Best Possible Premium Dry food for my new baby. - YorkieTalk.com Forums

pharvey3232 · 11-30-2008, 09:30 AM

Hi guys. Nice to be aboard. Im bringing my baby boy home tomrrow.
Ive got his little world set up and ready for him, but I now have a serious question concerning his diet. I purchased Nutro Ultra puppy from Petsmart because they told me it was the best premium food out there.
Ive been reading on the boards and im SHOCKED to find out it may be horrible, if not fatal.

Thank God I havnt feed him anything yet. Im going to take it back and exchange it for a better food.

I heard Canidae, Innova, and Orijen are good quality foods.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

PrincessDiana · 11-30-2008, 09:53 AM

My very best recommendation would be Ziwi Peak. It is essentially dried meat is a jerky-like form. However, it's extremely extremely expensive.

As far as just regular kibble goes, we need Wellness Core and are extremely happy with that. I will never feed anything but grain-free kibble. Some other good ones are Orijen, Nature's Variety Instinct, Taste of the Wild, and Natural Balance, and Innova EVO.

Some people have had problems with Innova so I tend to stay away from it, although we used to feed California Natural (which is made by the same company) and my dogs did fine on it. There has been some controversy about the contents of their kibble and I know that EVO is too rich for some Yorkies.

Or you could look into raw or homecooking, which are both wonderful alternatives.

krisknr · 11-30-2008, 10:17 AM

The foods mentioned are great but IMO the best kibble is Instinct by Natures Variety. There 3 different formulas to rotate through. Gives him more varied nutrition and cuts down on the chances he will develop food allergies. It is for all life stages.

Yorkiedaze · 11-30-2008, 11:56 AM

Have you considered real food instead? Much healthier. The reasons our companion animals are dieing in epedimic porportions for serious illnesses and cancers is due to commercial foods and snacks, over inoculating and insect repellents.

The most important book on feeding pets is by Ann N. Martin and I would highly recommend you buy and read it before you feed any type of kibble.

Amazon.com: Protect Your Pet: More Shocking...
More reading:

Food Pets Die For; a Book Excerpt

food even a dog shouldn't eat

Rendering: the "Invisible Industry" Gets a Green Facelift | Center for Media and Democracy

Welcome to Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/front/1377004

Holistic Animal Medicines :: Natural animal health products supplier

pharvey3232 · 11-30-2008, 02:26 PM

Hi, Thanks.

Yes I have actually thought about real whole foods as opposed to commercial foods. The only problem is I really dont have the time to invest. I just want the best premium dog food I can find.
Reading the reviews on Ultra Holisitic from Nutro, I thought Id found it.

Everyone seems to have their own opinions on what is the best food for thier dog, and maybe thats just the case. Maybe every premium food works different for different dogs. Maybe you just have to play with different brands until you find one that works best for your pooch.

I worked at Petco back when I was in Highschool 1989 1990, and we used to have vendors come in and give us workshops on their dogfoods.
Let me tell ya, the Nutro people really had us sold. Their presentations made everyone else look pretty bad. They made you feel like if you werent feeding your dog Nutro, you were taking a horrible chance with your dogs health.

Ive been out of the game for several years now, but since I adopted my new yorkie, Ive been trying to find the best food offered on the market today. From what im hearing Nutro is not it.

So the search continues.........

I really appreciate hearing what works best for all you guys. Its helping me determine what direction to go in.

Thanks

Paul

Ellie May · 11-30-2008, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pharvey3232

Hi, Thanks.

Yes I have actually thought about real whole foods as opposed to commercial foods. The only problem is I really dont have the time to invest. I just want the best premium dog food I can find.
Reading the reviews on Ultra Holisitic from Nutro, I thought Id found it.

Everyone seems to have their own opinions on what is the best food for thier dog, and maybe thats just the case. Maybe every premium food works different for different dogs. Maybe you just have to play with different brands until you find one that works best for your pooch.

I worked at Petco back when I was in Highschool 1989 1990, and we used to have vendors come in and give us workshops on their dogfoods.
Let me tell ya, the Nutro people really had us sold. Their presentations made everyone else look pretty bad. They made you feel like if you werent feeding your dog Nutro, you were taking a horrible chance with your dogs health.

Ive been out of the game for several years now, but since I adopted my new yorkie, Ive been trying to find the best food offered on the market today. From what im hearing Nutro is not it.

So the search continues.........

I really appreciate hearing what works best for all you guys. Its helping me determine what direction to go in.

Thanks

Paul

According to the reports on Consumer Affairs, Nutro may be connected to lots of illnesses and deaths. If that's the case, it is probably one of the most dangerous foods out there.

Wylie's Mom · 11-30-2008, 03:24 PM

I feed Natures Variety or Primal or Suzy's pre-made raw food.

However, if I had to feed kibble - I'd choose Orijen first, hands down. From there, Natures Variety and then a few others.

Amanda7 · 11-30-2008, 04:24 PM

I guess you could ask 20 different YT members, and you'd get 20 different opinions. My opinion is Artemis Fresh Mix, or Timberwolf Organics. For additional info, check out this website.

Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost

Good Luck!

no3yshhc0la · 11-30-2008, 04:46 PM

Like all the others have said, everyone has their own opinions. I used to feed Sasha Nutro until I joined YT and started doing research on it. Found out it wasn't as good as I thought it was. I now feed Sasha Solid Gold and she loves it! It's not super expensive, but is more than most other brands. I've had great results with it. Good luck on your search!

CupofDog · 11-30-2008, 05:18 PM

I worked as a nutrition consulatant and was not paid by any dog food companies. The foods I had the best results with were (in no particular order) Wellness Core, Ziwi Peak, Orijen, Timberwolf and my FAVORITE is The Honest Kitchen.

Organic, Holistic Pet Food, Premium Pet Food - The Honest Kitchen

I think you will like Honest Kitchen because you can add fresh meats if you desire to mix things up, but on its own it is balanced.

as other's have said, there are so many different opinions - I would start with those listed on this thread and do your own research.

Good luck!!!

And good for you for not feeding Nutro!!!

pharvey3232 · 11-30-2008, 09:41 PM

I just want to say all you guys are AWESOME.
Its great a community of people who love these little bundles of joy can come together and unite to help other members of the community reach a common goal.................The health and well being of our Yorkies!

Im going to take these choices youve given me to heart and experiment some. I now im on the right path.

CupofDog · 12-01-2008, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pharvey3232

I just want to say all you guys are AWESOME.
Its great a community of people who love these little bundles of joy can come together and unite to help other members of the community reach a common goal.................The health and well being of our Yorkies!

Im going to take these choices youve given me to heart and experiment some. I now im on the right path.

You are DEFINITELY on the right path! Welcome to YT and we cannot wait to see pictures of your little one!!!

Mav · 12-02-2008, 01:54 AM

i would recommend any variant of go! natural, it's the best food i have fed my yorkies

iSylar · 12-02-2008, 05:05 AM

My puppy loves Wellness Super5Mix Just For Puppy.

BamaFan121s · 12-02-2008, 06:44 AM

First off, I would not recommend an immediate switch after you bring your little one home. Switching food cold turkey can often cause digestive upset and your little one will already be adjusting to his new home as it is. Continue to feed what he is accustomed to now and then gradually switch over.

As far as finding the 'best food possible', you will just have to try out different things and see what is the best match for YOUR little one. All dogs are different and what may work for one many not be the best for yours.

Research brands now, gather info on pet nutrition and decide which brands you think would be worth a try. dogfoodanalysis.com is a great source for info regarding ingredients in commercial foods, but keep in mind it and the ratings system were written based solely on the opinion of the site editor(s), not long term professional research. You have already been given some great resources to help you out, but here are a few more that will compare brands, home cooking, supplementing and that will give you some pretty in depth info on nutrition.

Dog Food Review Ratings

The Dog Food Project - How does your Dog Food Brand compare?

(I personally LOVE the second site...it examines some of the commonly preached inaccuracies regarding "taboo" ingredients.)

Good luck and congrats.

11-30-2008, 09:30 AM	#1
pharvey3232 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston Posts: 25	Best Possible Premium Dry food for my new baby. Hi guys. Nice to be aboard. Im bringing my baby boy home tomrrow. Ive got his little world set up and ready for him, but I now have a serious question concerning his diet. I purchased Nutro Ultra puppy from Petsmart because they told me it was the best premium food out there. Ive been reading on the boards and im SHOCKED to find out it may be horrible, if not fatal. Thank God I havnt feed him anything yet. Im going to take it back and exchange it for a better food. I heard Canidae, Innova, and Orijen are good quality foods. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

11-30-2008, 09:53 AM	#2
PrincessDiana I ♥ Franklin & Maggie Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 2,068	My very best recommendation would be Ziwi Peak. It is essentially dried meat is a jerky-like form. However, it's extremely extremely expensive. As far as just regular kibble goes, we need Wellness Core and are extremely happy with that. I will never feed anything but grain-free kibble. Some other good ones are Orijen, Nature's Variety Instinct, Taste of the Wild, and Natural Balance, and Innova EVO. Some people have had problems with Innova so I tend to stay away from it, although we used to feed California Natural (which is made by the same company) and my dogs did fine on it. There has been some controversy about the contents of their kibble and I know that EVO is too rich for some Yorkies. Or you could look into raw or homecooking, which are both wonderful alternatives. __________________ Diana , Mommy to Franklin, Maggie, Oliver, and Millie - RIP Piper

11-30-2008, 11:56 AM	#4
Yorkiedaze My hairy-legged girls Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: lompoc, ca. Posts: 12,228	Have you considered real food instead? Much healthier. The reasons our companion animals are dieing in epedimic porportions for serious illnesses and cancers is due to commercial foods and snacks, over inoculating and insect repellents. The most important book on feeding pets is by Ann N. Martin and I would highly recommend you buy and read it before you feed any type of kibble. Amazon.com: Protect Your Pet: More Shocking... More reading: Food Pets Die For; a Book Excerpt food even a dog shouldn't eat Rendering: the "Invisible Industry" Gets a Green Facelift \| Center for Media and Democracy Welcome to Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/front/1377004 Holistic Animal Medicines :: Natural animal health products supplier __________________ AZRAEL RAZAEL JILLI ANN

