[Kathy15]

I have just adopted a Coton De Tulears (mixed) from Madagascar. She is wonderful and a very active 2 year old. I am very confused about what I should be feeding her. I have tried many brands from the pet food store and she does not seem to like any. Then I started reading on the internet about all this unhealthy pet food. I also saw a book Pet Food Secrets and wondered if it was better to make your food. Is this a good book? I need help from experienced owners. Thank you.

 

[myminpins]

For information on pet food:

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/

For a list of good dog food brands:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/index.php/cat/1

Making your own dog food is always best but it takes a ton of research and reading to ensure you are feeding your dog properly and he is getting everything he needs.

 

[Kathy15]

Thank you for your reply. I don't mean to sound stupid, but where do you get raw? Should the dog still be getting some hard food.

 

[myminpins]

Raw is a lot of work and research. For now, just find a good quality kibble and feed that. If you're interested in feeding raw, there's a ton of info in the stickies on this forum about where to start and what to do

 

[basicair]

myminpins suggest the two links to websites I always suggest, too.

I would really, highly suggest you use Innova EVO Red Meat and/or regular. They're both 6 stars and considered all over the net to be a top brand. I use them too and so do countless others here. But also keep in mind there's a good 10 or so other brands that are just as good or just a little less quality but still miles ahead of stuff you find at Wal-Mart.

I switched my chihuahua puppy to Innova EVO small bites (yellow bag) and couldn't be happier. I used the two websites myminpins suggests along with personal peoples' reviews on sites like Amazon and others and came to the conclusion Innova EVO was, in my opinion, the top brand out there. There are a couple others I'd consider 'just as good' but my research pointed me to Innova EVO. I was tempted to go with Orijen but I'd have to order online and I don't want to do that.

My mom switched her 1.5 year old chihuahua over to Innova EVO too and he's already shown remarkably, insanely soft coat improvment and he always smeels fresh, clean. His energy levels are up, too, which is also a sign of a good food.

 

[odp1979]

For a new dog owner, I would stick with kibble. Stay away from most grocery brands and most big name pet store foods, such as Nutro, Purina, Science Diet, as they mostly contain fillers and you'll just end up feeding your dog more food/junk then he or she needs. Look for higher protein and better grains like barley or oats.

 

[Kathy15]

Sorry I don't know this. Is Kibble dry food? Do most dogs need wet and dry mix?
Thanks

 

[MissMutt]

Kibble is dry food, yes. Dogs do not "need" either wet or dry, but for the most part people feed dry. Lots of wet food can lead to icky teeth.

I use wet food as a topper. Just a spoonful of wet food in with each meal of dry kibble. Sometimes I skip it, sometimes I put extra. The dry is really what my dog subsists on.

 

[dansamy]

Ginger eats dry kibble at least once a day. However, throughout the day she receives training treats of various types. She also gets a small can of food mixed with some kibble once every couple days. But it's not necessary. She's just spoiled. I'm feeding Wellness Core, another 6-star food. Another member had hypoglycemic problems with it, but Ginger's not had any trouble. I attribute that to the fact that she eats multiple times a day, when you include all the treats and such.

 

[Mycathinks hesadog]

Depending on where you live, there may be pre-packaged raw meals available for your dog, but they cost about 25-30% more per meal than a high end kibble. However, if you eventually deciede on RAW they do provide some good reciepe's to "borrow."

I agree w/ MMP: do some reasearch, find a good kibble, and start there.

There are plenty of good foods out there, and plenty of crap too.

 

[Dad2labs]

I don't think RAW is a lot of research. 2 or 3 hours at the most and you can have all the information you need to begin a RAW to your dog. I suggest you read the book "Work Wonders" by Tom Lonsdale. There is a lot of information in the book. It is well written and easy to read. The book is available at amazon.com and other places. I think you can even download it somewhere but I forget where.

You could read the web site that helped me get started at www.skylarzack.com/rawfeeding. Between those 2 sources you can easily start feeding RAW to your dog. There are many many other sources of information that you could read after you begin if you feel you need to know more. IMO all the information you need are in the 2 places I mentioned.

 

[odp1979]

Also remember that feeding raw is not for everyone/dog. You have to consider many factors such as price, convenience, and taste. My dog does not like raw food. I have tried and tried. I'm sure it's probably the best or one of best way to feed your dog, but there some other great alternatives, but do stay away from Hill's Science diet, Iams, Eukanuba, most of the grocery brands. Some Purina's are okay, and some Nutro's are also okay, like Nutro Ultra. A good, price conscious brand is Canidae and California Natural.