What do most people feed there labs??

Been having ongoing issues with my lab licking paws and ear infections......i've been to the vet and have the meds that clear things up but obviously its an allergy to something as it always comes back...tried a couple different foods and still the same ending scenario.....was back at vets today for yearly shots and she suggested going on this food they sell....$125 plus tax for 15 kg of dry food, i dont think so.....my wallet cant afford that so im open for suggestions of lower cost brands to try before i have to dig deep in case something cheaper works.....thanks

I believe , that kind of licking , is the result of , many kinds of emotional distress. See a different vet.

Really can't suggest what you feed your dog but can tell you we feed Eukanuba and have done so for 5 generations with no problems. The only time my male licks his paws is when he is under stress when the girls are in season.
Did try Proplan but found they put on too much weight.

Fed Diamond Naturals for many years and other Diamond products and have had great results. I just switched a couple of weeks ago to ACANA and my Springer so far has been doing very well. It's a Canadian product and one of the best dog foods on the market especially dogs with sensitivities. Keep it simple. I did the raw for years with kibble mixed as well and vegetables. A reliable proven kibble is well balanced with no need to play nutritionist.

We've always fed our labs a mix. Never had a dog that had bad breath, or a stinky coat. If you pet a dog and your hands smell (what people say is strong dog smell), IMO there's something dietary going on. It's not normal for a dog to have a stinking, greasy coat.We use Nutram, but the kibble is only about 20% of what our dog eats. I butcher two deer every year, and I save every piece of scrap I can. This gets run through our LEM grinder, then frozen in bags. Same with all the beaver I trap. Grind all the ham and loin meat. We'll boil a bag up about every week. Dog gets a few chunks of venison or beaver, plus veggies, and a little bit of kibble. Usually raw cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, green peppers, carrots, any fresh veggies from our garden. Apples, banana, blueberries, strawberries (anything we're eating) and big soup marrow bones as a treat. Dog has a beautiful shiny coat, no smell, and no tartar teeth. I would never feed any dog 100% kibble. I don't care how natural/expensive the bag is. Pretty boring for the dog too.

We have a lab ( pure bred, 3yrs old) that also has allergies. She gets ear infections as did her mother. After trying several different kibbles over a years time, some from the vet, we finally found a meal that agrees with her. She keeps it down and no more ear infections. Turns out she is allergic to grains.
First Mate
Grain Free
Chicken meal with blueberries formula
28.6 lbs. $ 76.00+tax

Costco wild domain grain free. My lab had skin and ear issues. Switched from pro plan to Costco and it all went away.

I don't know about labs but I feed my goldens Orijen and raw. It can be an allergy your dealing with and food is one of the easiest to pin point. I would start with grain free and if that doesn't work switch to a different protein source. If you go to your pet store they can point you in the right direction or start reading the labels until you find what your are looking for in the right price range. Just try and get one that has protein first.
deb

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Originally Posted by yellow dog

Fed Diamond Naturals for many years and other Diamond products and have had great results. I just switched a couple of weeks ago to ACANA and my Springer so far has been doing very well. It's a Canadian product and one of the best dog foods on the market especially dogs with sensitivities. Keep it simple. I did the raw for years with kibble mixed as well and vegetables. A reliable proven kibble is well balanced with no need to play nutritionist.

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Originally Posted by Longgun

I don't know about labs but I feed my goldens Orijen and raw. It can be an allergy your dealing with and food is one of the easiest to pin point. I would start with grain free and if that doesn't work switch to a different protein source. If you go to your pet store they can point you in the right direction or start reading the labels until you find what your are looking for in the right price range. Just try and get one that has protein first.
deb

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X2

All Canuck and no imported Chinese crap. Also no recalls on their food. As others have suggested, stay away from grain. A lot of dogs have issues with it, and it's just a cheap filler anyway.

Thanks for all the suggestions people......that was my thinking also about going to a grain free food....

Unfortunately in recent years we have seen more dogs experiencing allergies. Most Vets will confirm this. Is it a grain issue? A filler issue?A processing issue? Suspicions but no confirmed problems.

Allergies and the auto-immune system are an interesting study. Far better to find a dog food that works than be on regular steroid shots to control reaction.

Have to agree that most of us are not nutritionalists and even if you were could better the results of quality dog food that is currently available.

