What Do You Feed Your Dogs?

I feed my dogs Iams (one puppy formula, one adult mini chunks). They have gas rarely (but I think every dog gets it sometimes..lol the joy of having a dog) When I buy a bag, there is always a 3 dollar coupon inside the bag. It's still not the cheapest, but not the most expensive either.

My dog had terrible gas too, and like other people have said, it seemed to be worse from "cheaper" brands, probably due to the fillers. I gave him the Nutro brand, and that seemed to work a lot better - I also had another dog at the same time who had a sensitive stomach and would throw up a lot and so we got the Nutro brand for sensitive stomachs and that really fixed both problems. But we went through a few different brands and types before we found the one that helped us. Don't be afraid to ask one of the pet specialists at Pets Mart or Petco or some type of animal store like that, they can usually help. Good luck and hopefully you can find a food that helps!

Large dogs need to eat from a raised feeder. When they are eating their head, shoulders and back should form a straight line. This keeps them from getting too much air when eating. Large dogs such as labs are also prone to bloat and eating from a raised feeder can help prevent it. My great dane mix eats pedigree from a raised feeder and we have had no problems for 7 years.

We feed Blue Buffalo, which is an expensive holistic food with no fillers and human-grade meats. It's quite expensive, however, and may be unnecessary for your dog (or may not help the gas). Talk to your vet about Blue Buffalo (you can buy it at Petsmart) and whether it would be worth the money to switch. Also, feeding from a raised feeder is a good idea, and feed several smaller meals a day instead of one big meal. This will help prevent your dog from stuffing itself, and can also help to prevent Bloat, which is a disease Labs can be prone to have. Good luck.

My dog eats Purina Pro Plan Salmon and Rice for sensitive skin and stomach. It is available at pet supply stores, not supermarkets or discount retailers. As others have said, read the labels and avoid foods with a lot of corn and grains. Dogs aren't really meant to digest a lot of grains and corn can especially be a problem. You could also check with your vet and see if some yogurt (plain) might help. In addition to feeding smaller amounts, higher quality foods will make your yard clean-up easier.

I agree with Mimi H. labs are gassy. More gassy than any other breed I have ever had. I do think the cheaper the food the more gas they get, in my own experience anyway. We currently use Purina One Lamb and Rice.

We use Hill's Science Diet.

Our black lab had terrible gas, too. We have fed her IAM's, which is great but expensive, then lately have been giving her Whole Foods 365 brand and it's not only cheaper, it seems to work just as well as the IAM's. We never give her "people food".
V.

Well I would suggest feeding Eukanuba brand food. It's not the cheapest or the most expensive either. Also would recommend Sam's brand dog food if you have a membership there. You can get more for your dollar with a big bag purchase. Keep in mind that the cheaper the dog food the more waste (poop) they will produce. Also you'll have to feed more to make up for the loss. You can compare the feeding charts at the store. And all proteins are not equal. Some proteins that are added to cheaper food is not even digestible and mean nothing for nutrition. And as mentioned before, no table foods, that can certainly stink things up too ")
Does she gobble her food down? That too can cause gas. If she is, I would suggest several small feedings a day instead of one or two. That kind of feeding is best but not always the easiest. Are her stools normal? If not, there could be intestinal worms that could cause a gas problem as well. Could be worth it to have a stool test if they are not normal.
That's about all I can think of right now.
Best Regards,
C.

Labs have gas! Labs really have gas! lol... We have a black lab as well and we DON'T feed him the cheapest stuff. It does make it worse.

We feed our lab Pedigree. Don't buy it at Wal-Mart. Just FYI, the dog food in Walmart is cheaper than the exact same stuff in the grocery store because it has more fillers in it. YES! Anything that has an "exclusively made for Wal-Mart" label has either been watered down or is a lower quality to keep the prices low. We also have him on a doggie treat that is really a superior multivitamin. He loves it!

He really only gets gassy now when he gets into something he's not supposed to have.

Hope this helps!

M.

hey, although I haven't experienced any problems with the lab mix that I have now I do have some suggestions for you, first take a look at your dog food ingredients label. The first ingredient shouldn't be corn or any sort of grain. Remember dogs are primary carnivores and although they do need some grain they eat mostly meat. Also, when did you get the pup? Some dogs do experience gas when switched suddenly to a different food then what they are used to. I don't know what your budget is like but if you have the money I highly recommend the Raw Meat Diet. It can be very gross dealing with raw meat but personally I think it's very worth it.Hope this helped some!

