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azkaty · 04-08-2007, 01:48 PM

Check this out..I feed Wellness Venison and Rice

BACK TO BASICS (Chicken Formula): Beowulf Natural Feeds is the radical in our group of dog food makers. Both their pork and chicken forumla's are extremely high-fat foods (19 percent) This formulation stems from the founders (breeders of mastiffs) belief that diets high in fat increase a dog's stamina and protect against heat stress. There is some compelling research that indicates that relatively higher-fat diets may benefit animals with cancer. The product literature says that the maker's goal is producing a highly digestible super premium food using natural, wholesome ingredients. Unlike other companies, this aim is consistent with Back to Basic's list of ingredients.

CALIFORNIA NATURAL: This food is often recommended for dogs with allergies, due to the simplicity of the formulation; besides the requisite vitamin and mineral supplements, it contains only four ingredients. However, this high-quality food shouldn't be considered solely for allergic dogs. Think about it: If a food is "nutritionally complete", contains a good amount of protein and fat, and has only a few ingredients in it, those ingredients must be of the best quality.

CANIDAE: This is a nice food, loaded with ingredients. Canidae claims nothing but Grade A lamb and poultry meal, and the only grains are whole brown and white rice. And although this could be considered "the kitchen sink" approach, Canidae has added herbs (rosemary and sage) and biotin for their beneficial effects on skin and hair.

FLINT RIVER RANCH: This is probably one of the best-known healthy dry dog foods available. Flint River's formulation of quality ingredients is not unique among premium foods, but it's cooking method is different. The company oven bakes the food, rather than using the traditional "steam extrusion" technique. According to company literature, this form of cooking "changes the hard-to-digest molecules of 'raw' starches into easy-to-digest dextrines" resulting in "less strain on the dog's digestive system" and producing "a greater degree of food absorption."

INNOVA: Innova is the second food made by Natura that makes our Top 10 list, but our reasons for liking it are completely different than our reasons for liking California Natural. This is another food taking "the kitchen sink" approach to feed formulation. Natura has included every conceivable food in Innova; though they are all good foods; it's impossible to know whether the tiny amounts of each ingredient are beneficial. Unlike most other foods, which tend to have the vitamins and minerals appearing shortly following the top ten ingredients, Innova continues with "whole steamed carrots, cottage cheese,whole eggs..etc.. The first ten ingredients are the most important, and the ones here are winners.

LIMITED DIET: This food is uniquely qualified for our top ten list. It's not a food you'd seek out for just any dog; it's specifically made for dogs with food allergies. However, this food, unlike the better known Science Diet's allergy foods, it contains better quality ingredients in its simple formulations. The only thing we don't like about this food is the use of "lamb digest", which is lamb meat and miscellaneous other lamb parts. But as the sixth ingredient, it's not a major constituent of this food.

GUARD LIFESPAN: This is a rather high protein food, with a high price. But the maker claims to use nothing but the best ingredients, including chicken raised without hormones. PetGuard's product literature says they freshly grind the grains used in LifeSpan on the first day of production, which helps keep the vitamins intact. PetGuard also claims to use a unique cooking method (undescribed) that "fully cooks the carbohydrates for better flavor, carbohydrate blending and digestibility". The one questionable ingredient is corn gluten meal, which appears fifth on the list of ingredients. Corn gluten meal is a by-product from the manufacture of corn syrup.

PINNACLE: This is a fairly new offering from the people who produce Avo-Derm. This food, however, doesn't resemble that food in the least. If anything, the ingredient list looks more like Canidae's or Innova's than Avo Derm's. The list of ingredients looks great. We especially like the choice of foods used for carbohydrates: oats, potatoes, quinoa and vegetables.

SOLID GOLD: This company has been critized for monkeyshines regarding its labelling and its possibly overzealous claims about its potential benefits for dogs. However, no one has ever said the food is not good. Solid Gold has built a reputation for using top-quality ingredients, starting with USDA-inspected, hormone free lamb from New Zealand. Hund-N-Flocken, which means "dog food flakes" in German, contains none of the common allergens: no corn, no wheat and no soybeans. In an interesting departure from many other manufacturers, Solid Gold disdains the use of chicken in its food, citing the danger of salmonella poisoning, especially in chicken meat that has not been passed for human inspection.

WYSONG: Like Solid Gold, Wysong was built on the reputation of its quality ingredients. The company's founder is a driven indvidiual and healthy foods are his lifeblood. He's written numerous books and has produced video's about the importance of "health optimizing ingredients" including things like whole grains, free-range chicken, and active enzymes and probiotic cultures. Wysong was one of the first pet food makers to package his products in specially sealed bags to keep the food free of light and oxygen until it's opened. The "Nutri-Paks" keep the food fresh and prevent the growth of mold and bacteria.

