# Foods I am considering.... Help please!



## cleex1004 (Aug 2, 2008)

So after Louis' whole upset tummy deal, I've been considering switching his food. I am looking for something grain-free with the exception of oatmeal, no chicken, no beef, not too high in protein, or fat. This is the list I have come up with:

-Acana pacifica/grasslands (this is what Louis eats now)
-Orijen regional red (kind of high in protein but Louis loved it when I got a sample this summer and mixed it with NB which is lower in protein)
-Wellness core ocean
-Wellness supermix5 white fish and sweet potato
-Taste of the wild pacific stream
-Natural balance duck/venison/fish (Louis was on this before but I didnt feel like it was 'complete' enough)
-The honest kitchen keem/zeal/embark
-Sojos complete dog food
-Grandma lucy's venison/bison

Any opinions on this list? Any I should start with? Dislikes? Likes? Any others I should look in to? Thanks for the help!


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## yeagerbum (Apr 20, 2010)

Yeager is on Wellness Core, not sure if it's the ocean flavor, but he LOVES it. He's a very picky eater and I've tried several foods before, and he likes this one the best


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## mfa (Oct 5, 2009)

Pearlan gets Wellness Simple Food Solutions Rice and Salmon.
(plus some home cooking)
we are very happy with it!


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

I've used NB Sweet Potato and Venison for years now. I've never had any problems.


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## mom2bijou (Oct 19, 2006)

I think you have a great list. Did Louis gain weight on the Acana? My two put a little weight on so we are switching. I had done Acana and rotated with Dr. H. I am now starting G'ma Lucy's venison and also Addiciton canned food.


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## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

mom2bijou said:


> I think you have a great list. Did Louis gain weight on the Acana? My two put a little weight on so we are switching. I had done Acana and rotated with Dr. H. I am now starting G'ma Lucy's venison and also Addiciton canned food.


Tammy, Bailey put on weight on the Acana too! I couldn't tell if it was because of switching him to Acana or because he gets less walks now that it's SO cold. But I have switched him to Fromm Whitefish & Potato a couple of weeks ago and he seems to have lost the extra weight already. I may still mix in a bit of Acana sometimes though because it's such high quality and Bailey loves it.


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

You have a nice list to select from. The only one I would personally remove from the list of possibilities is Natural Balance -- I agree with you that it is not really a "complete" diet. A few members may disagree, but I've used the Potato & Duck and also the Sweet Potato & Venison and I truly feel it is lacking nutrients. I think NB is best used when a dog has SEVERE allergies and absolutely cannot thrive on a different food.

I feed Acana Pacifica & Acana Grasslands and my two do incredibly well on it. I probably would not recommend Orijen Regional Red for Louis only because it is even higher protein. Some don't do well with that high of protein in their diets. Acana Pacifica & Wellness Core Ocean are similar in quality, but I think Acana (Champion Pet Foods) has an amazing philosophy and their high standards are incredible. You may have trouble getting the food locally, though, so that is something to consider. I know it used to be really hard to get Acana/Orijen since it comes from Canada, but in the last 6 months or so I think it's been a lot easier to find.

You may need to just do a trial and error...try a food for a minimum of 2 weeks before making a judgement on it, and if one doesn't work, try another. 

Edited to Add: I've been feeding Orijen & Acana for over a year now and my two have not gained any extra weight on it, and they are not very active dogs. I feed 1/4 cup to each dog twice per day (1/2 cup total for each).


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## mom2bijou (Oct 19, 2006)

Bailey&Me said:


> Tammy, Bailey put on weight on the Acana too! I couldn't tell if it was because of switching him to Acana or because he gets less walks now that it's SO cold. But I have switched him to Fromm Whitefish & Potato a couple of weeks ago and he seems to have lost the extra weight already. I may still mix in a bit of Acana sometimes though because it's such high quality and Bailey loves it.


Interesting! I was contemplating Fromm's too.


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

I swear by Dr. Harvey's Veg-to-Bowl.


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## cleex1004 (Aug 2, 2008)

Now that I think about it, Louis has gained some weight, about a pound. He has been on Acana since the summer but we were in Washington and he was getting alot more exercise so I didn't notice it at first. I like how Acana is a high quality food but it is high in protein(33%) and fat(18%) which explains the weight gain. For comparison NB is 20% protein and 10% fat. The one I'm kind of leaning to is the Taste of the Wild pacific, its 25% protein and 15% fat. I made a chart with all the foods above and I keep staring at it, Im such a dork! I would go the dehydrated raw route, but its so messy, I feel like I'm constantly wiping Louis' face. Thanks for the input! Keep it coming!


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## cleex1004 (Aug 2, 2008)

if u were curious


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

Hmm. My dogs eat a good amount of protein and fat, no grains, and they haven't gain excess weight at all. Their weight has remained stable. I home cook, or feed Dr. Harvey's Veg to Bowl. 

(The humans around here eat high fat/low carb and haven't gained any weight either, lol.) 

My vet always reminds me to remember to include their treats in the total amount of food given per day.


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