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LIFE4K9 - Dog Food


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Went today to get Ouzo some more food, and in talking to the owners of the store, I expressed my concerns about Ouzo eating only two 20lb bags of California Natural in 4 months. I bought 2 bags (one was free, my 13th -finally, in 2 years!) at the begining of May and today we had maybe 3 cups left in it. He basically eats only 10 lb/month, which, for a 44 lb dog is very little. He has lots of energy, looks great and is in perfect health. But I was thinking that maybe he's not atracted to the CA Natural he's been eating.

 

Anywho... they suggested I try a diferent food, next best thing after CA Natural for dogs with sensitive stomachs (and with allergies to chicken...) - LIFE4K9 - Lamb & Barley. It's a baked food, and here's their website. According to what the store owners said, this food was on Whole Dog Journal's 2007 top approved dry food companies.

 

Ouzo seems to think he's getting "cookies" - the kibble is larger than CA Natural, and he cleaned up the plate. We'll see what comes out the other end :rolleyes: I got only a 5lb bag - still $12.50 or so, but I wanted to see how he does on it before buying a larger bag.

 

Anyone else using this food?

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I'm glad to see Ouzo likes it so far, I guess you'll see how his body likes it later :rolleyes:

 

To me, it looks like a pretty good food. I'm by no means an expert, and I have never heard of it before but I looked at the ingredients and it looks pretty good! I am not sure about other kibbles, but I think this is the first time I've heard about an oven-baked food other than oven-baked dog treats. I'd be interested to know if that is a benefit or not. I'm trying to do some research on it, but I'm not really getting anything. Maybe others can chime in on that.

 

Let us know how Ouzo does on it!

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I bet a lot of us are looking for new foods, after the Canidae formula switch. I haven't tried the K94LIFE but will be interested to hear how Ouzo does on it! Please update.

 

Odin just started his new food today, Spot's Stew by Halo. I bought it by vet recommendation and went to the website and was scared by Ellen Degeneres, who seems to be the owner of the company? I don't dislike Ellen, it was just weird to have her talking to me all the sudden. But the food is pretty neat and has whole freeze-dried veggies in with the kibble pieces, so at least it looks cheerful. Odin seems to love it but we'll see how he does - has anyone else tried it? Here's the ingredient list:

 

Ingredients: Chicken, Whole Dried Eggs, Pea Protein, Oats, Vegetable Broth, Pearled Barley, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Pea Flour, Chicken Liver, Wild Salmon, Flaxseed, Salmon Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Pea Fiber, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Blueberries, Green Beans, Carrots, Cranberries, Zucchini, Alfalfa, Inulin, Calcium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Taurine, Folic Acid, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Bitartrate, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Calcium Iodate, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bifidobacterium Longum, Enterococcous Faecium, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Sodium Selenite.

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein - 28.0% Min

Crude Fat - 16.0% Min

Crude Fiber – 6.5% Max

Moisture - 10.0% Max

Omega 6 Fatty Acids - 3.0% Min*

Omega 3 Fatty Acids - .48% Min*

Taurine - 0.1% Min*

Lactobacillus Acidophilus - 120,000,000 CFU/lb Min*

Bifidobacterium Longum - 120,000,000 CFU/lb Min*

Lactobacillus Plantarum - 120,000,000 CFU/lb Min*

Enterococcous Faecium - 120,000,000 CFU/lb Min*

*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Nutrient Profiles

 

We switched the cats to Wysong - I actually think that it smells *good*.

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It must be the time of changing foods. I'm in the middle of switching Tiga too. He was on Medi-Cal Hypo for years and he was digging at his paws a lot. There was yeast or wheat I forget which in it and that showed up on his allergy tests so we decided to switch to Royal Canin Hypo. He started itching a lot on it so we went searching again. I don't have many options where I am so most of the foods that you guys feed I can't get.

 

We just started Tiga on Natural Balance. Anyone feed this? Here's the ingrediant list:

 

Sweet Potatoes, Venison, Venison Meal, Potato Protein, Canola Oil, Potato Fiber, Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Choline Chloride, Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Folic Acid.

