We switched our 2 boys to raw from kibble about 6 months ago. The switch came because we were simply exhausted from walking them 3 times a day because they had loose stool (we don't have fenced in yard, so we need to walk them to go to the bathroom). Our vet recommended more fiber in their diet to help with loose stool. This intuitively just didn't resonate with us. Basenji are one of the most ancient breeds of dog… why on earth would more fiber be a solution to their problem (I know the theoretical why, but logically it was counter-intuitive)? We read many sources or literature on the raw diet and thought this would be a good switch for them. Again, they are an ancient breed so moving toward raw foods seemed appropriate and logical. It took that about a month for them to get really accustomed to eating raw chicken quarters, rabbit halves or pork shoulders but now they have no problem gulping their meal right down, bone and all (for those of you who don't feed raw, gulping is a normal behavior and bone is an essential part of the diet). Their digestion issues have vanished and we've even seen marked improvement in their destructive behavior. Two super happy boys now, two super happy Basenji owners!!
Has anyone heard of Blue Buffalo Dog food?
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I tried searching the forums and didn't get a hit on Blue Buffalo. Here is the web site for them. http://www.bluebuff.com/products/dogs.shtml
I was wondering what anyone thought of them.
I was looking at their treats at a pet store but wanted to do some research and get some feedback before trying them.
Thanks
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I tried the dog food but it didn't work well for Zahra, she got the runs from it and didn't seem to like it. I had mixed it with her other food and tried it for a couple of weeks.
That may just be Zahra though, I know someone at the dog park that uses it and loves it.
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I just started Sahara on it about 2 wks. ago, and she loves it. She has never eaten as well as she does now. I too have been trying different foods, and this has won hands down. It's first ingredient in the Adult/dry food is deboned chicken, no meat- by products, colors, perservatives, all natural. I plan to continue with it, trying the wet food next, I like to mix her food. Also whenever you start out with a new food you should just give alittle of the new with the old, increasing each day, 1/4, 1/2, l cup.
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The only problem I have with Blue Buffalo dog food is that they list Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite in their ingredient list. It's a synthetic vitamin K supplement and it's use in pet foods has become quite a controversy. I steer clear of it in the pet foods I choose for the pups. Here's an interesting link to an article on the possible effects of Menadione:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=menadioneA lot of companies are not adding it anymore, and Blue Buffalo may have taken it out and just not updated their site info. May be something you want to check into.
Hope this helps!
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As much as I have been reading ingredients on the dog food labels and changing Chase and Zahra's food I really think that they are probably now eating healthier than I am!
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As much as I have been reading ingredients on the dog food labels and changing Chase and Zahra's food I really think that they are probably now eating healthier than I am!
LOL! I SO hear you on that! I can't remember the last time I read a people food ingredient list, but I read every little detail on the dog's food! Dog forbid they get anything that resembles the McDonald's "food" I consume!
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@red:
The only problem I have with Blue Buffalo dog food is that they list Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite in their ingredient list. It's a synthetic vitamin K supplement and it's use in pet foods has become quite a controversy. I steer clear of it in the pet foods I choose for the pups. Here's an interesting link to an article on the possible effects of Menadione:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=menadioneA lot of companies are not adding it anymore, and Blue Buffalo may have taken it out and just not updated their site info. May be something you want to check into.
Hope this helps!I went back to their website and sent them a note about the Menadione stuff. Here is the their reply:
Dear Cheryl,
Thank you for taking the time out to write us. And thank you for your
interest in BLUE. While there has been much research on Menadione, it
the amount that must be taken in, in order to be harmful has not been
proven. In any case, we care very much about our furry little friends
and the concern of their parents and that is why we began reformulating
in Oct 06' without this ingredient included. It is hard to say when you
will no longer find bags without this listed in the ingredient list for
2 reasons. 1) There are many out there that still contain this
ingredient because they were made before the reformulation began and
these must run their course. 2) We have a window period in which we are
able to still use all the bags that we had already printed before we
started reformulating. There will be bags out there that still have it
listed but do not actually have this ingredient in the formula. When we
run out of these bags, new bags with new ingredient lists will be
printed. One way to know weather or not your bag contains the menadione
is by looking at the best used by date. We have a 1yr shelf life so if
you find a bag that says best used by Oct 07 or later, then this bag no
longer contains that ingredient even if it is listed on the bag. Those
bags that do still have it in there have so little that it can not be
harmful. There is less then 0.01%.Please feel free to contact me with any further questions.
