If you thought your dog was gassy before...
Written: Jan 23 '01 (Updated Jan 23 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Does will eat it and it's cheap
Cons: poor nutrition, causes gas in many dogs
The Bottom Line: Just because he eats it doesn't mean it's good for him. If it did, you'd not mind him snacking in the litter box!
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| jade_stone's Full Review: Pedigree Mealtime Small Crunchy Bites Dog Food |
Let's get one thing straight. I'm not a dog food snob. I don't sneer at people who buy Old Roy or the generic bag the grocery store sells that is simply called "Dog Food" because I realize people feed what they can afford to feed. If anyone has a legitimate excuse to buy cheap dog food, it would be I. I don't have a cute, fluffy little Pomeranian or a chipper Corgi. Nope, my backyard and pastures are ruled by two Akbash adults, an Akbash/Anatolian puppy (if an 80 pound dog can be called a puppy), an aging Doberman, and a working Border Collie.
My smallest is 50 pounds, the largest just hitting 155, and can they eat?? You betcha. So, it's no wonder I find myself shaking with lust for cheap dog food every time I go to purchase another 4 50 pound bags that I pray will last a month but know will not.
Enter Pedigree, the dog food of champions. Ok, now if some dog food company offered to pay me big bucks to feed their food, I'd feed it too. I'm sure genetics and grooming have nothing to do with those dogs winning, nah, it's the Pedigree. I too fell sucker to buying the dog food. After all, $16 for a 44 pound bag sure beat the $28 for a 40 pound bag I was buying, right?
Wrong.
Ok folks, let's look at the analysis on the bag. Protien at 21%, ok sounds good. Fat at 8%. That's not so good. Dogs aren't people, they can handle some fat in their diet. If your dog is a working dog, 8% is a bit too low. That's good for fat dogs who lie around the house all day long, but not so hot for dogs who actually have activity in their lives.
Ingredients... the first 5 are the only ones that really matter, the rest is just tossed in there. What do we have first? Why, Ground Corn! Guess what! Dogs can't digest corn, they simply leave it all over your yard for you to step in the next morning. Corn is a cheap filler that the dog food companies use. It does nothing for your dog, and if you should have a dog that is allergic to corn, watch out! The only advantage of having corn in the dog food is that your canine can eat a lot and think he's full. The downside is that it all comes out in the end and then your yard will be full. After that we've got meat and bone meal, ground wheat, wheat mill run, and animal fat loaded with preservatives. In other words this stuff is made of corn, ground up bones and hooves and other offal, wheat (which many dogs are also allergic to) and lard. Mmmm, yummy!
The other byproduct of using Pedigree is gas. Lots and lots of gas exiting the rear exit of your dog. If you're lucky, he'll get up and leave the room first. If not, you'll leave it yourself or invest in some Israelie gas masks.
Pedigree isn't the worst food on the market, but it's certainly not the best for the money. Your dogs will live on it, just like they'll live if you feed 'em Alpo or Old Roy, and you'll probably think to yourself "Why, they do just fine on this stuff!" Unless your dog turns out to be allergic to corn or wheat, or becomes bloated from the gas and dies from a twisted gut, you'll probably think it's just fine for your dog.
I went back to my $28 40 lb bag for a number of reasons. My dogs don't need to eat half the bag to stay healthy now. Their land mines are no longer the size of Nantucket, and their hair coats have improved immensely. Am I really spending more? No, not really. The food in the premium brand dog food is digestable for them, hence they don't need to eat as much to get the nutrition they need. I go through 3 40 pound bags a month now, as opposed to 5 50 pound bags a month of Pedigree.
Best of all, the gas is gone. I can now relax while in the same room as one of the dogs. Sure they're still rude and rip while in public, but I no longer run out the door while turning green.
Those "top breeders" can keep their endorsements and their Pedigree. My dogs are worth more than a sack of air filled corn and lard.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
jade_stone
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Member: Jade Stone
Location: Texas
Reviews written: 52
Trusted by: 29 members
About Me:
Web designer, artist, photographer, professional BS'er and yarn spinner.
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