Iams is great, thats what we always used for our dogs and cats. Their coats looked beautiful year round and my lab mix stopped having skin problems. I don't know what the previous owners fed her, but she was scratching a ton-- turns out many cheaper dog foods are made with corn, which is something that many dogs have an allergy/intolerance to.

I have not had labs, but I've had all other kinds of dogs. That is a very common thing to have happen when you switch your dog's food completely. It should go away as your dog adjusts to the food, but it could take awhile. I've had dogs for years, and choose Nutro brand dog food. It's easier to digest, is filled with more nutritious ingredients, and has far less "filler" in it, so your dog will actually poop a little less too! It's true! However you'd have to get it at a pet store, they don't sell it at the grocery store. Good luck whichever you choose!

I have a 6 year old lab. When she was younger we had a horrible time keeping weight on her, still do since she is very active. At that point we fed eukanuba performance, since it was the only food we could do 4 cups a day to try and keep her around 60 pounds. We currently have her on Natural Balance (these are the Dick Van Patten diets) regular food and she does really well on it. A little gas every now and then, but I think that is probably from the people food and dog cookies she gets as treats :) I have used Royal Canin also and really like their foods, when we moved where we are now I couldn't find it for about the first 6 months here. She was on that one for about 2 years and had very little gas on it. I had her on the regular one, but they do make a lab one if you have one that tends to weigh towards the heavy side. Our cats eat Royal Canin diets.

Higher quality foods will definitely help and you will also see less poop to pick up. The low end ones have a lot of filler and indigestible parts, so you end up feeding more too. Sometimes certain flavors are easier on their stomachs too. If you change foods do a gradual change over about a week or two and stick with the new one for about a month to see if it helps.

I'm about to start writing, and notice that you already have 25 answers! Wow!

You'll be needing to take your new pup to the vet for a checkup; ask for a recommendation of a nutritious dog food that won't cost an arm and a leg (and a tail) and won't cause nasty, er, aromas. We're raising a pup (number nine) for Canine Companions for Independence, and we feed her Eukanuba Large Breed because that's what they require, but even if they didn't require it we have found that it's a good product. So you might ask about that brand.

Your vet will be able to tell you if the nasty gas is the result of the dog food you're using or if it's caused by something else.

My lab sends her tail-waggin' regards to your lab.

I don't have a dog, but I have friends who do. They buy good food from the pet store but it still doesn't cut down on the gas. I find it quite gross. You're sitting there visiting and get permeated. They can't help it and they do get good food. Also, they never, ever are given table scraps. I guess carrots are good for some dogs. They like them and the vet says it's okay. But I know some little Yorkies that just throw them up.
Check with the vet.
A healthy diet keeps your dogs healthier for longer, that's all I know.

Good luck!

We use Halo brand. The feeding chart only suggests one cup per day for our puppy instead of the 2.5 cup that is recommended on the cheaper brand bags.

We changed our dog food to Organix and we finally have no more gas! Our dogs were on Nutro, but they were just too gassy with it.

They generally get gas from inhaling their food. I have never met a Lab who doesnt love to eat. Try raising the dogs water and food dish. The sell sets that are raised. My dad cut a hole in the bottom of a Homer bucket (from Home Depot) and fit his dogs dish in it. Im sure food with preservitives isnt the best. I give my dogs Canidae....no preservitives, middle of the road for pricing.

Hi, I haven't read most of the other responses, so sorry if I repeat. :) I worked at a feed store for the last 3 years, and we carried specialty brads of pet food. Make sure that you don't give the dog corn or wheat - they can't digest, so they can cause gas, and more waste for you to pick up. I feed my dogs Chicken Soup For The Dog Lovers Soul - it's not the most expensive brand, but it's a really good food - no corn or wheat, and it has lots of fruits and veggies and great protein sources in it. Check for a local feed store to see if you can find a distributor of brands like that. Other good brands are Innova, Canidae, California Natural (really good for dogs with sensitive stomachs and allergies), and a bunch of other ones. You also might check to see what the main protein source you've been feeding (such as chicken) and switch to another one (maybe lamb). Also, make sure to switch slowly - sometimes switching too quickly can cause gas and other issues. Good luck!

