When Purina One was doing that challenge thing where you got a bag free, we sent off for it and switched one of our cats to it (the other eats canned).  She improved drastically, her coat became unbelievably soft, and she got a lot more energy (which actually was a semi bad thing.. she's an indoor cat and now takes every opportunity to dart outdoors).  Impressed, we switched our dog Radar (german shepherd mix) to Purina One as well, last month. He's ten, and starting to slow down, and we don't really want him to! 

However, it's been a few weeks, and while I have noticed he looks a little younger, I'm not sure if it's the food.  I graduated college in May, where I'd been living in the dorms, and since I came home I've been walking and playing with him more frequently than my arthritic father and my mother with fibromyalgea are able to... and I just adopted Sophie, my little rattie, and joined this site and through surfing it ended up looking at dog food stuff and thinking maybe Purina One isn't such a great dog food.  Now, admittedly, I looked a few other brands and it is better than they are (for example Beneful's number one ingredient is corn).  (On a humorous note, Radar has looked older this past month... I don't know if it's because all his gray stands out more next to youthful five year old Sophie or if it's just because he's sulking all the time because she gets attention. He likes her, but while she's an exceptable playmate, he thinks I should ignore her and play with only him.  He's always been like that, as until two years ago he always had another dog around, but after death of 12 year old Zack, he's been a loner and is sulking he isn't the only doggy that the people love anymore.)

We are a working class family, and we can't afford fancy food, and we live in the middle of the country and we can't even afford to drive far to get food.  The closest store is four and a half miles away anyway and with the price of gas... So basically if you can't buy it at a supermarket, don't recommend it.  And the 18 lb bag of Purina One costs 18-21 dollars, depending on store and sale.  So that's our price limit.

That being said, is there any better food you guys can recommend that is easily attainable and priced around that?

If not, then I don't feel bad feeding it to them. It might not be top of the line, but to be honest, I don't eat top of the line foods either. And neither of them is a picky eater or has had a reaction to it, so it's not like it's making them unhealthy.  All I can do is feed them the best we can afford, and if it's what we're feeding them already, that's fine. 

Pam

Honestly, I've tried just about every dog and cat food out there through the years.  I have a cat with IBD (Irritable Bowel) and the ONLY Food that worked for her was Iams.  I tried EVO and Felidae and all of the other super premium foods...I even tried raw with that cat.

I did the same with my dogs (with the exception of  raw).  I eventually put the dogs on Iams and they are doing so well.  No cases of diarrhea ever, (which I experienced on the super premium foods) and their coats are shiny and they are healthy.  I know my opinion may not be very popular, but I say stick with what works for your dogs.  If purina one works, stick with it.  Seriously, my dogs look better on the Iams which is less than "premium" than they ever did on the cainidae or anything else.  I think the super premiums were too rich for them (Especially for my greyhound).  I won't switch around anymore, I'll stick with what works and with what I can afford.  My SIL uses Dog Chow *gasp*  and swears by it.  So it is all about what you can afford and what works for your dogs.  I don't feel you are doing anything horrible if you use a food like Iams or Purina One. 

A 12 lb. bag of Natural Balance duck/potato small bites costs only $27 and doesn't contain the nasty stuff some of the grocery store brands do.  However, I've noticed that some grocery stores (Harveys' now carries "Lassie's" brand) are carrying mid-grade foods.   If you don't want to buy the high quality foods then why not compromise with mid-grade?

The reason is this....with the low-quality foods (and the ones most advertised on tv!) your dogs may "seem" to be doing fine if they don't have allergies to the corn, wheat, etc. used as the primary ingredients and fillers BUT over time, years down the road, these bad foods can cause your dog problems and may shorten their lives.  Like us - if we eat only McDonald's and twinkies we not show any bad affects but eventually it will catch up with us!

For example here are the ingredients in Purina One Lamb/Rice...notice the ton of corn and corn gluten in it.  The bad stuff is "poultry by-product meal" which can be ground up feathers, beaks, nasty stuff.  Also the menadione - outlawed in Europe as it can cause cancer!  Also - animal digest!  For explanations of these ingredients see http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

Animal digest:

Animal Digest

AAFCO: A material which results from chemical and/or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean and undecomposed animal tissue. The animal tissues used shall be exclusive of hair, horns, teeth, hooves and feathers, except in such trace amounts as might occur unavoidably in good factory practice and shall be suitable for animal feed. If it bears a name descriptive of its kind or flavor(s), it must correspond thereto. A cooked-down broth made from unspecified parts of unspecified animals. The animals used can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: "4-D animals" (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), goats, pigs, horses, rats, misc. roadkill, animals euthanized at shelters, restaurant and supermarket refuse and so on.

