Settlement: Expensive food does NOT extend the life of dogs
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That might be true but I still won't go to the cheap stuff. I have found their poo smells less and is easier to pick up when we feed them Iams or Science Diet. As far as I am concerned, money well spent.
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Eukanuba is expensive, but not high quality. This is a link to their "premium performance" food. 2nd ingredient, chicken byproduct meal (something very different from chicken meal, which is a quality ingredient), followed by several grain ingredients... bleh.
As an FYI, according to studies and test published in the Journal of Animal Science (a non bias scientific organization) all the studies have shown no difference in Meal and By-Product Meal.
A high quality By-Product Meal is just as high quality as a high quality Meal. And both can be as high a quality as a high quality Whole Product. Note the key term being used is High Quality. Their studies and test have shown that there are just as many garbage Meals as their are garbage By-Product Meals and garbage Whole Products.
Unless a consumer knows where the Meal, By-Product Meal or Whole Product is sourced from and/or processed, there is absolutely no truth that one is better than the other. An expensive product using garbage Meal is still garbage! A cheaper product using high quality By Product Meal will be much better for your pet.
Expensive does not always cover best quality. The largest expense is advertising for some of The worst foods for your money. Question the cost if your feed is highly advertised (especially on tv).
There are plenty of online calculators that will help you breakdown or compare your dogs food (acts too).
Dog food advisor is just one.
If it works for your dog, and for you then certainly go with it.
1. Any and every "study" or "comparison" of commercial dog foods is of questionable value. Fifty years ago I was told that dog food "studies" were questionable because they were paid for by people who profited from dog food sales. It hasn't changed.
2. The whole grain-free thing is, how can I politely and affirmatively say this? It is BS. Dogs evolved eating from human garbage piles. In between wolves and modern dogs are junkyard dogs. Garbage contained lots of carb waste. Stale bread etc. Historically, we have written records of what dogs were fed - 200 - 300 years ago. A lot of bread. With a little meat when it was available. Or the dog scavenged from the neighborhood garbage. The "Big Macs" of 1650 did not go to waste when they got tossed by the roadside.
2.b. The whole grain-free thing is well-intentioned, and based on raw feeding (BARF, etc). Some raw feeding is great. Especially some meaty bones - calcium supplements by nature! And naturally clean teeth! Some RMB in the diet helps clean teeth, gives the dog some needed mental stimulation, etc.
My solution is not to feed commercial kibble at all. I use cheap chicken parts and make my own dog food - mostly chicken, some cooked rice - a little green beans and broccolli to add a bit of greens.
AFAIC, every commercial kibble is out there to take your money. Some are good, some are not so good. But I can beat the price of all but the cheapest (which contain lots of corn) by cooking my own dog food "stew" at home. I add in some local beef liver (still pretty cheap) and I get green tripe from a local "raw" dog food provider. The green tripe and some meaty bones a couple times a week get added to the standard "cheap chicken stew" dog food. And I spend less by far than any but the cheapest kibbles.
1. Any and every "study" or "comparison" of commercial dog foods is of questionable value. Fifty years ago I was told that dog food "studies" were questionable because they were paid for by people who profited from dog food sales. It hasn't changed.
2. The whole grain-free thing is, how can I politely and affirmatively say this? It is BS. Dogs evolved eating from human garbage piles. In between wolves and modern dogs are junkyard dogs. Garbage contained lots of carb waste. Stale bread etc. Historically, we have written records of what dogs were fed - 200 - 300 years ago. A lot of bread. With a little meat when it was available. Or the dog scavenged from the neighborhood garbage. The "Big Macs" of 1650 did not go to waste when they got tossed by the roadside.
2.b. The whole grain-free thing is well-intentioned, and based on raw feeding (BARF, etc). Some raw feeding is great. Especially some meaty bones - calcium supplements by nature! And naturally clean teeth! Some RMB in the diet helps clean teeth, gives the dog some needed mental stimulation, etc.
1- I work for a major pet food/supply store (the BIG one) and I agree with your statement. There are simply NO studies or comparisons without some degree of bias.
2- I disagree somewhat with you on this point. Many people are eating 'gluten-free' foods now, even though they don't need them (no gluten intolerance or celiac disease). The same is true for what they/we feed our dogs and many people think 'Grain-Free' is healthier or superior in some way.
BUT selective (or not-so-selective) breeding to achieve certain physical characteristics (size, color, etc.) has caused many dogs to have an intolerance and/or allergy to certain grains. Wheat is the most common grain allergy.
Grain allergies (or other food allergies) can also show up when a dog reaches the 'senior' life stage (usually 8yrs and up). My Golden Retriever started scratching, chewing at spots on his front legs (until he made sores) and having loose bowel movements about two years ago. The vet ruled out any disease or sickness that could cause it. At that time, I switched him from Blue Buffalo 'Life Protection Formula' (their standard product) to Blue FREEDOM (grain-free). In two weeks, all of the itching and skin condition was cleared up and he was doing great.
