I've finaly taken the plunge...I'm on a mission to find out what the ingredients in Dryf's food are and analyse them. There is no website for the particular line of food he eats. It's the brand of a pet store here in Canada called Pet Value.

So, are there key ingredients I should be looking out for? Or is it more of a mixture of things that are no good?

How does one go about analysing a particular food? The pet store said that it's good, "for the price". Meaning the quality is ok, but you can get better quality if you are willing to pay more.

Ok I just read the guide. Yikes, this is hard work.

I still have to hunt down a list of Dryf's current food's ingredients.

I did find a food that looks great! I'm goign to try and convince my dad to spend an extra 20$ (don't think that'll happen, but I can TRY). It's the same "brand" as his current food but a "hollistic" blend. IT seems to rely on the rules mentioned in the guideline! But so much more expensive!

Performatrin Hollistic Dog Food (http://www.performatrinultra.com/dog/ddi_chicken.htm)

One of the best websites on the net to help you decipher ingredients and to help you identify the good from the bad:

http://www.mordanna.com/dogfood/

Tanya, another good selling point for your dad:

Better foods are generally more nutrient rich (more meat than grain is a main point) and you can generally feed them LESS, so it often comes out to be the same cost over time. I would call and ask the manufacturer of Dryfo's current food the number of calories per cup of food, and ask then calories per cup for the other food you're considering.

The food you posted looked good in that it has Chicken as the first ingredient AND Chicken Meal as the second. Its still a bit grain heavy for my taste (heh) with 4 separate grains, including two (barley & rye) that are too closely related to wheat for my peace of mind... but everything else looks good. How much does it cost? You might be able to find an equally good food for the same price.

Tanya, it tookl a long time for me to convince my dad, too. He used to feed Pedigree, and I slowly got him over to the Royal Canin Sensible choice - at the time it was on the top of the Whole Dog list and it was available in our local store, too. Easy for Dad! :rolleyes: Now he's seen the quick change in Wellie when I switched him to Wellness, he's put his dogs on Wellness, too.

Get some articles and leave them around the house in conspicuous places! :) Especially the ones that talk about how it might actually save you money!:D
For us, a 30# bag is about $30, but Wellie only eats less than 2 cups a day and he's pretty active.

I can't find it on Dogwise, but I have a good, very small book on what all the ingredients in dog food actually are - deciphering the labels. The book has a red and white check tablecloth pattern on the front. Does anyone else remember what the title is?

Ohhhhhhhh You guys are going to LOVE this!? hehe

I asked my dad for just the first few ingredients in Dryf's food. Now keep in mind that this is the "senior" as opposed to "senior large breed" which he usually gets but I assume there is little variance. Here we go:

Ground Yellow Corn
Chicken Meal
Ground Wheat
Wheat shorts
Ground Rice
Corn Glucen meal
Poultry Fat.
Etc.

And so on.

I can hear the comments now ;) I'm working on having htm change foods. He's game now. But I do need to give him an alternative. Right now all I have is the Performatrin Ultra Chicken (posted above). I just hope he doesn't flinch at the price...

Also, I can look into Science Diet. He used to feed our beagle that, so he's open to it.
There are very few options in town though so this will be hard!

Ground Yellow Corn
Chicken Meal
Ground Wheat
Wheat shorts
Ground Rice
Corn Glucen meal
Poultry Fat.
Etc
Oh dear!

Congrats on taking the "better kibble" plunge :).

Tanya, are you parents healthy eaters? Do you grow their own garden?

diver03, I think the book that you are referring to is titled: "The Consumer's Guide To Dog Food", by Liz Palika. It is a favorite in my library of canine nutrition literature.

Oh dear!

Congrats on taking the "better kibble" plunge :).

Tany`, are you parents healthy eaters? Do you grow their own garden?

LOL! When my dad was reading these I couldn't help but laugh thinking "oh my, they will have my head of this!" ;)

They eat well but I wouldn't call them "healthy eaters" per say. I'm the one trying to garden in the family ;)

My dad said he'd change if I told him what to buy. Obviously if I suggest something too expensive they'll say no. That leaves me with the job of FINDING something better.

