Opinions on this dog food please. - Page 1

Any opinion on California Naturals Grain Free Venison kibble?  I read good reviews then see that Proctor and Gamble have bought them out.  We are trying to find a low protein (21%-29%) grain free, single source protein kibble to try and help Echo with her allergies.  At least that's what the vet thinks it is.  She has trouble with her ears, always shaking her head and her anal glands need expessing frequently.  She is also starting to scratch a lot but that could just be the winter weather settling in.  We were feeding Canidaie 4 meats all stages then switched to Canidaie chicken and rice with no change.  I'd like to feed her raw but it's just too expensive.  Any suggestions besides CN?  I'm really bothered that PG has bought it and afraid it will become filler based food.
Thanks!
Deb

You can check dog food analysis on here:
www.dogfoodanalysis.com/

Have you asked your local butcher for intestines (unbleached) or soup bones?
Sometimes even the grocery meat department can get you something raw and cheap.
Add fresh veggies (also raw, but I always cook potatoes), a table spoon of canola oil (vitamin E).
In my experience, raw food is less expensive than specialty food (e.g. for allergies).  Maybe you can shop around for tripe, heart that are unbleached (not for human consumption)?

Have you looked at Natural Balance? They have limited ingredient diets for allergies and those are grain free. I used to have my collie on them. They have a venison formula, also duck and fish. Carbs come from potatoes mostly. I didn't like her coat on them, but others have had success with it.

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dogformulas/allergy.html

edit: Petco sells it.

DebiSue, you might be surprised about raw. The kibble I feed is about $1.25 a pound. You can find raw meat for less than that if you know where to look.

I would not feed it because proctor and gamble bought out natura pet products this year, california naturals is a product of theirs. I do not feel comfortable with the makers of my toothpaste and Q tips making my dogs kibble



*edit* I already see you mention this in your OP, I didnt read it right lol.

If your dog  has allergies I think going raw is the best and it is inexpensive. Chicken at Costco is 79 cents per pound and I heard that chicken backs at farmer's market are even cheaper. Green Trip  etc can be occational. You can get chicken liver, hearts, gizards etc at walmart. About a dollar per pound. And your total cost per day would be about 2 dollars. Now and then you can add some yogurt, cottage cheese, beef kidneys etc. So on the whole I think raw is cheaper and better and simple. Kibble is simple and better only if the dog is healthy and with no allergies.

It's sounding like raw could be an option afterall.  Does anyone have a "menu" they would share.  Echo is 2yrs old and about 65 pounds.  I currently feed her twice a day a total of 3cups of kibble.   Thanks everyone for your advice and comments.

Hi to all:  I also had the above problems when I fed kibble;  you name it I tried if for my 5.  To no avail.  so last March 2010  went raw.  Here is my menu:  AM  some sort of ground meat (I use ground beef) a scoop of yogart;  you can measure meat by your dogs weight;  If she is 65 lbs I would probably start with l/2 pound of ground meat in AM and a scoop of yogart.  For PM feeding I use chicken quarters for large dogs anyway.  I get them at Walmart (soak them in warm water before I feed) and for 65 lbs I would probably start with 1 leg quarter maybe another drum stick, or thigh or a wing if you find that a large leg quarter is not enough or if she starts to look too lean.  I alternate and give l raw egg in breakfast meal 2 times per week;  give pork neck bones a couple times per week instread of ground meat;  also use beef neck bones, I poach fish, a couple times per week;  use ground turkey (I don't like turkey legs as the bones are too hard) ground pork or ground chicken if you want.  Ground beef is cheaper though and watch for sales. So ina menu form it looks like this:  AM ground meat large scoop of yogart and a raw egg (shells and all);  PM chicken quarter.  I think variety is the success to raw.  I also give a ground mixture of organ meats (heart, liver and kidney

I


PMPM

I find chicken leg quarters at the local supermarket for 49 cents a lb. Helps to look for deals in the local paper, and buy lots at a time to freeze (usually around holidays - that's when they'll have a lot). I'll occasionally alternate the main meat source with turkey  necks or pork ribs if they're on sale.

Right now, my 85 lb GSD gets 2 leg quarters a day plus tripe or an organ meat blend (forget the amount right now...). When we're keeping him really active, that goes up to 3 or 4 leg quarters. He also burns through food and required a lot of kibble... I've also been feeding the Honest Kitchen Preference out of laziness...he'll only eat it with the organ meat mixed in. The tripe and the organ blend is Blue Ridge Beef. It's local to me in NC and cheaper than buying organ meat from the local Asian market. 1.50 for 3 lbs.

My 45 lb collie gets 1 leg quarter a day and an appropriate amount of organ meat or tripe mix, plus Preference.

You can also talk to individual farms to see if they'll sell you organ meat and other parts for cheap. The parts a dog eats don't sell well in some regions and they may be glad to get rid of it.

I also add a bit of yogurt occasionally, a raw egg once or twice a week.

Sorry my computer would not go any further.  OK ground organ meats a couple times per week and you can get chicken organ meats to add in AM with meat.  YOu can also buy some types of beef cheap with fat:  when I can find london broil for $1.99 per pound I get that or anything else on sale sometimes day old stuff is still OK for the dogs (you can freeze first if you want) and stock up when I can.  I will say I did have to buy a used freezer for the dogs; otherwise you are going to the store too often.  You can use turkey/chicken backs and necks if you want I don't as my guys need more meat than those offer.  I know it sounds scarey but so far it h as worked nicely.  Monitor always when you feed raw bones or any thing they are not used to;  NEVER FEED COOKED BONES.  ONLY RAW.  You can use vegi's but if your girl is having ear problems I would not as they can cause yeast problems. 

I have also done some cooking.  Here is that recipe.  Brown rice, 3 vegi's, 3 lbs meat (either chicken or you can use ground meat)  Some sort of protein.  Pretty simple.  I have also used different grains qunioa, barley, millet, etc but if your girl has yeasty ears NO grain is probably better. 

You can experiment with your girl only for a while, monitor her weight on a weekly basis and adjust food accordingly.  If you have other dogs you can leave them on whatever you are feeding and just concentrate on your Echo;  get her squared away then start feeding raw to all.  I was a little overwhelmed at first and I had 5 large dogs;  was a lot of shopping and seemed like guess work but landed this formula and has worked well for the last several months.

Best of luck  Nan