Recommendation for dog food...?

Question

My dog is currently on Nutro Max dog food. I want to change her food because she doesn't seem to like her food and she is shedding a lot. I know its shedding season right now, but she seems to be shedding a little too much. When she was a puppy I had her on Cannidae but she didn't seem to like that, so i switched her to Innova Evo, and she didn't like that either, and now shes on Nutro Max and she seems to have lost the taste for it. In the beginning she loved the nutro max perhaps because it was a lesser quality food and taste "better" because of all the stuff they did to it. BUt now she just doesn't like to eat it, what healthy or healthier dog food recommendations are there for her? Should I give her Innova or Cannidae again?

Answer 1

Our pets need quality pet food. Read the ingredients list and learn what the stuff on there is and what it does (or does not do) to/for our pets. A quick pet food 101. If the pet food contains corn/corn products or by products it is a poor quality food. Do not pay attention to advertising, they all say there food is great. Corn is a filler that can trigger skin problems. (allergies, skin problems, itching and excessive shedding) By products is anything from an animal not fit for human consumption, including cancerous tissue. Quality foods have meat as the first ingredient. California Natural, Solid Gold, Innova and Merrick are a few of the best brands available. If you want to learn more check out: http://www.sagekeep.com/petfood.htm www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359& more=1 http://animalark.eapps.com/animal/PetFoods.nsf/$$PetFoodsByRating?OpenForm

Answer 2

Have you tried Eagle pack or Merrick?
Otherwise, have you tried buying canned food and mixing a little bit in with the kibble? I hear that works wonders.
Also, I have heard Flint River Ranch is a good food for picky eaters.
Have you tried mashing a few sardines in with the food? That seems to work in a bind, however it may not fix the long-term problem.

Also, if money is a determining factor... Maybe try Chicken Soup for The Dog Lovers Soul. It is better than Nutro, but Cheaper than Canidae.

EDIT: RAW may be a good option, but be cautious. Make sure you research fully before you go that route. Also, I was just on that Holistic Blend website and I don't like it. Their food doesn't seem to have enough meat in it. They have great ingredients, they're just lacking in meat sources.

Innova and Canidae are both tremendously better foods than Nutro Max. At least switch back to one of those.

Answer 3

hmm. How about Nature's Variety? My dogs used to eat that, now they eat Innova Evo. Nature's Variety is better than Nutro Max but not as good as Innova Evo since Nature's Variety uses meat meal instead of pure meat. Also sometimes mixing in some wet food helps. just don't ever feed her people food since it can make her finnicky.

Answer 4

I had my dog on Nutro too, and I noticed she was shedding, itching, and seemed to just be slowing down really fast. So I switched her over to Holistic Blend which is all natural with no by products or chicken meals in it. Her shedding has been reduced signifigantly, her coat is always shiny, and she has some of her old spunk back. She is clearly happier on this food and is doing so much better. Here's the Holistic Blend site:
http://www.holisticblend.com/

Answer 5

Since you are switching foods to please your dog you are creating, or have created already, a picky eater. You pick a food you want to feed and stick with that. The dog will eat. Canidae and Innova are both super premium dog foods and top of the heap.

Don't listen to the hype concerning corn in dog food. It is an excellent source of carbs and is well tolerated. It is more digestible than rice, only barley is more digestible. What you don't want to see is that it is higher than 3 or 4 on the ingredient list. Why? Because it is very cheap to purchase and that in itself should reduce the price of dog food but usually doesn't. You do need a grain in any kibble because that is what binds the product together. Kind of like trying to make a cake and not use flour.

Science diet along with Iam and Euk are premium dog foods but you can do much better for cheaper. In my local pet store Science Diet is more expensive than the super premium Innova. But then Science Diet is owned by Colgate Palmolive and they are interested in paying a dividend to their shareholders where Innova is a private company and has a strong policy of supporting independent pet stores (not chain stores that employ pimple faced teens that do not know the difference between good dog food and cat litter) and producing at top of the line product.

Answer 6

Royal Canin is probably the BEST food that you could feed. It has no artificial colors, or flavors, No fillers, and it is 100% natural. Most top breeders feed Royal Canin, and it is Vet recommended. I would stay with that. Also, you want a hard/crunchy food for the teeth to stay clean.

Answer 7

My pugs are on Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Allergy Formula Duck & Potato. They used to be on Canidae, but the DVP is better for the skin, itching,nose rolls, ears, etc. They love it and the small bites are perfect for them.

Iams/Eukanuba still test on animals. If you want to pay premium prices for a company that is cruel to animals, go for it. Science Diet is not worth the money nutritionally and has been linked to cancer. Unless you are using a prescription diet, you can do much better.

Answer 8

I have had , and presently have a German Shepherd and I've used and am now using Purina O.N.E. and they do very well on it. They seem to like it and it has many nutrients in it. You can see the difference when you use some other food and then use Purina O.N.E.

Answer 9

Science Diet Dog food! It comes in a variety of flavors and is very healthly for your dog. We have tried just about every dog food, and our dog does the best on Science Diet Dog Food. Science Diet Dog Food can be expensive so we find it on sale and buy the 40 pound bag which is much cheaper. Best Wishes! Happy Healthy Eating for your Dog!

Answer 10

i recommend you switch her to a raw diet. It costs just as much as the premium foods you've been giving her and you can probably buy it at the same place. I have never met a dog who has refused or been picky about raw dog food. They use it more efficiently to so there is less doggy waste.