What do you feed your GSD? - Page 3

I feed Diamond chicken and rice mixed with the lamb and rice for my adult rescues and retired dogs. Pups get Nutro Naturals chicken rice and oatmeal, mixed with Dick Van Pattons Ultra Premium. I also throw them raw when I can and take a break from dog food. With all of my seaching tweeking and bending, right now everyone looks really good and skin is nice. I add Salmon oil to my pups food every other day becasue he was dry durring the winter. That helped a bunch but gave him looser stools so I cut back to every other day. There is no "MAGIC" formula that works for all dogs or evern one dog all of the time.

Canidae and tripe. D'man

I feed the Kirkland brand lamb and rice dog food from costco. I also give my dogs the Solid Gold seameal supplement and fish oil. I also mix in about 1/8th of a cup of the Deli Fresh meat with each meal. My dogs are doing GREAT on this, I have no itching, good stools, and they seem to keep at a good weight.

Many of you should go here to see how your food rates. It might change your mind/food. http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/ Personally I like Raw 1st. Choice Kibble would be Canidae "All Stages" 2nd Choice just because it's cheaper to buy is: Premium Edge- Lamb and Rice would be my choice. But they use a lot of Barley in their food and if you have a dog that lives with you in the house you might want to avoid this food or any that's heavy on the Barley as it causes a lot a gas in your dog and it will run you out of the room and linger for a long time. But the dogs look really good on the food otherwise. Birdy...

Blue Seal Natural 26, for the last ten years. $25.66 including tax for a 50-lb. bag at the local feed store. The meat source is pork meat and bone meal. Corn is the second ingredient and so it wouldn't be suitable for dogs with allergies to that ingredient, but the three dogs I've fed this product have never had a problem. Little to no farting, which is a consideration I hadn't thought of before Birdy's post! Stools are not miniscule but are well-formed without being so dry that the dog has to strain to eliminate. The dogs free-feed as they wish, usually two or three small meals during the day and once or twice in the evening, and have always maintained good weights and energy levels. They like the taste and don't seem bored with it, although every so often I'll sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on it to give them a little taste treat. They also get leftover meat and chicken a few times per week and the 12-year-old Ambred guy is given double-strength glucosamine/chondroitin twice per day. He has a thin coat and occasionally gets dry skin in the summer; when that occurs I supplement with wheat germ oil and the flaking stops within a few days. The late German-lines dog and the new Kirschental boy had and have good coats and skin on this food.

That's funny p59teitel. I was just trying to be a little less crass in my choice of words but you're okay. Actually, not a lot of dogs are allergic to corn if one does a true allergy test on the animal. Dog foods that contain beet pulp, brewers rice and tomato pumice and flaxseed and or flaxseed oil are usually the cause of the allergen. p59teitel, give your dry skin dog a tablespoon of lard in his food. It's amazing how well your dog will look and feel. It's tasty to them too. Can buy a pound of it for less than $1.50. If anyone has a dog that his hard to keep weight on and they don't seem to be allergic to wheat the best way to fill a dog out without making them fat is to cook up a 2 pound bag of elbow macaroni and add 1/2 cup of lard to the cooking water. Cook with just enough water to soak up the macaroni (may have to add some during cooking) let cool and give 1 cup on top of dog's regular meal daily. Add more macaroni if the dog is really underweight. Dog will excell in looks and energy. Cheap fix and the dogs love it too. I told Von Felsenhof about this and I believe it helped her thin girl. Maybe she can let us know how she looks now. Birdy...

I feed Eukanuba to most, Royal Canin GSD to my stud dog, but he is too fat, so I am going to make a long-ish run to pick up a bag of Canidae Platinum to see if that'll take a few pounds off and still maintain his coat condition and energy level. I see Kyle's dogs look great and have PLENTY (LOL) of energy on Canidae. I'm almost afraid to look at the price tag, but nothing's too good for Carol ("T") and if I don't get some weight off him fast I won't be able to compete with him this year. Shelley

Thanks for the lard tip, Birdy. I'll grab some and start it ASAP. I'll probably have to give the young guy a little bit as well so he doesn't steal out of the old guy's bowl.

p59teitel You are welcome. I want to let you know that depending on the area of the country (I'm assuming USA) you live in is where they keep the lard. WalMart's are easy the keep it with their other cooking oils in the baking aisle. Here in the Mid-West (Missouri area) it's kept in several areas depending on what store you choose to do your shopping. Kroger keeps it near their meats. Local stores carry it in their ethnic areas usually where Mexican foods are found. IF all fails, ask the store keeper. Birdy...

p59teitel, You are lucky your dogs do well on this food. It's pretty poor quality and could be why your dog has skin problems. May I suggest Canidae all stages it's a bit more expensive but still very affordable for a kibble food. Your dogs will feel better too. This is my opion only, Birdy... NATURAL 26™ DOG FOOD GUARANTEED ANALYSIS Crude Protein, Min. .......................................... 26.0% Crude Fat, Min. ................................................ 12.0% Crude Fiber, Max. .............................................. 4.0% Moisture, Max. ................................................. 12.0% INGREDIENTS Porcine Meat and Bone Meal, Ground Corn, Wheat Flour, Corn Gluten Meal, Poultry Fat (Mixed Tocopherols Preservative), Dried Beet Pulp, Poultry Digest, Yeast Culture, Dried Egg Product, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Taurine, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Rosemary Extract, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity).