We feed Chase ( 21 mos ) a combination of raw diet(meat & rawbones) and Red Barn. Chevy (4 mos) a combination of dry Nutro Natural Choice puppy with Red Barn. We will eventually move Chevy to raw diet and all Red Barn.
Red Barn Distributor
http://rbdistributors-store.stores.yahoo.net/
A great resource for learning about all aspects of feeding:
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/ It's so worth the $20 yearly subscription.
Also a great independent site that helps answer many food questions:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=main
We feed Chase ( 21 mos ) a combination of raw diet(meat & rawbones) and Red Barn. Chevy (4 mos) a combination of dry Nutro Natural Choice puppy with Red Barn. We will eventually move Chevy to raw diet and all Red Barn.
Red Barn Distributor
http://rbdistributors-store.stores.yahoo.net/
I should also note that the main page of the Red Barn is www.fedies.com and it has a link to the specific ingredients.
… Also watch for the word 'taurine' on dog food additions. You don't want this...
Although I generally feed raw, I do on occasion, for convenience's sake, feed a kibble with taurine in it. Why do I not want taurine for my boy? From the dogsaware link you referenced:
"Things I look for in a commercial food:…Added taurine...Some dog food companies have begun adding taurine to their foods, and this is probably a good idea..."
From what I can find, taurine is a dietary essential nutrient for eye health.
Thanks for any light you can shed. I am always on the lookout for what's best to feed my boy!
An ingredient of rice bran, found mostly in a diet high in lamb and rice, can deter synthenization of the taurine. So if you feed this type of food, it's kind of pointless to add the taurine. Dogs lacking taurine are also susceptible to a form of heart enlargement called dilated cardiomyopathy or DCM. So dogs do need taurine, but in what form is all I'm saying. The deficiency of taurine is found mainly in dry dog food. Wet or Canned dog food does not seem to have as high a deficiency as dry. So if you feed a combination ask your vet how much taurine your dog should be ingesting. I'm unsure if too much is a good or bad thing. If you would like a little bit of info on Nutrient requirements and mineral requirements I will start a new thread. But remember, Basenji's are a law unto themselves and may have singular requirements.
My understanding is that added taurine is essential for cats, as they are obligate carnivores, and can't get enough red meat in processed food to meet their requirements. However dogs are more omnivorous, and don't require the high levels of taurine for eye health….though I would imagine they need some.
Hmmm. I wonder. Guess I'll have to do more research on taurine being that, although I respect others' beliefs, I am of the opinion that dogs are carnivores (I know, contrary to popular belief), especially our dogs, who are so close in the evolutionary tree to wolves.
It sounds like, though, nomrbddgs, that it probably won't cause harm, but that it may be ineffective if added to kibble?
Well, I agree that dogs and wolves are mainly carnivores…but cats are 'obligate' carnivores, which means they must have meat to survive. Most canids can and will eat other things, like berries, roots, eggs, if they must.
Thank you all for the response! Bella is not adjusting well to the Blue Buffalo food, she has runny stools now and tummyache. I had to break over and get more Nutro dry until I figure out what to do next. That list of top ten looks to be a good rescource. My delima is availability, I live close to a Petsmart and then a little further from a Pet Supplies Plus. That's about it, other than the grocery stores which sell brands I don't much like the ingredients of… I certainly hope to find a quality food which is reasonably priced that my Bella can tolerate, and soon! Keep the suggestions coming!!!
I don't think I am ready for the Raw diet yet. I might start to cook a little for her, though…
If you do change her food please do so over the course of at LEASTone-two weeks, although 3-4 is better. If you change from one food to another immediately (finish one bag go to the next) she will most likely have an upset stomach, runny stools, stinky backend. The usual formula for changing food that I use is wk #1- 75% old food/25 % new food. Wk #2 50/50. Wk #3 25/50 and full new food Wk #4.
As to the Taurine in kibble, if they do add it I'm just wondering if you'll have to float the food to release it. Taurine seems to be present in the wet form, but not in kibble so what is making it dissappear in dry food? The Baking process? May be not enough protein?
What puzzles me is dogs need 10 essential amino acids and they're (the powers that be) are just figuring out now that it's missing from dry kibble? What took them so long to figure this one out? Or, are they just playing on another aspect of additions that don't need to be done??. There are studies out there that show dogs can tell if there is one of the amino acids missing in their food. They will consistently avoid that meal. (Dogs are smarter than we give them credit for) So, if this is the case, apparently the taurine is not missing as much as they think!
