I used to feed my doggy poison. :D

[SidheGull]

One thing to remember is that because it says "grain free" does not necessarily make it a high quality food. Some just replace all those grain carbs with potato carbs which can be just as bad if not worse. Some grain foods are higher quality than some grain free foods. You need to check out the protein sources to see where they come from and what their quality is.

Another thing, I feed raw. With raw you want balance over time, your dog will not die if it does not have a perfectly balanced meal every day. Look how we eat, it's the same way. Balance over time, we don't get perfectly balanced nutrition every single day of our lives. The ratio for raw feeding should be 80% meat, 10% bone, and 10% secreting organ with 5% of that being liver. There is no need for anything else added to that. If the stool is soft, add more bone; too hard, less bone. Whole prey is best. I occasionally feed my dogs and cat out of the rodents I purchase for my snakes. They are thriving on it. The jump from even the highest quality kibble is insane. The stools from my 35# dog is smaller (and happen less often) than the stools from the housemate's 15# kibble fed cat.

Some of you are asking about cats. Cats should NEVER, EVER be fed dry food. Cats are desert animals and do not have the thirst drive that would tell them to drink enough water. All cats who are fed dry food are chronically dehydrated which is the #1 cause of kidney problems in elderly cats. They are designed to get the majority of their water from their food; not to mention carbohydrate levels are much, much higher in kibble than in wet foods. Carbs are needed as glue to form the kibble into shapes.

Some good reading is here: http://www.catinfo.org/

[bonjour.]

We used to feed my Shih Tzu Royal Canin, the kind made for Shih Tzu puppies. But they only sold it an hour away and the price was horrible, so we switched to a dry Beneful, which he didn't like after a month, so we started on this really good food. I'm a volunteer Vet, so I'm big on reading ingredients for my dog's food. Anyways, the food we switched to had all natural things, and he loved it. But Shih Tzu's are naturally fussy dogs, and he didn't eat anything for two weeks, so we tried three kinds of Ceaser until we found one he liked. Ceaser Bistro. It has all natural things, and sometimes we add in pieces of chicken and bacon for him.

Anyways, we had Kibbles 'n Bits for him at one point, and he didn't even look at it, so we gave it to my other dog, who sadly doesn't live with me. She eats anything, and is 12, has never had a health problem and used to be fed Ol' Roy, until I convinced my grandfather to stop feeding her it. She eats human food like a garbage can, everything. She's a healthy dog before I start anything here.

[Beebs]

One thing to remember is that because it says "grain free" does not necessarily make it a high quality food. Some just replace all those grain carbs with potato carbs which can be just as bad if not worse. Some grain foods are higher quality than some grain free foods. You need to check out the protein sources to see where they come from and what their quality is.

Another thing, I feed raw. With raw you want balance over time, your dog will not die if it does not have a perfectly balanced meal every day. Look how we eat, it's the same way. Balance over time, we don't get perfectly balanced nutrition every single day of our lives. The ratio for raw feeding should be 80% meat, 10% bone, and 10% secreting organ with 5% of that being liver. There is no need for anything else added to that. If the stool is soft, add more bone; too hard, less bone. Whole prey is best. I occasionally feed my dogs and cat out of the rodents I purchase for my snakes. They are thriving on it. The jump from even the highest quality kibble is insane. The stools from my 35# dog is smaller (and happen less often) than the stools from the housemate's 15# kibble fed cat.

Some of you are asking about cats. Cats should NEVER, EVER be fed dry food. Cats are desert animals and do not have the thirst drive that would tell them to drink enough water. All cats who are fed dry food are chronically dehydrated which is the #1 cause of kidney problems in elderly cats. They are designed to get the majority of their water from their food; not to mention carbohydrate levels are much, much higher in kibble than in wet foods. Carbs are needed as glue to form the kibble into shapes.

Some good reading is here: http://www.catinfo.org/

....Are you serious?! o.e My cat's been fed the same foor for years, and the worst we've gotten out of him was an ear infection from ear mites! Oh dear. We do give him a lot of water, and he drains alot of it, but I didn't think they shouldn't be given dry food....I should probably talk with my mom about this. >.<

[Darkest.Nation]

I would recommend something other than Iams most definitely, I wouldn't feed food that has corn meal in the first few ingredients. (or any to be honest)

I would still feed Taste of The Wild. Not Ekanuba, it's not worth the price. In other words quality does not match the price at all. Blue Buffalo Wilderness is another.

