Looking for food suggestions - Help!! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

mybradypup · 04-20-2011, 12:29 PM

Hello! We have 2 yorkies, Brady - 15 mo, and Tanner - 18 mo. Tanner is a picky eater and we struggle to keep his weight up. He was abused and underweight when he came to us last year. Brady (aka "Yorkzilla") is our big boy, ~14 lbs., and usually has no problem eating.

We've been feeding Purina ProPlan Selects for about 9 months and just switched from the Turkey to the Chicken flavor. Tanner absolutely loves the new flavor and we have zero problems getting him to eat now. However, Brady feels quite the opposite. He has taken to sniffing his food and maybe taking a bite or two but that's it.

Sooo.....we're in search of another food once again that will make both of our babies happy. Any suggestions?

One of the reasons we chose this food is we suspect that Brady has a wheat allergy and it does not contain any by-products or animal digest. I'm not totally sold on the idea of Blue Buffalo, but I'm willing to try it if others have had success. I'm just not going to try it on the word of the PetsMart employees.

Britster · 04-20-2011, 12:51 PM

Hi! *waves* Welcome to YT. I love the names Brady and Tanner.

Purina products are not my favorite and most here will probably suggest feeding something different. I'm not familiar with the particular brand you mentioned (ProSelect) but it really doesn't have by products in it? That surprises me, as most Purina products do.

I prefer grain-free foods in general personally because grains are a common allergen in dogs. I stay away from corn, wheat, soy, and by products. If you do want to feed a grain inclusive food, some of the 'good' grains are considered oatmeal, brown rice, barley, etc.

If you are looking for a good at Petsmart... the only foods I'd consider feeding offered at Petsmart is By Nature (only available at some), Wellness or Blue Buffalo. Oh and Castor & Pollux is one to look at. Petco offers more natural healthy choices like Natural Balance, Solid Gold, Merrick, etc.

I'm really really happy with Acana grain-free (Prairie, Grasslands, Pacifica and Ranchlands formulas) made by Champion Pet Foods. But other higher end brands like Fromm, Nature's Variety, Go/Now! are also available. Check out their websites to find out where you can purchase it. I'm considering adding Natural Balance to our rotation (I like to rotate his foods a lot).

Also, I like Dog Food Reviews | Dog Food Ratings and think it's a great help in finding good food for your dog and a good stepping stool for newbies to dog nutrition - I know I was clueless when I first got Jackson. Ultimately, it's a matter of finding what works for you and your dogs and sometimes it takes some trial/error.

princessizzy · 04-20-2011, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Britster

Hi! *waves* Welcome to YT. I love the names Brady and Tanner.

Purina products are not my favorite and most here will probably suggest feeding something different. I'm not familiar with the particular brand you mentioned (ProSelect) but it really doesn't have by products in it? That surprises me, as most Purina products do.

I prefer grain-free foods in general personally because grains are a common allergen in dogs. I stay away from corn, wheat, soy, and by products. If you do want to feed a grain inclusive food, some of the 'good' grains are considered oatmeal, brown rice, barley, etc.

If you are looking for a good at Petsmart... the only foods I'd consider feeding offered at Petsmart is By Nature (only available at some), Wellness or Blue Buffalo. Oh and Castor & Pollux is one to look at. Petco offers more natural healthy choices like Natural Balance, Solid Gold, Merrick, etc.

I'm really really happy with Acana grain-free (Prairie, Grasslands, Pacifica and Ranchlands formulas) made by Champion Pet Foods. But other higher end brands like Fromm, Nature's Variety, Go/Now! are also available. Check out their websites to find out where you can purchase it. I'm considering adding Natural Balance to our rotation (I like to rotate his foods a lot).

Also, I like Dog Food Reviews | Dog Food Ratings and think it's a great help in finding good food for your dog and a good stepping stool for newbies to dog nutrition - I know I was clueless when I first got Jackson. Ultimately, it's a matter of finding what works for you and your dogs and sometimes it takes some trial/error.

GREAT ADVISE!!! We also do a grain free diet.. Izzy loves it

AlicetheYorkie · 04-20-2011, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Britster

Hi! *waves* Welcome to YT. I love the names Brady and Tanner.

