Best Puppy & Dog Food

I went shopping today for dog food but I didnt see that it was NOT puppy food my dogs about 3 months and i dont know if that will hurt him in any way, can it?
im not so sure how many months he is but i think hes in that "puppy range" still.

If it is the case where you just bought the food by mistake and will get puppy food over the next few days or so, then it won’t do him any harm. Puppy food has higher vitamin and nutrient count, but other than that, the differences are not so huge as to cause problems, as long as it is temporary. However, sudden changes in the diet can lead to tummy upsets, so if the brand is different, it could make him sick or give him diarrhoea.

I run a dog food reviewing site: (http://dogfoodchat.com/canidae-beef-ocean-fish-meal/)<– Sample review. I am interested in knowing what educated dog owners are looking for when they look for dog food reviews. You can view the site and give suggestions on what looks good and what you would like to see.

Any feedback is greatly suggested. I want to provide a source of information that is greatly resourcedul.

puppy chow is bad for your dog!

basically… now corn, wheat or soy.. if there is corn wheat or soy.. there should be very little of it.. and the first ingrediants are the ones with the most in the food

Quote from http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/anutmed.htm#poop:

"Scientists theorize that mineral deficiency subjects us, and our animals, to more diseases, aging, sickness and destruction of our physical well-being than any other factor in personal health. A groundswell of nutrition conscious veterinarians are beginning to recommend to their clients that they supplement their animals diet with a daily dose of flaxseed oil, coconut oil and other nutrients for optimum health and vitality. The food your animal eats should provide all of the nutritional components which are necessary for all organs and systems of a healthy body to perform in harmonious unison."
Does anyone know if there is a Dog Food out there which will provide all the necessary nutrients my pup needs? Or will I have to buy supplements, in addition to, the food I am currently buying. Right now, she eats "Pedigree; Adult Complete Nutrition". Yes, it SAYS COMPLETE, but is it? LOL
Ok, I should have been a little more specific. My "pup" is a little over a year old. She’s 50% pitt, 25% shepherd and 25% lab. I call her a "pup" cuz she acts like one. LOL. She’s a big girl, though. Anywho… I originally asked this question cuz my "pup" eats her "poo". We also have another dog, 100% pitt. She is 11 yrs old. My other dog does not and never has (that I am aware of). In doing some research, MOST sites stated that she eats her "poo" because she is lacking some important nutrients in her diet.

First off dogs/puppies don’t eat poop because they lack nutrients..this is a very common myth. It is perfectly normal and natural for dogs to eat poop and most do at one time or another in their life time given the opportunity. Puppies & females are more inclined to do it, but mlaes also will.
Second..Pedigree is NOT a good food. It is so full of cheap fillers that it is pretty much crap for dogs..it would be better for goats.

I would suggest that you feed a high quality meat based food..Canidae, Wellness, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul, Innova, Solid Gold just to name a few.
If you feed a good quality meat based food there is no need of giving supplements…if you are feeding a cheap grain laden food such as Pedigree, IAMS/Eukanuba, Science Diet and the like then yes you should supplement.

which puppy food is right for my future puppy? it is going to be a boston terrier so i need a puppy food and later on a good adult dog food. i want the dog food that will keep my puppy happy and healthy, and keep its coat looking his/her best! i was looking a beneful, but i have heard some bad things about it. are they true? is beneful good for my dog?

What to looks for:
1) Good meat sources – you want the first couple of ingredients to be a good protein source. You want the first ingredient to be chicken, lamb, salmon etc MEAL (more protein dense because the moisture was removed). You don’t want anything like meat meal though, or digest.
2) You don’t want to see any corn or wheat. Instead look for barley.
3) No by-products.
4) No fillers, like corn
5) No BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin…you want natural preservatives.
6) No dyes

Here are some good brans – Wellness, Innova EVO, Merrick, Eagle Pack Holistic Select (not regular eagle pack), Nature’s Variety Instinct, Solid Gold, Orijen, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul etc…

Don’t believe everything you see on TV – Pedigree, Iams, Eukanuba, Ol’ Roy, Beneful, Science Diet, these are all garbage with a good name because they are good at advertising.

Let me guve you a little lesson – the ingredients that are put into foods that you find at Wal-Mart or groceries stores are low quality and almost useless for your animals. They contain "fillers". Fillers include things like corn…which animals cannot even digest, so you are feeding them food that they cannot use. They also contain "by-products" which can include dead or diseased meat that did not pass for human consumption or any other parts of any animal that is not meat (ie, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defatted low temperature fatty tissue, and stomachs and intestines).

