Vets take on foods

[GSD84]

We went to the vet today for second shots, and I mentioned I wanted to switch our pup from Royal Canin to either Orijen or Go Natural Salmon....The lady who assisted the vet had lots to say about foods. She also used to breed (weiner dogs and another breed....can't remember now)....She stated that dogs are actually omnivours not carnivours and ppl seem to think dogs should be on raw diets and meats.....she stated cats are in fact carnivours, but dogs strive on a balanced diet consisting more of veggies and greens. She said she has seen an increase in dogs becoming sick/having medical issues from raw meat diets. I told her I have heard good things about Go Natural and Orijen, and she summed it up as best as she could for me that a lot of these smaller manufacturers of foods don't have the same inspection testing that many of the bigger ones do like royal canin....so for instance the smaller companies are not necessarily doing all the proper testing...working with vets etc.... and that when you hear about batches of foods that are causing dogs to get sick, that it's usually from these smaller companies. I'm not sure what to believe of all this....She said she used to feed her dogs royal canin but because of all the proteins, her dogs didn't handle it well....So she switched over to Hills Science diet and her dogs did great....She than switched over to Wellness (?) and loved that too, so her dogs are now on that. I have been researching a lot, but there are so many different takes on foods. They shouldn't have grain, then some say grain is good.... Does anyone have any articles on foods?? I remember someone mentioned a site where you can see ratings or discussions on different foods, was wondering if you could post a link for me. And whats your take on this?

[Jax08]

Did you ask her where she got her degree in nutrition? I"ve had Jax on a raw diet for about 2 years now. Had a Chem 17 done on her for kicks and giggles and it was perfect.

[Lucy Dog]

So says the vets assistant...

1. Dogs are carnivores, not omnivores. That's a fact.
2. A well (and properly) balanced raw diet is the best diet for a healthy carnivore.
3. Ask 10 people and you'll get 10 different opinions about the best kibble for a dog. The best one is the one that works.
4. Completely wrong about small companies, quality control, and recalls. Just look up the whole Diamond fiasco from a few years back. That's no small company.
5. Don't take too much stock into what a vet's assistant has to say about dog nutrition any more than what a mailman or a police officer has to say on the subject. We're all know-it-alls and we all know whats best. A vets assistant is no different. Educate yourself and go from there.

[Geeheim]

Is this the site you are looking for? -Dog Food Reviews

I use that site all the time. Lots of great info on there.

[GSD84]

Thanks Lucy....I always thought dogs were carnivores...but after she said they weren't I guess I believed her seeing this is my first dog ever! I'm so overwhelmed with all the food choices. Isis had coccidia, and her pills are done but her stool is still extremely soft, so I'm wondering if its the food. Maybe its to rich for her, and that's why I wanted to switch her. Our breeder suggested Go Salmon as her other dogs did great on it, and I was also considering Orijen as many others have talked about it as well. I think I'm just going to do my own thing and see what works for her. There are so many contradictions in regards to foods and what is best for them.

[GSD84]

Originally Posted by Geeheim

Is this the site you are looking for? -Dog Food Reviews

I use that site all the time. Lots of great info on there.

Yes thank you! Perfect timing lol kiddos are sleeping and I finally have time to read up on it lol

[Lucy Dog]

Originally Posted by GSD84

I think I'm just going to do my own thing and see what works for her.

That would be my advice. Do your research, try something out, and go from there.

Don't use a food because you read good things about it on the internet. Feed something that works best for your puppy. You're only going to find that out by trial and error.

Good luck!

[angelas]

That is almost word for word what the new vet at the old clinic I went to said re: high end, non-grocery store brands. Apparently, according to this vet Orijen hasn't been around very long so doesn't have the track record and testing of more dependable brands like SD, Iams & Purina. I wasn't aware that 25 years wasn't very long and it has passed the same AAFCO feed trials that SD, Iams & Purina did.

DogFoodAnalysis has ratings for food if that is the site you are looking for.

My personal feel on the issue of grains is that while dogs are not obligate carnivores like cats they are carnivores. A few grains here and there aren't going to kill the dog but they are most assuredly not necessary and Shania has done best with grains limited to the PB&J toast she weasels out of my mother each morning.

[Cetan]

I prefer DogFoodAdvisor, I like the formatting and user comments. both are good sites though.

Any vet that's pushing Science Diet... They probably get some sort of kick-back from the company.

I'm going to go with what my breeder is using when I pick him up. He's the expert, and I'm sure after all his time working with the dogs, he knows what works best for his dogs. It's not that I don't want to be educated about dog food... it's just it's like everyone says. "10 people will recommend 10 different brands" and "The best brand is the one that works for your dog."

[Wild Wolf]

...She told you dogs are not carnivores and eat mainly plant based foods?

I would have gotten up and left that moment. She needs to take a look in a dog's mouth and figure out what those sharp teeth are meant for.