The #1 Thing You Should Do If Your Dog Develops Cancer

Cancer........ the awful word that makes your heart sink to the bottom of your stomach when you hear this. Unfortunately, it's increasing at alarming rates and can strike any breed at any time; just like in humans. However, many breeds are more susceptible to certain types of cancers simply due to no fault of their own, thanks to genetics. This is why it's extremely important to start your dog on the healthiest diet as early as possible, especially when your loved furry companion is a target for cancer. 

Commonly, after being diagnosed, many are advised to turn to traditional medicines and procedures in hopes to reverse it but interestingly, many pet owners still stick to the same diet their dogs has been on before being diagnosed and solely depend on chemo and radiation treatments.  Sometimes these procedures work but then sometimes they don’t, but there is one thing that ALL HOLISTIC practitioners will agree upon that can alter the prognoses significantly which can be in you and your dog’s favor - change your dog's diet immediately!

What is known is that cancer cells multiple and thrive in acidic environments and that is mainly determined by what you have been feeding your dog. Many processed foods containing lots of carbohydrates, bad grains (corn, wheat, soy), sugars, artifical colors & flavors and chemical preservatives are contributing factors that will alter your dog's internal ph levels to become more acidic. However, there are some proteins, vegetables and fruits that are considered acidic as well. So, what you feed your dog daily and how much daily moisture they get in their diets, especially after being diagnosed, can greatly impact the outcome.

For dogs, a body ph level below 6.9 is considered acidic as 7 is considered neutral. So, when cancer has plagued your pet, your dog’ body ph levels are more acidic then.  But when ph levels rise above 7.4, cancer cells become dormant and when ph levels reach close or over 8.5, the cancer cells will perish. This then allows healthy cells to rebuild themselves naturally; making your dog's immune system much stronger.

So, what kinds of foods are considered more alkaline to alter the ph levels within your dog's body?

BEST PROTEINS: Chicken, Turkey, Lamb, Venison, Cold Water Fresh Ocean Fish

BEST OILS: Organic Flax, Coconut & Olive Oils

BEST RAW VEGETABLES: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Squash, Green Beans, Alfalfa, Garlic

BEST GRAINS: Pearl Millet, Chickpeas, Split Peas, Amaranth, Wild Rice, Quinoa

BEST FRUITS (with minimal servings): Papaya, Apples, Pears, Strawberries, Melons, Coconut, Watermelon, Mangoes

In addition, it is extremely important to feed your pet WHOLESOME foods that still have the natural moisture in tacked and not cooked at high temperatures as this will destroy a lot of the enzymes, vital vitamins and minerals.  

Give your pet more of a fighting chance against cancer.... know what your feeding and how to feed for a healthier pet for years to come. 

The Science Diet Scam, Just One of the Many...

When it comes to nutrition for pets; especially dogs since that is my specialty, most people will tell you that I take it very seriously. With all the years of being in the pet industry, I have discovered so much misleading information that it sickens me because MOST people rely on recommendations and "expert advice" from professionals, especially veterinarians. Now, before I go any further on this topic, I must say that I do have a high respect for all veterinarians when it comes to the diagnoses and treatment of certain diseases and disfunctions of animals and thier surgical abilities to fix, mend and treat parts of the animals anatomy. However, in my opinion, most lack the ability to use common sense when it comes to nutrition based on the repeated facts "outside" of the Science Diet teachings. What I mean by this is that Science Diet themselves is the company that goes into all veterinarian colleges and teaches them for a few weeks (out of six years of collage, mind you), their recommendation of nutrition for pets. Have you ever walked into a vets office and not seen any Science Diet literature or a vet pushing you to feed it to your pet or that of a prescription diet, unless you have sought out the advice of an holistic veterinarian? Think about it....

