Dog food….the HORROR - Page 1

Ok, I am hestitant to post this (hiding under a rock) but......I fed a cheap food (*shudder*) and my dog is doing awesome on it!! I tried raw when she was a pup and she was losing so much weight that vet finally said to switch. I know most dogs love it but, as a puppy, she would look at it with such disgust and be like..."hell, no"!! I tried everything....even letting her starve for days. She was like...."Oh, I will drop dead on you, chump, rather than eat this piece of crap stuff you call food"!!  So, brought to vet and re-weighed and vet said...switch her food already..sheesh!!

So, I did the next best thing and switched to grain free Orijen. She was on that for a long time at like $90 a bag. Then, recently I started switching back and forth between Orijen and Merrick (no issues as the nutrient levels and ingredients were the same). Now, these dog foods are EXPENSIVE and 5 star rated.

I was in a pinch with food for the first time (it has happened to us all) and didn't have time to drive all the way to the petstore to get food so I had to buy....*shudder*.....grocery store food. Argggghhhhhhhh...Noooooooo!!!!! So, I whip out my iphone and go to the dog food review site and select the highest rated (3.5 stars) food sold in that store...Purina One beyond. I fed Purina One to my last dog who lived until 15 1/2 so I was happy the highest rated food in the grocery store was a Purina food. I grab the food and cover it up with grocery bags to hide it lest I run into someone I know. Then, I swiftly chuck it in the car before prying eyes can witness the atrocity that just occurred. Once home, I unload the contraband in the dark; move quickly to pour it into the container; and stuff the packaging bag inside two more bags to hide it before placing it in the middle of the trash. Phew..nobody witnessed the horrific act that just happened.

Well, she has been on it for a month now and looks the BEST she ever has!! She has finally gained a bit of weight; her coat is amazing (even vet commented at last wellness visit); and her poops the best they have been. Her energy is fantastic. It is so weird!!! I feel like I am in that Seinfeld episode where everything in George's world is opposite!! hahaha

I seriously wouldn't have believed it!! But, heck..if it ain't broke than I am not fixin' it!!! I am leaving her on it......I haven't even had to give her the fish oil supplements I use too. I am simultaneously horrified and pleased at the same time!! lol

Sarah

 

LOL!

One thing I think we need to remind ourselves is the dog originally evolved from animals that ate scraps from our garbage middens! Their digestive systems were finely tuned to derive the most nutrients out of foods that early man (living close to the starvation level himself) considered worthless.

I hear stories like this all the time: "I never fed my dog anything but Ol' Roy, and he lived to be 17 years old, and was never sick a day in his life!"

My daughter fed my pup whatever was on sale for his formative years, now that they've achieved some financial stability they are feeding a better brand more consistantly. He is just beautiful, no health issues...energy like crazy.....
while I was feeding Orijen, Evo, or other premium brands, having lots of health issues.
So go figure! Maybe it's all just hype! I've had to do the supermarket thing too, the best I could find was Rachel Rays grain free Nutrish. They ate it, they liked it, poops were good, no issues. But I went back to Canidea, mixed with Merrick buffalo.
Glad your dogs doing well,
jackie harris

Did you wear a wig and big sunglasses when you went to the grocery store?  

Every dog is different.  Some do good on the "cheap" food, some don't.  Same goes for the "expensive" food.  Feed what your dog does best on.

I feed 50% raw and 50% premium kibble.  My girls look good but it would be nice to have the extra $$ by going with something cheaper.



 

And I must add that I tried My dogs on raw, Kali crunched right into those pieces of chicken, & her pups followed her lead. My WGWL boy Beckett, however, looked at raw food with complete disgust, wouldn't touch it, pushed it away from his area....& looked at me like I had lost my mind. Funniest thing I ever saw! I remember I posted here wondering what to do with my picky dog. He was labeled a gourmand, & a thread of recipes followed, human recipes, to try to please my little gourmet loving pup...actually like 2 1/2 years old at that time! Lol! jackie harris

Smiley, I commend you for being open-minded and accepting the truth when it's in front of you.  I pretty much agree with everything that has been posted so far.  Some dogs do well on this, some don't, be it cheap or expensive, grocery store or pet boutique.  Don't look down on someone because they feed cheap.  Don't admire someone for feeding expensive.  Admire someone for keeping their dogs in good condition.

    Will second what Gunther said !

THE most important thing is finding what suits the dog,
and works.   Provided their health is good and their overall
condition excellent, who cares what anyone pays for their
food ?

I find it amazing that some people will go the raw route, the super high end kibble route or combination of both and spend crazy money doing so..... probably close to half what they pay for their own grocery bill....... but they themselves eat crap.  They shovel all this processed food, fast food, snacks, soda, alcohol, tobacco etc in their own bodies and kids but the dog is eating holistically.   They feed dog filet mignon and they eat hamburger.
  
I believe you should feed your dog as best as you can but not above what you would feed your self or kids.  So I dont think store bought food is bad or anyone should be shunned.  I admit that I fed my dog Purina Beneful and he did fine on it.  Now I choose Blue Wilderness because of it is where I am at in paying and quality.  I am glad it is working out for your dog and good on you for trying it!

Thanks for all the replies!!!! I have always been told to feed this or that food.....I am sure if someone came on here and said I am going to feed grocery store pet food for my new puppy people would be up in arms!!! hahaha

But, I am going to stick with it as it is what is best for my dog!! I only wish I had discovered this a lot sooner as my bank account would be a lot bigger!!

In all honesty, my husband lost his job a bit ago and I too, did the dreaded "walk of shame" with Purina One Beyond...But, unlike your dog(s), mine did HORRID on it. Coat was constantly greasy, smelled awful, pooped 4-5 times a day and in general, just seemed to loose that "luster" she had on the more expensive foods. Well, a few days ago, I was so relieved to find I had run out of the One Beyond and could put her back on her Earthborn Holistics' Primitive Natural food. 

That being said, I think MOST of us have been there, Smiley. Things get tough, bills don't get paid and we need to decide between making sure our kids eat or between buying a dog food we can't afford and trying to feed them less to make it go farther. 

My girl didn't do well on the One Beyond, but like you, I tried it. I would NEVER judge someone who fell upon hard times and had to purchase a bag or two of cheaper kibble. It's the owners that live in mansions and make 6 digits a year and feed crap that bother me. 

But, everything else aside, I was totally reading your story to the theme of Mission Impossible music ;)