On the other hand you can buy high quality food – All of these foods do NOT contain any fillers (like corn, corn gluten meal), any grains or by-products. They are more expensive then regular foods – but you are paying for quality because your dog CAN digest approximately 94% of what is in the bag (compared to approx. 40% of other foods)

Hope that helps!

my 1 1/2 year old pit has severe allergies to grain and gluten products. I have tried Taste of the Wild dog food, Dick Van Pattens, and she refuses to eat either one of them. She loves Iams but it contains barley. Any idea what I can get her?

I like Orijen – my dogs do really, really well on it. There’s also Innova EVO you could consider.

Please only answer this if you are knowledgeable of Wellness dog food. We have a 2 year old dog that eats Wellness, limited ingredient Fish and Sweet Potato. Our 6 month puppy is eating puppy food, but I’m wondering if we can transition him to the Wellness. I was sort of thinking it was ok because its a limited ingredient food and made for sensitive stomachs, but wanted to get 2nd opinions…
My dog is a 27 lb. border collie mix – again, please only answer if you are familiar with the Wellness brand food.

After about 1 year you can start feeding your dog regular dog food. Your sixth month old puppy still needs to eat his puppy food because he needs the ingredients right now because there is special vitamins and nutrients in it that will help your puppy grow healthy and strong. I hope I helped

heres a link
http://www.rateitall.com/t-353-dog-food-brands.aspx?age=&zipcode=&gender=&sort=0&pagesize=all
Actually did you know Avocados are toxic to both dogs and cats?
Here is the proof
http://www.cathelp-online.com/emergency/poisonplants.php
http://www.animalpetsandfriends.com/Article/25-Human-Foods-Toxic-To-Dogs/300

I only read them if they are written by dogs.

Which is better to look for in dog food, rice or barley?
I know that a completly grain free food would be best but cant find one in my area….
Anyone familiar with the difference of the affects of the two?
I susepect that rice may be something my poodle is allergic to and wonder if there would be much of a difference if she had barley instead.
thanks.

I did a quick nutritional scan of both of these ingredients to find out what they provide to the dogs.

Barley (1 cup): 23g Protein, 135g Carbs (32g Fiber), 4g Fat

Brown Rice (1 cup): 15g Protein, 143g Carbs (6g Fiber), 5g Fat

If I had to say which one was better overall, I would go with the Barley because it has a higher protein content and a lower Carb/Fat content.

Dogs do require some carbs and it’s important they get them from high quality ingredients. As far as grains go, Barley and Brown Rice are much better the wheat, corn, and all those other fillers.

So, I think you can be reassured your dog is eating healthy if you use a food with barley instead of rice.

Good luck.

I would like to start giving my Yorkie some soft puppy food mixed in with his hard food as a treat for one of his meals per day. I am very concerned with nutrition since he is so little, so I thought I would get an opinion on what is best for Yorkies?

Thanks!

I wouldn’t recommend a soft food for a puppy, especially not one that is a toy breed, as Yorkies are, because toy breeds’ teeth are more crowded in the jaw and more prone to decay and feeding a soft food can cause this process to happen even faster.

HOWEVER. If you are really determined to feed your dog a soft food, read the ingredients on the cans carefully before making your choice. Taste isn’t always an indicator of quality, bear that in mind. Just because your dog likes the taste and likes to eat it doesn’t mean it is good for her. I recommend Innova, Innova EVO, Wellness, Natural Balance or Eagle Pack.

I have 2 senior dogs and I feed them Solid Gold Holistic dog food
and I have a 1 yr old and feed her Wolf King by Solid Gold
Is there a better dog food I could use and could you explain why and any websites would be great. Thank you

If your dogs are doing well on those foods, then I see no reason to switch. Solid Gold is a good brand.

Obviously, some brands are far better quality than others, but there is no "best" brand. One dog may do well on a brand, while another may have food allergies to that particular brand.

Go with what you can obtain, afford, and what your dogs are doing well on.

Some good brands are

Solid Gold
Wellness
Blue Buffallo
Innova
Evo
California Natural
Newman’s Own
Chicken Soup
Merrick’s
Timberwolf Organics
Eagle Pack
Pinnacle
Avoderm