Looking for options on changing dog foods-we do unfortunately have a budget

My dogs have been on Innova since we purchased Boris from Doberman Rescue Unlimited one and a half years ago.   Doberman Rescue Unlimited does a lot of research on their food, and I trust their opinions (in fact I will most likely send them an e-mail regarding this).   However, Proctor and Gamble have taken over this brand (Innova), and it is expected that they will change the formula to inferior ingredients, as they have with all the other dog food brands that they have acquired.
 
Changes in my dogs' digestion have caused me to become suspicious that this has happened already.   Apparently the company does not need to notify you until six months AFTER making a change. Since I am seeing a change in ALL of my dogs' ingestion, I am going to consider myself on notice to change the food from their old brand to be safe.


There are so many ways to feed your dog that your head will start spinning as you research it.   Budget is unfortunately sometimes a factor as well.   In my case, money is indeed tight here.   So I want the very best nutrition that I can give my dogs priced close to what I have been paying a month.   I have priced out a raw type died, and the meat alone costs twice as much per day per dog.   Don't get me wrong here, my dogs are totally worth that.   Just right at this moment money is too tight.   Our own personal grocery bill (as well as our waists) have gone down due to this.  My dogs' bill has stayed the same, and will most likely increase even if we stick to another brand's quality kibble.


One of the more expensive type of diets that I would like to move to is Volhard's.  Here are some resources for being able to either make it all yourself or supplement some of it with pre-made products:


http://www.volharddognutrition.com/
http://www.volhard.com/
September healthy dog conference
Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog


I plan to use the above information to feed my dog one day.   Perhaps one day soon.   Until then though, I have been trying to select the best kibble brands at a comparable price to what I have been paying, and I am okay if they go over what I have been paying.


Here are some other online FAQs or articles on the raw diet in general  (BARF diet is Bones And Raw Food diet):


http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html
http://rawlearning.com/
http://leerburg.com/feedingarawdiet.htm
http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm

Again, not in the cards right at this moment, but I am researching these ideas, as I would feel better if my dogs were on this sort of diet.  I am probably going to go into it a bit slowly, and am slightly uncomfortable with completely raw as I want to kill anything that might be lurking in raw meat and egg type of products.  So the budget is not the only reason that I am not quite ready to make a drastic switch.

So onward to good quality kibble type foods.   I don't feed my dogs the wet foods, as I believe the kibble is better for their teeth.  My dogs do get sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, bananas, and such as snacks or treats.  They love these sort of treats and they are low fat and healthy for them.  Some online sources that can help you identify the higher quality foods are as follows:

http://dogfoodanalysis.com/
http://www.dogfoodscoop.com/
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/


I find myself feeling a bit easier when I see the same brands listed at the top of each one.   You have to know that some sites will have their own agendas in doing this.   So research, know, learn about the food labels and what they are telling you so that you can use these types of sites to your advantage to help you with your research.

Since I am a professional dog trainer, I have access to my professional associations to bounce ideas off of.  Even if you don't belong to a professional association, you can use dog nutrition boards, your breeder, your trainer, your vet (though they may be pushing certain brands), and rescue groups in the area ET to inquire as to what they have found.   Having a good network of dog people can help point you in the right direction that you have a somewhat frequent contact with.
Finally, why quality dog food, isn't it just food?   We have all heard those terrible reports where contamination in dog food ends up killing pet dogs.  Part of the reason for caution and buying quality is that.   Human balanced nutrition diet helps us remain healthy and active.   It is the same for dogs, they need the nutrients that they need to be fit and healthy.   Sometimes it seems dogs are invincible, but I can assure you working with many dogs, they are not.   You want them fed well with nutrients that nourish their bodies.  The way dogs feel physically has a lot to do with their behavior as well.   Think how crabby we all feel when not eating right or waking from a hangover . 

I hope this gives others some ideas about checking on their dog's food (interestingly enough many sites have not updated the Innova information since the sale, and some sites immediately took Innova off the top brands of food).  Your dog's food is important, and to get the most nutrition that you can for your buck is important too!

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