M.L. Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 I cry every time I go to buy dog food. The Wellness Core is up to $49.99 for a 28 lb. bag. The Innova and Innova Evo are almost as much. Canidae is creeping up in price as well. It wouldn't be so bad if we weren't feeding 5 dogs! Does anyone currently feed their dogs the Kirkland brand that is sold at Costco? I just got off the phone with Diamond who told me that the quality of the ingredients is exactly the same as those that go into the Diamond food. The formula is a bit different though. The chicken and lamb is all purchased from human grade suppliers. The chicken is from the US and the lamb is from the US or New Zealand. The suppliers guarantee that it is antibiotic and hormone free. The rep wasn't sure about the grade of the grains, but she did say it is all US sourced. All of the ingredients now go through 151 quality checks Quality Checks. The Diamond website has a FAQ's page and it would all apply to the Kirkland brand as well. Diamond FAQ's The food contains glucosamine and chondroitin. The vitamins and minerals are also chelated. Here we could pay $22.99 for 40 lbs. I read the feeding amounts and the dogs don't need to be fed much more than they get now on the Core per serving. I know that the food rated an A+ in the Merck grading system. I still prefer feeding either Wellness or Innova, but the cost is getting out of control. I asked the rep why such a supposed quality food is selling for so little. She said that Costco buys in such mass quantities that they can charge less and that Costso spends no money on marketing their product or on pretty packaging. So they can keep the cost low. I know that these dog food topics come up a lot, but I did a search and didn't find much discussion on this particular food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsADogsLyfe Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 Not sure if the Kirland lamb and rice is the same as the NutraNuggets lamb and rice, but I fed the NN for years. I did recently switch to Canidae however. My dogs seemed to be losing weight and their coats didn't seem to be quite as shiney as usual. I wondered whether the formula had changed. The store where I bought the NN seemed to have an unusually large amount of the food at all times also. Anyway I switched to Canidae and my dogs have put back on the weight and their coats look great. I feed less of the Canidae also. Its more expensive, but my dogs are worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.L. Posted August 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 I used to feed the Canidae to my three but after eating it for about two years their coats started to seem less shiney and somewhat flakey. The last few months I fed it the bags of food were kind of crumbly and strange looking. That's when we switched to either Innova or Wellness. Now we rotate the Innova and Wellness Core. But the cost is getting ridiculous. I also cook for them a few times a week and add in fresh foods to their kibble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsADogsLyfe Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 I used to feed the Canidae to my three but after eating it for about two years their coats started to seem less shiney and somewhat flakey. I had fed Canidae for a short time about 7 years ago and it seemed my dogs were gassy. I haven't seen (um smelled) that this time and they seem to be doing well on it. Ideally I want to go to raw, but I'm moving in a couple weeks and until I find a house and get organized I'll have to stick with the Canidae. The Whole Dog Journal does a yearly rating of food and Canidae seems to be rated a top food according to their studies. I don't think any one food is right for all dogs. They're all different like people and what may be good for one may not be so good for another. I guess you just have to go with what seems to work best for your dog and is affordable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepandakom Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 I feed the Kirkland food to all of my foster dogs. My own dogs were all on it before I switched them to raw. Everybody does really well on the food and you can't beat the price. I haven't ever had any problems with it and know that a lot of show dog people feed it. I really don't think you can get a better food for the money. If you feed canned food, the Kirkland canned food is one of the best canned foods I've seen and you get 24 cans for $15 something. I actually just bought some of the Kirkland today. Here it's up to $23.49 a bag. When I first started feeding it it was only $17 something a bag. I feed about 2 cups to an adult Border Collie. They also make a Lamb and Rice, but the LR has a little more rice and a little less meat in it than the chicken. Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnLloydJones Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 I was feeding Senneca the Kirkland Chicken and Rice formula some months back. I supplemented with a little yoghurt and one fish oil capsule per day. She did well on it -- we get comments about how soft and shiny her fur is. We rotated to Canidae and are just scraping the bottom of the bag (old formula) and transitioning to Eagle Pack (Anchovy, Herring and Salmon). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShoresDog Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 Another good and cheap canned food is the Whole Foods Market 365 (store brand) lamb and rice. It's $0.89/can and seems quite good. The dogs like it, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 I'm not sure how similar it is to the Diamond Naturals, but that's what I feed the 9! border collies here (Lark eats Merrick because it's what she willeat and it's not so pricey if you're feeding one tiny picky dog), plus the Maremma. I noticed last time I bought it that it also has gone up by $3-4 a bag, but it's still affordable at this point. I think it's still less than $30 for a 40-lb bag. All my dogs do well on it--I have no complaints. If I had a Costco nearby and the Kirkland was similar to the Diamond Naturals, I'd try it. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCStarkey Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 Hello everyone, I regularly fed the Costco dry Lamb and Rice food to my livestock guardian dogs, until they reformulated it and added the vegetables. Even though it was still a good quality product (and quite a bargain, as well!), the additional fiber caused my Maremmas to produce huge piles of "digested dog food". So, I switched to Diamond Naturals Lamb and Rice, as that is the same basic formula as the Costco product before the vegetables were added. The Diamond Naturals dry food is still very reasonable ($25 for 40 lbs), and it comes in both Lamb and Rice and Chicken and RIce. My Maremmas do quite well on it, and it isn't costing me a small fortune to feed them a quality diet. Regards to all, nancy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCStarkey Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 Hello again, Sorry, I forgot to add to my post that I feed my Border Collies Canidae dry, and I am very pleased with the results. It is a bit pricey, but I feel that it is worth it to feed them a top quality diet. Gad...I wish that my diet was as good! Regards, nancy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsnrs Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 We also feed our Aussies Kirkland's Lamb and Rice. Even the pups have all done well on it. Narita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.L. Posted August 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 Thanks for the replies. I think we will give it a try and see how the dogs do on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 Feeding five Border collies raw meat costs me a little less than $1 per dog per day. Last time I did the math that was roughly comparable to Canidae, and much less expensive than the super premium all natural stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCStarkey Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 Hello everyone, Feeding five Border collies raw meat costs me a little less than $1 per dog per day. Last time I did the math that was roughly comparable to Canidae, and much less expensive than the super premium all natural stuff. Thanks for your input, Bill, and I have considered feeding my dogs "raw". But being a fairly lazy person, I am drawn to the convenience of the feeding them a dry commercial dog food (no prep, no mess, etc.). Also, when I am trialing, it is far easier deal with a food that does not require refrigeration. However, since I do realize the "value" of feeding raw (economically and nutritionally), I have started supplementing the dry food with raw. By doing so, I am reducing the quantity of the commercial product fed, and increasing the overall quality of my dogs' diets. I will continue to ponder switching to an entirely raw diet, and your input will certainly help me with the decision. Regards, nancy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc4pack Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 I am another raw feeder but... Have you looked at the new Blue Buffalo kibble? I think called 'Wilderness'? I've seen it at Petsmart, falls into the 'grain free' category...and Petsmart doesn't sell high priced kibbles.... Might be worth a look? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTrain Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 I am another raw feeder but...Have you looked at the new Blue Buffalo kibble? I think called 'Wilderness'? I've seen it at Petsmart, falls into the 'grain free' category...and Petsmart doesn't sell high priced kibbles.... Might be worth a look? But is it a good dog food. WHAT IS THE BEST DOG FOOD. I wish to change my dogs diet. I am currently feeding Medi-cal Preventative and I am not happy with the results. In the past couple of weeks I have done hours of research on grain free, natural and holistic dog foods. I have visited countless websites which of course are all trying to sell dog food and some of the claims are a little over the top. I understand from the dog food project site that the makers of Blue Buffalo or at least a rep from that company has claimed that the US government requires that they include Menadione. I have visited the dog food project sight countless times. I have attempted to search scientific ratings for dog food and frankly I have not come up with the ultimate answer. I have however narrowed my search down to several brands including; Petcurean Grain Free, Orijen Adult, Fromm Surf & Turf, Merrick Before Grain Chicken, Nutura EVO and Karma Organic. These all look great on paper but as I have discovered choosing a new dog food is very difficult. I found it once but I have not been able to find the dog food project ratings. I have attempted to find foods without Menadione and that have not been involved in any recalls. I have done as much research as I can I think and I will be making a decision today and buying a new food. What it comes down to is that I can only hope that I am taking an educated guess. Please fell free to jump in with comments and suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsADogsLyfe Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 So those of you who feed raw instead of kibble, or maybe both, do you feel it helps the teeth? I have been contemplating feeding raw for a long time. I am not in the position to do so right now but after I move and get settled I am probably going to go that way. I just had two of my dogs to the vet for teeth cleaning and extractions. My toy poodle whom I knew had teeth problems, although I didn't realize how bad, had 27 teeth extracted! One of my border collies, who is 6 yrs, had 5 extracted. I didn't think his teeth were bad even. So is there a big plus to feeding raw when it comes to teeth problems? I'm sure feeding raw would be way cheaper than my vet bill was! