Maxi Zoo Select Gold food

Gael23

So after 3 years we’re getting s new puppy tomorrow! The Breeder has him on select gold food which I have never heard of before. How would posters here rate this?

aonb

Since no-one has replied, I'll jump in!

First of all congratulations on your new puppy - what breed? A photo will be asked for by everyone who reads your post. Lovely to have a dog again, I hope it all goes really well. Fun times ahead getting used to the little thing - nothing nicer

Select Gold is Maxizoo's 'own brand' - I can remember reading the ingredients on the side of a pack, its not too bad I seem to remember, but there are much much better options out there. Ive attached a couple of links below on the subject of Select Gold, you might be interested in reading. Whatever you decide on, make sure you keep him on the breeders food for the first week or so after he arrives with you. If hes used to Select Gold get some from the breeder, or buy a small bag, so that you dont have a puppy getting used to new people and environment and getting an upset tummy on top of that trauma, because of a new/different food. If you do decide to change food brands, do it gradually over a few days to allow his tummy to get used to the new food.

What you feed your dog reflects your own attitude to food and your pocket and your dogs tastes. As a rule of thumb, I would suggest you get a food with the best ingredients - animal protein as a first ingredient, and with a list of the LEAST number of ingredients, and the BEST ingredients you can afford. Some good reasonably priced brands are James Wellbeloved, Call of the Wild, Orijen, Markus Muhle, Arcana, Wolf of Wilderness, Burns. Visit some of your local pet stores, and look at the ingredients - not rocket science, should have meat as first ingredient, I like rice or potato as a starch, rather than wheats etc. Stay away from any food you can buy in a supermarket.
Since you have a puppy, get the smallest bag to try (anything he doesnt eat can be donated to local animal charity). You'll be moving on to adult food at some stage, you might want to consider a puppy food with a good adult food.


https://www.dogsfirst.ie/maxizoo-products-good-bad-ugly/
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056248191
https://www.weddingsonline.ie/discussion/what-do-you-feed-your-dog-t372397.html

SillyMangoX

As said, select gold is Maxi Zoo own brand, it would be considered on par with royal canin/hills so let that say what it will. Not an atrocious food by any means, but it's up to yourself if you'd like to wean on to something better! Congrats on the new addition!

Gael23

He’s a cross between a King Charles Spaniel and Bichon Frise. We gave our last one pedigree and he lived to 15 so I suppose it’s why they like and you can afford really matters

reeta

I put my springer/cocker cross on select gold when I first got her , eight years ago, it was the worst decision ever and I spent months going to the vet trying to work out what was wrong with her, she had constant diarrohea with blood in it ... we eventually found that red mills worked for her and have never looked back. i remember going into maxi zoo one day in tears as my dog was so sick but they told me how great select gold was that people actually put it on their toast.. what utter rubbish !

Gael23

How does it look on cost? I can’t find that anywhere.

SillyMangoX

It’s been a couple of years since I worked there so I can’t remember exactly but I think a 12kg bag was in the €45-€55 range

liam7831

reeta wrote:

I put my springer/cocker cross on select gold when I first got her , eight years ago, it was the worst decision ever and I spent months going to the vet trying to work out what was wrong with her, she had constant diarrohea with blood in it ... we eventually found that red mills worked for her and have never looked back. i remember going into maxi zoo one day in tears as my dog was so sick but they told me how great select gold was that people actually put it on their toast.. what utter rubbish !

How's a dog meant to eat a slice of toast ?

Gael23

I know he’s only 9 weeks old but he eats so little we could possibly get one of the better brands to become affordable if a bag lasted longer

eirbear1989

Oh the excitement, we have our puppy 7 months now - it took some convincing but himself finally gave up one hungover Sunday and we have never looked back.

