Just an update on this and I pulled two foods (one we feed and another that was recently being discussed, which is nearly the same as many of the grocery store varieties) out to compare ingredients, and to get another breakdown on why some of the ingredients in the cheaper varieties really aren't desirable. I realize it's a "to each his own" situation, but these are the reasons I steer clear of the ones with the questionable ingredients.
I can say first hand that we fed our GSP the Purina One puppy food, then moved on to Science Diet and even though he lived to be almost 16 years old, he suffered from constant allergy problems along with hot spots that I'm convinced wouldn't have happened if he would have been on a food without some of the disagreeable ingredients in the mix.
There has also been some discussion about puppy food vs. the all life stages formulas and IMO, just because it's designated as a puppy formula, it doesn't mean that the nutritional standards are much different after you sort it all out. Some of the protein in the questionable brands comes from meat byproducts and things like that so I don't find it as good as a tiny bit lower protein level from a better ingredient.
Like I said, this is my opinion on why we prefer to feed what we do, and our mileage may vary, which is fine.
So here we go:
Purina ONE® Large Breed Puppy Formula - 1 star (star ratings according to
dogfoodanalysis.com)
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (Min)28.0%
Crude Fat (Min)13.0%
Crude Fibre (Max)6.0%
Moisture (Max)12.0%
Linoleic Acid (Min)1.6%
Calcium (Ca) (Min)1.1%
Phosphorus (P) (Min)0.8%
Selenium (Se) (Min)0.30 mg/kg
Vitamin A (Min)15,000 IU/kg
Vitamin E (Min)100 IU/kg
Docosahexaenoic Acid** (DHA) (Min)0.05%
Glucosamine** (Min)500 ppm
Glutamine** (Min)1.0%
INGREDIENTS:
Chicken (natural source of glucosamine), brewers rice, corn gluten meal,
poultry by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), whole grain
wheat, whole grain corn, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherolsp
(form of Vitamin E), pea fiber, fish meal, animal digest,
dried egg product, fish oil (source of DHA), salt, calcium carbonate,
potassium chloride, potassium citrate, calcium phosphate, choline chloride,
zinc sulfate, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, ferrous sulfate, Vitamin E
supplement, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate,
calcium pantothenate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, Vitamin B-12
supplement, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate,
Vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of
Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite.
Here is one quote on just what all of those ingredients mean.
Merrick Turducken - 5 star
Ingredients:
Organic Chicken, Oatmeal, Barley, Turkey meal, Duck, Whole Brown Rice,
Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols - a source of Natural Vitamin E
and Ascorbic Acid, a source of Vitamin C), Flaxseed, Potatoes, Carrots,
Peas, Dried Chicken Liver, Whole Apples, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium
Carbonate, Lysine, Guar Gum, Choline Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Complex,
Whole Blueberries, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Whole Clove Garlic, Chondroitin
Sulfate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Dried Chicken, Chicory Root, Marigold
Extract, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei,
Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Natural Celery Flavor, Iron Amino Acid Complex,
Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Natural Color (tumeric),
Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex,
d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3, Niacin, Lecithin, Riboflavin Supplement,
Biotin, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Amino
Acid Complex, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (Not Less Than) 24.0%
Crude Fat (Not Less Than) 15.0%
Crude Fiber (Not More Than) 2.5%
Moisture (Not More Than) 10.0%
Calorie Content:
3660 kcal/kg (calculated) - One pound provides 1660 kcal of metabolizable
energy (calculated). One cup (100 grams) provides 357 calories (Caloric
content calculated using Modified A****er Method)
I can say first hand that we fed our GSP the Purina One puppy food, then moved on to Science Diet and even though he lived to be almost 16 years old, he suffered from constant allergy problems along with hot spots that I'm convinced wouldn't have happened if he would have been on a food without some of the disagreeable ingredients in the mix.
There has also been some discussion about puppy food vs. the all life stages formulas and IMO, just because it's designated as a puppy formula, it doesn't mean that the nutritional standards are much different after you sort it all out. Some of the protein in the questionable brands comes from meat byproducts and things like that so I don't find it as good as a tiny bit lower protein level from a better ingredient.
Like I said, this is my opinion on why we prefer to feed what we do, and our mileage may vary, which is fine.
