dog food and a thin dog

Their stomachs most likely got used to the much larger volume of the other food.  Maybe try to do 1/2 and 1/2 of the new and the old slowly decreasing the volume of food given to the dogs.  It may allow their stomachs to shrink a bit, thus not making them always feel hungry even though they may be getting the nutrition they need. 

The extra food thought isnt a bad thing in the fall/early winter IMHO.  Especially for those dogs that are hunters and more active this time of the year.

Over the past 9 years we have fed many brands of dog food.  We have found what we think is the best product on the market to feed our Spaniels.  Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete and Diamond Naturals Puppy food.  First I want to make it clear that we are not compensated for this endorsement and no claims, comparisons or statements made here are being made by Diamond or Iams.  We honestly believe that Diamond has the best product on the market today and we think you will agree when all the cards have been put on the table.

 First and foremost is the subject of fillers in dog food.  Fillers add little nutritional value and are mainly used to add mass to the dog food cheaply (corn, soy, wheat or by-products).  This means that in some cases as much as 40 - 50% of your dog food cannot be digested by your dog and thusly it is passed through as waste.  You paid for it, your dog ate it and much of it did nothing for your dog except keep him regular, that's all.  A number of people that feed dog food with huge amounts of fillers seem to notice that their dogs are always hungry...  why is this?  Well, adjust your diet so that nearly half of what you eat is of little nutritional or caloric value. Don't change the amount you consume to compensate for that fact.  You are going to be hungry most of the time as well since you didn't get enough what you needed in the first place.  Pet owners then compensate by puttng more product in the bowl...  money out the door.   

Diamond Naturals HAS NO FILLERS!  That's correct, no fillers of any kind. 

Secondly is the matter of vitamin and mineral supplements.  I know a good many owners and breeders alike that supplement their pet's diet with vitamins and mineral tablets.  I was guilty of this as well.  It pretty much means that after  you have paid for the dog food you need to go and spend, in some cases, nearly as much or more on the supplements that you add for the benefit of your dog.  Why is this?  Well, my guess is that many pet owners worry that their pet isn't getting what it needs out of the dog food that they feed.

Diamond Naturals IS NUTRITIONALLY COMPLETE!  Omega-3 & Omega-6 fatty acids, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Vitamin E & Selenium are in this product already.  For me this means that the very same supplements that I take a pile of every morning (for my health) are included in the food that I feed my dogs.  What's more these vitamins and minerals are chelated to insure that your pet will easily be able to digest them.  These things can't help you if you can't break down internally what the vitamin or mineral is actually contained in.  Goes in one end, comes out the other.

Now comes the best part...  Diamond is UNBELIEVABLY affordable.  I pay about $29.00 for a 40lb. bag (Diamond Extreme Athlete) and the protein/fat content is 32/25.  The colorie count in one cup of this food is 470 calories per 8 oz. cup.  Now, go and grab your current bag of dog food and see what the calorie count is.  My guess is that your food will be about 100 calories, or more, less than the Diamond Extreme Athlete.  What does that mean to you?  The higher the calorie count in the food, the less you have to feed daily. So, you are probably paying a little less, maybe the same or even a little more for what you feed but you have to feed a good bit more to get the same calorie count as Diamond.  Just over 2 oz. at every feeding to be exact (if your food is 370/cup).  

This is hypothetical and it is based on your dog food having 426 calories/cup.

            YOU  (just an example)            ME

            Iams Pro Active Health             Diamond Naturals

            587.5 calories/per day             587.5 calories per day

            11 Oz. per day                       10 oz. per day

            12.5 bags per year                  11.4 bags per year

            Cost per bag $36.88                Cost per bag $29.32             (price at Wal-Mart)                 (price at Tractor Supply)    

            $461.00 per year                     $334.25 per year

            Fillers - yes                            Fillers - no             #2 Corn Meal                                              #3 Ground Sorgum             

            Supplements - Chelated - NO    Supplements - Chelated - YES              Omega 3                                Omega 3                                        Omega 6                                Omega 6                  Vitamin E                                Vitamin E                                                                  Glucosamine                                                                             Chondroitin                                                                Selenium                                        

The above comparison only shows that you pay more per year ($126.75) for a lesser product (marketed as premium).  About half of the Iams is filler and so you will have more waste in the yard or kennel and you are paying more for that waste with lessor overall supplement values and or calories.  Give it a try and see for yourselves.  A pup from us comes with 6 ounces of Diamond Naturals Puppy Small Breed for you to try at home.  If you don't wish to feed what we recommend then at the very least it will help make the transition over to whatever you feed a little easier on the pup.

Sounds like a good deal!

gonefshn Said:
I've never rationed my dogs food.  They always have had more food than they eat and I've never had a problem with them eating too much.  They eat a little more in the fall and winter and less in the summer.  But I've always let them eat as much as they want and have never had a problem with them getting over weight or under weight.

catmechanic Said:

gonefshn Said:
I've never rationed my dogs food.  They always have had more food than they eat and I've never had a problem with them eating too much.  They eat a little more in the fall and winter and less in the summer.  But I've always let them eat as much as they want and have never had a problem with them getting over weight or under weight.

thats how it used to be. i would fill the bowl to the top. some days it would be gone right away. other times, it would sit that way for 2 days or until it got soggy. not with this stuff. don't know what it is. i even tried filling the bowl the other day and they wolfed it all down.