Pride dog food

[littlewoody]

After reading this better off feeding road kill !

[billpapas]

Warddog how much raw do you feed, and how often? Thank you

[DAN LANG]

..I looked into the raw diet years ago when we got a GREATER SWISS MTN dog and the breeder fed raw...After some carefull consideration and speaking to a lot of people, I decided against it. Too much work, unless of course you buy it made. I also have to wonder about the smell, if you are feeding more then a few dogs..??..

[mybeagles]

Dan,
All the preparation is unnecessary. Pull a chicken thigh out of bag and feed it. All the veggies and yogurt sound good but dogs are not omnivores. I cut up deer, fish, or other meats into single portions about every 2 months and freeze in bucket or container. Take out week or so at a time. Takes less time to feed than kibble.

I keep looking for the down side, but after 3 years can't find one. Just healthy dogs with perfect teeth, coats, and I've never had a dog get thin or go down hill on me from a week or two of extreme running. They will get fat quick if you over feed so you have to watch them. You get 3-4 times more crap with kibble and considerably more smell.

I can't find a kibble at any price to include the $75 a small bag stuff that keeps them like the raw does. I don't care what others feed their dogs but just like to share my experience with the raw diet.

[johns03272008]

How do you dertermin what amount to feed when feeding raw? Do you go by weight? How do you know when they are getting enough for 1 feeding? Just curious as I have looked into this but just can't figure out how much would be enough.

[mybeagles]

2-3% of body weight is the general recommendation, but just like kibble you adjust as necessary. My 13" beagles get 1 chicken thigh per day(about 6 oz). If i don't run hard they will gain weight with that amount. My Springer spaniel gets 2 thighs per day.

Ideally you want to feed 60% meat, 20% bone, 20% fat/skin....that's about what a chicken thigh is. I suppliment with beef fat scrap if run extremely hard or in really cold weather and they get fat quick on 2 oz a day added to diet. Add more bone if stool gets loose, add organ meat if it gets too hard. Only loose stool I get is when I give them free access to venison for couple days. Then you fast them for 24 hour and they right to normal.

I mix their diet with fish heads, venison, squirrel, rabbit, beef. 6-8 oz for beagle is about right. Takes them 1-2 weeks to adapt to change over.....

Incredible amount of info on web with videos.

[warddog]

Warddog how much raw do you feed, and how often? Thank you

I do NOT feed raw because I am too lazy to make up the rations BUT my beagles seems to have a handle on it. If someone can't give me the science or FACTs about a manufactured dry dog food then it is pure speculation and opinion. ALL I have tried to do in my replies is make folks aware that ALL dry feeds are manufactured from the same basic raw materials with the differences being where they are bought and how fresh they are at the time the manufacturer uses them. Folks banging their heads about corn in the first three ingredients need to show me the science behind what they state that corn isn't digestible in dogs. The ONLY reason why it isn't is because dog food manufacturers say it isn't so they can reel in some more fish to their brand in which they do NOT use corn but yet they fill er up with other grain and or vegetable sources. FACTS are that if all the grain and vegetable matter were removed from the dry dog food one couldn't afford to feed it. I have stated before and will say so one more time and that is I feed the best I can for my dollars or what I think I can get the best bang for my buck. We all have opinions but there is science out there about all we have discussed about dog feed and one doesn't get science from a dog food manufacturer as they are ALL in the business to get your hard earned dollars. As for the dog food ratings that everyone puts so much faith in, how many owners of several hounds are going to pay those prices for dog feed day in and day out. You will also notice that most of these so-called premium dry dog foods are less than a 50 pound bag for these $40.00 to $75.00 per bag prices. I think mybeagles nailed exactly what I am saying when he tried the $75.00 per bag as compared to his raw. I applaud those that take the time to put the raw together as they know exactly what goes into each of their dogs and the quality of the raw ingredients they use. My biggest point is that when we feed manufactured dry feed we are at the discretion of the manufacturer in how fresh the ingredients are they use and in what they brew up as their formula. One last point about good, bad or in between, check out the ingredient label on your favorite dog food among ALL the different protein and fat percentages to see how they very. Chances are there will be NO difference in the first two or three ingredients with the difference being only the amounts within each formula so as to change the percentage within each different colored bag. Now, comes to another highly discussed issue that is loaded with personal opinion when it comes to dog food, "what is the percentage of protein and fat actually needed for canine health?" As I stated long before I am not knocking on brand over another but what I do knock is all the hype the manufacturers put upon their brands in their adds when I know exactly what goes to the renderers that make these major ingredients of meal and or byproducts. Someone stated they thought it was best to just feed road kill and I will say that they have hit the nail on the head if it's a relatively fresh road kill. I for one am too lazy to pick it up and process it into serving sized meal proportions for my dogs as it is time consuming enough for me to do so for me and my family.

[mybeagles]

Google digestability for dogs:

Spent some time on phone with vet nutritionist from University of Berkley who has no link to dog food manufacturing. The breakdown she gave me was:

Grains (corn, barley, wheat, rice) 40% digestability depending on quality of source.

Meat (beef, pork, venison, chicken) 80% depending on the quality of source.

Fish 90% digestability

Whole egg 100% digestability

I did the research, read the medical journals. Take it for what it's worth.

Most if not all kibble protein is derived from very low quality sources with low digestability.

The extent of my experiment was taking the gathered information and executing a diet for my dogs with trial and error. My results were consistent with what I read and conversations I had with others.

