4Health @ Tractor Supply

[TysonTheDane]

How does this food rate in your opinions? I know it's not the quality of BB or TOTW, but I can tell from the first few ingredients that it's definitely better than some of the junk out there, and it's right at $30 for a 35 lb. bag.

Here's the ingredient list and nutritional info for the Large Breed Adult formula:

Ingredients:
Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, cracked pearled barley, white rice, rice bran, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dried beet pulp, flaxseed, egg product, fish meal, brewers dried yeast, natural chicken flavor, potassium chloride, salt, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, chondroitin sulfate, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, L-Carnitine, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein 24.0% (min.), Crude Fat 12.0% (min.), Omega-6 Fatty Acids* 2.0% (min.), Sodium 0.3% (max.), Omega-3 Fatty Acids* 0.3% (min.), Moisture 10.0% (max.), Crude Fiber 4.0% (max.), Calcium 1.1% (min.), Phosphorus 1.1% (max.), Phosphorus 0.9% (min.), Glucosamine hydrochloride* 750 mg/kg (min.), Chondroitin sulfate* 250 mg/kg (min.), Zinc 150 mg/kg (min.), L-Carnitine 30 mg/kg (min.), Selenium 0.4 mg/kg (min.), Vitamin E 150 IU/kg (min.).
*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profile.
Caloric Content:
3,499 kcal/kg (327 kcal/cup).

[CalicoJenn]

We tend to recommend their chicken and rice blend to people on a budget as it's a good food for the price. There are better foods out there of course, but not much in that price bracket.

[silentskream]

It's certainly not the worst food on the market.. but i'd still steer clear..

It seems to translate to Chicken and rice,rice,ricericericebarleyricerice.
I have a personal aversion to rice because Boston is allergic.. but even without the allergy, i would prefer to only have it as a "supporting role" instead of the bulk.. and when you add 3 different "types" of rice ingredients all in the first handful of ingredients.. i would imagine there's more rice than chicken.
Once you get past that, you get some odds and ends of no particular merit, and then the rest is little more than a multivitamin..

like i said though.. you could certainly do worse.

[mkueper]

I used it and had no problems with it and would use it again if I had too.

[ouesi]

I figure for $10 more we can get TOTW, with way more meat and no beet pulp - the more I read about beet pulp the less inclined I am to feed it.

Not a horrible food honestly, but more grain heavy than I would like.

I think Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul is a better option in around the same price range, and many feed stores carry it.

[Susanne]

It's the same thing as Diamond Natural 60+


Natural Diamond 60+
Protein: 23% Fat: 13%
Calories: 3,499 kcal/kg (327 kcal/cup) Calculated ME
Sizes Available: 40 lb. and 6 oz. sample
Ingredients

Chicken, chicken meal, cracked pearled barley, whole grain brown rice, white rice, rice bran, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dried beet pulp, egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, fish meal, brewers dried yeast, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, L-Carnitine, vitamin E supplement, chondroitin sulfate, beta carotene, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

4Health
Ingredients:
Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, cracked pearled barley, white rice, rice bran, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dried beet pulp, flaxseed, egg product, fish meal, brewers dried yeast, natural chicken flavor, potassium chloride, salt, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, chondroitin sulfate, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, L-Carnitine, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

They are made by the same company just in different bags. The only thing is that 60+ has added beta carotene. Some of the ingredients are flipped flopped giving one a higher protein level. And the surprising thing it rates 4 stars and the other thing is the 4Health and 60+ are sold at the same price. With 60+, the advantage is 5lbs more.

[Dobe&Dane]

I have Donko on this and I like it. It does have a lot of rice, but I guess I liked that about it because it helped him put on weight (that he couldn't gain on TOTW). Now that I've come to grips that he's going to have to be on a fish based diet, we're going to take him off of it, but other than his sensitive stomach, no complaints!
His coat is really nice and he's not gassy. :thumbs up:

[Zoesfriend]

I switched to the Diamond Naturals from TOTW, because Zoe would barely eat the TOTW and was losing weight. The gas issue improved some what with the Diamond. She is gradually putting weight on again.

I would love Chicken Soup. I feed it to a cat once and my mother feeds it to her Bostons. But I can't find it anywhere close to me.

[mistified247]

The things that I would be concerned over would be the heavy grains. It seems to be an awful lot of rice. Also the other things that stand out would be: dried beet pulp & egg product rather than it being just egg or whole egg.

I'm sure there are worse things aout there than the things that I listed. However, the rice, rice, rice is my biggest problem.

[CalicoJenn]

Chicken and rice formula:
Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, cracked pearled barley, millet, brewers rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), beet pulp, natural chicken flavor, flaxseed, fish meal, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, Yucca schidigera extract, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, chondroitin sulfate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid

It has a 26% protien level so it wouldn't be apropreate for a puppy, but i wouldn't be opposed to feeding it to adults if for some reason we had an emergency and couldn't afford our canidae. It's what my mom and a lot of the people who live near her that are disabled and on a budget feed their companion dogs now, and it's a far sight better than the rest of the stuff available in that price bracket.

[Mr. Walnuts]

If you're on a budget... Canidae is an EXCELLENT food and the prices are low since the recovery of last years recall. petfooddirect had the 45lb bag for $30 for a while, but now the 45lb bag is $39... still cheaper than the 4Health per pound.

HTH

[Jackielyn]

If you're on a budget... Canidae is an EXCELLENT food and the prices are low since the recovery of last years recall. petfooddirect had the 45lb bag for $30 for a while, but now the 45lb bag is $39... still cheaper than the 4Health per pound.

HTH

Also probably has higher calories per cup (didn't check this but Canidae is HIGH) so you will be feeding less.