What do you feed your yorkie?

[Ellie May]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

My biggest problem with Purina is they don't care to pull there killer jerky so what could they be hiding that they are doing to the dog food that they legally don't have to tell you? I'm just not into supporting them because its all about money to them they honestly do not care about any ones dog.

I agree. It is mostly about money for all dog food companies. I don't think that only applies to Purina. Champion (Acana, Orijen) doesn't legally have to tell y some things and they have chosen not to... Ellie eats HA because it is literally the only dog food and possibly the only food period that she can eat. Other foods make her very ill. So I feed it (and like how non greasy it is) just as I'd feed Champion foods if they were what was keeping her alive. But that is the only reason I'd feed Champion. I don't trust them at all. We all have our comfort levels.

[107barney]

I agree. I hate dog food, period. However the only food that daisy can eat as a back up to home cooked vegetarian food is Purina HA. The boys eat royal canin with good results.

[Clyde_Dexter]

My dogs are currently eating Wellness CORE ... but I'm thinking about switching. Not sure to what, though.

[gontygirl]

Originally Posted by brezofleur

Zeus and Ody (cat) eat a raw/home made diet. It's not the frozen kind...straight up raw, lol. They love it and both have thrived on it - huge health differences for the good!

I would love to hear more details on how you make that...

[gontygirl]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

Mine is on Acana. Even if you have them on a high quality food and you switch to a different one you still should do it slowly just because it is high quality doesn't have anything to do with that.

My dogs eat two different brands of "dog" food a day. One in the morning and the other at night. If the food is human grade and your dogs don't have a sensitive tummy then it's ok to flip back and forth. From what I have been reading online over my LONGGGGGG doggy "career" is that one of the important factors (among many) of a nutritious dog diet is VARIETY (of course this is only for dogs without sensitive tummy's). Their body's can reap the rewards that switching foods can offer. It seems to be quite nourishing to my babies and works wonderfully here... (When I had a German shepherd he had a very sensitive digestive system and we ALWAYS had to keep him on the same brand...switching just gave him diarrhea).

[gontygirl]

I JUST found an amazingly informative site on line called, "DogFoodAdvisor" and it tell you all kinds of information about food rating, recalls, etc. EVERYTHING!!! I was researching Acana, since I saw a few of you feeding this same brand. I was curious lol. Anyhow, thought I'd tell you about this site...

[gontygirl]

Originally Posted by dlaureanonw

Both of my girls are on grain free canine caviar open sky. They love it.

Ouuu, sounds so lavish LOL... What a ou la la dog food name, right?

[gontygirl]

Hmmm, I read about the dog food I feed my babies in the morning (Grandma Lucy's) and it didn't have such a good write up. I think I'll be keeping my dogs on the frozen raw food diet till I can learn to make homemade raw food for them. Anyone have any suggestions to keep it as simple as possible, recipes, storage...? I could really use some advice.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

I agree. It is mostly about money for all dog food companies. I don't think that only applies to Purina. Champion (Acana, Orijen) doesn't legally have to tell y some things and they have chosen not to... Ellie eats HA because it is literally the only dog food and possibly the only food period that she can eat. Other foods make her very ill. So I feed it (and like how non greasy it is) just as I'd feed Champion foods if they were what was keeping her alive. But that is the only reason I'd feed Champion. I don't trust them at all. We all have our comfort levels.

I agree. It is mostly about money for all dog food companies. I don't think that only applies to Purina. Champion (Acana, Orijen) doesn't legally have to tell y some things and they have chosen not to... Ellie eats HA because it is literally the only dog food and possibly the only food period that she can eat. Other foods make her very ill. So I feed it (and like how non greasy it is) just as I'd feed Champion foods if they were what was keeping her alive. But that is the only reason I'd feed Champion. I don't trust them at all. We all have our comfort levels.[/quote]

I agree (now). I don't really trust Champion like I used to anymore. I actually 90% trust Fromm and think they're amazing but of course their formulas just never seem to work right for Jackson. Eye booger galore and he's always acting super hungry while on it! It's like he does well for a while on it, but then little issues creep up. So we went and picked up two sample bags of Acana and the eye boogers have almost completely gone away and he's been sooo much less annoying/whiny/constantly searching for food. So I'm kind of at a loss. He does best on Acana, always has,... but it's not like he's dying when not on it. And even though I'm slightly uncomfortable with some things I've read about them, I'm not sure it warrants me switching, or enough worry. I mean, the odds of him becoming ill or dying from Champion are very low, just as the odds of a dog dying because their eating Purina are probably extremely low. Hell, I wouldn't touch a Diamond produced food with a ten foot pole, but honestly what are the chances of my dog becoming ill because of their foods? VERY low. I, personally, would still choose Champion over Purina, but that's just me.