This is where I start my debate. It is for certain that dogs have evolved from there closest living relative; the wolf. Now, ask yourself what does a wolf eat. Of course, flesh/muscle and organs from another animal (meat/protein) with a secondary source of fruits, vegtables and perhaps some plant materials that may have been in the stomach of that freshly killed animal. Now, as a carnivore where dogs are in the same classification of the wolf, why is Science Diet then, who claims to be the leader in optimium nutrition for pets, goes as far as labeling their brands as "vet recommend" to foods that mainly consist of inappropriate ingredients for a carniovre to eat? Let's break it down.... there is approximatley 50% of carbohyrates in every single brand of Science Diet (mostly all poor quality grains that are KNOWN to cause skin issues - hummm, the biggest organ of the body), by-products that are usually left behind and consumed by the "scavengers" of the wild, and a slew of chemical preservatives KNOWN to cause cancer and many other medical issues? Now, I will further contest to the fact that even if Science Diet mentions a single protein source as the first ingredient or even the second, once you have extracted the moisutre out of that protein, you are left with very minimimal protein as all flesh/muscle is approximately made of 80% moisture to begin with. This is why higher premium foods will always add a few listed proteins, including "meals".  Are you following me here?

Now, this is where I make my case in point. As mentioned, if you ask a vet what food he recommends your pet to eat, I am almost going to guarantee Science Diet is amoung one of them.. So your pet begins his/her dietary journey with Science Diet and then months to maybe years later, all of a sudden your dog is itching/scratching excessively. Trips to the vet has ruled out fleas and other conditions but tells you he is suspecting that there is a food allergy and is prescribing you Hills Presciption Food, perhaps the DD formula. Well, this is what I find eronic about this whole scenerio. Corn, wheat, soy and any type of gluten is highly known to cause skin and coat issues consisting of your dog scratching excessively, chewing at it's paws, etc.. which for years, your dog was eating but the DD formula of the prescription food does not have any corn, wheat, soy or gluten in there. Weeks go by and all of a sudden your dog is feeling some sense of relief. The result - the prescription food was a "miracle" and solved the problem. Interesting, huh? However, this is where it goes deeper than that. If you look closely at most of all the Science Diets and Hills Prescription foods, there are other bad ingredients in there, as mentioned, that are known to cause the BIG C, yes, cancer and other major medical issues!

To end my case, I have put together a list of ALL the big dog food manufacturers I consider a waste of your money and a jeopardy to your dog's overall health over time.  As you can see, it's just not Science Diet.  This is why I labeled this blog that they were one of the many in this "scam".  In my general opinion, I find it very interesting that they all have a "prescription food" line after your dog has been on their regular brands for some time.  However, NOT ONE holistic dog foods manufacturer that produces a food that are FREE of the junk they put into their foods don't have a "prescription" food.  Hummm...just some "food" for thought on this case point.

MANUFACTURER: PURINA

Brands:

Beneful

Alpo

Chef Micheals

Dog Chow

Mighty Dog

Moist n’ Meaty

Purina One

Pro Plan

Puppy Chow

THEIR PRECRIPTION DIET BRAND:   Purina Veterinary Diets

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MANUFACTURER: COLGATE/PALMOLIVE

Brands:

Science Diet

THEIR PRESCRIPTION DIET BRAND:  Hills Prescription Diets

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MANUFACTURER: MARS / WALTHAM  

Brands:

Pedigree

Royal Canin

Cesar

Nutro

THEIR PRESCRIPTION DIET BRAND:  Royal Canin Veterinarian Diet

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MANUFACTURER: PROCTOR & GAMBLE

Brands:                                                                          

Iams

Eukanuba

NOW HAVE ACQUIRED THE FOLLOWING OTHER BRANDS FORMALLY OF NATURA PET PRODUCTS AS OF JUNE 1, 2010:

Innova

Evo

California Natural

Health Wise

THEIR PRESCRIPTION DIET BRAND:  Eukanuba “Special” Formulas &  Iams Veterinarian Diet

Eliminating Some Health Issues Starts With Changing Your Dog's Diet

Time after time, we have so many pet parents that come in for their first dog grooming with us and usually have the same complaints.... "dog has chronic ear infections, dog itches all the time, dog is chewing on it's feet, dog is smelly all the time, dog's coat is so dull and not shiny". The list goes on and on and they all ask the same question... WHY?

Well if you did not suspect, it all boils down to what your feeding your dog. One in particular, that we consider ONE OF THE WORST, is BENEFUL by Purina and many of the pet parents complaining of issues that we stated, are feeding this product, amongst others like it. Still, many dog owners are led to believe it is healthy because of the marketing Purina puts into this product or someone told them it was good. However, this is the furthest from the truth. Actually, feeding your dog a food like this everyday for months to years is like you eating fast food everyday for every meal. How would your skin, hair or overall health be if you did the same? You surely would be in the doctors office more than usual for health problems as well.