My dog is part lab, and we feed her California natural, we get it from the pet store not the grocery store. Dog's do some time get gas and it is horible. We put canned food with her dry food thats how she likes it. J.

The cheap dog foods are full with 'fillers'. We adopted a 5 yr. old dog and he had bad gas - they fed him Ol' Roy. Our other dogs eat Nature's Choice - mainly due to skin allergies. Once the new dog began eating Nature's Choice, the gas was gone.

Another note, if you look at the portions to be fed of cheap food vs. 'better' food - the difference is huge. Ol' Roy requires 6 cups for a 50-60lb dog but Iams portion for the same dog is 2 1/2 cups. Just a thought...

You have lots of great help. Again like many have mentioned read the label, you want the first ingredient to be a whole type meat. We use Authority from Petsmart. Its one of the more inexpensive brands. We dont have labs but it works great for our girls.

It's the fillers that give her gas. Try some of the premium foods that have less fillers/corn/grain and more meat. We use Purina One as it is a little lower priced than some of the other premium foods. We like the food, but will probably change as they added soft chunks to the food and my dog now picks those out and leaves the dry food all over the floor.

Hi there! We got a lab and he had horrible gas! We took him to puppy class and the trainer suggested feeding him food that didn't have corn in it, and it has worked like a charm; no more gas! Currently we are using Nature's Recipe. Good luck!! :)

Had the same problem with out retriever/shepherd mix when we got her at 6 mo from shelter on Science Diet. Vet suggested Eukanuba (large breed)and the problem was gone fast. Our dog has been on it for 5 yrs now and no reoccurance. It is more expensive, but also gives him a nice coat. We got another small dog last yr and he is on it too, we are big dog lovers and they are well worth it.
Good luck

we feed our dog dick pattons natural balance salmon & sweet potatoe. She has allergies and this has helped her a lot. I've heard about it helping other dogs stinky gas.

We also have a 1 yr-old black lab/golden retriever mix. As a puppy, the vet said she had the beginning signs of hip displaysia :( After running a lot, we noticed she would act as if her leg or hips were sore. We started feeding her Purina One - beef, which has natural glucosamine. It really seems to help with her joints and she never acts like her hips are sore anymore. She has occasional gas, but nothing too horrible. I would definately recommend any of the Natural brands that others have listed, though my husband refuses to believe that "All Natural" is better, so that is a battle. Anyway, the Purina One is working out great for us now.

I have 2 lab mixes and we feed Azmira dry kibble.

we feed wellness core original dry food. it is expensive(about $60 for a 26lb bag), but it's worth it. before that, we fed eukanuba natural lamb and rice(it's a step above the reg eukanuba), but i was beginning to have some concerns with their quality and manufacturing, so we did our homework and settled on wellness core. i'd love to do a raw diet, but with 3 small children and 5 indoor dogs, i'm just not ready to take on that challenge just yet! in general, your "grocery store brands" are the worst quality - with ol roy and sam's being the absolute worst. a major gas cause is switching foods, so if the old owners were constantly switching foods, that's probably a major factor. once you pick a food, stick with it for a few months. our doberman had MAJOR gas problems, which is why we eventually settled on the eukanuba natural lamb & rice, for whatever reason, that controlled HER gas best, but, i'm hoping as we get farther into the wellness core, her gas will settle back down. here's a site that will help you in figuring out where different foods rank:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

keep in mind that while some are more pricey than others, the basic health of your dog(exercise and nutrition) will keep vet bills down and your dog will be happier and live a longer life if he is healthy. good luck and congrats on your new addition :)

We prefer to feed raw... http://www.amazon.com/Pitcairns-Complete-Guide-Natural-He... ... but since moving too far away from our butcher have been priced out most of the time (just can't afford wetnoses, or any of the other premade raw dog food)... so now we "rotate". He get's part raw, part Prarie Dry, and part Trader Joes wet.

When we lived close to a butcher it cost less that $20 a month to feed him, now it's closer to $50, and it's still not all raw. 100% premade raw, would cost us around $150-$200 a month. Not happening.

