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Originally Posted by Britster  ^ I respect both of these opinions up there! You can go back and read many of my old posts and I used to sound exactly like cellanje.  In some ways I suppose I still am.
I DO find that my own dog does best on certain types of foods. With that said, I do think grain-free is sort of gimmicky. It's almost like humans with gluten-free. Only a select few people in the world *actually* need to be gluten free. If you're just choosing to be gluten free anyhow, is it necessarily going to HURT you? Probably not. But it isn't necessarily 'better' for you either. I'm not feeding Acana just because it's grain-free.
I've been feeding Acana primarily for... seven years now? I've been slightly disappointed with some changes through the years (like I preferred the old formula that had oats in it) however it's always the food I go back to. Jackson just... does well on it. I tried doing RC, Hills, etc, a few times with crappy results. After about a month, his poop would be super soft & large, he'd be going more often, he would be itching more, his eyes would get more boogers, and he would gain weight easier. These were just observations to my naked eye.
That's not to say some dogs don't do fantastic on those formulas -- because they do. There's nothing inherently wrong with grains (including corn) if it's formulated correctly. Dogs are the ultimate scavengers. They've survived throughout time on garbage.
Like nowadays, I have no problem picking up a bag of Purina Beyond from the grocery store if I've run out of dog food. I never would've done that a few years ago lol.
Every dog is different. I'm no longer going to judge what someone decides to feed their dog (unless it's like Ol Roy, then I may cringe a little, LOL....)
PS - I think ALL Orijen and Acana formulas are made at the Kentucky plant now if you buy them in the US and they're all grain-free. So there would be no contamination with grains. They have their own plant and do not have it manufactured at another plant. |
I agree with you on the "grain free" and "gluten" silliness, but Tink does not do well at all on foods that have it, or *something* that is in those foods that the Champion brands do not. They made her violently sick.
So far I am thrilled with the mix. They all gobbled it up again this morning and are sleeping peacefully piled on each other. No diarrhea so far. I think their calmness today *might* be due to having full tummies that they get with the ingredients that they don't experience with the cereal foods. If you could see the difference, you'd be as stunned as I am.
The rescue is a neurotic, circle running, velcro dog that I have several supplements on order to try to calm her that have yet to arrive. If I am out of sight, she goes berserk. She is afraid of everything, including the wind. She scratches. She rips out her hair. She howls while running full speed in circles. She dribbles saliva and urine everywhere out of fear and anxiety. In short, she has not been a joy to have here, but I have been determined to not give up on her.
This morning after her breakfast, my neurotic rescue went outside to potty by herself, and when done, instead of the circles, she stretched out and went to sleep on the patio. The puppy stayed out there with her after being let out to do her business instead of frantically clawing at the door to be let back inside. The rescue hasn't exhibited a single anxiety type behavior thus far today. It may have just been her time to calm down, she may revert to it later, but as of this moment I am hopeful that I might can return all that rot I purchased for her in desperation. At least I know she CAN be calm.
BTW, her stool was not rancid, nor has she had gas today which is a blessing as well. Could her neurosis simply been an upset tummy from all that she is been through? Beats me as I am not an expert. I'm just grateful to have some peace for however long it may last.