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Looking for dry food reco's from you experts

Discussion in 'Health & Nutrition' started by Obi-WanKannoli, Aug 20, 2021.

  1. Hi all,
    So I have been using bullymax / gorillamax with my past few dogs (2x pit, 1x Pyrenees GSD mix). I will concede that I do believe it is quality food and my dogs love it....I do, however, work in the consumer good industry and Bullymax really pissed me off with their latest "rebranding" of gorillamax to "bully max pro" which is nothing more than a big old compaction and price hike disguised in new packaging. Gorilla max (retail/non recurring) has gone from $62/20lb ($3.10/Lb) to Bully Max Pro...splitting the weight difference to $77/16lb ($4.81/Lb) and $110/32lb ($3.43/Lb). The real oddball one (typical higher order quantities = cost saving for the consumer, a well understood pattern by just about all humans) is the $198 bag which is 48lbs....$4.13/Lb? Great cost structure! Bastards.. *puts away soap box*

    Anyway, yeah, looking for some reco's from the experts among you on dry food for my APBT. 5 month old APBT, 25lbs.
     
  2. slim12

    slim12 Super Moderator Staff Member

    I will chime in. I am not a fan of that type of feed. It is blended for growth and mass and most that feed it are not putting in real work with the dogs. There is weight gain and since the dog are muscular by nature it can make some dogs that look like monsters but can't breathe from here to the mail box and back.

    I am not into the bully type dogs in the least and not really into any kind of dog bred to look at, so by no means do I fall under the expert status. Before I ever paid the prices for Bully max and its kin I would go completely RAW, especially if I had only a hand full of dogs.

    These dogs will survive on just about anything and can move from 'survive to thrive' with minimal effort on our part.

    If you are accustomed to buying Bullymax I would suggest going RAW on the APBT puppy. If it has to be bag food then I am more of a fan of the cheaper hunting dog foods and then supplement with meats/scraps as a year around feed. If working hard the diet changes.

    Not sure that answered the question.

    S
     
  3. CopperOFRN

    CopperOFRN Big Dog

    I agree with slim. I’ve got a butcher close by that sells completely raw packages all for $1 a pound. Storage is my biggest challenge. But they do chicken/beef/and pork mixes. Haven’t found any turkey feet yet, but I’m keeping an eye out. I’ve tried a lot of different dry foods and none compare to even supplementing with raw. You could save a shit ton of money buying purina and supplement with raw on working days(or whenever). My pit is almost 11 and he still rides miles with me everyday. I’m actually sitting at a bar right now with him a few miles from the house. Took the wheeler out for a little morning cruise. Here he gets supplemented with boneless wings and Guinness. (Not often)
     
    Obi-WanKannoli likes this.
  4. ben brockton

    ben brockton CH Dog

    3/4 $ lb for kibble lmfao that's just bad money chasing worse money.
     
    Obi-WanKannoli likes this.
  5. GK1

    GK1 Big Dog

    Similar discussion came up during a training session the other day which included some long time working dog people. While most everyone had their own opinion as to what works for them: raw, commercial, blended or otherwise., the pricey boutique bagged foods weren’t well regarded overall. I’m no certainly no expert but I’ve learned keeping a dog trim, fit and never overfed is usually more important than the food itself.
     
    Obi-WanKannoli likes this.
  6. Hi everybody,

    Thank you all for the input, greatly appreciated! I have picked up some taste of the wild ancient prairie, and I am going to slowly transition her to raw as I learn more about the diet myself. Thank you for all the feedback!
     
  7. slim12

    slim12 Super Moderator Staff Member

    One of the more rigid approaches in the BARF method. Another is one from Ca. Jack and it is a more economical approach.

    Both work well.

    S.
     
  8. brindle

    brindle Big Dog

    Over the yrs I've fed dry kibble and raw and a combo of both. Some dogs do better on different feeds, others it makes less difference. I agree keeping any dog in good lean shape helps immensely.

    With the kibble, I look for more meats in the first 5 ingredients. I don't feed "grain free" as those are proven to cause heart problems in dogs. I also do not feed overly high protein kibbles, nothing over 30% even for a working dog. Far better to get that protein from raw meats.

    I've found chicken necks are a good raw supplement to a dog's diet. Easy to chew up even for pups and the cartilage and fatty skin on chicken necks is a nutritional benefit too. If you can get butcher scraps or if you hunt or know any hunters, those are good ways to get raw meat and bones cheaply.

    Kibbles I have had good results with are Fromm, Diamond Naturals, Chicken Soup, and Stella & Chewy. The Fromm Gold line has been about the best, it is a family run company that makes their own food in their own plant. For premade raw the Blue Ridge Beef on the east coast has a good line of frozen raw.

    Spending a lot of money per pound is not always the best for your dog. There are many choices out there.
     
  9. slim12

    slim12 Super Moderator Staff Member

    True. Chicken necks are as just a goo raw source as any.

    I buy them by the case and make put them in freezer bags.

    It adds to the convenience.

    Unfortunately the convenience of bag food will trump the benefits of raw 9 out of 10 times.

    S
     
    bamaman likes this.

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