We have taken this ingredient list off a bag of BENEFUL. Nothing has been changed or re-arranged. It's what it is. Because your dog is a carnivore whose body is designed to eat mostly wholesome proteins and some actual fruits and vegetables (and that's it!), after examining it, do you now really consider this healthy? Personally, there is NO wholesome proteins but in fact, it's actually filled with so many cheap carbohydrates and chemicals that contribute to healthy issues for dogs down the road! (PS: We have highlighted in BOLD all the ingredients that are NOT SUITABLE for a carnivore with an explanation of why it's not good for your dog!)

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Ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), soy protein concentrate, soy flour, water, rice flour, pearled barley, sugar, tricalcium phosphate, propylene glycol, animal digest, dicalcium phosphate, salt, phosphoric acid, sorbic acid (a preservative), calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, dried spinach, dried apples, dried sweet potatoes, choline chloride, calcium propionate (a preservative), added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2, Yellow 6), Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, DL-Methionine, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite.

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NOW WHAT THESE INGREDIENTS ARE DOING TO YOUR DOG...

GROUND YELLOW CORN, CORN GLUTEN MEAL, WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR - Known as one of the top allergy producing ingredients for pets. Causes mild to major allergy symptoms (scratching, rubbing head in carpets, ear infections, sneezing, redness of skin, chewing on paws, anal itching, etc..). Difficult for dogs to digest. Very low quality ingredient. Acts as an “artificial” stool hardener. In addition, because corn metabolizes in much the same way as sugar metabolizes in people, corn will give pets dramatic energy spurts & crashes, hyperactivity, obesity, and lack of attention (just like children fed too much sugar). Also promotes excessive yeast in the body (constant body odor, reddening around the eyes, mouth, paws, in between pads, general yeast infections, etc..)

SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SOY FLOUR - Known to be the #1 allergy producing ingredients in dog food next to Wheat. Causes mild to major allergy symptoms (scratching, rubbing head in carpets, ear infections, sneezing, redness of skin, chewing on paws, anal itching, etc..). Very low quality ingredient. Difficult for dogs to digest.

SUGAR - Causes hyperactivity in dogs (dramatic energy spurts & crashes), lack of attention, diabetes, hypoglycemia, yeast infections & over growths (constant body odor, reddening around the eyes, mouth, paws, in between pads, etc..),obesity.

PROPYLENE GLYCOL - This is a chemical found in automatic brake and hydraulic fluid and industrial antifreeze. In the skin and hair, propylene glycol works as a humescent, which causes retention of moisture content of skin or cosmetic products by preventing the escape of moisture or water. The Material Safety Data Sheet warns users as this strong irritant (additive) can cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage.

ANIMAL DIGEST - A cooked-down broth made from what is left in the stomach, intestines & colon of unspecified slaughtered animals (unless otherwise noted of the type of animal used). The animals used can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: “4-D animals” (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter). However, should it only state “animal digest” in the ingredients, goats, pigs, horses, rats, misc. road kill, even dogs and cats euthanized at shelters can be used!

ARTIFICIAL ADDED COLORS - Although found in many USA human foods, snacks & beverages (approved by the FDA), they are banned from many other countries due to evidence linking them to certain cancers, brain tumors, internal organ damage/failure, & many other disorders when consumed for long periods of time.

MENADIONE SODIUM BISULFITE COMPLEX (source of Vitamin K activity) - Added to cheap pet foods because manufacturers claim it helps with blood clotting, however, it has never been researched or specifically approved for long term use, particularly in pet food. Additionally, it has been banned from food and supplements for human use in many European countries due to serious side effects, including permanent organ damage and deaths. The FDA has, however, banned synthetic vitamin K from over-the-counter human supplements because of its high toxicity but it’s still allowed in dog food.

So, now you have it. The truth to why your dog may be suffering from some issues or better yet, what to suspect if you continue to feed your dog a food like this. Just remember, your dog is a carnivore. Stick with a grain free food, filled with just wholesome proteins, fruits and vegetables. Your dog will be thanking you for it.