I am actually looking into Annamaet but can't buy it locally. In terms of QC, they are on par with RC, etc, yet their foods have ingredients that satisfy me and are low ash. So I'm going to hope they work for us. I'm waiting on samples. Otherwise, he'll probably be back on Acana for now.

[Teresiana]

Originally Posted by gontygirl

I JUST found an amazingly informative site on line called, "DogFoodAdvisor" and it tell you all kinds of information about food rating, recalls, etc. EVERYTHING!!! I was researching Acana, since I saw a few of you feeding this same brand. I was curious lol. Anyhow, thought I'd tell you about this site...

DogFoodAdvisor has practically been my bible for the past year. Within reason. I don't necessarily agree with EVERYTHING they say...but it's been an excellent resource for me.

One of my pups will eat anything...such a piggy she is! My other is super finicky. Luckily, they both have rock solid stomachs. They also both get bored easily. It's taken me about a year to figure out what/how to feed them.

I feed a rotation of Darwin's raw & Primal dehydrated in the morning. I switch the proteins every 3 days. They eat a rotation of Darwin's/Primal/Weruva for dinner. I free feed a rotation of Acana Grasslands & Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural starting at mid-morning...I'm starting to wean the youngest from her afternoon meal & I'm still nervous that she may get a little hungry between breakfast & dinner.

I put 1/4 tsp. of Halo dream coat in their morning meal. That stuff has worked wonders with my little rescue Momo. Her coat is soooo much better than when I first got her! I put 1/8 tsp. of Solid Gold SeaMeal in their evening meal. I just started using SeaMeal this week. So I can't really tell if that's making a difference or not.

The only treats they get are Cheerios...except when I cut their nails - because they HATE it. They get a Crump's Chicken Morsel or a Crump's Beef Tenderstick then. I might give them a semi-frozen green bean or a celery stick occasionally.

I probably over-analyze their feeding. But I had a really difficult time figuring out a good food that my finicky one would actually eat. But my current set-up seems to be working out for both of them. So I'll stick with it for as long as they'll let me

[Teresiana]

Originally Posted by Britster

I agree. It is mostly about money for all dog food companies. I don't think that only applies to Purina. Champion (Acana, Orijen) doesn't legally have to tell y some things and they have chosen not to... Ellie eats HA because it is literally the only dog food and possibly the only food period that she can eat. Other foods make her very ill. So I feed it (and like how non greasy it is) just as I'd feed Champion foods if they were what was keeping her alive. But that is the only reason I'd feed Champion. I don't trust them at all. We all have our comfort levels.

Originally Posted by Britster

I agree (now). I don't really trust Champion like I used to anymore. I actually 90% trust Fromm and think they're amazing but of course their formulas just never seem to work right for Jackson. Eye booger galore and he's always acting super hungry while on it! It's like he does well for a while on it, but then little issues creep up. So we went and picked up two sample bags of Acana and the eye boogers have almost completely gone away and he's been sooo much less annoying/whiny/constantly searching for food. So I'm kind of at a loss. He does best on Acana, always has,... but it's not like he's dying when not on it. And even though I'm slightly uncomfortable with some things I've read about them, I'm not sure it warrants me switching, or enough worry. I mean, the odds of him becoming ill or dying from Champion are very low, just as the odds of a dog dying because their eating Purina are probably extremely low. Hell, I wouldn't touch a Diamond produced food with a ten foot pole, but honestly what are the chances of my dog becoming ill because of their foods? VERY low. I, personally, would still choose Champion over Purina, but that's just me.

I am actually looking into Annamaet but can't buy it locally. In terms of QC, they are on par with RC, etc, yet their foods have ingredients that satisfy me and are low ash. So I'm going to hope they work for us. I'm waiting on samples. Otherwise, he'll probably be back on Acana for now.

I've been wanting to try Fromm again, but I see so many things about eye boogers I have a blonde Morkie & her tear stains are horrible...so the last thing I need is even more eye boogers. I just love the whole concept of the company though.

I'm curious about your Champion comment. What happened that you don't trust them anymore? Was it the recent formula change?

