[Cobalt]

I have researched and I am still confused. I am lucky to have a store that has most of the brands mentioned.

In the article referenced here much of the time many of the 6 star foods are not for puppies. I have a Tibetan Terrier puppy and the breeder had her on Natural Balance but she isn't crazy about it, doesn't finish 1/4 cup 3 times per day. I bought Innova puppy but then read something scary here about cottage cheese. The vet gave a free bag of science diet and she likes it but I only use it as treats, I am opposed to the monopoly SD has in vet clinics.

I am curious about Eagle Pack Holistic.

I do know to switch foods slowly but I just am not sure which brand would be best for a dog who will be about 22 lbs and will have a double coat.
I don't know if any of that matters, we will keep her in a puppy cut but many mention that certain foods are good/bad for coats.

My last dog Lilly, a rescue maltese was on Eukanuba her whole 15 1/2 years and I thought it was the best. I was sadly mistaken and I feel very bad about that now.

Thank you for your help!

[skelaki]

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/ Have you checked out this site? You can compare the various foods and read their reviews and then make the best choice you can within your budget and beliefs about feeding. Personally, I'm going to be feeding primarily raw this next time and using Timberwolf Organic's for the little kibble my upcoming pup will be getting.

[EXBCMC]

if i recall science diet received an F. i've been using the canidae and it says for all ages. they love it. just because of the name i want to try chicken soup

[briteday]

I've never felt the necessity to feed a "puppy" food, unless you have a large-giant breed pup. Then you need to consult with the breeder and vet. But most dogs do fine on all stages food. As far as which food to feed, you might want to find an independent retailer that sells several brands and ask them if they have the free sample bags. Most of them in my area do get them from the distributor. That way you can have a short list of 4-5 foods you might like your dog to eat and then trial the dog to see which he prefers. I did it by putting down two identical bowls each day, with a different food in each. The dog chose which she preferred and had that for the meal. The next day I would put down the previous preferred food and a new one, letting her choose again...until we got down to having tried all the samples that we were given. My dogs had no problem with getting a different food every day for a few weeks. And I wouldn't say they have cast iron guts either. But switching for a few weeks didn't give either any problems.

[Cobalt]

Thanks, not feeding her Science Diet, just using as treats. Normally I use Cherrios because many treats cause tummy upsets. We have puppy class in the AM and I am going to take cheese this time.

That's the report I was reading and it lists most of the 6 star as not good for puppies. Canidae is the food that I read most often mentioned with poor coat quality so that worried me.

I am not interested in feeding raw, we are partially vegetarians so it would be too much for us to handle. Don't you love partial vegetarians??! lol

We gave her a bit of the Innova and we just had a major case of loose stool so I'd better take it slower. I had it 3/4 to 1/4 but it looks like she picked much of the Innova out and left the Natural Balance.

Hope we don't have a nasty night ahead of us! At least she made it to the puppy pad!

[sparkybeagle]

Our local doggie shop gave us alot of samples- California Naturals, Innova, Eagle pack hollistic, Solid Gold, & Acania (sp?). Honestly, I thought it would be pretty hard on the tummy to try out all of them so I went with the first one he liked. In fact I'm wonderng if he likes it too much, he is eating 3/4 x2 of solid gold. He is 11lbs and 13 weeks old he will be around 25 lbs . Beagles will over eat so I'm keeping an eye on the ammount, it seems like alot.

[Cobalt]

We must have been writing at the same time Brite. What food did you dog end up with??

And what was the vaccination that caused the trouble with your dog?

Thanks for the sample bag tip, I was looking for little bags to buy but didn't see any.

Thanks Sparky, I think I am over thinking this. I am sure that any of them are fine, much better than what most dogs eat. She loves the Innova so if we can get her to eat some of the Natural Balance so she doesn't switch so fast, that will be good. I think I'll give her only NB in the am and the Innova as treats so she can't pick the Innova out.

[briteday]

We ended up for a few months on a holistic fish kibble, can't remember the name right now. However, in March we switched to raw and the difference in her health has been exceptionally good. Our younger dog who could walk past her food bowl for 3-4 meals in a row now wolfs down mels with gusto. They are both more energetic and playful. Not to mention that their teeth are much easier to keep clean and they get plenty of chewing exercise just from their two daily meals.
I'm lucky enough to live on the West Coast where there are plenty of organic butcher stores, slaughterhouses, and a pretty good co-op. So it has made raw feeding a bit easier and no more expensive than kibble.

[Cobalt]

I can't imagine... I am sure it would be good for her but just reading your post made my stomach turn!

[Valkman]

My puppy has been eating Canidae All Levels since the shelter got him at 6 weeks, and he's about 18 weeks now and really doing well - he was weighed at 29 lbs at the vets today and he's a collie/shepard mix. I'd recommend it!

[crazydays]

Hi- It is confusing selecting a good food for your pup. I followed what the breeder suggested, and shes been in the business for 32 years- English Springers. My ESS pup is on Solid Gold -puppy. Her coat is very shiny and she is healthy with no allergies. Her bowels are normal. I am so pleased with the product that I now have Cagney-Standard Schnauzer on Solid Gold. This is working for me!!!