Is It Necessary To Add Moist Canned Food to Dry Dog Kibble Daily?

When ever I conduct a nutritional dog food consultation, I often get asked this question by pet parents who choose not to feed a raw diet to their pet. As like many, they have opted to feed their pet the traditional dry kibble diet only and think it's all their dog needs. Interestingly though, they have chosen not to add moist or canned foods because they have been led to believe by someone they know or better yet, a vet that "it's going to rot the dog's teeth out" or better yet, "they don't need it". This is complete and utter non-sense and I will debate this until I am blue in the face.

As a carnivore, your dog's body has been built and designed to take in a majority of wholesome moist meats, like their cousin, the wolf. Dry kibble (depending on the brand) has not only been designed to (or should I say "somewhat") made to meet the nutritional requirements for your dog, but it was made to be a pure CONVENIENCE to you, the pet parent. How easy is it to scoop kibble and dump it in a bowl, walk away and wait for your dog to eat it? To me, this is simply like putting DRY cereal in front of a child (without milk) every day for every meal! Wow, that’s easy & convenient, isn’t it, but how healthy is it after a while?

Another example I always like to point out is that, as a human, would you dehydrate all your food to take out the moisture from every single meat protein, vegetable and fruit you consume daily to "dry" it out? The answer is absolutely not! No matter what you eat or how you prepare it; whether it's raw, home-cooked, processed, or frozen, the contents of your daily food intake always includes having it's natural moisture intact. Furthermore, don’t you additionally drink a beverage or two with every meal? Essentially, all this moisture you're consuming daily is hydrating your body, including the skin, which is the largest organ of the body. Therefore, would you consider a dog eating the same DRY food daily and lapping up water here and there so healthy in the long run? The answer is clearly no. Interestingly enough, I always seem to get a large amount of pet parents asking me why their dog’s skin is so dry all the time. The first question I ask them, “is your dog on a dry food diet only?” Eight times out of ten, the dog is in fact, only eating dry food. Another interesting fact is many pets on dry food diets only also have a higher chance of developing kidney and bladder crystals/stones. Why? Simply because of the lack of moisture in their diets. This is why vets will prescribe a “prescription” canned dog food when your pet has been faced with this medical problem. Look at any canned food - they all contain 80% moisture. Although such issues like this can be avoided by knowing what and how to feed your pet, the bottom line is that we all need adequate amounts of water to survive, but also need to eat wholesome proteins, fruits and vegetables that are naturally “wholesome” to support & keep all our organs functioning properly – period.

Another key benefit of adding these “moist” foods to your dog’s dry kibble is that it gives some type of rotation of other types of wholesome meats, vegetables and fruits to your pet’s diet that they do essentially need. Humans, like wild carnivores, don’t eat the same thing over and over again. If we did, our body would not only start to have a deficiency somewhere down the road, but gosh, eating would be so boring! We all need a variation of wholesome and healthy foods to stay healthy as each and everything has an abundance of different vitamins and minerals. In addition, it’s amazing how many pet parents are “stumped” to why their pet that has been eating the same food for many months to many years is no longer eating their food anymore. I often get “they loved it and now won’t eat it anymore”. Well, if anyone was giving me “crackers” (to compare dryness) everyday for every meal, after a while, I would get tired of that old same cracker too. However, if someone then offered you a rotation of dips, spreads, or cheese to add on top of that cracker, it would become a little more interesting to eat, wouldn’t it? Moreover, you just added some more nutritional benefits to your diet. Same rule applies.

Therefore, stick to a brand of kibble that works for your pet that is free of corn, wheat, by-products, sugars and chemical preservatives. Seek out brands that overly use more proteins than grain/carbohydrate fillers, which are technically not conducive to a carnivores diet to begin with. Grain free dry kibble foods work best. As always, you’ll be able to make a determination by looking at the first 10 ingredients of your dog’s brand of food. Now, to introduce moist foods, simply add a small amount that has some different proteins not found in the kibble. For example, if the dry kibble is chicken based, use moist/canned meats such as duck, fish, venison, bison, etc.. Mix everything together, but always remember to start off in small amounts to slowly introduce these new ingredients to your dog’s diet to eliminate the chances of upset tummies. To ensure you don’t overly feed your dog, the more moist food you introduce, always draw back on some kibble to keep the calories intake somewhat the same.

