Dog Food for Yorkies, an Insight
 

Dog Food for Yorkies, An Insight.


All dogs are different shapes and sizes and sometimes the dog food that you can give to one is not necessarily the right food for another. It’s a case of mix and match. The choices are endless when it comes to buying food for your dog. There are many different brands and many different types for different sizes and so on. But what food is the best for your best friend, your dog?

When buying food for your dog you should first understand that there are essentially three different types of products, Commercial, Premium and Super-Premium. The commercial and premium dog food that is available is visible in most shops, although the premium stuff is stocked far less. Premium and super-premium dog food is mostly available on the net and is delivered via the mail.

Commercial dog food is the food that is mostly advertised on the television and the companies that produce it are basically offering a cheap but okay dog food.

The best food out there, like everything else, is much more expensive than the commercial stuff, although it is much more nutritious.

Commercial dog food primarily contains ‘by-products’ of chicken, lamb or beef. ‘By-products’ are not really the meat, they are what is left over once the meat is gone. Therefore they can be difficult for your dog to digest. You will also find that when feeding your dog commercial food it will need far more to fulfil its nutritional needs.

Premium food is slightly better for your dog than the commercial brands, basically because it is more nutritious so you don’t have to feed your dog so much. The downside being that it is more expensive.

However if it is quality you are looking for then look no further than the Super-Premium brands. They are, without a doubt, the best food you can buy, but, at a price. These brands usually don’t contain any artificial colourings or preservatives. They are prepared in smaller batches and are much fresher than the commercial and premium brands.

If you are unsure about whether or not your dog is eating the right food, or at least, whether or not the food you are buying is good for it, look at your dogs' behaviour. There are some telling signs as to your dogs' condition.


Is the coat glossy?

Licking paws all the time?

Biting itself?

Bouts of hyperactivity?

Short attention span?

Inability to learn?

All of these are things that you should look out for when selecting a brand of dog food for your Yorkie. A well balanced diet can eliminate much of these points and will result in a healthier and happier dog.

Great article, thanks for sharing. :animal36

How does one know whether a particular brand is PREMIUM or SUPER-PREMIUM??

:goodpost: thanks for the article!

Baxter
 

Typically the bags are labeled w/ these titles.

I have a new bag of Innova Puppy Food and it does NOT say Super Premium but it is.

You can't buy Super Premium dog food at PetsMart or the grocery store.

I have to buy it at a specialty pet store, feed store or a health food store.

So what would the Merrick brand be when its 18$ for a 5 lb bag,super dooper premium,thats what mine eat,but we have to call it candy,if they thinks its dog food then they wont eat it :aimeeyork

These are just a few of the Super Premium Foods:

Canidae
Innova
Merrick
Artemis
California Natural
Chicken Soup
Eagle
Evolve
Flint River
Natural Balance
Nutri Source
Royal Canin
Wellness

You have to find the ingredients list and see what is in the food.

First of all, you want to find out what you DON'T want in the food; i.e. corn, soy, etc. These are things some dogs are allergic to.

Check and see which has the BEST ingredients in the first 5-6 items in the ingredients list. Also, check which supplements are in the food.

Good luck.

found another article that does a simple comparison between economy, premium, and super premium dog food.

"The Premium foods studied had an average of 22% crude protein and 10% crude fat. The Super-Premium dog foods examined had an average of 27% crude protein and 15% crude fat. The Economy brands averaged 20% crude protein and 8% crude fat.

The Super-Premium foods suggested feeding an average of 1-3/4 cups of food per day for our 40 lb dog. Premium brands recommended 3-1/4 cups, while the Econo brands instructed feeding 6 cups a day."

source: http://www.gooddogmagazine.com/dogfoodcosts.htm

found another article. it's kinda old but it does categorizes dog foods by brands and lines, according to "performance", "super premium", "premium", "regular", and "economy" type foods. http://www.gooddogmagazine.com/drydogfood.htm

it appears that you should not only look at ingredients and how it's produced (without or with little preservatives and coloring) but also % of protein, % of fat, % fiber. even within the same brand of dog food, the same manufacturer will have a "performance", "super premium", and "premium" lines, depending on your dog's needs.

Exactly...... weigh one thing against the other - all the way down through everything! That's what I do.

But what is good for one dog, isn't necessarily good for another.

Thanks Muffie's Mom! Now, why don't we add some more names to the list? Please tell me if I'm right/wrong :) :

Commercial: Alpo, Pedigree, Mighty Dog, Beneful, Cesar, Kibbles N Bits
Premium: Science Diet, Eukaneuba, Iams, Royal Canine ( :confused: Not sure if these are premium)
Super Premium: Merrick's, Canidae, Wellness, Chicken Soup, Nutro Natural Choice, Innova, Solid Gold

How is Chicken Soup premium dog food when it's one of the cheapest out there? :confused:

I just listed some of the foods that are super premium foods. I didn't have a list of the premium or the commercial dog foods.

I don't know where the others stand in comparison.

Re: Chicken Soup brand: Maybe it's a bigger company. I don't know why it is cheaper. But it was listed as a super premium food.

Our oldest Yorkie eats Canidae Platinum for seniors. Missy, the 6 month old Yorkie, still eats Innova Puppy food. I'll be switching her to Canidae All Life Stages at about 1 year of age. These are both "all natural" dog foods.

Good luck in your investigating and choosing which food to give. It gets involved and you just need to "do your homework."

I've fed Chicken Soup (canned and dry) to my Yorkies for many years. My two guys who passed away in 2004 and 2005 were very healthy, with few visits to the vet (usual heartworm test, teeth cleaning...). They ate the "senior food" and lived to 13½ and 16½.

Sean (6), latest addition to our family, eats the dry food. He doesn't fuss about it. In fact, he ate it the first time I put it in his bowl! (For variety, I mix the IAMs sauce with it for his dinner.)

I order it online from petfooddirect.com (They now have a "reduced calorie" version.)