Switching my puppy's food

[Rott-Wiley]

Originally posted by Shelloaz
Fat Free Yogurt ??? I have been feeding 2-3 tablespoons of the full fat kind? Should I not be doing that? Does the flavor make a difference ?

I use both fat free yogurt and cottage cheese because percentage wise, I'm giving enough of fat in the meat and chicken with the skin that I'm feeding. I try to keep total fat intake to between 15 to 18%

What store does this for you? Stores where I live say they can't do that because of health dept. regulations.

We have a meat packing plant on the other side of town and they have several customers that buy RMB for their dogs. The people that run the place have dogs, maybe that's why they do this for us? I wasn't aware there was any regulation about it???

[BostonRott]

I too feed full fat yogurt, at the recommendations of most of the books that I"ve read. But they don't get enough to have it be a significant source of fat intake.

[mmgy]

Originally posted by rotties29
try feeding him pedigree for puppies that is a good dog food and it is less expensive.............the reason eukanuba is not good is because it provides the weight on the puppy very rapidly before his body can mature

Are you serious???

I have to admit, that my first dogs grew up on Purina products, and to date have lived the longest of any of my babies. But they didn't have the healthiest lives, and it was because they didn't eat very good foods. Apparently you have had a similar situation.

But there's another world out there, entirely composed of great dog foods, and it's your turn to start the journey!!! Pedigree is NOT a good food!!!!! Quite frankly, you could not pay me enough to ever use it again. It is a corn, wheat, and rice-based food, with NO meat, many grain fractions(6!), chemical preservatives, and added salt and colorants. Of the 14 ingredients before the vitamins, my dogs are only ALLOWED to eat one.......rice. Chicken byproduct meal (4th), to many people, does not qualify as a meat.

Sure, you can derive protein out of this junk. But dogs' bodies weren't designed to run efficiently on crappy leftovers. Ever seen a dog standing in a cornfield shucking ears?

Compared to this, Eukanuba is sweet. At the very least, it's made of whole ingredients, not leftover fractions. Though many of us here wouldn't consider it to be a meat-based food, it does actually have real meat ingredients listed high. It doesn't have chemical preservatives. Many people here use it and are happy with it.

Are you aware that Eukanuba has a large breed puppy food, designed to offset the very situation you describe? It may not have been available when your dog was a puppy.

But most of the responses here have been suggesting an even higher level of quality. The aforementioned foods are made from human-grade ingredients, are meat-based (ALL protein from meat sources), chemical free, fraction and filler free. Many are limited in grain content, which current research shows is a good thing for breeds that may be predisposed to cancer.

And you mention cost. Yes, every time you go up a level in quality, the price rises as well. Two reasons: 1)you get what you pay for, and 2)typically you feed MUCH less. These foods are denser nutrition, therefore more usable. That means you feed less, and it also means less poop. I can pull my vet records from the year we switched, and prove to you that in that year, feeding 7 large dogs, we spent about $100. more on food but saved over $1000. at the vet. My dogs were healthier, and didn't require the care.

I see by some of your other posts that you're looking for a new puppy. Consider a really good food to be preventive maintenance for your new one, so that he/she can possibly outlive the last. There are lots of problems with badly bred rottweilers right now, and I wish you the best in finding one that fits your family. But please research the nutrition archives here, and take advantage of all the information here on foods.

My sympathies on the loss of your Rocket, and welcome to the forums.

[Shelloaz]

I guess the health dept. says that you need a seperate grinder for chicken/turkey then for beef. E-coli contamination is the main reason. So I buy ground turkey and cook that up and mix it with their kibble. I do the yogurt mixed with kibble in the morning. I guess since I'm not using it for fat content the full fat is ok. I would really like to feed Cannidae but I dont know of anywhere that sells it by me. Right now I'm feeding Keira (3 1/2 months) Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy and Harley (2 1/2 yrs.) Nutro but the Lamb and Rice.

[mmgy]

Those of you that are looking for a butcher, try an independent grocery store. They tend to be more agreeable (and knowledgeable about regulations) about what they'll do for customers. Lots of the "butchers" in some chain groceries don't always know what they're doing.

[rotties29]

DONT WANT TO FEED JUST ANYTHING AND A BUTCHER IS A WONDERFUL SOURCE FOR MEATS MEATS AND MORE MEATS