[Amanda D]

I am so lost. I’ve gone down the a rabbit hole and am overwhelmed. I have look at and priced so different foods it’s ridiculous. I’ll look at one, then another just to go back to the first and then again the third and them a fifth. Like I said overwhelmed. So my fist issue is choosing a brand. Now it’s age stages. My puppy at adulthood will be between 20 and 25 lbs. Do I feed puppy the regular adust, puppy then small breed or small breed for all life stages…

Foods that I seem to come back to are Castor & Pollux Organix, Natural Ultramix Grain-Free and Fromm Gold. I am on a budget. I am disabled, autistic and on ssi. But I want to feed the best I can afford. I want to try and stay under $50 for a 30ish pound bag. I’m not above ordering online. also if I go with a puppy formula, I would like use an adult or small breed formula from the same brand. I want to stay away from grains and Chinese and Japanese foodstuffs. If anyone can help me or point me in the direction of a good quality food I would be forever grateful! I have been at this for months and I am exhausted!

[pitlove]

Hi Amanda-

Puppies require a puppy formula, simple as that. A puppy food can come in the form of a “growth” diet or an “all life stages” diet. The AAFCO statement on the back of the bag will be most helpful in determining what life stage the food is meant for. The front of the bag tells precious little.

Is there any specific reasoning or logic behind wanting to avoid grains?

[Amanda D]

I just figure it will be easier to avoid any potential allergies if I avoid them from the start. I was corresponding with a Fromm rep on Facebook who said they only use pearled barley. He said that barley is better then say corn or wheat, but like I said in my post, I’ve been researching for months and months. I’m almost ready to throw my hands up because I’m overwhelmed with everything.

[a c]

I feel the same way. Buying puppy food shouldn’t be this complicated. I got my puppy almost a month ago when he was about 6 weeks old. I was told by the breeder that they feed him puppy chow kibbles soaked in the water. I went to the grocery store the same night to buy him some food. I looked at the label of puppy chow and I can’t make myself buying that. It’s full of meat by products and fillers. I also looked other puppy food. It’s the same. I left store with 2 cans of Caesar wet food because I have to feed him something.

I went to a pet store the next day. I was told Orijen puppy food is the best one. He has been on Orijen puppy food with no problem. However, I like to have at least one more puppy food to rotate with. I also heard a lot about Orijen lately that is may not be as good as before since the production has been moved from Canada to Kentucky. It’s very frustrated and confusing.

[Susan]

Hi Amanda,

When you get your puppy the food you have finally picked & thought was going to be the best food for your new pup, may not agree with your pup, he may start doing sloppy poo’s on this food….you’ll need to know what he was eating when you get him so you can slowly introduce the new food with his old food…
The best way to avoid any food sensitivities/intolerances is by rotating foods & introducing new foods to your pup diet, by allowing short exposure to a wider variety of proteins types, meat, grains, veggies, this way the immune system is primed to a larger range of potential allergens, which strengthens the immune system & may reduce the risk of allergies, food sensitivities developing, this is very important for young animals, hopefully your pup will have an iron stomach & be able to eat everything by the time he’s an adult, in the beginning still feed his regular puppy food then once he has settled in & is doing really well start to add 1-2 tablespoon of fresh healthy human food, whatever you’ve cooked for dinner as long as it’s a healthy meal with veggies & some meat, when your giving him a treat give him something that’s healthy, instead of a process treats, a few small bite size pieces of peeled apple, blueberries etc that’s when I started introducing different foods to my boy who has IBD & food sensitivities, I gave the food as a treat in the beginning…..

What breed will your pup be? will he be pure breed or a mongrel?? this will play a big part in his health & what health issues he’ll inherit….
Follow “Rodney Habib” on his face book page, click on link below, then watch “Why it’s so important to offer your pet FRESH human food”
https://www.planetpaws.ca/tag/healthy-food/
On your right once you have clicked on the link above are helpful video’s Rodney has made over the last 2 years, since he found out his 14yr old dog Sammie now 16yr old had cancer & now is cancer free… start following 1-2 people who you like in the pet world & this will stop a lot of the confusion… Also join a few healthy nutrition pet groups like “Canine Nutrition & Natural Health” “Planet Paws” & “K-9 Kitchen” the people in these groups will be able to help you if you need any help about puppy nutrition…

[anonymous]

Article written by a veterinary nutritionist (excerpts below, click on link for full article)
https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/