Purina products are not my favorite and most here will probably suggest feeding something different. I'm not familiar with the particular brand you mentioned (ProSelect) but it really doesn't have by products in it? That surprises me, as most Purina products do.

I prefer grain-free foods in general personally because grains are a common allergen in dogs. I stay away from corn, wheat, soy, and by products. If you do want to feed a grain inclusive food, some of the 'good' grains are considered oatmeal, brown rice, barley, etc.

If you are looking for a good at Petsmart... the only foods I'd consider feeding offered at Petsmart is By Nature (only available at some), Wellness or Blue Buffalo. Oh and Castor & Pollux is one to look at. Petco offers more natural healthy choices like Natural Balance, Solid Gold, Merrick, etc.

I'm really really happy with Acana grain-free (Prairie, Grasslands, Pacifica and Ranchlands formulas) made by Champion Pet Foods. But other higher end brands like Fromm, Nature's Variety, Go/Now! are also available. Check out their websites to find out where you can purchase it. I'm considering adding Natural Balance to our rotation (I like to rotate his foods a lot).

Also, I like Dog Food Reviews | Dog Food Ratings and think it's a great help in finding good food for your dog and a good stepping stool for newbies to dog nutrition - I know I was clueless when I first got Jackson. Ultimately, it's a matter of finding what works for you and your dogs and sometimes it takes some trial/error.

I'd stay away from any Purina products. And I agree, I don't know for certain, but I'd be really surprized to find out there's no animal by-products in there. And even though there may not be wheat in the ProPlan, I can pretty much guarantee it has corn, which is a big allergy causer and not healthy for them at all (it's just a filler some companies use to raise the "protein percentage" but it's really useless to dogs nutritionaly). If you need to stay away from wheat, look for something grain-free, the other good thing about it is, grain free kibbles tend to be more appetizing to picky eaters. I use Orijen puppy (same company as the Acana that Brit recommended). Nature's Variety makes a version of thier food call Instinct that is grain free. Check out the link posted above. You'll learn alot. You're actually on the right track with the Blue Buffalo, that's the type of food you want (but there are many other fanastic brands to choose from that aren't as over-priced).

MinniesMom10 · 04-20-2011, 05:08 PM

I am in the process of attempting to switch from Science Diet to Wellness Super5Mix Just for Puppy. She eats a few kibbles here and there so I am praying she is starting to like it.

xoxodoglover89 · 04-20-2011, 08:25 PM

If you're looking to go the grain-free route, Blue Buffalo makes a formula called Wilderness which has 3 different flavors (chicken, salmon and duck) and they're all grain-free. Sasha does wonderful on this food and I change flavors after every bag. She used to be such a picky eater until I started her on this food close to 2 years ago. I really like the Blue Buffalo company, but I do find that sometimes some dogs will not eat what they call the "lifesource bits" which are little black kibbles in the food. I was actually surprised that Sasha ate them the first time I tried Wilderness with her.

mackenzie2270 · 04-20-2011, 08:39 PM

Evengers is great I have one that eats every thing and one that is very pickey. There fur is just amazing since they have been on this food. You can go to evengers.com and see how they make it. I like it because it is made in the USA. It is made in Illinois. A man formalated it for his show dog because he could not find a food that made their coats shine. Both my girls love the white fish and sweet potatoe. It is formaulated for all life stages.

Linda, Sassy and Patti

mybradypup · 05-10-2011, 10:22 AM

Thank you all for the advice!! I apologize for dropping off the face of the planet. We had an out of town wedding to attend and left the day after I posted, and after returning we were struck with some severe weather (live in N. Alabama).

I'll take the time to look at the suggestions you all have made and see what we decide to do. We do have a Petco in town, it just isn't as convenient for me to get to as PetsMart. My pups are worth a little inconvenience though.

