Nutro Dog Food

I was planning to switch my dog to Nutro Ultra dry food. Our dog is almost 5 and we need to watch her weight. She has been eating Iams, but it doesn't seem to satisfy her and she gets hungry before dinnertime, lying by her bowl and whining. Someone said that Nutro Ultra might be better for her in terms of digestion and keeping her full. When I researched, I found complaints on the internet about Nutro food making dogs sick. I like the idea of the holistic food, but got concerned when I read the complaints. Do you think this is a good food for dogs?

[dogmom192]

I used Nutro for a number of years, (I thought it was supposed to be pretty good) but when my dog was diagnosed with cancer I made changes.  Nutro is OK, (better than many other supposedly good dog foods) but you have to read labels, as some of the Nutro varieties contain corn or wheat.  The best diet for a dog is a raw food diet, as the raw food contains enzymes that canines (meat eaters) need for overall health.  Dogs were meant to eat raw meat, rather than cooked cuisine.  You can make your own raw food, (google for a raw meat recipe, or buy a book about holistic dog care), or you can buy it already made.  The most complete frozen raw food I've found is "Nature's Variety."  Also, "Steve's Real Food" is quite good, but I'm sure there are other decent ones.  Or, you could try the dehydrated raw by "Honest Kitchens," though you'll probably want to add a bit of fresh meat to those- Walmart carries frozen bison burgers in their people section which my dogs love, (hormone and anti-biotic-free meat).   Or, if raw sounds too daunting for now, get a high-quality grain-free dry food, and add a bit of raw meat on top.  Grains are fillers, and hard on a dog's system- over time this can stress the kidneys, compromise health- so definitely look for a grain free variety, (read labels).  Just so you know, alot of the dog food brands considered to be top of the line, (even ones carried in the Vet's office) are full of grains- (rice, wheat, corn) and also have added gluten- BAD. My favorite dry food is EVO reduced-fat, (my dog LOVES it) as it's only lightly cooked- as close to raw you'll find in a dry food, (but expensive).   I give my other dog "Call of the Wild" which is not as expensive, (about the same price as Nutro) and grain-free as well.  Ask your local feed store to start ordering it for you- cheaper than getting it at a holistic pet store.

[Shara21]

ORIJEN is another really good, grain free brand. 70% meat, 30% fruits and veggies. My dogs do fantastic on is. They also have a lower protein make, called ACANA, they have 3 grain free formulas, excellent food aswell.
If you want to be able to pronounce and recognize every ingredient you are feeding your dog, those are two very good choices.

Personally i find Nutro extremly expensive for the quality you're getting. Also, remeber that while holistic foods do tend to be more expensive, the quatities you feed are significantly less because there are NO fillers in holistic food. So everything they're eating is being used =)

If you do plan on changing foods, PLEASE make sure to do a mix, especially if you are switching from IAMS to a higher quality holistic food. You will be switching from something that is very hard for your dog to digest, to something very easy for him to digest and unless done properly this will naturally result in loose stools. Do a slow mix for 10 days.

Really the best thing for this is to do your own research. Go online, type in "Holistic, grain free dog foods" and do your own reading =) that way when you go into a store you're not completly dependant on what they clerk tells you, you can make your own judgement calls =)

[dogmom192]

clarification-  the name of the grain feed dog food is "Taste of the Wild"  (not "Call of the Wild").  Just bought some this morning, so noticed I had told you the wrong name.

[kconrad9]

Thanks so much for your comments. I am trying Nutro's holistic product, which should be better than than regular line. I'm in a small town, so I need to try a product that is readily available and the holistic line from Nutro seems like the best choice for us for now. I am phasing her into the new food from the Iams. I think I'll also check into Orijen and Taste of the Wild to see if they are in my area.

Thanks again.