I just got a mini schnauzer and he's 8 wks old. They were feeding Purina puppy chow. Should I change it?

Answer 1

I would definitely check with your vet. He can tell you what the best foods are for your puppy. Some dogs have a very difficult time with some of the cheaper foods, as they have inferior contents which may affect the puppy's internal well-being. He will probably recommend another food which is a bit better in nutrition, and will have you blend it into the Purina bit by bit. Best of luck with your schnauzer, one of my neighbours had a mini schnauzer when I was growing up and I spent many hours playing with her and throwing toys for her. They are sweet dogs.

Answer 2

Anything and everything is better than Purina Puppy Chow. You can only go up from here. The last time I bought some was, wow, back in the mid 90's. I softened it up, as the pups were quite young, and imagine my surprise to find all kinds of hair in it! Black hair, black and white hair, brown hair. I assumed it was off the cow. Somehow I just don't think feeding hair to a pup is good nutrition. I threw that crap away and went and got something else. When looking for dog/puppy food, read the list of ingredients. The first ingredient should be some form of meat. There should be no by products of any kind in it. Stay away from foods that use corn as filler. Dogs don't digest corn, it isn't good for them. They wouldn't eat it in the wild. How many farmers have you heard of complaining that a pack of wild dogs has ravaged their corn crop? None! There's a reason for it.

Answer 3

If you want to, but I'm just telling you, it may not make the mini schnauzer's stomach very happy and the mini schnauzer will probably wonder why it tastes different and may start to think food time is frightening. Also, I recommened that you ask your vet for some info or help on whether to change or not and if change, what type to have. I think that these are good brands:

Authority Puppy - with Real Chicken
Complete nutrition in a small, easy-to chew bite size kibble
Taurine added for a healthy heart
Real chicken; no animal by-products

Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Chicken Meal, Rice & Oatmeal
Guaranteed healthier skin & lustrous coat
Complete antioxidant protection for a healthy immune system
The best of nature. The best of science. The best of health.

Royal Canin MINI Puppy 33
Increased energy growth
Balanced minerals for solid bone structure
Fiber blend for increased digestibility

Nutro Natural Choice Ultra Puppy
Guaranteed healthier skin & lustrous coat
Complete antioxidant protection for a healthy immune system
The best of nature. The best of science. The best of health.

Hills Science Diet Puppy Small Bites
Helps puppies develop strong muscles, bones & teeth
Superior Antioxidant Formula* helps protect your puppy's immune system
Essential fatty acids promote healthy skin & coat

You might want these info pages:

http://www.petsmart.com/global/articles/article_detail.jsp?CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=10134198673330012&bmUID=1156439957935

http://www.petsmart.com/global/articles/article_detail.jsp?CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=10134198673268043&bmUID=1156440004499

http://www.petsmart.com/global/articles/article_detail.jsp?CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=10134198673343883&bmUID=1156440027205

http://us.eukanuba.com/eukanuba/en_US/jsp/Euk_Page.jsp?pageID=PRLD

Answer 4

If the puppies coat is shiny, and looks healthy, and the dog is doing good on this food, I would leave him on this food. If you feel that the dog is not doing so well on this food, here is a tip on how to change his food so that he wont get the runs. Take 3/4 of the Purina, and 1/4 of the new food mix together for a few days, then go to half and half for a few days, then go to 3/4 of the new food, and 1/4 Purina for a few day, then go to all of the new food. This will make the transaction easier on his stomach, and bowels. Good luck.

Answer 5

Talk with your vet. Any food change should be done *slowly*. Purina isn't the worst brand out there, but there are definitely better ones.

Know that Mini Schnauzers are prone to pancreatitis, so be sure to discuss proper diet with your vet, not only for now, but for when he grows older and cuter and looks like he's saying, "Can I please have some of those table scraps? That fatty ham looks really good and I'm sure it won't hurt me at all..."

Answer 6

no, he will most likely get sick, being so young if you change his diet now. purina puppy and dog chow are very good dog foods to give your pets. i recommend sticking with that brand from here on out. the cheap stuff has less nutrients, and the more expensive brands are just that, more expensive. as long as he's eating well, and seeing a vet regularly, he should grow to be a great dog.

Answer 7

I wouldn't feed my dog Purina if you paid me. At a minimum, I would recommend Eukanuba, but I don't even really like them. Try Life's Abundance. If you decide to switch, switch gradually, over about 10 days. Good luck!

Answer 8

SELECTING A PET FOOD
http://www.api4animals.org/articles?p=361&more=1

Dog Feeding Info (top 10 foods according to the WDJ and specific health diets)
http://www.dogaware.com/

Answer 9

If you want to upgrade (to science diet, eukanuba etc) do it gradually, mix it in with the puppy chow, and eventually ween the puppy chow out.

Dont use anything less than puppy chow, cheaper foods have more ash content which can cause health issues later on.

Answer 10

Build a range of foodstuffs that you know your dog is allowed, and gradually adjust his range of food. Just so that they get used to it. When you've widened his range of food, lay out a plate of all the things you've fed him, and see which thing he goes for first. That will be his favourite, and you feed him that for treats. Then see what he goes for second, and that's what he should have occasionally. What he goes for last, he should eat at meals sometimes, otherwise, you can swap this with the second one.