What IS the best dog food for puppies?

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#1
I've seen a lot of commercials but I really can't tell because they basicly say the same things.

Right now my dog is getting use to Iams.
 

Brattina88

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#2
You're gonna get a bunch of different opinions on this. Different brands are perfect for different dogs. What may be great for you and your dog may not work for someone else. I use Eukanuba, its made by the same co. of Iams, but has extra stuff; "Eukanuba's exclusive Vital Health System targets six Essential Health Functions of every cat and dog, delivering nutrients when and where they're needed for optimal health every day. Eukanuba contains natural ingredients, with added vitamins and minerals." So, I've been told that in the long run Eukanuba is "better" than Iams for long term health supplemented by food :rolleyes:
 

Lynn

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#4
Hi soccerwoofer,

You may also want to consider using Flint River dog food. It is an all natural dog food.
My dog has many allergies, but ever since we have been using Flint River, the allergies have all but vanished.
 
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#5
Flint River is what I use for my dogs. But as long as a dog food works for your dog and it is of high quality (people grade), it should be fine. There are many fine brands on the market that will offer samples also.
 
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#7
If you'll go to the site at www.naturapet.com, there is a protocol there you can click and compare a long list of different dog foods. I was surprised at how few actually use human grade ingredients, not leavings, and how few use ingredients that have not been treated with chemicals and hormones.
 
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#9
I might dig up all the mentioned quality dog food brands and create a poll. Might be interesting to see who wins. At least we will have some real brands that work for dog owners to select from.

Chazhound
 
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#10
It's kind of scary when you think about it, but I came to the realization that the ingredients in my dogs' food are more wholesome than most of what is available to ME in the grocery store!

The feed store where I buy their food also has someone local who bakes dog cookies that are sold in bulk. Some of them are cut out with little gingerbread man cookie cutters, and some are little "bites" about the size of a quarter. Bimmer and Shiva love the molasses and peanut butter gingerbread men and the carob and ginger drops. They look so good - a few times I've caught myself wondering if they'd be good with a cup of tea!
 

Brattina88

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#11
Ha! This is gonna sound gross, but when we try out a new type or new brand of treats for our babies I have my brother try them first! :eek: Its not like we ask him to, he just does it, LoL! Its become a routine, we buy treats, he pops one in his mouth, frowns up his face because its never what he thinks its gonna taste like and goes "its okay" and then gives the dogs some! :D hahahahaha

On a different note, most commercail brand foods are good for the dogs, but CHECK THE INGREDIANTS. I've went through training classes with the dogs, taken a course at the animal protective league where I volinteer my time to care for the dogs, and they say that its so important to read the ingridiants. If you have a puppy, then you get puppy food - everybody knows that. If you get chicken flavor kibble then the first or second ingridiant should be chicken something...
I've been told that CORN in dog food is like SUGAR to us, and to avoid it if you have a hyperactive pup. We had a chihuahua that had small bites toy breed puppy dog food and she was bouncing off the walls. The corn was like sugar to her and gave her all that energy, so as suggested we switched food and she calmed down. Now thats an extreme case, but I just wanted to warn you. :cool:
 
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#12
It's really great that you've cared enough to volunteer and taken the opportunities to learn some good things about animal care. I wish more people were as curious and caring and eager to learn as you.

You're on the right track with reading the ingredients, however, they only tell part of the story. Chicken may be the second - or even first - ingredient, but just because it's chicken doesn't mean it's something you want to feed your dog. That "chicken" is very likely to be feet, feathers, or any sort of scrap parts from highly processed sources that have been treated with lots and lots of chemicals and hormones. The same goes for beef, lamb, or any other meat (??) ingredient in most widely marketed commercial dog and cat foods. The stuff that gets fed to our pets by major manufacturers makes those skinny "red racer" hot dogs look like health food. My Dad was buying one of the better selling dry dog foods for my first German Shepherd, and he was eating it, lots of it, but he was losing weight and not looking or acting right. Our vet told us he was suffering from malnutrition. We changed to a good dog food, and he was back to his old energetic self. He lived to be over fifteen, and caught a starling that was stealing his food the day he died.

By the way, love your forum name, "Brattina!"
 

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