My family has been feeding our animals raw food forever. With pretty standard results. Cats live until their late teens (18-23, although they are indoor/outdoor cats) and dogs live until their early to mid twenties. Rarely do any have health problems... and when the do... they tend to all come at once, a few months before their deaths. Raw food also nixes bad breath. Which I really, really miss. The no "dog breath" thing.

It wasn't until the depression that people started feeding their dogs corn and wheat products. In fact, science diet brand was invented during the fallout from the depression when people couldn't afford to feed their pets real food any more. Their website even talks about it in a glowing way (which in a way, I suppose it is), but finding the least expensive "filler" food that would keep an animal alive... well... I can see why you'd be proud of it in the depression, but not 100 years later when your formula is essentially the same. It's like spam and vitamins will keep you alive, but they won't keep you healthy in the long term, although it will in the short term.

But yeah... find the brands that consist of ingredients that keep grains and veggies at the very BOTTOM of the list. So ones that look like: Beef, Beef Liver, Bone meal, Beef byproduct (skin, intestines, tendons, etc... which carnivores need), h20, & THEN fruits and veggies. They hardly need any, although ALL mammals will eat bread (it's predigested, and so almost straight sugar), like bread the veggies and fruits all need to be cooked (aka partially digested) in order for carnivores to be able to digest them, except for blueberries, which, oddly... carnivores all eat raw quite happily, and they're great for urinary tract health. My lab gets into our blueberries BIG time, lipping them straight off the bushes... which delights my son... and annoys ME.

Gas can sometimes be caused by too much fat in the diet so you could try switching to a food that has a lower 'max fat' percentage-- 10% or less. I have a Rottweiler that had awful, awful gas that would clear everyone from the room until my vet suggested that we restrict her fat intake. Science Diet and Iams had dry food that she likes but those are a bit more costly so I switched to Pedigree and she has continued to do well. No gas issues. Oh, and make sure you check labels on treats and biscuits too because those can also cause a problem. Best of luck! :)

We use Natural Balance from Petco. It's pretty pricey ($56.99 / 28 lb bag) and we have a large dog that likes to eat. If our dog didn't have such skin and allergy issues we would probably choose something less expensive like Purina One or Beneful. Our dog is allergic to everything, rice, chicken, lamb, soy, corn, oat, wheat, etc. She eats the venison and sweet potato. But I must say this is great food! Since starting on it several years ago her skin issues have decreased to almost nonexistent and no longer a need for meds and coritzone injections. Think the pricey food might actually cost more than what I spent on meds, but who cares she looks and feels great!!

beneful works great for my dog... and make sure they have alot of water.. take them for a walk after they eat.. it will help with gas... good luck..

We have larger dogs and give them Purina Pro Plan. It's really expensive but my husband insists since he uses the dogs for hunting & 'they need the best!' It does help with the gas too. Gas in dogs is usuall caused by soy fillers. Look for a brand with no soy listed in the ingredients & you'll see a big change right away.

I don't have a dog, but a friend of mine was telling me about a vet who was doing a "natural" diet - actually raw meat & stuff that dogs would eat before dog food was invented. Said the dog was healthier. Kinda makes sense, but maybe you can check with your vet first.

We use heathly growth for puppies by purina, when we used iams it was horrible gas all the time.

Better food makes all the difference I have found that the Sam's Club Exceed brand works well for all of my dogs and they are sensitive to low quality food. It costs $30 dollars for about 45 lbs of food, which is less costly some other top brands.

I'm super late to this question but we feed our shepard mix a mixture of iVet Lean (I think its called that, which we get from a pet food store near our vet and the Beneful Healthy Weight, and he's pretty happy. The iVet 40lb bag is about $40 and the Beneful 25-20lb bag is about $20-25 at Walmart. Not nuts about the Beneful but he loves it, and he's not got any health issues, so I figure we can allow him a mix like this.

Our 12 year old golden has the beginnings of kidney issues, so we feed him a special low protein dog food recommended by our vet (Royal Canin LP). He's not nuts about it, but b/c he eats with our other dog, he eats his food b/c the other will if he won't :)

Labs are usually low maintenance; its just a matter of finding the right food that works with her system. Doggie farts can be quite noxious :)

Good luck and congrats on the addition to your family!!