We already spoke to a vet, but I really would like to feed him a more natural dog food without fillers and extra fat. Any recommendations would be very much appreciated. Also, if anyone has an recommendations for books to read about training and caring for your puppy that would be quite helpful as well. Thanks so much!!
2006-11-30 00:56:41 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
Whole Dog Journal's basic premise is to provide information on natural dog care be it food, vaccinations, health, training etc. So if there's a natural solution that's as good or better than "traditional" remedy, Whole Dog Journal will tell you.
So check out www.whole-dog-journal.com for advice on best dog foods. Their top reccomendations are always "more natural" ie more real protein - chicken, fish, beef and less fillers.
2006-11-30 01:34:30 · answer #1 · answered by gk 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anything you can purchase at a grocery store has a ton of fillers in it (Purina, Iams, Pedigree). Usually the number one ingredient is corn, also not good in any way for canines. I would also steer clear of Science Diet, it isn't all it's hyped to be. Several decent foods you can find at chain pet stores are Chicken Soup, Nutro, California Natural, Eagle Pack and Solid Gold. If you're willing to pay a little extra for some really natural dog food, check out Innova's line of dog food called EVO, it is very high quality with no fillers and completely natural using human grade ingredients. Usually this can only be found at independent pet stores/feed stores. Another great couple of brands are Wellness and Canidae.
2006-11-30 01:12:46 · answer #2 · answered by Meggz21 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nutra, Iams, Science Diet are all excellent foods.
My puppy is on Fromm (Chicken formula) which is a premium food and expensive, but it's made for all lifestages and can bring him right into adult years without switching. He's a large breed puppy so it looks after the slow growth rate issue too.
It's also what I feed to my foster Malamutes.
Eagle Pak is also a premium food.
What breed is your dog? For large breed puppies be sure to pick the appropriate formula. Research has shown that you want a slower growth rate in large breed pups (prevents other problems down the road).
Most foods, even the low end supermarket ones, now meet the AVA minimum guidelines. So it really depends on your budget.
2006-11-30 01:13:53 · answer #3 · answered by L 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First off, a dramatic switch will cause some diarrhea--so...mixing the food in parts for a "switchover" is best--slowly weaning the dogs off their old food. Expect gas, soft stool with a switch--it takes usually 6 weeks for an old food to completely be out of a dog's system. Depends on your budget and the availability of certain foods in your area. My dog was on Nutro and did VERY well on it until he got older and developed food sensitivities--stomach issues. So, he is on Science Diet Sensitive Stomach. Royal Canin is a good brand--natural based---the kibble size was too small for my rottweiler so...I have never used it. There are a multitude of sites on the web for comparison--but, the brilliant aspect is that you can change later if you want---I have read veterinary recommendations to do a food rotation every 6 months or so to prevent a dog's system from becoming resistant to certain ingredients and developing allergies of sensitivities. Read, test, decide---good luck--at least you are bothering to ask---most people are content to just feed the cheapest food they can find, even if it doesn't have any nutritional value.
2016-03-13 00:59:30 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I really don't think Iams is a good puppy food at all, I was feeding my Amercian Bulldog that brand and he didnt gain weight and his coat looked so dull, i switched him to Purina One and he gained weight and his coat looked healthy..... after my experience with Iams I am totally against their dog food but then again some dogs do good on Iams it all depends on the dog, I now have a boston terrier and I fed him Nurto but was feeding him Royal Canin
2006-11-30 05:26:14 · answer #5 · answered by shady20001978 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi,
did the person you got the puppy from have it on hard food yet or still on the mother, you might try asking them what the were feeding it before you got it. sometimes it is hard on the puppy to continue to switch between foods. I like Petagree for puppies but that is what the dogs prefer. It seems to create less poop.
Vic
2006-11-30 01:12:28 · answer #6 · answered by Vickie D 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Try staying away from any dog food that has any by-products. i personally would recommend Nutro Ultra Puppy food. This has all the nutrients and vitamins that the dog needs.
2006-11-30 01:06:46 · answer #7 · answered by da kine 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I definately recommend Nutro. It's a little more expensive but very high-quality. Whatever you buy, always look at the ingredients. The first Ingedient should be meat, but no by-products! Also make sure ground corn isn't one of the ingredients, it's known to cause skin problems. Hope this helps!
2006-11-30 01:48:17 · answer #8 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Start by feeding him dry dog food. Canned dog food isn't good for him/her. IAMS is good puppy food. Also, go to www.dogpsychologycenter.com. It's the website for "The Dog Whisperer", which is a show on the National Geographic Channel. Ceasar Milan is amazing. He has books and videos on how to train a dog. Good luck.
2006-11-30 01:02:13 · answer #9 · answered by jim 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
We feed our puppy Pedigree Beneful for Puppies. Stormie (my dog) loves it. And it is really gentle on her stomach. As far as pet training books just go to your local bookstore. Good Luck!
2006-11-30 01:01:32 · answer #10 · answered by lvsgal86 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