 

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein 20.0% minimum

Crude Fat 10.0% minimum

Crude Fiber 4.0% maximum

Moisture 10.0% maximum

Calcium 1.1% minimum

Phosphorous 0.9% minimum

Omega-3 Fatty Acids 0.5% minimum

Omega-6 Fatty Acids 2.0% minimum

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I would not use Natural Balance for anything more than an occasional treat. Not only do I not think highly of the company, look at the first ingredient (a carbohydrate). Also notice that they are using a plant protein source. Plant proteins can't be utilized by dogs. You may as well feed them saw dust.

 

To Odin's owners, I wouldn't feed something with pea protein as the number 3 ingredient. That just tells me that they are trying to bump up the protein content of the food as inexpensively as possible. Pea protein will provide no nutritional value to the dog.

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That's too bad. I'm really running out of options for him. He has a lot of allergies so it's hard to find something that he can eat. His energy levels seem to be up and he's not digging as much. It's really frustrating not having choices with a dog with so many allergies. I don't know what else to try.

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Interesting - I would not have thought that about pea protein, particularly since I have seen peas suggested as a fresh food so often here. (Odin refuses to eat fresh peas, however.) The fabaceaous plants produce way more protein due to being nitrogen fixing plants, so I assumed that would be a relatively good ingredient (in as much as any of the non-meat "fillers" found in kibble are). What is it exactly that prevents dogs from digesting *any* plant protein - some of the plant enzymes are not so different from our own. Is it a structural problem (i.e. folding of the proteins?) As they are made of at least *some* of the same amino acids as animal proteins. I am a plant ecologist so this is interesting to me - plants make an astonishing variety of proteins, so I am curious as to why none of them are digestible by dogs. Fabaceous proteins are what keep many human vegetarians healthy.

 

Again, this was a UC Davis-grad vet recommended food, so I am trying to do my best without going fully raw - any add'l info you have would be appreciated!

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I bounce around a lot with food. Usually Solid Gold, Wellness, Merrick, alternated with raw. I've started using Honest Kitchen. Not that impressed. The dogs LOVE the stuff and I may still use it as a treat to throw over their regular food, but probably never use it exclusively. It seems to come out whole. By that I mean I see a lot of plant stuffs in their poop. Kind of a waste. I thought it would be a great way to substitute the raw diet, but it's really no better than kibble, except it 100% raw organic

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Tiga's Mom, if your dog is doing well on it and has trouble with most foods then don't worry. No 2 dogs are alike. On average more would have an allergic reaction to pea protein than many other ingredients. Proteins are what our bodies react to during an allergic reaction.

 

Ooky, why can't they digest it? There are 2 ways that animals digest and utilize foods. One is via their own enzymes and the other is via microorganisms that live in their gut. If you have a background in science you have heard about enzymes having a specific "fit" with the substrate they digest. Mammals, even herbivores like cattle, don't have enzymes that fit with plant proteins. Studies on how dogs utilize nutrients have shown that they are not able to digest and utilize the vast majority of proteins and fats from plant sources. It was actually found that even humans, true omnivores, utilize proteins and fats much more effectively from animal sources than from plant sources. As to the second method of digestion, dogs harbor such a small number of microorganisms that can break down plants in their guts that they may as well not have any at all. All animals, even true carnivores, can digest simple carbohydrates on their own because they are the most basic and easily utilized form of energy. If you study the nutrition of ruminants you would know that you don't actually feed the cow/horse/sheep, you feed the bacteria and protozoa in their guts, which in turn feed their host.

 

Dog food manufacturers often add plant based proteins to bump up the protein content of their food. It makes their products more desirable looking to the consumer, but not any better for the dog. Pea protein is not going to hurt most dogs, but it will not help them either. If they had added whole peas at leas the dog would be able to use the carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals they contain. When a company adds something like plant proteins is makes me wonder who is formulating the food (do they really understand nutrition?).

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Hi Liz,

 

Thanks for your speedy and informative response! Let me try to explain my question better, if I can do so without putting you to sleep. I thought microorganisms mostly provided enzymes to digest complex plant carbohydrates such as cellulose and other molecules bound up in cellulose/hemi-cellulose packaging. Cellulose, which is where a lot of the mass of the plant comes from, *is* indigestible to animals. But since dogs produce their own peptidases and peptins, I figured the main obstacle was getting the (what I assumed was digestible) proteins, simple carbs, and nucleic acids out. If you had told me dogs can't digest any plant fats, it would make more sense since plant fats/oils are biochemically different than animal fats. Apparently dogs can digest plant oils though because they can digest peanut butter, flaxseed oil, and olive oil.

