[Walnut_the_Nut]

Hey guys,
Walnut just had his first visit to the vet. Everything went well, except the technician said she doesn't recommend TOTW all stages because it's only two years old and not enough study has been done.

Should we switch him again? The breeder had him on Purina pro plan when we or him. We noticed his pooped smelled less with TOTW.

 

[Bentley's Mom]

If Walnut is doing well on the food I wouldn't switch him again. I take everything my vet says very seriously because he is the expert, however, food seems to be very subjective (just my opinion). When I discussed food with my vet he said "find something he does well on and leave it at that". He specifically wouldn't give me a recommendation because different dogs do well on different foods. Bentley is on TOTW Pacific Stream and does well on it so that's what we're sticking with.

 

[estesbubba]

Recently switched all our dogs from Iams to TOTW and they are doing fine on it. I would go by ingredients more than waiting for some study. This site had good information to make your decisions.

Taste of the Wild Dry Dog Food | Review and Rating

 

[Walnut_the_Nut]

Thanks,
We actually made the decision to switch based on the discussions on this site.

Yes, walnut is doing very well on it. He was fine on Purina too, but I didn't like the ingredients or the smell of his poop. He also seems to actually get FULL with TOTW. With Purina he would finish and keep looking around for more.

We noticed he does have more energy since TOTW too. Little guys wants to play non stop.

She Recommended Royal Canine, but the ingredients of TOTW seem better than RC!

 

[cgriffin]

Hi, I am a licensed tech but am not working currently. I would never just tell people what to feed, if they are on a premium diet. I would say something if they were on Ol Roy or Purina puppy or dog chow, yuck. I do not know why she would come up with Royal Canine. I can only think, that is what she must be feeding.
Vets often do not give food recommendation unless a pet has problems and needs a special diet.
I feed TOTW to my boys, I actually switched them last summer to that diet. They are doing really well on it and yes, like you said, they are actually satisfied with the amount they are getting. Also, my golden had a TPLO and FHO done recently and TOTW really helps with getting his muscle mass back. Another plus in my book.
TOTW is also starting with a puppy formula in the bison/venison formula and the pacific stream formula. I think it was suppose to hit the stores last November. I have not seen it at tractor supply where I buy TOTW.
Anyway, if your furbaby does well on TOTW, I would not switch him either.

 

[mylissyk]

Maybe she was concerned about the All LIfe Stages not being the best for a puppy. YOu can get TOTW in puppy formula now though.

 

[lgnutah]

My breeder had Brooks on ProPlan. I joined a (different) forum when he was a few months old and everyone was saying that food was no good. Not knowing anything at all, I switched him to a food that forum said was great.....only to find later, maybe on this forum, maybe on that other one, people said No No, THAT food was no good.
You get the idea.
People have lots of opinions about which food is best. Bottom line, if your dog does well on a food, it is a good food for him.
BTW, I am back to ProPlan!

 

[Phoebe's mom]

When we bought our westie the breeder was on Orijen, she called us up that Orijen had too much protein in it and she was getting calls that the dogs fur was turning pink (like when they lick their paws and such) so we were told to switch to TOTW as it doesn't have as high protein. She has been doing amazing on it.
We have our Golden puppy on Wellness but we are thinking of switching over to Innova as you get 3 more lbs for 7$ less and it is the same quality food, so I have been told. Does anyone have any thoughts on Innova?
I have been told you can tell the quality of the food by how compact or chalky it is and the wellness seems very chalky, maybe it is just this bag?
I would switch to TOTW but I get a discount at petsmart and unfortunately they don't carry it.

 

[golden_eclipse]

I would be careful with some of the Protein levels TOTW has for a puppy. I too just switched from Iams, to TOTW, and we have a brand new puppy we are putting her on the pacific stream formula, since it has lower protein than the Bison formula. Although I really like the bison formula for the adults, as it has low carbs, high protein and good amount of fat. Iams was mostly carbs (which is a much cheaper form of calories), but most experts agree that meat should be the primary source of calories for Canines. Also grain free can help prevent allergies. The thing I don't like about RC is the amount of corn they use, there is no real way to know the quality of corn they use, and Dogs are often allergic to corn.

 

[cgriffin]

@ Phoebe's Mom: I know nothing about Innova, I just know that it is alot more expensive than TOTW. TOTW is $46.99 at tractor supply here for a 30 pound bag, where in Wichita, my sister buys it at a feed and grain store for $39.99 per 30 pound bag. I heard a lot of feed stores carry TOTW. Of course the new puppy formula is a bit more expensive and yes, the pacific stream formula has less protein and fat.

 

[Phoebe's mom]

Royal Canin is an ok food but you are charged more for a less quality because they do breed specific so people jump on that.

 

[Phoebe's mom]

Holy!! in Canada all the good 30lb bag dog foods are 70+$ gahhhhh I need to move!!

