Royal Canin Yorkie for Puppies

[Taryn0405]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I actually have tasted it, accidently. Joey always gets 5 pieces before bedtime, and I get a few almonds before bedtime. One night, while carrying the small bowls, I accidently took one of his, it wasn't as quite good as he makes it out to be!

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

This is the food Joey chose and he gives it 2 paws up! Lol, it was funny when you said it smelled better, most dog foods make me gag, but I love the way this smells! I don't agree with many of the dog food sites that grade food, most of the people doing the grading have had no training in nutrition, and learning about the way vitamins, minerals and amino acids work together, is such an important part. I do like this site, and I think it gives you information on how you can make a good food choice. Here what it says about corn:



Joey likes the food so much, that I can use it for training, I really think it's important that a dog likes its food.

How come some of the higher grade foods advertise no corn, wheat or soy on their bags? Surely they must think these ingredients are not as quality as the ones they use?

I used to use RC for Uni's trick training too.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by capt_noonie

How come some of the higher grade foods advertise no corn, wheat or soy on their bags? Surely they must think these ingredients are not as quality as the ones they use?

I used to use RC for Uni's trick training too.

First of all, who's saying that they are higher grade foods, vets? Or forum posters who've had no training in nutrition? It's really hard for new companies to compete with old companies. They have to supply the market with something new and better. What if they can't think of anything better? They help create a "buzz" about something being better. True, some dogs are allergic to grains and do better on alternative foods; however the mass majority of dogs are eating corn and lots of it. People read something on a forum and 10 more people repeat what they've read. Soon, nearly everyone thinks it’s true. I'm only had one class in nutrition and it's not as cut and dry as so many websites make it out to be. When studying diets for various organisms, scientists really don’t find that there is that much difference between an A Diet and a C diet. There is a lot of difference between the F diet and the C diet though, but the number one contributor to health defined as free from disease and longevity is if the organism is not overweight. So keeping our pets at a healthy weight and not feeding them junk human foods, is probably way more important than what brand we buy.


This statement come from RC, but that doesn't mean it isn't true, I pretty much learned the same thing in my nutrition class, and no it was taught by Royal Canine.

However, it is important to understand that either rejecting or accepting a pet food based on the ingredient list is an oversimplification at best, and more likely evidence of lack of nutritional understanding. There is no single protein or carbohydrate source that is ideal. Each ingredient has its advantages, and so combinations of ingredients allow us to construct formulas with very specific features. Some manufacturers would have our customers believe that using certain ingredients is an attempt to cut costs, and that using those ingredients is choosing profit over quality. Not only is this incorrect, it demonstrates a lack of understanding of dog and cat physiology. Corn in Pet Food

Big companies can not only afford to hire veterinarians trained in nutrition, but specialist’s trained in canine physiology, this is a real advantage in designing a food. Future studies may show that there are real advantages to not using foods that contain corn, but I know of no known studies that have shown this. Lots of the smaller companies don't even test their foods on dogs. Then of course some forum posters say they won't buy from companies that test the foods on dogs, and this makes no sense to me.

[Taryn0405]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

First of all, who's saying that they are higher grade foods, vets? Or forum posters who've had no training in nutrition? It's really hard for new companies to compete with old companies. They have to supply the market with something new and better. What if they can't think of anything better? They help create a "buzz" about something being better. True, some dogs are allergic to grains and do better on alternative foods; however the mass majority of dogs are eating corn and lots of it. People read something on a forum and 10 more people repeat what they've read. Soon, nearly everyone thinks it’s true. I'm only had one class in nutrition and it's not as cut and dry as so many websites make it out to be. When studying diets for various organisms, scientists really don’t find that there is that much difference between an A Diet and a C diet. There is a lot of difference between the F diet and the C diet though, but the number one contributor to health defined as free from disease and longevity is if the organism is not overweight. So keeping our pets at a healthy weight and not feeding them junk human foods, is probably way more important than what brand we buy.


This statement come from RC, but that doesn't mean it isn't true, I pretty much learned the same thing in my nutrition class, and no it was taught by Royal Canine.




Big companies can not only afford to hire veterinarians trained in nutrition, but specialist’s trained in canine physiology, this is a real advantage in designing a food. Future studies may show that there are real advantages to not using foods that contain corn, but I know of no known studies that have shown this. Lots of the smaller companies don't even test their foods on dogs. Then of course some forum posters say they won't buy from companies that test the foods on dogs, and this makes no sense to me.

very well said. Needless to say, I as well have changed some of my viewpoints on dog food. When I took Gizmo to the vet this week, we had a talk about dog foods including RC, SD, Wellness, and I think Innova was another one we talked about. And like Crystal said from day one, my vet said e-mail the company, see the standards they hold their food to, see the trials (not just taste) they use to ensure quality, are there vets on their staff? Nutritionists?

I guess my thought process is what may work for my dog, may not work for your dog. So I'm not going to judge you if you have a can of SD or Acana in your hand. Each dog, like humans, have their own specific needs out of a food. When I explain it to people I use the theory that every health nut loves nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc.) and stress how people should eat them. Well, they're great for nutrition in their eyes, however if I ate them, I'd have a severe allergic reaction, therefore the nutrition would hold no ground for me. Weird comparison I know.