Dryf has been showing signs of needing a change for awhile, that we didn't understand. He goes through phases where he will not eat. He'll eat half his bowl over two days or so. We just said he's going thru a phase but that never seemed like a good explanation. I"m hoping that a change will help him.

SO you know anything offhand about Science Diet??
Is the food I posted above (performatrin ultra) good? Zencat said it was alright, just abit too grain-y (good thing she hasn't seen this post LOL)

Tanya, I have to put in my two cents... I really dislike all of the Science Diet foods. They charge a premium for a food that is mostly grains, with very little meat. I think you can do a LOT better for the same money you'd spend on SD.

Are you able to get a list of foods that are available to you and then we can help you and dad pick the best of the bunch? I know some folks are limited to PetSmart or other stores. See if you can get a list of what you can find that's in your price range and we'll do a side by side of them and find the best food we can for Dryf.

Tanya, I have to put in my two cents... I really dislike all of the Science Diet foods. They charge a premium for a food that is mostly grains, with very little meat. I think you can do a LOT better for the same money you'd spend on SD.

Are you able to get a list of foods that are available to you and then we can help you and dad pick the best of the bunch? I know some folks are limited to PetSmart or other stores. See if you can get a list of what you can find that's in your price range and we'll do a side by side of them and find the best food we can for Dryf.

I'm so glad to get your opinions!! :) Thanks for taking the time to reply :) I'm those first few ingredients I listed made you shudder!! I don't believe Mr Atkins would approve either ;)

That makes my job easier, I don't even have to bother researching Science Diet ;)

So far, I know of only two brands, Science Diet and Performatrin, that is sold at Pet Value (one of 2 stores back home). I should be able to give them a call and see what other brands they carry. I should also be ok to call the other store in Timmins and ask the same question. They are not a chain though. Is it better that I ask only about their "large breed adult" lines? Just Adult? Senior? Or all of the above? Oh we also have Wal Mart so if there are any decent brands there we might have them...

Ahhh, Pet Valu doesn't have much of a selection when it comes to foods, lol. I know they carry Nutro, Iams, Eukanuba, Royal Canin, Science Diet, Performatrin, Nutram (I think?), and a couple others that I can't think of.

At the Wal*Mart here, and the one near my mother (in Hamilton), they carry PurinaONE, Ol' Roy, Iams, Purina Beneful, Pedigree, ProPlan (I think..). Stuff like that.

Walmart probably won't yield anything better :( I tried searching "Pet Value Canada" but didn't come up with a website to review.

So, yes, call all the pet stores in your area, and make them list the premium dog foods they carry. Just get them all, and then we can check them out to see if they fit the profile.

We have a feed/garden store down the road from us that carries Wellness, Merrick and several other decent brands. Turns out they have a better selection overall than Walmart, so if you have anything like that, give them a call too.

Tanya, check this link and see if you're near anyplace that sells Natural Balance:

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/home/canada.tpl

I like Natural Balance foods a lot. Looks like they carry them at Pet Valu!

Pet Valu "1500 Riverside Drive, Unit #27"
Timmins, Canada P4R 1A1
705-264-4013
Pet Valu "100 Waterloo Rd, Unit #2"
Timmins, Canada P4N 4X5
705-264-4027

Wow! great job lisa, you're amazing! You even have the right city!!

I'll have to check the price of Natural Balance, but if it's sold at Pet Value that is awsome! Do you suggest any one of them in particular? Or does it not matter?

Dryf has been a good eater for the most part so I don't foresee any issues in changing. It's just a question of picking the right one and "transitionning".