Now, years ago, I fed Purina One thinking I was feeding a good food...until I learned about what actually went into the food my dogs were eating!!  To me, it's not worth it.  They may love Iams or Purina (lots of flavor and fat is added to make it taste good!) but it is not good for them.  Personally, I want my dogs around a long time and their lives to be healthly.  I can't feed mine euthanized animals and roadkill!  And I feed 6 dogs and am not wealthy...but we make it work. JMO!~

Purina is not as bad as some of the stuff they have out there!!!

Hey pamela! Boy do I sympathize! I had 2 big ole food guzzling Labs and I always flinched at the high price of Eukanuba and Iams...arrrgh!

Yet...there WAS the mega-$$$$$ on skin probs and other health issues that I NEVER attributed to their food source (dummy me)...I do believe their high corn foods and "suspect meat products" contributed to their health issues...also their yearly Vacs (another issue).

BUT your old guy is doin well on whatever he gets? That is great! And wouldn't go into debt to change that since he is doing great. Sheesh....country hunting dogs get Ole Roy, and usually a generic version, from the feed store, and do fine...(although they usually get some of the raw meat and bones from their hunts which may be why they do fine!!!)

Because of the horrid issues I dealt with my Labs, when I got Yogi I made the decision to research and be aware of his diet, and so on....he eats such a small amount a day that I decided I could afford  higher priced foods...and I found that the local Feed and Seed store had many good premium kibbles (and raw) and way cheaper than Petsmart type franchise stores...

If you have a feed store nearby, see what they have!?

ALSO...apparently Purina One has FREE food for a month...on another post here:

"Purina is offering a 30-day supply of Purina One cat or dog food just for making a quick call and answering a few questions.   This is a great way to help out shelter & rescue groups. 

And never feel guilty...as long as your babes are doing great...well, that is the crux!

JMHO

  Dads!

Hello and welcome to the rt.com Pam!
 I understand how the cost of premium food can be daunting...I was feeding Pedigree (about $10 for a 50 lbs bag) until I came here and the first time I saw those prices I jumped. $40+ for a 30 lbs bag? Yikes! However, keep in mind that you won't have to feed as much food to your dog in one sitting if you get a better food as would if you fed a low quality food, with the exception of a grain free one (I believe). Below is a chart on dogfoodproject.com that compares the amount you spend on a hypothetical, adult, moderately active dog of 50 pounds and how much you would spend on a Grocery Store Brand (Kibbles 'n Bits) a 'Popular Pet Store Brand' (Purina/Iams) and a High Quality Brand (Canidae/Innova). Brands that look cheap at first might not add so in the end.

Food Type	Grocery Store Brand	Popular Pet Store Brand	High Quality Brand
Guaranteed Analysis	25 / 10 / 4 / 14	21.5 / 13 / 3 / 10	24 / 14.5 / 4 / 10
Kcal content per lb	1674	1683	1864
Kcal content per cup	360	365	466
Largest bag unit	35.2 lbs	40 lbs	40 lbs
Cups per bag	163.7	184.4	160
Cups per lb	4.65	4.61	4
Cost per bag	$25	$32	$35
Cost per lb	$0.71	$0.80	$0.87
Cost per cup	$0.153	$0.173	$0.219
Recommended daily amount	3.25 cups	3.63 cups	2 cups
Daily feeding cost	$0.497	$0.628	$0.438
Days bag will last	50	50	80
Bags needed / year	7.3	7.3	4.6
Monthly feeding cost	$15.21	$19.47	$13.42
Yearly feeding cost	$182.50	$233.60	$161.00

 Unfortunantly, brands sold at supermarkets are 99% of the time very poor quality foods. If you're having trouble finding one, you can order the food online. It's usually less expensive online, not including shipping, which probably isn't that much to ship a bag of dog food. Many brand websites also usually have a store locator, and you can see if any pet food stores are close by in your area that carry better food.

 I understand that many people might not be able to afford ultra premium food. Just go for the best you can. Some that you may want to check out are Canidae (although their new formula isn't really all that good) Wellness and Natural Balance

 Check out dogfoodproject.com . It's a very informative site and has an 'ingredients to avoid' page. You'd be surprised what some companies are aloud to put in (such as wood, euthanized cats and dogs, ect.)

