MrsD Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 I would probably choose B, not because I have any problem with lamb meal or the amount of rice, but merely because it has higher protein & fat than A & my dogs tend to need high calorie diets. (although you wouldnt have known it a while back with Eb cos she was definitely porky ). 1.Would you feel that paying 4 times as much for one over the other is justified and if so which one. ? Not based on that brief analysis alone - no. 2.Would you choose to try the most expensive or the cheapest first ? Assuming everything else to be equal or close to it, I would probably try the cheapest first, but in general cost is no object, I am happy to pay for super-premium food if thats what my dog does best on. 3. Do you choose your dog food based on something else? I choose my dog food on what my dogs LIKE firstly (it can be the best food in the word, but if the dog doesnt like it or is picky about eating it, its a waste of time buying it IMO!), then on past performance & ingredients. Like KK always says the best food for your dog is the one they do best on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShesaLikeableBiBear Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 A few questions would need to be asked before deciding: You have stated that "Both have added vitamins and minerals which make them complete dog foods" Do added vitamins and minerals in fact make a food complete and balanced?. "and conform to AAFCO profiles." Are they both in fact AAFCO tested or are they just formulated to meet AAFCO requirements. There is a vast difference between "tested" and "formulated". If either of the two comes with AAFCO testing then this would be a factor in choice. What are the cereals used by product "B"? They are listed in product A, but not B I would want to know this first. I wouldnt be too concerned about the protein or fat content of "A" as opposed to B as have little doubt that this is only one of their products and that some of the others in fact have a higher %. We choose what we feed our dogs based on performance, which as you may know is the balance between taste vs palability vs usable nutrition vs excellent ingredients vs digestibility. Do either of these products meet this performance level?. We also feed based on the fact that the product we use comes with a specific skin and coat improvement guarantee. Do either of these two products carry that guarantee?. Once the above questions have been asked I would make a decision on either paying top $$$$, or less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOGWARTZBOXERS Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 I,d be going with A, hello, REAL kangaroo,REAL chicken,REAL beef, what other is there?sounds like we are trying to promote something REAL FAKE. and A would have to be 4 xs the price, not REAL happy feeding animal by-products. Shayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snarferama Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 1.Would you feel that paying 4 times as much for one over the other is justified and if so which one. ? I wouldn't buy either one, the first one has a good level of protein but the ingredients are pitiful :| why not just boil up some rice?! as for the second one, ingredients seem much better but the protein level is much higher than I would like. 2.Would you choose to try the most expensive or the cheapest first? All depends on the ingredients and protein levels. 3. Do you choose your dog food based on something else? I won't buy a dog food that has corn or a high amount of any other 'fillers' (just a waste of money!). Wouldn't buy anything with by-products either : and because I'm getting a giant breed (Mastiff) Protein and fat levels are really important so I'm going to stay away from anything with a protein level over 24% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiera Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 Neither ! I want to know and see exactly what I'm feeding my dog, hence my choice of feeding the raw diet - absolutely no hidden or cunningly worded ingredients here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel774 Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 I'd feed A - I would not be satisfied with a product that lists cereals as the number 1 ingrediant, no matter how much "real meat" is secondary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 I would not feel comfortable with feeding either of those foods. The first one has rice as it's main component - it is just like people food, where they list sucrose, fructose, glucose, corn syrup scattered amongst the ingredients to disguise the fact that there is heaps of sugar in the product. Having just tried Coprice Working Dog food as an emergency filler to make my good stuff last til the next delivery, I would never touch a heavily rice based product again And it's protein level is waay too low for my dogs, they simply could not eat enough of this food to meet their protein requirements. The second food is too vague in it's ingredients. Has it bumped up it's protein levels by including soy? Will not allow my dogs or kids to eat soy in any shape or form - too toxic, especially to the thyroid. I still prefer higher protein levels for my adult dogs anyway - they do best around the 30% mark. The meat v meal part is of concern too - just how much meat is there compared to cereal? I also look right down the ingredient list to the very last entry - does it have glucosamine? Probiotics? What type of oil? Herbs? etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted October 28, 2006 Author Share Posted October 28, 2006 Giving you extra information defeats the purpose of my question which was to try to decide whether it was possible for someone to be able to make a decision based on which food was a better quality by only going by the first 4 ingredients because of something I turned up re marketing . I gave you this particular set of ingredients so the choice between the two based on these 4 ingredients alone could be demonstrated . There was no need for rude PM's or for anyone to feel I was challenging them on what they feed or how they make their choices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MolassesLass Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 Firstly, dry food is only a supplement to the BARF mix I feed, but I think I'd go for Product A, but I don't choose by first 4 ingredients so it wasn't an easy choice to make. 1.Would you feel that paying 4 times as much for one over the other is justified and if so which one. ? With just the information given I wouldn't pay 4 times as much for one over the other. 2.Would you choose to try the most expensive or the cheapest first ? I would try them both for about a month and unless I saw results that justified the 4 times as much cost I would stick with the cheaper one. While I don't think cost should be the first deciding factor in anything for my dogs, I won't use something just because it's expensive. 