Thanks! Gucci's issues existed before he came into our lives, mouth and teeth. Even though Fromm is small, I think it's not small enough for our old guy to enjoy. This Wellness Toy senior kibble seems to be the ticket. He showed a little excitement while making return trips to the bowl.

Robyn likes, or has a routine of, boiling a little chicken for him. I can't take that from her so we've got the plan now of 1/2 cup kibble per day plus the chicken treat. I think we're all winners on that plan.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed! :D

Thanks everyone for the comments and recommendations! This thread morphed a bit, I think it worked in our favor by bringing Wellness to my attention. .... This toy kibble is soooo tiny! It would take at least three of these kibbles to make one Fromm 4 star grain free kibble.

Yayyy
 

And does Gucci chew the tiny kibble or swallow it whole?
That is my concern with tiny kibble...

I actually found that mine are more likely to chew if it is small.

If only it all didn't come in just chicken! Why is that!

I think some comes in turkey, does your dog have a problem with chicken? I actually think chicken is an excellent source of protein.

That's the odd part, he swallowed Orijen and Fromm grain free whole, he seems to chew this absolutely tiny Wellness Toy Senior.

You're right! All three of the available Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Dry Dog Food contains: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal. So, our current plan is to see how Gucci does on SENIOR and provide him treats here and there for variety.

Why, consistency, simplicity, market saturation, volume of sales wouldn't support additional offerings.... could be any or all of those and more reasons.

Wellness Dog Complete Health® Recipes

Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Adult
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Ground White Rice, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tomato Pomace, Oatmeal, Peas, Natural Chicken Flavor, Ground Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Tomatoes, Carrots, Spinach, Choline Chloride, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Beta-Carotene, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Biotin, Folic Acid], Minerals [Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite], Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Apples, Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Chicory Root Extract, Taurine, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract.

Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Healthy Weight
Deboned Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Ground Barley, Ground Rice, Oatmeal, Peas, Tomato Pomace, Ground Flaxseed, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Tomatoes, Carrots, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Beta-Carotene, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Biotin, Folic Acid], Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate], Spinach, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, L-Carnitine, Taurine, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Blueberries, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract.

Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Senior
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Brown Rice, Ground Barley, Ground Rice, Peas, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tomato Pomace, Ground Flaxseed, Natural Chicken Flavor, Salmon Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Tomatoes, Carrots, Spinach, Choline Chloride, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Beta-Carotene, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Biotin, Folic Acid], Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate], Apples, Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Taurine, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract.

chester done great on the grain free sundancer by solid gold until he got tired of it, I think royal canin is pricey and he has been on it before. The amount of glucosamine in it probably isn't a big effect I have been told, and it has corn gluten in it as well, chester is on acana now and doing well

Lol
 

That's funny! Maybe because he couldn't chew the bigger and this just fits better to chomp.

Just wondering
 

Isnt high protein concerning?

I do not know about Petco. . .but Petsmart has a return policy. . If your pet doesn't like it you can return it. .. It came in handy with Guildenstern ! . . They did not give me any hassle . .just took it back

Just read you found something . .. That is wonderful . . I hope he keeps with it !

They use to think high protein is bad, but some now think it's only bad if the protein is poor quality. Poor quality protein creates an increased nitrogen load that must be handled by the kidneys and liver. Poor quality protein would be protein from anything but the meat muscle and this would include chicken by-products, Here's the governments definition of chicken by-products:

Obviously, if you have a dog with damaged liver or kidneys you will want to get a specialist to recommend a diet, but healthy dogs can eat a lot of protein.

To learn more about protein in dog food, this is a good site: The Dog Food Project - Is too much protein harmful?

Thanks Nancy
 

I like that website ...much good read.

Yes, I do too and she has excellent credentials. I think it good for us all to know how to choose a good food, especially since the ingredients in a food can change. Obviously, a food that was once thought of as excellent product can become poor, if the ingredients change enough.

Good to know, thanks! RC, pricey, questionable ingredients and lots of other brands have glucosamine.

Opinions On Royal Canin Requested
 

I got my Grayson in April and trying to give him the least stress I went with every recommendation the breeder offered. She gives all her Yorkies the Royal Canin.
For a few months it was ok but then I sat down and compared it mainly trying to see what was so different than other brands other than price. I did notice a lot of the unpronounceable words and how the first ingredients were not clearly chicken, turkey, salmon etc. I even compared prices. Well long story short I do a mixture of the Royal Canin and Wellness Small Breed Puppy, doing the mix until I am comfortable he is doing well with the Wellness. The Wellness is more natural and has the treats my dog loves too.

:-D

:aimeeyork :animal-pa:animal-pa :animal-pa:animal-pa:animal-pa:animal-pa

If I had been using Royal Canin, that's exactly what I would have done. I really didn't take a close look at their prices but am aware they are high. The ingredients and comments/suggestions in this thread put a fork in the deal, it was done, not gonna use it. Thanks for sharing your experience with it and now Wellness. Makes me feel that I've already made the right decision by going to Wellness. For us, the ultimate decision is Gucci's, so far, he is enjoying the Wellness Toy Senior. Wow, it is a tiny kibble! :D

Sophie did the same thing she ate it the first week and then would not touch it.

Let me tell you....
 

What I have just learned and it is so simple...
I too am struggling with food choices....tummy gurgling, nighttime upsets...

