New ProPlan coming out....

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Red Dragon
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New ProPlan coming out....

Post by Red Dragon »

New food due out in October, will give people another option over the already high quality arsenal of foods they have. http://www.proplan.com/shredded_blend.html?signup=true
Sam

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robberto
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Re: New ProPlan coming out....

Post by robberto »

I saw on http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food ... 95&cat=all that Pro Plan is a poor quality dog food. On the other hand I have a friend who's chow is on Pro Plan and the dog looks great, healthy and full of life. What am I supposed to trust?
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Red Dragon
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Re: New ProPlan coming out....

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I wouldn't pay any attention to the dog food analysis page, they don't test anything. Apparently that is just run by a bunch of flaky people with nothing better to do than bash food companies, all the food is probably graded by the people that own the food companies that they say are so great. They wouldn't ever reply to any questions about how they arrived at their conclusions for foods either. I tried Blue Buffalo once, it was rated high on their site, the dog had the squirts through the whole 30 pound bag, switch to ProPlan and the dog was cleared up in about a day, didn't even bother with the transition, just cold turkey changed over and walla, no more squirts. I've tried many foods they say are so great and had no where near the results I have with ProPlan.

ProPlan has been rated excellent by other groups, in fact much higher than many of the foods that are suppose to be so great. I have been feeding it for over three years now and my dogs are much healthier on it than they were from the other premium foods I tried. Go to a dog show, you will see the show people loading up with it, they sure aren't going to feed their dog something that will make it sick and all the fur fall out.
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Jeff&Peks
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Re: New ProPlan coming out....

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robberto wrote:I saw on http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food ... 95&cat=all that Pro Plan is a poor quality dog food. On the other hand I have a friend who's chow is on Pro Plan and the dog looks great, healthy and full of life. What am I supposed to trust?
Feed any of the better foods, its not the food its the junk that everyone feeds along with it. When in doubt go Solid Gold but what ever you feed read all the products the company puts out don't just buy a food that says for bad teeth then blame all the rest of the produts the company makes becouse it ddn't clear up the skin, read the bags. Nutro and solid gold make a bunch of products for differant problems.

No wheat, No Corn, No by products, no fillers, watch the fats, watch the acids, then get a chemistry degree and a Home laboratory to figure out what else is in the food then take it from there, its easy.
“...There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because conscience tells one that it is right.” MLK

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Auddymay
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Re: New ProPlan coming out....

Post by Auddymay »

Well, I used to feed Nutro L&R. No major problems, but the girls just didn't care for the taste. My Lily is a slight girl, and I didn't want to add to her picky eating, so I went to the Nature's Recipe line, with mixed results. (Under Heinz or Del monte in the nutritional chart sited above.) They liked the Farmer's Stand, except for the freeze dried carrots. The Lamb & Rice gave them runny BMs and they didn't like the taste, either. They both loved the Venison and Rice, and had no problems, but now I can't find it! I hear it's on back order. I am leary...

So- now what to feed? I tried a bag of Blue Buffalo Fish and Sweet taters. Both loved it, and good digestion. I went to Petco and would have got a second bag, but they don't carry it, and it was pouring rain (remenents of Gustav). I got Solid Gold Wolf King. When I poured it in the dish, they sniffed, and gave me 'the look'. They are eating it like they did the Nutro, slowly and because they have to. I will be getting Blue Buffalo next time. The moral of the story, is buy the food that your Chows approve, and that doesn't make them sick. It will be different for each situation, I have yet to see a brand that was the perfect fit for every animal.
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Re: New ProPlan coming out....

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Right you are Auddy
Twelve Paws UP!!
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Diana
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Re: New ProPlan coming out....

Post by Diana »

There is not a brand of food yet that is made for every dog, nor is there a single method of feeding right for every dog. Basically, starting with the most generalized ideal that the dog is a carnivore will help you get on the right track for choosing a good food. In other words, dogs aren't set up for truly digesting grains. Everything in a dog's mouth is designed for catching prey, dispatching prey, shearing meat, and crushing bone. Nothing in there is designed for attacking corn and grazing on wheat and even their digestive tract is much too short to properly process grains. This is one reason why kibble has to be processed to pieces and cooked to death. There are some grains that are worse than others. I've changed my views on corn over time and right now I feel that corn is fine, but NOT as something to be fed every single day for the dog's entire life. And really, that goes with everything. I think a dog can eat wheat and rice and hot dogs and cheese and the occasional treat from our dinner but every single day for the dog's existence? Absolutely not! I believe that this is where a lot of problems stem from. The fact that vets and dog food companies recommend sticking with one type of food and one brand for life is ridiculous for most dogs. I say "most" because there are a lot of dogs out there that have poor digestive health and allergies to the point that even a single ingredient change can cause havoc. So let's assume the dog is healthy.

