Dog Food Snob
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Hi my name is Kari and I once was a dog food snob. Everyone repeat after me, Hi Kari.
Years ago when I would find out my friends were feeding grocery store brands to their dogs I would turn into a dog food snob. I never thought less of them for feeding that food or thought they were harming their dog by feeding it. So I am not sure why really I acted like a snob when it came to dog food, I suppose I was just brain washed but I did put my nose up at the thought of it.
I spent years feeding Fred (Bloodhound) and Haylie (Labrador) grain free high quality best of the best food. Sometimes that food would cost me $120 a month (two 30pd bags). I thought it was what was best for my dogs to be honest; I think I really believed that they would live longer and healthier lives.
There were several of the foods that they just didn’t care for but I fed them anyway because it was top quality food. I was lucky that I could afford to feed them the good but I know there are people who can’t afford to feed that food and they shouldn’t feel bad about that. Any dog that isn’t going hungry is a happy dog.
I attended Blog Paws 2012 in Salt Lake City Utah this past year and I came home with several samples of Rachel Ray Nutrish dog food. It’s not grain free and actually it’s not rated as high as natural balance and wellness that use to be on the main food rotation.
You know what? Haylie loved it; I haven’t seen her so excited about food in years. Did I worry that I was feeding her a 4star food instead of a 5star? No. Did I feel like a bad owner because it wasn’t grain free? No. Do I love the fact that I can pick it up at my local target and grocery store? YES! Sometimes I forget I need dog food and its sunday evening and my Petco is closed.
Many of you have followed this blog through the short journey of Fred and his epilepsy that came on suddenly and now he is seizure free across the rainbow bridge at the young age of 4. Did the good quality food keep Fred alive any longer? No. Did the grain free food prevent any disease? No. If I would have known that I would have only had 4 years of life with Fred I would have feed him kibble and bits or gravy train without hesitation if it would have made him happy.
I’m not saying that one food is better than the other. All I’m saying is that we should feel confident about the food we feed our dogs and not feel any different about anyone for feeding their dog something different.
After Fred passed Haylie went on a hunger strike, partly because she was feeding off our sadness and partly because she didn’t have Fred around to stir up the excitement at meal time. At that point I decided I would do whatever it took to get her to eat more than a cup of food every few days. I started picking up different brands of food not caring if it was grain free or not. To be honest she loved Beneful and Rachel Ray wet food and Blue Buffalo and Merrick dry food. It was a breath of fresh air to see her excited to eat again on a regular basis.
I have a friend who feeds Beneful and Purina One to her dogs and they are 8 years old and never see the vet unless it’s for shots and they are the two healthiest dogs that I know. My old vet has a 16 year old dachshund that is healthy as can be living on science diet and grocery store food. I am sure there are tons of examples out there supporting both cases.
I just think it’s time to change the way we think about people who may not feed the “high quality kibble” that some feed. I have even talked to bloggers who are embarrassed to say what food they feed fido because they don’t want to hear the backlash of what people in blog land might say.
I would rather any dog eat Ol’ roy from Wal-mart than to ever go hungry. People sometimes don’t realize that some of these dog food brands do some amazing things for shelters and local communities in regards to monetary and food donations.
When I was at Blog Paws 2012 I met with some amazing people at Purina and had a great time and enjoyed all the conversations I had with them because I was able to speak freely and open about their dog food and things I have heard about their food.
They have invited me on an all expense trip next week to their dog food plant for a tour and to meet with people who are in charge of creating their dog food. I am not being paid for anything with Purina; I am not in contract with them as a sponsor. This is just a trip to get to know more about Purina as a company.
I have a chance to speak with the makers of the food and ask the questions people have wanted answers to or to bring up issues that people have about the company. I ask you for your help with a few questions. Answer them all or just answer some – either way all help is grateful.