There's also a very good producer of dog food right near you. TLC produces a high quality food, and ships right to your door.

www.tlcpetfoods.com

no filler, no wheat or corn. Very good food for the money.

Thanks BBdog for posting that food. Looks like a decent food and not to far out on price line. Only issue for me is the need for a performance food, usually in the 30/20 range. Their food is a little lower.

Feed Purina Performance and Loyall Performance...have had good luck with both.

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Originally Posted by Bluebulldog

There's also a very good producer of dog food right near you. TLC produces a high quality food, and ships right to your door.

www.tlcpetfoods.com

no filler, no wheat or corn. Very good food for the money.

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That food still has grain in it though BBD. Just mentioning this in case it is a grain issue the OP is having with his pooch.

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Originally Posted by last5oh_302

That food still has grain in it though BBD. Just mentioning this in case it is a grain issue the OP is having with his pooch.

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Yes, forgot, it's got oatmeal, and some barley in it.

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Originally Posted by krakadawn

Thanks BBdog for posting that food. Looks like a decent food and not to far out on price line. Only issue for me is the need for a performance food, usually in the 30/20 range. Their food is a little lower.

Feed Purina Performance and Loyall Performance...have had good luck with both.

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My lab doesn't seem to notice.

My brother fed Loyal to his Lab that had very bad dandruff and other skin ailments but it only made things worse. It has to be one of the worse dog foods and is high in grain ingredients (corn flakes). It is rated very very low on dog food advisor and after talking to others that use to feed it because of similar problems they had to switch to a higher quality dog food. But then again if your dog has no health issues and it is working then stick with it. I really like the ACANA Sport & Agility that is grain free and it is fit for human consumption and smells wonderful. The Purina Pro Plan is rated as an above average dog food and has it's followers and has a great marketing team.

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Originally Posted by yellow dog

My brother fed Loyal to his Lab that had very bad dandruff and other skin ailments but it only made things worse. It has to be one of the worse dog foods and is high in grain ingredients (corn flakes). It is rated very very low on dog food advisor and after talking to others that use to feed it because of similar problems they had to switch to a higher quality dog food. But then again if your dog has no health issues and it is working then stick with it. I really like the ACANA Sport & Agility that is grain free and it is fit for human consumption and smells wonderful. The Purina Pro Plan is rated as an above average dog food and has it's followers and has a great marketing team.

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A friend of mine is a dog nutritionist and she feeds ACANA/Orijen (as well as raw) to her pups. You can't go wrong with Champion Pet Foods who make ACANA and Orijen. Again, grain free, all local Canuck ingredients (no China imports), guranteed so if dog doesn't like it get your money back, every 13th bag is free, and they're one of the few that haven't had a recall.
Yes Purina, Eukanuba, Hill's, etc all have great marketing teams and that's what you pay for when you buy those brands. Proctor and Gamble sponsor vets so guess what vets are gonna pump when they recommend food. Vets are not nutritionists.

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Originally Posted by last5oh_302

A friend of mine is a dog nutritionist and she feeds ACANA/Orijen (as well as raw) to her pups. You can't go wrong with Champion Pet Foods who make ACANA and Orijen. Again, grain free, all local Canuck ingredients (no China imports), guranteed so if dog doesn't like it get your money back, every 13th bag is free, and they're one of the few that haven't had a recall.
Yes Purina, Eukanuba, Hill's, etc all have great marketing teams and that's what you pay for when you buy those brands. Proctor and Gamble sponsor vets so guess what vets are gonna pump when they recommend food. Vets are not nutritionists.

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To be honest it doesn't matter to me that the 13th bag is free. Whats most important is what I am putting in my dogs stomach so that she lives a long healthy life. This results in many less visits to the vet and savings throughout her life. So I would sooner spend the extra money on a safe healthy dog food. ACANA has an outstanding reputation and feel safe with the proven track record they have.

I see quite a few dogs that are on Loyal. You have to remember there are significant levels within each brand , not sure what he fed, all dogs are different as well.
Better to take the dog food ratings with a grain of salt, some of the best foods are not rated well....marketing you say.....