**This information was taken from The Good Dog Library -- Although we personally believe a home prepared diet is the best you can give your dog, we realize not everyone has the time or resources for this. We encourage everyone to

research your breeds nutritional needs and remember that breeds have different requirements and different food allergens.

Here is a list of premium dog food purveyors for your convenience:

Artemis
Artemis Pet Foods, Canoga Park, CA
(800) 282-5876; artemispetfood.com

Azmira
Azmira Holistic Animal Care, Tucson, AZ
(800) 497-5665; azmira.com

Back to Basics
Beowulf Natural Foods, syracuse, NY
(800) 219-2558; beowulfs.com

Bench & Field
Bench & Field Pet Foods, Mishawaka, IN
(800) 525-4802; benchandfield.com

Blue Buffalo ?Adult?
The Blue Buffalo Company
Wilton, CT
(800) 919-2833
bluebuff.com

Burns
Burns Pet Nutrition, Chesterston, IN
(877) 983-9651; bpn4u.com

California Natural
Natura Pet Products, Santa Clara, CA
(800) 532-7261; naturapet.com

Canidae
Canidae Corp., San Luis Obispo, CA
(800) 398-1600; canidae.com

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover?s Soul ?Adult?
Diamond Pet Products
Meta, MO
(800) 442-0402
chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com

Drs. Foster & Smith
Drs. Foster & Smith, Rhinelander, WI
(800) 826-7206; drsfostersmith.com

Eagle Pack Holistic Select
Eagle Pet Products, Inc., Mishawaka, IN
(800) 255-5959; eaglepack.com

Flint River
Flint River Ranch, Riverside, CA
(909) 682-5048 (sold through independent reps)

Foundations ?Chicken & Vegetables?
Petcurean Pet Nutrition
Abbotsford, BC
(866) 864-6112
petcurean.com

Fromm Four Star Nutritionals ?Duck & Sweet
Potato?
Fromm Family Foods
Mequon, WI
(800) 325-6331
frommfamilyfoods.com

Go! Natural
Petcurean Pet Nutrition, Abbotsford, BC
(866) 864-6112; petcurean.com

Hund-N-Flocken
Solid Gold Health Products for Pets
El Cajon, CA
(800) 364-4863; solidgoldhealth.com

Innova
Natura Pet Products, Santa Clara, CA
(800) 532-7261; naturapet.com

Karma
Natura Pet Products
Santa Clara, CA
(800) 532-7261
karmaorganic.com

Lifespan
Petguard, Green Cove Springs, FL
(800) 877-petguard; petguard.com

Limited Diets
Innovative Veterinary Diets, Pittsburg, PA
(800) 359-4483 (sold through veterinarians only)

Merrick Pet Foods ?Cowboy Cookout?
Merrick Pet Foods
Hereford, TX
(800) 664-7387
merrickpetcare.com

Mmillennia
Solid Gold Health Products for Pets
El Cajon, CA
(800) 364-4863; solidgoldhealth.com

Natural Balance Ultra Premium
Dick Van Patten?s Natural Balance
Pacoima, CA
(800) 829-4493; naturalbalanceinc.com

Newman?s Own Organics ?Chicken
& Rice?
Newman?s Own Organics
Aptos, CA
(800) 865-2866
newmansownorganics.com

Organix ?Canine Formula?
Castor & Pollux Pet Works
Clackamas, OR
(800) 875-7518
castorpolluxpet.com
Solid Gold Hund-N-Flocken: lamb meal, ground whole millet, ground brown rice, ground whole barley, amaranth, menhaden fish meal, rice oil, canola oil, flaxseed oil, garlic
(800)DOG-HUND www.solidgoldhealth.com

Petguard Lifespan
(800)874-3221 petguard.com

Pinnacle
Breeder?s Choice Pet Foods
Irwindale, CA
(800) 255-4286; breeders-choice.com

Prairie
Nature?s Variety, Lincoln, NE
(888) 519-7387; naturesvariety.com

Prime Life
Owen & Mandeville Pet Products
Oxford, CT
(888) 881-7703; ompetproducts.com

Royal Canin Natural Blend
Royal Canin USA, Inc., St. Peters, MO
(800) 592-6687 (US); (800) 527-2673 (Can)
royalcanin.us

Showbound Naturals
Integrated Pet Products, Exton, PA
(800) LI-CHOPS; integratedpet.com

Solid Gold Hund-N-Flocken
(800)DOG-HUND www.solidgoldhealth.com

Timberwolf Organics
Yukon Nutritional Co., Dundee, FL
(863) 439-0049; timberwolforganics.com

