If you or a family member/close friend owns a dog, please take this poll and note in the thread your state (city would be nice too, but I understand if you don't wish to share it). Please also include age, gender, breed (if known), which brand of food you feed your dog. I've noticed some trends recently and I'd like to collect some ad hoc data.

Thanks for your cooperation.

The purpose of this data collection is to try and notice a pattern among dog food manufacturers. Some really high end dog food companies are actually owned by the major "brands" who manufacture the "good stuff" in the same plants as the crap. I'd like to just see if there'* any real pattern or if this is just a New York/New Jersey/Southern Connecticut issue.

Please note: I left the "I know someone with healthy dogs" choice out because nearly everyone knows someone with a dog and since I'm expecting the majority of pets to be healthy, that choice would just fill up the thread.

My business partner'* golden retriever has suddenly grown several very large cysts. The owner recently switched dog food types and we're seriously freaked out here because the symptoms indicate that certain extremely toxic substances have been ingested in low quantities over a short period of time.

Additionally, due to the nature of my wife'* work she'* had a number of patients come in for grief counceling for pet death or extremely serious health complications. I've asked her to start keeping an anonymous log of the same kind of information I'm requesting here.

I own a chow in nebraska

I have noticed that she can not hear very well, somedays i can yell rather loud and she can not hear me....she used to be able to hear my footsteps when i would walk up to her...her coat doesn't look very good, and she has begun to slow down, and is not as active as she used to be maybe 4 months ago.....i can outrun her now, and she used to outrun me

im not sure if thats what ur looking for, but thats what i've noticed
she'* about 5 years old

What brand of food are you feeding her?

I voted no noticable changes.

We have a 3 year old Golden Retreiver. She'* still very spry and alert. We've never switched her food. Since a pup, she'* been eating the same food: Diamond Large Breed. All of the vets in this area highly recommend Diamond products.

I own 5 Dachshaunds Mort, and all seem fine. They range in age from 4-16 years old. The oldest has had a heart murmur for a couple years but still remains active. He also has a small non fixed cyst for a couple years , but is common with his breed and age. the rest are vigirous in health. They all eat Beneful exclusively and get only table scraps that are healthy and no sugar or additional fat whatsoever. They get rawhide bones for treats and I stay away from the processed ones.

Not implying that every dog in the world is unhealthy. That'* why I left that last choice out... I

bichon matese 5 years old. food is purina beneful

Morty...I replied that I own and no noticable because there'* a category missing of family etc owning w/no issues.