What type of dog is he? To be honest I have never heard of a breeder having a dog on any sort of cheap food, which I imagine own brand is. Our Saint Bernard (not the current dog) came with Royal Canine, our Lab was Science Plan. Current dog (not from a reputable breeder - German Shepard bitch got preggers with the next doors Collie) came on Supervalu own brand (we got him off that as fast as we could)

I went into the pet shop and the lady recommended the Gain Big Dog Puppy. its €40 for 15kg bag. tells you how much to feed him on the back. He had the nicest coat, which the vet said it a testament to the food. When I told him what the dog was on he said they would only recommend the Gain or Hills.

Puppy is 9 months now, so he will be moving on to the adult version of the food in 3 months. Currently the 15kg bag lasts us nearly a month (he is on 610kg a day based on his weight) but that will soon start decreasing, you can even see it in him he doesn't need as much food anymore. He rarely finishes breakfast or dinner!

As said before what ever you decide to get, introduce it slowly. Mix 3/4 current to 1/4 new and then after a few days do half and half, then more of the new than the old, until you have the old phased out completely.

Best of luck with your new puppy, and hide your shoes!

muddypaws

eirbear1989 wrote: »

Oh the excitement, we have our puppy 7 months now - it took some convincing but himself finally gave up one hungover Sunday and we have never looked back.

What type of dog is he? To be honest I have never heard of a breeder having a dog on any sort of cheap food, which I imagine own brand is. Our Saint Bernard (not the current dog) came with Royal Canine, our Lab was Science Plan. Current dog (not from a reputable breeder - German Shepard bitch got preggers with the next doors Collie) came on Supervalu own brand (we got him off that as fast as we could)

I went into the pet shop and the lady recommended the Gain Big Dog Puppy. its €40 for 15kg bag. tells you how much to feed him on the back. He had the nicest coat, which the vet said it a testament to the food. When I told him what the dog was on he said they would only recommend the Gain or Hills.

Puppy is 9 months now, so he will be moving on to the adult version of the food in 3 months. Currently the 15kg bag lasts us nearly a month (he is on 610kg a day based on his weight) but that will soon start decreasing, you can even see it in him he doesn't need as much food anymore. He rarely finishes breakfast or dinner!

As said before what ever you decide to get, introduce it slowly. Mix 3/4 current to 1/4 new and then after a few days do half and half, then more of the new than the old, until you have the old phased out completely.

Best of luck with your new puppy, and hide your shoes!

Maxi Zoo select gold would be considered a premium food, of higher quality than Gain. It's definitely not a cheap food.

Summer In the City

muddypaws wrote: »

Maxi Zoo select gold would be considered a premium food, of higher quality than Gain. It's definitely not a cheap food.

Gain Elite is the same quality as Select Gold/ Hills/ Science Plan. It might be cheaper but that doesn't really mean anything. I wouldn't feed any of them foods to mine anyway.

muddypaws

Summer In the City wrote: »

Gain Elite is the same quality as Select Gold/ Hills/ Science Plan. It might be cheaper but that doesn't really mean anything. I wouldn't feed any of them foods to mine anyway.

You should read the post that I replied to.

whiterebel

Look at the ingredients and meat content etc. Select Gold gives a good balance of value versus meat content, especially if you could be using a lot of it. Make up your own mind. Not all foods agree with all dogs, a really expensive food can make a dog sick if it doesn't agree with them. I have a German Shepherd on the Select Gold since she was about 6 months old, and she is in top condition, her coat is magnificent and is always commented on by the vets.

Summer In the City

muddypaws wrote: »

You should read the post that I replied to.

I did?

Gael23

I’m liking the sound of Burns, reasonable price and smskl pieces of food which is what he needs

muddypaws

Gael23 wrote: »

I’m liking the sound of Burns, reasonable price and smskl pieces of food which is what he needs

I got Burns a few months ago for my pup, he ate it for a week, then wouldn't go near it. He's on Royal Canin junior now and devours it

eirbear1989

muddypaws wrote: »

Maxi Zoo select gold would be considered a premium food, of higher quality than Gain. It's definitely not a cheap food.

I said I "imagine" I have never heard of it. I take it back!

eirbear1989

Summer In the City wrote: »

Gain Elite is the same quality as Select Gold/ Hills/ Science Plan. It might be cheaper but that doesn't really mean anything. I wouldn't feed any of them foods to mine anyway.