 

At least some plant proteins are very similar to animal proteins. It is true that plant proteins lack certain amino acids only found in animal proteins. And the most abundant protein on earth, RUBISCO, is only made by plants. But my understanding was if you get the proteins out of the indigestible packaging, then there *will* be chemical bonds that any mammal can break - Lysine-Arganine, Serine-Valine, etc. Once the proteins are broken up into short-chains or even single amino acids, why would they be unusable just because they came from plants? Since the food company has "unpackaged" the protein, I assumed it would be digestible, and thought that would be a better 3rd ingredient than say wheat, but you're right, definitely not as good as "lamb".

 

I am not trying to argue, just understand. It seems odd to me (and I will do more research on this) that dogs can digest simple carbs, nucleic acids, and oils from plants, and take up vitamins from them, but not be able to use any plant proteins even when these are prepared so as to be made biochemically available.

 

And I agree about the whole peas. One of the things that was attractive to me is the fact there are whole veggies in the food - like marshmallows in lucky charms :D Some of them look and taste just like whole peas (deflatey skin and all), but I don't see whole peas on the ingredient list, so that is confusing. Yes I tasted my dog's food, I am insane. :rolleyes: And after comparing holistic food labels for 45 minutes, a call to the vet, then another trip to the store, I *am* confused.

 

Anda, I'm really sorry to hijack your thread. How's your food coming? :D

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We likely will stay with this for a while and see how it goes. But I didn't think there was pea protein in this one. Peas are one of the things he's allergic to.

 

Also sorry Anda about the hi-jacking too, I was going to start a new thread a few days ago about this. I'd also like to know how Ouzo's doing on the new food?

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Anywho... they suggested I try a diferent food, next best thing after CA Natural for dogs with sensitive stomachs (and with allergies to chicken...) - LIFE4K9 - Lamb & Barley. It's a baked food, and here's their website. According to what the store owners said, this food was on Whole Dog Journal's 2007 top approved dry food companies.

 

Since I happened to have my WDJ 2007 food guide out, I looked up Life4K9 to see what it had to say. It looks like it was new to the 2007 list and that WDJ specifically reviewed the chicken & barley formula. However, the footnote mentions the lamb-based food as similar and notes "food is made with healthful olive oil as a fat source."

 

Hope Ouzo continues to enjoy his new food! :rolleyes:

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Ouzo's been doing really good on this new food, he seems to like it and his poops are good, too - which is a major acomplishment for us :D We have a 5lb bag, that should last us at least 2-3 weeks (we've already passed 1 week and there is at least 3/4 left) :rolleyes: Don't worry, he gets extras all the time - bones, meat, treats, etc.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Three weeks later, a couple of cups left in the 5 lb bag (!!!) of Life4k9, got fed up with my picky dog and picked up a small bag of Purina One Lamb and Rice from the grocery store yesterday. What do you know, Ouzo ate a whole cup last night (2 half cups to be precise, he asked me for seconds after the 1st one), and another 2 half cups this morning - begging for seconds again. He might like it more because it has more protein and more fat, or who knows what he finds appealling.

 

You know what, if he continues to eat it and his stomach is ok, I'll be happy...

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Anda,

 

I have copied this review on the food you have....from

 

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews

 

It's a 1 star out of 6 on thier rankings.

 

Karen

 

Editors

 

Registered: October 2005

Posts: 3764 Review Date: Sun March 5, 2006 Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: Not Indicated | Rating: 0

 

Pros:

Cons: Insufficient meat content, by-products, use of low quality grains and fat.

 

 

The first ingredient in the food is a named meat product, but since this is lamb inclusive of its water content (about 80%) and this ingredient will weigh only about 20% of its wet weight once water is removed (as it must be to make kibble) it is unlikely that this is the true first ingredient in the food. It is the sole named meat product in the food.

 

 

The next ingredient is Brewers rice - a low quality grain and by-product.

 

 

Oatmeal is a decent quality grain, but corn is a problematic grain that is difficult for dogs to digest and thought to be the cause of a great many allergy and yeast infection problems. We prefer not to see this used in dog food. In it's gluten form, it is also a waste product for which the AAFCO definition is "the dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm". Corn appears a second time 6th on the ingredient list.