VeRUS
VeRUS Pet Foods, Inc., Abingdon, MD
(888) 828-3787; veruspetfoods.com

Wellness
Old Mother Hubbard, Lowell, MA
(800) 225-0904; oldmotherhubbard.com

Wysong
Wysong Corporation, Midland, MI
(800) 748-0188; wysong.net

04-08-2007, 01:48 PM	#9
azkaty & "The Bunny" Donating Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 806	Best Dog Foods list Check this out..I feed Wellness Venison and Rice BACK TO BASICS (Chicken Formula): Beowulf Natural Feeds is the radical in our group of dog food makers. Both their pork and chicken forumla's are extremely high-fat foods (19 percent) This formulation stems from the founders (breeders of mastiffs) belief that diets high in fat increase a dog's stamina and protect against heat stress. There is some compelling research that indicates that relatively higher-fat diets may benefit animals with cancer. The product literature says that the maker's goal is producing a highly digestible super premium food using natural, wholesome ingredients. Unlike other companies, this aim is consistent with Back to Basic's list of ingredients. CALIFORNIA NATURAL: This food is often recommended for dogs with allergies, due to the simplicity of the formulation; besides the requisite vitamin and mineral supplements, it contains only four ingredients. However, this high-quality food shouldn't be considered solely for allergic dogs. Think about it: If a food is "nutritionally complete", contains a good amount of protein and fat, and has only a few ingredients in it, those ingredients must be of the best quality. CANIDAE: This is a nice food, loaded with ingredients. Canidae claims nothing but Grade A lamb and poultry meal, and the only grains are whole brown and white rice. And although this could be considered "the kitchen sink" approach, Canidae has added herbs (rosemary and sage) and biotin for their beneficial effects on skin and hair. FLINT RIVER RANCH: This is probably one of the best-known healthy dry dog foods available. Flint River's formulation of quality ingredients is not unique among premium foods, but it's cooking method is different. The company oven bakes the food, rather than using the traditional "steam extrusion" technique. According to company literature, this form of cooking "changes the hard-to-digest molecules of 'raw' starches into easy-to-digest dextrines" resulting in "less strain on the dog's digestive system" and producing "a greater degree of food absorption." INNOVA: Innova is the second food made by Natura that makes our Top 10 list, but our reasons for liking it are completely different than our reasons for liking California Natural. This is another food taking "the kitchen sink" approach to feed formulation. Natura has included every conceivable food in Innova; though they are all good foods; it's impossible to know whether the tiny amounts of each ingredient are beneficial. Unlike most other foods, which tend to have the vitamins and minerals appearing shortly following the top ten ingredients, Innova continues with "whole steamed carrots, cottage cheese,whole eggs..etc.. The first ten ingredients are the most important, and the ones here are winners. LIMITED DIET: This food is uniquely qualified for our top ten list. It's not a food you'd seek out for just any dog; it's specifically made for dogs with food allergies. However, this food, unlike the better known Science Diet's allergy foods, it contains better quality ingredients in its simple formulations. The only thing we don't like about this food is the use of "lamb digest", which is lamb meat and miscellaneous other lamb parts. But as the sixth ingredient, it's not a major constituent of this food. GUARD LIFESPAN: This is a rather high protein food, with a high price. But the maker claims to use nothing but the best ingredients, including chicken raised without hormones. PetGuard's product literature says they freshly grind the grains used in LifeSpan on the first day of production, which helps keep the vitamins intact. PetGuard also claims to use a unique cooking method (undescribed) that "fully cooks the carbohydrates for better flavor, carbohydrate blending and digestibility". The one questionable ingredient is corn gluten meal, which appears fifth on the list of ingredients. Corn gluten meal is a by-product from the manufacture of corn syrup. PINNACLE: This is a fairly new offering from the people who produce Avo-Derm. This food, however, doesn't resemble that food in the least. If anything, the ingredient list looks more like Canidae's or Innova's than Avo Derm's. The list of ingredients looks great. We especially like the choice of foods used for carbohydrates: oats, potatoes, quinoa and vegetables. SOLID GOLD: This company has been critized for monkeyshines regarding its labelling and its possibly overzealous claims about its potential benefits for dogs. However, no one has ever said the food is not good. Solid Gold has built a reputation