What do you feed your dog?

Summer In the City

eirbear1989 wrote: »

What do you feed your dog?

Acana and Carnilove.

Gael23

I just had a good look at the ingredients and noticed that the first ingredient is Potato, I think I remember reading here before that this first ingredient should always be meat?

muddypaws

Gael23 wrote: »

I just had a good look at the ingredients and noticed that the first ingredient is Potato, I think I remember reading here before that this first ingredient should always be meat?

Not necessarily, as there isn't an actual law, some companies weigh the meat after the water has been removed so the percentage will be lower than those companies that weigh it before. You may compare two foods, one has the meat first and it appears to be a high percentage of the overall food, but it may well actually have less meat than another food, which has a lower percentage but the meat was weighed after dehydration. If that makes sense, it's been a very long day.

Summer In the City

muddypaws wrote: »

Not necessarily, as there isn't an actual law, some companies weigh the meat after the water has been removed so the percentage will be lower than those companies that weigh it before.

What company does this? It sounds like something a rep would make up to defend their food.

muddypaws

Summer In the City wrote: »

What company does this? It sounds like something a rep would make up to defend their food.

Google is your friend. Not difficult to find information. It's the same principle as human foods or other products having the packet size reduced while the price stays the same, all clever marketing.

I live 2 hours away from the nearest Maxi Zoo so no, that isn't my daily commute. I feed my dogs a mix of raw meat/fish and Alpha High Performance, which is a working dog food made in the UK, except for the pup, he's on Royal Canin junior, as I got some reduced bags, he'll be switched to Alpha when his current bag runs out. I started him on James Wellbeloved which I think is an excellent food but it was too difficult to source locally, so I switched him to Burns which unfortunately he didn't do well on, which was disappointing, as I'd always heard it was a great food.

Summer In the City

muddypaws wrote: »

Google is your friend. Not difficult to find information. It's the same principle as human foods or other products having the packet size reduced while the price stays the same, all clever marketing.

There is very strict regulation on ingredient labelling on dog food. All of the manufacturers are at pains to show off the meat content of their foods. So I'll ask you again, which ones shrink their meat content? I can't find anything on Google.

muddypaws

Summer In the City wrote: »

There is very strict regulation on ingredient labelling on dog food. All of the manufacturers are at pains to show off the meat content of their foods. So I'll ask you again, which ones shrink their meat content? I can't find anything on Google.

Please show where I said shrink? There are regulations on labelling, but not on whether the ingredients must be fresh or dehydrated.

I thought Google was universal, obviously not as the first hit when I googled it was a site warning about meat being weighed before dehydration

Summer In the City

muddypaws wrote: »

Please show where I said shrink? There are regulations on labelling, but not on whether the ingredients must be fresh or dehydrated.

I thought Google was universal, obviously not as the first hit when I googled it was a site warning about meat being weighed before dehydration

You're the one making the claim. You should be able to back it up.

Why would any dog food manufacturers not weigh their meat content in the way that puts them on a par with their competitors if its all above board and legal?

muddypaws

Summer In the City wrote: »

You're the one making the claim. You should be able to back it up.

Why would any dog food manufacturers not weigh their meat content in the way that puts them on a par with their competitors if its all above board and legal?

Because they're not on a par with those particular competitors?

Summer In the City

muddypaws wrote: »

Because they're not on a par with those particular competitors?

They all play by the same rules. Can you back up your claim or not?

Springwell

Summer in the City - I assume the poster is referring to the difference between meat (70% water) and meat meal/dehydrated meat/dried meat and needing to be sure to read labels and check you're comparing like with like by taking the water content of fresh meat list into consideration

Summer In the City

Springwell wrote: »

Summer in the City - I assume the poster is referring to the difference between meat (70% water) and meat meal/dehydrated meat/dried meat and needing to be sure to read labels and check you're comparing like with like by taking the water content of fresh meat list into consideration

OK, that's fair enough. What I was getting at is no food manufacturer is trying to mislead customers with their fresh meat content if they're good enough to use it as can be seen by the bag I have here.

tk123

Summer In the City wrote: »

OK, that's fair enough. What I was getting at is no food manufacturer is trying to mislead customers with their fresh meat content if they're good enough to use it as can be seen by the bag I have here.

