In light of the recent recalls, I am curious about what people feed their pets, as I am always checking to see that I am feeding my dog food that is appropriate to his needs. After a fair amount of research (links at the bottom), I feed my dog Innova - 1/4 can of wet, and 2 cups of dry, per day, plus Milk Bones as treats (I know... dog candy...), and a rawhide chew each night (made in the USA to avoid bleached hides).
Here's where I got some of my information about dog food to make my choice (nothing on cat food, sorry; I only have a dog):
Kibble Ingredients - what's really in premium dog foods, and how to read the labels
Dog Food Comparisons - a similar site, with a shorter list of foods, but which adds whether or not the ingredients are human grade
Dog Food Comparison Wizard - select the names of up to 4 foods or treats and compare them side-by-side - limited to the foods listed, but it's a pretty comprehensive list; you can also choose to compare cat foods
The Dog Food Project - lots of good information about how to read labels, what to look for and what to avoid, and information about diet and nutrition.
For those who feed their pets home-prepared foods, or like to make pet treats, you can also find recipes (disclaimer: this was sent to me by someone who uses this site, but I've never used any of the recipes). I buy Sable's rawhide chews (he gets the flat ones) from i-pets; they charge a flat shipping few, so I tend to buy a lot at once; it's cheaper, and they guarantee American sources unless otherwise stated.
If you don't use commercial dog food, and make your own, how do you make sure your pet is getting everything s/he needs? I considered making my own dog food, and rejected it, out of concern it wouldn't be balanced (I know my own diet isn't), and because I am not home to cook my own food, much less his - it was much less about cost, and much more about his health, followed by my convenience - because I know, if I try to start this from scratch, he'd likely eat as badly as I do... and I've gotten the same benefits from Innova as people who make their own; his weight is stable, he excretes less, his fur is soft and shiny, and he loves it.
Here's where I got some of my information about dog food to make my choice (nothing on cat food, sorry; I only have a dog):
Kibble Ingredients - what's really in premium dog foods, and how to read the labels
Dog Food Comparisons - a similar site, with a shorter list of foods, but which adds whether or not the ingredients are human grade
Dog Food Comparison Wizard - select the names of up to 4 foods or treats and compare them side-by-side - limited to the foods listed, but it's a pretty comprehensive list; you can also choose to compare cat foods
The Dog Food Project - lots of good information about how to read labels, what to look for and what to avoid, and information about diet and nutrition.
For those who feed their pets home-prepared foods, or like to make pet treats, you can also find recipes (disclaimer: this was sent to me by someone who uses this site, but I've never used any of the recipes). I buy Sable's rawhide chews (he gets the flat ones) from i-pets; they charge a flat shipping few, so I tend to buy a lot at once; it's cheaper, and they guarantee American sources unless otherwise stated.
If you don't use commercial dog food, and make your own, how do you make sure your pet is getting everything s/he needs? I considered making my own dog food, and rejected it, out of concern it wouldn't be balanced (I know my own diet isn't), and because I am not home to cook my own food, much less his - it was much less about cost, and much more about his health, followed by my convenience - because I know, if I try to start this from scratch, he'd likely eat as badly as I do... and I've gotten the same benefits from Innova as people who make their own; his weight is stable, he excretes less, his fur is soft and shiny, and he loves it.