04-20-2011, 12:29 PM	#1
mybradypup Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 14	Looking for food suggestions - Help!! Hello! We have 2 yorkies, Brady - 15 mo, and Tanner - 18 mo. Tanner is a picky eater and we struggle to keep his weight up. He was abused and underweight when he came to us last year. Brady (aka "Yorkzilla") is our big boy, ~14 lbs., and usually has no problem eating. We've been feeding Purina ProPlan Selects for about 9 months and just switched from the Turkey to the Chicken flavor. Tanner absolutely loves the new flavor and we have zero problems getting him to eat now. However, Brady feels quite the opposite. He has taken to sniffing his food and maybe taking a bite or two but that's it. Sooo.....we're in search of another food once again that will make both of our babies happy. Any suggestions? One of the reasons we chose this food is we suspect that Brady has a wheat allergy and it does not contain any by-products or animal digest. I'm not totally sold on the idea of Blue Buffalo, but I'm willing to try it if others have had success. I'm just not going to try it on the word of the PetsMart employees.

04-20-2011, 12:51 PM	#2
Britster Action Jackson ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 17,814	Hi! waves Welcome to YT. I love the names Brady and Tanner. Purina products are not my favorite and most here will probably suggest feeding something different. I'm not familiar with the particular brand you mentioned (ProSelect) but it really doesn't have by products in it? That surprises me, as most Purina products do. I prefer grain-free foods in general personally because grains are a common allergen in dogs. I stay away from corn, wheat, soy, and by products. If you do want to feed a grain inclusive food, some of the 'good' grains are considered oatmeal, brown rice, barley, etc. If you are looking for a good at Petsmart... the only foods I'd consider feeding offered at Petsmart is By Nature (only available at some), Wellness or Blue Buffalo. Oh and Castor & Pollux is one to look at. Petco offers more natural healthy choices like Natural Balance, Solid Gold, Merrick, etc. I'm really really happy with Acana grain-free (Prairie, Grasslands, Pacifica and Ranchlands formulas) made by Champion Pet Foods. But other higher end brands like Fromm, Nature's Variety, Go/Now! are also available. Check out their websites to find out where you can purchase it. I'm considering adding Natural Balance to our rotation (I like to rotate his foods a lot). Also, I like Dog Food Reviews \| Dog Food Ratings and think it's a great help in finding good food for your dog and a good stepping stool for newbies to dog nutrition - I know I was clueless when I first got Jackson. Ultimately, it's a matter of finding what works for you and your dogs and sometimes it takes some trial/error. __________________ ~ Brit & Lights! Camera! Jackson! CGC ETD TKP ~ Follow Jackson on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacksontheterrier Last edited by Britster; 04-20-2011 at 12:52 PM.

04-20-2011, 05:08 PM	#5
MinniesMom10 No Longer a Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Columbia, Missouri US Posts: 274	I am in the process of attempting to switch from Science Diet to Wellness Super5Mix Just for Puppy. She eats a few kibbles here and there so I am praying she is starting to like it.

04-20-2011, 08:25 PM	#6
xoxodoglover89 YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 747	If you're looking to go the grain-free route, Blue Buffalo makes a formula called Wilderness which has 3 different flavors (chicken, salmon and duck) and they're all grain-free. Sasha does wonderful on this food and I change flavors after every bag. She used to be such a picky eater until I started her on this food close to 2 years ago. I really like the Blue Buffalo company, but I do find that sometimes some dogs will not eat what they call the "lifesource bits" which are little black kibbles in the food. I was actually surprised that Sasha ate them the first time I tried Wilderness with her.

04-20-2011, 08:39 PM	#7
mackenzie2270 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Chloride, Arizona, Mohave Posts: 71	Evengers is great I have one that eats every thing and one that is very pickey. There fur is just amazing since they have been on this food. You can go to evengers.com and see how they make it. I like it because it is made in the USA. It is made in Illinois. A man formalated it for his show dog because he could not find a food that made their coats shine. Both my girls love the white fish and sweet potatoe. It is formaulated for all life stages. Linda, Sassy and Patti

05-10-2011, 10:22 AM	#8
mybradypup Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 14	Thank you all for the advice!! I apologize for dropping off the face of the planet. We had an out of town wedding to attend and left the day after I posted, and after returning we were struck with some severe weather (live in N. Alabama). I'll take the time to look at the suggestions you all have made and see what we decide to do. We do have a Petco in town, it just isn't as convenient for me to get to as PetsMart. My pups are worth a little inconvenience though.