By-products or natural dog food????

Question

corn gluten meal and other meals is it really bad for your dog? I want a food product not too fattening. What do people feed small breed dogs such as chihuahuas? Are natural dog foods better?

Answer 1

Look for a kibble with real meat as the first ingredient,and no corn, soy or beet pulp.

Chi's need all of the nutrients that they can get in every bite, so it is best not to have any fillers in the kibble.
great kibbles are Natural Balance, Wellness, Canidae, Innova, Solid Gold, all available at most local pet supply shops...None of the kibbles on the grocer's shelves are worth feeding.

(I used to breed Chihuahuas)

Answer 2

Me I don't care what the brand is. I look at the percents on the back. I like my dogs diet to be high fiber, high protein and low fat. So the more protein and more fiber it has, the better I like it. I go with Boxer formula food, or Natural Choice, yes it says natural, but its cheap and made out of the same stuff everything else is. But its got what I'm looking for, and my dog looks great, poops great, and all the trainers compliment her weight and muscles. Sometimes if we've gone for long walks or she's done a ton of tricks I mix in some wet cat food because it too has less carbs and more meat than canned dog food. She still gets her carbs and vitamins, just not as much corn filler as some other dogs.

Answer 3

As others have stated, high quality kibble is better, raw is best. if you want to buy a better food, look for whole ingredients, not by products of the human food industry. look for meat, not meal, as the main ingredient. my favorite commercial food is nature's variety prairie brand canned foods because of the whole, quality ingredients. Other good brands are Natural Balance, Wellness, Canidae, Innova, Solid Gold. There are others as well and you can find many on www.petfooddirect.com
you can find out more about dog food and how it's made by subscribing to the whole dog journal at www.whole-dog-journal.com which can give you a lot of good information about ingredients and what really goes into a dog food.
if you're interested in more info on raw feeding, try www.rawfed.com

Answer 4

natural foods are MUCH better. it's like the difference between us eating cheese puffs all day, or alfalfa sprouts. we'd probably have healthier bodies with the alfalfa.. same with natural dog foods. i highly recommend doing some research online.. petfooddirect.com has TONS of natural dog foods, both wet and dry. they even have plain canned chicken, beef, etc. click on the dog food section, and then click on 'wellness.' it really has a lot of choices, and you can read the ingredients to each one. make sure there is no corn or wheat, and no by-products. it's a bit more expensive but well worth it. good luck! :o)

PS.. you should also read some reviews online.. just type in 'blank dog food' (whatever brand you're thinking about) reviews. you'll get tons of reviews most likely, and they'll probably be very helpful. :o)

Answer 5

look for a food with no byproducts and where the first ingrediant is something like lamb meal or chicken meal (not lamb on chicken) also try and find something with no corn. the better (and in some cases this means natural) foods are more nutritious so your dog eats less, goes to the bathroom less, and has a better coat. royal cannin makes some breed spacific dog foods that are pretty good, avoid anything you can buy in the grocery store.

Answer 6

We are what we eat. same standard to applys to your pet too. More and more people are buying natural and organic foods for their companion animals, especially cats and dogs. According to the Organic Trade Association, organic pet food sales are growing at nearly three times the rate of organic human food.

Pet owners also are finding an increasing number of options — more than a dozen brands of natural and organic cat and dog food are now available, as well as some foods for smaller animals such as birds and ferrets. You can expect to pay up to twice as much for these premium foods compared to conventional options, but you (and your pets) get what you pay for
Natural pet foods generally are minimally processed and are preserved with natural substances, such as vitamins C and E. Whereas “natural” is an undefined and unregulated distinction, “certified organic” pet foods must meet strict standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that spell out how ingredients are produced and processed. These standards do not allow the use of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, preservatives, artificial ingredients or genetically engineered ingredients.

Phil Brown, a veterinarian who helped develop the formulas for Newman’s Own Organics pet foods, says “natural” has come to mean that the food is free of chemical preservatives and artificial colors, but does not guarantee that the food is free of pesticides, herbicides or antibiotics.

Answer 7

The best thing for your dog is the raw food diet. It doesn't matter the size or breed. Stick to natural food. The next best thing, in my opinion is Innova - Evo. It does not contain any grains and no carbs. Good Luck!

Answer 8

Natural kibbles are better, raw is best. Dogs can't digest corn, and it is one of the biggest allergens. Its in most dog foods because its cheap.

I gave you my article in your other question, it has lots of good information, and links.

Meat meals as long as the source is listed aren't so bad, i.e. chicken meal. Corn has no place in a dogs diet.

Answer 9

Iams & Hills Science Diet are good brands (per the Veterinarian) I feed my dogs and cats both brands and they do just fine. Stay away from corn, or corn meal....the first ingredient should always be chicken, beef, lamb etc....the first ingredient should never be meat by products etc. If your still undecided, consult your Veterinarian....I feed my chihuahua Science diet, ask your Vet the appropriate amount to feed so the dog will not put on too much weight. Dogs who are allowed to feed free choice (keeping a full bowl out all day) tend to gain more weight opposed to dogs who are fed 2 meals a day...good luck to you!

Answer 10

I feed my chihuahua Innova Evo...he does really well on it. It's grain-free and all natural. http://www.naturapet.com