Hmmm...interesting. The Natural Balance site says that some older dogs are finiky about eating food because it's hard? How do you know if that's an issue?? I feel bad, my last dog should have been using soft foods once he got older, his teeth were bothering him (that was obvious)

Also, Dryf has changed his routine as far as washroom breaks go. He now relieves himself during EVERY evening walk. He's never done that. I'm positive it's related to the change in food (I.E. my dad buying the wrong bag)??

got older, his teeth were bothering him (that was obvious)

Also, Dryf has changed his routine as far as washroom breaks go. He now relieves himself during EVERY evening walk. He's never done that. I'm positive it's related to the change in food (I.E. my dad buying the wrong bag)??

I don't know Tanya - Shant won't go at all unless she is on her walk - it is so embarrassing - she always does it right in front of someone who is in their driveway BBQing. She has been like this for 6 months - If you do figure it out please let me know - By the way Chance eats the NB Premium with no problems - (No allergy issues with him) Shanti and my little old man both eat Duck and Potatoe - I wet Mickeys - he is 10 1/2 now and does not have alot of teeth.

Anyway I just wanted to throw the whoe poop on the walk thing in there. :rolleyes:

I don't know Tanya - Shant won't go at all unless she is on her walk - it is so embarrassing - she always does it right in front of someone who is in their driveway BBQing. She has been like this for 6 months - If you do figure it out please let me know - By the way Chance eats the NB Premium with no problems - (No allergy issues with him) Shanti and my little old man both eat Duck and Potatoe - I wet Mickeys - he is 10 1/2 now and does not have alot of teeth.

Anyway I just wanted to throw the whoe poop on the walk thing in there. :rolleyes:

Dryf rarely poops on a walk. It's new and it's EVERY walk. I'm sure it has to do with the food.

I'm excited about finding a good food for my big guy! My dad was/is sceptical because Dryf doesn't appear to be doing badly on his current food. His fur is great, no dandruf or any signs of allergy. But to me, that isn't good enough, he should be eating something GOOD for him.

I just called and the Ultra Premium is more expensive by 20$/bag. (the duck and potato is 30$ more for a somewhat smaller bag) I assume we'd feed him less though.
So right now there are my recommendations:
1 - NB Ultra Premium
2 - Performatrin Ultra (Holistic) even if it's high in grains.

You know what, Tanya. I just looked at them again and they really appear very similar to me. The NB has rice, oats, & barley too. Plus potatoes.

How about trying this:

Try the Performatrin Ultra (I'd probably try the Chicken & Rice rather than the lamb but that's my own personal opinion). See how Dryf does on it. If you still feel like he might need something different, maybe try him on the NB Venison & Rice (simpler food, easier to digest, might be something to consider for Dryf the sexy senior).

You know what, Tanya. I just looked at them again and they really appear very similar to me. The NB has rice, oats, & barley too. Plus potatoes.

How about trying this:

Try the Performatrin Ultra (I'd probably try the Chicken & Rice rather than the lamb but that's my own personal opinion). See how Dryf does on it. If you still feel like he might need something different, maybe try him on the NB Venison & Rice (simpler food, easier to digest, might be something to consider for Dryf the sexy senior).

I already talked to my dad about Performatrin Ultra, so I'll just keep bringing it up ;) I think as far as cost and value goes, it's the best bet so hopefully it works out!

There might be a cost issue with the Venison & Rice. It's 69.99 for a 30lb bag. YIKES! Heck, I won't be able to afford that if he comes live with me for awhile!! Should I wait until I can afford that before getting my own dog??

Don't panic! One step at a time :) There are other "hypoallergenic" foods, and more coming out all the time. Check out the thread on hypoallergenic foods (single protein, single carb) stickied at the top of this section. There may be others that are less expensive than the NB Venison.

Don't panic! One step at a time :) There are other "hypoallergenic" foods, and more coming out all the time. Check out the thread on hypoallergenic foods (single protein, single carb) stickied at the top of this section. There may be others that are less expensive than the NB Venison.

If my future dogs have bad allergies I might see myself without internet and cable to help their health ;) I can afford a dog, but at 70$ per bag of dog food!! LOL

I'm still leaning towards the Performatrin Ultra. It's not that much more expensive and seems like a great food.

