As does whether or when a dog is neutered and grooming. Dogs with guard coats should never be clipped.

Hannah eats Fromm Gold and loves it. We switched her from Three Dog Bakery Adult Chicken a few months ago because her poops were like soft-serve ice cream on that.

We also mix up Honest Kitchen's Perfect Form into a paste with her food - it aids digestion and everything she "leaves outside" is much smaller and firm, so I feel she's really soaking up the good stuff. Her coat is beautiful, too!

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Hannah's Birthday - November 25, 2011
Hannah's Join-Our-Family-Day - January 18, 2012

Just wondered why you are waiting to switch your pup to grain-free. My pup has been on FROMM grain-free since I brought him home.

What's wrong with pea protein? I drink pea protein almost daily in my morning protein shake. Lot's of body builders consume pea protein. Pea Protein contains all the essential amino acids (it's a complete protein source). Animal studies show that it is as high as 97.8% digestibility (90% in humans). I'm not particularly a huge fan of Dr. Mercola but I just grabbed this article for quick reference: Pure Pea Protein Powder | Protein Supplements - Mercola.com

Also, in all of the grain-free formulas, a meat source is listed as the first ingredient; they list pea flour somewhere around the 3rd to 5th ingredient. Most other high quality grain forumula foods list their grains as the 3rd to 5th ingredient. Looks like FROMM uses pea protein in place of grains. I'd much rather my dogs eat highly digestible pea protein over poorly digested grain carbohydrates any day.

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Fromm uses Pea Protein instead of meat. It is cheap and consumers accept it but in reality it is just another form of corn gluten or any other vegetable concentrate. Pea Protein has the same or more protein per gram as Chicken, Turkey or Lamb Meal and 3 times the protein of fresh chicken,

Earthborn does the same.

Whose says grains are poorly digested by the way? Can I see any evidence you have?

Fromm lists a water-inclusive meat source ahead of Pea Protein in a few formulas.

Other than Dr. Tims what other brands use chicken or turkey as major protein source with limited grains?

Grains limited how? As a source of calories or source of Protein?

Other than oats, whole grains that you would find in dog food are rather low in protein. Barley is a bit higher than rice or corn. Despite what you read whole corn does not have much protein, but it has some high levels of certain amino acids. Rice is rather low in protein.

Any food with 30% total protein without a vegetable concentrate like corn gluten, wheat gluten, rice gluten, pea protein, potato protein will have about 90% protein from animal sources. Foods with about 25% total protein will have about 80% - 85% total protein from animal sources.

I am assuming these examples have meat protein, fish protein and egg protein. Dried egg is very light and often shows up lower in the list but still provides very high levels of protein.

If you are looking for brands that are have low total carbohydrate and are good for most dogs, look at a traditional 30-20 plus or minus type food.

Dr. Tim's Pursuit & Momentum (Momentum has carb profile like Evo)
Annamaet Ultra
Precise Endurance
Eukanuba Premium Performance (excellent value & easy to get)
Native Level 3
Victor Hi-Pro Plus (excellent value)

The first too are more expensive on average, but if you can get Annamaet from a trainer, you will find excellent prices, like $1.30lb. Online, pricey but keep in mind Annamaet Ultra comes in 40lb bags, not 25,28,30lb bags.

Dr. Tim's on Petflow in 44lb bags is a real find @ $1.40lb no tax or shipping. Locally Pursuit is $1.75lb plus tax.

Eukanuba Premium is the easiest to get for most people and is a great choice.

So any on that list will have very low carbohydrate, if fact at or lower than Orijen. There are others that have more fat than 20% but I don't think they are good choices for most dogs. The only way to judge any of these levels is by calories. Higher fat foods with 30% protein will have about the same level of carbohydrate as most grain free foods. Just looking at the label doesn't tell you much because you don't know the weights of each ingredients and some ingredients are very light compared to what they provide, like egg.

Thanks for the help Im trying to switch from Fromm S&T to either Tim's or annamaet

I was taught in high school, by a vet nutritioniest, that Soy in a dog food makes it a cheap dog food. Given this was +10 years ago.

Yet people can't get enough seem to get enough of Soy.

I figure it is is not good enough for my dogs than is certainly is not good enough for me.

I would take Peas over Soy anyday myself.

Feed whatever works best for you and your pets.

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I do what I like and like what I do. Yorkies- Cozy (4/1/06), Roxy & Zoey (2/11/08), Lucy (4/6/09); Golden- Buddy (4/13/09- Rescued 12/11) Maine Coon cats- Mika (1998) and Tallulah (2000)

Regarding your question on growing coat, it mainly plays in with genetics and diet, but genetics being the major source. I think Fromm is a great food, and a lot of people who show Goldens use it.

I find it funny that you want a lusher coat, most pet people don't want that much hair, but rather us show people who need it for the ring

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Caryn
Proud owner of: Miss Maddie Magoo CD NAP NJP RE CGC

I went from Fromm Puppy (loose stool) TOTW (Better, but still loose), to Orijen (Did great), but my Leonberger can not have the High protein of the Orijen. So put my GR on Castor and Pollux Organix grain free. He's doing great, loves it and they sell it on base in the commissary for a fraction of the Orijen cost. The only one not happy about it is my local pet store