I check out dogfoodanalysis.com for different reviews on foods. It breaks the foods down into catagories. I'm not affiliated with the site just something I found when checking out foods.
If you can afford it, the best thing to feed your dog/cat is homemade food. We sometimes buy "cheaper" hamburger, then make some rice and mix the hamburger with the rice for them. Raw chicken works too. It's healthy and doesn't have all the CORN. Corn is what's bad, just a filler.
. Iams and Eukanuba are a couple of the worst you can buy. They used to be good back in the day, but we started seeing more and more food allergies and poor nutrition.
.
Granted Purina bought at least Iams out recently so I agree with you there, but those two company (before the buy out, not sure now) are the ones that provide grants for police dogs. Before they actually weren't too bad, if you tested some of the different dry foods and broke them down in comparison to others, they were actually good. So while not the best food, even before, there are other brands far worse that don't do that.
The buyout was quite a while ago when I was just getting in the game, helicase50. Purina still grants money and supplies Jack in the Box. I'm sure they still have good foods, just in certain packaging. It wouldn't be feasable to make every single brand under your name the flagship, now would it?
Here's a scare for you corn feeders, and peanut butter/nut/seed eaters: aflatoxin.
I've always fed my dogs Purina products. We've fed our boys (Twin Miniature Pinschers) puppy chow when they were babies and now Beneful Healthy Weight. I have never had an issue. No problems at the vet. They seem pretty damn happy to me.
This is a picky breed I have and I've fought with feeding these dogs for over 25 years. I finally started home cooking for our current two after deciding as they were pups about 3 years ago, I didn't want to continue this fight and I got tired of throwing out food they would not eat. I tried every type of canned and dry food to no avail so I decided to make their food. They get no grains at all, it's all meat, fish or poultry. I buy all the meat at Costco. There are two basic diets. First one is a burger patty crumbled, mixed with a slice of roast beef cut into small pieces, an egg along with a dollop of cottage cheese or a slice of cheddar cheese broken up and mixed in. A little low sodium beef broth is added as well.
Diet two is 3 chicken thighs, skin attached shredded off the bone, one thick slice of roast beef cut into small pieces mixed with a little low sodium chicken broth and a topping of half a can of sardines packed in oil.
Each dog gets this diet on alternating days.
Leftover pork roast, turkey, scrambled eggs or ham mixed in as I have it to vary them a little.
It's not inexpensive. Each week at Costco I must buy a whole eye of round roast, 1 package of lean ground beef and 1 package of chicken thighs just for the dogs, but at least they lick their bowls clean every night and I know what they're eating.
As a vet tech you should not be feeding your dogs BEEF. They don't normally eat beef. Chicken, Lamb, pork, fish are all ok to feed.
Who ever told you all bagged food is crap was smoking crack. You just have to read the labels and get the good food.
Ol'Roy is the worst crap out there fat and corn is all it is.
We feed a mix of wellness and Evo dry food with wet food treats once a week. My dog also gets to eat popcorn with mom or dad have it.
Wellness is a grain free food. It is all meat and meat byproducts. Evo is the same way.
Remember that when dogs are wild they eat the organs first. That is what helps them get a balanced diet in the wild. If they eat the stomach of a lamb or goat they are getting greens ect..... it is already digested so it is easier for them to finish.
My dog is overweight and that is totally my fault Dogs shouldn't eat pizza and french fries with dad at dinner. But she is not going to die tomorrow from it. I have a cat that goes nuts for spaghetti and meat sauce.
If you can go to a local feed store not petsmart. petsmart sells what is going to sell the most. Your feed store is going to sell what is good for them.
Also for treats try baby carrots and apple slices. My dog loves get this Brussel Sprouts.
If your dog is fat your not getting enough exercise.....
Also for low cal treats Make them at home. My dog loves Peanut butter so we make her special peanut butter treats from time to time.