What Dog food is best?

I've had a shi tzu for almost 6 months now (our neighbors gave her to us, they raise dogs & the puppies agrivated her) She's four. What is the best dog food. I've heard pros and cons for almost all brands. Can anyone tell me whats best and why. I've been reluctant to take her off what she's on (I heard you shouldn't switch around) She's on Kibbles and Bits now. All I know is that it isn't cheap but that doesn't always mean It's more healthy. Any ideas or facts would be great thanks :y_the_best: .

 

I give my Shih-Poo puppy Royal Canin and he likes it. My Pet Store recommended it when I was looking at switching Teddy's food because he would not eat his Eukeneba.

My Vet said that Royal Canin is a very good food.

 

I feed my shih tzu INNOVA, it is a very high quality kibble.

 

Pedigree is what Ive been feeding all but 2 of my own dogs, rescues, foster pets etc for over 30 years, if you have dogs with allergies or a medical condition that requires a special diet then you have to be careful but otherwise there is no need to spend a fortune. If you change the diet, and you are right not to suddenly switch, the best way is to give a quarter of the new food to 3/4 original food for about 3-4 then half and half for the same time then a quarter old food to 3/4 new and then on to the new food, if done gradually like that there shouldnt be any diarrhea.

 

Thanks all, I've heard that when choosing food if meat is not one of the top three ingrediants then it is not good for them. Is that true?

 

Dogs digest and utilize animal proteins better than plant proteins. If meat is not listed in the top three ingredients a plant protein is likely listed as a main protein source. In that case my guess would be that its a low quality food (assuming its not a prescription/allergen diet). Personally, I like to see meat as the first and preferably also as the second ingredient. I don't like to see plant protein sources such as soybean meal and corn gluten meal used in replace of high quality meat proteins, I prefer specified meat (chicken meal vs. meat meal) and fat sources (chicken fat vs. animal fat) and I avoid artificial colors, sweetners and beef tallow.

My dogs eat Timberwolf Organics. I've also been very happy with Innova. My grandmother uses Innova for her Shih Tzu.

Here is a helpful article on selecting a good commercial pet food:
http://www.api4animals.org/689.htm

 

Does anyone know if the Natural Balance Meat Rolls are ok for puppies? I have been using the lamb roll for training treats and my puppy LOVES it. I was wondering if I could/should start adding it to her puppy dry food? She's starting to not want her dry food because she likes the meat roll so much more.

 

How old is your puppy? The NB meat rolls meet the nutrient profiles for adult maintenance so I'm not sure I'd make it a large part of her diet if she is still very young. The NB website does say its okay to add to growing puppies food though....it says you can even grate it over the dry food. I think adding a small amount would be okay but you might also be encouraging her pickiness in doing so.

 

She is 12 weeks today. She ate all her dry food today no problem, but I gave her less treats. So, I think I need to cut back on the treats. I *think* she is housebroken so that will really help cut down. At some point, I would like to give her the NB meat rolls, but maybe I Should wait until she is a bit older. I really like the idea of grating it over the dry food.

Thanks so much for your help.

 

It appears some breeders feel otherwise: http://www.shershihtzus.com/id99.htm

 

dog food issues and best.

I feel that in many cases there are several out there that are fine. I have had my vet tell me one thing and friends of mine said their vet told them something else. Purina Lamb & Rice has been great for my 10 Min Pins and for past several years no problems. Coat is always clean, shinny and general monitoring of their mouth, gums and teeth have produced no problems. My vet has been pleased with their check ups. I use RD when I first picked up Jack due to his age and he has done great in reducing weight and according the vet there is no problem with him eating it regularly.

 

I feed Luther(spitz mix) raw food, I think he seems way healthier for him. My dog(.5 Lab, .25 pit bull, .25 chow) before him could only eat Purina little Bites, everything else I ever tried gave her diarhea and gas, she died very young though at 7. My parents dogs (chihuahuas, shihtzus and poodles) ate generic food, table scraps anything and the chis lived to be 16-17 somewhere in there I forget. The others lived to be old also, but they were rehomed after my parents divorce, so I don't know how old exactly or if their diet was changed.
here is a link tocheck out: http://www.auspet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6125

 

Clover is on Blue Buffalon Lamb formula. She loves it, it's very high quality. She eats SO much less of it than the junky foods, and her coat has gotten much shinier and (unfortunately, ) it's also given her a lot more energy than she had before.

 

I know that NB is designed for all life stages (www.naturalbalanceinc.com) with just the amount changing according to the dog's nutritional needs and activity level. Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much about it nutritionally, as long as you're feeding enough to suit a growing puppy's needs. By the way, Pet** also sells Solid Gold!

I also really like the idea of the "LifeSource Bits" in Blue Buffalo. Unfortunately, my dog seems to be allergic to lamb and chicken, but I agree that it's a great food. Nice, flat, easy-to-crunch kibble, too! It would definitely be my 1st choice out of the foods available at Pet*****

Nice to know that the big chain stores carry some good foods, too.

If you have a feed store nearby (or don't mind paying for shipping), I would also look into the wide variety of very high quality foods available now. In addition to BLUE, Solid Gold, and Natural Balance... www.naturapet.com, www.oldmotherhubbard.com, www.timberwolforganics.com, www.canidae.com -- just a few suggestions. There's definitely many, many better options than Kibbles N Bits!

This is just my opinion, of course, but I really do feel that food makes a difference.