The manufactures are marketing their foods to customers at the end of the day and use whatever stats/wording to make their food look best so they can charge appropriately. Eg stick a photo of a wolf on the bag and it becomes 'natural' lol
The same way some people will balk at by-products or meat meal in a dry food because they want e.g. "fresh chicken breast" ... yet I would't dream of feeding just breast and quite happily feed byproducts like carcass, necks, wings, ears etc to my dogs who quite happily eat it lol

muddypaws

Summer In the City wrote: »

OK, that's fair enough. What I was getting at is no food manufacturer is trying to mislead customers with their fresh meat content if they're good enough to use it as can be seen by the bag I have here.

So, is that chicken weighed before or after the water is removed?

Springwell

muddypaws wrote: »

So, is that chicken weighed before or after the water is removed?

If it states fresh on the package weight is taken including water. Where just "chicken" is listed it can also be assumed it is fresh/water included weight

muddypaws

Springwell wrote: »

If it states fresh on the package weight is taken including water. Where just "chicken" is listed it can also be assumed it is fresh/water included weight

I had a look and if it's the same food, fresh chicken is 25%, the next ingredient is 23%. So to me, that's all about marketing, they have made sure to use just enough meat before taking the water out to get it to be the first ingredient.

Does anyone know where the idea that meat has to be the first ingredient came from? It is said over and over again, but I don't know where it originated.

Springwell

I guess it's because people are becoming far more aware of what they are feeding their dogs instead of just picking up a bag of Pedigree or Winalot in their trolley doing the weekly shop. There's a distinct move towards the concept dogs where evolved to eat meat and not grains.

To me it's less about meat as the first ingredient and more about not wanting to pay for a food full of cheap fillers (grains!)

Summer In the City

muddypaws wrote: »

I had a look and if it's the same food, fresh chicken is 25%, the next ingredient is 23%. So to me, that's all about marketing, they have made sure to use just enough meat before taking the water out to get it to be the first ingredient.

Does anyone know where the idea that meat has to be the first ingredient came from? It is said over and over again, but I don't know where it originated.

This is the full ingredient list.

Knine

Springwell wrote: »

I guess it's because people are becoming far more aware of what they are feeding their dogs instead of just picking up a bag of Pedigree or Winalot in their trolley doing the weekly shop. There's a distinct move towards the concept dogs where evolved to eat meat and not grains.

To me it's less about meat as the first ingredient and more about not wanting to pay for a food full of cheap fillers (grains!)

The thing is as a teenager I knew no better & picked up bags of Winalot & Winalot Prime/Pedro etc and fed it to my dogs along with scraps. Guess what? They lived to 16/17 years of age with no health issues. They were not neutered either. I wonder if the new generation of grain free/raw fed etc etc will do any better.

muddypaws

Knine wrote: »

The thing is as a teenager I knew no better & picked up bags of Winalot & Winalot Prime/Pedro etc and fed it to my dogs along with scraps. Guess what? They lived to 16/17 years of age with no health issues. They were not neutered either. I wonder if the new generation of grain free/raw fed etc etc will do any better.

I know, my childhood dog lived to 16 on a diet of toast for breakfast, and a cheap tin with mixer biscuits for dinner and the only time he went to the vet outside of vaccinations was when my Dad accidentally hit him in the mouth with a golf club and he needed 3 stitches.

muddypaws

Springwell wrote: »

I guess it's because people are becoming far more aware of what they are feeding their dogs instead of just picking up a bag of Pedigree or Winalot in their trolley doing the weekly shop. There's a distinct move towards the concept dogs where evolved to eat meat and not grains.

To me it's less about meat as the first ingredient and more about not wanting to pay for a food full of cheap fillers (grains!)