Eliminate grains that are a common cause of problems. No wheat, barley, nor soy. If your dog is grain-sensitive, beware of flaxseed and flaxseed oil in higher quality brands. Try to stay away from corn if possible. Watch out for brands that have five different names for plain old rice. Look for a brand that is heavy in protein but also without a huge variety of protein so that if an allergy or sensitivity develops, you have protein sources to fall back on. Be aware that some brands may have nice ingredients lists for the price but may sacrifice in ingredient quality. Do your research and choose the highest quality food you can afford (remember that the better food you feed, the healthier your dog will be, thus the less vet bills you see), then let your dog do the rest. Give your dog 4-6 weeks to see how he does on the food. You are looking for small, firm poops that don't smell horrid; shiny, odor-free coat and healthy skin; reduced or no bad breath; no itching/licking of feet; no abnormal scratching and chewing; a general firming of the body and reduction in extra "carb weight;" more energy without being hyper (think "balanced energy"); and a generally better vigor. If your dog is pooping like a madman or has piles to impress a great dane, stinks to the skies, itches like he was thrown into a flea farm and just doesn't seem to be doing well, SWITCH! You may find the best food for your dog is Orijen or it might be Pro Plan. I doubt it would be Ol' Roy. ;) Sites like the Dog Food Project and Dog Food Analysis are a good start for research but Dog Food Analysis really isn't the be-all end-all. I think it's fine to get a general idea of quality but I disagree with a lot of their ratings and reasonings. Keep on researching and always keep an open mind! Remember, your dog can't hop on the Internet and choose a better diet anymore than he can shop for your groceries and take care of the dishes so he is really relying on you to know and understand what he needs and on what he thrives.

Above all, ignore the flashy advertisements and the advice of most vets. Most vets think Science Diet is THE gift to dogdom. Bleh! Do check into a raw diet as well; it's not as hard nor expensive as it sounds and it can be fun but the results speak for themselves. Of course I am biased toward a raw diet and the crunch of catfish heads in my dog's jaws is music to my ears. :mrgreen:
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Re: New ProPlan coming out....

Post by Sojourner11 »

Solid Gold isn't sprayed with chicken fat so it doesn't smell like others they have had. Mine ate it but Solo had some serious farts. I tried California Natural for a while and the noxious fumes still kept coming. Plus with 3, there is always a power play over un-eaten dry kibble left in the bowl and Solo usually not getting his fair share due to the bullying from the girls. So I finally have a menu that works. I went back to Eagle Pack (Lamb) Holistic dry, mix it with a canned, usually Eagle Pack, Solid Gold or Wellness depending on what the pet store has in stock(I buy from a small business owner, not the big stores). Mix some warm water with the wet to a mortar like paste, add dry and a little more warm water until I get it just right. Divide 3 ways and they eat it up, nothing left to fight over, and they all are so excited at feeding time. Their BM's are solid and Solo isn't blasting me out of the house. It 's expensive and more work but there is peace among the troops and breathable air inside the house.

This was the same menu recommended to me by a pet store owner that got Marshall to eat after he stopped eating pretty much anything else.

I tried Pro Plan with Marsh and I got a fecal explosion at 4am in the morning. But I do think that if it works for your dogs and they are eating and healthy, that is as good as you can ask for.
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Re: New ProPlan coming out....

Post by Jeff&Peks »

Just two comments on all this,


Chows/Dogs don't eat from taste they eat from smell. To prove it put down some dog food you know your chow won't eat then cook a steak, chicken or a pot of spaghetti and watch how fast they eat the food they hate.

Chows can't eat corn and wheat unless you don't mind skin problems and vet bills. According to Pekoes nutritionist if you feed any dog food with corn fillers in it its like feeding them a couple of Hershey bars,
“...There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because conscience tells one that it is right.” MLK

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Laura
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Re: New ProPlan coming out....

Post by Laura »

too much protein equals poopy butts with my two.
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Red Dragon
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Re: New ProPlan coming out....

Post by Red Dragon »

Never thought I would be switching foods, but when they discontinued the old formula for Lamb & Rice and came out with the Shredded Blend, I had three bitches get UTI's. There is no other explaination for it, so I will be changing foods. They had so many people complain about them changing the Chicken & Rice that they are bringing it back, but have no plans to bring back the old Lamb & Rice. I don't know why they had to screw up a good thing. :roll:
Sam

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Re: New ProPlan coming out....

Post by NanouetJon »

Red Dragon wrote:Never thought I would be switching foods, but when they discontinued the old formula for Lamb & Rice and came out with the Shredded Blend, I had three bitches get UTI's. There is no other explaination for it, so I will be changing foods. They had so many people complain about them changing the Chicken & Rice that they are bringing it back, but have no plans to bring back the old Lamb & Rice. I don't know why they had to screw up a good thing. :roll:
I was speaking to my local pet food store and she suggested I steer away from foods based on Lamb as their was some world shortage or issue and that lamb was going to be in short supply and Dog food wouldn't be high on the list to get the remaining lamb. Just an FYI from my corner.

I use Solid Gold Wolf Cub. Its filled with Magic goodness.
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Red Dragon
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Re: New ProPlan coming out....

Post by Red Dragon »

There is somewhat of a shortage, but about the only thing it has affected is the price tag on the food. :shock:
Sam

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