for using top-quality ingredients, starting with USDA-inspected, hormone free lamb from New Zealand. Hund-N-Flocken, which means "dog food flakes" in German, contains none of the common allergens: no corn, no wheat and no soybeans. In an interesting departure from many other manufacturers, Solid Gold disdains the use of chicken in its food, citing the danger of salmonella poisoning, especially in chicken meat that has not been passed for human inspection. WYSONG: Like Solid Gold, Wysong was built on the reputation of its quality ingredients. The company's founder is a driven indvidiual and healthy foods are his lifeblood. He's written numerous books and has produced video's about the importance of "health optimizing ingredients" including things like whole grains, free-range chicken, and active enzymes and probiotic cultures. Wysong was one of the first pet food makers to package his products in specially sealed bags to keep the food free of light and oxygen until it's opened. The "Nutri-Paks" keep the food fresh and prevent the growth of mold and bacteria. **This information was taken from The Good Dog Library -- Although we personally believe a home prepared diet is the best you can give your dog, we realize not everyone has the time or resources for this. We encourage everyone to research your breeds nutritional needs and remember that breeds have different requirements and different food allergens. Here is a list of premium dog food purveyors for your convenience: Artemis Artemis Pet Foods, Canoga Park, CA (800) 282-5876; artemispetfood.com Azmira Azmira Holistic Animal Care, Tucson, AZ (800) 497-5665; azmira.com Back to Basics Beowulf Natural Foods, syracuse, NY (800) 219-2558; beowulfs.com Bench & Field Bench & Field Pet Foods, Mishawaka, IN (800) 525-4802; benchandfield.com Blue Buffalo ?Adult? The Blue Buffalo Company Wilton, CT (800) 919-2833 bluebuff.com Burns Burns Pet Nutrition, Chesterston, IN (877) 983-9651; bpn4u.com California Natural Natura Pet Products, Santa Clara, CA (800) 532-7261; naturapet.com Canidae Canidae Corp., San Luis Obispo, CA (800) 398-1600; canidae.com Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover?s Soul ?Adult? Diamond Pet Products Meta, MO (800) 442-0402 chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com Drs. Foster & Smith Drs. Foster & Smith, Rhinelander, WI (800) 826-7206; drsfostersmith.com Eagle Pack Holistic Select Eagle Pet Products, Inc., Mishawaka, IN (800) 255-5959; eaglepack.com Flint River Flint River Ranch, Riverside, CA (909) 682-5048 (sold through independent reps) Foundations ?Chicken & Vegetables? Petcurean Pet Nutrition Abbotsford, BC (866) 864-6112 petcurean.com Fromm Four Star Nutritionals ?Duck & Sweet Potato? Fromm Family Foods Mequon, WI (800) 325-6331 frommfamilyfoods.com Go! Natural Petcurean Pet Nutrition, Abbotsford, BC (866) 864-6112; petcurean.com Hund-N-Flocken Solid Gold Health Products for Pets El Cajon, CA (800) 364-4863; solidgoldhealth.com Innova Natura Pet Products, Santa Clara, CA (800) 532-7261; naturapet.com Karma Natura Pet Products Santa Clara, CA (800) 532-7261 karmaorganic.com Lifespan Petguard, Green Cove Springs, FL (800) 877-petguard; petguard.com Limited Diets Innovative Veterinary Diets, Pittsburg, PA (800) 359-4483 (sold through veterinarians only) Merrick Pet Foods ?Cowboy Cookout? Merrick Pet Foods Hereford, TX (800) 664-7387 merrickpetcare.com Mmillennia Solid Gold Health Products for Pets El Cajon, CA (800) 364-4863; solidgoldhealth.com Natural Balance Ultra Premium Dick Van Patten?s Natural Balance Pacoima, CA (800) 829-4493; naturalbalanceinc.com Newman?s Own Organics ?Chicken & Rice? Newman?s Own Organics Aptos, CA (800) 865-2866 newmansownorganics.com Organix ?Canine Formula? Castor & Pollux Pet Works Clackamas, OR (800) 875-7518 castorpolluxpet.com Solid Gold Hund-N-Flocken: lamb meal, ground whole millet, ground brown rice, ground whole barley, amaranth, menhaden fish meal, rice oil, canola oil, flaxseed oil, garlic (800)DOG-HUND www.solidgoldhealth.com Petguard Lifespan (800)874-3221 petguard.com Pinnacle Breeder?s Choice Pet Foods Irwindale, CA (800) 255-4286; breeders-choice.com Prairie Nature?s Variety, Lincoln, NE (888) 519-7387; naturesvariety.com Prime Life Owen & Mandeville Pet Products Oxford, CT (888) 881-7703; ompetproducts.com Royal Canin Natural Blend Royal Canin USA, Inc., St. Peters, MO (800) 592-6687 (US); (800) 527-2673 (Can) royalcanin.us Showbound Naturals Integrated Pet Products, Exton, PA (800) LI-CHOPS; integratedpet.com Solid Gold Hund-N-Flocken (800)DOG-HUND www.solidgoldhealth.com Timberwolf Organics Yukon Nutritional Co., Dundee, FL (863) 439-0049; timberwolforganics.com VeRUS VeRUS Pet Foods, Inc., Abingdon, MD (888) 828-3787; veruspetfoods.com Wellness Old Mother Hubbard, Lowell, MA (800) 225-0904; oldmotherhubbard.com Wysong Wysong Corporation, Midland, MI (800) 748-0188; wysong.net __________________ Katy