Do you have any local pet stores that don't sell things like Ol' Roy, Pedigree, Purina, Iams, Beneful and such and only sell lesser known brands? Usually those stores have some good options.

I told them that if they only had to go for grocery store or "general" Petsmart brands, they would pick Iams or Eukanuba, as parents and those that buy the dog food don't like the price tag even though they don't know what they're doing to their dog. All they see is the price tag and they push it away. Purina is generally more crappy than Eukanuba or Iams, from the comparisions of food labels I've done. Not to say that one is better than the other, but let's just get to it.

Iams X: "Chicken, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken By-Product Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Flavor, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Potassium Chloride, Dried Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast, Salt, Caramel, Calcium Carbonate, Flax Meal, Choline Chloride, Fructooligosaccharides, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, DL-Methionine, Rosemary Extract."

Eukanuba X: "Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Brewers Rice, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Beet Pulp, Ground Whole Grain Barley, Chicken Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Potassium Chloride, Salt, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Flax Meal, Fructooligosaccharides, DL-Methionine, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Inositol, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Brewers Dried Yeast, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract." Eukanuba just kicked Iam's butt.

Beneful X: "Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), rice flour, beef, soy flour, sugar, propylene glycol, meat and bone meal, tricalcium phosphate, phosphoric acid, salt, water, animal digest, sorbic acid (a preservative), potassium chloride, dried carrots, dried peas, calcium propionate (a preservative), L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 2), DL-Methionine, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium carbonate, copper sulfate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite." YIKES!

PurinaOne beyOnd or Purina ProPlan are actually not too bad, better than Iams and general Eukanuba formulas, even.

Here's what I feed my dogs: (Natural Balance Ultra Premium): "Chicken, Brown Rice, Lamb Meal, Oatmeal, Barley, Potatoes, Carrots, Chicken Fat (preserved with natural mixed tocopherols), Duck Meal, Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Canola Oil, Brewers Yeast, Duck, Salmon Meal, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Salmon Oil, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Spinach, Parsley Flakes, Cranberries, L-Lysine, L-Carnitine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Kelp, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Folic Acid."

A good competitor, Solid Gold X: "Bison, Ocean Fish Meal, Millet, Brown Rice, Cracked Pearled Barley, Rice Bran, Canola Oil, Tomato Pomace, Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil (source of DHA), Choline Chloride, Taurine, Dried Chicory Root, Parsley Flakes, Pumpkin Meal, Almond Oil, Sesame Oil, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Thyme, Blueberries, Cranberries, Carrots, Broccoli, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Panthothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin), Riboflavin, Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid." I've never seen millet in dog food, but hey, you learn something new everyday!

Is there a formula better than the one I feed my dogs? Sure. Is what I feed my dogs better than that Alpo or 'Ol Roy stuff? YEP.

One thing to remember is that because it says "grain free" does not necessarily make it a high quality food. Some just replace all those grain carbs with potato carbs which can be just as bad if not worse. Some grain foods are higher quality than some grain free foods. You need to check out the protein sources to see where they come from and what their quality is.

Some of you are asking about cats. Cats should NEVER, EVER be fed dry food. Cats are desert animals and do not have the thirst drive that would tell them to drink enough water. All cats who are fed dry food are chronically dehydrated which is the #1 cause of kidney problems in elderly cats. They are designed to get the majority of their water from their food; not to mention carbohydrate levels are much, much higher in kibble than in wet foods. Carbs are needed as glue to form the kibble into shapes.

Some good reading is here: http://www.catinfo.org/

I only recommended grain-free formulas due to their dog's allergies. Grain (wheat, whatever it may be) is a common dog allergy, which is why some brands don't put it in dog food. My brand make sweet potato, so that must be better than general potatoes.

Cats not eating dry food? Interesting.

[Dakonic]

I would recommend something other than Iams most definitely, I wouldn't feed food that has corn meal in the first few ingredients. (or any to be honest)

I would still feed Taste of The Wild. Not Ekanuba, it's not worth the price. In other words quality does not match the price at all. Blue Buffalo Wilderness is another.

Do you have any local pet stores that don't sell things like Ol' Roy, Pedigree, Purina, Iams, Beneful and such and only sell lesser known brands? Usually those stores have some good options.

I told them that if they only had to go for grocery store or "general" Petsmart brands, they would pick Iams or Eukanuba, as parents and those that buy the dog food don't like the price tag even though they don't know what they're doing to their dog. All they see is the price tag and they push it away. Purina is generally more crappy than Eukanuba or Iams, from the comparisions of food labels I've done. Not to say that one is better than the other, but let's just get to it.