As further proof that he is intolerant of wheat- my parents take him (their 'Grand Dog' as they call him) to their cabin in North Carolina sometimes. They went for four days over the July 4th weekend and took him along. I sent his food and treats, but they weren't aware that I was specifically trying to avoid wheat. They spoil him rotten and, despite my instructions to the contrary, they give him table food. My mom admitted to giving him at least four or five slices of bread over the four days. He was already scratching and biting as his paws again when he returned home. After a week without bread (or wheat of any kind), he stopped scratching.
BUT selective (or not-so-selective) breeding to achieve certain physical characteristics (size, color, etc.) has caused many dogs to have an intolerance and/or allergy to certain grains. Wheat is the most common grain allergy.
Grain allergies (or other food allergies) can also show up when a dog reaches the 'senior' life stage (usually 8yrs and up).
My dog was fed food containing grains for his first years of life, and he did fine. But as he got older, his stools got loose - and by loose, I mean, it was difficult and messy to pick them up on our walks. Gross. So I did some experimenting and found grain free. Stools were back to what they are supposed to be - solid, formed, and easy to pick up.
One of my sons visited and brought along some dog treats containing wheat. Those loose stools returned, along with the most awful dog farts. Stopped feeding the treats, and the solid stools were back once again.
Since feeding grain-free, there are no more dog farts.
Good grief. The title of this thread and the title of the article are both deceptive. The article wasn't talking about ALL "expensive" dog foods, just one very particular brand that practiced questionable advertising.
Presumably this thread title was taken from the title of the article "The arf-ful truth: That pricey dog food won't extend Fido's life". However, the article is referencing a very specific food made by Mars Petcare/Eukaneuba whose advertising claimed that their food allowed a dog to live 30% longer. (If I recall correctly, Eukaneuba is equivalent to Science Diet). So, no, this very specific dog food referenced in the article does not extend a dog's life 30% more.
Good high quality food (expensive or not) is better and healthier for our pets than crap food in the same way we humans are healthier (and thus likely to live longer) if we eat a healthy balanced diet of fresh non-processed foods.
Yes. The article really was just about Eukaneuba's marketing department foolishly running with platitudes like dogs living 30% longer.
I'd hate for dog owners to misunderstand and start buying low-quality, grain-filled foods instead of quality dog foods.
It reminds me of a recent report that flossing (human teeth) was proven useless. Just not true...
1- I work for a major pet food/supply store (the BIG one) and I agree with your statement. There are simply NO studies or comparisons without some degree of bias.
2- I disagree somewhat with you on this point. . . .many dogs to have an intolerance and/or allergy to certain grains. Wheat is the most common grain allergy.
. . .
Quote:
Originally Posted by PeachSalsa
My dog was fed food containing grains for his first years of life, and he did fine. But as he got older, his stools got loose - and by loose, I mean, it was difficult and messy to pick them up on our walks. Gross. So I did some experimenting and found grain free. Stools were back to what they are supposed to be - solid, formed, and easy to pick up.
. . .
Since feeding grain-free, there are no more dog farts.
I love it! One of the OLDEST medicinal practices known is to check the poop! This is almost forgotten in this age of modern medicine! I check my dogs poop on a regular basis.
I can not argue with such convincing anecdotes about your dogs! And, I must say, I am not satisfied with describing the grain-free fad as "BS". That is so brutal a phrase - where finesse is needed. But my problem is, how can it be said, and be accurate?
I could willingly buy into this statement: "Dogs can eat and digest grains, but may have more digestive and tolerance problems than you would find in humans". But that is a lot of words! Too many words and a lot of people tune out. And, in case you had not noticed, I am not noted for the brevity of my posts. But I try, every time.
What I loved about your posts is that you are obviously paying great attention to YOUR dogs and their health!
I am trying to make the point that grain is not a killer. It is an acceptable nutritional source for dogs. It may not be the BEST nutritional source, but it is acceptable. Think of the zoo, and the animals who get to eat the popcorn the visitors bring. (Or the park squirrels - you get the idea). Those critters who eat a lot of that popcorn will often have bad fur, or plumage. You'll see a skimpy tail, or patchy fur, or ragged feathers. They can live on popcorn and cotton candy - but it ain't a good diet.
But that is an extreme. What concerns me is that many people are now trying to cut grains out of their dogs' diets all across the board. Which I think is a bad idea. One outcome is that the pet food companies make a lot of undue profit because we are buying in to this (literally). Another outcome is that we see dogs with kidney issues from too much protein / meat.
I don't buy cheap dog foods. But I've known families of dogs who have live full lifespans of rich lives while eating stuff that makes me cringe.
If you have a dog who is having digestive issues - too much gas - loose poops - etc - one needs to adjust their diet! But if there are no issues, then why spend the extra money for the premium food? If you can afford it, great! But a lack of knowledge and selectiveness on the part of the consumers (us dog owners) is BAD for the dog food market. It leads to a lack of competition, and eventually THAT drives prices up, and quality down.
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