Grain free diets
Grain free diets have become all the rage in the last few years. I suspect this has stemmed from greater recognition of gluten sensitivity in humans. Most pet food companies have jumped on the band wagon following the marketing success of grain free human diets. The truth of the matter is that there are no dog or cat studies showing a health benefit to grain free foods. A myth has been perpetuated that grains are unhealthy. In fact, whole grains contribute vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids and are highly digestible by dogs and cats. Allergies to grains are actually very rare, and only the Irish Setter breed has been demonstrated to have a gluten sensitivity. Many grain free diets substitute potatoes and tapioca, which have less protein, more sugar, and less fiber. And typically these come at a higher cost.
Animal by-products
In addition to grain, animal by-products have become “dirty words” on the ingredient list. Although not necessarily appealing to humans (particularly in the USA), the definition of a by-product in pet food is a part of the animal that is not skeletal muscle. This includes organ meats and intestines (not intestinal contents). AAFCO specifically excludes hair, hooves, horns, hide, manure, etc… as acceptable by-products. So in reality, by-products are perfectly healthy and full of nutrients. And you can be sure that a wild wolf or mountain lion is eating “by-products” in nature.
Raw diets
Raw diets are another popular option on the market today. Studies have shown that 20-35% of raw poultry and 80% of raw food dog diets tested contained Salmonella. This poses a health risk for your pet, but also for humans. This is especially true for children or immunocompromised adults, whether exposed to the raw food directly, or the feces of the pet eating the raw food. Additionally, there is increased risk of other bacterial infections and parasitic diseases when feeding raw diets. And the bottom line is there is no reason to believe raw food is healthier than cooked food.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by anonymous.

[pitlove]

@Amanda

There is this common perception about grain-free diets floating around the internet that they are “superior” or “less allergenic” than diets that include grains, even grains like corn. This is completely false. True food allergies are rare in dogs firstly, but the more common food sensitivities yield a different immune response and food intolerance works completely differently than that. Grains are not a common source of allergen despite what many blogs will tell you.

Genetics is going to play a bigger role in the health of the dog. Purebred dogs coming from breeders who health test and cull bad traits out of their breeding program are the kind of breeders you want to associate with and buy from. These are the folks looking to better the breed they love and preserve that breed.

As far as wanting an easy answer to nutrition, it’s not easy. If going through a quality breeder they will be as much a part of your life as the dog is whether you want them to be or not. They will help you select a good food appropriate for the dog. Your vet can help as well.

Your puppy should be fed whatever food the breeder uses for the first 3 weeks it is home with you to avoid added stress which can cause GI upset. Doesn’t matter whether you “approve” of the food or not. After the pup has adjusted to the new surroundings you can begin to do a slow transition to the puppy food of your choice. It doesn’t really matter what brand you pick per se as long as it is formulated for a puppy (like I mentioned in my previous post).

[anonymous]

@ Amanda
Seriously, if you are getting overwhelmed. I think your best option would be to find a veterinarian that you like and trust to work with and go by his recommendations.
Keep the puppy on whatever food the breeder has started him/her on, the pup should be at least 10 weeks old when you accept it.
You should see the vet within the first 2 weeks that you have the pup and he will advise you accordingly.
Ask the breeder for any documentation of all vaccinations, worming, vet visits (verbal doesn’t count). Failure for the breeder to provide such documentation would be a red flag, imo.
In that case I would take the pup directly to the vet for an examination the same day you pick him or her up.
Good luck

[Amanda D]

I am so sorry I haven’t replied to everyone’s posts. We have had a bit of a crisis with our Bailey that didn’t turn out the way we hoped. If anyone is interested in the long story that it is I’ll post my Facebook post.

As far as food, I think I have settled rotating Fromm and Nutro Ultra Puppy kibbles. I’ll mix in defrosted frozen Peas and Carrots, in every meal, add an egg to breakfast and maybe mix in a little wet Nutro Ultra Puppy.

My question now, how should I prepare the egg? I was planning on scrambling one in my microwave in my Nordic Ware microwave egg cooker. Or is it better raw? I don’t think I’LL do tof many treats as we’ll be working on training with boiled Chicken throughout the day. Maybe some chopped Raw baby carrots.

Should I wean puppy onto people foods? I also want to use fruits for occasional treats like strawberries, blueberries, bananas and apples (unsure of what variety of apple is best … a sugary red delicious/Washington or a tarter baking type apple like granny smiths kinds.

I’mean intrested in fish oil or Canned sardines as well. But is that a daily or weekly supplement?

[anonymous]

Please note the above 3 posts prior to your latest post. Otherwise it may be best to consult a veterinary health care professional as I suggested.
Puppies do best on a basic, simple, bland diet and don’t do well with changes.
Any quality puppy food will do. Consider Pro Plan Puppy. Although, it may be best to keep the pup on whatever the breeder has been feeding, at least for the first month or two. Just add some water. You can use a bit of the kibble for snacks also.
Adding too many different things could result in GI upset and diarrhea.

[Susan]

Hi Amanda,
sounds like your on the right track from reading your latest post, with sardines some people add them to their dogs diet 3 times a week, I prefer to give as a treat daily or I like freeze dried Green lipped mussels for my dog & cat not as smelly & messy, with apples it doesn’t matter which brand apple pieces you give as long as you don’t give the seeds, I get Delicious apples they’re more sweet & have less acid, with egg I cook the same way in the microwave, its quick & easy just don’t over cook then the egg is like rubber, raw carrots don’t digest & come back out whole in the dogs poo, your better off just using the kibble you’re feeding for meals as training treats…or small apple pieces….

[Author]

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