So here we go:
Purina ONE® Large Breed Puppy Formula - 1 star (star ratings according to
dogfoodanalysis.com)
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (Min)28.0%
Crude Fat (Min)13.0%
Crude Fibre (Max)6.0%
Moisture (Max)12.0%
Linoleic Acid (Min)1.6%
Calcium (Ca) (Min)1.1%
Phosphorus (P) (Min)0.8%
Selenium (Se) (Min)0.30 mg/kg
Vitamin A (Min)15,000 IU/kg
Vitamin E (Min)100 IU/kg
Docosahexaenoic Acid** (DHA) (Min)0.05%
Glucosamine** (Min)500 ppm
Glutamine** (Min)1.0%
INGREDIENTS:
Chicken (natural source of glucosamine), brewers rice, corn gluten meal,
poultry by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), whole grain
wheat, whole grain corn, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherolsp
(form of Vitamin E), pea fiber, fish meal, animal digest,
dried egg product, fish oil (source of DHA), salt, calcium carbonate,
potassium chloride, potassium citrate, calcium phosphate, choline chloride,
zinc sulfate, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, ferrous sulfate, Vitamin E
supplement, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate,
calcium pantothenate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, Vitamin B-12
supplement, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate,
Vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of
Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite.
Here is one quote on just what all of those ingredients mean.
Here is a breakdown of what these ingredients (and other ones to
avoid) mean:
"Food fragments. Fragments are lower-cost by-products of another food
manufacturing process such as brewer's rice (a waste product of the alcohol
industry), and rice flour. Most foods contain at least one fragment as
makers attempt to keep the food affordable. Beware of a product that
contains several fragments of a single food or is the main ingredient.
Meat by-products. Using an animal by-product (or more than one animal
by-product) for a food's main protein source is indicative of a low-quality
product. (i.e. chicken by-product). Animal by-products are any part of an
animal not acceptable for human consumption. Ingredients listed as
by-products are not required to include actual meat.
Corn products in dog food. The presence of corn products - particularly if
they are high on the list of ingredients - may indicate that corn has been
used instead of a more expensive alternative. About 25% of the corn produced
in the U.S. today is genetically modified. Dogs have a difficult time
digesting corn.
Corn gluten meal in dog food. Corn gluten meal is a concentrated source of
protein that can be substituted for costlier animal protein. In many bargain
dry dog foods, corn gluten meal provides a large proportion or the total
protein in the food rather than more digestible forms of protein such as
meat.
Generic fats or proteins. Animal fat can be just about anything; recycled
grease from restaurants or an unwholesome "mystery mix" of fats. Animal
protein is far inferior to beef protein or chicken protein.
Artificial preservatives. BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin, and propylene glycol. These
cause cancer in animals.
Artificial colors. Your pet doesn't care what color his food is and doesn't
need daily - lifetime - exposure to these unnecessary chemicals.
Sweeteners. Corn syrup, sucrose, sugar, ammoniated glycyrrhizin, and other
sweeteners are sometimes added to lower-quality foods to increase their
appeal. Dietary sugar can aggravate health problems in pets including
diabetes.
Flavors. A high-quality food does not require flavoring to be palatable."
Your puppy might eat this up...what choice does he have? Your pet will eat
the food you buy and put in front of him, because that is all he knows. It
may not be flavorful or appeal to his pallet, but it is nourishment
nontheless.
Foods that contain corn and other fillers also require you to feed more to
give your dog proper nutrition.
If your dog has a dull coat, dry flakey skin, scratches a lot, gets yeast
infections in the ears, and poops frequently, reassess what you are feeding
him.
Before I reseached what really is in dog foods and how it can affect your
dog, I fed purina foods to my dogs because they were affordable, packaged
and marketed to look healthy and wholesome. After switching my dogs to a
higher quality diet, I have seen them look healthier, they have more energy,
and seem all around healthier. On top of that, they have less gas, less
poop, and also eat less because more of the food they are on is digested and
used by my dogs.
Corn is not digested by your dog. Avoid foods that contain the above listed
ingredients. Your dogs will thank you in a life time of health and
love.
Merrick Turducken - 5 star
Ingredients:
Organic Chicken, Oatmeal, Barley, Turkey meal, Duck, Whole Brown Rice,
Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols - a source of Natural Vitamin E
and Ascorbic Acid, a source of Vitamin C), Flaxseed, Potatoes, Carrots,
Peas, Dried Chicken Liver, Whole Apples, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium
Carbonate, Lysine, Guar Gum, Choline Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Complex,
Whole Blueberries, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Whole Clove Garlic, Chondroitin
Sulfate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Dried Chicken, Chicory Root, Marigold
Extract, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei,
Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Natural Celery Flavor, Iron Amino Acid Complex,
Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Natural Color (tumeric),
Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex,
d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3, Niacin, Lecithin, Riboflavin Supplement,
Biotin, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Amino
Acid Complex, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (Not Less Than) 24.0%
Crude Fat (Not Less Than) 15.0%
Crude Fiber (Not More Than) 2.5%
Moisture (Not More Than) 10.0%
Calorie Content:
3660 kcal/kg (calculated) - One pound provides 1660 kcal of metabolizable
energy (calculated). One cup (100 grams) provides 357 calories (Caloric
content calculated using Modified A****er Method)