Purina Performance is fed to most competitive retrievers in the USA and Canada. I've seen the ranking, hard to tell me and the best trainers in the USA that it's so poor. The level they operate at, they could feed any brand, cost is not a factor when you're at that level. But yes they feed PP....guess it works for them.

What great foods are not rated well kraka? It's not that difficult to read the ingredients on a bag of food, or look it up on the net and determine whether it's quality ingredients or not.

Does Loyall even contain any real meat? I just checked out all their levels and the closest thing to meat is chicken by-products and the rest is fillers, but hey, like you said, even the best " "trainers" can feed their dogs what everybody else in that field does. Sounds lemming'esque. Do they get kickbacks/endorsements from Purina because PP is far from the best food out there. Some dogs thrive on Ol' Roy as well but that doesn't make it the best choice.

As I had said if it works for you and others then stick with it. I know many if not hundreds over the years that have fed every dog food on the market and dog food companies do approach working dog clubs. I can remember Purnia, Shurgain, Martin, Nutram and a few others approaching the dog club I was involved with for many years to be a sponsor for race events. Been down that road with above average dog food companies and seen the end result when teams were sponsored by these companies with the promotional savings. When a top team was sponsored by Eagle Pac, Red Paw, Dr.Tim's, National dog food you knew these teams were going to do well because they were feeding the best because these dog food companies were using the sled dog racing as a testing ground. Sled dog performance study is a completely different level when it comes to nutrition . Myself and many others can scan dog food ingredients on a bag of dog food and give a very close rating just based on the breakdown. Dog genetics is a huge part as well and have said in previous threads that some dogs you could feed them an old shoe and it will still perform at a high level. I am not bashing what works for you or others so stick with what works for you.

Nor am I YD..what works....works.

Here in the US where I am training there was a strong following for Dr Tims, in fact I considered it as well but not always available when needed in Canada. There was a Diamond following until several recalls and associated dog deaths occurred with the culprit being an off shore ingredient.

Rick, these trainers I reference could feed whatever they choose to, 'lemming esque'.......hardly, these people set the bar in competition and feed what they consider the best for their dogs.

But in the end it's each to his own, YD understands the relative importance to quality diets as it relates to competition, not sure many others have any idea as they are not competing in any form other than to feed their house poet.

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Originally Posted by krakadawn

But in the end it's each to his own, YD understands the relative importance to quality diets as it relates to competition, not sure many others have any idea as they are not competing in any form other than to feed their house poet.

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So only as long as you compete is it important to be aware of the quality of the food you feed your pet?

I'll ask again, which great foods are rated poorly? I'd like to see the ingredients on these brands that are so great, but rated poorly.

These trainers could feed whatever they want but they choose PP? Somehow I think there's more to it than that. Trainers are no closer to being nutritionists than vets are.

I leave that for you to research

Yes you are and should be concerned what you feed your pet. There is a significant difference with dogs who are engaged in more physically demanding activities.

Rick, do you not think the top trainers in any given sport have a lot of experience in evaluating their animals? They work them daily, view recovery periods, tract soft tissue injuries....the list goes on. To me that is significantly more than a Vet would see unless he was competing himself.

If you choose to disbelieve what I have shared, go get yourself a dog and start competing....retrievers, pointers, sled dogs, fox hounds..... go meet the folks at the top of any game, ask them the questions you ask.....watch for the look you'll get

I'll take the advice of a nutritionist first kraka.

Hey YD, ACANA Sport and Agility is not grain free. It's still decent quality but it has oats in it. Only their Regionals are grain free. I rotate through each flavor (four different types) every time I get a new bag to try and keep things interesting for pooch.

Yes you are correct and was leaning towards their Regional food for that reason but decided on the Sport & Agility instead. Elly has no allergies and been doing very well on it. My two new pups arriving this spring will also be put on the ACANA.

Acana made my dog fart something AWFUL! Lol. Only thing worse was a dog about 20 years ago, I fed him raw organ meat, WOW that was so bad, he would leave the room. I swear you saw that dog leave the room, you ran.

When you feed premium kibble you don't need to feed as much. This is often the problem people have when switching to quality food but continue to feed 5 cups per day like they did with their Purina Beneful or Ol' Roy!
Either that, or the food just didn't agree with your dog.
The same goes for organ meat. It's rich, and too much will make your dog gassy and have the runs so you can't just slap a whole hunk of liver in the dogs bowl..LOL!

