Food uh oh! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Phoebespvmom · 03-09-2010, 03:58 AM

After reading posts about puppy food I realized I have not done so well with Phoebe's diet. The breeder sent me home with Iams (which I now know is linked to animal cruelty) and she didn't like it. I tried Pedigree but realized I bought the one for small breeds not puppy food. She was on that one for several weeks. May be my answer to her gaining 14 oz in 6 weeks! She is now on Science Diet that the vet gave me. We have been through all of these in 6 weeks and I didn't know to change her food so slowly. I feel really bad!! However she made the transitions fine. Anyone have an opinion on the Science Diet? I want her to have the best without making her overweight. She's 16 weeks.

rachelanne820 · 03-09-2010, 04:50 AM

Hello! I, too, came here looking for the best food for my yorkie. It is SO much more complicated than you would think!

Nick came from the breeder on Purina Pro Plan - from there I switched him (like an idiot) to Science Diet, Beneful, Nutro Ultra, Natural Balance, Innova and now he eats Evanger's Pheasant and Brown Rice.

I had NO clue about dog food and honestly, bought what ever bag I liked at the time. After joining YorkieTalk and getting SO much needed advise I learned what to avoid and what to look for in a good kibble.

What it boils down to basically is you will NOT find a quality, healthy food at a supermarket or grocery store. They all are low quality and contain fillers, by-products and other gross stuff.

You want to find a kibble that does not contain corn (in any form), by-products or fillers. A good site I used when I was searching was this one: Dog Food Analysis. You can see reviews on just about ALL dog foods.

I went with a 5 star food as all the 6 star are super high in protein - a little too high for tiny yorkies in my opinion.

Plus, they make kibble called All Life Stages. That means you can feed to a puppy or adult - they are formulated for every stage of life. This is what I chose because I have an adult and puppy that eat from the same bowl. This also prevents having to switch to an "adult" formula later on.

What I did was I contacted several high quality brands and asked for samples. There is a list with contact information at the top of the Health & Diet section. Some will send through mail, others direct you to a local retailer that stocks samples. I found one Nick and Daisy both liked and went with that. The first one, Innova, didn't work out for us - made Daisy's poop horrendous. So, now we are on Evanger's Pheasant and Brown Rice and both pups like it and are doing well.

Sorry for such a long response - but it really IS more complicated than you would think!! Anyway, good luck in your search!

Phoebespvmom · 03-09-2010, 05:39 AM

Thank you so much for the detailed information. I will begin my search!

kandikalistar · 03-09-2010, 06:13 AM

I use Natural Balance L.I.D. I like the fact that it is grain free!

Here's a little more reading for you!

Good luck!!

Kandi

JukkasMommy · 03-09-2010, 10:24 AM

Im using Innova Puppy food, which has tons of meats and lots of veggies too....My little squirt seems to love it!

aoestma · 03-09-2010, 12:04 PM

I used to science diet and we never had an issue with it, it is a really good food we now use natural choice because my dog needs to lose some weight it is great he loves it and feeding him the reccomended dose it working

03-09-2010, 03:58 AM	#1
Phoebespvmom Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Florida Posts: 21	Food uh oh! After reading posts about puppy food I realized I have not done so well with Phoebe's diet. The breeder sent me home with Iams (which I now know is linked to animal cruelty) and she didn't like it. I tried Pedigree but realized I bought the one for small breeds not puppy food. She was on that one for several weeks. May be my answer to her gaining 14 oz in 6 weeks! She is now on Science Diet that the vet gave me. We have been through all of these in 6 weeks and I didn't know to change her food so slowly. I feel really bad!! However she made the transitions fine. Anyone have an opinion on the Science Diet? I want her to have the best without making her overweight. She's 16 weeks.

03-09-2010, 10:24 AM	#5
JukkasMommy Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Tampa, FL USA Posts: 40	Im using Innova Puppy food, which has tons of meats and lots of veggies too....My little squirt seems to love it! __________________ i LoVe My JukKa!!!

03-09-2010, 12:04 PM	#6
aoestma Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Omaha NE Posts: 23	I used to science diet and we never had an issue with it, it is a really good food we now use natural choice because my dog needs to lose some weight it is great he loves it and feeding him the reccomended dose it working __________________ I My BuDdY bOy & LeNnOn (OuR nEwEsT eDiTiOn)

03-09-2010, 04:50 AM	#2
rachelanne820 YT Addict Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 257	Hello! I, too, came here looking for the best food for my yorkie. It is SO much more complicated than you would think! Nick came from the breeder on Purina Pro Plan - from there I switched him (like an idiot) to Science Diet, Beneful, Nutro Ultra, Natural Balance, Innova and now he eats Evanger's Pheasant and Brown Rice. I had NO clue about dog food and honestly, bought what ever bag I liked at the time. After joining YorkieTalk and getting SO much needed advise I learned what to avoid and what to look for in a good kibble. What it boils down to basically is you will NOT find a quality, healthy food at a supermarket or grocery store. They all are low quality and contain fillers, by-products and other gross stuff. You want to find a kibble that does not contain corn (in any form), by-products or fillers. A good site I used when I was searching was this one: Dog Food Analysis. You can see reviews on just about ALL dog foods. I went with a 5 star food as all the 6 star are super high in protein - a little too high for tiny yorkies in my opinion. Plus, they make kibble called All Life Stages. That means you can feed to a puppy or adult - they are formulated for every stage of life. This is what I chose because I have an adult and puppy that eat from the same bowl. This also prevents having to switch to an "adult" formula later on. What I did was I contacted several high quality brands and asked for samples. There is a list with contact information at the top of the Health & Diet section. Some will send through mail, others direct you to a local retailer that stocks samples. I found one Nick and Daisy both liked and went with that. The first one, Innova, didn't work out for us - made Daisy's poop horrendous. So, now we are on Evanger's Pheasant and Brown Rice and both pups like it and are doing well. Sorry for such a long response - but it really IS more complicated than you would think!! Anyway, good luck in your search!

03-09-2010, 05:39 AM	#3
Phoebespvmom Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Florida Posts: 21	Thank you so much for the detailed information. I will begin my search!

03-09-2010, 06:13 AM	#4
kandikalistar Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: South Florida Posts: 130	I use Natural Balance L.I.D. I like the fact that it is grain free! Here's a little more reading for you! Good luck!! Kandi