1. What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word Purina?
2. Would you feed Purina to your dog?
3. If you do feed Purina can you tell me why?
4. If you wouldn’t feed Purina can you tell me why?
5. General question: Would you ever feed your dog grocery store food?
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kari@houndgirl.com
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1. I think of Purina Dog Chow brand food, which has been around for a very long time. I think they make cat food as well.
2. Sure, I would feed them Purina, however, they are on a grain free food at this time. Minnie is on a RX food because of Pancreatitis.
3. Don’t feed them Purina
4. No Purina because I don’t think they have a grain free variety. Due to Mack’s allergies, I’m trying to cut out what might irritate him. Mario just eats what ever we feed Mack .
5. Sure, I’m sure there are some good grocery store brand dog foods out there. We can afford to feed them a premium grain free (Orijen) for now. If $$ was an issue, I feel the way you do, better a full and happy dog than a hungry one!
Can’t wait to hear about your experience at Purina. I do respect all they do for our pets and charities!
Droools and licks,
Minnie, Mack and foster Mario
That’s awesome that you are going on the tour! What an opportunity. When I think of Purina, I think of dog chow, I don’t know if that came from a commercial or what not, but that’s what comes to mind. I generally buy what my vet recommends, so it would have to come from his mouth for approval.
Hi; I find your timing interesting because my 10 mos old Bichon does not like his kibble. He was raised on Purina(which he loved) and I always think that it has fillers and is not as nutritious as some of the higher end brands. Right now we are on Royal Canine but again our dog hardly eats it. At night I do supplement with a natural beef loaf dog food from the grocery store and he loves that. I have thought of trying Purina again to see if he’d eat it. I wish more companies had samples so we don’t have to pay alot for a food the dog won’t eat. 1.) I think of Purina as a old time dog food. 2) After I hear about your visit, I may just have to try Purina again. 3)I am also anxious to try Rachel Ray’s canned food to add in with some kibble and see if that helps.
Thanks for your posts.
Noreen
Hi! This is so funny because I just wrote a post TODAY about a similar topic: http://www.twokittiesonepittie.com/2012/09/your-dog-eats-what-controversial.html. I can COMPLETELY relate.
HI KARI……. What to eat… WHAT TO EAT…. THREE impawtant words to us. I guess I would say if WE don’t EAT it… it is NOT doing us any good. Go with what is being EATEN.
After a lot of research I fed my dogs a highly rated and expensive dog food, only to find that it was made with many other brands in a cesspool in North Carolina and one variety was recalled. I stopped buying it.
Purina seems to be a company more careful about where their food is made. However as long as they distribute chicken jerky treats made in China that have killed pets, I will not buy Purina products.
Great post! I always find post written about dog food very interesting. Very cool that you get to go explore the plant. Look forward to reading about your experience.
1. What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word Purina? Standard brand.
2. Would you feed Purina to your dog? No
3. If you do feed Purina can you tell me why?
4. If you wouldn’t feed Purina can you tell me why? Because I really enjoy the brand that I am currently feeding my dogs.
5. General question: Would you ever feed your dog grocery store food? It really depends on what the ingredients are. I don’t feed brands that have Gluten’s, by-products, or artificial colors added to them.
My Titan (American Bulldog/American Staffordshire Terrier) only gets Nature’s Variety or Taste of the Wild. I find too much “filler” and corn in other products that aren’t good for my boy. He used to get skin allergies on Science Diet (promoted by the rescue he was at) and took me about 2 mos to figure out that was tearing him up. I’ve heard good and bad about Purina however, I’d never buy it.
Okay first – I truly dislike this blog layout – the new post doesn’t show up. I had to go to the bottom to find it. I know you sent me a link and posted it on facebook.
Second – love the photo with Fred in the background. I forgot to tell you I met a very gentle black and tan bloodhound on Sunday named Blue. Fred’s photo reminded me of him.
