Nutro Ultra

[Chris]

I know that feeding a raw diet is popular here, but I thought I would put in a good review on a dry dog food.

Anyway, my boys switched to Nutro Ultra (its a newer variety) a few months ago and the results have been very positive. Ollie doesn't get the spitups anymore and his skin is less sensitive. We are still working on Alex's weight but he is no longer gaining weight to our confusion and it looks like he may be very slowly moving in the losing direction again. Our friend tried it on their dogs who were on the science diet formula for sensitive skin and stomachs and they like it much better too. It doesn't have any wheat in it if you pups get hotspots and it doesn't have any junkie meat byproducts.

Anyway, if your pups are on regular nutro or nutro max, you might want to try it. I think they have it at Petsmart/Petco but its not at every place that sells Nutro yet.

I kinda feel funny. I really do care about the health of my dogs and my first dox lived almost 18 years and she was on dry and pretty healthy up until the last few months of her life. If I knew then what I know now, I would have fed her even better food. (when we got her, I was too young to really make the buying decisions but later on i did) But I think she turned out pretty well in spite of it. My boys get carrots and they absolutely love lettuce. They also get a tiny bit of chicken or lean turkey or fish now and then in addition to their food. Ollie is extremely fit. Al we are working on his weight a bit.

Chris

[Lisa]

I have heard lots of great things about Nutro Ultra. Thanks for the information.

[Courtney]

If the food works for you, then that is great! I think the Nutro Ultra is on the Whole Dog Journal Recommended List.

[K2]

Pippit was on Nutro before we switched. He loved it!!! And I've always heard good things about it!

[LUVMYGUNNER]

Hon not everyone is feeding raw. Gunner and Petunia are on Evo/Natural Balance. I know dogs that have lived to be 16 or older and lived on just cheap kibble. You have to do what you think is right for you.

[Chris]

Whole Dog Journal Recommended List.

What is the Whole Dog Journal and where do I get it/read it ? :)

[Chris]

You have to do what you think is right for you.

Well...the other thing I was looking at is the home cooked versus raw alternative. I just don't think i can provide my dogs the balance they need with raw and it would be really tough i think when MIL occasionally watched them when we went away to keep up. I also don't like the hormones, etc, that is in different meats and we live in a remote area where it is difficult to get the quality i would want on a regular basis. We were turned down for adoption once because we couldn't promise we would feed raw so maybe i am just needlessly apologizing for myself for not doing the raw thing when i don't need to be.

[LUVMYGUNNER]

If they turned you down for not feeding raw, then it is their loss, with all the puppers nedding homes--I think as long as you feed a good kibble you should be able to adopt. People could promise to do that and later on down the road change their mind. I worked food service for Marriott for 13 years and right now I'm having a problem not giving mine raw--but that is just me,,,, everyone has their own opinion. I am thinking of trying Natures Variety though.

[Lisa]

Here is the link for the Dog Food - Dog-a-ware (http://www.dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html)

[Chris]

You know what it is too?

Alex becomes very aggressive and snarly around things like that. He is not food aggressive at all otherwise, even with "people food." He may not like you to take something that he wants and might give a quick, short under the breath growl at times, which is almost more like complaint than aggression, but thats as far as it has ever gone.

As far as that lady....it might have been for the best because we would have never have found our Alex if we adopted that dog and we love him so much. But the other thing is after i was rejected at the last minute, once she realized that I truly cared about dogs and was knowledgeable about dachshunds in particular (and had years of experience unlike her who went on indignantly that dachshunds are terriers and they bark too much!) she left me a message that she changed her mind (after already reducing me to tears on the way over to pick up the dog). She was willing to "try it." I could have the dog for 3 weeks and she would have to see him everyday (we lived 45 minutes). And if i passed satisfactorily, she might consider allowing it to be permanent. And since the dog was used to a multidog environment (there were 12 other dogs in rescue with him) it might be too traumatic to be showered with undivided affection by two people as an only dog, that i had to get my neighbor, whose dog we minded from time to time to sign an affidavit that she would guarantee her dog would see hours for certain hours each day. I am all for unexpected home visits so the rescue group can see how you are getting along, but I really felt like i would be adopting the lady who could take the dog away on a whim.

I had glowing references. In fact, my boss's wife was friends with her so on top of doggie refs i had a good character reference. They cut off their friendship with her as far as I know after what she did to me though.

Needless to say, i didn't take her up on her trial offer because i knew there must be doggies out there who people earnestly wanted to find a home for.

Sorry about the rant!!!! I am glad I found my two boys after that experience.

[oceangirls]

I feed commercial food and am always looking for information about different foods people have had good experiences with. I am in fact considering a change right now, since I've heard it is good to change foods around periodically.

[LUVMYGUNNER]

Gunner and Petunia's main kibble is Evo and I periodicaly change the different variety's of Natural Balance.

[Patt]

Hi Chris,

Don't feel alone. There are others that feed kibble and/or canned food. I feed Trixie Innova and sometimes switch with Wellness for a variety. I'm glad you found a food that works for your furbabies.

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/

[Nancy]

i used to feed my two schipperkes nutro. they loved it and their coats were nice and shiny. i have molly on science diet right now ans she's in great shape as well.

[Jen]

I can't believe a rescue turned you down as you wouldn't feed raw? That's very distressing.

And as heartbreaking as your experience was, it sounds like in the long run, you found just the right dogs!

Tasha is on 1/2 raw premix and 1/2 kibble. She'll probably never be on non-premix raw between DH's objections and my chicken germ issues....

I'm quite curious about the history of what pet dogs ate before there was commercial dog food. Just kitchen scraps?