I did find a kibble and canned she likes and it's Natures Variety Duck..small flat kibble that breaks apart easily and limited ingredient...but she's getting a little .....ohhhh myyyy....fat. My vet says just give her what you eat , bland of course....so I tried equal parts of cooked old fashion oats, sweet potatoe , I baked , and boiled chicken breast., ...she absolutely loves it and it's so easy just freeze rest in ice cube trays. Rotate veg., carb, and meat protein as desired.
She RUNS now when I say "hungry? Want some foooood??!" Lol
AND no more stomach gurgling!!! 3 times aday 1 1/2 Tab each serving.she seems so much more content! She does get hungry after about 3 hours though ....so I give her peaches, rinsed of the syrup, and some boiled egg.....next time it's green bean and squash for a snack....seems to work!
Anybody see anything wrong with this?? Or any other combos to try?

I'm going to get some Balance IT too.....

Yes its a pretty tiny size. I can definitely tell the difference. Wellness is a little larger but not too large. Grayson is only 10 months now and its easy for him to chew. He eats straight out of the bowl with no issues. I went to Petco and their policy is if they dog doesn't like the food bring it back with 75% or more and you will get a refund. Don't forget to keep the receipt though.

Have to add for prices RC 29 puppy $17.99 for 2.5 lb bag and Wellness small breed puppy is $16.99 for a 4 lb bag. Don't forget every store has a different price and promotions/sales vary. I know online you can have stores repeat delivery for food for a discount I just like to go to the store myself and let my Grayson smell all the smells.
Also prices vary from state to state. I am in CT. These are the prices listed online at Petco for me. I do find Amazon is pretty good on prices as well but I still like to go to the store to get it myself.

:-)
Glad I could help with our experience.

I thought the same thing, but the Wellness was a lot dryer, and my dogs looked at me like i stole Christmas every time i put it down. I ended up going back to RC and they got their Christmas back, lol. Also, with the Wellness, their coat lost its shine and became noticeably dry and drab looking right away. even adding salmon oil didnt help. So I stick with RC.

I prefer to buy it close by also, I'd have to buy 4 bags to get free shipping through the internet, LOL that might be a year's worth for my lil old guy! LOL Thanks!

Sheldon is on RC x-small puppy and I've never been a huge fan of the ingredients. That said, he does so well on it, I'm also kind of of the mind set that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". It's what he's been on since he could eat kibble and it really agrees with him. I have considered switching brands when we transition to adult food, probably to Wellness, but I still haven't decided.

When someone says that the coat changed right away, I always suspect something else is going on. It would take months and months before you would see a change in the coat. The hair is grown under the skin and the food only affects new hair growth, not the hair that is already grown. Only topical treatments affect that.

You may want to just consider waiting to see if there is any adverse effects with the "new" formula RC....changes to watch for would be coats will get oiley, smelly, or pups may have gastric upset, or they may just not go to it with the enthusiasm they did before.( My cousin that has one of my retired studs, can not afford to feed RC, so she switched to a brand she can afford....the dog deconditioned within 6 weeks...coat was oily, smelly, and stools were stinky....I buy the RC for her so she could get Ace back on the RC, and he turned right around within 2 more months.) That is what I am going to do. With the changes made in the formula, there is not going to be damage to internal organs...dogs have eaten MUCH less healthy dogfood, with all the worries of quality control, for their entire lives, with no issues and done just fine, even excelled! You will notice deconditioning issues first, if any changes made in the RC are going to affect your pup. If you see any issues or adverse effects, then jump into the quandry of switching around all the dog food brands, all the confusion, all the expense, all the issues changing dog food has on your pup, because it will have become necessary for the health of your pup. Otherwise, I personally am going to stick with what has worked for me all these years.....even with the changes on that ingredients list, I do not expect any problems...if it aint broke, dont fix it....but if there are changes in my dogs, I will change immediately! I am a loyal RC user, but my dogs are the reason for that! I certainly dont get a dime from the company for my loyalty....but my dogs are in excellent health, so I guess that is enough of a "reward" for me! If THAT changes, there is absolutely NO reason for me "to stay with the one that brung me to the dance"!

I just saw this morning, mention of other RC feeds that still have ok formulas. I haven't looked specifically at the RC X-Small formulas yet.

Specifically in this thread, it was the breed specific RC Yorkie formula that really went to crap. RC Yorkie 28 became RC Yorkie, two different formulas that were and are Yorkie specific. That one specifically, I would run away from!

The more generic breed RC formulas that I looked at this morning had a more favorable formula, not perfect. RC's rep could have cleared that up, he/she didn't. If I had only known this before I purchased the Wellness Complete Health Toy Senior, I would have at least looked at RCs other feed options that I felt matched my dog's profile.

I highly recommend looking at the most current ingredient list you can find for the specific formula, whatever brand, you are considering. I think there were 4 RC X-Smalls and another 12 RC Mini formulas to consider.

Dog - Royal Canin Mini - Free Shipping at Chewy.com

Yorkiemom is using RC Mini Adult is my current understanding, not the RC Yorkie that I opened this thread with. She has had very good results with this formula.

Royal Canin Mini Adult Formula Dog Dry Food, 14-lb bag

Wheh! Now that was just too easy! LOL NOT! :animal36

Minor setback with Gucci, I hand fed him the remaining Orijen 6 fish day before yesterday, it was just a little bit, he didn't eat much of anything yesterday but he drank way more water than is typical. Hoping he'll get back to eating a normal portion of his Wellness Complete Health Toy Senior today. Yep, I screwed up! I accept that. Moving forward.

I am so disappointed in RC. ZoE has been on RC since she was a puppy and has thrived on it. My new bag is chicken by-product meal. :( Thankfully I still have half of the prior bag left, and will be returning the new by product bag.

RC was one of the few dry food kibble makers I liked and trusted with my dog\'s health. I feel they have broken that trust by changing to a cheaper, lower quality protein source, so I will no longer be buying their products. I just wrote them and stated the same.