[GoldenKeeper]

Hey all,:wave:

Two things

1#
I have been feeding my golen, Noah, Innova for over a year and half. He seems to do pretty well on it. Seems he has been gaining a few pounds due to me not getting him out walking as much as I should (we're working on it). He is 3 years old and about 85 pounds. He is naturally a big guy and from the feel of him and looks he doesn't seem over weight but I'd probably be more comfortable if he lost 5 pounds since anymore gain might take him over the normal limit. About a month ago I switched him to Innova Reduced Fat to maintain and maybe loose some weight.
With the regular I fed him about a cup twice a day and have been doing the same with the reduced version...should I be feeding him the same amount with the switch?

Also, part of me wonders if he is getting all the nutrients he needs with the reduced fat..I know they go heavier on the carbs to make up for fat but that can't be all good. I dunno, I am thinking of going back to the original Innova formula but maybe just giving him 2/3 cup and substituting rest with green beans?

And #2
I just read online that Innova tested positive for Acephetamine in their food and something else that wasn't supposed to be there..is this true? I thought they were a good food!! Argh, is there something better that I should get for around $30 (15ib) a bag? I liked Innova but I don't want to harm my baby. Even Canidae worries me now with the 'new' formula.:bowl:

Any thoughts?

 

[Penny & Maggie's Mom]

Innova is a very good dog food. If he is doing well on the regular, but you just want him to drop a few pounds, cut back on his portions some. You can add some frozen green beans to that to help him feel full if you want. Innova, IMO, is one of the best foods out there. Several years ago there was quite a buzz over many foods testing positive for acetamenophine, but I'm not sure it was ever proven.

 

[Penny & Maggie's Mom]

BTW, here's their website so you can compare the varieties.... cals, carbs, fat content etc. http://www.naturapet.com/brands/innova.asp

 

[Willow52]

I feed Innova LBP to Hank, he's doing great on it so far. His coat feels like mink.

To take off a few pounds I would stay with the regular formula, just cut back portion size and/or treats. 2 cups a day doesn't sound like over feeding to me though. What does your vet say about his weight? I remember when my Maggie was about that age she gained 5 extra lbs. due to having a large biscuit each night. I started buying the small size and she easily dropped that extra weight.

edited to add: I googled the possible acephetamine problem, that was back in 2007, hopefully any problems have been addressed and corrected.

 

[GoldenKeeper]

Thanks guys so far
I just noticed that my post marker has a thumbs down! Oops don't have my glasses on and thought it was a red question mark. I do love Innova!

That Hank time line is too cute btw

 

[Lucky's mom]

The only reason I still don't feed Innova is because Lucky couldn't deal with having such little portions. He needs his "fillers' I guess.

I think the company is trustworthy and care about the quality of the food they manufacture.

 

[buckeyegoldenmom]

Another thing to keep in mind with Innova brand. Check the calorie count of each variety on the website. I feed mine Innova large breed dry dog food.

Innova Large breed 380 kcal/cup

Innova regular adult 504kcal/cup

Innova reduced fat 374kcal/cup

You can check all the varieties and the nutritional analysis of each one at their website as Penny & Maggies mom suggested.

 

[Pudden]

The Pud gets mostly raw food, but with a bit of Innova Evo mixed in and then when we travel or hike/camp it's just the Innova. Works fine for us.

Expensive, though: costs like 60$ for a 28.6 lbs bag, plus another 20 bucks or so for having it mailed here (can't buy dcent dog food in this town ). But heck, anything for my bebe.

 

[asiacat]

Another thing to keep in mind with Innova brand. Check the calorie count of each variety on the website. I feed mine Innova large breed dry dog food.

Innova Large breed 380 kcal/cup

Innova regular adult 504kcal/cup

Innova reduced fat 374kcal/cup

You can check all the varieties and the nutritional analysis of each one at their website as Penny & Maggies mom suggested.

i am feeding my golden and lab the innova adult large bites....should i be feeding them the large breed? i thought just the adult was better...my golden is 17 months and my lab is 13 months....and not overweight i don't think anyway...lol...they are both around 77 pounds golden female male lab...

 

[buckeyegoldenmom]

i am feeding my golden and lab the innova adult large bites....should i be feeding them the large breed? i thought just the adult was better...my golden is 17 months and my lab is 13 months....and not overweight i don't think anyway...lol...they are both around 77 pounds golden female male lab...

I would think if your pets are a good weight on the regular...then leave them on that. Just an idea if you want to cut calories in the future. I was shocked to find out the large breed has fewer calories per cup.

 

[Bock]

i am feeding my golden and lab the innova adult large bites....should i be feeding them the large breed? i thought just the adult was better...my golden is 17 months and my lab is 13 months....and not overweight i don't think anyway...lol...they are both around 77 pounds golden female male lab...

Doesn't really matter much, there are only minor differences as far as I'm aware.

As far as being overweight, the general rule is your dog is at a good weight if you can not see the ribs, but can easily feel them.

 

[Ljilly28]

We get sparkly coats, shining eyes, and good weights with Innova, but I was not aware of the tylenol concerns. How would pain killers get in dog food? I get soooo scared when I hear things like tha and have a hard time relaxing and trusting any dog products.. .

 

[Penny & Maggie's Mom]

We get sparkly coats, shining eyes, and good weights with Innova, but I was not aware of the tylenol concerns. How would pain killers get in dog food? I get soooo scared when I hear things like tha and have a hard time relaxing and trusting any dog products.. .

In 2007, there was some news about a TX lab finding tylenol in dog food. But from what I remember, the FDA couldn't substantiate the claims. Don't know of any recent news to that effect.

 

[sammydog]

Barley has been on Innova for about 5 years, Mira has been on it since about 4 months old. They are also supplemented with Honest Kitchen in the AM. I have been very happy with Innova. Their coats are always nice looking, no major allergy problems, they always have lots of energy, weight has always been good.

I have emailed the company a few times about other concerns or thoughts. They are very responsive and I always get the impression they care a lot about the quality of their dog food.