I want to know what might be the best dog food to feed my dog who is going to be 1 on May 6. He is a black lab. One major problem we have with him is that he has horrible gas. In addition, on occassion he gets diahrea. We are feeding him Nature's Recipe puppy formula right now. We have upgraded (price and I was hoping quality) his food in the past and this brand has been the best so far. Should we get a better quality more expensive food? Or, should we get a specialty food that is specific for gas problems and upset stomachs. Not only is it bad for us (the smell) but we feel bad for the dog, it can't be comfortable. Please give me any advice you all might have on this. THANKS!

try reading this..

http://leerburg.com/diet2.htm

I can't recommend any commercial kibble with a clear conscience.....

Frank, if you are going to feed kibble (I'm not a fan of it either), make sure that you get one with a high digestability for the carbohydrates and an easy to digest carb such as potato or rice (with potato being better IMO) and as little carb as possible. In my experience, it is usually the carbohydrates in the food that cause gas and not the meat. You can also give meaty bones in addition to the kibble (but at seperate times) to cut down the amount of carbs. Most of the high energy kibbles have corn in them, so I would stay away from them. Try Wellness fish and sweet potato (it is equivalent to a Rx kibble as far as results, but the ingredients are much superior) or California Natural. Cal Natural has a very limited ingredient list, so there aren't a lot of suspicious ingredients that might cause problems.

My dog has a very sensitive stomach (she looks like she is going to explode after eating a little bit of peas that aren't cooked enough) and the two kibbles that I listed above work for her. She also gets cottage cheese for a meal once a day, and some home cooking. If she could tolerate raw she would be getting it.

Thank you Lauren and Cindy.

Why is he still eating puppy food at 1 year of age?

I agree that a 1yr. old dog should not still be on puppy food. That is probably part of the reason the dog has so much gas and stomach problems.

I have personally tried a lot of different quality dry foods on my dogs and even fed BARF for a length of time. I still incorporate raw meats, bones etc. into my dogs diet, but feel I have finally found a reasonably priced quality commercial dog food which I will not hesitate to recommend.

It's a new one by Dr.s Foster and Smith. The ingredients are chicken and brown rice, sweet potato, fish, fresh fruits and veg's. with no corn, wheat, or soy, and of course the omega fatty acids, vitamins etc.

I paid $25 for a 30# bag and you can order it over the internet and pay S/H or if you have a Dr.s Foster and Smith store in your town, you can pick it up there and save S/H.

My older dogs are doing wonderfully on it. Beautiful coats, and no gas. It's worth it to me to order it and pay S/H because of the results I have gotten.

For the money, you cannot beat Blackwood. I would recommend Blackwood formula 2000 for your dog. Go to blackwoodpetfoods.com

John, for being a Blackwood distributor you sure don't know much about the foods. The 2000 (performance/puppy formula) has corn meal and beet pulp. That might be enough to make guests faint, depending on the dog. A better option would be either the lamb and rice (which has oatmeal so Auster can't have it on a regular basis, but it might be worth a try for a more normal dog) or the fish and potato. The fish and potato has millet and I haven't tried it with Auster (just a sample) so I can't say either way.

Well that was my next question, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to wait til he actually turns 1, which is May 6 or should I have switched earlier. Sorry I did not know if I was supposed to switch earlier, I thought you had to wait til they turned one. I didn't want to neglect him of any nutrients he might have needed during his puppy years. You made me sound like I was intentionally doing this to harm him. I truly didn't know if I was doing the right thing. That's why I am consulting any one out there who has alot more experience in proper dog nutrition. I have never had any problems with my dogs in the past.

Thank you all for the advice, it has been very helpful!!!!!!!!!!!