Best regards,
Samantha Wuhrer
The Blue Buffalo Company
(203) 762-9751 Ext 11I may try the treats, but want to re-read the ingredients again. The store where I saw this brand only had the treats not the food.
I'm still working on food as Beeji has now decided he hates the dry. I'm not sure why. He won't even eat it mixed with wet and he loves the wet.
oh well the search goes on.
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Thanks for the info regarding Menadione. I did find it listed in the "natural" dry food I am giving Joey. Once it's gone, I am going to change his food. The wet food he gets does not have it.
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Thanks for sharing the company's response, Cheryl. I'm glad to hear they removed the Menadione from their foods. Menadione can cause hemolytic anemia, and since the b's are prone to that anyway, I'd just as soon not risk it - even in trace amounts.
And JoeyQ - you're quite welcome for the info! I'm glad you found it useful!
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In my continued search for a quality food Beeji will eat, Nutro dog food had been recommended. I searched their ingredients list and they too have Menadione listed. I sent them a similar email and this is their response:
_Ms. Willoughby,
Thank you for contacting Nutro Products and sharing your concerns.
Vitamin K is an essential nutrient used to ensure proper blood clotting and there is also some evidence to suggest that it can help bone health in older animals. Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity) is an AAFCO approved source of vitamin K. The levels of this nutrient used in our foods are completely safe and well within AAFCO guidelines.
I hope I have answered your questions completely. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. You can reach me by e-mail or Toll Free phone call, Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM (PST), at 1 (800) 833-5330 ext. 804.
At your service,
Roger H. P. Clark
Team Leader
Nutro Products Inc.
Consumer Services Department_Anyone have any experience with any of the Nutro products?
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It's me (the dog food nerd! lol!) again. I think Nutro is way over priced for the quality of food you get. When you look at the ingredients list on Nutro Lamb and Rice adult formula, you will see lamb is listed as the primary ingredient, and that's great except that it's followed by many fragments of rice (fragments = cheaper rice by-products). So really if you add all the fragments together, you'll find that rice by products are way high on their list. True, dogs are omnivores, but protien should be the staple of their diet. And Nutro doesn't seem to be willing to remove the Menadione from their food anytime soon. A few foods that are really high quality and get an A from the dog food nerd
are:
-Canidae (I use their All Life Stages food in a rotational diet along with some of the other foods I mention - Canidae also has other formulas like chicken and rice and a platinum food)
-Natural Balance (they use unique protien sources ie: Venison and Duck and single carbohydrates so it's a great food for dogs with allergies or sensitive bellies.)
-Nature's Variety (they have two varieties of kibble Raw Instinct which is grain free and Prairie which has a single carb source - Storm LOVES the Venison and Millet Prairie food!)
-Innova (they have different varities, too - Innova EVO is grain free and a big hit at my house - they also have a red meat EVO, and regular Innova foods that contain grains)
-Solid Gold (many varieities to choose from in this line, too)
-Merrick's has a great variety of canned and kibble foods - it's like dog candy - mine simply love the canned Merricks!)There are quite a few other foods out there that are really good, and some that one dog does great on another dog might not do as well on it. A lot of it is trial and error until you find something that works and your dog likes. Alot of times, too you'll find that if you go into small, indepently owned pet supply stores or feed stores, you'll find a better selection of high quality foods. Typically PetSmarts and Super Pets and Petco's carry a standard line of food, and it's not all that great.
Good luck in your quest for Beeji's vittles! -
I have recently been switching my guys from Nutro sensitive stomach to Eagle Pack Holistic Select Chicken Meal & Rice Formula due to digestion problems. So far so good.
