Hill’s Science Diet Adult 1-6, Adult 1-6 Premium Nutrition, Small Kibble, Dry Dog Food, Chicken & Barley, 35 lb Bag

Many, many benefits and a couple of caveats For some reason, the science of nutrition has become more like religion in modern times….as if what the owner believes will magically make the dog healthy. Dogs and their bodies cannot share our belief systems.I’ve been using Science Diet brand for over 30 years now, various formulas for individual pets with their needs. They do very well. Great, in fact.There is the correct amount of protein: they can digest and metabolize it all and not have excess go through them or harm the renal system and cause stones. The calcium is correctly combined with other things so it is available to the dog.The volume I need to feed for each meal is small enough that it does not risk bloat, cause gas, or interfere with digestion. In other words, it fits comfortably in my dog’s stomach when it expands with the moisture in there. The bag lasts a LONG time because meal sizes are small due to nutritional density.It does not have “flavors” dogs cannot taste (they don’t have taste buds like we do) or artificially added colors and shapes dogs do not care about.I measure the meals with an actual measuring cup, so I know if my dog is losing his appetite right away.I use small bites for my larger dog because it slows down his eating, taking him longer to finish, which is healthier and allows him to enjoy it more.I like to feed poultry-based foods as they are easiest to digest, but lamb and turkey are high in tryptophan, which can be soothing and support good mental health.When it comes to ingredients, I trust what veterinarians and canine nutritional experts approve, not what the average consumer thinks sounds good, or what dogs would pick in a lineup (Cheetos or brownies would probably win, really, with dogs). Grapes and raisins are healthy for us, but can kill dogs. They are not just like us. This product is one I trust because it is made for domestic dogs. Yes, “biproducts” sound gross, and maybe they are, but bear in mind humans fed dogs offal and leftovers, not the best cuts, historically. Dogs got what they got, and ate what we ate, and we were pretty poor. We taught them to help us hunt, but also not to kill and eat the things, but to bring them to us or hold them in one place, even rats (because we wanted them to kill all the rats, not just what they could eat). These guys will eat poop and raw dead birds maggots and all in the yard if they can. Cooked and properly processed biproducts are not that gross.CON: Science Diet on their smaller bags of product, like for cats, is using Velcro to allow bags to be re-sealable. It works very well, keeping the food fresher. While I currently decant the dog food into another container, I think it would be great if they added this to all sizes of bags. If you buy this, rolling it tightly and clipping, putting in large Ziplocs, or getting a container to keep it fresh (and not stale) will be the best methods.NOTE: If your dog has a confirmed allergy to a specific grain, like corn, the usual culprit, as that is New World and was not around most of the time mankind was creating dogs, then this may not be for you. Even formulas that have barley or rice sometimes have corn products, so read labels carefully or use dogfoodadvisor dot com. Limited ingredient foods can be the best thing. However, make sure the allergy is not to peas, a common culprit, used in many grain-free foods, before you go crazy. Let your vet help you