German Shepherd dog food - Page 3

A dry kibble cannot be too rich in fat and protein.

Say if you have 30% protein and 20% fat kibble with 10% moisture. One cup of it when hydrated with 1.25 cup of water will yield the moisture of fresh food, about 75% water.

Such a food has 7.7% protein and 5.1% fat.

The leanness ground beef you can buy is also about 5% fat. 

Even considering that wild game/prey animals have much lower overall fat content than cattle, the fat content of natural dog food has to be much greater than 5%.

Wild dogs will eat fats of the belly and other fatty parts of skeletal parts of meat. There is no chance that natural dog food has less than 10% fat on 75% water bases, IMO. This translates to 38% fat on a 10% moisture bases.

A kibble cannot be too rich in fat and protein, it can easily be too available.

I always use a rich kibble for pups and restrict the amount; this way, total calcium intake will be less.

The fat content of most kibble is low because many still feed free choice and a lower fat content extends shelf-life of a dry food.

The cut of beef that give 5% fat ground beef has to have almost no white fat that one can see. The 3-4% fat is in the muscle. 

Salmonella contamination is very common.

I sense that some people has extreme opinions.

There are the feed raw people who will feed pre-ground food raw laden with Salmonella; there are some  paranoid of a few recalls
 on salmonella contaminations.

It is like risk of traffic accident.

A MB has better crash test rating than a Honda. Is a Honda subcompact  unsafe? The Honda is much more economical and putting kids on a Honda is not child abuse.

BTW, my feeling about feeding raw is a little like riding on a Honda without seatbelt. Safe most of the time.

Most dog food companies at one time or another have had a recall. and those that have not had one is great. but if they ever do will that mean that their dog food will then be crap. the first recall Diamond had in 05 or 07 cant remember was the first one in 35 yrs. and i went insane researching foods till i was sick. i went back to Diamond because my dogs do great on it, not because i have 10.00 dogs and do not care about their well being. as a matter of fact i bought a show line stud and his owner fed olroy and i could not believe how great his coat looked, me on the other hand would not feed olroy, just because i feel there is better food out there, but i'm just sayn if your dog does good on a food then stick to it.

I completely agree with lil foot!  Again, just last night made me a firm believer in Diamond again!  got a new young bitch Weds night, who came with a bag of her current food, a natural very expensive kind, put it in a bowl next to my dogs' bowl of Diamond, and she completely ignored her own food to gobble down the Diamond!  If they don't eat it, it does the body no good!  I'm not going to waste extra money buying the top line food only for the dogs to not eat it.  My dogs LOVE Diamond.

Kirkland food is garbage. Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, cracked pearled barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and vitamin E), egg product, dried beet pulp, potatoes, fish meal, flaxseed, natural flavor, brewers dried yeast, millet, dried chicory root, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, carrots, peas, kelp, apples, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, taurine, Yucca schidigera extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, l-carnitine, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4% Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients Estimated Nutrient Content Method Protein Fat Guaranteed Analysis 27% 16% Dry Matter Basis 30% 18% Calorie Weighted Basis 26% 37%

Nothing beats Orijen. Most of their formulas are 80/20 which means 80% of the food is from animal. It is grain free and is mixed,made and bagged under one roof of one building. The only brand that does that. Diamond bought out and out sources production all over. Ever other food is second. Ingredients: Fresh boneless chicken, chicken meal, fresh boneless salmon, turkey meal, herring meal, russet potato, sweet potato, peas, fresh boneless turkey, chicken fat, (preserved with mixed tocopherols), fresh whole eggs, fresh chicken liver, fresh boneless lake whitefish, fresh boneless walleye, sun-cured alfalfa, pea fiber, fresh boneless herring, organic kelp, pumpkin, chicory root, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, blueberries, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, mary, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin, vitamLn B12, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium yeast, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.3% Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients Estimated Nutrient Content Method Protein Fat Guaranteed Analysis 38% 16% Dry Matter Basis 42% 18% Calorie Weighted Basis 36% 37%

Please check out Back to Basics.  Great food grain free organ meats.  That is my suggestion. My girl was on Taste of the Wild and did really well, but when I couldn't buy it anymore there for awhile, I did some homework on dog foods. I like what they say about it.  Made from nutrient rich organ meats, lots of b vitamins and since it so nutrient rich you don't have to feed as much.  No grain. Great food!


 http://www.backtobasicspetfood.com/the-back-to-basics-story

Hi

My GSD girl is fed with either Go Natural Chicken or Go Natural Grain Free.
My other dog, a golden retriever, was fed similarly but developed a chicken allergy. This prompted me to switch him to Acana Singles: Lamb and Okanagan Apple.

Both are doing well but when you cmpare them, my GSD has a lower appetite especially during the daytime. But I hear it's typical. Just don't teach it to be picky by following a 20 minute rule.

Origen is signiificantly more expensive (as compared to the others mentioned here, including Kirkland etc), but as in all such things, you truly get what you pay for.  I try and mix things up and feed a cup of Origen a day to my pups and their second meal during the day consists of other stuff like chicken liver, chicken necks, gizzards etc.  They seem to be doing really well on it.