Guest imonlyme07 Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 ok, so i am trying to look through all of these different topics and its very overwhelming and also i feel like a lot of people refer to other topic trains that i cannot find. so i have a question that i am sure has been asked a million times but what kind of kibble seems to work best for greyhounds? i just adopted a 9yr pretty girl and she is an extremely picky eater but i am transitioning from free feeding into a regular schedule so hopefully that will help. however, what has been your experiences with different foods? i looked up the kibble grade and saw that iams lamb and rice ranked a D and blue buffalo which i was more thinking towards is a 106 A however i am open to literally any suggestion it doesn't have to just be those two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clawsandpaws Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 My guy was on a bunch of different foods over the past year that I have had him. He did well on Blue Buffalo freedom, but his stools were never 100% we tried Taste of the Wild, Wellness, and Nutromax to name a few. I finally tried the IAMS green bag to the suggestion of some people on here, and I love it. As one of my grey friends said "You can pick it up with chopsticks!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kkaiser104 Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I personally believe the kibble rating system should be taken with a grain of salt. What's in the food is not always as important as how your dog reacts to it. I fed Teddi a bunch of things to get his sensitive belly under control, and finally settled on salmon and sweet potato 4health (available only at tractor supply). He was on IAMs green bag for a while, but it started upsetting his belly. Some dogs will just always be sensitive, and I can't afford to feed raw or homemade. Teddi does much better on a "lean" protein verses lamb or venison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dramaqueen Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I've been feeding my Ruby "Kibbles & Bits" Beef & vegtables for 6 yrs now. Before her I also feed this to my Kobi & zac. Zac lived a good life until a stroke took him from me 5 yrs ago & Kobi ate it for the 7 yrs I had him. Ruby does very well on this food also mixed with a half can of Pedigree with a small piece of cube steak or alittle tuna mixed in once or twice a week. she is healthy & strong & she is regular with no problems. Every one has to figure out what's best for their particular dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I finally tried the IAMS green bag to the suggestion of some people on here, and I love it. As one of my grey friends said "You can pick it up with chopsticks!" Same. Don't read too far into the rating system. The biggest factor to consider is what YOUR individual dog does well on. The adoption group where I got Henry runs a greyhound kennel / high-end doggie boarding and daycare business. They have exclusively fed Iams for 10+ years. The breeder where Truman came from breeds show quality AKC Championship dogs, and she feeds Kirklands (Costco brand). You can drive yourself crazy trying to find a quote unquote "good" food and neglect your dog's individual needs in the process. I went through four different boutique brands before switching to Iams (believe me, the only person who had any hang-ups about it was ME, not the dogs). Don't buy into all the hype regarding grain free, limited ingredient, organic, etc. It's just that- hype. What I'm trying to say is that many of our dogs do well on Iams, and they are all perfectly healthy. Unless you're having problems with her current food (diarrhea, gas, poor coat condition, allergies), my advice is don't fix what isn't broken. A food transition is stressful on any dog, especially an older dog. Why rock the boat for no reason? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwnedBySummer Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Another convert here to the Iams green bag. Quote Lisa B. My beautiful Summer - to her forever home May 1, 2010 Summer Certified therapy dog team with St. John Ambulance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feisty49 Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) It took me months to find a kibble combo that firmed up Annie's poo. Before that, her poo varied from OK to soft serve to downright mushy. (You'll find we're pretty blunt in our descriptions. No beating around the bush when it comes to getting the point across.) I too switched to Iams in the Green Bag (Proactive Health Adult Dog Minichunks Dry Dog Food). She wasn't crazy about the flavor (at least that's how I interpreted it) so I added Nutro Natural Choice Adult Venison Meal & Whole Brown Rice Dry Dog Food. Her poos got better and after I added beet pulp, it got downright perfect 95% of the time (giving her something like a bully stick can screw up things a bit). Annie now gets: 3 cups of food a day, split between breakfast and supper. It consists of half Iams in Green Bag and half Nutro Venison. I also add a couple of squirts of fish oil and a tablespoon or two of beet pulp OR an envelope of FortiFlora (a probiotic). Except for some really lousy foods (Gravy Train comes to mind though my dog when I was a child thrived on it), I personally wouldn't worry too much about what's the best. As others have said already and others will say, whatever works for your dog is what's best for your dog. Some Greys thrive on super expensive, high-end kibble. Others, mine included, don't, as evidenced by real mushy poos if not diarrhea. And one other suggestion: Once you find a food your girl tolerates and you like, stick with it. For a while, even after Annie's poos were getting a high rating, I would occasionally introduce a "better" food because don't we want what's best for our houndies? I got over that. What works is what works so I no longer food around. Edited January 10, 2013 by Feisty49 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubcitypam Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Don't get sucked into rating systems. Most of them are the opinion of one person and based totally on ingredients. Like Alicia said, go by what works for your dog and if it ain't broke don't fix it. I was a demo person for Blue and it was the only food that was ever a total fail here - not just with my grumbly tummy dog but the girl grey and Poodle. No matter how long I tried to transition it was major loose poop all around. When I was trying to fix grumbly tummy Rex I tried several higher end foods - Blue, Wellness, California Natural, Innova, Natural Balance, Nature's Recipe (everyone hated it) and a couple of others. Iams green bag finally fixed him. I've had good results with Iams, Purina One and Natural Balance (with Poodle). I just try to avoid meat and bone meal as much as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Most of the supposedly better foods have not worked well here. Over the years our big winners have been IAMS (green bag and red bag) and Purina ONE Sensitive Systems. An individual dog may have done well on some fancier food, but IAMS and ONE are the foods that many of our own dogs and guests' dogs have thrived on. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sirsmom Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I feed what works which is half iams lamb and half purina one and both dogs here do great on it and never get tired of it. It took many years of many food trials before finding what works. If you feel you need something more holistic you could always try a little fancy canned food on top of a more basic kibble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WhiteWave Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I have fed more foods than I can count and one dog always has an issue. Right now I'm switching the dogs to Annamaet Extra and so for they are doing well on it so far. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beachbum1 Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 My guy was on a bunch of different foods over the past year that I have had him. He did well on Blue Buffalo freedom, but his stools were never 100% we tried Taste of the Wild, Wellness, and Nutromax to name a few. I finally tried the IAMS green bag to the suggestion of some people on here, and I love it. As one of my grey friends said "You can pick it up with chopsticks!" yup......sure can Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lovey_Hounds Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I have tired high end food and low end foods my best advice is to find a food that works well for your dog. the foods I have found work the best for my bunch and Kirkland Chicken and rice, Pedigree vitality, Acana ranch lands and Acana Duck and Bartlett pear. my dogs all have nice shiny coats, good teeth and good energy level and thats what counts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cleptogrey Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Same. Don't read too far into the rating system. The biggest factor to consider is what YOUR individual dog does well on. The adoption group where I got Henry runs a greyhound kennel / high-end doggie boarding and daycare business. They have exclusively fed Iams for 10+ years. The breeder where Truman came from breeds show quality AKC Championship dogs, and she feeds Kirklands (Costco brand). You can drive yourself crazy trying to find a quote unquote "good" food and neglect your dog's individual needs in the process. I went through four different boutique brands before switching to Iams (believe me, the only person who had any hang-ups about it was ME, not the dogs). Don't buy into all the hype regarding grain free, limited ingredient, organic, etc. It's just that- hype. What I'm trying to say is that many of our dogs do well on Iams, and they are all perfectly healthy. Unless you're having problems with her current food (diarrhea, gas, poor coat condition, allergies), my advice is don't fix what isn't broken. A food transition is stressful on any dog, especially an older dog. Why rock the boat for no reason? well said, basically go for what you can afford, what ever is local and most importantly...WHAT AGREES WITH YOUR DOG! it's all trial and error. if you buy from a pet store check their return policy- don't throw food out and transition sloooowly. i just changed to a med quality food, good ingredients, greyt price...blue seal lamb and rice availabe at feed stores. dogs are doing well, my friend w/ 9 dogs- danes and greys turned me on to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imonlyme07 Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 thanks guys! so much info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Whatever she was eating before you got her! There is no right answer. I will say that the ONLY food that gave my dog terrible diarrhea was Blue Buffalo. Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BlackandTan Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I was doing the Iam's green bag but then a Tractor Supply opened around the corner from me and tryed Diamond Naturals... The dogs love it and its like they are still on Iams referring to their poops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BellaBean Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I would be careful with diamond naturals. That's what I was feeding mine, but last year they had all those recalls and it seemed like everyday they were adding more and more of the serial numbers to it. I finally got too scared to feed it to mine anymore after a friend's dog who was eating it got sick. I started them on earthborn, which is made in indiana, and Acana. It works well for mine Quote **Shellie with GiGi aka: Good Girl (Abita Raginflame X Ace High Heart) and two honorary hounds Butter and Bella** https://www.etsy.com/shop/GiGisCloset2?ref=si_shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedHead Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Acana is my personal favourite. Great ingredients, one of the few foods that (as far as I know) doesn't have any ingredients from China, and it seems to agree with a lot of dogs who don't normally do well on some of the higher meat or grain free foods. It is quite expensive on the downside, but I do believe in this case you are getting what you pay for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BellaBean Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Acana is my personal favourite. Great ingredients, one of the few foods that (as far as I know) doesn't have any ingredients from China, and it seems to agree with a lot of dogs who don't normally do well on some of the higher meat or grain free foods. It is quite expensive on the downside, but I do believe in this case you are getting what you pay for. I agree! My lab has had severe food allergies and would go a few months before getting sick on every food we tried. After having him on Science Diet's allergy food (gross...science diet is junk, but the only thing that wouldn't make him sick) for 6 months I just couldn't stand to feed him that junk anymore and went on the hunt for a good quality food for him. His coat had got so dull and coarse. I finally found Acana Pacifica and it has been a godsend! It is pricey, but you feed way less. He is 80 pounds and eats 2 cups a day (1 in the morning and 1 at night). He has been on it for over a year with no problems! Quote **Shellie with GiGi aka: Good Girl (Abita Raginflame X Ace High Heart) and two honorary hounds Butter and Bella** https://www.etsy.com/shop/GiGisCloset2?ref=si_shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lovey_Hounds Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Acana is my personal favourite. Great ingredients, one of the few foods that (as far as I know) doesn't have any ingredients from China, and it seems to agree with a lot of dogs who don't normally do well on some of the higher meat or grain free foods. It is quite expensive on the downside, but I do believe in this case you are getting what you pay for. Acana is a great food a bit pricey and you are right there is no outsourced ingredients ALL ingredients are from Canada http://acana.com/about-acana/never-outsourced where i work i get a free medium bag a month and we love it. I normally go between the ranch lands and the Duck an Bartlett pear and mix it with my Kirkland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WhiteWave Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I loved Acana. The dogs looked awesome on it and had small, firm poop that was easy to clean up. Coats were great too. Just got too pricey b/c I needed 3-4 bags a month and then they still wanted their raw food, can food and healthy toppers. I was spending more than my car payment on dog food and I was eating ramen noodle! So we had to compromise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 2greys2cats Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 . Her poos got better and after I added beet pulp, it got downright perfect 95% of the time (giving her something like a bully stick can screw up things a bit). Where do you find beet pulp, and is it a powder or shredded? Do you have to soak it? I'm very interested in exploring this. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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