IMO

[LuvTaycieGirl]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I actually have tasted it, accidently. Joey always gets 5 pieces before bedtime, and I get a few almonds before bedtime. One night, while carrying the small bowls, I accidently took one of his, it wasn't as quite good as he makes it out to be!

LOL! I laughed out loud at this! Thanks for the smile

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

First of all, who's saying that they are higher grade foods, vets? Or forum posters who've had no training in nutrition? It's really hard for new companies to compete with old companies. They have to supply the market with something new and better. What if they can't think of anything better? They help create a "buzz" about something being better. True, some dogs are allergic to grains and do better on alternative foods; however the mass majority of dogs are eating corn and lots of it. People read something on a forum and 10 more people repeat what they've read. Soon, nearly everyone thinks it’s true. I'm only had one class in nutrition and it's not as cut and dry as so many websites make it out to be. When studying diets for various organisms, scientists really don’t find that there is that much difference between an A Diet and a C diet. There is a lot of difference between the F diet and the C diet though, but the number one contributor to health defined as free from disease and longevity is if the organism is not overweight. So keeping our pets at a healthy weight and not feeding them junk human foods, is probably way more important than what brand we buy.


This statement come from RC, but that doesn't mean it isn't true, I pretty much learned the same thing in my nutrition class, and no it was taught by Royal Canine.




Big companies can not only afford to hire veterinarians trained in nutrition, but specialist’s trained in canine physiology, this is a real advantage in designing a food. Future studies may show that there are real advantages to not using foods that contain corn, but I know of no known studies that have shown this. Lots of the smaller companies don't even test their foods on dogs. Then of course some forum posters say they won't buy from companies that test the foods on dogs, and this makes no sense to me.

So then I shouldn't think Beneful is a bad dog food? They use artificial colors, corn and by-products. There was another company, I think it was Science Diet (?) that explained (or was it their spin) that by-products are not necessarily bad, just a matter that forms when processing or rendering a product. Now who should I believe?

[Ahis_Mama]

Originally Posted by shodanusmc

I now eat it in place of Cereal! A little bit of milk, blueberries.....keeps me going all morning!

LOL!

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I actually have tasted it, accidently. Joey always gets 5 pieces before bedtime, and I get a few almonds before bedtime. One night, while carrying the small bowls, I accidently took one of his, it wasn't as quite good as he makes it out to be!

My grandpa used to tell us that dog food was really good and made my cousin and I try it once.(of course we were little) I was grossed out...my cousin (of course a boy) had a handful. LOL

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by capt_noonie

So then I shouldn't think Beneful is a bad dog food? They use artificial colors, corn and by-products. There was another company, I think it was Science Diet (?) that explained (or was it their spin) that by-products are not necessarily bad, just a matter that forms when processing or rendering a product. Now who should I believe?

I don't want to tell you what to think, lol, not that I could if I wanted! I'm just saying that nutrition is not as clear as some would have you believe. I don't like foods with artificial colors; I believe that they are totally unnecessary. Are they really harmful? I don't know, but they can stain your carpet. I think corn is a good food, so that ingredient wouldn't sway me. I still don't think it should be considered the primary source of protein, a meat should be the first ingredient, but I've got to say, I'm not thoroughly convinced as to the "whys" yet, just slightly more convinced. Are you talking about a corn by product or a meat by product?

Here's more about corn:
Corn is an excellent source of energy because it contains approximately 80% carbohydrate. When comparing corn to other ingredients, few supply as much energy. The carbohydrate portion of corn can be over 95% digestible. In addition to the high digestibility of the carbohydrate portion, corn contains a moderate amount of fat. Fat produces 2.25 times the metabolizable energy per unit weight as carbohydrate. How is this helpful in pet foods? By incorporating corn, we can augment the energy of the diet. Within the fat content, corn is specifically high in linoleic acid which contributes to a healthy coat and skin.
Corn gluten is the protein portion of corn. Corn gluten meal (the dried form) provides a source of protein that is complimentary to many meat meal sources of protein. Its digestibility is as high as many meat and fish meals. Corn gluten meal's amino acid profile is quite different from meat-based protein sources. It is particularly high in the amino acid cystine. Again, it's worth re-stating that no one is suggesting that corn gluten be the sole source of protein, but that is makes a good addition to other protein sources. Another benefit is that as protein sources are concerned, corn has relatively low levels of ash.Another key nutrient that corn supplies is a blend of carotenoids. Carotenoids are nutrients that are converted to vitamin A. Biologic functions that involve carotenoids are vision, skin health, reproduction, and bone and muscle growth. They also have a role as antioxidants.

I do think some companies are looking to put out an inexpensive "good" food that is suitable for most dogs and there are grocery store brands that fill this need. I do prefer a food that has a meat as the primary source of protein, but there may be reasons why sometimes you don't want to do this. Also, I prefer a meat that doesn't use "by products".

Here's what the Dog Food Project says about By products.