 

 

The next ingredient is by-products, of unidentifiable source. It is impossible to ascertain the quality of by-products and these are usually products that are of such low quality as to be rejected for use in the human food chain, or else are those parts that have so little value that they cannot be used elsewhere in either the human or pet food industries. The AAFCO definition of poultry by-product meal is “a meal consisting of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidable in good processing practice.”

 

 

Beef tallow is a very low quality fat obtained from the tissue of cattle in the commercial process of rendering.

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Thanks, Karen, I assume you are refering to the crappy Purina One. I knew it's bad. But I need to have my dog eat something, at least once a day. I just threw away a bowl with one cup of the new food - Life4K9, that had been sitting since yesterday morning, with shredded cheese toppings, had about 1-2 spoons of canned dog food, and he wouldn't even look at it. After real intense exercise, such as last week's 4 hours pool swimming session, he ate 2 full cups with no toppings, but on a normal day, where he gets about 45 minutes of exercise in the evening - excluding all his walks, he doesn't even look at his food. When I try to give him meaty bones, even with low fat content, he might do well for one day, then his stomach gives way and we have liquid poop forecast for the following 2-3 days. He loves those and has an appetite for them regardless of his activity level, but then bad things happen at the other end...

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I've been away from the board for a while, but was very interested in seeing that Ouzo is a picky eater. Lacee, too, is picky. I can't get her to eat (she's on California Natural), but am afraid to change, since her stomach is so sensitive. She's lost 4 lbs the past month, so I worry about her. Her blood work is all fine, so it's not physical, she just won't eat. I've tried cheese on her food, yogurt, chicken broth. So I'm trying to decide what to do.

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Ouch, loosing 4lb in a month, that's 10% or more of total body weight... Can you suppliment with some sort of cooked food by itself, not combined with her kibble, or even some good quality dog biscuits? Biscuits is something that Ouzo never refuses, regardless how crappy they are! Ouzo hasn't lost any weight, but it's too much of a pain in the butt to get him to eat... He's been scarfing the Purina One for the last few days and his stomach is ok, poops are firm (but green?! :rolleyes: )

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Sounds like cooked chicken and rice could work for you. Am I no expert in nutritious (obviously :rolleyes: ), but to help her put back the weight she lost, I'd feed her whatever she likes and her stomach tolerates. Ouzo would also eat his CA Natural when mixed with cooked rice - but I only gave him that when he had liquid poops, didn't continue after he'd get better. I know there are people on this board who feed their dogs cooked food - a lot of trouble, but if it keeps the dog healthy, why not?

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  • 3 weeks later...

Status update.

 

3 more weeks later. He hasn't missed one meal since switching him to Purina One Lamb & Rice. He's been known to beg for seconds. It might also be the simultanious introduction of bacon grease as a topping on his food. We never have bacon in the house, but about a month ago I found a big package on sale at the grocery store (1.5 lb for $1.99 :rolleyes: ) so I've been frying it on weekends with the intention of saving the grease for him.

 

Stomach - same ol', same ol', a hit and miss, but with no major incidents.

 

Coat - suddently became silkier to touch, but lost its shine. And last night, I noticed my dog smells of dog. Beahhhhh.......

 

The Purina bag is now empty. I think I am going to get him back on California Natural and mix it with a new bag of Purina, heavy on CA. That smell thing made my mind last night. But it was a pleasure to have a dog who eats twice a day, a full scoop of food at each meal, and cleans up his plate to the point of moving it arround the kitchen :D

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That's too bad. I'm really running out of options for him. He has a lot of allergies so it's hard to find something that he can eat. His energy levels seem to be up and he's not digging as much. It's really frustrating not having choices with a dog with so many allergies. I don't know what else to try.

 

It's not really that horrible of food of a food for a dog with allergies! The *simple* ingredient list is wonderful. I need to email them about the fish preservative though to confirm.

 

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_re...=1494&cat=4

 

4/6 stars. I feed this to my dog as I can no longer afford Canidae and it was upsetting his stomach. I've had no problems with it. His poop is much tighter though. Thankfully, after months of Canidae, I can finally pick up poop without the mush everywhere. :rolleyes: He has such a sensitive tummy and the fish and potatoes is working well for us.

 

Note: I also supplement with meat a few times a week.

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