 

[Madigan]

One of our vets also did recommend switching off Taste of the wild. She stated that some dogs were getting crystals in their bladder.

 

[Ivyacres]

I would be careful with some of the Protein levels TOTW has for a puppy. I too just switched from Iams, to TOTW, and we have a brand new puppy we are putting her on the pacific stream formula, since it has lower protein than the Bison formula. Although I really like the bison formula for the adults, as it has low carbs, high protein and good amount of fat. Iams was mostly carbs (which is a much cheaper form of calories), but most experts agree that meat should be the primary source of calories for Canines. Also grain free can help prevent allergies. The thing I don't like about RC is the amount of corn they use, there is no real way to know the quality of corn they use, and Dogs are often allergic to corn.

Now I'm confused. Honey's coat got brittle and sparse so we switched to ProPlan which caused her to itch non-stop. We chose TOTW because it is grain free. Should she be getting higher protien (Bison) or lower (Pacific)? She's doing great on TOTW but we want to choose the best option for her at 15 mos old.

 

[hotel4dogs]

Never argue religion, politics, or dog food. They are very volatile subjects!
That said, I think what your vet might have been getting at is that a lot of the foods out there, including TOTW, have never been tested on dogs. They are formulated according to the nutritional requirements as presented by AAFCO, but not actually tested on dogs. Some people (me included) prefer to feed a food that has actually been tested on dogs before it's sold. Others don't mind, as long as it's formulated in accordance with AAFCO nutritional standards. Others don't even care about that. It's a highly individual preference.

 

[kwhit]

I would be careful with some of the Protein levels TOTW has for a puppy.

As long as the protein source is derived from meat, it's fine. If it was a grain inclusive food with those protien levels, that's when you could/would run into trouble.

You also have to be especially conscious of the phos/calc levels when feeding puppies. TOTW is well within the correct ratio.

 

[golden_eclipse]

The reason I was told a higher protein level for puppies isn't ideal especially for large breeds, is growing too fast. Its also individual, as to which dog reacts best to which food. Its a good idea to try it out for at least 2-3 months before giving up, as it takes a while for change to occur over diet.

For me personally, Iams was apparently tested on dogs, but I know the quality of the ingredients were very poor compared to TOTW. So I'd much rather go with a food that has higher quality ingredients (and TOTW is the best food for the money, there really is no grain free, high quality brand within that price). I even tasted the kibble myself, and it really isn't bad, actually its better than most of the food found on my college campus.

(But I agree about dog food being like politics, there absolutely is not a black and white answer, you have to make a judgement for yourself and dog for what is best.)

 

[golden_eclipse]

Now I'm confused. Honey's coat got brittle and sparse so we switched to ProPlan which caused her to itch non-stop. We chose TOTW because it is grain free. Should she be getting higher protien (Bison) or lower (Pacific)? She's doing great on TOTW but we want to choose the best option for her at 15 mos old.

At 15 months I wouldn't worry about protein levels being too high, since most of her growing is done. I was referring to puppies between 5weeks-8months. We have a puppy right now that is just 4 weeks, and we are about to start weaning her, we are going to start her on the Pacific. But I prefer the Bison for my older dogs. (It really depends on their activity level, if she is really active the higher protein could be really good, if she isn't, it could be too rich.) Although some people switch formulas from time to time and have no problems.
(Also the grains most certainly could have been causing the brittle coat)

 

[kwhit]

The reason I was told a higher protein level for puppies isn't ideal especially for large breeds, is growing too fast.

That's for grain inclusive. I had Great Danes for over 25 years before I had my Goldens, so I'm very aware of keeping growth slow, which is especially crucial for giants. Many, many Dane puppies on my other board are being raised on TOTW and they're doing very well, no growth issues at all. A lot have been raised on Orijen as well, with no issues.

And yes, it does depend on the individual dog which will work best, but as a general rule, as long as the calc/phos levels are correct and the protein source is from meat, higher protein levels are fine. But a high level of protien in a grain inclusive food is not acceptable.

 

[Willow52]

When we bought our westie the breeder was on Orijen, she called us up that Orijen had too much protein in it and she was getting calls that the dogs fur was turning pink (like when they lick their paws and such) so we were told to switch to TOTW as it doesn't have as high protein. She has been doing amazing on it.
We have our Golden puppy on Wellness but we are thinking of switching over to Innova as you get 3 more lbs for 7$ less and it is the same quality food, so I have been told. Does anyone have any thoughts on Innova?
I have been told you can tell the quality of the food by how compact or chalky it is and the wellness seems very chalky, maybe it is just this bag?
I would switch to TOTW but I get a discount at petsmart and unfortunately they don't carry it.

Hank's been on Innova since we brought him home and he's done very well on it. I like the ingredients. The price has gotten a little high though but I don't want to switch. I used to get it for under $50. (33 lb. bag) and it's now over $60.