Sorry to ramble-I have a lot of questions but no answers when it comes to nutrition for my dogs! And again-don't discount the need dogs have for fruits and veggies. See if you're dog will eat veggies. Not only does this provide nutrition they need, it fills them up without added calories, and I've found giving them pieces of fruit and veggies during the day helps relieve the B's throwups sessions! (something in the tummy gives the bile something other than the lining to work on)
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Why would you do this? I can't find any research that indicates Taurine will hurt dogs...they just don't NEED it like cats do. Or at least not in the amounts that cats do.
Thank you all for the response! Bella is not adjusting well to the Blue Buffalo food, she has runny stools now and tummyache. I had to break over and get more Nutro dry until I figure out what to do next. That list of top ten looks to be a good rescource. My delima is availability, I live close to a Petsmart and then a little further from a Pet Supplies Plus. That's about it, other than the grocery stores which sell brands I don't much like the ingredients of… I certainly hope to find a quality food which is reasonably priced that my Bella can tolerate, and soon! Keep the suggestions coming!!!
The Blue Buffalo food might never agree with Bella. Personally, I would try not to freak yourself out over food TOO much. Some people like to feed as natural a diet as possible to their dogs…some people like to feed something as cheap as possible to their dogs. In both instances, and everywhere in between, dogs die young, and dogs die very elderly, dogs get cancer, dogs get kidney failure. I doubt there is much argument that feeding a food with less preservatives, and more meat is healthier, but you CAN find foods like that at PetSmart.
If you just look at the list of ingredients you can find something you and Bella are happy with. Just remember, more meat than grain; try to stay away from corn and soy. And also check how long the shelf life is for the food...the shorter, the better.
All that being said, it does take a few weeks sometimes for a food to settle with a dog...if you really like the Blue Buffalo, stick with it for a while...and make sure you aren't overfeeding her on it.
Good luck! I hope you find something you are happy with 
…What puzzles me is dogs need 10 essential amino acids...
Wikipedia contends that taurine, although often called an amino acid, is not, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurine
…And again-don't discount the need dogs have for fruits and veggies. See if you're dog will eat veggies. Not only does this provide nutrition they need, it fills them up without added calories, and I've found giving them pieces of fruit and veggies during the day helps relieve the B's throwups sessions! (something in the tummy gives the bile something other than the lining to work on)...
I personally don't believe dogs need fruits, veggies or grains. I believe they may eat them opportunistically but wouldn't eat them on a regular basis if meat was available. No disrespect intended, JMHO. I occasionally offer my dog veggies (I haven't found one yet that he'll eat) and fruit (he'll offer a perfunctory lick at a piece of apple or orange, but won't eat it) as rewards or treats, but do not use them as a staple of his diet.
I suppose it depends on the dog. Mine love veggies. A favorite treat in the summer is frozen veggies. They also love to share baby carrots and apples with me. They also really like watermelon. Refrigerated carrots are very soothing for sore gums of teething puppies but Rally will steal them if I don't make sure she has some of her own.
I didn't say taurine will hurt dogs, I simply stated that basically how much is too much? I will try to stay out of the conversations from now on.
I didn't say taurine will hurt dogs, I simply stated that basically how much is too much? I will try to stay out of the conversations from now on.
I don't think you should do that. I didn't mean to offend you, I just didn't know why you would try to remove the taurine.
Okay, okay, the taurine issue is interesting, really… But not the only thing to consider here. Let's play nice, LOL!!! Just kidding...:D 
I am finding the veggie debate quite intriguing, also! I should try to incorporate them into her diet, not that they are crucial. I think it would be nice for her to have variety. I do know she hates raw carrots!!! :rolleyes: However, Bella does like cooked peas and carrots, even potatoes. That's about all we have tried. Maybe I could fix boiled chicken (boneless & skinless) shredded and add cooked carrots, Peas and potatoes and mix this in her evening feeding? 
personally don't believe dogs need fruits, veggies or grains. I believe they >>may eat them opportunistically but wouldn't eat them on a regular basis if >>meat was available
When Jazzy was a puppy she wouldn't eat veggies, but then she started "asking" for them when I cooked 'em. She loves steamed brocolli and will sit by the counter when it's cooking. She also likes cooked green beans. And she likes cooked carrots, but not as well.
BOTH my dogs {1 B, one mutt} will pick the raw green beans, snow peas, and blueberries out of my garden. And that's with no lack of meat available!
It's hilarious to watch the two of them gently working over the blueberry bushes! They daintily pick each berry and eat it if it's ripe, or drop it it's too green.
I'm not saying dogs won't eat veggies and fruits (although mine won't), I'm just saying, in my personal opinion, they don't need them.