[Britster]

Well, nothing *horrible horrible*. After reading some things on different forums ... it took a long time for me to actually believe them, but I've read too many iffy reports about them lately. It's hard to know what's true and what's not though. They were also sort of bought out recently (not like P&G boughtout) but failed to mention it, but their under new ownership and a new CEO who had no experience in dog food. The company was sold to Bedford Capital in 2011. Frank Burdzy was put in by the new owner as the CEO. Prior to that he sold propane gas and fertilzer. There was never an announcement by the company. However, all stores WERE informed of the change. I spoke to a few people who work at dog food stores and they say they were told of the changes, but most customers could care less, so never felt it warranted a big announcement. Supposedly nothing is changing in terms of production. Champion is also well known for good customer service, and always being quick to respond to concerns, etc. But they have a lot of claims about their food that I find to be bogus and their very tricky with a lot of wording and ingredients. I don't know, I'm still not sure how I feel about them totally, because I used to LOVE them, and Jax has always done well on their foods for the most part, but I stopped feeding it because of the price increase/bag decrease and new ingredients. Wasn't happy with all the peas, beans, lentils, etc. I question how much meat is actually in there. I also have yet to hear of who exactly formulates their food and what credentials they have etc. But we ARE using the food at the moment (sample bag) because for now, it's taken away the eye boogers he was getting on Fromm, and it's what he does best on. We're feeding the Singles though which did not change as far as I know. I still wouldn't choose to feed Purina if I didn't have to. But I dunno, I'm still kind of all over the place. I see both 'sides'. And it took me a long time to open my eyes to these facts.



Bottom line is, I don't trust many of them, but what can you do? I think you just have to go with your gut, and what your dog does best on, and what you feel comfortable with. I have probably read way too much about dog food! LOL. Dog food nerd alert!

[KazzyK810]

ZoE has been on Royal Canin from the get-go. We've tried other "5 star" foods that are supposedly better, but we always go back to RC, as that's what she does the best on.

[princessizzy]

Izzy gets primal raw in the morning.. I like the fact that it still has some veggies that she needs .. Then she gets Vital essentials for dinner.. As for treats I stick with Zukes and vital essential freezer dried pieces..

[Teresiana]

Originally Posted by Britster

Well, nothing *horrible horrible*. After reading some things on different forums ... it took a long time for me to actually believe them, but I've read too many iffy reports about them lately. It's hard to know what's true and what's not though. They were also sort of bought out recently (not like P&G boughtout) but failed to mention it, but their under new ownership and a new CEO who had no experience in dog food. The company was sold to Bedford Capital in 2011. Frank Burdzy was put in by the new owner as the CEO. Prior to that he sold propane gas and fertilzer. There was never an announcement by the company. However, all stores WERE informed of the change. I spoke to a few people who work at dog food stores and they say they were told of the changes, but most customers could care less, so never felt it warranted a big announcement. Supposedly nothing is changing in terms of production. Champion is also well known for good customer service, and always being quick to respond to concerns, etc. But they have a lot of claims about their food that I find to be bogus and their very tricky with a lot of wording and ingredients. I don't know, I'm still not sure how I feel about them totally, because I used to LOVE them, and Jax has always done well on their foods for the most part, but I stopped feeding it because of the price increase/bag decrease and new ingredients. Wasn't happy with all the peas, beans, lentils, etc. I question how much meat is actually in there. I also have yet to hear of who exactly formulates their food and what credentials they have etc. But we ARE using the food at the moment (sample bag) because for now, it's taken away the eye boogers he was getting on Fromm, and it's what he does best on. We're feeding the Singles though which did not change as far as I know. I still wouldn't choose to feed Purina if I didn't have to. But I dunno, I'm still kind of all over the place. I see both 'sides'. And it took me a long time to open my eyes to these facts.



Bottom line is, I don't trust many of them, but what can you do? I think you just have to go with your gut, and what your dog does best on, and what you feel comfortable with. I have probably read way too much about dog food! LOL. Dog food nerd alert!

Thanks for the info. My feed store said that they won't have any Champion product in until February because of a "fire at the main factory" or something like that. So I bought sample bags of what they did have on the shelf. NoPoPaws: Champion Pet Foods Supply Notification
I didn't know anything about CEO & ownership changes. Sounds like their going more corporate. Sort of weird about how all of this happened at once - including the formula change...Makes me wonder a little...