Dog food at Costco vs Evolve (what they are currently eating)? (how much, lab)
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Evolve Maintenance Formula with Chicken. No corn, wheat, or soy. I switched them about a year ago from cheap grocery store food. The dogs actually smelled like corn (!) and were itchy all the time, especially the oldest.
The younger dog does much better on the Evolve. His coat is much improved and poop is how it should be. Our older dog, however, has shown some small improvements (coat) but she still tends to get periods of being gassy / bloated or appearing to be constipated. She is an 8 year old lab. She's always been "prone" to gassiness, even as a young dog. Her stools are much better than when she was on the grocery store cheap food though, that was awful (and awful to clean up on walks), so there is a positive change but I am not convinced it's best for her. Also, seeing as how she sleeps in our room, I'd like to get a handle on the gas issue! It's not all the time but when it is an issue, well, it'll wake you up from a deep sleep! But she is still better off now; she goes once a day vs the several times a day she used to need to go (I wondered if she was absorbing anything from the cheap stuff!?)...
The younger one is her "puppy", he is a lab/Shih-tzu mix (long story) and he is 2.5. I kind of suspect that food-wise, he could live out of dumpsters and still be okay. It's his mom that is more sensitive.
So anyway, I pay about a $1 a pound for the Evolve and I chose it over some others I'd researched because I can get it at my local grocery store. I didn't want to limit myself to something I could only afford if I bought it online, having to worry about running out, being out of stock online, shipping it here, etc. I really am more comfy with something I can physically purchase locally if at all possible.
I am considering a Costco membership for many reasons, and I have heard good things about some of the dog foods sold there. I would like y'alls opinions and if possible, ideas about the cost (is it going to be about the same?). I've read various ratings and so forth online but would still like more input.
if you feed kibble Costco does have some good choices in their Kirkland brand. If you do change foods be sure and do so gradually to avoid stomach upsets.
I fed only Costco brand for many years and my guys did fine. I now use a rotating food plan of three different foods (four months on each) and Costco's Nature's Domain food is one of the three I use.
Recently paid $30.99 for a 35 pound bag of it. A friend bought some of the original stuff and it was $25.99 for a 40 pound bag. So it is considerably less expensive than most of the premium brands which tend to run 50 - 60 dollars for about 35 pounds.
I'm glad to see in your research you looked at http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/. I just putting the direct link here in case others were curious or doing their own research.
I don't use any of the Kirkland foods. Because I had a (dare I say) kooky breeder that requires me to feed a mail order, baked, grain-free food. It's a 4-star food according to the site above. It's not cheap either (40#, with shipping and tax was about $77) but the convenience of having it show up on my doorstep is nice.
Last edited by LakesideAnnie; 02-01-2013 at 09:22 AM..
Reason: add link
There are several dog foods at Costco. The Nutro Nuggets are fine to use as a mid price food. The Nature's Domain is the same as the really expensive super premium foods, but priced about $20 less. Read and compare ingredient labels and it is one of the expensive ones relabeled for Costco.
For the gassy Lab, have you tried giving live culture yogurt as a regular routine in the diet? Yogurt will solve a lot of gas issues.
Costco-Kirkland food is great. I always used the weight control food for my dogs and they stayed nice and trim.
Now I am using Kirkland puppy food and my pup responds well to it.
If you take a Kirkland kibble and put it in a glass of warm to hot water it does not expand that much. Try that with other brands and you will see how large it gets. That is a good test to see how much the food would expand in your dogs tummy for bloat considerations.
evolve is better, but kirkland band (especially thier grain free line if your store carries it) are GREAT foods too, gassy dog could actually be finding the evolve too rich and may do better on the kirkland brand.
id suggest getting a little bag and trying it...
i DONT do a gradual switch over, ive found in the bettr quality foods theres NO need to, and i love that my dogs can go form one brand ot nother with no problem if i cant get a certin brand...
also for gassy lab...Parsley...it doesnt remove the gas as such (though that should be helped if it is a reaction to a food thats a tad too rich) BUT its a de-oderizor...and it WORKS! lol.
it was a trick told to me by a bulldog breeder frined (as we know gassy breed lol) and thus far ive not had anyone tell me it doesnt help. about 2 teaspoons of dry per day for a lab sized dog, just toss breakfast with a little water (enough to moisten the kibble so the dry parsley sticks) and then mix in the parsely or back parsely into home made dog cookies ect..
also helps with doggy breath
There are several dog foods at Costco. The Nutro Nuggets are fine to use as a mid price food. The Nature's Domain is the same as the really expensive super premium foods, but priced about $20 less. Read and compare ingredient labels and it is one of the expensive ones relabeled for Costco.
For the gassy Lab, have you tried giving live culture yogurt as a regular routine in the diet? Yogurt will solve a lot of gas issues.
I never thought of yogurt which is strange because it is something I buy lot of, push my kids to eat, and eat daily myself to keep things in order. We usually have Greek with fruit and plain Stoneyfield farms and an assortment of others on hand around here. How much would I give her?
Thanks to everyone who replied. It sounds like I can try out one of these foods and even save a little at the same time, which would be nice.
So, foxywench, you're saying the parsley will make the end results not so smelly if she still has gas?
I just bought some of that salmon kibble which is a new product at my local Costco. Dogs liked it right away. Usually, I have to add a little something to flavor their kibble (cheese, rice, etc) but they'll actually eat this stuff plain (although I still add something to it most times...hubby says they eat better than we do!).
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She is an 8 year old lab. She's always been "prone" to gassiness, even as a young dog. Her stools are much better than when she was on the grocery store cheap food though, that was awful (and awful to clean up on walks), so there is a positive change but I am not convinced it's best for her. Also, seeing as how she sleeps in our room, I'd like to get a handle on the gas issue! 
It's not all the time but when it is an issue, well, it'll wake you up from a deep sleep! But she is still better off now; she goes once a day vs the several times a day she used to need to go (I wondered if she was absorbing anything from the cheap stuff!?)... 
or back parsely into home made dog cookies ect..
