They had a segment on the news tonight, a Vet was talking. My dogs are part of my family, but, I can't see spending $40 a month or more for my 6 dogs to eat, when there are other good quality foods out there. I'm saying if you find a food that your dog likes, and they're not allergic to it, to stick with it. People need to quit telling people this food or that food is crap, when to each his own. If I didn't love my dogs, do you think I would have 6 of them? I really don't care what you feed your dog, my concern is that my dogs are healthy, and believe me, they are. I really don't think you can say you love your dogs more than I do just because we don't agree on the food they eat:confused:

I don't think there's really much debate among knowledgeable people as to what constitutes a high or low quality dog food. Purina is consistently rated low quality and for good reason. The #1 cause of death in dogs (across all breeds) is chronic kidney failure. Feeding a dog low quality food with indigestible ingredients over time will tax the kidneys. It's one thing to feed your dog what you want but quite another to recommend a low quality food to others based on what the local TV news says. Do what you want but please don't make food recommendations unless you have some reasonable basis for making them.

So let me get this straight- are you asking us to stop educating people? Sorry, not gonna happen. If someone gets on here and asks opinions on food, are you asking us to recommend Purina? Not gonna happen. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions- you certainly have yours. I am extremely passionate about nutrition- it started with my race horses and spilled over to my dogs. I wish I ate as balanced as my horses and dogs! I have spent hours upon hours researching nutrition and absolutely will continue to attempt to educate others, as most people on this forum will continue to do. I would never tell you to "STOP" talking up Purina, as you asked us to "STOP" educating others that just don't know.

FYI- Purina's ALPO Prime Cuts was recalled in 2007. It's right on their website. Also recalled were two of it's most popular horse feeds- one being Equine Senior which was linked to numerous cases of liver dysfunction and neurologic problems. They did a really crappy job of notifying the public during the horse feed recall. Hope if there is a problem you are appropriately notified.

Why don't we respectfully agree to disagree and leave it there. We all have our own opinions and will make recommendations when asked based on the research and experiences we've had.

I never said that you did not love your dogs. Just that your trying to promote a lower quality food then the rest of us are willing to buy. Glad you think your dogs are healthy.
My brother also thinks his are healthy too, and throws his animals leftover table scraps.... to eat. Too each is own. :thumbdown

I don't think they're healthy, I know they're healthy. Our dogs NEVER get table scraps, there are a lot of people that feed their dogs these so called fantastic foods, then turn around and give them a lot of people food. Oh well, to each his own. As far as problems with kidneys and the so called bad purina food, remember, all our dogs were brought up on purina and not once did any of them die at a young age, nor were they unhealthy.

That may be your opinion about higher quality foods but it's the equivelant of allowing your child to choose junk food over a well balanced diet. What child wouldn't choose a fully dressed cheeseburger with fries and a shake over meat, potatoes, salad and a veggie with a glass of milk?

And where have you gotten all your information?? I really don't think purina pro plan is a bad food at all. Just don't think because you feed a high quality food, your dog won't have problems.

And before commercial dog food was available all dogs ate table scraps or fresh meat, with no preservatives or supplements and they lived a lot longer too.

Not to agree with the cheaper side of the dog food issue here (because I am a huge fan of canine nutrition too and I do feed high quality food) but don't you think a lot of the disease and death at a younger age has to do with breeding? So many people are breeding for profit with no regard to the health or soundness of their lines. I do believe a lot of health issues can be related to the food we feed, over vaccinating and chemicals for every little thing and we did lose our first Yorkie to issues directly related to food...but...I also believe a lot of these things have to do with breeding.

What information are you asking about?

My own opinion as to why dogs don't live longer in spite of getting a better diet is that the typical modern dog is being over-vaccinated and being bombarded monthly with flea and heartworm preventatives. It is a constant toxic attack on the dog's whole system that contributes to premature organ failure and cancer :thumbup:
yes! woogie man i agree ...
in days gone by dogs ate alpo and that was beef stew good enough for seniors to eat cause the price was 20cents cheaper than the people one .but the same ingredients.. meat chunks, potatoes, carrot cubes, peas in gravy ..dogs lived up to 17 20 years then too...

