Information on Quality Dog FoodsPlaces to Purchase Quality Dog Foods . . .1) Pet Department Store and Corner Pet Store and Pets to Go have very knowledgeable and friendly staff and offer a great variety of high-quality pet foods, supplements and pet supplies. One highly recommended brand they all sell is Evo by Innova, which is a grain-free dog food that is a great food in general but is especially good for dogs with allergies, digestive problems or obesity. Another highly-recommended, top quality grain-free food is Orijen. Click to locate an Evo retailer or Orijen retailer near you.
Pet Department Store The Corner Pet All Natural Store and Wellness Center Pets to Go
4747 J Street 9332 Elk Grove Boulevard, Suite 100 9098 Laguna Main
Sacramento, CA 95819 Elk Grove, CA 95624 Elk Grove, CA
(916) 455-5161 (916) 686-9699 (916) 691-7387
2) If you normally only go to PetSmart, PetCo, Pet Club or another chain store for dog food, the vast majority of the foods that they sell do not come recommended from the nutrition experts, but a few that are recommended if you are only able to shop at a chain pet supply store are below in order of preference. We consulted with a vet who is an expert in nutrition to create this list.
Organix sold at PetCo
Blue Buffalo sold at PetCo and PetsMart
Wellness sold at PetCo and Pet Club
Merrick sold at Pet Club
3) If it is just too cost-prohibitive for you to buy a very high quality food, I would recommend purchasing CostCo's own brand (Kirkland), which sells for about $21.00 for a 40 lb. bag. The first ingredients in their dry dog food are chicken, then chicken meal (or lamb, then lamb meal), and third is whole grain brown rice. You won't likely find their ingredient list in other warehouse store or grocery store brand foods. Attachment with full ingredient list of Kirkland's (dry food) chicken formula as well as lamb formula at bottom of page.
To Sum It Up . . . 1. When buying commercial foods, brands such as Evo or Orijen -- sold at most specialty stores and some feed stores -- are your best bets for quality. (Click to find an Evo retailer or an Orijen retailer near you.)
2. If you can't go to a specialty store, then the brands named above from PetCo, PetsMart and Pet Club are your next best bets.
3. If you're on a tight budget and the foods we've mentioned by name are cost-prohibitive, CostCo's own brand (Kirkland) seems to be the best quality for your money.
Important notes:
1. Paula Terifaj, DVM, a dog food nutrition expert, recommends, quote, "adding whole foods (cooked chicken, eggs, canned fish, cottage cheese, etc.) as often as possible to decrease the amount of kibble fed - adding excellent sources of protein which also offers variety."
2. Sadly, many vets have not kept apprised of current developments in nutrition as affecting animal health. We recommend independently researching any food your vet recommends. (See sections below on how to read dog food labels for yourself.)
3. One thing that nutrition experts will tell you is that a well-known, well-promoted brand does not always equal high quality.
The Dog Food Project . . .Learn How to Read Dog Food Labels for Yourself A great starting place for learning the basics of reading dog food labels and what the ingredient list and other terms do and do not mean can be found on the web site of The Dog Food Project in an article called Label Information 101.
The home page of the The Dog Food Project talks about a very well-known, high-priced, often prescribed dog food and what you can learn from picking up a bag of it and actually reading the ingredient list.
Another article on The Dog Food Project web site lists Ingredients to Avoid in dog foods and tells why it is you should avoid these ingredients.
Study Shows Even Moderate Excess Body Weight Leads to Detrimental Health Effects . . .
Here is a link to an American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition article discussing a 14-year study which showed various health benefits as well as increased longevity as a result of not overfeeding your dog. This study showed that even a moderate degree of excess body weight can have detrimental effects on health.
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"How to Feed Your Dog if You Flunked Rocket Science—the smart way to feed your dog on your budget." |
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Information on Current Canine Vaccination Guidelines:
If your veterinarian is still indicating your dog needs yearly vaccinations against such diseases as distemper, parvovirus, etc., you might want to research that issue a little further on your own.
Here is an article from The Bark magazine by Barbara Royal DVM on vaccination schedules and use of titers.
Here is what the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has to say on the subject of Canine Vaccine Guidelines Revised.
An excerpt from the above link indicates, quote: "To stay abreast of the changing landscape of vaccinations, it’s important for companion animal practitioners to review the updated guidelines,” said Daniel Aja, DVM, AAHA president. “We have gained new knowledge over the past three years – especially in the field of duration of immunity studies and shelter medicine. These important updates are well referenced and are reflected in the 2006 edition of our guidelines.”
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has also produced an article on this subject entitled Vaccination Principles.
An excerpt from this AVMA article states, quote: "The one-year revaccination recommendation found on many vaccine
labels is often based on historical precedent and was allowed by USDA regulation since it was based on the best scientific knowledge available at that time, which did not necessarily include product specific data. Even in those cases where scientific data were submitted to qualify a revaccination label claim, the data generally targeted a minimum duration of immunity and did not necessarily resolve the question regarding average or maximum duration of immunity."
Dr. Paula Terifaj, DVM has written a book called, "How to Protect Your Dog From a Vaccine Junkie" and also has a blog on this topic. Among much other information, Dr. Terifaj's blog on Sounding the Vaccine Alarm Bell comments on the following points made by the AVMA:
1) Vaccination is a potent medical procedure with both benefits and risks.
2) There is no proof that many of the yearly vaccinations are necessary.
3) Immunity from vaccines in many instances can be lifelong.
Book: How to Protect Your Dog From a Vaccine Junkie, by Paula Terifaj, DVM . . .
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"How to Protect Your Dog from a Vaccine Junkie—save your dog from unnecessary vaccines |
TO ORDER, CLICK HERE
Information on Getting Help for Your Itchy Dog:
If you are feeling as if you have tried everything under the sun and your dog is still suffering from allergies, you might consider reading Dr. Terifaj's book which shows you how to successfully conquer your dog's allergies.
Book: How to Solve the Mystery of Your Itchy Dog, by Paula Terifaj, DVM . . .
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"How to Solve the Mystery of Your Itchy Dog—get real help for your dog's allergies." |
TO ORDER, CLICK HERE
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