I am so sad about this puppy food talk....

[emilyann]

After Lilly finishes her Taste of the Wild, I'm switching her to something she likes, doesn't make her poo smell and is maybe grain free. I've switched her on foods too much trying to get rid of her allergies... I've realized she's always going to itch and it's obviously not the food. It gets expensive to keep changing and I'm terrified of making her a picky eater.

I think your best bet is to find something you can obviously afford, something that your pup loves to eat and something that is, of course, not full of fillers and is good for them.

I really don't think so many arguments are called for when it comes to talking about dog food.

[Txgurl06]

Originally Posted by emilyann

After Lilly finishes her Taste of the Wild, I'm switching her to something she likes, doesn't make her poo smell and is maybe grain free. I've switched her on foods too much trying to get rid of her allergies... I've realized she's always going to itch and it's obviously not the food. It gets expensive to keep changing and I'm terrified of making her a picky eater.

I think your best bet is to find something you can obviously afford, something that your pup loves to eat and something that is, of course, not full of fillers and is good for them.

I really don't think so many arguments are called for when it comes to talking about dog food.

in all reality its everyones own choice as stated! All we can do here is give you guys are knowledge and opinions!

Allergies are so hard to deal with! my girl has bad allergies. so bad that her should pull all the hair out of her legs and scratch with her teeth till she bled. Now shes doing better i hope we are done with that!

Like i said all i can do is tell yall what i feed and my experience with it. I feed embark from the honest kitchen. they also have keen with is super affordable!! get some samples and try it.

[emilyann]

Originally Posted by Txgurl06

in all reality its everyones own choice as stated! All we can do here is give you guys are knowledge and opinions!

Allergies are so hard to deal with! my girl has bad allergies. so bad that her should pull all the hair out of her legs and scratch with her teeth till she bled. Now shes doing better i hope we are done with that!

Like i said all i can do is tell yall what i feed and my experience with it. I feed embark from the honest kitchen. they also have keen with is super affordable!! get some samples and try it.

Hm, not sure what you mean by your comment as I wasn't looking for knowledge nor opinions on food, however I appreciate any input. This isn't meant to be offensive either, I just have a hard time with wording things appropriately.

I have her on fish based food right now... I've had her on chicken before. I also had her on Natural Balance grain free allergy formula. I don't see how food would still be causing her allergies but I may be wrong.

How long have you been feeding Honest Kitchen? Do you add anything to it or do you just feed the food by itself?

[Txgurl06]

Originally Posted by emilyann

Hm, not sure what you mean by your comment as I wasn't looking for knowledge nor opinions on food, however I appreciate any input. This isn't meant to be offensive either, I just have a hard time with wording things appropriately.

I have her on fish based food right now... I've had her on chicken before. I also had her on Natural Balance grain free allergy formula. I don't see how food would still be causing her allergies but I may be wrong.

How long have you been feeding Honest Kitchen? Do you add anything to it or do you just feed the food by itself?

i meant this thread in general, not you asking for info.

you can try adding fish oil or salmon oil to her food for extra skin and coat vitamins.
I have been feeding The honest kitchen for about a year now. No i dont mix anything with it. I mean its dehydrated so you mix warm water with it and let it sit for 10 mins and then feed it. Its very healthy. great ingredients. I dont know what was causing kieles allergies either. We were switching foods and doing the same thing. The really only thing i see negative about honest kitchen is that as puppys it doesnt help with the teething process because its not hard. They one pup that i used this food for since i have had him does have double teeth. The two i had on kibble in the teething process did not. But this could just be the dog. lots of hard toys can replace this hardness they need for teething help

[emilyann]

Originally Posted by Txgurl06

i meant this thread in general, not you asking for info.

you can try adding fish oil or salmon oil to her food for extra skin and coat vitamins.
I have been feeding The honest kitchen for about a year now. No i dont mix anything with it. I mean its dehydrated so you mix warm water with it and let it sit for 10 mins and then feed it. Its very healthy. great ingredients. I dont know what was causing kieles allergies either. We were switching foods and doing the same thing. The really only thing i see negative about honest kitchen is that as puppys it doesnt help with the teething process because its not hard. They one pup that i used this food for since i have had him does have double teeth. The two i had on kibble in the teething process did not. But this could just be the dog. lots of hard toys can replace this hardness they need for teething help

Well, her food is already supposed to have extra oils in it and I also give her a vitamin every day that is for the skin.

I'm still iffy about The Honest Kitchen, it's awful high. I always try to consider everything price wise when changing to a new food. I know we could afford it now but I try to think of the what ifs. If something happened and my boyfriend lost his job or his hours were cut, I don't think we could afford it. Thanks for your explanations of everything though.

[Txgurl06]

Originally Posted by emilyann

Well, her food is already supposed to have extra oils in it and I also give her a vitamin every day that is for the skin.

