sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,574
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Jul 2, 2014 14:25:12 GMT
The vet, of course, has Science Diet. This vet is very astute at sales, and stocks many, MANY of the 'prescriptive' pet foods for various ailments and issues a pet might have. There is a special food if your dog has/needs help with: - allergies
- glucose management
- sensitive stomach
- renal health
- weight loss
- dental health
- urinary tract health
- mobility issues
- active longevity....
I'm sure there are even more. I don't know what you do if your dog has a combination of ailments/needs?
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Post by mom2jnk on Jul 2, 2014 14:32:37 GMT
Craziness! Although, given the insane number of choices we have in people food in the grocery stores these days, is it any wonder that the same happens with dog's food too?
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Post by *christine* on Jul 2, 2014 14:35:05 GMT
Our grocery stores have "fresh", refrigerated dog food now, too!!
Poor Remy the killer Shih Tzu gets just plain old kibble.
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Post by ingrid6 on Jul 2, 2014 14:38:50 GMT
It's crazy isn't it! And crazy expensive! We feed our big beast <-- said with nothing but affection and our 2 Tzu's Taste of the Wild (different formulas of course It's about $50.00 a bag. The little dogs don't eat much but Bear eats like a horse. When Bear was having some stomach issues he was put on the Science Diet dry and wet food. I bought it through my vet's office and the dry food was $92.00 and if my memory is correct I think each can of wet was just under $3.00. He was on that 'diet' for a month. Made Taste of the Wild look cheap!
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iowgirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,115
Jun 25, 2014 22:52:46 GMT
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Post by iowgirl on Jul 2, 2014 14:42:37 GMT
My dog is 10. He is a farm dog. He eats dog food that comes in a 50# bag that gets delivered when we have protein delivered from the feed store. The feed guy puts it in the garage for me. The bag says "DOG FOOD" .. LOL I also get a big bag that says CAT FOOD. The dog really loves this.
My dog also likes to find the oldest and stinkiest dead critter and munch on that for pleasure. I try to lure him away and toss the smelly carcass in the burn barrel when I can.
It makes me chuckle to see all the high end special foods for the dogs.
My vet said "I don't know what you feed this dog, but he has the cleanest teeth." My vets don't sell any pet foods. I can get some Frontline and stuff like that if I need it. They give it to me at cost. Vaccines are at cost too and I just have them bring it out when they are coming for something else.
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Post by peajays on Jul 2, 2014 14:45:12 GMT
My DH laughs about this too....and says "for crying out loud, she'll eat her own poop....she doesn't need special food!"
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sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,574
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Jul 2, 2014 14:46:51 GMT
My dog is 10. He is a farm dog. He eats dog food that comes in a 50# bag that gets delivered when we have protein delivered from the feed store. The feed guy puts it in the garage for me. The bag says "DOG FOOD" .. LOL I also get a big bag that says CAT FOOD. The dog really loves this. My dog also likes to find the oldest and stinkiest dead critter and munch on that for pleasure. I try to lure him away and toss the smelly carcass in the burn barrel when I can. It makes me chuckle to see all the high end special foods for the dogs. My vet said "I don't know what you feed this dog, but he has the cleanest teeth." My vets don't sell any pet foods. I can get some Frontline and stuff like that if I need it. They give it to me at cost. Vaccines are at cost too and I just have them bring it out when they are coming for something else. You know, the wide span of how veterinarians do business is another topic that interests me (but then, I'm curious about the most mundane things, so....) The low-key vet that you described compared to the retail-minded that vet *I* described... there's a place for both of them in our economy. I take my dogs to the former (cheap vet) for vaccines, but MidgetheDachshund recently had a fancy ailment that the expensive vet has done a great job with. That's 'Merica! Free market variety.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 20, 2024 13:11:59 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2014 14:47:03 GMT
Our grocery stores have "fresh", refrigerated dog food now, too!! Poor Remy the killer Shih Tzu gets just plain old kibble. Actually I never paid attention to the "fresh" refrigerated food until my doggie stopped eating and wouldn't eat any of the other dog foods, including the expensive prescription vet foods....She woofs (yes all pun intended) this food right down...it does have great ingredients and costs less than some of the other "canned dog foods"
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Post by kristalina on Jul 2, 2014 14:49:25 GMT
Yea, it's a racket! We feed ours with 1/2 Costco old dog and 1/2 Blue Buffalo Salmon recipe for his hair loss/bald spots. He now has a nice full coat again - yea!! We could have probably gotten the same results with adding some olive oil to his dry food but we weren't very diligent about it.
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Post by kmk1112 on Jul 2, 2014 14:50:16 GMT
I was buying cat food yesterday at Target, and noticed they have a Super Premium section in both cat and dog food. When Premium just isn't good enough, you can get Super Premium foods.
