had Labs that were 15+ years old and she told me she had been very happy with Pro Plan. In fact, she commented on one highly regarded Brand and said she had seen to many dogs with digestive issues, skin issues and ear infections to recommend it. I happen to have fed that brand, thinking I was doing right by my dog, to my previous Lab and he had ear infections and stomach issues.

So, in conclusion, I guess I am barking up at an empty tree and will continue to feed Earl on Pro Plan Focus. The advice seems to be don’t go create a problem when you don’t currently have an issue.

Thanks again,

Ken

[Kenneth A]

Hound Dog Mom: Thank you for all of the advice regarding food choices for large breeds. I purchased my English Style Lab from a Vet, Breeder and competitor of show quality dogs. My wife and I just wanted a family companion, couch potato to replace our Lab we lost at 9.5 years to cancer. The breeder fed all of her dogs Pro Plan and we have kept Earl on Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy. He is currently 6 months old and shows no negative symptoms. However, I am not happy to learn this site (which I joined because I want to be informed) rates Pro Plan at 2.5 stars.

A small Pet Store Chain just opened a branch store a couple of miles away from where we live. The sell many of the foods that are rated 4+ Stars on this site so I will be changing Earl’s Food Soon.

Since Earl is not experiencing any problems with his current food what should I look for in determining the best food to switch him to? I know I will need to blend the new food with the old for a few days. He currently does not scratch, has no ear infections and has relatively small stools. So, I want to change to a higher rated food but I don’t want to create any issues for Earl.

Please express advice and opinions. I am leaning toward Fromm Dry Foods!

Thanks,

Ken

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