Okay – on food. As long as the dog likes the food, does it really matter? We feed Blue Bufallo and I’m not really sure why. I do know that we feed grocery store foods early on and we had a lot more waste to pick up. But I made a deal long ago and I don’t do ‘waste’ so, I don’t really care much.
g
Purina has had a good reputation for years, as far as I know. Heck, when I was a kid (darn, that’s hard to say) everybody fed their dog Purina. It was all there was! And our dogs lived to be old and happy. I tend to think that putting all your eggs about your dog’s long life in one basket of dog food is a little unrealistic. There are a lot more factors, that are beyond our control most of the time, like genetics, that determine age and health, too. We usually feed our dogs a premium dog food, BUT, if it’s Sunday night or we’re a few days from a paycheck, we pick up something at the grocery store to get us by, and it doesn’t seem to have done them any harm.
Thank you so much for this post! I’ve been invited on a different kind of trip, with a different company, and I’ve held off talking about it because I’ve been afraid of what some people might say. You’ve really helped me to see it in a different light!
Oh, and I am really hoping we’ll get to go to Purina Farms one of these days! It sounds like a fantastically fun dog place, and it’s within driving distance of us. If you happen to be going to Saint Louis and you have a little free time, check out the AKC Museum of the Dog! It’s a great place!
1. The first thing I think about when I hear the word Purina is the feed store across town with the big Purina logo on the outside…
2. I have fed Riley Purina before.
3. I fed Riley Purina when I first got her 3 and a half years ago because that’s what the breeder had her eating.
4. N/A
5. I guess it just depends on what the ingredients in the grocery store food is. Obviously, if the first ingredient is corn, I wouldn’t feed that to her…too much pooooooop to clean up!!
Exciting about your trip! I’m totally jealous!
Freedom, Casper and Nikki all eat Purina One Lamb & Rice. When we adopted our first Greyhound, we were told that they often do best on a mid-grade dog food. We chose Purina One Lamb & Rice because other folks in our rescue group use it AND we collect the weight circles for our group. Our Greyhound group has been able to receive many $$ from Purina to go towards vet bills. I’ve been tempted to try a grain-free food because I’ve heard it reduces the amount of poop…an appealing thought with 3 large dogs. I look forward to hearing about your tour. I know you will have a great time.
1. What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word Purina?
I think it’s common over here in Australia and I think it’s made in the US. I think it might have ingredients from China.
2. Would you feed Purina to your dog?
I think I’ve tried it and it was ok. I wouldn’t feed it if any ingredients weren’t from the US or from Australia or New Zealand.
3. If you do feed Purina can you tell me why?
Not usually.
4. If you wouldn’t feed Purina can you tell me why?
Would try it. Would read the label very carefully as I’ve said above.
5. General question: Would you ever feed your dog grocery store food?
Not generally, unless I read the label carefully. I will not feed as first choice foods that have “by-products” in them. I choose fresh meat as first choice, especially chicken that is free range (for ethical treatment of food animals), secondly free-range beef or lamb. I use some grocery store food, but usually from the organic shop.
The first thing I think of when I hear Purina is pet food.
I don’t know if I would feed my dogs Purina, perhaps I would if it was the only food available.
I do not feed Purina because my dogs are on raw food. Both my dogs were very heavy before we switched to raw, the vet was concerned with their weight and even thought I had them on a ‘lite’ kibble, they were both still very heavy. I was advised to switch them to grain free and it made sense. We started to see the weight come off slowly, but it didn’t really happen until we switched to raw.
Here’s my hesitation in feeding Purina, the quality of the ingredients, the added fillers and all the preservatives. I try to eat as simply as possible in my diet and I give my pets the same.
I would feed my dogs grocery store food if that is all that I had available to me.
You can probably rank me right there as a dog food snob.
Hi Kari, First off I love the picture because Freddie is in the background as he continues to watch over everyone.
1. What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word Purina? It has been around for ever and ever and I think all our hounds were on this when we first go them. Purina Puppy Chow. BOL
2. Would you feed Purina to your dog? We feed them the puppy chow but we noticed they did not have firm stools so that is when we started to discuss other food options.