•Byproducts of any type are less desirable and only acceptable if they do not make up the main source of animal protein and if the name of the species used is also defined in some manner (e.g. "chicken byproducts" or "beef byproducts" but not "meat byproducts" or "poultry byproducts"). Byproducts consist of anything but the quality cuts of meat and highest quality edible offal used for human consumption. What this means (on a market with high demand for human snacks like "buffalo wings" and cheaper pet foods requiring flavoring agents like beef or chicken liver digest to make otherwise uninteresting food more attractive), I leave to your imagination. The Dog Food Project - Identifying better products


When you call something a bad food, I think that means it's really unhealthy, will eating Beneful make a dog unhealthy, I'm quite sure it won't. People seem to like to compare dog foods with McDonnell’s, and call certain foods "junk' food. Maybe because they've read it so much they believe it to be true, but it's not true. It's very difficult to get a balanced meal at McDonnell’s. Humans need complex carbohydrates, as in whole grains and green vegetables, and protein, in the right proportion with the right amount of calories for our daily needs. All dog foods even the ones at the grocery store have this. I really believe that Beneful is much more healthy for the dog, that what the average American eats. After reading Yorkietalk for about 5 years, I don’t' think I can find any correlations between what people call bad food and health problems, in fact, sometimes it seems like just the opposite.

[Ellie May]

Beneful meets a need for those who can't afford other foods. Is it killing dogs? I doubt it. Would I feed it to mine? Heck no. There is some truth to more expensive foods in a particular brand containing better meats. I would not go buy the cheapest thing available.

By products may sound disgusting and that is why I try to avoid them. They vary greatly in quality. Some is just tissue that humans don't like the taste of while being full of vitamins. Others is not much good and should be avoided.

Generally, dog foods should be about 20-30% protein, 5-15% fat, 5-10% vitamins/minerals, and then where is the rest supposed to come from? Some would say protein. That much protein in a diet is not usually considered safe. So then we go for the carbs. I guess if one doesn't like certain grains, it's fine to avoid them. But I wouldn't be avoiding carbs altogether. So if they do show up first on a list of ingredients, I see no problem with it. They are there in a higher % than the protein and that is not considered a problem. If it's not a high protein food and meat is listed first, then there is probably a significant amount of water still in that meat to make it weigh more than the grain or there are going to be 3-5 grains listed afterwards that when combined would be in the first position.

[Britster]

I don't think there's anything terribly wrong with RC but I do think it's horribly over-priced. I mean, it was $18.99 for a 2.5lb bag of the "Pug" breed RC in my local Pet Valu. I also noticed all the 2-3lb bags were ALL over $15.99 in my Petco. I'm sorry, but that's insane. I certainly don't think it's worth that price tag. I used to get a 5lb bag of TOTW for $11 and a 5.5lb bag of Acana for $15.

[Ellie May]

I would agree. $15.99 for 2.5lb of food is much more than I am willing to spend unless it's an rx diet. Looks like this is the price at Petsmart. But if you buy the bigger (10lb) bag, it's just over 3$ a pound which isn't so bad. Looks like they just charge a lot for buying in small amounts. I'd just buy the bigger bag if I wanted the food.

[107barney]

Originally Posted by Britster

I don't think there's anything terribly wrong with RC but I do think it's horribly over-priced. I mean, it was $18.99 for a 2.5lb bag of the "Pug" breed RC in my local Pet Valu. I also noticed all the 2-3lb bags were ALL over $15.99 in my Petco. I'm sorry, but that's insane. I certainly don't think it's worth that price tag. I used to get a 5lb bag of TOTW for $11 and a 5.5lb bag of Acana for $15.

Home cooking is very expensive so I thought I was getting a good deal on RC. Oh well, Teddy likes it. He likes it better than my cooking, except for peas. He loves peas.

[Nancy1999]

I buy the larger bag as well. The bag is so well made that it does keep food fresh to the very last drop. I think I'm paying more for certain things that are important to me, such as testing and quality control, as well as quality ingrediants.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

I would agree. $15.99 for 2.5lb of food is much more than I am willing to spend unless it's an rx diet. Looks like this is the price at Petsmart. But if you buy the bigger (10lb) bag, it's just over 3$ a pound which isn't so bad. Looks like they just charge a lot for buying in small amounts. I'd just buy the bigger bag if I wanted the food.

Definitely. A bigger bag would definitely be more worth it!

I wouldn't mind paying the price if I had to though, of course.

[Ellie May]

Originally Posted by 107barney

Home cooking is very expensive so I thought I was getting a good deal on RC. Oh well, Teddy likes it. He likes it better than my cooking, except for peas. He loves peas.

Yup, it woulda been cheaper to feed Ellie RC instead of HC. Her last HC diet was probably just under $1/day, so $30 a month. A 6lb bag of kibble lasts us maybe 30-45 days. So if I had gotten the 10lb bag of RC, we would have gotten off cheap. The smaller bags..would have been about the same price as the HC. Used to go out and buy Amish chicken, a spread of fresh veggies, and grain or sweet potato. Then there is all the time to prepare it, the scale needed, the bags/bowls for freezing, blah. What a drag. Smelled good though and the Fur loved it.