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Nink
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,946
Location: North Idaho
Jul 1, 2014 23:30:44 GMT
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Post by Nink on Jul 2, 2014 14:59:06 GMT
It's crazy. My Aussie cattle dog has skin issues and yeast issues, itching so we had to put him on a grain free, potato free, low glycemic food. We buy Nutrisca salmon and chickpea at $67 for a 28 lb bag. So, we'll be eating Ramen for a week so he can have special food.
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Post by shevy on Jul 2, 2014 14:59:48 GMT
*raises hand* Hi, My name is Michelle and my dog is my child.
LOL We were having issues with excessive licking, scratching and hot spots. When I stopped the food with grains in it, he stopped most of this. But I also feed him some human food with the dry kibble. Blueberries, carrots, green beans, apples, pumpkin...or I mix it with a bit of coconut oil once a week.
*backs out of the thread cautiously...*
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Post by BeckyTech on Jul 2, 2014 15:05:31 GMT
I really lucked out when we changed vets a few months ago. My new one has a masters in nutrition. It's been a real eye opener. Here are a few interesting things he's told me:
1. The whole "grain free" thing is mostly marketing hype. There are many forms of grain that are fine for your dog.
2. I take back what I've said in the past about never feeding my dog Purina. The Purina One Sport is what he recommended for Lacey. It is closest in ingredients to the prescription Purina that he feeds his dogs - the prescription for joint health. Note: She didn't do quite as well on it as hoped so he said of all the premium foods about the only one he thought was worth the price was Merrick.
3. When I showed him the review for Purina One on Dog Food Advisor he laughed and pointed out the contradictions. He also said the main point of that site was to get you into an expensive premium food.
4. The most interesting thing he told me which applies to whatever food you feed your dog: A few years ago Purina did a study: they fed one group of dogs 20% less food than the control group. The group that got 20% less lived on average 2.5 years longer and had a whole slew less of joint and general health problems.
I'm now paranoid about making sure that Lacey stays sleek and trim.
He also said it's never too early to start them on Dasuquin. Even though Lacey is only 38-39lbs., he told me to get the large dog size.
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Post by mcscrapper on Jul 2, 2014 15:08:10 GMT
Pets are a bazillion gagillion dollar industry!
I admit to buying the "elderly" dog food for my 14 year old Chessie. I think it is Iams advanced maturity feed because the "older" variety only went up to age 10. It makes ME feel better anyway.
m
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iowgirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,115
Jun 25, 2014 22:52:46 GMT
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Post by iowgirl on Jul 2, 2014 15:08:31 GMT
My vet is FAR from a "cheap vet" - Our vets have a large animal practice, but do treat small animals. Our vet bills are far from "cheap" but they do the dog and cat stuff for us at cost since we use them exclusively for our livestock operation. I think really the only vaccine that they give the pets is Rabies. Most of the time, the other vaccines that do not require the DVM, we give do ourselves. My kids are all quite adept at vaccinating! LOL Different kind of syringe for cows vs. dogs/cats though. Big with lots of doses in each one for cows/calves. They just walk down the chutes and vaccinate. Just finished doing several groups last week - it goes so much faster when the kids are home and we can assign everyone a task. DH generally does the sick pens though. NO one EVER wants to temp the cows - LOL! Gaaaaa.....
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loco coco
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,662
Jun 26, 2014 16:15:45 GMT
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Post by loco coco on Jul 2, 2014 15:09:41 GMT
tell me about it! i think our dogs eat better than we do
we use Wellness Grain Free, $60 big bag and $2.50+ for the cans and we mix them! sometimes i will see the cans on Amazon sold by Wellness and I will buy in bulk... much cheaper!
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Post by pastlifepea on Jul 2, 2014 15:10:28 GMT
How about the dog popsicles over in the ice cream cooler? I am apparently low-brow because my dogs just get ice cubes from the refrigerator door. As soon as they hear the machine going they come running over for a "treat."
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scrapngranny
Pearl Clutcher
Only slightly senile
Posts: 4,759
Jun 25, 2014 23:21:30 GMT
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Post by scrapngranny on Jul 2, 2014 15:20:38 GMT
I buy the Costco brand for my dogs. When I had to board them 2 years ago there was a list of dog food they would not allow to be brought for the dogs staying, the Costco brand was one that got a thumbs up. If I had one small,dog I could easily see myself getting wrapped up in the speciality stuff, but with 3 bigger dogs, if have to be a little more frugal.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 20, 2024 13:11:59 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2014 15:28:31 GMT
We have a cat that would throw up any other food until we got her a sensitive stomach food. Do most animals need it? No. But some do. We are thankful for the choices. Our kitty was not doing well at all and now she is happy and puke free. I don't think that is ridiculous at all.