FUNNY who decided that kibble was good for dogs... PRODUCT COMPANIES WHICH THE VETS PROMOTE BECAUSE mOST OF THEM KNOW NOTHING ABOUT NUTIRENTS..
I have asked 5 different vets what would be good nutrients for my dogs diet and VOILA! they show u a bag of food they have on the shelf there..that is all they have learned over all these years..now that is progress 4 U..
how would u like to eat cornflakes out of a box the rest of ur life cause they have everything u need in them?:D

I figure that if we as humans strive to eat high quality food (organic fruits/veggies, lean meats, etc) in an attempt to keep healthy and prolong our lives, the same would apply for our pets and other animals alike....? I don't know. Makes sense to me. The better the quality food the more efficiently the body uses it therefore the less strain it would put on the body and prolong the life of organs, etc.

I figure that poor food choices (like fast food) to humans is the equivalent to low grade (by-products and the 4Ds) to pet food. All sorts of bad things in fast food for example attribute to obesity, high cholesterol, heart disease etc in humans. I know vet checkups and stuff will indicate problems in an animal... but how much do we *really* know about what types of food do what to any type of animal? The reason why this discussion about food keeps popping up is because apparently there isn't enough hard proof about the effects (if any) of low grade pet foods.

I guess people just can't agree! So, I say... it's my money. I don't have kids. Hiro and my cats ARE my kids. I spend the money on my pets that I might spend on kids so let me buy what I want! =D

OMG I loathe corn flakes! rofl

vets dont know everything either.. some vets say science diet is the best food.. and we all know that is a straight up lie.

THIS pro plan?

Dog Food Reviews - Pro Plan Giant Breed Puppy - Powered by ReviewPost

IMO- there must be something to say for the better quality food because my first Yorkie had all kinds of problems, his coat was funky, his eyes watered all the time, he was constantly scratching no matter what I tried. And I had no idea food could be a problem, the vet never said I should try something different when I told them what he ate.
After being on YT and asking about foods and his problems I switched his food and the first one I tried solved all the problems. His coat is so much softer and shiny and his eyes are never watery.
And I can't thank all the people here enough who helped me pick a better food.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions but I will have to respectfully disagree with both the vet ,the reporter, and whoever else thinks feeding by products , corn , gluten , and wheat is acceptable . Your dog may live to a ripe old age but that doesn't mean he has lived his best life and it doesn't mean you have given him the best chance at life.

I strive to feed my family the best food I can. We eat mostly organic , natural healthy foods. Just because a doctor may tell me soda doesn't hurt and sugar is O.K. in moderation , doesn't mean I want to go and feed them soda and sugar for the next 18 years because it meets standards for human consumption. Can they live on it.. yes... will they live the healthest life they can...no.

All dog foods need to meet a certain standard , but that doesn't mean they are a good quality food , it means they meet a minimum standard set. Would you use a medication for yourself or child that only meets the MINIMUM standard ?

There are high quality brands without by products , corn , gluten etc. that are in the same price range as Purina so I don't understand why someone would make the choice to feed a low quality food when a good quality food is avaliable in the same price range .

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Good post! And totally agree with the price thing, the natures variety that I get for my two is like 2 dollars more than the stuff I used to buy.

Spend more get more not true
 

The motto "spend more, get more" does not always prove to be true...

With Yorkie's eating less, being a smaller breed, I think most people can afford to spend a few dollars more on their nutrition.

That being said, I have chosen to feed my Yorkie ACANA. It is based out of Alberta, Canada. It is all natural. They also use fresh, regional ingredients.

Not only do I feel better about supporting my country, I feel better about feeding my dog a quality food that will help her flourish!

As a side note: The breeder I am purchasing her from is currently feeding his dogs as well as the puppies Nutro Ultra. I know this is an all natural food as well, but it doesn't rate as high -- they are also owned by Mars (yes, the chocolate bar!) which doesn't make me feel too comfortable either. I recently purchased a 4.5 POUND bag of Nutro Ultra (small breed puppy) for $13.99 (CAD). I then purchased a 5.5 POUND bag of ACANA (small breed puppy) for $13.97. I am getting an entire pound more for nothing! So by spending more, doesn't always mean you are getting more. Do your research! Good luck on your decision!

I prefer McDonalds's over regular food, but that doesn't mean I should eat it :)

Just my opinion....just my thoughts :)
 

I feel that with dog foods, just like with human foods, there is bad and there is good. Just like McDonalds "junk food" versus cooking something healthy at home or even buying something healthy elsewhere - well, the same goes for our pets food. There is good and then there is the bad AKA "junk food". With humans and pets alike, there are ingredients in foods that we AND our pets can be allergic to, and I know because I deal with this with Tatum. She has horrible allergies and I do have to watch what she eats. Giving her corn and chicken would be a TOTAL disaster. Her having such bad allergies is one HUGE reason why she is on a Grain Free food with no chicken, corn, etc. Well - corn shouldn't even be IN dog food, period.