3. Do you choose your dog food based on something else? There are some brands I have a personal dislike for, no good reason, I'd just avoid them. I prefer to buy Australian owned and made products for everything. I try to evaluate the ingredients as best I can as to the quality and correct amounts. Look for food without chemicals and other non-natural things in the ingredients. Then I'll check cost to feed (rather than just cost per bag), I have multiple and large dogs, no point in going broke trying to feed them if there is a cheaper, similar quality product IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesomil Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 I think the questions you are asking are great. It really made me think about foods and about the ingredient list and how i interpret them. Also very interesting to read other peoples thought. Sorry that there always seems to be peole who think it is all about them and get rude. Ignore them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsD Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 There was no need for rude PM's or for anyone to feel I was challenging them on what they feed or how they make their choices. God, that is sad . Like jesomil, I enjoy questions like this, makes for interesting reading & discussion, it was a hypothetical question fgs, based on what info was given, would you choose A or B. Cant believe people would get upset or actually send nasty PM's over it . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becks Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 I would go with A - main reason my breed can suffer with pancreatitus and it is suggested to keep them on a low fat diet, ideally below 12%. After that it is down to what the dogs like and do well on. Price isn't much of a concideration, I would be inclined to trial first whichever one I'd had a personal recommendation for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOGWARTZBOXERS Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 I keep coming back here to find out the G O steve, waiting,waiting waiting alla da day Con, the fruiterer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissMonaro Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Looking at that I'd go for A - due to the lesser protein in it....and less fat....and provided my dogs liked it and it worked for them. I have seen some dogs have reactions to the overpriced dog food - so money doesnt always buy quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clover Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 I'd bypass them both and go to the butcher to get my dog some real food! Same here.. still curious to know what the foods are though so will keep waiting . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
campbela Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 I would choose Product A, for the same reasons as I choose my own foods: 1) First ingredient is lamb. I love lamb, so should the puppydog. 2) It is specific in its list of ingredients, whereas for Product B you don't know what cereals and bran or where the vege protein comes from. Unless A is 4 times more expensivce than B or I have a high energy dog, in which case I would choose B or look for another product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petmezz Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Some recent studies suggest that most people only take special notice at point of sale of the first 4 ingredients . Just lets look at 2 products . One is about one quarter of the price of the other . Both produce the same amount of stools so the digestibility is equal.Both have added vitamins and minerals which make them complete dog foods and conform to AAFCO profiles. Neither have any chemical preservatives, added colourants, animal by-products or corn. 1.Would you feel that paying 4 times as much for one over the other is justified and if so which one. ? 2.Would you choose to try the most expensive or the cheapest first ? 3. Do you choose your dog food based on something else? Product A Ingredient 1 Lamb meal , Ingredient 2 ground rice, Ingredient 3 rice flour, Ingredient 4 rice bran Analysis Total protein 21 percent Toatal Fat 12 percent Total fibre 5 percent carbo hydrates approx 50 percent Product B Ingredient 1 Cereals and Bran , Ingredient 2 real kangaroo meat, real chicken meat ,real beef and or lamb meat Ingredient 3 real chicken meat Ingredient 4 vegetable protein. Analysis Total protein - 26 percent fat 13 percent Fibre 3 percent. carbo hydrates approx 50 percent i would most likly go with A, even though their is a lot of cerials and if they where all clased as rice then rice would be no 1 ingrediant, you still have the comfort of knowing that it is only rice and only lamb that are the sorces of proten. product B seems like a marketing campain, you don't know what type of cerials and bran are being used and potential causes of food alergies, the lack of desicif ingreediants maks me wonder what is actually in it and the quality of it. the added vegetable protein being so high in the list is also a worry for me, such protein usualy deplicks a cheep manufacturing process and porer quality diet for the dog, this proteen is usualy soya protein and with all the genetic experomentation on such product and knowing that products used for dog food are considered unsafe for human consumption i would stear clear of it. in saying all that i always read the entier ingreediant list and base my need on that and weather the dog would eat it of course. 1.Would you feel that paying 4 times as much for one over the other is justified and if so which one. ? that all depends on how my dog would go on them, if they where happy on the expencive one then yes i would justerfy it, if they where happy on the cheeper one then they would get that. 2.Would you choose to try the most expensive or the cheapest first ? depends on the rest of the ingrediances, but probably the cheeper one. 3. Do you choose your dog food based on something else? yes, reputation, reaserch, trialing a product for best performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 1.Would you feel that paying 4 times as much for one over the other is justified and if so which one. ? Based on the limited information you have supplied I would say at this point no, I wouldn't be prepared to pay 4 times as much for either becuase the information is too limiting. The technique that appears to have been used to list the ingredients could give the impression that product B is better quality as they have grouped the cereals whereas product A has listed them individually. If product A also has the same percentage of meat products as product B then I would put them close to equal each other in value as they both appear to have equal or close to equal nutritional values as listed. 2.Would you choose to try the most expensive or the cheapest first ? If they were comparable products I would opt for the cheaper version providing it was a brand I trusted. 3. Do you choose your dog food based on something else? Trust and knowledge of brand and referral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noisymina Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 I keep coming back here to find out the G O steve, waiting,waiting waiting alla da day Con, the fruiterer. Me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crysti_Lei Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 is there going to be some sort of conclusion to this, steve? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now