I'm still iffy about The Honest Kitchen, it's awful high. I always try to consider everything price wise when changing to a new food. I know we could afford it now but I try to think of the what ifs. If something happened and my boyfriend lost his job or his hours were cut, I don't think we could afford it. Thanks for your explanations of everything though.

the keen is really a lot cheaper than the rest. 10 lbs Re-closable Box $49.00
makes 40 lbs of fresh food. thats for a dog over a year though. a 10 lb box should last your 1 dogs a while.

say you feed you dog 1/4 cup like i do 2xs a day. that would last your dog what 80 days? somewhere around there.

1 cup makes about 1lb of food. you would only be feeding 1/2 a cup a day. that box makes 40lbs.

[annamalyssa]

I have 3 big dogs and it is EXPENSIVE lol.. you are very lucky

As for the yorkie Mr Gucci Man we feed him Innova Puppy, so far so good!! he only goes poo maybe 2X's a day eats 1/2 cup a day and is healthy as ever.. Hope that helps you some as Innova is also a great food for Yorkies.

We feed the big dogs EVO (red meat), Solid Gold- Barking at the Moon and Dick van Pattens Natural Balance - Sweet Potatoe and Fish and Lamb and Rice I believe (the blue bag). We mix the Evo and Solid Gold for 2 dogs and the other dog eats the Dick Van Pattens ( he has sensitive skin) ..We go through approximately 3 bags every 2 weeks and it costs a SMALL FORTUNE lol.

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

Oh, do tell!! Monkey brains? Scrap metal? PURINA???

Personally, I think most dogs eat standard, store bought pet food and they do just fine on it. I suspect that vets recommend Science Diet because it is as easy brand to find and relatively cheap compared to the "top" dog foods. I want Thor to be on a high quality food because he only eats 1/4 cup of food per day, and at that amount, even a very expensive dog food is cheap over the long run. Also because he has such a small allowance, I'd like him to get quality calories.

If I had a big dog, I'm not sure I'd want to spend that kind of money on his food. But I don't have a big dog, so who knows.

[yorkiepuppie]

Originally Posted by UtahBelle

I have posted before trying to figure out this food deal. My puppy came to me on Science diet, I thought it was the best, then I learned more. I asked people for advice and got excited about giving my puppy better. I ran to the store and felt pretty good about buying her Nutro (the holistic diet). Now it looks like that isn't good either? Is all this switching around good for her? I am trying to potty train and I don't like the thought of her getting the runs from switching her to something that does not agree with her. Potty training has been hard enough.
I just don't know what to do. I really want to feed her the good stuff. It just seems like whatever brand you try, someone has had a nasty experience with it. I did not mean to start another thread that drives everyone crazy, but I am so new to this and I hope this is a place I can come to for help. I've never had a dog, I grew up with cats and we just bought them what was on sale at the grocery store.
I think I will just let her finish this bag of nuto and then move on to something else. Maybe orijen? *sigh* Having a baby would have been easier then buying this puppy! It seems like so much more work! But it has been worth it. I love my furface

Thanks again for everyone's help. If I didn't find this board my baby would still be on SD and I would still be thinking that the vet would have only given me the best

I understand how you feel about trying to find the best food for your puppy and feeling deceived by your vet about the food recommendation. I also really struggled to find the right food for milu, and i also had people (not on here) make recommendations about food when they didn't know anything.

i currently feed milu nature's variety and I like it. Nature's Variety you can check it out if you like.

the reason that people say all kinds of different things about dog food is because what works for one dog doesn't work for another, not all dogs are the same. some dogs have allergy issues and need certain specific types of food.

i will send you a PM about who i think is really knowledgeable about dog's food, and you can ask them yourself. it kind of works better when you ask a question directly to one person. it will make it easier for you.

dog food is kind of a hot button issue right now, or perhaps it's always been that way. so when you start a thread, you might get a lot more than you were originally asking for.

let me know is i can help you with any questions. i am not an expert on dog food, but i can share with you my experiences.

[yorkiepuppie]

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

Oops, I'm sorry. I was just trying to be funny. I apologize for offending you.

well, i got the joke. lol and thought it was funny...

[yorkiepuppie]

Originally Posted by phfgkl

2 Reasons. One, it has 40% protein in it, my dogs are strictly inside dogs. That is a 6 star food. One bag of that (20 lbs) is over $40. do you have 6 dogs? I already said, they're all getting good quality food, and I get $200-$250 a month for groceries, which I buy the dogs food out of that also..Sorry, not that its really any of your business, but, I think my hubby and myself need to eat too!!!

phfgkl.... are you seriously trying to start a fight/argument every food thread you start/go to? i really don't understand why you are doing this?