Sure feeding our babies "any" food will keep them ALIVE....it's food. However, that doesn't mean that "any" food is a GOOD, nutritious food. We as humans could survive on eating McDonalds too, it's food - it will keep us alive - but that doesn't mean that it's the right choice or that it is of good quality - or even more importantly, that it is HEALTHY for us.

In the end it is OUR decision as pet owners what we feed our pets, but I do choose to feed a high quality and nutritious food. One that isn't filled with corn, animal by products, etc. I am cautious as to what I put inside MY body, and I am just as cautious as to what I let my babies put inside theirs :)

Very, very well said! THANK YOU! :)

:thumbup::thumbup: Dittos. You said it girlfriend!

vets aren't nutrionists; quality foods for yorkies aren't a waste of money
 

wasting their money?
it is not a waste of money to get health food for your dog.
it is "not very smart" to save a few pennies and feed crappy dog food to dogs.

yea, they'll survive on crappy food, just like i will survive on McDonalds.
but it is still CRAP!

why would money even be a concern on TINY dogs like yorkies? i try to find the MOST expensive food i can, in hopes that it will be the healthiest for my baby.

If i am running a shelter and running out of money with starving dogs that weigh an average of 70-80 lbs. maybe i will feed them CRAPPY FOOD! like most commercial foods! (those foods are made with maximum profits in mind, therefore, cheapest ingredients they can get their greedy hands on)

vets like doctors, are not nutritionists. they prescribe pills, not diets!

i strongly and completely disagree with you for making the recommendation to have people feed "cheaper" food. yorkies deserve top quality foods. it's ok if you want to eat mcdonalds. i do. but i will not give my baby anything less than the best quality foods!

Why would you "waste your money" on the "expensive" Purina when it's "just as good"? This doesn't make any sense. :confused:

I would just like to point out that the reason your dog prefers the cheap stuff is because it's sprayed with fat and other "flavoring" to make it more appealing and disguise the fact that it would otherwise taste like cardboard. It's the same thing with McDonalds!

But hey... whatever works for you is great.

Purina has by products in it hooves, feet, udders and Im sure bha, bht and corn, wheat. I prefer also not to feed my dog udders and feet. Dog food chould also be aafco rated no doubt. Purina also has filler in their food and more filler more poop.

I am new to this site and I must admit that I too am afraid to say what I was feeding my dog because of many posts telling people what they thought was better. We have had labs mostly but recently my daughter wanted to cute little dog. We did give into her and she received Roxy for her birthday. We did do research on this breed and this website did help alot on determining the decision. One of our labs was overweight and at 4 years of age we discovered that she was dietbetic. She lived to be 12 years old. So for 8.5 years we gave her a insulin twice a day and changed her diet. That was a wake up call for us. We were young and really did not understand the equality of the pet foods. We were told by the vet to feed her purina pro plan. So we did get her the food and she stayed on it for the duration of her life. In the beginning before we started with the pro plan we switched alot of food trying to regulate her sugar. Once we started Pro plan it really did regulate her sugar and she only had one reaction since pro plan. Which was awesome considering it sometimes twice a week. Her sugar was checked regularly by our vet and so were her organs and like I said she lived a long fulfilled healthy life with what she was dealing with.
I am not saying that its the best food out there, But everyone has the right to find a good quality food for their pet that works for them without made to feel they aren't doing the best for their pet.
When we brought Roxy home in Nov 08 she was 10 weeks old and the breeder had her on royal canine and so that's what I went and kept her on it. I know I will get alot of ridicule for this but that is what I thought was good for her. I don't give our dogs any dog treats. We do reward with fruit or veggies and they love them.

Dawn

I did find a very good article lastnight, and purina pro plan is good, and also Purina is AAFCO for whoever said something about that. This is what a diet and canine nutritionalist says
en.allexperts.com/q/Dog-Food-Canine-3799/2008/10/best-dogfood-small-breed.htm

Also, here, I'm asking this nicely, go pick this apart for me, this is a purina pro plan, and this is the one I'm going to buy, so please, look over the ingredients, and tell me what's so bad, as I don't see anything. Thanks
Natural Salmon and Brown Rice Formula - Products - Purina® Pro Plan®