Ya, very true, but wow what a way to learn that lesson. That dog was a weightpulling dog. He got switched to a high performance commercial food within a year.
I guess, the point I am trying to make is don't choose your dog food by marketing, or the picture of the dog on the label. I made a bad choice ( for that situation) do your research to see what ingredients are most commonly associated with the ailments. Then find an affordable, readily available food you can feed. Don't switch your dog's food over night. That causes more issues.

kraka, some good posts. I lost patience on pg 3.

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the need for a performance food, usually in the 30/20 range

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In Canada, there's Inukshuk, has to be purchased by the pallet. They ship to NE US too. About $1/pound.

Grain free is nonsense. Most dog food advisers are shills. :)

LOL You always tell it like it like it is Leon - I like that- definitely a lot of bogus advertising when it comes to dog food.

Back to the OP's question. I don't have a lab - another bit of hooey fooey is the bags marked with a breed's name.

Always fed Pro Plan Performance 30/20 to my setters , but now that they are older, I feed Pro Plan Focus 28/12 + fish oil.

If your dog has itchy feet and ears, it could be from allergies. The only way to tell what sensitivities the dog has would be to do allergy testing through your vet. It will save you a lot of time and money to do the testing, rather than switching dog food brands over and over again to find the right one. Who knows whether or not your dog is allergic to only foods? Our lab turned out to be allergic to many plants, grasses and trees. We spent a lot of time fooling around switching foods, to no avail. She is also allergic to foods, but it was hard to find a food with no chicken, corn, wheat, potatoes and tomatoes. Only allergy testing could point us to a food which lowered her itching to a low level. Good luck finding a solution for your dog, and don't give up!

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Originally Posted by vom Dufenshmirtz

Grain free is nonsense. Most dog food advisers are shills. :)

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Originally Posted by marysburg

She is also allergic to foods, but it was hard to find a food with no chicken, corn, wheat, potatoes and tomatoes. Only allergy testing could point us to a food which lowered her itching to a low level.

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Oops! But thanks for coming out and telling it like it is Leon..lol :)



Most dogs get along fine on foods with grain however, it's also not uncommon for dogs to have issues with imported grains (such as being poisoned to death, or allergies), corn sugar, corn, wheat, or any grain at all.. There's all kinds of reading to be done if you want (pro and con grain free, studies showing that few dogs are affected by grain, so you can try to figure it out on your own)
The way I look at it is, I'd rather use a food that has meats as fillers rather than grains, and at the same time, not take any chances with the possible difficulties that can come with feeding grain. My dog gets grain anyway, by me giving her treats (pizza crusts, chips, etc), but just not consistently as a regular part of her diet.
Not all grain feed foods are made equal either. A lot of them use starch as fillers in place of grain, see.. sugar, diabetes etc..
The quality grain free foods are rich and less is needed since they're mostly meat with less filler and more nutrition. Hence less quantity needed to feed pooch.

This is some of the advice given to me by an actual dog nutritionist. I think she knows her stuff and she has been on this earth dealing with (kenneling, owning, training) dogs for a very long time.

This is an argument that will never end. I found what works well for my little buddy and couldn't care less how big the marketing program is. More dogs live off garbage and table scraps than expensive kibble. Whatever floats your boat I say.

People are just trying to offer suggestions to the OP since his dog is having issues. Maybe switching to grain free will help.

Still reading all the suggestions here and yes i am going to switch to grain free.......it cant hurt......

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Originally Posted by Deerslayer99

Still reading all the suggestions here and yes i am going to switch to grain free.......it cant hurt......

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It will hurt your wallet. :)

It will still be a lot cheaper than the $125 plus tax the vet wants to charge.

I just got back from picking up a bag of Grasslands. It was 80 plus tax for a 28 lb bag and it will last about 1 1/2 months for my 9 month old 70 plus lb pup, but there are cheaper grain free brands.

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Originally Posted by Sharon

It will hurt your wallet. :)

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I only feed one dog and get 6 weeks on a bag of food. I don't drink or smoke, I figure a few $ bucks more a month to feed my dog is money well spent. Could he do fine on a cheaper brand? No doubt. But when I tried Purina for 7 months he sprayed like a stucco gun and didn't do well at all. Switched to Acana and he is doing great. If the OP is having health issues trying a grain free brand is an easy solution if it works. When the top 3 ingredients in the bag are corn or brewers yeast and the dog isn't doing well my next choice would be to try a grain free option.

