# Searching for a new dog food



## lilbabyvenus (Mar 3, 2010)

I currently feed my chihuahuas Natures Variety Instinct. It's a great food for my two, but I just moved and I can't get it where I live now. I used to feed Wellness, and have decided to go back, but don't know what to try. I originally put them on grainless because my girl, Venus, is allergic to corn, but I'm starting to wonder if they really need a grainless food. I know Core is good, I've tried it before, but I'm really considering their Super5Mix Small Breed. They're not highly active dogs, but not lazy either. I just don't know if they're really benefiting from a high protein diet either, if they really don't need it. Does anyone have any input either way?


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

Its a personal choice really, my take on it is that pet food companies use grains to bulk up their food without increasing the cost of production, but not to the benefit of the dog, so I began to question how much meat there really is in the food and whether theres more grains then meat to begin with. 
But again, not all grain free foods are high protein/low carb, like natural balance is mostly made of potatoes. 

If your dogs seem to do well on grain free, I would give Core a try, if your dogs are particularly active, just reduce the ammount so they dont put on weight.


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## harrkim120 (Feb 2, 2010)

lilbabyvenus said:


> I currently feed my chihuahuas Natures Variety Instinct. It's a great food for my two, but I just moved and I can't get it where I live now. I used to feed Wellness, and have decided to go back, but don't know what to try. I originally put them on grainless because my girl, Venus, is allergic to corn, but I'm starting to wonder if they really need a grainless food. I know Core is good, I've tried it before, but I'm really considering their Super5Mix Small Breed. They're not highly active dogs, but not lazy either. I just don't know if they're really benefiting from a high protein diet either, if they really don't need it. Does anyone have any input either way?


If I were you, I'd stick with the Core. All dogs benefit from a higher protein level when it comes from a quality food consisting of meat protein and not grain protein. Dogs are meant to eat all meat, so the more the merrier. Foods like Core have chosen to remove the grains from their food and add more meat to more replicate a dog's natural diet. 

I personally have fed both Core and Super5mix. I found that he did much better on Core...firmer stools, less frequent stools, no dandruff, less doggie odor. Just my two cents. :biggrin:


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

I right now have my 4 dogs on Wellness core the fish one and the weight management for the labs! I like the core
personally alot. Meat content great and my dogs coats are nice and they are not pooping up the whole yard haha! They are doing tremendously well on it. I ahve used the superfive mix and I really think they do better poop wise and all on the core! And you get to feed less! Also go to the web sight and sign up for the naturally well pet club and you can get coupons for money off the food and treats! YEAH :biggrin:
that is a big help too!

WELLNESS® - Healthy Dog and Cat Food


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

My son just adopted a tiny 1.5 pound Chihuahua puppy from someone that couldn't keep it anymore. It is going to be living with me full time soon and I babysit it often. When they got it at 8 weeks it was on Nutro and was sick and had hypoglycemia episodes and they had to give it water with an eye dropper and baby food.

We put her on EVO small bites (with the vets approval) and now at 12 weeks old the little beastie is just unbelievable. She is like a little monkey flying all over the house, climbing up on the 75 pound dogs, running all over our acre yard, and eating everything in site! We have to keep a bell on her so we know where she is! I never thought a Chihuahua could be like this. She's one crazy, happy puppy and I'm sure it's because she is eating a high quality, grain free food. The vet is very happy with her diet and her progress and we cant' believe it. 

If I were you I would definetly stick to the grainfree Wellness. I put my 13 year old Lhasa on grainfree Evo about two months ago and the improvement in her has been dramatic. She runs and plays with the big dogs for the first time in years. I don't worry at all about the high protein or calories. I just feed her less and she does fine.


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

wags said:


> I right now have my 4 dogs on Wellness core the fish one and the weight management for the labs! I like the core
> personally alot. Meat content great and my dogs coats are nice and they are not pooping up the whole yard haha! They are doing tremendously well on it. I ahve used the superfive mix and I really think they do better poop wise and all on the core! And you get to feed less! Also go to the web sight and sign up for the naturally well pet club and you can get coupons for money off the food and treats! YEAH :biggrin:
> that is a big help too!
> 
> WELLNESS® - Healthy Dog and Cat Food


i signed up last month never got coupons ever.


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## harrkim120 (Feb 2, 2010)

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> i signed up last month never got coupons ever.


I'm sure it's going to take some time to process. I would give it another month first.


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

its beena month though since isigned up. i signed up likefeb 16?


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## lilbabyvenus (Mar 3, 2010)

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> its beena month though since isigned up. i signed up likefeb 16?


You may have thought of this already, but check your spam folder. I stopped receiving mine a couple months ago, and here, for some reason, they were being sent to my spam folder and I was just not seeing them. Otherwise I think you can call them and check in with them and see how long it will take. The new one for this month just came out like the 2nd I think, so I don't know if that would have been long enough for your subscription to process or not. Good luck!


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> i signed up last month never got coupons ever.


That is odd! I get a newsletter from them and coupons towards the end of the month every month! Maybe you could resign up or ask them through the contact sight and tell them you signed up for the newsletter and coupons to make sure that your initial email went through! I am thinking you will most likely though get this soon! Maybe it has not been processed yet! They give you like 3 dollar off coupons and 2 dollar off treats. Around Xmas time they actually mailed me a 5 dollar coupon and a 2 dollar fro treat one and also email me a 5 dollar coupon. so when I went to get my core, I had 10 dollars off! You should get these soon! Fingers crossed!


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## harrkim120 (Feb 2, 2010)

I remember when I first signed up that they skipped the first month, but I got the following month. 

I don't believe that they send out all their newsletters at once either, seeing as though I haven't gotten mine yet.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

I got the $5 coupon from them for doing a survey for them on what I thought of their new can labels. I use their canned food that is grain free so I gave them my opinion of their redesign. I got to use it on anything so I used it on the treats and cut the price in half. The dogs were happy! I haven't gotten a newsletter from them this month at all either so it must be sent out at different times.


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## lilbabyvenus (Mar 3, 2010)

I believe, if you become a fan of them on Facebook, they have their monthly coupons in their pics album on their fan page. I think you can just click them, and print them out. But here's this months for those of you who haven't gotten it yet: http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=pre...j&delivery_id=bdrercfwtbrtjyyplwtwjeryoehgbki


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