3. If you do feed Purina can you tell me why? We don’t feed Purina know just because it didn’t seem to agree with there tummys and I can’t stand to pick up loose poop.
4. If you wouldn’t feed Purina can you tell me why? I am sure we would try it again if we were in a bind for some food and all other stores were closed for the night. They seem to enjoy different stuff here and there.
5. General question: Would you ever feed your dog grocery store food? Yes, I have feed them grocery store food on occassion. Ooops forgot to run to Farm and Fleet and get doggie food. Bad Momma.
I know we have had conversations on food before. There are sometimes I hate to say what the hounds eat because of backlash. The hounds have been eating Science Diet Light for all their lives (recommendation from vet, because he gets kick back). But it agrees with them and Bella even gained 7 pounds eating light food. They don’t have any tummy issues and I learned my lesson on switching food during the dog food recall. I switched to an all natural food to quickly and it cost me $500 for Tabby and her tummy issues.
Where is the Purina Plant at that you are visiting. If it is in St. Louis I would love to know when you are going. St. Louis is just a short drive for us (3 hours) and if it would work out I would drive down to meet you in person, just because I think you are an awesome blog friend. Send me a note sometime about your trip.
Sherri and The HoundDogs
Fab post.
1. When I hear Purina, I think of traditional kibble, maybe even the grandfather of kibble.
2. & 4. Not with the allergy queen in the house. Sadly, they offer NOTHING that is corn and its byproducts, AND land-animal free.
5. Probably not… see above. Sissy is about as high-maintenance as they come.
My kitty eats Purina. Pro Plan. In fact it is all she will eat. She eats the kibble and the canned and does well on both. Please, please, please beg them not to change it…ever!
Unfortunately this food is only available at pet stores and not all of them and imo it is not inexpensive.
As for the dogs, I have no objection to feeding them a “lesser” food, but for the most part it does not seem to agree with them. (Although Freighter got some canned Pedigree with his kibble for quite a while.) Our dogs do not do well on grains (especially barley). They also do better on a salmon based food which they seem to digest better than other proteins. We have performance dogs so they need a certain balance of fat and protein to keep weight on them and give them the energy that they need to work. I haven’t found a Purina formula that works for them, unfortunately.
I hope that people make choices for their animals based on their own animal’s needs and preferences. We feed Taste of the Wild to all three dogs. Since it is a Diamond product, you would not believe the vile hatred some people spew toward that choice…lol. I don’t care. Our dogs do well on it so until we find something they do better on, that is the choice for us.
Well you already know my feelings on this topic
Stop on by for a visit
Kari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com
1. What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word Purina? Purina Pro Plan, which a lot of sporting dog owners feed to their working dogs with great success. …and horse and goat feeds – which I love for my horses!
2. Would you feed Purina to your dog? Yes, and I do. It was the only food Cisco would eat years ago when she was so sick – she thrived on it. Sam has also thrived on it after his cancer went into remission.
3. If you do feed Purina can you tell me why? LOL – see above!
4. If you wouldn’t feed Purina can you tell me why? I do!
5. General question: Would you ever feed your dog grocery store food? No – we’ve switched to other premium food, but have had problems with Monty eating it. Purina seems to be palatable and attractive to him.
Sam
Very good post!! When I hear Purina…I think of Purina One…I guess because I have heard good things about it. My girlz are currently on Blue Buffalo…but I do switch them around all the time because I do not want them getting too used to a food. They love Rachel Ray Nutrish…they have had both the chicken and the beef. You are correct…they aren’t as highly rated, but as I said, I mix the foods up and it seems to work for us. Congratulations on your trip! Sounds like a fun experience!!
xo
Jeanne, Chloe and LadyBug
Wowserz, how great that you get to go see how doggie food is made! I don’t know too much about Purina, but I’ll try and answer your questions…
1. What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word Purina? It’s a doggie food that’s been around for a long time.
2. Would you feed Purina to your dog? Not at this time. Nala likes Rachel Ray’s Nutrish, and I’m on a diet and enjoy eating Iams for overweight doggies.
