Hi Katy...

Where meat is the first ingredient with some dog foods this can be follwed by about four or five different types of rice or wheat or some grain of one kind or another which if actually all added up would amount to more than the first ingredient of meat. Do you see what I mean?...so if the first ingredient of the Autarky is maize then meat but then there really arn't a whole mish mash of other grains to follow then I would think that was just as ok as having meat as the first ingredient but then four or more different types of other grains to follow which actually out weigh the meat content anyway.

Maize is not a bad thing it is just considered as a 'cheaper' protein source than meat, but all commercial foods contain either rice, oats, wheat, maize, corn etc to bulk up the protein and I don't think most dogs have a problem with maize like they can with corn etc with regards to sensitivity...

I would feed my dog Autarky if they sold it local and have heard good things about it so no worries!

I think the thing with commercial food is, there will always be something that we don't think is necessary in the ingredients or might not be sure about...I have just switched Keena over to Nutro from JWB as she has completly gone off JWB lately and I didn't like that Nutro has corn gluten in it but at the same time as long as she isn't sensitive to it there shouldn't be a problem and I think the other ingredients are all ok.

I think the best thing we can do is too make sure we avoid the foods with all the derivitives, by products, artificial colours, preserves and added sugar etc and as long as you do that you should end up with a fairly good food and I believe Autarky is one of them.

I know it is easy to worry, I do too, all the time but If Max likes it, please stick with it because it is definitly one of the 'better' foods available so you haven't gone far wrong in your choice.

thanx myschievous

Chuck started on beta, but due to the ricness of it we swapped him to bakers. he loves it and his coat is super nice! i think all the foods available are much better than they were a few years ago with more research involved -- so if your dogs ok on it (you can tell from the poo's) then use it!!

simon and chuck

u can tell if adog likes his dinner as he wont share it with you.... sob.. sniff....

Luna's now on Nutro Choice and she loves it.

The kibbles are a bit small, so might change to the Large Breed kibble

ummm hmm Bakers...I breifly fed Keena Bakers...

I'm definitly not snobbish about certain dog food because I do think that if the dog loves it that goes along way, but I have to say after becoming more aware of ingredients in dog food I switched Keena to a different brand staright away. Before I had really looked into the ingredients I thought that Bakers looked 'fun' with it's different colours and shapes of kibble but soon realised that the fun look of the product was more for people than the dogs, then if you realise that to get those 'fun' colours a bunch or artificial colours have to be added and so you read into the ingredients and see that not only colouring but artificial preservatives, added sugars, etc etc are all included and you start to realise it's not so good for the health of your dog's digestive system, teeth and long term wellbeing. I then sadly realised that you simply can't trust most brands of pet food to be all they are cracked up to be.

Now when I make a choice I look at the ingredients to make sure there is no 'junk' even with treats I do the same. It's no good buying a chew bone for your dog that you think will be good for it's teeth but yet it contains a load of sugar, which kind of defeats the object...It's true we as humans can eat junk foods in moderation and it is completly ok but then we can make sure we do have an otherwise healthy diet, it is our choice, but I think that if you are feeding a commercial dog food each and every single day of it's life then it had better be the healthiest you can lay your hands on because ulitimatly your choice will be all it has to live and stay healthy on for it's whole life.

Saying that though Simon, Chuck looks like a great dog and I think if he loves his Bakers then why upset him and take it away...It wasn't only my feelings about the ingredients that made me change but that it gave Keena an upset tummy the whole time because she is very sensitive and that more than anything made me pull her off it. So it just shows what works for one dog and it's owner doesn't for another and I agree with everyone else, if it works for you, stick with what your doing regardless of other peoples opinions.

Keena was on JWB but completly went off it altogether just lately...I was happy with the ingredients but she started to refuse to eat it! So I had no choice but to change...Now she is getting the same as Luna and has just started the switch to Nutro (large breed puppy) The one thing I have noticed is that you feed almost half the amount of it compared to the JWB which is a bonus because I think Keena was getting bored with the shear bulk of the amount she required with JWB...I still don't like that Nutro has gluten in though...But then on looking at all the ingredients in most foods available though there is always something I'm not happy with...lol...

I have to say I am on the fence about the B.A.R.F diet but am considering it more and more simply because Keena really does only just tolerate kibble of anykind at all and is fairly picky about eating and will only eat it with 'wet' food added to it (I choose naturediet) but as soon as she can get her paws on any raw meat you can see her eye's 'light up' and she 'wolfs' it down and I know she would thrive on it. I guess I will be doing alot of thinking!!

Lel when you first switched to raw feeding was it a bit daunting?...and how easy did you find it?...I am thinking about getting a few books on the subject are there any you would reccomend?

Not Lel, just me
I changed my dogs over to raw more more than 3 yrs ago & found the best book was Richard Pitcairns. http://www.drpitcairn.com/index.html
It contains a breakdown of most food stuffs you can feed your dogs, recipes & alternatives for health. His recipes are based on raw meat together with grains, pulses & beans, also what supplements you need to add. I then went the whole way about 6mths later & had books by Billinghurst, Kymythy Schultz etc. It`s very easy feeding them a raw diet, tho can be a bit scary at first when you see them swallowing a whole ch/wing or drumstick!
I`d buy the books first & then give it a go.

Christine.

Hi Christine - please share more of ur raw exp with us - would also love to see some piccie sof ur dogs

Hi eraze, have pm`d you
Christine.

Thanks Christine

I'm not to worried about seeing my dog eat those things I know she would just love it and I would love seeing her so happy to eat her food. I know she is the type of dog to really thrive on it. I am gonna check those books as soon as possible.