Victor

[Brioddy]

Does anyone here feed this kibble and if so what are your opinions and experience? I was buying a brand from the feed store that appeared to be good but recently I ended up with a rancid bag, and as a result miserably sick dogs! Needless to say I will never be buying that again. I found Victor on chewy with great reviews, it’s made in Texas and has been around since the 40s with zero recalls. It’s more expensive than my feed store special but still quite reasonable ($38 for a 40# bag). And if anyone doesn’t feed it and maybe looking for another brand, I will be glad to review how my guys do on it.

 

[Panama]

I knew several that were feeding Victor until they changed the formula and now use Blood Meal.

 

[Ravenbird]

I can't answer your question @Brioddy but curious about the rancid feed. If it was your local feed store brand, I'd sure quit on it too, but if it is a name brand carried at lots of stores, I'd check the bag for expire dates - it could be the feed stores fault for leaving it on the shelf too long/not rotating or whatever. Especially if your dogs were doing well on it, I'd want to know why it went rancid. They should all have dates on the bag.

 

[Brioddy]

The brand was called TOPS it’s supposedly made in Tennessee. They go through their products fairly quickly so I don’t see it going bad as a result of sitting in the store too long. Brinks, Odyssey and my moms dog (we share bags) got sick and they went to the vet. Rio went unscathed as he was too smart to eat it apparently, I thought he was just being picky. I’m not opposed to switching anyway because my vet advises against grain free which the previous kibble was.

Oh and I wrote the company a very unhappy email and I’ve been met by silence. Surprise!

 

[Panama]

A few yrs ago, we had a problem with a bag of Taste of The Wild, and ever since, my husband ALWAYS takes a handful of food out of a new bag, puts it in a ziploc baggy, marks the date the bag was opened and tacks it to cork board.

 

[Panama]

Victor - 5th ingredient - Blood meal

 

[Ravenbird]

Here's another from Dog Food Advisor. Lots more discussion in the comments on this article, mentioning Victor. I'm not saying one way or the other, and I don't feed Victor, just like to read research:

Blood Meal and Other Blood Products in Dog Food

 

[Ddski5]

I have been feeding Victor Professional purple bag for about a year now.

Really like it but then again, Ragnar eats EVERYTHING.....

I researched thoroughly and found this brand to meet most of my standards- ingredients, protein%, price, all life stages, Taurine/L-Carnitine added and not grain free.

One of the things that I like the most is that his poops are small- telling me that he is not pooping most of it out.

As far as the blood meal goes....Victor is made in Texas from a company that gets decent reviews- Dog food advisor gives it 4stars.

Unless you are slaughtering the cow/chickens yourself in your range free pasture, one truly never knows.

He cracks me up because the only thing that gets his focus more than a bowl of food is that dam squirrel that keeps on trespassing in the back yard.

 

[Brioddy]

I’m not sure what variety you looked up, but the formula I bought is the beef meal and brown rice and blood meal isn’t on the ingredient list at all.

@Ddski5 I’m glad to hear Ragnar likes it and is doing well! I agree that you never truly know unless you raise and process the food yourself, even for our food this holds true too. I wish I could do that but for my modest budget this was the best kibble I could find.

 

[Panama]

I’m not sure what variety you looked up, but the formula I bought is the beef meal and brown rice and blood meal isn’t on the ingredient list at all.

I didn't look at any of their formula's, just sharing why someone else dump the brand.

 

[Brioddy]

Well it’s only been three feedings but I am happy to report perfect poops and they gobble their meals. I only hope it keeps on!

 

[My2Girls]

I’m not sure what variety you looked up, but the formula I bought is the beef meal and brown rice and blood meal isn’t on the ingredient list at all.

@Ddski5 I’m glad to hear Ragnar likes it and is doing well! I agree that you never truly know unless you raise and process the food yourself, even for our food this holds true too. I wish I could do that but for my modest budget this was the best kibble I could find.

I feed the same formula- beef and brown rice to my 2 pups. We haven’t had any issues. I like to rotate proteins and was thinking of trying the fish next. I guess I better read the ingredients on that one.
I think we’ve been feeding this formula about 4 months now. I was feeding Nature’s Logic and I really liked the ingredients but Shadow would either be constipated (literally the poop would come out crumbly) or she’d get the runs when I switched proteins. So it just didn’t work for us. NL was more expensive and the largest bag was smaller than most large bags and the all life stage kibble size was kinda small.

 

[Brioddy]

@My2Girls have you considered adding toppers to the kibble to switch up proteins? I buy 10 lbs bags of chicken leg quarters that I boil for $6 at Walmart. They also have 15 oz. cans of mackerel at the dollar tree. Sweet potatoes, eggs, and ground beef (browned mostly with grease drained) is quite palatable too. I do believe there is a chicken variety like the beef too though.

 

[My2Girls]

@My2Girls have you considered adding toppers to the kibble to switch up proteins? I buy 10 lbs bags of chicken leg quarters that I boil for $6 at Walmart. They also have 15 oz. cans of mackerel at the dollar tree. Sweet potatoes, eggs, and ground beef (browned mostly with grease drained) is quite palatable too. I do believe there is a chicken variety like the beef too though.

Yes I always do toppers my Princess is a picky eater (Shadow will eat anything) and that’s the only way she will eat her kibble - spoiled yes I know I created a monster. But I don’t mind cooking for them. I just buy extra of whatever protein the family is eating and cook theirs bland.

 

[GennyB]

I guess I better read the ingredients on that one.

I think it's the fish formula that has really high carbs, too high for me!

*EDIT
It is the fish formula

 

[WILD ACE]

i have been feeding victor the fish ( grain Free ) I know I know but we can find no other food that has kept some weight on my boy and kept him from throwing up most meals and then there is the mushy poop.. well he had is yearly exam this week is finally holding on at 73 pounds solid poop and has not thrown up in almost a year. i do have a vet that is very much against grain free but she has also said we will monitor his heart every 6 months and cant find a reason to take him off it since he is so doing so good on it!!

 

[Brioddy]

There is an ocean fish that’s not grain free by victor. It’s on their website. Along with the fish and beef there’s also chicken and lamb!

Ocean Fish Formula with Salmon | Victor Pet Food