4. If you wouldn’t feed Purina can you tell me why? I’m not sure if mommy would ever give us Purina — she told me that they have had a few recalls over the years and she would rather give us a food brand that doesn’t make her think of that.
5. General question: Would you ever feed your dog grocery store food? We eat it all the time! Nutrish and Iams are available at our supermarket.
Hope this helps!
Woofs & huggies, <3
~Bailey (Yep, I'm a girl!)
I admit Im a dog food snob. When I hear Purina I think of an unhealthy food with a history of recalls that is not even low cost.
I would never feed Purina because of the recalls, I dont trust the company.
I feed grain free because I do think it is healthier and prior to having my pups on grain free Norbert had tummy troubles. I also dont find it to difficult because I have it delivered through Mr. Chewy. Plus all of my dogs LOVE their food. My cats are a bit pickier they eat blue buffalo as it is all they like. When my cat Baby was sick she ate fancy feast because it was all she would eat.
I would probably never feed my dogs or cats grocery store food, unless it was food I cooked for them, or they were sick (see above situation). However, I get my groceries delivered through fresh direct so I rarely go to the grocery store.
I do know dogs who lived to ripe old ages on low cost food. However, I also know dogs whose health drastically improved when switched to a better food. I think if everyone looks healthy and happy then you are doing the right thing. I also really sympathize with you about Fred, its so unfair so many people do everything right and a beloved pet is taken too soon anyway
urban hounds
Very curious to hear your report back about Purina! I would LOVE to feed my dog cheaper foods but I need one that is Rice, turkey, chicken, and lamb free! if anyone finds one that is cheaper than Dick Van Patten’s natural balance and works…I’m all ears!!
The first thing you I think when I hear Purina, is that they make food products for cats and dogs.
2. I would feed Purina to my dog if there was nothing else. Would she eat it…I’m not sure
3. My family cat ate nothing but Purina Cat Chow and lived to 19 years of age.
4. Basically my dog will not eat it and second, Maggie has a sensitive tum and I home cook and use grain free dog kibble.
5. Yes, I would try to get the best product possible, if it was my only option.
1) The horrible rash that both my pups broke out in after eating Beneful healthy radiance
2) Never again
3) Junk! The first ingredients are not products that dogs eat in nature. Full of sugars and sweeters and artificial flavorings.
4) Not anymore. Not after seeing my dogs itchy and it pain and not after the vet bills. We will feed strictly a grain free diet with any dog that we have moving forward. Our pups are on Wellness Core grain free and love it.
As for wet dog food, I try not to feed my dogs anything but homemade food. The canned stuff, if ever I’ve been desperate enough, just does crazy things to their stomach. I try to avoid it as best as I can. For dry food or biscuits I occasionally do feed them Purina or other such brands, though I can’t say my dogs are too fond of it. Mixing in a bit of fresh meat or something helps a bit though.
1. What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word Purina?
Leader in the industry
2. Would you feed Purina to your dog?
Yes I would
3. If you do feed Purina can you tell me why?
I do not, but only because I buy cheaper food
4. If you wouldn’t feed Purina can you tell me why?
5. General question: Would you ever feed your dog grocery store food?
I buy dog food in 20 pound bags at Aldi for nine bucks a bag. It’s not great, but my eleven year old Aussie mixes never complain. Granted, my dogs eat a lot of chicken, duck and rabbit poo, so they have no room to complain about cheap dog food. I used to feel guilty about buying cheap food, but the dogs are in great shape.
Hello, pleased to meet you. Jodi sent me over to say hello
1. What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word Purina? Grocery store food
2. Would you feed Purina to your dog? I used to but not any more
3. If you do feed Purina can you tell me why? N/A
4. If you wouldn’t feed Purina can you tell me why? My dogs did not do well on it…Skin & coat issues and allergies…much happier now using a grain-free free food
5. General question: Would you ever feed your dog grocery store food? No, but then again I don’t eat at McDonalds or Burger King