I am a first time pet owner. My puppy chihuahua is being fed puppy chow but I want to switch to a healthier1?

Question

Puppy chihuahua. I want healthy brand that has meat, is affordable and has wet, dry products and treats. It can be found in petsmart/petco..or is normally found in petshops. Please help me..I am confused about the corn and meat- by-products. Thanks

Answer 1

Nothing you find at a grocery store is going to be a good food. High quality foods can be found at large pet store chains, or online. A couple of foods I like are Nutro Natural, Innova, and Cannidae.

There are other high quality dog foods. Here's how to spot them:

A high quality food will have little or no fillers such as corn, wheat or soy. These aren't very digestable for dogs, and are common food related allergens. Since you were seeing corn meal in the first few ingredients, those are not high quality foods. Foods list ingredients by content, with the ingredient it contains most of at the top.

A high quality food will not contain BHT, BHA or Ethoxyquin, these are all chemical preservatives that have been linked to cancer.

A high quality food will not contain by-products of any kind. Meat meals are ok as long as the source of the meat is listed, such as Chicken Meal.

A high quality diet should have meat as at least the first ingredient., and be made from human grade ingredients. Foods that don't use human grade ingredients often get their ingredients from less than desirable sources, such as meat from animals that were diseased, or euthanized.

There is another diet option other than dog food. Some people choose to feed a raw diet. This involves feeding the dog raw meaty bones and organ meat. However it is not as simple as throwing a couple chicken bones in a bowl everyday. If you wish to feed this type of diet, do lots and lots of research first. Switching to this diet without knowing what your doing can lead to nutritional problems for your dog. I'll give you some links as a starting point in research if you are interested in this type of diet.

http://www.willowglen.com/barf.htm...

http://www.bestfrisbeedogs.com/diets.htm...

http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html...

http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html...

http://www.rawdogranch.com

What's Really In Pet Food
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&m...

Answer 2

Iams is a good diet which offers dry, canned and treats. It can be bought at Petco and Petsmart...and even the grocery store. My Vet highly recommends Iams (and Hills Science Diet, which can also be bought at Petco and Petsmart, but NOT the grocery store) Make sure to always feed atleast some dry with each meal, to help with removing plaque from the teeth. Read the labels....meat should be the first ingredient, not any type of meat by product...and stay away from corn as much as possible. I wouldnt go with a raw meat diet...raw meat carries parasites and disease....thats why were supposed to cook it! People may say..."thats what they eat in the wild", well, thats true but thats 1 reason why the life expectancy of wild animals is shorter. Also, puppies should be fed 3 times daily. Good luck to you....

Answer 3

Congrats on your new baby!! Chihuahuas are the best! I feed my dogs Purina Pro Plan Select, Turkey and rice. Get the puppy food. It is the top grade Putrina. Very healthy, much better than Puppy Chow. Of course it is a lot higher than the puppy chow but it is worth it for the dogs and of course chihuahuas do not eat much do they? LOL Better to stick with the dry food, altho Purina Pro Plan does make a good canned food also, but canned, wet, often gives them diarrhea. Good luck with your new baby. Oh and chihuahuas have to eat often because they eat such small amounts. Leave the food out for the pup all day so he/she can eat when it wants. Chihuahuas can get low blood sugar if they do not eat enough.

Answer 4

The dam will start to wean them at about 4 weeks. You can start feeding them a good quality dry puppy food moistened with some warm water. Offer it to them 4 times a day, and give them about 20 minutes to eat, then let the mom finish it off. Offer fresh water.

Answer 5

You speak with the registered breeder of your dog, if you don't have one then it's time to research which diet is best for your pooch.

I personaly wouldn't touch any product with corn in it, dogs can't naturally digest corn, all it is, is a cheap filler used by pet food companies.

if you want to feed kibble but don't want to have to worry about by-products, then look up Pro Plan :)

IMO I would reccomend B.A.R.F which is a raw meal.

Leave the junk food supermarket dog foods on the shelf :)

Chihuahua lady said you need to leave food out all day, that is incorrect, dogs are not grazers and they should not be conditioned to do so, by leaving food out your telling the dog you're not the alpha....small dogs are probably the ones more in need of a human alpha to prevent small dog attitudes.

2 meals a day is absolutely fine for an adult Chihuahua or 3 meals a day for a 8 weeks old +.

As for low blood sugar, Chihuahua Lady needs to do her research again and this time let it be scentific & medical.....the correct information is as follows:

Hypoglycemia means low blood sugar and is a common problem in young Toy breed puppies, although most of them grow out of it before they are old enough to leave the breeder. But for a few, it's a danger throughout their lives.

Symptoms of low blood sugar are a staggering gait, glassy eyes, and sometimes either limpness or rigidity. If the dog doesn't receive immediate help, he can suffer seizures, unconsciousness, and finally, death. Treatment involves putting some sugar in your dog's mouth, calling your veterinarian, and heading for the clinic. Once you know your dog has a tendency toward hypoglycemia, you can prevent further attacks by changing his feeding schedule to small amounts several times a day and avoiding sugary treats (check the ingredients before buying dog treats). Too much sugar in his food can put Pepe on a roller coaster ride of sugar highs and lows rather than keeping his blood sugar nice and level.

Answer 6

innova, canidae, wellness, solid gold, california natural are a few good all natural foods. There are plenty more but look at the ingrediants on the bag and look for meat meat meat in the first 4-5 ingrediants. get nothing that says by-products.

If u consider the raw diet it is healthier for your dog but research it first. as far as someone saying it shortens their lives this is not true, it actually lengthens them. My sheltie dies at 20 years old and my min pin died at 19 the min pin ate the raw all 19 years and the sheltie ate it for 10.

Answer 7

I agree with Chihuahua lady, You will have lots of fun with a chihuahua I had 2, lost one 2 years ago but I still have the mother, she is 15 now. Enjoy they are beautiful dogs

Answer 8

well its ok to give ur dog wet food but hes eventually gonna have to switch if u want to switch then just do it as long as its ok for him, he'll have to get used to it, it'll be ok