This is part of the data from a food ratings system.  I know there is a longer list, maybe here somewhere.  I got this from http://www.the-puppy-dog-place.com/dog-food-ratings.html

ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Canidae / Score 112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
Eagle Pack Holistic / Score 119 A+
Eagle Pack Holistic Chicken / Score 114 A+
Eagle Pack Large and Giant Breed Puppy / Score 94 A
Eagle Pack Natural / Score 94 A
Eukanuba Large Breed Adult / Score 83 C
Eukanuba Natural Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Flint River Ranch / Score 92 B (non-specific fat source)
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 A
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
Iams Large Breed / Score 83 C
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Kirkland Signature Puppy Chicken, Rice and Vegetable / Score 108 A+
Natural Balance Duck and Potato / Score 114 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Chicken, Rice, & Oatmeal / Score 85 C (non-specific fat source)
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural choice Lamb and Rice / Score 85 C
Ol Roy / Score 9 F
Pedigree Complete Nutrition / Score 42 F
Pedigree Adult Complete / Score 14 F
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
Pro Plan All Breed / Score 68 F
Pro Plan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+
Purina Benful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet chicken adult maintenance / Score 45 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Solid Gold Bison / Score 123 A+
Timberwolf Organics Lamb and Venison / Score 136 A+
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (Bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

This is part of the data from a food ratings system.  I know there is a longer list, maybe here somewhere.  I got this from http://www.the-puppy-dog-place.com/dog-food-ratings.html

ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Canidae / Score 112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
Eagle Pack Holistic / Score 119 A+
Eagle Pack Holistic Chicken / Score 114 A+
Eagle Pack Large and Giant Breed Puppy / Score 94 A
Eagle Pack Natural / Score 94 A
Eukanuba Large Breed Adult / Score 83 C
Eukanuba Natural Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Flint River Ranch / Score 92 B (non-specific fat source)
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 A
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
Iams Large Breed / Score 83 C
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Kirkland Signature Puppy Chicken, Rice and Vegetable / Score 108 A+
Natural Balance Duck and Potato / Score 114 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Chicken, Rice, & Oatmeal / Score 85 C (non-specific fat source)
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural choice Lamb and Rice / Score 85 C
Ol Roy / Score 9 F
Pedigree Complete Nutrition / Score 42 F
Pedigree Adult Complete / Score 14 F
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
Pro Plan All Breed / Score 68 F
Pro Plan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+
Purina Benful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet chicken adult maintenance / Score 45 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Solid Gold Bison / Score 123 A+
Timberwolf Organics Lamb and Venison / Score 136 A+
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (Bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

Spastic mouse finger..double post.

Philo....WHAT happened to "Blue Buffalo " products????? and..."DAD's"????

(Actually, "DAD'S has corn as 1st ingred and Menadione.....so...OUT)

I LOVE the cost-list someone posted...never noticed that before....really makes one feel better about spending the extra 10-plus  bucks a bag...doesn't look so bad.

I paid $17 for 10 # of Eagle Pack small breed Holistic kibble..ONLY because I went for small bags (he is so picky...but actually FINALLY likes something!) and the rate he is going thru it, that 10# will last 2 months or longer....!!!!! (Cat likes it too..so even bigger savings...hehheh)

I really don't think the store crap stuff is worth it ....cheaper to grind up feeder corn and mix it with meatloaf...(kiddin!)

Very interesting list I will have to check out Costco Kirkland signature I know that my folks collie does really well on it!!  He will be like 10 this year and has been eating it for years.  It has the same score as wellness and a whole lot less money  I want Ivy to get the best I can afford but if Costco's is just as good that will mean more TOYS for Ivy!!!!!

Mary Beth - no disrespect at all - what I meant was for the OP to do what she needed to do to ensure her dogs were happy in that they had full bellies and a loving home. If the OP is spending discretionary income on upgrading the dog food, what happens in an emergency?

I don't think any knowledgeable parent would allow their children to indulge in McD's, Taco Bell, Twinkies, etc. all the time, so I was giving the OP the benefit of the doubt.

And I do know several people who try as they might, their dog won't eat anything BUT Beneful, etc.  Does that make them bad dog moms?  No.  Their dog lives a great life - running though the woods with their boys, etc. 

Thanks for understanding