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Post by shannoots on Jul 2, 2014 16:07:41 GMT
Oh my gosh...we just got a puppy a couple of months ago after not having a dog for 3 years. When I went to buy her first bag of food, I was amazed at how many different types and brands of dog food are now available. It was overwhelming!
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tracylynn
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,860
Jun 26, 2014 22:49:09 GMT
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Post by tracylynn on Jul 2, 2014 16:49:57 GMT
For years my dogs have been on a prescription dog food (for urinary tract health) because my oldest was prone to bladder and kidney stones. My youngest, by default, was on it as well because it was way too hard to feed them separate foods.
Jack died 4 months ago and I had just bought a new bag of food a couple of weeks prior to that. It's almost gone and I am DREADING trying to find a new dog food for Benny.
He's a toy poodle, almost 12 years old, and completely healthy. There's way too many brands, that's for sure.
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Post by CarolT on Jul 2, 2014 17:22:05 GMT
I'm a sucker... I have a small dog who is not a big eater. A six pound bag lasts us a little more than a month, so it's not a budget-buster.
I go to the specialty pet food store for her food (Now! Grain Free). I want her on a wheat/corn/soy/beef free food because westies are prone to skin allergies, and these are common allergens for her breed.
I had a 19 year old mixed breed shelter dog who ate Purina dog chow most of her life and was the picture of health until she was about 17!
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Post by BeckyTech on Jul 3, 2014 14:00:46 GMT
I had a 19 year old mixed breed shelter dog who ate Purina dog chow most of her life and was the picture of health until she was about 17! I think genetics definitely plays into it. I know someone who fed their golden regular old Purina dog chow (not the Purina One) and she lived to be 16 years or so. You just never know.
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DaisyDoodles
Full Member
Posts: 449
Jun 25, 2014 20:32:07 GMT
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Post by DaisyDoodles on Jul 3, 2014 14:22:11 GMT
It is crazy, but I admit, our precious snowflake shelter dog gets nothing but the best. We don't have kids and she is now the only pet we have, so her stinky butt gets spoiled.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 20, 2024 13:11:59 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2014 14:42:06 GMT
Bailey and Josie get ground beef and pasta to eat. Their teeth aren't strong enough for kibble anymore. Nor are they interested in it when there is other stuff available. The pasta has to have a 1/4 tsp of butter on it for them to eat it. They were constantly looking for food and then once I discovered they weren't getting enough to eat I added the pasta/rice to their diet and now they sleep through the night much better.
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Post by leannec on Jul 3, 2014 14:46:18 GMT
It is crazy, but I admit, our precious snowflake shelter dog gets nothing but the best. We don't have kids and she is now the only pet we have, so her stinky butt gets spoiled. We do have kids but our precious snowflake also gets the best because she is overweight I have no idea why ... she gets walked a number of kilometres every day but she is now 93 freaking pounds Needless to say, she is now on "Light and Fit" Leanne
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DaisyDoodles
Full Member
Posts: 449
Jun 25, 2014 20:32:07 GMT
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Post by DaisyDoodles on Jul 3, 2014 14:49:12 GMT
It is crazy, but I admit, our precious snowflake shelter dog gets nothing but the best. We don't have kids and she is now the only pet we have, so her stinky butt gets spoiled. We do have kids but our precious snowflake also gets the best because she is overweight I have no idea why ... she gets walked a number of kilometres every day but she is now 93 freaking pounds Needless to say, she is now on "Light and Fit" Leanne Your snowflake needs to melt a little My dog is getting a little pudge, but she is an old lady so I let it slide a little as long as the vet isn't concerned.
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sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,574
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Jul 3, 2014 14:53:15 GMT
It is crazy, but I admit, our precious snowflake shelter dog gets nothing but the best. We don't have kids and she is now the only pet we have, so her stinky butt gets spoiled. We do have kids but our precious snowflake also gets the best because she is overweight I have no idea why ... she gets walked a number of kilometres every day but she is now 93 freaking pounds Needless to say, she is now on "Light and Fit" Leanne Leanne, have you had her thyroid checked? Our vet recommended that with our FATLITTLEMIDGE, who eats very little, but is squishy.
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Post by leannec on Jul 3, 2014 15:42:24 GMT
I haven't done that yet ... thanks for the advice!
Leanne
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 20, 2024 13:11:59 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2014 16:07:49 GMT
Our grocery stores have "fresh", refrigerated dog food now, too!! Poor Remy the killer Shih Tzu gets just plain old kibble. Our Target has a refrigerator by the dog food section now for fresh dog food!
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