At the end of the day everyone will feed what they feel comfortable with at a price point that fits their budget regardless of results.

[warddog]

Google digestability for dogs:

Spent some time on phone with vet nutritionist from University of Berkley who has no link to dog food manufacturing. The breakdown she gave me was:

Grains (corn, barley, wheat, rice) 40% digestability depending on quality of source.

Meat (beef, pork, venison, chicken) 80% depending on the quality of source.

Fish 90% digestability

Whole egg 100% digestability

I did the research, read the medical journals. Take it for what it's worth.

Most if not all kibble protein is derived from very low quality sources with low digestability.

The extent of my experiment was taking the gathered information and executing a diet for my dogs with trial and error. My results were consistent with what I read and conversations I had with others.

At the end of the day everyone will feed what they feel comfortable with at a price point that fits their budget regardless of results.

Looks like mybeagles is right on top of this and I see you have done your home work with supporting science behind your thinking. If I weren't so old and lazy I would definitely feed raw as it is the best bang for the buck for your dogs. I also see you get it that dry manufactured feed is dry manufactured feed with VERY little difference in ingredients and nutritional value be ANY grain products involved in the first two or three ingredients as that is where the bulk of the nutritional value comes from. One thing that adds a to the digestibility is if the grain is cracked or ground as it allows the meat or heart of the grain to be more readily digested BUT still not to the point of meat, fish or eggs. You also have it right that at the end of the day folks will feed what they feel comfortable with at a price that fits their budget or their lifestyle. Once a dry feed has meet the nutritional standard as set forth by AAFCO using a nutritional profile they are considered to be complete and balanced what ever that means because AAFCO only list the Nutrient profiles for growing and reproduction and adult maintenance without any fluctuations for what the dog may be doing.

[BB Beagles]

I concur with everything y'all have stated. And as long as this post has been going on I've ran out of dogfood ( victor). Went to feed mill and they were out! OMG!!!! Shipment won't be here till Saturday. So, I picked up bag of River Run 24/20 just tied me over till Saturday. Not saying its bad feed, but it does have corn as 2nd ingredient. My dogs have crapped so much in two days it's crazy. Even my buddy I was hunting with today noticed how much they were crapping while we were hunting. I know it was a change from there regular feed( Victor 24/20) that comes in regular plain red bag/ no fancy pics to River Run 24/20 that also comes in non fancy red/gray bag, but in just 2 feeding a I can tell this diff not only in what's coming out of my hounds, but there perfomance too.

Scientific study of my own....
1 3/4- 2 cups victor daily x performance of hounds,devided by amount of crap =
Rabbits in front of the gun ALL DAY LONG. DAY AFTER DAY! LOL!!

Raw is best diet for a hound. Yes
If you don't feed raw, find the best dry feed, with the best ingredients that you can, and can afford.
Last, you have to just go by what's on the label, because most of us are not scientist.
Only scientific study we can do for are hounds is to watch them and let them show us how they are reacting to whatever dry feed they are eating.

[BB Beagles]

WARDOG, I do have a serious question, because you stated retiring from usda. I know that on some bags of feed it says made in USA. Is ingredients all from USA or is it products from just where ever and processed in USA? Example: like the episode with Diamond. It may say made in USA but the chicken comes from china? Example: like a Honda 4 wheeler says made in USA but it forgein. I just wondered how many manufactures of feed do, do that?
Thanks

[Bachman]

I feed the orange bag of pride 26-20 pro series and like it. $26 for 50 lbs.

[warddog]

WARDOG, I do have a serious question, because you stated retiring from usda. I know that on some bags of feed it says made in USA. Is ingredients all from USA or is it products from just where ever and processed in USA? Example: like the episode with Diamond. It may say made in USA but the chicken comes from china? Example: like a Honda 4 wheeler says made in USA but it forgein. I just wondered how many manufactures of feed do, do that?
Thanks

There are NO federal regulations, at the time for declaring a country of origin for HUMAN food let alone pet foods. Here AGAIN we have a BIG Corporate manufacturer pulling the wool over consumers eyes. The USDA has kicked around mandating "the country of origin" be placed on the label or package of every consumer sized container of food we buy BUT the BIG industry has lobbied and got that put on hold for several years now. This question brings to the forefront exactly what I have been trying to make clear in all my posts on this issue and that is how manufacturers use colorful or fanciful names, titles, and other statements upon the package of their products to lead unknowing consumers into thinking it is something that it is not, I commonly use the term "PULLING THE WOOL OVER THEIR EYES!"
To answer your question directly that statement means only that the end product was made or assembled in the USA which was proven when Diamond was investigated to find the Melamine in the ingredients to be from CHINA.

I have posed this question before but have not seen any replies, How many people like or dislike Wal-Mart? Now I'm not knocking or endorsing Wal-Mart but merely what folks think of the meat they buy from there. I've got some relatives that say it sucks and they won't buy Wal-Mart meat at all.

[wvdaniel]

I want to think everyone for there comments. I have bought my 1st and last bag of pride dog food. I will go back to sexton brothers for now. I have never in my 20 yrs of haveing beagles see so much poop!!!!

[sammiller03]

People might see it different than me but I never thought one bag was enough to judge on. I switch dogs slow from one feed to another and always switch pups really slow. I feed 30/20 puppy feed and boy will it cause problems if you switch them fast.

Sam