There is a system called BARF it's a raw food diet, you may look into that, but do your research first. There are some people who prepare each meal for their dog, fully cooked and served to them.
Who knows, pet nutrition may interest you.

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Originally Posted by thunderbelly

There is a system called BARF it's a raw food diet, you may look into that, but do your research first. There are some people who prepare each meal for their dog, fully cooked and served to them.
Who knows, pet nutrition may interest you.

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No no no lets not start on that topic! I did the raw for years and do not wan't to discuss that topic again it brings out the crazies. lol

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Originally Posted by last5oh_302

It will still be a lot cheaper than the $125 plus tax the vet wants to charge.

I just got back from picking up a bag of Grasslands. It was 80 plus tax for a 28 lb bag and it will last about 1 1/2 months for my 9 month old 70 plus lb pup, but there are cheaper grain free brands.

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That has always been my main focus is to stay away from the vet as much as possible. I have always fed very high quality dog food and have saved thousands of dollars on vet bills because of proper nutrition. I was fortunate enough to work very closely with nutritionist over many years in sled dog sports. Its an amazing thing to see how nutrition can have such an effect on performance over thousands of miles compared to a poorly fed diet. Until you witness it you cannot begin to understand how important it is,its mind blowing.

Been feeding raw for over 20 years don't think I am crazy. feed what works for your dog.

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Originally Posted by Sharon

It will hurt your wallet. :)

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I think that along with the cost per bag one should look at the cost per day, the size of the dog one is feeding and their performance level. None of those can trump general health.

I am feeding two active 70lb dogs at a cost of $1.82/day/dog. I am feeding one of the costliest kibbles on the market, one of the few that can actually be called meat-based.

My could eat anything. My dog on the other hand has very specific health needs. Origen meets both their needs. The vets (we've had a few) always comment on their superb health.

That last paragraph and the fact that they haven't had the recalls of other brands makes me happy to pay the price.

Back to the OP -- what is the vet suggesting? There are probably other brands that compare at better than veterinary prices.

costs some of you more to feed your dog then it is me to feed 2 horses lol

my lab has always had issues with barfing up her food, tried expensive foods, still barfed... only food that seems to agrea with her is ol roy, so have stuck with that...

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Originally Posted by fishy steve

costs some of you more to feed your dog then it is me to feed 2 horses lol

my lab has always had issues with barfing up her food, tried expensive foods, still barfed... only food that seems to agrea with her is ol roy, so have stuck with that...

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I think a couple of hay burners is more expensive than feeding one dog per month. If Ol Roy works for you than keep on feeding it to your vegetarian dog. :)

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Originally Posted by terrym

I only feed one dog and get 6 weeks on a bag of food. I don't drink or smoke, I figure a few $ bucks more a month to feed my dog is money well spent. Could he do fine on a cheaper brand? No doubt. But when I tried Purina for 7 months he sprayed like a stucco gun and didn't do well at all. Switched to Acana and he is doing great. If the OP is having health issues trying a grain free brand is an easy solution if it works. When the top 3 ingredients in the bag are corn or brewers yeast and the dog isn't doing well my next choice would be to try a grain free option.

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I didn't mean to say that folks shouldn't spend whatever they want; just trying to say that grain free is more expensive generally than not grain free dog food.

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Originally Posted by 3 black dogs

Been feeding raw for over 20 years don't think I am crazy. feed what works for your dog.

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That's very interesting as you have remarkable dogs. Do you buy it pre made or ....?

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Originally Posted by yellow dog

I think a couple of hay burners is more expensive than feeding one dog per month. If Ol Roy works for you than keep on feeding it to your vegetarian dog. :)

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even if i have to buy hay, 3 roundbales at $20 each a month, and a little over 100 lbs of grains at .16 Cents/lb is only roughly $80/month for the winter months...

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Originally Posted by 4weight

Costco wild domain grain free. My lab had skin and ear issues. Switched from pro plan to Costco and it all went away.

