[Dailydrool] Dog Food Discussion Revisited

[laumag at mts.net]

Re: Beneful

The only good thing about Beneful is the bag. Having said that I will repost something I sent to the List a while ago. In most commercially prepared dog foods, meal is a good thing, when it is used in conjunction with a named protein, such as chicken meal, lamb meal, fish meal and so on. Meal is not a good thing, when it is used in conjunction with meat and bone meal (no specified protein source) or poultry by-product meal (ground up feathers, beaks, nails, nasty animal body parts and such). 

The most common allergens are corn, soy, wheat and chicken.

Also, take note of the grains part of the dog food equation. It is better to 
feed whole grains, than refined grains. 

Also, dog food price increases are directly linked to the rising world oil 
prices. Oil prices cause gasoline prices to increase, which in turn costs pet 
food companies more to transport product from Point A manufacturing plant to 
Point B retail outlets. 

Also, the Glucosamine and Chondroitin factor in dog foods should not be 
considered when deciding upon a particular brand over another, because the 
amount contained in the dog food is insufficient on a daily basis. If you wish 
to supplement your Basset Hound, try to find a Glucosamine Hydrochloride based 
supplement. My Vet tells me that delivery of Glucosamine in a canine's body is 
better delivered in a Hydrochloride base over a Sulphate base. 

Also, chondroitin is now not considered to really be beneficial to dogs. At 
least my Vet tells me that there are no conclusive studies out that indicate 
chondroitin improves joint health.

I am currently feeding Zack Canidae Lamb and Rice with a tablespoon of their corresponding canned product and a table spoon of pumpkin for increased fibre at one of his two feedings per day. The only treat he gets is once again Canidae Lamb and Rice Snap Biscuits and a Merrick Texas Toothpick.

There are so many different dog foods out there that if our stocked them all, we would need an arena for storage. We choose the best ones from our experience. We also have Beneful, but it is hidden away in the section we like to call "crap". We use this section to convince Owners to switch to a "real food".

I hope this email has been helpful.

Laurie and Zack of Canada, formerly of Wisconsin