Originally Posted by PrincessDiana

To be honest, I'm really, really annoyed by your hostility. I've read all, and I mean ALL , of your posts and from what I understand, you are "trying to find the best food for your dog". Well, what I don't understand is why you attack every single person who tries to help? I didn't comment about what you and your husband eat.. that has nothing to do with it. I wasn't trying to be rude, I was trying to point you in the right direction since you seem to be so lost with all of this dog food business.

Now.. my original point was that TOTW is a great food. Why are you feeding it to your big dogs if it is so expensive? That makes no sense. Also, you stated in a different post that your Dogswell costs $14 for a 4lb bag. According to PetFoodDirect (which I've found to be a pretty good average for food) a 5lb bag of TOTW is $9.99.

i am annoyed too. i just don't understand what phfgkl is trying to accomplish?

[zcb]

I give Bil Jac kibble to my two babies. They like it and haven't had any problems, although it is sort of expensive at $28.99 for 15 pounds. I especially like it for Scooter because the kibble is very small. In addition to the kibble, they also receive a mix of boiled chicken breast and hamburger (yes I boil the hamburger). They get this when my husband and I have our evening meal. I free feed the Bil Jac and have always free fed my dogs for years and years without any problems. I know that many people totally object to this form of feeding but I guess a lot depends on the dog as to whether or not they will treat it as a continuous buffet and get as fat as little pigs. When you think about it, how you feed your dog is a very personal matter. There are so many different brands and types of food that it will make you nutty if you don't just pick one that has good results and stick with it.

[bjh]

I have been raising Yorkies for 12 years. The first 5 or 6 years I fed Pedigree, adult and puppy. My dogs did just fine on Pedigree but then I started studying dog nutrition and decided to try better dog foods. I started feeding Chicken Soup and then Canidae. Over the years I would try a couple different quality foods but I always ended up coming back to the Canidae and Chicken Soup because that is what my dogs do the best on. Sometimes I will buy the Canidae Lamb and Rice formula just for a change. I have never tried a real high protein because I just that too much protein is not necessarily good. Personally, the brands that I have tried that I think are good are Canidae, Chicken Soup, Solid Gold, Natural Balance, Fromm and Blue Buffalo. I am sure there are other good foods out there but these are the ones available in my area (I had to order the Fromm from PetfoodDirect.com). I just try to avoid dog foods with corn. The biggest difference in feeding the cheaper food with a lot of grain and the better quality foods with more meat is the amount of stool the dogs pass. The cheap dogs foods have so much waste and fillers in them that the dogs just poop so much more. When switching a dog from a cheap food to a quality food I think you do see more loose stools and it does take time to adjust. I feel that you need to take it slow and easy and give the dog time to adjust. You cannot tell if a food is working unless you leave the dog on the new food for a few months.

[KHREE]

Thanks BJH. I've been having the same problems as many trying to determine a quality food to feed my Yorkie, Youkie... whose almost 5 months. After reading your post and others, doing a little research and talking with others, I've decided to try my Youkie on the Chicken Soup. I would have prefered to feed him the Blue Buffalo, but it's not available at my local pet stores. I felt that the ingrediants in the Chicken Soup were comparable, or at least a higher quality than the IAMS he is presently (not) eating . I hope he does well on this.

[tiffjunior]

lol.. well from my experience Natures variety has changed my pup for the better.. his Poo is better.. doesnt eat it anymore..His coat is BEAUTIFUL and healthy and shiny and he eats everything i put in the bowl. I used tohave to mix his old food with treats so that he would have something in his belly.. but now i just put it down and BAM its gone.. he licks his chops and he is happy I have him on the rotation diet.. kibble,can and raw.. the pet shop that i went to gave me some samples first before i bought the whole thing.. but i was back the next day buying it up..
he is 5monts and 2 weeks and no tummy problems which wasnice.. the raw food did make it a bit runny but still solid.

and he only poops 2 times a day b4 it was 4 and potty training was harder now i know he has to go #2 inthe morning and wheni get home from work...
So my 2 cents is Natures variety was the choice for me.. im happy and hes happy..good luck in your search!

[Britster]

Originally Posted by mstrooperwife

Don't feel bad........my yorkie won't eat any of the "good stuff" and you can't make them it it. I dare not say on here what he eats. I think it's your own preferance and what makes you and your baby happy and healthy.

I sent off to the companies listed in the sticky in the health and diet section. they all sent me samples and was willing to change his food. he wouldn't eat any of it. when i mixed it with his other food he picked out his food and left the rest. so what do you do.

I have two rat terriers that have ate food that is not reccomended on here and one is almost 12 years old. they are both healthy and full of energy. never had a problem with them.

it's your preference.......just remember that>

Yep, exactly!

I tried a bunch of 5 and 6 star dog food and wasted a crap load of money because Jackson wouldn't eat it.

Now he eats Nutro Natural Choice and while it may not be the best... he absolutely loves it and finally eats dry food voluntarily without me mixing wet food in with it.