Why We Don't Buy Vet Brand Dog Food

In one of my other blogs I mention a few of the better higher premium dry kibble dog foods that we like best. These brands contain no grain, no wheat, no gluten and no meat by products. The brands we put at the top of our list in regards to dry kibble dog food is Orijen, Acana, GO, and NOW. All of these brands have a higher quality of ingrediants, and are Grain Free, Gluten Free, No Meat By products.

We went through a lot of growing pains with our one German Shepherds who has a very sensitive stomach and is allergic to wheat and gluten. It took us a long time to find a diet that fits our dog's nutritional needs, as well as satisfies his taste's buds and is easy on his stomach.

We have two German Shepherds, and feeding them something they enjoy as well as providing them with a full nutritional diet is very important to us. We alternate our days in feeding our dog's. Every other day our dogs will eat their dry kibble which we buy the GO FIT Puppy large breed NO Grain, No Meat By products, and on the opposite day our dog's eat home cooked meals from recipe's we've made up.

A few of the times that we have taken our dog's in to the Vet to get their weight documented, shot's, and their health check ups we get the pressure of add on sales. Each time we have brought our dog's to the vet they find a way to push their Dog Food product on us. The thing is, this really annoys me, not only do I feel that I am being pushed to buy their only endorsed brand of dog food, I know from my own research and due diligence that their kibble dog food is over priced, and contains meat by products and tons of fillers and preservatives. Let's compare the Ingredients and Price of Dog Food. I mentioned that one of the brands that we prefer for our dog's is GO Fit Grain Free. Here is the list of ingredients in order of content.

GO! FIT + FREE™ Grain Free Puppy Recipe ($60 CDN) Chicken meal, turkey meal, salmon meal, de-boned chicken, de-boned turkey, de-boned trout, potatoes, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), peas, tapioca, lentil beans, chickpeas, natural chicken flavour, whole dried egg, apples, duck meal, herring meal, flaxseed, salmon oil, alfalfa, de-boned duck, de-boned salmon, sweet potatoes, canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), coconut oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), potassium chloride, pumpkin, carrots, bananas, blueberries, cranberries, broccoli, spinach, alfalfa sprouts, blackberries, squash, papayas, pomegranate, dried chicory root, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Aspergillus niger fermentation product, dried Aspergillus oryzae fermentation product, vitamins (vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, inositol, niacin, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (a source of vitamin C), d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, beta-carotene, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), minerals (zinc proteinate , iron proteinate, copper proteinate, zinc oxide, manganese proteinate, copper sulphate, ferrous sulphate, calcium iodate, manganous oxide, selenium yeast), sodium chloride, taurine, yucca schidigera extract, dried rosemary, green tea extract, peppermint, parsley, rosehips, zedoary, dandelion, chamomile, ginger, fennel, tumeric, juniper berries, licorice, marigold extract, cardamom, cloves. Royal Canin Medi Cal Large Puppy Breed (90$ CDN)

Ingredients Chicken meal, corn, wheat gluten, wheat, brewers rice, pearl barley by-product,

brown rice, chicken fat, natural flavors, dried beet pulp, sodium silico aluminate, vegetable oil, fish oil, powdered cellulose, calcium carbonate, potassium phosphate, psyllium seed husk, salt, fructooligosaccharides, potassium chloride, hydrolyzed yeast, taurine, choline chloride, L-lysine, marigold extract (Tagetes erecta L.), vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), biotin, D-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin A acetate, niacin supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin supplement (vitamin B2), folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], glucosamine hydrochloride, L-carnitine, trace minerals (zinc oxide, zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), chondroitin sulfate, rosemary extract, preserved with natural mixed tocopherols and citric acid.

You don't have to be a Scientist, or Health Analyst to see that the Vet recommended brand is full of fillers and those fillers are high up on the content of ingredients! As you go through the list of ingredients in Medi Cal, you will only see dried beet pulp, but other than that no where down the list do you see real vegetables or real fruit? If you don't believe me, visit Royal Canin website directly and see for your self the content of ingredients. http://www.royalcanin.ca/index.php/Veterinary-Exclusive-Nutrition/Canine-Nutrition/Veterinary-Care-Nutrition/Development-Puppy-Large-Dog-Dry