I'll vote Evo,Orijen, and Taste of the Wild if you feed Kibble.

 Quote: steve strom

I'll vote Evo,Orijen, and Taste of the Wild if you feed Kibble.

I have been recommending http://leerburg.com/honestkitchen.htm Embark or Force as variety with a good kibble (and here's a starter list: http://leerburg.com/all-natural%20kibble.htm ) for people who are not ready to feed fresh raw food.

Some board members are feeding Taste of the Wild in two different formulas for protein variety (good plan, IMHO), or Solid Gold Barking at the Moon along with Taste of the Wild.

Whether you feed commercial or raw, variety is the way to cover more nutritional bases than any one food, day after day forever, possibly can. JMO.

It just dawned on me, some of these are not for a puppy. Evo for sure isnt, Orijen has a puppy formula, I don't remember TOW.

Orijen's puppy formula is only different in that it has 75% meat vs the 70% of the other formulas. I think people way overthink these "puppy" and "adult" formulas. Do wild canids give their pups special food? I know, I know, I know; there are considerations due to growth that I'm too lazy (and not the place for) to discuss in this post, but if you (in general, not "you" Steve) would read the ingredients/breakdown in a puppy vs. adult formula, I think you'd be surprised. I will add Orijen's as soon as I find the link. Be right back.

Adult analysis:
Guaranteed Analysis
Protein 42.0%
Fat 16.0%
Carbohydrate 18.0%
Moisture 10.0%
Fiber 3.0%
Calcium (min.) 1.6%
Calcium (max.) 1.8%
Phosphorus (min.) 1.2%
Phosphorus (max.) 1.4%
Omega-6 2.0%
Omega-3 0.7%
Glucosamine 500 mg/kg
Chondroitin 150 mg/kg
Microorganisms 80M cfu/kg
pH 5.0
Ash (min.) 7.0%


Puppy analysis:
Guaranteed Analysis
Protein 42.0%
Fat 20.0%
Carbohydrate 18.0%
Moisture 10.0%
Fiber 2.5%
Calcium (min.) 1.6%
Calcium (max.) 1.8%
Phosphorus (min.) 1.4%
Phosphorus (max.) 1.6%
Omega-6 3.0%
Omega-3 1.0%
Glucosamine 500 mg/kg
Chondroitin 150 mg/kg
Microorganisms 80M cfu/kg
pH 5.0
Ash (min.) 6.5%
Ash (max.)

Large breed puppy analysis:
Guaranteed Analysis
Protein (min.) 42.0%
Fat 16.0%
Carbohydrate 18.0%
Moisture 10.0%
Fiber 2.0%
Calcium (min.) 1.4%
Calcium (max.) 1.6%
Phosphorus (min.) 1.1%
Phosphorus (max.) 1.3%
Omega-6 2.5%
Omega-3 1.0%
Glucosamine 500 mg/kg
Chondroitin 150 mg/kg
Microorganisms 80M cfu/kg
pH 5.0
Ash (min.)


So, those are the breakdowns. Primary differences are in fat, and calcium/phosphorus ratios. I would stick w/the appropriate formula when possible, but if you were feeding raw and including parts of the whole animal, you wouldn't have to worry so much about ratios.

you might want to look into eagle pack for a good kibble also. i put my dog on it, supplemented w/salmon oil and vit e, and that was the best kibble i've ever used both in terms of his condition and in terms of $$/lb (by that i mean that i had to feed less quantity and got a lot more quality). recomended here on leerburg which is how i found it. don't know about their puppy formula, but the adult is great.

Edited by ann freier (01/20/2009 07:19 PM)
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