So now that I covered why it’s so important to add moisture to your dog’s food, I want to lastly cover the whole misconception about how moist foods rot dog’s teeth out. Like most pet parents, many do not make it a regular routine to brush their dog's teeth like they do their own. Honestly, I hardly do either because thankfully, my “crew” love to chew on their bones & toys many times throughout the day. Naturally, they are cleaning their own teeth like any carnivore would do in the wild. Like wolves and tigers that are killing and consuming only raw, moist meats & organs, at the end of their fill, they will also clean their teeth naturally by indulging in chewing on the bones from their kill. It's nature’s way for a carnivore to clean their teeth. So having your pet chew on "harder" toys, especially after a meal is extremely important. But, if your pet is not a big, hard core chewer, you can either start a routine by brushing them with a dog toothbrush or a cheap but yet effective way is to take a “dry” wash cloth and wipe your dog’s teeth every few days; making sure your always cleaning along the gum line as well. This will prevent plaque from building up which is the #1 culprit of rotting teeth.

Anyway, I hope this blog was insightful to you. Remember, you can always lead a “horse” to water, but you can’t make them drink it. Well, the same rule applies to most dogs. However, by adding as much “moisture” as you can to your dog’s daily intake with wholesome meats, vegetables and fruits, you have made a big significant change in your dog’s overall health.

Crap in a Bag - Dog Food Review: PEDIGREE

I can't express enough how important it is to feed your dog with a proper, well balanced, HEALTHY food now a days, especially if you want your dog to live a healthier lifestyle, despite what some vets and breeders will recommend. Surprisingly, I'm astounded by how many consumers still really have not clue to what is considered HEALTHY for their pet even with so much information that is accessible through the internet. Perhaps it's the manipulation by the marketing objectives by commercial dog food companies or moreover, the recommendation or suggestion of their vet because he/she said so. (Note: Although vets go to medical school for approximately six years - there is very minimal education on animal nutrition unless further education is personally sought by the individual themselves outside of Science Diet Research. This is why you will find vets highly recommending or pushing the prescription foods of Science Diet, which I also consider a very poor diet as well because of many poor ingredients they also use. Read some information on how Science Diet provides kick backs and bonuses to vets who "push" their foods.)

Because there are hundreds of crappy brands and formulas on the market, here is my first review on a national recognized brand of what I call "crap in a bag". Although this, as with many other brands, are associated with having different formulas (puppy, adult, large breed, small breed, senior), their MAIN FORMULAS consist of basically the SAME INGREDIENTS across the board but will slightly differ in one or two ingredients to accommodate each specific formula (added vitamins/minerals or different use of one protein source). However, the rating will ultimately stay the same.

BRAND: PEDIGREE

INGREDIENTS: Ground Whole Corn, Meat and Bone Meal (Natural Source of Calcium), Chicken By-product Meal (Natural Source of Glucosamine†), Corn Gluten Meal, Rice, Animal Fat (Preserved with BHA/BHT), Wheat Flour, Dried Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Wheat Mill Run, Caramel Color, Vegetable Oil (Source of Linoleic Acid), Vitamins (Choline Chloride, dl-alpha Tocopherol Acetate [Source of Vitamin E], L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate [Source of Vitamin C†], Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Biotin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement [Vitamin B2], Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Potassium Iodide), Iron Oxide, Added FD&C and Lake Colors (Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Blue 2, Red 40).

OUR RATING: Very Poor - Not Recommended.

ACTUAL ANALYSIS: Dogs are carnivores (meat eaters), however, no where do I see any wholesome and actual MEAT proteins in this food of which dogs need based on their genetic makeup. Let's start with the breakdown by the first 8 listed ingredients in the order they appear:

1. Main ingredient - CORN - Corn is a cheap grain filler which really does not have a high nutritional value to it nor is fully digestible - even in human consumption. Moreover, it is known to cause allergies in dogs.


2. MEAT & BONE MEAL - This is an inexpensive, cheap form of protein and highly consists of grounded up bone fragments (with minimal meat) which additionally does not provide adequate protein, thus is why it is indicated as being a natural source of calcium instead.