Dogs can digest grains. I agree that the cheaper foods full of filler aren't great but I think the grain free thing is a fad, again, clever marketing.

I really would like to know now where the first ingredient thing originated, it's become a mantra, but is there any science behind it? The alpha thing was held up as the way to go for so long, when something is repeated enough times, does it become true?

DBB

I'm not so sure that the assertion that dogs can process grains is true. The only decent research I'm aware of, and I could be proven wrong, showed that dogs are better at processing carbohydrates than wolves are. I think this was somewhat seized upon by the dry dog food moguls, interpreting it as meaning that it's fine to feed grains to dogs... But grains most certainly are not the only source of carbs!

If I may give anecdotal evidence... It's pretty clear that dogs can reasonably well process carbs from veg, spuds etc... But my own young dog got stuck into the hens' breakfast the other day, and consumed quite a bit of wheat. I was scooping it off the lawn for 3 days afterwards, completely undigested... A good wash and I could've fed the hens with it after all (I didn't ).

I wince when I'm told that grain-free is a new fad. I stopped feeding grain to my dogs many years ago... Long, long before it became "trendy" , because feeding grains to a carnivore just doesn't tick a number of biological boxes for me (yes, I know some refer to dogs as omnivores... I'm not at all on board with this. To my zoological training, they're carnivores that can supplement their diet with other non-meat stuff... But if they never again got to eat such non-meat stuff, they'd be perfectly fine). So, coming from someone who isn't inclined to follow trends when it comes to my dogs, instead basing my decisions on a fairly in-depth biological background, I'll continue to feed my veg-liking carnivores the grain free diet that pretty much all my dogs have been on for well over a decade.
There are so, so many dogs on my radar that have benefited behaviourally and/or health wise by coming off grain.
I'd also urge caution with drawing any conclusions about whether modern dogs are or aren't living longer than dogs from our childhoods due to diet/nutrition. My childhood was before the proliferation of puppy farms in Ireland, and the flooding of the market with really poor quality, unhealthy dogs that, for some breeds at least, have become so numerous that they've "bred out" any remaining healthy stock. When I was a kid, Westies for example would routinely live to a ripe old age... 15 would be the absolute norm, with older dogs also common. Now, if they make it to 12 in good health, they're doing tremendously well. This has nothing to do with what they're eating, and everything to do with crappy genetic selection associated with puppy farming.

Springwell

I think dogs were probably healthier in the past before the advent of puppy farms and the commercialization of the "pet" market as DBB says.

I'm not convinced dogs are evolved to eat grains, or at least in the quantities lower end dog foods contain them - the only study done showed they were marginally better at digesting them than wolves. I also do some post mortems as part of my job (sorry to the more sensitive types - maybe stop reading now) and having examined and tested the contents of intestines I'd often seen entire grains especially in dogs fed those museli type foods in the gut contents. I'm not an ardent raw feeder - in fact I break the (nonsensical) "rules" held up by some more evangelical raw feeders and feed a good quality dry food topped with raw mince or chicken wings etc.

However, if a dog is being fed a Supermarket brand and is healthy, fit and happy then I don't see the point in changing - what suits one dog doesn't suit another!

Springwell

muddypaws wrote: »

Dogs can digest grains. I agree that the cheaper foods full of filler aren't great but I think the grain free thing is a fad, again, clever marketing.

I really would like to know now where the first ingredient thing originated, it's become a mantra, but is there any science behind it? The alpha thing was held up as the way to go for so long, when something is repeated enough times, does it become true?

Sure, there's an element of marketing - there is with all dog food (or anything we are being sold). Grain free isn't a fad in my opinion.

The first ingredient thing, I think, was suggested as an easy way for owners to select a food with a higher meat content and less fillers...then the feed companies caught on to it and changed their labeling practices to list fresh weight vs meat meal weight to bump the meat content up the listings.

muddypaws

Springwell wrote: »

I think dogs were probably healthier in the past before the advent of puppy farms and the commercialization of the "pet" market as DBB says.

