Feeding question…I’m confused….. ingredients to 2 foods listed…?
Ok now I started feeding my dogs Blue Buffalo dog food and then today I realized that there is a "wilderness" one also. Now the protein content is A LOT higher in the wilderness one and some of the ingredients are different. I do not know which would be better for my 3 dogs. They go on walks 3-4 days a week and play outside but that is about all their "activity". So what do u guys think. Thanks
BLUE BUFFALO WILDERNESS
Ideal for dogs with high activity levels, Wilderness provides the optimal balance of protein, fats and healthy complex carbohydrates. Made with high quality ingredients such as deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal and fish meal to supply the protein needed for your dog’s active lifestyle. Sweet potatoes, oatmeal and potatoes provide healthy complex carbohydrates for lasting endurance. Wilderness is a sensible alternative to raw diets.
Ingredients:
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Potato Starch, Turkey Meal, Whitefish Meal, Salmon Meal, Tomato Pomace (natural source of Lycopene), Chicken Fat (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Oatmeal, Natural Chicken Flavor, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Cranberries, Flaxseed (natural source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Alfalfa Meal, Kelp Meal, Taurine, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Yucca Shidigera Extract, Green Tea Extract, Turmeric, Herring Oil (natural source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Fructooligosaccharides, Monooligosaccharides, Dried Chicory Root, Black Malted Barley, Oil of Rosemary, Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin C, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Zinc), Iron Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Iron), Copper Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Copper), Manganese Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Manganese), Potassium Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Potassium), Cobalt Proteinate (source of Chelated Cobalt), Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Salt, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bifidobacterium thermophilum, Bifidobacterium longum, Enterococcus faecium.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min) 42.0%
Crude Fat (min) 16.0%
Crude Fiber (max) 3.0%
Moisture (max) 10.0%
Calcium (min) 1.0%
Phosphorus (min) 0.9%
L-Carnitine* (min) 100 mg/kg
Omega 3 Fatty Acids* (min) 0.25%
Omega 6 Fatty Acids* (min) 3.50%
Beta-Carotene* (min) 5.0 mg/kg
Glucosamine* (max) 400 mg/kg
AND REGULAR BLUE BUFFALO
Chicken & Brown Rice
Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Whole Ground Barley, Rye, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Citric Acid and Rosemary), Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Ground Flax Seed, Alfalfa, Herring Oil, Sea Salt, Barley Grass, Sunflower Oil (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Calcium Phosphate, Dried Kelp, Whole Garlic Cloves, Lecithin, Parsley, Glucosamine, Spirulina, Yucca Schidigera, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bacillus Subtilis, Bifidobacterium Thermophilum, Bifidobacterium Longum, Enterococcus Faecium, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Zinc), Choline Chloride, Iron Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Iron), Turmeric, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Manganese), Natural Color, Beta Carotene, Copper Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Copper), Potassium Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Potassium), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin, Calcium Pentothenate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Potassium Iodide, Biotin, Cobalt Proteinate (source of Chelated Cobalt), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite (source of Vitamin K activity), Sodium Selenite.
Guaranteed Analysis: Crude protein (min) 25.0%, crude fat (min) 14.0%, crude fiber (max) 4.0%, moisture (max) 10.0%, calcium (min) 1.0%, phosphorus (min) 0.9%, l-carnitine* (min) 100 mg/kg, omega 3 fatty acids* (min) 0.25%, omega 6 fatty acids* (min) 3.50%, beta carotene* (min) 5.0 mg/kg, glucosamine* (max) 400 mg/kg.
Thanks guys I just know the wilderness scored higher on some thing I saw so I looked into it…that was a 6 star and the regular is a 4 star (whichever web site I looked at) but the protein seemed very high to me…thanks guys.
Unless your dogs are truly "working dogs", used for herding, sled dogs, you should feed the one with lower protein. Even active dogs would have a hard time metabloizing that much protein and the calories would turn to fat on the dogs. My vet told me the way to fatten up the dog I’m fostering was to give her a high protein feed or add protein from other sources, like eggs, cheese, meat, etc.
They are both awesome whole grain (contain barley, rice or oat) foods – the higher protein food would be better for a dog with a much higher activity level or a higher metabolism. We have mostly northern breed mixes – malamutes, huskies – and they have high energy and are very active. They require the higher protein. But they also require being active enough to burn it off.
We also have a GSD that cannot handle the "richness" of the high protein and it causes loose stools on him. He gets high quality food, just lower protein levels.
It all depends on your dog. My honest opinion, if your dog is doing that well on the quality food he’s already on, don’t change it. Following the train of thought, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Also – adding the extra protein without adding extra activities could cause your dog to add weight very quickly. If your dog is under weight, then I guess that’s not too bad. But a healthy dog could become obese and unhealthy very quickly if fed a kibble too high in protein for it’s activity level.
Blessings
As more people understand the importance of nutrition to their own health, they’re starting to consider what’s in their dog’s food bowl as well. Food manufacturers are only too happy to oblige, and the latest products are likely to be labeled natural or organic, and include ingredients said to promote health, such as blueberries and salmon oil. That said, it can still be a challenge to sort out high-quality chow from the canine equivalent of junk food.
check out this link to get some guidelines on what to feed your dog:
http://dogtime.com/food-nutrition.html
Normal pet dogs do NOT need that much protein. Stick with the other one, even though it has a lot of grain in it.
If your dogs are really active, use Wilderness. I’d be feeding Blue Buffalo if I could find it, too.