Iams X: "Chicken, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken By-Product Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Flavor, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Potassium Chloride, Dried Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast, Salt, Caramel, Calcium Carbonate, Flax Meal, Choline Chloride, Fructooligosaccharides, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, DL-Methionine, Rosemary Extract."

Eukanuba X: "Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Brewers Rice, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Beet Pulp, Ground Whole Grain Barley, Chicken Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Potassium Chloride, Salt, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Flax Meal, Fructooligosaccharides, DL-Methionine, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Inositol, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Brewers Dried Yeast, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract." Eukanuba just kicked Iam's butt.

Beneful X: "Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), rice flour, beef, soy flour, sugar, propylene glycol, meat and bone meal, tricalcium phosphate, phosphoric acid, salt, water, animal digest, sorbic acid (a preservative), potassium chloride, dried carrots, dried peas, calcium propionate (a preservative), L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 2), DL-Methionine, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium carbonate, copper sulfate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite." YIKES!

PurinaOne beyOnd or Purina ProPlan are actually not too bad, better than Iams and general Eukanuba formulas, even.

Here's what I feed my dogs: (Natural Balance Ultra Premium): "Chicken, Brown Rice, Lamb Meal, Oatmeal, Barley, Potatoes, Carrots, Chicken Fat (preserved with natural mixed tocopherols), Duck Meal, Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Canola Oil, Brewers Yeast, Duck, Salmon Meal, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Salmon Oil, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Spinach, Parsley Flakes, Cranberries, L-Lysine, L-Carnitine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Kelp, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Folic Acid."

A good competitor, Solid Gold X: "Bison, Ocean Fish Meal, Millet, Brown Rice, Cracked Pearled Barley, Rice Bran, Canola Oil, Tomato Pomace, Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil (source of DHA), Choline Chloride, Taurine, Dried Chicory Root, Parsley Flakes, Pumpkin Meal, Almond Oil, Sesame Oil, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Thyme, Blueberries, Cranberries, Carrots, Broccoli, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Panthothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin), Riboflavin, Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid." I've never seen millet in dog food, but hey, you learn something new everyday!

Is there a formula better than the one I feed my dogs? Sure. Is what I feed my dogs better than that Alpo or 'Ol Roy stuff? YEP.

One thing to remember is that because it says "grain free" does not necessarily make it a high quality food. Some just replace all those grain carbs with potato carbs which can be just as bad if not worse. Some grain foods are higher quality than some grain free foods. You need to check out the protein sources to see where they come from and what their quality is.

Some of you are asking about cats. Cats should NEVER, EVER be fed dry food. Cats are desert animals and do not have the thirst drive that would tell them to drink enough water. All cats who are fed dry food are chronically dehydrated which is the #1 cause of kidney problems in elderly cats. They are designed to get the majority of their water from their food; not to mention carbohydrate levels are much, much higher in kibble than in wet foods. Carbs are needed as glue to form the kibble into shapes.

Some good reading is here: http://www.catinfo.org/

I only recommended grain-free formulas due to their dog's allergies. Grain (wheat, whatever it may be) is a common dog allergy, which is why some brands don't put it in dog food. My brand make sweet potato, so that must be better than general potatoes.

Cats not eating dry food? Interesting.

Bulletin pointed my post.

Also, Eukanuba is more expensive or very close to the same price as superior brands like Taste of the Wild, Blue Buffalo, Wellness, etc.

[Cardinal]

I would recommend something other than Iams most definitely, I wouldn't feed food that has corn meal in the first few ingredients. (or any to be honest)

I would still feed Taste of The Wild. Not Ekanuba, it's not worth the price. In other words quality does not match the price at all. Blue Buffalo Wilderness is another.

Do you have any local pet stores that don't sell things like Ol' Roy, Pedigree, Purina, Iams, Beneful and such and only sell lesser known brands? Usually those stores have some good options.

I told them that if they only had to go for grocery store or "general" Petsmart brands, they would pick Iams or Eukanuba, as parents and those that buy the dog food don't like the price tag even though they don't know what they're doing to their dog. All they see is the price tag and they push it away. Purina is generally more crappy than Eukanuba or Iams, from the comparisions of food labels I've done. Not to say that one is better than the other, but let's just get to it.