I'm not convinced dogs are evolved to eat grains, or at least in the quantities lower end dog foods contain them - the only study done showed they were marginally better at digesting them than wolves. I also do some post mortems as part of my job (sorry to the more sensitive types - maybe stop reading now) and having examined and tested the contents of intestines I'd often seen entire grains especially in dogs fed those museli type foods in the gut contents. I'm not an ardent raw feeder - in fact I break the (nonsensical) "rules" held up by some more evangelical raw feeders and feed a good quality dry food topped with raw mince or chicken wings etc.

However, if a dog is being fed a Supermarket brand and is healthy, fit and happy then I don't see the point in changing - what suits one dog doesn't suit another!

The muesli type is the first dry food that I came across, and the person feeding it extolled the virtues of how healthy it was to me, so I tried it, my dogs did ok on it, then I discovered one with pasta - that had to be healthy right? Chudleys was the brand, they're still around but not widely sold in Ireland anymore. They do a product that I really like and wish I could still get easily, greyhound crunch, dehydrated greaves, really good for getting weight on skinny rescue dogs and pups, and for travelling, rather than trying to keep raw meat cold. I believe it's still sold at greyhound tracks but I don't want to support that industry.

Interesting about the pms, I guess it al comes down to quality and quantity. I realise it has no real bearing on the lives our dogs lead, but sleddogs running long distance races have a mix of meat and kibble. Not just for the logistics of storing the amount of meat that would be needed if that was the sole food, but the dogs wouldn't get enough from that diet, so kibble is vitally important.

It would be great if more studies could be done but, who would finance them? When dog food companies do research, people cry foul and don't believe the results but I don't know who else would be interested in funding them. Maybe that's something for a euromillions winning dog lover to consider.

tk123

I've had grain poo after the dogs have had pheasant - doesn't look like the poor Pheasant was able to digest it either! . My mum used to be sent to the abattoir as a kid (can you imagine that today! ) to collect the offal for their dogs - she had never seen kibble until we got Bailey and fed it to him for a few years before taking him off it,

DBB

tk123 wrote: »

I've had grain poo after the dogs have had pheasant - doesn't look like the poor Pheasant was able to digest it either! .

Lol
In fairness, pheasants (and most birds) store food in their crop before it goes on its digestive journey through the stomach and intestines. You can feel grains in their crops before it starts the journey.
The crop starts the softening process, and does a small bit of grinding as birds eat grit and sand for this very purpose. So, what you got was grain that had barely started the digestion process. I've never seen any of our hens, turkeys or pheasants pooping out whole grains... They're pretty efficient at digesting it. The dogs, on the other hand...
Generally you won't get grains in chicken or turkey because these birds, in captivity, are fasted for about 12-24 hours before slaughter... The main reason for this is to clear food out of the crop, so that it doesn't taint the meat. Pheasants are shot in the wild... There's no control over what or when they eat before their demise.
That's today's lesson in avian digestion concluded

Springwell

Exactly as above - the grains are from the crop. And commercially shot pheasants are likely to have fed just before being shot

reeta

liam7831 wrote: »

How's a dog meant to eat a slice of toast ?

They told me the dog owners put it on their own toast because it is so good !

Del007

My puppy (8 months old, lurcher crossed with who knows what) gets the Maxi zoo complete gold, medium, junior.

I have absolutely no idea if it's good or bad for her but she seems healthy enough. Her coat is nice and soft as but I give her come coconut oil a few times a week, she also gets eggs and chicken a few times a week with her nuts. They did recommend it in Maxi zoo but most of the people working there don't have a clue what they're taking about and I was none the wiser (in my experience that is)

If there's a cheaper food out there that's better for her then I would def give it a try.

Dubl07

What a lovely puppy. My dog (same cross as yours, OP) is almost four. We tried home-cooked, various premium brands etc but the one she thrives on is the Premiere Soft from Maxi-Zoo. She enjoys it whether as breakfast, dinner or treats. I also give her some chicken wing-tips and ducks' necks to keep her bum happy and some blueberries, carrots and cabbage stalks/broccoli to amuse her.