Switching To The Good-

[MegTheFish]

So we've been feeding our dog, Ginger, Kibbles and Bits for the 3 years we've had her, cheap stuff you can get anywhere. We've been feeding our cats Whiska's for the past 7 years (we switched a couple times actually, to other foods). Both of these aren't "bottom of the pile" dog food, its better then say "No-Name", but they still aren't the greatest, I've been doing some research and have found out what is used in the cheaper dog/cats foods instead of the actual meat Pretty gross. So now that I work at my lps I have learned about the dog and cat food they carry, and it is way way way better then the stuff we've been feeding, so I've finally convinced my parents to change both our dog and cats over to their food. We carry Nutro: Natural Choice, Max Dog Food, Nutram, Techincal, Pet Time, Pro Plan, Natural Blend and FROMM which are all very good brands (this is for dogs) and I'm not too sure what we carry for cats. Most of the same stuff. So I have a booklet explaining to me the ingrediants in each food, and their advantages. Do any of you feed your dog/cat any of these brands? So far I think Nutro: Natural Choice is the best option for my dog, they also have it in cat food so I think if it doesn't really matter too much then we'll go for that.
Here is what it says for Nutro: Natural Choice-
-one animal protein--chicken or lamb
-only rice--highly digestible
-highest level of linoleic fatty acid of any food
-glucosamine--chondrotin
-all natural
-uses chicken fat for palatability along with sunflower old
-no ground corn
-oatmeal high quality carb and easy on the stomach
-antioxidant to help provide healthy immune system
The thing I don't understand is the "one, two, high, or very high animal protein" What do they mean by this?

 

[tekknocolor]

I've been feeding my cat Nutro Natural and Nutro Max Cat since a week after he started living with us (thanks Nisha ). It's been wonderful and for some crazy reason my cat LOVES the stuff - it's like crack to him and it's good for him! Anyway, if you decide to go with Nutro, sign up for their frequent buyers program and you'll receive a huge booklet of coupons that can be used at most pet shops.

 

[thapsus]

You are perfectly right MegTheFish. There can be very gross things in cheap marketfoods. I was chocked when I read about it.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Whatever you switch to, just make sure it is AAFCO approved. And, consider hitting AAFCO's page first and making sure everything meets the nutritional minimums without dramatically exceeding them; where some "all natural" foods fail for dogs in particular is an excess of fat in protein, since (domesticated) dogs are omnivores. However, I've heard good things about both foods, so you're probably pretty safe.

As a side note - I don't know if the oatmeal was in the dog or cat food - but cats have no dietary need for carbohydrates as they are strict carnivores. So foods that talk about "quality carbs" or fresh veggies in cat foods are only saying that because it appeals to the owners; in actuality, carbs just give extra calories to cats for increased feelings of fullness, and can really be quite harmful. It is suggested that the spike in feline diabetes in the US is the increased frequency of pelleted foods that are high in sugar and other carboyhydrates.

Does the feline diet come in canned? If so, I strongly reccomend it. Canned foods have gotten a bad name because they don't clean the teeth as well, but they tend to be higher protien, lower carb, and higher water content than pelleted food. For male cats, a higher water content is very important, as they are prone to urinary stones and often times do not drink enough water themselves to offset this problem later in life. Canned foods also have higher satiety than dry foods, so if your kitty is finicky, they are usually easier to convert over to. And finally, they're easier to portion-limit; most canned foods have exactly how many cans you need to feed daily on them, and since the kitties are usually eager to wolf it down, you don't have to leave a ton of dry sitting around and end up with one fat cat and one skinny one.

Finally, please talk to your vet for the proper method to convert your pets diets; cats especially can be hard to convert. And make sure your vet approves the foods for your individual animals' health. Its great that you want to start feeding your animals a safer, healthier, more balanced diet, just make sure no harm is done in the process.


((Oh, and just so you know that I'm not talking out of mi arse, I am a certified animal nutrition counselor))