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.L. Posted August 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 Feeding five Border collies raw meat costs me a little less than $1 per dog per day. Last time I did the math that was roughly comparable to Canidae, and much less expensive than the super premium all natural stuff. Right now that just isn't very easy for us to do. We live in a townhouse. We only have a tiny freezer which is already as stuffed as it can possibly be with human food. If I could buy in bulk and have a place to keep it we would try the raw route. The townhouse is on the market, but the market sucks, so it might be awhile before we sell. I do cook for them a few times a week and they get added yogurt, cottage cheese, pureed carrots and other veggies, etc. Not as great as raw, but we try to add in some fresh foods as often as possible. My dogs also love fruit. I always share! So those of you who feed raw instead of kibble, or maybe both, do you feel it helps the teeth? I read through most of the posts regarding raw and most people say it keeps teeth squeaky clean. Bailey has great teeth, so does my husband's husky. They are the two oldest dogs! The other three are not looking so good. Tarter and their gums are starting to get red. I hate to have to do a cleaning, but we might have to. I just went out today and bought more Nylabones and dental Kongs. But for the three it doesn't seem to matter how much they chew. Their teeth get yucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olivia Posted August 17, 2008 Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 Hmmmm...where I live we don't have a Costco. We do however, have Sam's Club which seems very similar. They have a store brand of food that is very cost effective. How would I go about checking to see if it is a good quality food in disguise like Kirklands? Olivia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea4th Posted August 17, 2008 Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 Thanks for the info in Kirtland dog food. I feed some raw, some kibble. The kibble ranges from Purina One L & R to Diamond's Chicken Soup formula, Merrick, EP, Prairie --- a variety of stuff and they all seem to do OK on these foods, even when changing them. However, I feed 15 dogs and the prices have gone up on everything, so I just might take a ride to Costco and look into Kirtland. The price and quality sound great from what everyone is saying, although I'm always suspicious of lower price = quality. Payday's coming up and we'll be out of kibble. My wallet's already sighing in relief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.L. Posted August 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 There should be a phone number somewhere on the bag. If not, call Sam's Club and ask them who manufactures that particular dog food for them. Then call that company and ask them a ton of questions about the food. Also, check the ingredients yourself and make sure there isn't a bunch of fillers or chemical preservatives. Check to see that the meats are the first ingredients. Some things I asked: 1. Do you buy your ingredients from a food grade supplier? 2. Are the ingredients from the United States? (Lamb from New Zealand is fine.) 3. Are the meats used antibiotic and hormone free? 4. Are the vitamins and minerals chelated? (better absorption) 5. What kind of quality checks do you do? 6. Where your foods involved in recalls and if so, have your quality control measures improved? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet_ceana Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 I cannot vouch for the new wilderness, but Blue Buffalo has been great for my two. ETA: Here are the ingredients for the new Wilderness formula- I just pulled it off of their website Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Potato Starch, Turkey Meal, Whitefish Meal, Salmon Meal, Tomato Pomace (natural source of Lycopene), Chicken Fat (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Oatmeal, Natural Chicken Flavor, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Cranberries, Flaxseed (natural source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Alfalfa Meal, Kelp Meal, Taurine, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Yucca Shidigera Extract, Green Tea Extract, Turmeric, Herring Oil (natural source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Fructooligosaccharides, Monooligosaccharides, Dried Chicory Root, Black Malted Barley, Oil of Rosemary, Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin C, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Zinc), Iron Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Iron), Copper Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Copper), Manganese Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Manganese), Potassium Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Potassium), Cobalt Proteinate (source of Chelated Cobalt), Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Salt, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bifidobacterium thermophilum, Bifidobacterium longum, Enterococcus faecium Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 Nancy, When I go to trials, which isn't very often, I rough it. I don't have any refrigeration. I start out with the dogs' meat frozen in a cooler. Friday night they get it frozen. Saturday, it's a little less so. Sunday (if I'm still away from home, which I'm usually not) it's fully thawed. When my wife goes on longer trips with her one dog, she just buys some meat at the local grocery store every day if necessary. More expensive than buying in case lots, but it's possible to do it that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCStarkey Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 Hello everyone, Nancy, When I go to trials, which isn't very often, I rough it. I don't have any refrigeration. I start out with the dogs' meat frozen in a cooler. Friday night they get it frozen. Saturday, it's a little less so. Sunday (if I'm still away from home, which I'm usually not) it's fully thawed. When my wife goes on longer trips with her one dog, she just buys some meat at the local grocery store every day if necessary. More expensive than buying in case lots, but it's possible to do it that way. Thanks so much for your input, Bill, and it's nice to know that feeding raw is "doable" while on the road. Unlike you, I usually take my camper when I go to trials, and it does have a fairly large refrigerator. So, I guess that my "excuse" regarding refrigeration truly isn't valid, and I should simply do right by my dogs and start feeding them raw. Also, since Canidae seems to have become a concern for some (due to its reformulation), this may be an ideal time to switch. I will read through the posts on this forum about feeding raw to enlighten myself further. Regards, nancy PS: I absolutely love some of your comments on this forum and on Sheepdog-L regarding approaching your (our) "golden years". Please keep 'em coming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyleew Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 Here is some information on the Sam's Club brand of dog food. I would not feed it to my dogs, but others might like it. http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_re...hp/product/2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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