Does generic pet food really matter?

Discussion in Pets started by joyful728 • Oct 29, 2014.

  1. joyful728

    joyful728Active Member

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    What are you thoughts of giving a pet generic food vs. store brand food?

    This is referring to canned/wet food, such as "Ol Roy" at Wal-Mart- the off brand dog food.

    Do you think that pets are more likely to have health problems if they don't eat the store brand stuff?

    Do you give your dogs generic or name brand?
     
  2. sthrngypsy

    sthrngypsyActive Member

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    Yes, it matters quite a bit. Ol Roy is crap food, it really really is. It is full of corn, filler, and other junk. It is like feeding your kids candy and potato chips instead of meat and vegetables. That's not to say if it is all you can afford you should not feed it. My poor cats are eating Nine Lives right now because I just could not afford better today. You will hear a lot of stories about how dogs eat Ol Roy and are "Just fine" - well they are "just fine" until they aren't.

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    Dog Food Advisor has a lot of information about the best dog foods. It has almost every brand rated with explanations. If I could afford it ideally I would feed raw.
     
  3. Rhoda D'ettore

    Rhoda D'ettoreMember

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    I am here to tell you that many of the "brands" are crap as well. If you go to pet smart, they separate their food according to quality. For example, I had a dog I used to give Kibbles n Bits. I was new to pet ownership, and did not know. The dog wound up with a blockage which caused pancreatitis and a gall bladder problem. I paid over $5,000 US for that. The University of Penn (one of the best in the country) told me it was the food. They recommended Purina One Lamb & Rice. When dogs get stomach problems the best thing to give them is rice and chicken. Cats and dogs have different needs when it comes to protein, fats, and carbs which is what differentiates their food contents. My cat gets Purina One chicken or salmon. He is happy, and I know he is getting what he needs.

    I would NEVER give any animal a generic food.
     
  4. troutski

    troutskiWell-Known Member

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    90% of all pet foods are crap for pets, even the brands that supposedly contain better ingredients. All you can trust is the actual ingredient label and not the claims made elsewhere on the package. Otherwise, chances are good that you'll be misled into giving your pet foods that aren't good for him or her, and that can lead to plenty of problems down the road.
     
  5. pennylane

    pennylaneActive Member

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    Yes I agree with troutski. Read the ingredient labels on your dog food carefully. Many brands have lots of filler ingredients, regardless if they're name brand or generic. If you can afford it I would get a high quality brand. Your pet's health will benefit in the long run and it could save you thousands on vet bills.
     
  6. NikkiDesrosiers

    NikkiDesrosiersActive Member

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    Yes and No. There are some generic brands that are not worth their weight. They are made with low quality products and are definitely not great options for your pets, especially if they have special needs. There are some on the other hand that are comparable to mainstream brands you just have to do your homework and figure out which ones have similar ingredients. Sometimes though it is better to stick to major brands even if you are looking to save money because only bigger brands offer coupons for their products. Try to pair the coupons with a store sale and then stock up on the products that you need.
     
  7. xTinx

    xTinxWell-Known Member

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    It doesn't really matter whether you give your pets generic pet food or store-brand pet food. I don't see much difference between the two except for their brand names and who manufactures them. From what I know, both pet foods were assembled based on daily required nutrients. Cat food has more protein while dog food is rich in carbohydrates. Other than that, I see no fuss.
     
  8. chiofthenorns

    chiofthenornsActive Member

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    Some cheap pet food brands are reallly bad. They are full of fillers and salt. They will damage your pets' kidneys. I actually prefer making my pets' food. I am sure that they are eating healthy. :)
     
  9. DancingLady

    DancingLadyActive Member

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    I don't know, my family gave our cat Purina Cat Chow for years and she seemed to be pretty healthy. She was also a pretty good mouser and she ate them, so she was getting some pretty good nutrition there. I would check the labels to see what they are putting in there. Like any kind of food, if there are tons of ingredients that don't look like food or you can't even pronounce them, it's probably not going to be good for your pet.
     
  10. isabbbela

    isabbbelaWell-Known Member

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    I wouldn't feed my dog generic dog food or even store brand dog food. Those usually lack the nutrients your dog needs to be healthy, have good disposition and energy and not shed fur. Dogs need a good amount of protein, and those are not usually available to the level that they need on generic and low end dog food. Also, the protein that are in those is usually not the best quality. I don't mind spending a little bit more on dog food for my dog because I know he is getting the nutrients he needs to live healthily. Who knows, maybe you save money on dog food but end up having to pay high veterinarian bills later on...
     
  11. JosieP

    JosiePWell-Known Member

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    It's very hard to feed a pet properly without going the extra mile and feeding them homemade. I'm finding that even the healthiest foods are absolutely stuffed with unnecessary foods and even foods they, as a species, have a hard time digesting. I especially like the trick of putting either way you're likely choosing between grain heavy products full of silly additives to make it look healthy.
     
  12. Theo

    TheoWell-Known Member

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    It depends on what the pet is used to. I used to live with some spoiled dogs and when I gave them generic dog food that the owner had left me they wouldn't eat it. I left it put and told them that's all they were getting and they wouldn't eat it. They ended up eating the cat's tuna! Other pets may not be so fussy, but if you look at the ingredients you can see why some pets prefer certain brands.
     
  13. Happyflowerlady

    HappyflowerladyWell-Known Member

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    I think that there is a limit either way. The cheap generic brands of dog food do have a lot of corn and other cheap fillers that are not good for your dog . Chicken by'products can have feet and feathers in it, and I don't even want to imagine what by-products are in the beef or mixed ones.
    On the other end of the spectrum, who needs to feed their dog duck, smoked salmon, or wild boar ? ? Why pay a huge amount of money for so-called "gourmet food" when plain old chicken is as healthy as willd fowl or duck, and tuna or whitefish will do as well, or better than smoked salmon for your dog.
    I really like Diamond Naturals Dog Food. It is not high end; but not the cheap stuff either. It is corn-free, has chicken or lamb and brown rice, beet pulp, and many good vitamins added to it. I get the ones for small breed dogs since Chipper is only 6 lbs, and can't chew the large cubes.
    I also get the purina "moist and meaty", that looks like ground hamburger, and comes in little bags. I would not want to try and feed that to a large dog;; but for my little Chipper, it is perfect. He gets about a half of a bag when he goes to bed at night, and looks forward to having that each night.