Iams X: "Chicken, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken By-Product Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Flavor, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Potassium Chloride, Dried Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast, Salt, Caramel, Calcium Carbonate, Flax Meal, Choline Chloride, Fructooligosaccharides, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, DL-Methionine, Rosemary Extract."

Eukanuba X: "Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Brewers Rice, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Beet Pulp, Ground Whole Grain Barley, Chicken Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Potassium Chloride, Salt, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Flax Meal, Fructooligosaccharides, DL-Methionine, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Inositol, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Brewers Dried Yeast, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract." Eukanuba just kicked Iam's butt.

Beneful X: "Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), rice flour, beef, soy flour, sugar, propylene glycol, meat and bone meal, tricalcium phosphate, phosphoric acid, salt, water, animal digest, sorbic acid (a preservative), potassium chloride, dried carrots, dried peas, calcium propionate (a preservative), L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 2), DL-Methionine, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium carbonate, copper sulfate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite." YIKES!

PurinaOne beyOnd or Purina ProPlan are actually not too bad, better than Iams and general Eukanuba formulas, even.

Here's what I feed my dogs: (Natural Balance Ultra Premium): "Chicken, Brown Rice, Lamb Meal, Oatmeal, Barley, Potatoes, Carrots, Chicken Fat (preserved with natural mixed tocopherols), Duck Meal, Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Canola Oil, Brewers Yeast, Duck, Salmon Meal, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Salmon Oil, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Spinach, Parsley Flakes, Cranberries, L-Lysine, L-Carnitine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Kelp, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Folic Acid."

A good competitor, Solid Gold X: "Bison, Ocean Fish Meal, Millet, Brown Rice, Cracked Pearled Barley, Rice Bran, Canola Oil, Tomato Pomace, Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil (source of DHA), Choline Chloride, Taurine, Dried Chicory Root, Parsley Flakes, Pumpkin Meal, Almond Oil, Sesame Oil, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Thyme, Blueberries, Cranberries, Carrots, Broccoli, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Panthothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin), Riboflavin, Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid." I've never seen millet in dog food, but hey, you learn something new everyday!

Is there a formula better than the one I feed my dogs? Sure. Is what I feed my dogs better than that Alpo or 'Ol Roy stuff? YEP.

One thing to remember is that because it says "grain free" does not necessarily make it a high quality food. Some just replace all those grain carbs with potato carbs which can be just as bad if not worse. Some grain foods are higher quality than some grain free foods. You need to check out the protein sources to see where they come from and what their quality is.

Some of you are asking about cats. Cats should NEVER, EVER be fed dry food. Cats are desert animals and do not have the thirst drive that would tell them to drink enough water. All cats who are fed dry food are chronically dehydrated which is the #1 cause of kidney problems in elderly cats. They are designed to get the majority of their water from their food; not to mention carbohydrate levels are much, much higher in kibble than in wet foods. Carbs are needed as glue to form the kibble into shapes.

Some good reading is here: http://www.catinfo.org/

I only recommended grain-free formulas due to their dog's allergies. Grain (wheat, whatever it may be) is a common dog allergy, which is why some brands don't put it in dog food. My brand make sweet potato, so that must be better than general potatoes.

Cats not eating dry food? Interesting.

Cats are not made to eat kibble. =) They get 70-75% of their water intack from their prey and have very low thrist drives. Cats fed only kibble diets are way more prone to UTI's, especially neutered males. I'm just repeating whats already been said. xD

[Darkest.Nation]

Yeah, I was just replying to that. (:

[IAmLink]

I feed a purely raw diet to my Shiba Inu. I can't believe the difference in her. Her teeth are clean, her coat is just amazing, she doesn't have bad breath, she has plenty of energy, and overall she is just a much more happy and health dog ^^

[.yuanfen]

But for a...um, smaller dog, like mine, would a raw diet be appropriate? I can understand with larger dogs that a raw diet would be good...
I don't have a picture, so here's an example: Bichon-Poodle Mix
I just don't know if...um, a raw diet would be a good idea for a dog like him.

(I probably sound really stupid right now.)

[Darkest.Nation]

I don't think it's the size, but the breed and individual dog. Many dogs here seem to have beef allergies.

I have small dogs, and as much as I'd love to feed them raw, mini schanuzers have a hard time synthesizing proteins. So I won't consider it anytime soon until I can find more "side-dishes" to mix with the meat.

I mean, I do think it is just fine to feed your Bichon-Poodle raw.