What quality food to feed?

[mel07]

i would like to know what you guys feed your puppies. i've read these boards and there is a lot of information on what to look for, but what are the names of some reputable, chicken-based foods? i don't care what i have to pay, i just want izzy to have the best out there. i am not going to resort to supermarket brands ....

[TUindecisive]

Keep researching here on the boards, and then start trying foods you think you'll approve of. If your dog likes them/does well, then you'll have the right food :)

Man, I was going to list some popular foods - but I'm forgetting everything but Canidae, since that's what Bailey is eating right now. Check feed stores and holistic pet shops in your area. It is often easier to find better foods there than at places like Petsmart. Don't be too worried if your puppy has to eat a bag of "inferior" while you decide. Finding the right food is a constant process, and a bag here and there of a less desirable food is ok.

As for what quality to feed - get the best you can afford without making significant sacrifices in your life. Besides, the better you feed, the less bulk the dog will need to eat.

[hokisteph5]

Here's a link another poster shared awhile back. It has a breakdown of a lot of the "good" foods out there. I've been feeding Canidae's Chicken & Rice to Gretchen and Samson and they're still doing okay on it. I may look into rotating their food, though, when their current bag runs out.

[GypsysMom]

I also feed Canidae dry kibble and I mix it with other things such as canned, cottage cheese, eggs, etc...

[Kahlua's mom]

I've been feeding Canidae all stages to Kahlua for about 2 months now and she is doing extremely well on it, compared to when she was on Nutro Ultra.

[KSID]

I feed Innova large breed. I believe Innova is one of the best out there but $45 a 33lb bag! Premium edge and Solid gold aren't bad foods either and a little less $.

[Bodo]

We are now feeding California Natural Chicken and Honest Kitchen Raw. We got our male pup at 7 1/2 wks. and he had an issue with soft stools. We switched him off the breeders food because of this and went with Innova Puppy. His stools remained soft, so much so we had him at the Vet several times being checked for Giardia, Coccidia and intestinal parasites. We then went with the cal. natural and add the Honest Kitchen once a day(too expensive to use exclusively). He has done wonderfully. I thought he was shiney looking on the Innova, but now he looks wet all the time. We have to order Honest Kitchen food over the internet but only add it in as a "supplement" to his Cal. Nat. Each dog is different, just like us, so you may have to experiment. Stay with the higher quality food though, you actually feed less so it's not really that much more!! You'll actually see a difference in their coat and eyes when fed a good quality food. Believe me. I've been there done it.

[observer]

I feed the Wellness Super 5 Mix (Chicken) It is evidently yummy stuff, and Missy is doing well on it.

[BabyBrownz]

Cleo had allergies to a variety of foods and always had slimy eyes, lick spots and just irritable. We've finally found a Eagle Pack Holistic Lamb Meal and Rice(purple bag in our area) that she does amazing on! Her eyes are clear for the most part, no more licking and she's so much more content.

We've contemplated trying her again on the Kirkland Brand from Costco but don't think it's worth it just in case she ends up with the same issues.

Good luck, there's lots of information out there.
Lynn

Here's the Nutritional info:

Ingredients:
Lamb Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Dried Beet Pulp, Flaxseed, Brewers Dried Yeast, Rice Bran, Dried Egg Product, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Air Dried Peas, Dried Carrots, Taurine, Inulin, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, DL-Methionine, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, d-Pantothenic Acid, Niacin Supplement, Choline Chloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Rosemary Extract, Inositol, Dehydrated Kelp, Polysaccharide Complexes (sequestered) of Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Copper and Cobalt, Potassium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus faecium, B. Subtillus, Bacillus lichenformis, Bacillus coagulins, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger.
Ingredient Index


Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein min. 22.0%
Crude Fat min. 15.0%
Crude Fiber max. 4.0%
Moisture max. 10.0%

404 ME (Kcal/cup)

Calcium min. 1.3%
Phosphorus min. 0.85%
Vitamin A min. 22,000 IU/kg.
Vitamin E min. 125 IU/kg.
Taurine min. 0.11%
Omega 6 min. 1.6%*
Omega 3 min. .17%*
Glucosamine min. 400 ppm; 41 mg/cup*

[momasboy]

Originally Posted by Bodo

We are now feeding California Natural Chicken and Honest Kitchen Raw. We got our male pup at 7 1/2 wks. and he had an issue with soft stools. We switched him off the breeders food because of this and went with Innova Puppy. His stools remained soft, so much so we had him at the Vet several times being checked for Giardia, Coccidia and intestinal parasites. We then went with the cal. natural and add the Honest Kitchen once a day(too expensive to use exclusively). He has done wonderfully. I thought he was shiney looking on the Innova, but now he looks wet all the time. We have to order Honest Kitchen food over the internet but only add it in as a "supplement" to his Cal. Nat. Each dog is different, just like us, so you may have to experiment. Stay with the higher quality food though, you actually feed less so it's not really that much more!! You'll actually see a difference in their coat and eyes when fed a good quality food. Believe me. I've been there done it.

I have been advised not to mix Raw with Kibble????