This leads me to my next question. IF we are feeding Dryf a "regular" dog food, should we supplement him daily with glucosimine (?? the stuff to help aching muscles/artheritis/aging dogs)?
Dryf only shows signs of pain after a big day (ex: going to the cottage). But from what I gather, even that is getting worse. The other day, at teh cottage, Dryf didn't want to get in the truck. The passenger side. That's new, it's not THAT high. Anyhoo, is it worth supplementing daily, even if he isn't in pain (visibly) everyday??

Thanks!

It's best to start supplements before the problem arises. If you think there's a problem, I'd see a vet or an ortho vet and start supplementing. Glucosamine doesn't help with muscle aches, but it does reduce the rate at which cartilage degenerates. However, if you wait until severe damage is done to the cartilage, glucosamine won't help too much.

It's best to start supplements before the problem arises. If you think there's a problem, I'd see a vet or an ortho vet and start supplementing. Glucosamine doesn't help with muscle aches, but it does reduce the rate at which cartilage degenerates. However, if you wait until severe damage is done to the cartilage, glucosamine won't help too much.


Right now we have a "pain killer" given by our vet. It's suppose to be very similiar to Aspirin, but not as hard on the dog's stomach. We give him a dose when he's showing pain (or if we know he will be because he's had a big day). Other than that, the minute quantities in "senior" dog food of (whatever it's called) is all he's been getting. But then again, other than a big day (not even once a month) he doesn't show any pain.

But like you said, best to start earlier (ok, he's 12, we're already LATE)

:)

Now....hopefully MY DAD agrees with all I"ve decided ;) My baby lives with him (ok he's OUR baby) so it's up to him.

I'll keep you all updated :)

Thank you ALL For all the wonderful help! You're all amazing and have so much knowledge :) THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
:cheers2:

To recap on my decisions:

1 - Try Performatrin Ultra (the chicken one)
2 - Get some supplements
3 - if Performatrin Ultra doesn't work, i'll work on my dad to go with the more expensive NB (just the ultra one)

In the meantime, I'll take a look at the Diamond brand :)

Thanks again!

Tanya

It does take several weeks for glucosamine/chondroitin to work (if they will work), so you still may need the NSAIDS (or whatever pain reliever they gave you).

For what it's worth, regarding the Diamond, Jes does really well on the Diamond Lamb and Rice, and he has food allergies as well.

3 - if Performatrin Ultra doesn't work, i'll work on my dad to go with the more expensive NB (just the ultra one)

Just to clarify my own advice ;) I suggested trying the Performatrin Ultra and if it doesn't work going with a simpler food, not the NB Ultra. That could mean a Wellness Simple Food, Cal Natural, etc. And by simpler I mean less grains (like just rice vs rice, barley, oats, corn, etc etc).

Just to clarify my own advice ;) I suggested trying the Performatrin Ultra and if it doesn't work going with a simpler food, not the NB Ultra. That could mean a Wellness Simple Food, Cal Natural, etc. And by simpler I mean less grains (like just rice vs rice, barley, oats, corn, etc etc).

Considering he's been doing well with the amount of grains he's had in his other food, i highly doubt that GRAINS will be an issue. But what do I know ;)
I'll have to see if those "simpler" foods are sold at Pet Value, but a quick call will answer that :) Thank you!
I doubt we'll ever go to the NB specialities (lamb and rice...those ones) as it cost ALOT of money. I know money shouldn't be an issue but hey, in reality it is.

Dad of Jes - I'll start my research on the supplements. I have a pretty good idea where I'll be going in that direction, but I might be back with more questions :)
Also, I will be looking into Diamond over the weekend. I wasn't able to get an answer yesterday as to how soon we'll be needing a new bag of food for Dryf...so not sure how much time I have at this point. He's going to be switching foods anways, since my dad bought the wrong bag last time (and yes, he kept it and fed Dryf the ENTIRE bag! Yeesh) so I want to decide before then.