Switching to a higher-quality kibble. Any advice?

Question

I have a 9-year-old Corgi and my partner has a 2-year-old Schnauzer/Poodle mix, both of whom will be living together when my partner and I move in together in early August. 

She feeds her dog Iams, which I protest loudly, and so she has decided that if I can find a kibble that I like better and that doesn't break the bank, we can switch. 

My dog has been eating Rachel Ray's "Healthy Weight" formula, which some of you may turn up your nose at. But, after reading the ingredients one day, I decided it was actually a decent food. However, after buying it in bulk from Amazon.com, I noticed that if the bag sat for more than a few weeks, oil started to leak through the brown paper interior, which told me that it had way more fat in it than I wanted. Especially when my dog is overweight already.

So, while at the store with my partner and her mother, I came across "Nulo Naturals", specifically the Salmon and Brown Rice formula because my Corgi is allergic to chicken. This formula does contain some chicken (namely the fat), but she only has a reaction of chicken is a main ingredient.

I read a review on this product and it received 4/5 stars, which is pretty good for a dog food. However, a 16-pound bag is $33, which is not that high...but still a bit more than I'd like to pay.

I'm well aware that to get high-quality, you have to pay a good chunk of change, but I was wondering if anyone out there had found a reasonably priced, higher-quality food that I could look into. I don't mind ordering offline, but please don't mention foods that only have chicken-based formulas.

My partner also refuses to let her dog eat raw meat, so please don't suggest raw diet. I know it's good for them, but she's not willing to try that.

heart · Answer

Well it's true higher quality are mostly more expensive but typically you feed so much less of the quality kibble (because of less fillers and more nutritious ingredients), and have less medical problems and vet bills, that the price is well worth it. Poor nutrition and diseases are so closely linked.

You want a food that is grain free....or at the very least no corn, wheat, or soy. 
(why grain free: because grains/carbs are converted to sugars which a dog's body doesn't regulate well, taxing the pancreas and other organs, and being bad in general for digestion - slow grains in a canine's fast GI tract aren't healthy)

You also want a food that has no BHT, BHA, or menadione in it, and no unspecified animal sources..only named meats.

I also avoid artificial dyes when it comes to anything I give my pets. I'm paying for my color blind animals to eat something with blue and red dyes - I don't think so!! And I avoid fish because they have the most chemicals and dyes out of all the farmed animals including something called ethoxyquin which is a toxic preservative (see: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/red-flag-ingredients/ethoxyquin-dangerous-dog-food-additive/ ) and is mostly associated with fish.

Wellness is on the less expensive side and has grain free formulas. You can add in fresh cooked foods also to help the price out. You can add up to 1/4 of fresh food without causing imbalances. Great foods include any cooked unseasoned boneless meats and eggs and green leafy vegetables that are steamed and unseasoned.

Add - Don't worry about young and old dogs having different needs. It's a marketing scam. The ONLY differences between senior food are these: 1. less protein and fat 2. Added glucosamine
You can do that yourself, by just feeding a little less or adding toppers and giving a glucosamine supplement.

I give my dogs a brand called Nature's Bounty for the gluc. It's made for humans, but glucosamine is glucosamine in this case it's ok to give a human brand to dogs. You can get any brand you want though.

ms manners · Answer

I have been feeding Wellness Lamb and Salmon for several years.  Started with one dog who had food allergies, and then changed the others over because I was so pleased with how she looked.

It's pricey, but worth it.  I usually buy it from Petco when it's on sale, and apply my Petco reward dollars and any coupons, since they give you 5% back.  One time I got it for 1/3 off. :o)

(The cheaper foods have oil sprayed on them to make them more palatable.  That is probably why you saw oil  coming out of the bag.)
****
I am currently feeding it to two very old dogs (15 and 17) as well as my younger dogs.  They are all doing well on it.

Every dog I have given it to has lost weight in the belly, and seemed to put on more muscle, so I highly recommend it for overweight dogs.  One of my dogs blows up like a balloon on any other kibble.

Marianne · Answer

I get a chewable Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM supplement from www.kvpet.com and have used it for many years with great success.    It costs $26.95 for 120 chewable tablets.
Nothing the matter with Iams unless a dog has food allergies.    I use Canidae Senior with my 8 year old dogs and they love it.    I get a bag 33 pounds delivered from www.doggiefood.com and pay 41.00.  Why not simply stick with what has worked for you, rather than trying to switch which may cause problems with your Corgi?

? · Answer

I have been feeding Fromm Family Foods for over a year now and my dog is healthy and happy!  It is high quality, but not as expensive as some of the more popular brands.  I would definitely check it out:
http://frommfamily.com/

Hope this helps!
Coco's Mommy
http://deathbychocolatelab.blogspot.com/

Switching to a higher-quality kibble. Any advice?

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