Ok, so same chick from the food store - she says that many labs have problems with chicken and that she always suggests not feeding a food with chicken or chicken meal in it. She suggested lamb.

Anyone else heard this? True? False?

I think I have heard this before, although my pups are on food with chicken in it. I definately remember reading somewhere on these forums that chicken can upset some dogs stomach and best stick to lamb.

My 2 don't seem to have a problem with chicken, so I'm in no hurry to change :)

Charlie seems to have trouble with chicken and my last lab Sam did as well. My first lab Cooper did not though so I think it just depends on the dog.

Nancy

I'm lucky in that I've never had a dog with a food allergy. I wonder what I would have done if Rufus had had a problem with chicken. I tried a few lamb and rice formulas (different brands) and discovered he did not like lamb & rice. At. All. He would take a bite then walk away. Fortunately, he loved chicken and had no problem with it.

I wonder if anyone else has had the same experience?

Every dog I've had (as an adult) has had a diarrhea reaction to chicken-based food or fresh chicken. Ditto for all of my cats with the exception of California Natural Chicken & Rice dry food.

Actually, I never tried Sunnie on chicken, but Danny proved to be sensitive that way.

I'm sticking with lamb.

Barb

I heard somewhere that lamb dog food doesn't taste all that great (Charlie still inhales his CN though), but I don't know if it's true. Some friends of mine switched off of CN lamb and rice back to a chicken based food because they felt their dogs didn't like lamb.

Nancy

My lab and the other labs in my family all do fine with chicken....

I've had quite a few dogs in my life (Luna is my first lab) and none of them had a problem with chicken. From what I've read, chicken has a more complete profile of amino acids that dogs need than lamb does - don't have a source to verify that though.

I'm feeding Zeke CN chicken&rice puppy he doesn't seem to be having any allergic reactions and his poop is firm. How would I know if he's allergic?

chicken is the most easily digestible protein.

Who is this nut you've been talking to?

I don't think chicken is any better or worse for Labs than it would be for any other breed... if that makes sense.

Chicken is a commonly used protein - hence more dogs have issues with it. Labs are the most popular breed - hence there are more of them than other breeds.

I don't know if that made sense or not. :lol:

chicken is the most easily digestible protein.

Who is this nut you've been talking to?

:floor OMG...your post made me laugh out loud!

I have never heard that chicken is bad for Labs...Toby does well on chicken or lamb.

I think what she meant is, a lot of dogs have problems with chicken as far as sensitive digestive systems and/or allergies. A LOT of dogs are allergic to chicken and it shows by way of itchy skin, feet licking or just a slight "not doing well" dull coat. Like most other food allergies.

Apparently lamb is not that good as far as taste, a lot of small dogs I see that are picky don't care much for it. We have labs though- most labs would eat styrofoam if you put it in their food bowl like it was food. Heheh thats good and bad!

Apparently lamb is not that good as far as taste, a lot of small dogs I see that are picky don't care much for it.


I had no idea it wasn't that good tasting. See, I learn something new everyday on this board..:) Well, now I know why Rufus didn't like it. While he wasn't a small dog (golden/gsd mix) he WAS a very fussy eater. He was also the slowest eating dog I have ever seen. I have never seen a dog who ate like he did. He would take a small mouthful, then stand there and chew and chew and chew, finally swallow, lick his lips and then lean down for another mouthful. He savored every bite. It took him forever to eat. It was probably good for his digestion but it was murder trying to give him a pill. Hide it in a treat? Forget it. He would take one bite and then spit it out, pill and all. Sometimes he wouldn't even take the bite - he could smell the pill in the treat. And this was a dog who had to take A LOT of pills during his life!

The only argument against chicken would be a dog that is sensitive to that protein source...many will become sensitive because it is the most used protein in Pet Food...

Many Holistic practitioners believe it is good to rotate protein so an allergy does not develop.....It is not the protein that gives flavor.....it is the fat or oil...dogs feed on any of the meats if RAW....because fat and moisture is in the meat at 80 %..Dry food only has 8-10 % moisture for shelf life , shipping weight, and the convenience to serve right out of the bag...

I've had quite a few dogs in my life (Luna is my first lab) and none of them had a problem with chicken. From what I've read, chicken has a more complete profile of amino acids that dogs need than lamb does - don't have a source to verify that though.


Lamb is low on Taurine..so many Lamb diets will be supplemented with Taurine... certain breeds of dogs have lost the ability to manufacture it in their livers....Chicken has more Taurine than Lamb.
Here is a nice article to read...

http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog_nutrition_protein.html

The only argument against chicken would be a dog that is sensitive to that protein source...many will become sensitive because it is the most used protein in Pet Food...

Many Holistic practitioners believe it is good to rotate protein so an allergy does not develop.....It is not the protein that gives flavor.....it is the fat or oil...dogs feed on any of the meats if RAW....because fat and moisture is in the meat at 80 %..Dry food only has 8-10 % moisture for shelf life , shipping weight, and the convenience to serve right out of the bag...

I agree, but have you ever smelled lamb dog food? The meat itself does have a taste, but the smell is powerful. Eek. Raw lamb even has a smell, and not many raw meats have a strong smell like that.

Gunner is allergic to chicken (bad tummy rash and itchy ears and paws when he eats it), but I've never heard that in general it's not great for labs...case by case basis, I would think.

We noticed that Lola has really bad gas:eek: if she eats chicken so we feed CN lamb and rice. It's not an allergy per say, but it must have given some tummy upset to create that much gas. EWWWWW

None of mine have ever had a problem with chicken. Or any other ingredient for that matter including corn, but that's just us.

The food they are thriving on now is chicken based but also has corn. I know there are people on this board who would hate it but it works for us.

I sometimes wonder how many dogs really have true food sensitivities/allergies and how many have been misdiagnosed by overzealous owners (ducking now!)

None of mine have ever had a problem with chicken. Or any other ingredient for that matter including corn, but that's just us.

The food they are thriving on now is chicken based but also has corn. I know there are people on this board who would hate it but it works for us.

I sometimes wonder how many dogs really have true food sensitivities/allergies and how many have been misdiagnosed by overzealous owners (ducking now!)




You are brave.......

You are brave.......

LOL ... I get a lot of crap in certain circles when I announce that I don't feed my kids organic, either, so I'm used to it!

Mokha eat CN chicken and rice and does really well on it, its the only food so far that he has thrived on. He is in fact unable to eat lamb whether it is fresh or in kibble. It gives him dry itchy skin and runny poop. He just likes to be different I think.

Like many have said, I think it's a case by case thing. Our breeder told us that her lines are sensitive to lamb and so we should avoid it. Clearly, many on this board feed lamb with good results. Our pup is 7 months old and does well on CN C&R.

I love lamb! :grin:

Tide was on a lamb based food before switching over to the EVO, which has Turkey and Chicken. Personally I think her stools were MUCH better on the lamb.