Monday, January 30, 2012

Choosing a Top Quality Dry Food

UPDATE: January 2016 - This post is several years old.  I have been feeding a raw diet for nearly 5 years now and it is in my opinion the best thing I could ever do for my dogs. If you are looking for advice or opinions on a specific brand of food please follow the protocol below and visit dogfoodadvisor.com to find out their rating. I have fed raw so long I can't comment on any one food other than what is outlined below and at dogfoodadvisor.com

I personally feed my dogs, and always have fed, Diamond Naturals Large Breed 60+lb dog food.  I’m seriously considering switching over to a raw diet because it is the absolute best thing you can feed your dog, however it takes a little more planning than I’m sure I can handle right now.  If you do choose to feed a dry kibble to your dog, be it an English Mastiff or a Toy Poodle, below is a list of criteria we believe a food must meet to be considered a quality kibble. 
  • Food contains NO corn and doesn’t have a lot of grains in the top ingredients.
  • Company has disclosed where the food is manufactured.
  • Food contains a good amount of animal protein in the top ingredients (prefer a named meal as #1 or at least a named meat as #1 followed by a named meal in the top ingredients).
  • Food contains NO meat or poultry by-products.
  • Food contains NO synthetic Vitamin K.
  • Food has only named ingredients, especially in the fats and proteins.
  • Food contains NO gluten meals.
  • If food contains grains and vegetables, they are whole grains and vegetables, not fragments.
  • Food contains NO artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. For instance, no BHA, BHT or Ethoxyquin.
  • Food contains NO added sweeteners.
And remember, a top food is only top if your dog likes it and does well on it.   All of this information was taken from a list my friend puts together for the forum, Mastiff Online Community.  Here is a link to the article which contains a list of foods that adhere to the criteria above.  This list, in my opinion, is what I would consider the Dog Food Bible! 
On a side note, while it is outlined in the article, I wanted to bring attention to this: Please use caution in feeding grain free foods to growing dogs! Many grain free foods have calcium and phosphorus levels that are too high for growing giant pups. Feeding those foods can harm your puppy. So the general rule is steer clear of grain free until your dog's growth plates have closed, usually around 2 years of age.

11 comments:

  1. So do you give your puppies the Diamond Naturals Large Breed 60+lb dog food?

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    1. I actually feed raw now Terry, but I do like the Diamond Naturals products.

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    2. Hello, I am picking up my first English Mastiiff on Saturday he will be 8 weeks old. After all my research and reading of the breed I have decided to just stick with dry feeding. I have chosen to go with diamond natural, doesn't matter whether beef chicken or lamb? Also, I want the adult bag/formula correct?

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  2. In 2011 Faithway dog food killed 15 of my Mastiffs , I changed to Diamond an here comes round 2 it started making my dogs sick ,,, Purina is really the only commercial food I trust , I have been a AKC inspected kennel for 28 years

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    1. Purina has alot of corn and byproduct though, not good for your dog IMO. They are cheap ingredients and filler.

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  3. Hi I have a 8 week old English mastiff and was wondering what is the best food to feed him since I know that he is suppose to not have lots of protein or calcium, what do you recommend

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    1. I wanted to let you know I didn't reccommend anything because I've been feeding raw for almost 5 years. I would check Dogfoodadvisor.com and find a 4+ star food that meets all the criteria above. Then make sure your dog likes it :)

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  4. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  5. Just brought a beautiful 9 week english mastiff puppy, her name is Maia. Have been reading alot on here to learn as much as I can to ensure she is a happy and healthy girl. My spouse just picked up a bag of Now Fresh Large Breed adult food. Is this a food you would find acceptable for our girl? I look forward to any tips and thanks in advance!

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    1. I believe that is a good brand of food, but I 'think', not sure, that it's grain free. Just be careful the puppy seems to be growing evenly. The protein levels in grain free foods can be too high for some puppies. I would also check that the phosphorus and calcium ratios are as close to 1:1 as possible.

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