Before Grain dog food? - Page 1

I have been researching new dog food lately.  I spent some time on the site with the star ratings but many of those are now a couple years old.  While at the pet food store today I saw a new one called Before Grain, they had salmon, chicken, and buffalo.  www.beforegrain.com  Has anybody tried this?  Some of the others I was leaning toward are Old Mother Hubbard Wellness Core, Innova Evolutionary Diet, Innova EVO Red Meat.  I need to stay totally grain and rice free due to one have allergies.  Anybody want to give me their two-cents worth?  Okay, inflation, how about their nickles worth? 

And yes I'm already doing some raw but want to keep mostly kibble for convenience when I travel and have a couple dogs with me and a couple dogs at home for others to feed.  I could feed kibble in the morning and raw at night but still need a good kibble.

I switched Dante a few months ago to Wellness Core (From Timberwolf Elk) and he's doing very well on it.  A bit more gas but not room clearing and it is diminishing.  I chose Core over Evo or some of the others because the protein level isn't quite as high.  I'm not 100% convinced that the high protein levels in a dry food aren't going to turn out to be harder on the renal system than we think.  (I know about the difference in quality protein etc)

Before Grain is Merrick's answer to the grain free food market, it looks like it's going to be another good one with moderate protein levels.

Here's a website that actually has information on Before Grain

http://www.chowfoods.net/Merrick-Before-Grain-Dry-Dog-Food_p_224-9921.html

You should consider Honest Kitchen dehydrated food. All you do is mix it with water. IMO its the next best thing to a raw diet

I have spent a great deal of time over the last year researching dog food.  The best grain free dog food I have been able to come up with is Orijen   www.championpetfoods.com.    There are quite a few members of this forum who swear by this food.

The Whole Dog Journal has a complete section thier yearly rating of grain free dog food in their March issue.  It costs $20.00 for an on-line subscription for a year or you can buy a single issue.    www.whole-dog-journal.com.    Their February issue rates regular dog food with grain.   For the first time ever they have finally listened to one of my major rants.  They won't rate a dog food unless the company tells them who manufactures that dog food.      In my mind who manufactures the food is as important as what is in that food.  Orijen is one of the very few premium kibbles that manufactures their own dog food.  Now finally someone agrees with me none other than The Whole Dog Journal.  Hat's off to them.

The time you spend now researching the best food for your dog will pay life long dividends for both you and your GSD

Best of luck

Here is the complete list of The Whole Dog Journals 2008 approved grain-free dog foods.   Yes Orijen is on the list.  LOL  As a side note there is a ton of real usefull information in both the February and March issues and well worth a read.

Whole Dog Journal 2008 approved grain-free dog foods.

Orijen- all varieties

Artemis Dog food- Maximal dog

Canine Caviar-Venison & Split Pea Adult dinner

Diamond Pet foods- Taste of the Wild

Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance-Potato & Duck-Sweet potato & fish- Sweet patato & Venison

Naturo Pet foods-Evo-Evo Red meat-Evo-reduced fat

Solid Gold heath products-Barking at the moon

Natures variety-Instinct

Petcurean pet nutrition-Now all varietys- Go Natural

Taplow Feeds-First mate potato & fish-Potato & fish with blueberries

The Honest kitchen-Force-Embark

Wellness/Old mother hubbard-Core all varietys.

Thanks, I have most of these on my list as possibles.  I'm currently feeding the Natural Balance Duck and Potatoe but it's just not quite the one.  I fed Orijen to a female when she had puppies and it was okay.  I'm hoping to find a single kibble that agrees with all the dogs.  I'll try a couple listed.

Why not go with a species appropriate, prey-model raw diet?  It's both grain and rice free.

Okay...I'm a little confused and need help.  Just put down a 9 year old bi-color in January (cancer) and used to feed him "traditional" grain type dog foods.  Didn't know any better and would like to try to make a difference in this aspect with two new GSD's acquired recently.  Based on a recommendation I am feeding a mixture of Abady Raw and Abady All Star (beef & tripe based) kibble.  Any thoughts?  One dog is six-month female and the other is a 2 year old male.  This is all new to me.

All input appreciated.  Thank you in advance...

Dan

Falcon

            First off you are much better off investing in a $20.00 on-line subscription to the Whole Dog Journal.  They will explain that in depth to you. That will save you a whole lot of time and energy doing the leg work yourself.  They have put it all in a nice neat package that is real easy to understand.

But in a nut shell grain doesn't do a dog any good.  It is used as a cheap filler insted of using a quality meat source by quite a few well know kibble companies who are more worried about the bottom line profit ledger than giving your dog the best quality for the money your spending.

Dog's are carnivors and do best on a meat based diet.  But the Madison Avenue marketing companies have done a heck of a job trying to convince us that the popular kibble company makes the best food for your dog.  That is a bunch of hog wash.

In my opinion  a raw meat diet is the way to go as GunnarGSD has said.   But for a lot of people that is a hard nut to swallow.  So welcome to the kibble war's.

Falcon - Paying someone to create a "blend" or "mix" just does not make sense.  Here's why:

-  You have no idea what they've actually put in the food (like kibble);

-  You don't know the quality of meat that is in the food (like kibble);

-  There are probably veggies or fruits or other unnecessary fillers included (like kibble);

-  You're paying for someone else to mix/blend/grind food for you;

-  Cooking takes out necessary nutrients (like kibble);

Here is a list of recipes that will suit you just fine:  http://rawfeddogs.net/Recipes.