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That's exactly what I feed after all kinds of ear infections and skin issues. No word of a lie, 3 months on the food and all issues were gone. That was 3 years ago and I don't plan on changing.

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Originally Posted by fishy steve

even if i have to buy hay, 3 roundbales at $20 each a month, and a little over 100 lbs of grains at .16 Cents/lb is only roughly $80/month for the winter months...

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But can they retrieve ? :)

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Originally Posted by Ross Byers

That's exactly what I feed after all kinds of ear infections and skin issues. No word of a lie, 3 months on the food and all issues were gone. That was 3 years ago and I don't plan on changing.

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That particular brand is made by Diamond dog food and it's excellent food. Even though Diamond has had recalls in the past it still has a top notch food. The only reason i changed from Diamond Naturals is because I use to buy it in the states and with the Canadian dollar is not worth anything and I decided to make the switch to Acana.

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Originally Posted by yellow dog

But can they retrieve ? :)

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yes just takes me all day to get the camo on them lol technically i could ride them out to retrieve up to about 5 feet of water lol

with that said my lab dosent retieve anything other then toys and socks haha

LOL good one !

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Originally Posted by Sharon

I didn't mean to say that folks shouldn't spend whatever they want; just trying to say that grain free is more expensive generally than not grain free dog food.

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Meat costs more than a bowl of cereal. The top tier foods of these big brands aren't all that cheap (in fact they're way over priced for what they are) considering the cheap ingredients they use, but somebody has to pay for all that advertising. Along with the big marketing teams comes cost.

I never think much about dog food until these threads come up and it is -25 out so what else are you going to do? :) I need a new book.

Changed my Senior dogs to Senior dog food ( less fat) this month - Pro Plan Focus - so have to find a new food for the 1 1/2 year old. I am no dog food expert but at the store I use, I saw thes eprices:

Pro Plan Focus : $56.00 for 34 pounds

Costco Nature Domain grain free : $62.00 for 35 pounds

Blue Buffalo grain free : $56.00 for 30 pounds

Diamond Naturals : $32.00 for 40 pounds

Purina One "$46.00 for 30 pounds

So it would appear that grain -free does not cost more , generally speaking.

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Originally Posted by Sharon

I never think much about dog food until these threads come up and it is -25 out so what else are you going to do? :) I need a new book.

Changed my Senior dogs to Senior dog food ( less fat) this month - Pro Plan Focus - so have to find a new food for the 1 1/2 year old. I am no dog food expert but at the store I use, I saw thes eprices:

Pro Plan Focus : $56.00 for 34 pounds

Costco Nature Domain grain free : $62.00 for 35 pounds

Blue Buffalo grain free : $56.00 for 30 pounds

Diamond Naturals : $32.00 for 40 pounds

Purina One "$46.00 for 30 pounds

So it would appear that grain -free does not cost more , generally speaking.

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Sharon I think you are off on a couple of those prices. The Diamond Naturals I fed from the states is $32.00 but at Canadian stores it is around $56.00.

The Costco Domain grain free also seems a little high and was around $40.00 at the most the last time I looked.

Just because a food doesn't have grain, doesn't automatically mean the rest of the ingredients are great. There's cheap grain free and expensive grain free. Usually the more expensive grain free is more money for a reason.

What do most people feed their labs?

Generally, too much. :D

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Originally Posted by Sharon

That's very interesting as you have remarkable dogs. Do you buy it pre made or ....?

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No we mix all our own couldn,t afford to buy premixed raw for 9 dogs. We are able to ajust intake and any supliments for each dog as need be. The olnly time we feed kibble is if we are travelling and cannot acomidate the raw food. Them it is puria pro plan performance. It is one of the few kibbles that doesnt set off the dogs when switched off and then back to raw. We have had good sucess with raw multiple litters and top performing dogs raised as soon as they are weened to the raw diet. The growth rate of the pups is slower and better muscle mass and dencity. No stinky breath smaller stool with no stink. Dont see us changing any time soon.

Do you send your dog's diet plan home with the pups you sell?

Fed all different formulations of raw for at least 12 years with satisfactory success. i got tired of all the time spent on mixing diets that I eventually purchased already premixed in 50lb frozen blocks. Had a kennel of huskies varying in numbers from 16 to 24 dogs at one time that demanded constant attention. I eventually had to decide what my time was worth fooling around with a raw diet and wanting to spend more time training. I did the switch from raw to high performance kibble and became a distributor of Dr. Tim's to offset the cost. That was when I saw a huge difference in the teams performance feeding the Dr. Tim's Momentum dog food. I look back and should of had a smaller kennel(8 to 10 dogs ) and feed a high performance kibble and spend the time training and running dogs.Most people I was affiliated with also eventually made the switch to high performance kibble and using raw to bait hot water after a run to rehydrate.

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Originally Posted by thunderbelly

Do you send your dog's diet plan home with the pups you sell?

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Yes we send the pups home each with a binder with a quide outlining proper care for thier new pup from diet to training guide to get each new owner started on the right foot. The binder also contains a copy of pedigree, clearances of parents proof of multiple deworming first vacsination and weight records from when the pup was born. Purchase agreement and our contact info.

Grabbed a bag of the costco domain grain free salmon flavour......mixing it it in gradually with his old food....now he is picky and doesnt want to eat it......

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Originally Posted by Jakezilla

What do most people feed their labs?

Generally, too much. :D

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and for beagles double the amount

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Originally Posted by Deerslayer99

Grabbed a bag of the costco domain grain free salmon flavour......mixing it it in gradually with his old food....now he is picky and doesnt want to eat it......

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My labs never liked the salmon based dog foods and stuck with the chicken base. Plus the the mercury content in salmon has always scared me away.

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Originally Posted by Deerslayer99

Grabbed a bag of the costco domain grain free salmon flavour......mixing it it in gradually with his old food....now he is picky and doesnt want to eat it......

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Is it guaranteed? If so return it for full refund.

I mix in a little canned tripe every now and again (usually one meal per day - good probiotic) and it adds some pizzazz to the kibble.

http://petkind.com/tripett

I buy it by the case and it lasts months.

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Originally Posted by last5oh_302

Is it guaranteed? If so return it for full refund.

I mix in a little canned tripe every now and again (usually one meal per day - good probiotic) and it adds some pizzazz to the kibble.

http://petkind.com/tripett

I buy it by the case and it lasts months.

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I use to buy whole tripe from a slaughter house frozen chop it up and run it through my motorized meat grinder. The dogs loved it and a few of the hound guys in the area fed tripe and a cheap kibble mix. My other buddy has a large scale egg operation and when his layers were at the end of there life producing eggs I was able to buy whole chickens for .50 cents a piece. A few of us guys would buy up a couple hundred and grind whole chicken, not alive of course for raw dog food. A lot of work went into the raw diet but was something we enjoyed doing.

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Originally Posted by yellow dog

I use to buy whole tripe from a slaughter house frozen chop it up and run it through my motorized meat grinder. The dogs loved it and a few of the hound guys in the area fed tripe and a cheap kibble mix. My other buddy has a large scale egg operation and when his layers were at the end of there life producing eggs I was able to buy whole chickens for .50 cents a piece. A few of us guys would buy up a couple hundred and grind whole chicken, not alive of course for raw dog food. A lot of work went into the raw diet but was something we enjoyed doing.

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That's a great deal.
I have a couple of organic farms near me where I get turkey necks, chicken necks, chicken carcasses and beef bones. I like to break up her diet and she loves turkey necks. They're great for keeping teeth clean.

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Originally Posted by 3 black dogs

No we mix all our own couldn,t afford to buy premixed raw for 9 dogs. We are able to ajust intake and any supliments for each dog as need be. The olnly time we feed kibble is if we are travelling and cannot acomidate the raw food. Them it is puria pro plan performance. It is one of the few kibbles that doesnt set off the dogs when switched off and then back to raw. We have had good sucess with raw multiple litters and top performing dogs raised as soon as they are weened to the raw diet. The growth rate of the pups is slower and better muscle mass and dencity. No stinky breath smaller stool with no stink. Dont see us changing any time soon.

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Thanks very much.

Picked up some Trippett and he wolfed his food down.....holy cow does this stuff stinks.....my god.....i hope its not that bad coming out the other end of him.....but it worked.......lol

LOL yeah it definitely has an odor but I don't find it that bad. Some cans are worse than others.

Glad to hear he likes it anyway!

Dogs love to eat stinky things. lol

Eukanuba large breed