IMO both are over-priced for the ingredients. I also know that Blue Buffalo had some issues with one of their products recently where dogs where getting sick from it.

There's also the option of the "in between" of The Honest Kitchen with add-ins. On its own, it's pretty spendy; with inexpensive RMBs added (say, chicken backs), it's less so. And it's better with, IMO.

BTW, my dogs are all adopted, and many have been adopted as seniors. They have all been switched from a lifetime of kibble to raw.

I'm not saying that's the only way to go; I am saying that age and past feeding history aren't reasons for deciding against it.

http://leerburg.com/honestkitchen.htm

http://leerburg.com/970.htm

And I agree with Melissa and Mara: Canidae rates at least "decent quality food" for the ones with grains to quite high ratings, depending on the particular one. It's a higher-quality choice among the medium-priced kibbles, IMO.

(You will want to remember that kibbling requires a grain-type or starch ingredient for the process. A ton of white potato versus a modest amount of a whole grain can allow the manufacturer to say "grain free," but doesn't mean it's a positive step.)

All JMO!

 Quote: connie sutherland

There's also the option of the "in between" of The Honest Kitchen with add-ins. On its own, it's pretty spendy; with inexpensive RMBs added (say, chicken backs), it's less so. And it's better with, IMO.

This^^^ is what I'm doing now. Probably about 2/3 meat and meaty bones and 1/3 THK. It's working great and it's costing $2-$2.50/day for both dogs.

Canidae had a formula change a while back & I understand that many dogs that had been on it for a long time had problems with the change. Not sure exactly what that change was, just know that people I know that were feeding it stopped. Someone here may know what that was all about.

I feed a home made raw diet. If I had to switch to a premade raw...I'd choose the Bravo blends. I do occasionally incorporate them in my dogs' diets for variety & convience if someone other then myself has to feed my dogs. I have also used it when traveling with my dogs.

If I HAD to feed a kibble I'd feed Orijin. I don't want grains & I want high quality protein sources. I have friends that feed it & are very happy with the results. I like the ingredients in their product but I am sure that there may be other kibbles that are out there that are on a par with this, but with a lower price tag. It would just be my choice. JMO

 Quote: Mara Jessup

IMO both are over-priced for the ingredients. I also know that Blue Buffalo had some issues with one of their products recently where dogs where getting sick from it.

RC is not only overpriced but contains lots of corn. In addition, their gimmick of a different food for every breed and size makes me crazy. JMO.

Blue Buffalo: http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=16468

and http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=16727

Royal Canine is now owned by Mars who also owns Pedigree. My opinion isn't that great on big corporations that own pet food brands, they naturally try to find ways to cut costs in the recipe with less expensive and inferior ingredients. The end result is a marginally lower priced, yet substantially inferior product.
Literally for a few more dollars a bag you can get a much better quality product with a lesser known brand.

Read the ingredients list.

Corn is used as a source of protein in the lower quality products but think about it, you need a whole lot of corn to get the same amount of protein as you would from a meat source. I appreciate that people on really tight budgets simply cannot afford a better quality food than typical grocery store brands but price is not always indicative of the quality of the food. You can pay lots of money for a bag of kibble with corn in it and a raw diet would be cheaper and healthier in comparison. Presidents Choice 1st Nutrition is a grocery brand which offers incredible value for a dry dog food, not sure if it is available in your area.

I really admired Natura products such as Evo and Innova but they are now owned by P&G, not sure if they have made any changes to their recipe.

 Quote: Angela Zebriskie

I really admired Natura products such as Evo and Innova but they are now owned by P&G, not sure if they have made any changes to their recipe.

Give them time...they will, in order to increase their profit margin. :-(

I think so too, I'm afraid. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I was sad too (I think we had several threads on the topic here) when Natura was acquired.

Every time I buy EVO, I am not happy. The kibble has lots of chaff on it. I'm dropping it from my rotation, I think.

Here's the latest that I'm trying. Nutrisca from Dogswell:
http://nutrisca.dogswell.com/

Chick peas as a binder instead of potato...any thoughts about this?

Dogswell canned is the one commercial food I buy besides THK for emergencies and travel.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/dogswell-dog-food-canned/

I haven't researched their freeze-dried yet, but I have read up on legumes for dogs. Needless to say, opinions vary. But bottom line so far seems to be that well-cooked ground chickpeas for a dog who isn't gas-affected by them are probably much better than grains and grain fractions and the high-glycemic white potatoes and tapioca. Mary Straus and Lew Olsen both consider them preferable, as long as they are kept to 25% or less of the food.

I would try that food.