New food.. any suggestions?

weim2mom · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 12:07 pm Post subject: New food.. any suggestions?

So.. I left hubby in charge of picking up dog food last night. He came home with a completely different brand! When I got home, I noticed the bowls of different kibble.

He got Pedigree large breed formula. While I was hesitant, they seem to love it! Chevy normally won't eat much, and she ate a whole bowl within about 15 minutes.

If their stools are firm (which is why I switched off Puppy chow) should I keep them on it??

Idaviruma · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 12:46 pm Post subject:

As far as quality goes, its one of the worst foods on the market and I wouldnt touch it with a 10 foot pole, but I understand monetary restrictions for some people and we all have our priorities.

peppernaei · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:04 pm Post subject:

I think your Nutro food was a better food however I say feed what works well for your dogs. No one food is good for every dog just like human diets.

weim2mom · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:51 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the advice ladies. I am going to give it a try for a few weeks... I am going to keep an eye on their stools, coats, weight gain, etc.

kamfam · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:10 pm Post subject:

I agree with go with what works. However, some things to look for besides firm poops are changes in coat, skin conditions (dry/flaky or bumps), plaque build up on teeth and the amount of poops.

Idaviruma · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:45 pm Post subject:

unfortunately you cant always judge foods based on the appearance of the dog, sometimes the ammout of cheap fillers and toxic addivives in these foods can have an adverse effect on dogs liver and kidney over a period of time, and you can only notice when its too late.

h20fwlkillr · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:54 pm Post subject:

Don't worry about what food ANYONE says to feed, good or bad. As kamfam says, let your dog tell you which is best.

Idaviruma · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 11:18 am Post subject:

yeah, its like expecting a 2 year old child to know what healthy food really is.

Banshee13 · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 2:51 pm Post subject:

One thing I would caution against is judging how good the food is by how fast (or really, how MUCH) your dogs eats. When foods have a lot of grain and filler in it, dogs tend to eat MORE of it because they aren't getting ful and they may not be getting the right nutrients either. But I think you will be able to tell if the food is "doing right" by your dogs. Good luck!

Peri

h20fwlkillr · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:31 pm Post subject:

imamonstertruck · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:56 pm Post subject:

Turkish gets Nutro, and has been on Nutro since I got him. Every now and then I will add rice and an egg, or a can of tuna and what not.

cheers

weim2mom · Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 8:49 am Post subject:

So far so good, firm stools. They really seem to like it!

jaspersfam416 · Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 11:24 am Post subject:

I say go with what works best for your dogs! We tried every expensive dog food with all the best ingredients and Jasper was sick with loose stools and he didnt have much energy. We put him on science diet and he does great, he has a nice coat and lots of energy! I had a Great Dane that lived to be 11 or 12 and my parents fed him kibbles and chunks and our vet raved about how he had never seen a Dane live so long and be so healthy.

weim2mom · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:00 am Post subject:

My father inn law has an 11year old dobie/rottie mix, and she got kibbles and bits her whole life. She is so healthy. They seem to like it. I think we've made the switch.

Thanks guys.

NenaGunther · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:34 am Post subject:

Several years ago we lost our Chow/Lab Mix to liver disease, after treating her holistically for the last two years of her life, I vowed I would never feed crap kibble again. I fed her Pedigree her whole life, she was diagnosed at 10 years old with liver disease. The vets told me the food was the problem. The daily care with our sick dog, the vomiting, the weightloss, etc I didn't want to experience ever again if I could prevent it.

With our next dogs, I then started feeding good quality kibble, Wellness, Solid Gold, then half kibble and half raw... then totally raw.

Their poops are smaller, and after a few days on the lawn practically disappear. Their coats are amazing, their weight is perfect, their teeth are white without a sign of plaque.

I know its more expensive. I probably spend about $100 a month on food for my two Weims.

But with my past experiences, I'm a true believer in raw food. Smile