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Favorite food to feed. Thanks.

I don't know about favorite, but 4 bags of this get delivered to the house every month and the 3 Sheperds chow it down, no problems.


Hill's Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Chicken Recipe

I alternate between raw pigtails and raw whole chicken legs as the main staple, bone-in, of course. I supplement that with a small piece of beef liver every day, a few frozen berries (a variety of them), and a fish oil gelcap. Several times a week, they get one or two raw eggs, too. Occasionally, when I can find them, I feed them a raw beef kidney in place of the pork or chicken, for some variety.

Been doing this for many years. My oldest dog will be 12 this spring, and still looks and behaves like a dog in her prime. Both my dogs have pearly white teeth, with no plaque buildup, healthy gums, sweet breath, and have never needed a teeth cleaning.

It's a big yellow bag that says "premium" Dog Food.

It comes from the farm supply store and costs 23 bucks for 40 pounds.

Watch out for grain-free dog foods that use legumes.

A report from the FDA finding a correlation between grain-free dog food and Dilated Cardio Myopathy in dogs:

https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterina...-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy

A report from the Tufts Veterinary School that reports a link between legumes and DCM. Most dog foods that are grain-free use legumes instead of grains as the filler:

https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2021/09/diet-associated-dcm-research-update/

I lost a great hunting dog, Gretel, at 7-years old due to this legume/DCM problem. It is not the presence or lack of grain that is the problem, it is the presence of legumes that interfere with the uptake of taurine, which is essential for canine heart health. No one knew about this problem when I choose the dog's food in 2015.

Gretel was an incredible athlete, and a rockstar in the uplands and in the water. I fed her "Orijen" from puppy-hood to the DCM diagnosis at 7-years old, as diagnosed by a canine cardiologist by echo cardiogram. Part of the danger of diet-based DCM, is that there are usually little-to-no symptoms until the DCM is well advanced.

I immediately switched to a non-grain-free food, but the damage was done and it was too late for Gretel to recover. The irony is, I chose the food because it had lots of high quality animal protein in it, I could care less about the grain-free aspect (which is just marketing BS, IMHO). Not all dogs are susceptible to this, but if it is, you'll be very sorry if you feed it a food with legumes in it, and you won't know it is a problem until it is too late.

The cardiologist recommended not relying on only one food for the dog, but, instead, rotating between two or three high quality brands. When one bag runs out, replace it with a second brand, and when that one runs out, replace it with a third brand. Repeat that cycle throughout the dog's life. Super easy to do, and any unknown problems with one formulation are mitigated by the other formulations.

Gretel at 4-years old:



Gretel's first goose retrieve:

[img]https://photos.smugmug.com/201...retel%20%20%2811-15-19%29-1920.mp4[/img]

No need to believe me, a company's marketing claims, or self-appointed internet gurus because there's plenty of research-based info available from respected vet schools on the subject.

Grains have no place in the diet of a canid. If there's a problem with "grain-free" processed dog foods, it's because the ingredients they use do not match a natural canid diet.

Chicken based food jacked up my Australian Sheppard eyes.

We switched to beef and lamb (switch between the two)... and his eyes cleared up in a few weeks.

YMMV

Blue Buffalo Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe, costs a bit more, but the dogs love it and appear to thrive on it.
Easy to clean up after them in the yard too.

It's a grain free old dog formula from Tractor Supply for Dillon.

The Vet pets him and always tells us not to change a thing we do with him.

He has the softest coat of any Boxer I've ever met.
Don't know if that's food, him, or both.

I use Eagle Pack dog food. I buy it online since I don't think it's available locally.

https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/eagle-pack-dog-food/

Ground deer meat with frozen vegetables mixed in.


Greg

Naturals[Diamond]
Chicken/Rice, supplemented with ground venison.

Last night my mutt slobbered down a 14 oz Wagyu Ribeye and a butter soaked baked Sweet Potato followed by 4 Milkbone Flavor Snacks for dessert(1 of each flavor).

Oddly enough, as much as he enjoys a well cooked steak his true preference is a toss up between Lasagna and Baked Chicken. A whole chicken will last him about 2 1/2 to 3 days.

His regular dog food is cheap azzed Pedigree Small Bites which he consumes a consistent amount of daily along with whatever I'm cooking for dinner.

Purina Naturals. 53$, and tax for 40 pounds.

Iams Puppy Food For Large Dogs.

Fromm Gold adult. Good stuff. Doc River is an 85# HiBred Labrahound, 8 yo. Has been on the Fromm since he came home at 9 mo. Good pooch.

https://www.frommfamily.com/products/dog/gold/dry/#adult-gold

Beautiful pic[and dog].

Bones, too, I hope.

Fromm

Purina laced with chicken or beef broth...If I want to bulk them up in combination with exercise then it gets milk...Contrary to some reports milk causes them no problems. During hard hunting, will add eggs. Additional fat if it is cold out.