what is the best dog food dry and wet for a 4 year old dog?

We found out my do is 10% overweight when we took her to the vet. We have been feeding her home cooked meals. The vet said she might not being the vitimins and minerals she needs. What should should we give her in morning and night to make her balanced.

PS:she is not overly fond of dry food.

Poor_Man2010-02-02T05:53:38Z

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I have researched this in depth since my poor dog died of kidney failure due to poor quality dog food!!
Fromm Dog Food is Great for dogs and cats …http://www.frommfamily.com/ $42- $45 per 30 lb bag
NO fillers….some good quality grains….NO corn….gluten or by-products or wheat
ALL human grade food….fruits…veggies and probiotics!!
check it out you wont regret it !

http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/ TOTW has a high protein content (not recommeded for non athletic dogs)
Taste of the Wild contains Ethoxyquin which is a toxic fish preservative. (TOTW says that the cooking process kills all of it but it scared me away from their product)
around $42 for a 30 lb bag .... its the cheapest 6 star food ..

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/ lots of great dog food choices on this site !!

Orijen is great but it is $60 - $80 for a 30 lb bag… high protein as well ..not good for non athletic dogs
Fromm Is what my puppy gets it has a lower protein % and great ingredients! 5 outta 6 stars due to lower protein (but most dogs should not have high protein levels …. It makes their kidneys work overtime for no reason)
You can get it online and if you go to the website you can find stores near you .. they wont be at walmarts and the like... they are in feed stores .. Agway..tractor supply stores etc

IF your dog is not going to be a hard working/agility dog all this high protein can do more harm than good in the long run,,, you wont notice it now but it can take its toll on a dogs kidneys as it ages.

?2010-02-01T11:54:20Z

There is no "BEST" commercial dog food, but to address your specific Q - your vet said your dog may need better nutrition.

Look for "AAFCO" guarantee statements on the dog food cans/bags - it's a certification that the food provides proper nutrition by itself.

What makes dog food "high quality"? Lots of factors but here's a short cut way to determine: MEAT. If the ingredients list starts off with 4+ named meat products in the first 6 listed ingredients, the food is almost certain to be high quality enough that you can rest assured the other factors are also taken care of. This is oversimplifying of course - but I can't think of any dog food brands that meet this criteria that are bad dog foods.

You are unlikely to have any luck finding high quality dog food at your supermarket.You will need to go to pet specialty stores like PetSmart, PetCo, Complete Petmart, etc. Brands like: Wellness, Canidae, Natural Balance, Evo, Innova, Before Grain, Instinct, Merrick, and some others are the most commonly available high quality dog foods.

I have found this website to be a good source of info: www.dogfoodanalysis.com

I wouldn't feed a dog strictly wet food - dry food helps brush their teeth.

The MEAT criteria I gave above can be relaxed a little bit on dry food b/c even the good brands don't neccesarily start with 4+ meats in their dry foods

lala2010-02-01T11:29:50Z

First you should decide which type to feed her.Maybe a mix. Most dogs prefer wet food to dry food. However wet food can leave tartar on the teeth which can cause dental problems if not cleaned frequently. Dry food helps get tartar off the teeth and helps keep dental problems down(you should still take care of you dogs mouth regularly though). You could try mixing the two together, or giving her wet food in the morning, dry food at night, or viceversa.

Science Hill is a good dog brand, most vets recommend and sell at their offices. Im not sure if it also comes in wet food but it does come in a variety of dry foods, depending on the dogs age, health,size, and daily routine.
Pedigree comes in both wet and dry food. It also has a variety depending on the points above.
Beniful comes in both types as well, and a bunch of different flavors.
Eukenuba and iams are also good food brands.

You can still feed your dogs the home made meals though if you do some research on what vitamins and stuff you dogs needs to be healthy and what are good foods for dogs with those things.

I hope this helps

Stephen A2010-02-02T08:54:20Z

A well balanced diet is the best for all dog breeds.
As more people understand the importance of nutrition to their own health, they're starting to consider what's in their dog's food bowl as well. Food manufacturers are only too happy to oblige, and the latest products are likely to be labeled natural or organic, and include ingredients said to promote health, such as blueberries and salmon oil. That said, it can still be a challenge to sort out high-quality chow from the canine equivalent of junk food.

Tips on feeding an adult dog, http://pho.se/bzj

Remdog2010-02-01T11:13:53Z

Nnnn is correct. I'd say cut grains out of her diet. They do not digest grains, so it's a waste of time and money to feed them to your dog. Further, excess carbs in cheaper foods (starches) will make a dog fat just like it will a human. I switched both of my dogs to grain free Horizon legacy because one was overweight and allergic to grains, and the other is young and athletic and doesn't hold onto weight well (and he's a lab!) and needs the extra protein. The fat one's lost weight, and the lab has great muscle tone (and is the correct weight at 70lbs).

The Horizon is hard to find, but rates really well on dogfoodanalysis.com. They're shiny and healthy, and they don't have bad breath or poop as much- that's definitely worth a little extra money to me! It'll make do until I'm out of a 1 bedroom apt. and have the space to feed raw.

Also, she'll eat it when she gets hungry enough. Put the food down. Wait 20 minutes. Take anything uneaten away. She'll get the idea soon enough!

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