shellbyville Posted October 11, 2006 Share Posted October 11, 2006 I have been using Hills Science Diet large breed kibble with my pups, however someone recommended Optimum, saying that Hills main ingredient (top of the list) was grain/meal based. Was wondering if anyone used Optimum and opinions on Hills Science Diet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted October 11, 2006 Share Posted October 11, 2006 I use Optimum and have never had any issues with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chai Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 I tried it as I had run out of Eukanuba, Chai seemed to like it but was quite lethargic for the week or so it lasted. On Eagle Pack Large Puppy now and she went straight back to being her hyper self. Sometimes I think about feeding it to her just to calm her down. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldielover Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 I'm not 100% sure, but i remember reading that Optimum is made by the same people who make PAL? I have a bag of it here and i started to mix it in with their Eagle Pack until i realised that the size of their poo's had quadrupled and were no longer firm. I also did some costings and because i would have to feed twice as much Optimum as i would EP for the same size breed/size of dog, there is very little cost saving. However, i can't really say how my girls did on it as i had only just started to mix it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 I wouldn't feed Hill's Science Diet or Optimum, neither of them are top quality kibbles IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shellbyville Posted October 12, 2006 Author Share Posted October 12, 2006 The kibble isn't the only source of food my dog have, They get chicken mince, raw bones, each day & veges & sardines a couple of times a week along with other things like egg, yoghurd occasionally. So do you think a super premium kibble is necessary, as these high quality kibbles are designed to be the whole diet, aren't they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 I feed EP Holistic and my adults get one cup a day plus, meat, chicken wings, eggs, sardines etc. etc. The puppies get two cups a day. I just don't agree with feeding kibbles that have a high cereal content, dogs aren't designed to digest large amounts of carbohydrate and I don't like my money turning into piles of voluminous soft poo while the dog gains minimal nutritional benefit from the experience. If the cheaper foods work for you I suggest that you continue to feed them, they don't work for me which is why I prefer to feed EP ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 The kibble isn't the only source of food my dog have, They get chicken mince, raw bones, each day & veges & sardines a couple of times a week along with other things like egg, yoghurd occasionally. So do you think a super premium kibble is necessary, as these high quality kibbles are designed to be the whole diet, aren't they? Mine too. They only get a small fistfull of kibble per day and, as i said earleir, I've never had a problem. I've just bought a pack of Nature's Gift kibble to trial but I haven't opened it yet. Has anyone tried it yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoilt lab lives here Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 i feed my 10 yr old dog on it as its the only dog food she sill eat ;) She loves it and as i mix other things in it she has no problems with soft stools, i feed her the optimum senior dog food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petaj Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 I find Optimum Macronutrient Profile excellent. It was so concentrated I had to switch from normal adult mix to healthy weight management, as my border collie was still slightly above ideal weight even on less than a cup a day (which, while being very affordable, didn't suit me as I wanted her tummy to be better filled and I was worried it wasn't enough bulk to keep her gut healthy and express her anal glands). I wouldn't at all call it substandard especially since they work with Waltham to bring some of the newest health benefits into the nutrition, and it has been tested complete and balanced. I've also never heard of questionable research techniques such as The Iams/Eukanuba company have been accused of (yes, I know that was by PETA and I have read IAMS rebuttal page, but I still find the response unsatisfactory IMHO). I have never tried Hills and do respect them (one of the companies that spoke out against some of IAMs research methods), but I also hold a lot of respect for Optimum for bringing a higher quality kibble into supermarkets affordably, after all not all pet owners know they should ordinarily be going to a vet or specialist pet store to pay $10/kg if they want their dog to be healthy. But then I also found PAL Pedigree Performance to be quite good nutritionally as well, which some might disagree on. I have tried a range of super premium foods trying to find something high quality with high palatability, and these are the two kibble choices best accepted by my dog. Apart from training treats etc I do feed my dog solely on Optimum kibble, and she does have heaps of energy when appropriate (she is a lovely, quiet dog in the house when I have to study). I have just started her on an essential fatty acid supplement because she has mild atopic dermatitis (which incidentally was most likely her reason for scooting, not anal gland probs like I thought the small amount of kibble was causing) and the vet/lecturer said that any diet would be lower in EFA levels than what would be better for handling her condition. If she needed a prescription diet I would obviously change to Hills as this is their area, but for now I am more than happy with Optimum. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 I've used Optimum and I wouldn't hesitate in reccomending it. It would be the only supermarket brand I would ever buy, well I'd also buy Natures Gift to use of I ran out of raw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShesaLikeableBiBear Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 I havent found the ingredients list for Optimum yet. Looking at the first few ingredients this is for one of the Hills products and would not be a choice of mine when considering a dry kibble. Ground Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Liver Flavor, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eridor Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 I have been using Optimum for a few months now and would reccomend it highly, my dogs are doing great on it. I only feed a small amount of kibble like the others but they love it and are doing really well on it. In saying that my opinion of any food is if your dog does well on it then it is a good food for that dog, at one point I had 3 different foods on hand for 3 different dogs but they are all doing well on the optimum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatdex Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Euk is chicken, chicken meal and then corn meal, then lots of other stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxagirl Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Optimum isd great. It is the only non-super-premium food that kept weight on Bondi. I fed it for ages, then tried Euk, he coat is nicer on Euk, but it wasn't bad on Optimum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagsalot Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 I give Riley optimum. Ive found it good - and its one the few that RIley will eat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caspian Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Mine has had Optimum, Advance, and Euk. His staple is kibble, and every meal varies with meat, sardines, veges, eggs day to day. Noticed his poo is more consistent and less of it with Advance/Euk. Though its nasty when doing the switch between brands! His coat is better with Euk. The only reason I am sticking to Euk over Advance is because it seems more widely available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InspectorRex Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 I am with Miranda here, I feed Eagle Pack Holistic and chicken frames etc and my bitch has never looked better and her stools are so compact and nicely formed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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