Best puppy food????

Question

whats the best puppy food 4 my 8 month old maltese?i was giving her some no name brand i got from walmart but she didn't seem 2 like it and i was watching her eat and it seemed hard 4 her 2 chew the hard pieces so i was thinking about getting her some kibble'n bitts chewy puppy food but idk what kind 2 get her b/c theres so many kinds and brands 2 choose from it kinda confusing,i dont want 2 give her canned dog food b/c its 2 messy and makes her poo watery.

Answer 1

There isn't one single dog food that is the overall "best" on the market for all dogs. For example, some dogs do best on grain-free diets, for others, grain-free is too rich and they need a little lower protein diet. What you want to find out is what HIGH-QUALITY dog food is the best food for your dog.

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On choosing a dog food:
Read the ingredients on the food you buy. Go with a high quality dog food. A grain should not be in the first couple ingredients ingredient (corn and such are mainly fillers, dogs don't digest it well). Avoid foods that have a lot of "by products" listed.

Here is an article about byproducts:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=ingrd

And an article on what ingredients to avoid:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

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Some GOOD foods are :
* Merrick - http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
* Solid Gold - http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/
* Canidae - http://www.canidae.com/
* Timberwolf - http://timberwolforganics.com/
* Orijen - http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/orijen/
* Wellness - http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/
* Chicken Soup brand - http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/
* Blue Buffalo - http://www.bluebuff.com/
* Innova - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/innova.asp
* Innova EVO - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp

Or check this website for good foods: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
(I recommend only feeding foods rated 4, 5, or 6 stars. Anything 3 stars or less, I would stay away from.)

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Stay away from grocery stores brands. They are low-quality foods chalk full of fillers, preservatives, dyes, etc.. (Grocery store foods are those like Beneful, Old Roy, Alpo, Pedigree, Purina, etc.)

Beware "premium" foods. "Premium" does not mean good nutritionally, and is not a nutritionally high quality food. It has the same types of ingredients as grocery store foods, just a bit better quality of those not-so-good ingredients. (Premium foods are those like Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc..)

Another thing to be wary of: A lot of vets will recommend what they sell in their office. They get profit from the brands they keep on their shelves, that's why they push it. Truth is, vet schools don't focus a lot on nutrition. It's not saying that a vet is a bad vet because he recommends those foods, a lot of vets just are told "this is good food", so they pass the message along without proper nutrition knowledge. Also, some dog food brands (like Hills) support vet schools, so vets have heard of it from the time they start college, which makes them think it's good as well.

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Higher quality food may seem more expensive at first, but it evens out. The higher quality the food, the less fillers eaten (and therefore the less poop comes out the other end). Your dog eats more to try to get the nutrition it needs, and most of the food just passes right on through. Also, it will make your animals healthier, so you save money on vet bills in the long run.

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"Big box" petstores like Petco and Petsmart rarely have quality foods. Also, grocery stores and Walmart aren't good places to buy food either.

Your best bets for getting quality dog food are:
- small, locally owned petstores
- dog boutiques
- farm supply stores

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When switching foods, do it gradually. I do this over about a two week timespan:
25% food A, 75% food B
50% food A, 50% food B
75% food A, 25% food B
100% food A
.

Answer 2

Don't rely on anybody but yourself to make this vital decision.
Click on to HolisticPetMenu.com and watch the movie about how pet food is made then take advantage of their comparison list with several brands of pet food..
Check on line...educate yourself about all of these pet foods. The truth is alarming and true. I am personally involved in the huge law suit against the pet food companies and I can tell you Iams, Science Diet, Pedigree, Pro Plan are just a few out of several hundred being sued not only did some pet foods kill pets but all are being sued for mislabeling and misrepresentation of their products. All of these commercial pet food companies haven't changed anything as far as their ingredients go or where they purchase them from. All they did was re word their packaging and change their packaging. You owe it to yourself to your pet's life to become an educated consumer.

Answer 3

Kibbles an Bits is one of the worst dog foods on the market. The first ingredients are all grains. You should be paying for a meat as a first ingredient. Forget Walmart as you will not find top quality dog food there. Go to your local pet store and pick out a super premium. These would include but not limited to: Innova, Canidae, Wellness, Natural Balance, Flint River Ranch, Pinnacle, and more.

Answer 4

I can't beleive the number of people who still recommend or feed store brand foods..foods loaded with fillers & by products.

It is far better & healthier to feed your puppy/dog a good quality meat based food..one without corn, wheat, soy, by products, dyes, chemicals..

some good choices:
Chicken Soup for the dog/puppy lover's soul, wellness, canidae, innova, solid gold, merrick, fromm to name a few..

Answer 5

If she is not chewing properly her teeth will not be cleaned. All dogs need to eat raw meaty bones in order to help prevent peridontal disease. Even pet food companies have been forced to recommend this as most (80%) of their 'clients' have teeth and gum problems due to inadequate diets.

Do your research, skip the junk food brands and your dog will thank you for it!

Answer 6

hey i've worked in a couple pet stores and vets office and i've seen all different kinds of puppy foods recommended, what i always say is to read the ingredients on the back, if the product starts off with good quality ingredients and not filler (meal, flour, wheat etc.) then it's likely that your puppy will enjoy it a lot more and it will be much better on her digestive system. if she is still having trouble chewing it try boiling some water and pouring a little bit, maybe 2 tablespoons, on it and letting it soak up so its a little more mushy and then slowly decrease the amount of water untill she eats her food normally.

Answer 7

you got o'roy. which is not recomented by vets you could look under puppy food in search and get starter puppy kits from some of the company with coupons. don't give you dog can dog food. you could even go to a pet store to find the right one.

Answer 8

eww to all of the above, those are filled with chemicals such as ethoxyquin,bha/bht,and food dyes. go with any dog food you cant find at a supermarket. try SolidGold 'weebits'go to solidgoldhealth.com to see:)

Answer 9

The best by far and only one food I will give my pups is Nutro Ultra... Makes them poop like a third less than any other brand and is all natural... Is the best for dogs! Definately try it out

Answer 10

Pedigree
if you go to there website they will send u discounts they are the best dog food
recommended by a vet