Just took new adoptee (7 years old) for his first checkup at our vet. Vet mentioned to stick with Purina Pro Plan, Science Diet, or one other major brand I can't remember and said it was because not all of the more boutique brands that are trendy now makes sure their foods contain all nutrients, including trace, that dogs need.
I think I remember someone on here saying the same thing. It does make sense. I have, with our previous dogs, gravitated to Dog Food Advisor recommended foods but also fully realize that Dog Food Advisor makes recommendations based on 1) order of ingredients, 2) lack of corn/wheat and 3) lack of grains in general. The foods are obviously not tested and "approved" by Dog Food Advisor.
Our vet also recommends against a grain-free food unless the dog has allergies that necessitates it because of the more recent dilated cardiomyopathy data. He says this data shows a correlation but we need more data to definitively attribute grain-free dog food to DCM but that at this time they don't recommend grain-free. He says in their practice they've seen a 4x higher incidence of DCM.
Anyway, so many confusing recommendations on dog foods. I do see that Science Diet makes some foods without corn/wheat and without byproducts that I can get locally like these:
https://www.hollywoodfeed.com/p/6023...chicken-barley
https://www.hollywoodfeed.com/p/1313...h-skin-chicken
Thoughts on dog food? We're experience dog owners but the food thing is confusing EVERY time. Whichever food we choose, I will be supplementing with additional water and fresh cooked chicken, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Partly because our rescue is NOT food motivated and needs a lot of coaxing to eat and the scoop of fresh chicken really helps him eat his entire meal
He would also get some raw chicken as a treat whenever we prep a whole roasting chicken for ourselves (we have always given our dogs the necks/backs and they LOVE it). He is also getting a glucosamine supplement for his arthritis and salmon oil for his coat. He MIGHT be a little itchy? He licks his paws a lot...only at night...though his skin looks fine but for that reason I think I want to at least avoid corn/wheat for now.