3. CHICKEN BY PRODUCT MEAL - By products consist of the "after parts", which in this case is the chicken. This consists of parts that are the "leftovers" that are banned from the human food chain. In plain English - it's simply garbage.


4. CORN GLUTEN MEAL - Derived from corn, the gluten meal is an cheap protein source; often used to feed "livestock". Again, with the use of corn listed as the 1st and 4th ingredient, it is again a cheap grain "filler" to formulate this food and known to cause allergies in dogs.


5. RICE - Although considered a safe but cheap "grain" for dog consumption, the fact that this is the third grain out of five ingredients so far (which not to mention, has more after the 8th ingredient) but yet has any good protein sources listed which should have been already. If this food contained actual and wholesome protein sources (deboned chicken, fish, beef, etc...) with rice being mentioned as either the 3rd or 5th only grain ingredient, then the food's rating would have been much higher (with the exception of what other ingredients are listed).


6. ANIMAL FAT (preserved with BHA/BHT) - Animal fat is a "generic" fat source that is most often made up of rendered animal fat, rancid restaurant grease or other oils that are deemed inedible for humans consumption. In addition, it is also preserved with a chemical called BHA/BHT that is banned in many countries, but still known to be used within the US (which the FDA still allows) in pet and human foods although research shows a link between the use of them and cancer. Read More Here


7. WHEAT FLOUR -In dog food products, this is commonly a by-product (think floor sweepings) of human food production and is a grain fragment we consider primarily a cheap filler. Wheat is believed by many to be the leading cause of food allergies in dogs . Wheat mill run is a further grain by-product (listed as the 12th listed ingredient).


8. BEEP PULP - Beet pulp is a controversial filler. It is a by-product, being dried residue from sugar beets which has been cleaned and extracted in the process of manufacturing sugar. It is a controversial ingredient in dog food, claimed by some manufacturers to be a good source of fiber, and derided by others as an ingredient added to slow down the transition of rancid animal fats and causing stress to kidney and liver in the process. However, research shows that beet pulp is an ingredient that commonly causes problems for dogs, including allergies and ear infections. There are more natural ingredients around if additional fiber is required such as apples, pumpkin, sweet potatos, etc..

It is also noted on the ingredient list of Pedigree, that various artificial food colorings are also used. As mentioned above about the consumption of BHA/BHT , many various forms of artificial food colorings are also banned in other countries due to the fact they are also linking many health issues & certain cancers associated with the consumption of them (although the FDA still allows human food companies to also use it). Therefore, since Pedigree continues to use these DANGEROUS INGREDIENTS, despite what research shows, in the manufacturing of their dog foods - I highly suggest not choosing any of their brands. In addition, please check your own foods ingredient lists and stop supporting companies who continue to jeopardize people and animals lives.

CLOSING NOTES: Premium, quality dog foods DO NOT CONTAIN corn, wheat, soy, by-products, sugars or any artificial preservatives and additives. Look for top listed ingredients such as wholesome & actual protein sources such as de-boned chicken, fish, beef which should then be followed with fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc. Also, a good quality food will not have to use "natural flavors" as an ingredient such as with poor quality foods do. Corn, wheat, bone meals, etc.. do not have any appealing smells unless natural flavors are used to help attract a dog to eat it. Just remember, you get what you pay for and you may save yourself $10 on a 30 lb bag of food when choosing a cheap brand, but in the long run, it can potentially cost you hundreds to thousands of dollars in medical bills (not to mention risking your pet's health) down the road!

Lastly, just because a vet or your dog's breeder recommends a food, it does not validate it to be a QUALITY FOOD! Please do your own research and by your dog's own advocate! Moreover, if your dog is getting frequent allergy shots but your vet has yet to ask you what kind of food you're feeding your pet or perhaps, didn't tell you that your pet's current food contains allergy producing ingredients , I suggest it's time to change your pet's doctor immediately because it's quite obvious your vet really does not care about the welfare of your pet but his pockets instead.

For more information on rating dog foods, you may also reference:

Healthy Dog Experts

Dog Food Analysis

Vet Balance

Let your pet eat well & live happy!