11-30-2008, 03:24 PM	#7
Wylie's Mom Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 35,889 Blog Entries: 2	I feed Natures Variety or Primal or Suzy's pre-made raw food. However, if I had to feed kibble - I'd choose Orijen first, hands down. From there, Natures Variety and then a few others. __________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann \| Pfeiffer \| Marcel Verdel Purcell \| Wylie \| Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨°

11-30-2008, 04:24 PM	#8
Amanda7 Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northern New York Posts: 1,307	I guess you could ask 20 different YT members, and you'd get 20 different opinions. My opinion is Artemis Fresh Mix, or Timberwolf Organics. For additional info, check out this website. Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost Good Luck! __________________ Snickers & Baxter Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened.

11-30-2008, 10:17 AM	#3
krisknr Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: WI Posts: 186	The foods mentioned are great but IMO the best kibble is Instinct by Natures Variety. There 3 different formulas to rotate through. Gives him more varied nutrition and cuts down on the chances he will develop food allergies. It is for all life stages.

11-30-2008, 02:26 PM	#5
pharvey3232 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston Posts: 25	Hi, Thanks. Yes I have actually thought about real whole foods as opposed to commercial foods. The only problem is I really dont have the time to invest. I just want the best premium dog food I can find. Reading the reviews on Ultra Holisitic from Nutro, I thought Id found it. Everyone seems to have their own opinions on what is the best food for thier dog, and maybe thats just the case. Maybe every premium food works different for different dogs. Maybe you just have to play with different brands until you find one that works best for your pooch. I worked at Petco back when I was in Highschool 1989 1990, and we used to have vendors come in and give us workshops on their dogfoods. Let me tell ya, the Nutro people really had us sold. Their presentations made everyone else look pretty bad. They made you feel like if you werent feeding your dog Nutro, you were taking a horrible chance with your dogs health. Ive been out of the game for several years now, but since I adopted my new yorkie, Ive been trying to find the best food offered on the market today. From what im hearing Nutro is not it. So the search continues......... I really appreciate hearing what works best for all you guys. Its helping me determine what direction to go in. Thanks Paul

11-30-2008, 04:46 PM	#9
no3yshhc0la No Longer a Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 131	Like all the others have said, everyone has their own opinions. I used to feed Sasha Nutro until I joined YT and started doing research on it. Found out it wasn't as good as I thought it was. I now feed Sasha Solid Gold and she loves it! It's not super expensive, but is more than most other brands. I've had great results with it. Good luck on your search!

11-30-2008, 05:18 PM	#10
CupofDog YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Washington D.C. Posts: 707	I worked as a nutrition consulatant and was not paid by any dog food companies. The foods I had the best results with were (in no particular order) Wellness Core, Ziwi Peak, Orijen, Timberwolf and my FAVORITE is The Honest Kitchen. Organic, Holistic Pet Food, Premium Pet Food - The Honest Kitchen I think you will like Honest Kitchen because you can add fresh meats if you desire to mix things up, but on its own it is balanced. as other's have said, there are so many different opinions - I would start with those listed on this thread and do your own research. Good luck!!! And good for you for not feeding Nutro!!! __________________ Roving dogs do not indicate the civilization or compassion of the society; they betray on the contrary the ignorance and lethargy of its members. -Ghandi

11-30-2008, 09:41 PM	#11
pharvey3232 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston Posts: 25	I just want to say all you guys are AWESOME. Its great a community of people who love these little bundles of joy can come together and unite to help other members of the community reach a common goal.................The health and well being of our Yorkies! Im going to take these choices youve given me to heart and experiment some. I now im on the right path.

12-02-2008, 01:54 AM	#13
Mav YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: QC, Philippines Posts: 4	i would recommend any variant of go! natural, it's the best food i have fed my yorkies

12-02-2008, 05:05 AM	#14
iSylar Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Alexandria, VA, USA Posts: 67	My puppy loves Wellness Super5Mix Just For Puppy.

12-02-2008, 06:44 AM	#15
BamaFan121s Donating YT 10K Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Alabama Posts: 11,432	First off, I would not recommend an immediate switch after you bring your little one home. Switching food cold turkey can often cause digestive upset and your little one will already be adjusting to his new home as it is. Continue to feed what he is accustomed to now and then gradually switch over. As far as finding the 'best food possible', you will just have to try out different things and see what is the best match for YOUR little one. All dogs are different and what may work for one many not be the best for yours. Research brands now, gather info on pet nutrition and decide which brands you think would be worth a try. dogfoodanalysis.com is a great source for info regarding ingredients in commercial foods, but keep in mind it and the ratings system were written based solely on the opinion of the site editor(s), not long term professional research. You have already been given some great resources to help you out, but here are a few more that will compare brands, home cooking, supplementing and that will give you some pretty in depth info on nutrition. Dog Food Review Ratings The Dog Food Project - How does your Dog Food Brand compare? (I personally LOVE the second site...it examines some of the commonly preached inaccuracies regarding "taboo" ingredients.) Good luck and congrats.