So Tayda the picky eater is at it again. I picked up a variety of canned foods to see if she woudl eat anything and today she gobbled down her food after I mixed in this wet food that I got at Petsmart. It's called Authority Lamb and rice forumula.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3262856#prodTab1
anyone heard of it? I couldn't find it on the dogfoodanalysis site. Which, maybe that in itself is a sign. But apparently it is made specially for Petsmart so maybe its an offshoot of a company we all know and love (fingers crossed). There are no byproducts or corn, but there is wheat gluten. I know its good to avoid wheat - but what about wheat gluten? Ingredients below.
Lamb & Rice: Lamb broth, lamb, chicken, lamb liver, food starch modified, wheat gluten, rice, egg product, dried beet pulp, natural flavor, guar gum, salt, calcium carbonate, sodium phosphate, potassium chloride, canola oil, choline chloride, vitamins (vitamin e supplement, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin c), niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, biotin, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, vitamin b12, d3 supplements, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid), minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper proteinate, manganous sulfate, potassium iodide, sodium selenite).
Crude protein (min) 8%, crude fat (min) 4.5%, crude fiber (max) 1%, moisture (max) 78%, ash (max) 2%, omega-6 fatty acids* (min) 0.75%, omega-3 fatty acids* (min) 0.075%.
I'm so happy she actually ate - but with my luck its probably some awful food. Like the equivalent of humans loving fast food. She needs to have "lower protein" so 8% is just fine.
Just thought I'd ask the experts -
While it might not be the best.. it is certainly not the worst…. Gluten is not the best... but again, you are mixing it... and the main thing is that she needs to eat... I would stick with what is working
I have seen Authority food in our Petsmart. The only thing that worries me is with what you posted is actually the wheat gluten. Wheat gluten is one of the products that was causing problems, being imported from China. Does it say anywhere on the label about where the ingredients originate?
That recall is over and everything, but I am always wary after something like that happens.
Otherwise I would say if it makes her eat heartily, let her have it. I'd have a hard time denying her much of anything….esp when her appetite isn't great and being worried about her holding her weight.
I'm a softy like that.
Yeah, Authority is the Petsmart brand, i.e. generic brand. Just like going to Walmart and buying Sam's Choice. It's not one I'd recommend, you might have an easier time comparing if you look at their dry foods compared to what you have fed. I haven't looked at it in ages but if I remember correctly it wasn't as bad as dog chow, but nothing near what I would want to feed either.
But considering what's Tayda's condition is, you need to feed what she'll eat. So if she likes it, have at it! 
I've heard of it but never used it nor looked at the ingreidents. Agree that wheat gluten is kinda ick; but what really caught me and made me go WTH was the one before it; ummm what is "food starch modified"????? and really not liking that it's technically the 4th ingredient (I'm not counting lamb broth since it's water really) so it makes up the big base of the product. And beet pulp is just another thing added in there as a filler, no nutritional value
Lamb & Rice: Lamb broth, lamb, chicken, lamb liver, food starch modified, wheat gluten, rice, egg product, dried beet pulp, natural flavor, guar gum, salt, calcium carbonate, sodium phosphate, potassium chloride, canola oil, choline chloride, vitamins (vitamin e supplement, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin c), niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, biotin, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, vitamin b12, d3 supplements, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid), minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper proteinate, manganous sulfate, potassium iodide, sodium selenite).
I am thinking of adding some wet food to jonny's dry food. What is a good brand that is fairly common/ easy to find in a petsmart or other store. I live in a very small town, 30 miles from a shopping variety, so I need to buy a stock up when I am there. Also, I probably need to find something he will like. He seems to be picky.
Here are some available at Petco
Halo - http://www.petco.com/product/104948/Halo-Spot-s-Stew-Beef-Recipe-Canned-Dog-Food.aspx
Natural Balance - http://www.petco.com/product/8989/Natural-Balance-Canned-Dog-Food.aspx
Wellness - http://www.petco.com/product/106440/Wellness-Canned-Dog-Food.aspx
Here are some available at Petsmart
By Nature Organics - http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2750271
Blue Buffalo Wilderness - http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3262851
Thank you. I plan on picking up a can of each and see which works.
Also, What brand of chew bones is ok? I know there are good ones and bad ones but I cannot remember which is which. Thanks again.
Also, What brand of chew bones is ok?
You could try Merrick natural bones. Otherwise just get some raw knuckle bones or the like from a local butcher/meat market.
strangely - I checked the label of the cans I have at home and there is no wheat gluten or "modified food starch" on the labels. The ingredient list I posted above was from the petsmart website…
The top ingredients off the can are: lamb broth, lamb, chicken, lamb liver, brewers rice gluten, egg product, rice flour, dried beet pulp, guar gum, canola oil, potassium chloride, carrageenan, salt, choline chloride, vitamins E, C, Niacin......
Well she only gets about 2 heaping tablespoons a day of the stuff mixed w/ her wellness senior/innova senior dry food. I've tried about 10 different kinds of wet food and this seems to be the only one she'll eat. Of course as I write this there's a bowl of food on the floor untouched. boooo.....
When my cat Spot got sick with Fatty Liver, he associated feeling ill with the food he was eating. When we were trying to get him to eat it was really hard because he would not touch anything with the same protein source he had been eating when he became ill. We ended up wandering by and Canine Caviar booth at a dog show and picking up a can of the Beaver canned food which was very high calorie and something he had never eaten which got him over the hump. Now that he is better he won't eat the same flavor or even the same brand more than about 3 days in a row. So when we get food for the month we get a couple of cans of everything, the cashiers think we are really nuts, but it is the one way we have found to keep his appetite up.
So maybe instead of buying the large cans of dog food might want to look for brands that have the small cans and buy a variety for her. Even the higher protein ones, which in wet food max out at about 10% and Wellness 95% Turkey is only 8%, shouldn't be a problem especially if they are in rotation with lower protein ones.
