# Help me pick food for my puppy please



## kabs996 (Apr 6, 2011)

Hi all,
Just got a new puppy, he is a Shih Poo. Currently he is eating Royal Canin, thats what he was being fed already when I got him. I would like a food that is going to keep his poops solid but also be healthy for him. Not sure what the hype about no grain food is vs grain foods. I have looked into Canidae ALS, Orijen, By Nature, Solid Gold, Chicken Soup. 
Thank you


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

feed the preminum foods and add a little
home mix. add some fresh chicken (pulled off the bone),
add some fresh fish or beef, add some rice, green veggies, carrots (all fresh),
sweet potatoe (fresh), when adding can food add the kind with nothing
added except water. when i'm talking about can food i mean the fish
variety. no salt, no color, no perservatives, ect., just water.


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## kabs996 (Apr 6, 2011)

I am asking for a dry food recommendation.....thanks


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

every dog is different, so what may be a great food, may not work for your dog or it just might, out of the ones you mentioned, I would pick orijen, probably followed by by nature, then canidae. But if your dog cant tolerate high protein of orijen, theres also acana which is grain free, same company, pretty much same ingredients, just lower protein.


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## cbull (Feb 14, 2011)

Try Acana Wild Prairie. I have my pup on it and she's doing great. Poops are solid, coat is great, etc.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

I agree with Uno, try the Orijen first. It's by far the best commercial kibble, so if it agrees with your dog, that's the way to go. 
Canidae's grain free line is pretty good, too.

*If you are going to add some home prepared items to your dog's diet, that's wonderful.... but I would not bother adding veggies and especially rice. Veggies are ok snacks and treats but will add nothing nutritionally.


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## kabs996 (Apr 6, 2011)

What is all the hype about grain free dog foods? Whats the big deal with grains and why should i chose a grain free food?
thanks


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

you might be interested in reading this - in short, dogs can't digest grains, and don't need grains. It's a cheap filler for the pet food industry, to make us pay more and get less.

More On Grains?

Here is a quote from that page:
_Why have grains become so "ingrained" in pet feeding? To the best of my knowledge grains were mainly introduced by the pet food industry. The high carbohydrate content provides CHEAP calories. In addition, grains assist in binding ingredients. We have become so used to feeding grains to dogs and cats that most of us get nervous when we decide not to use them. I know people who have been "grain-free" feeding and doing very well. My own cat is one example. 

What are the negative effects? I believe that carnivores cannot maintain long-term production of the quantity of amylase enzyme necessary to properly digest and utilize the carbohydrates. In addition, the proteins in grains are less digestive than animal proteins. As a result, the immune system becomes irritated and weakened by the invasion of foreign, non-nutritive protein and carbohydrate particles. Allergies and other chronic immune problems may develop. The pet's pancreas will do its best to keep up with the demand for amylase. What does this pancreatic stress do over a long time? I don't know, but it cannot be good. I suspect that dental calculus may be another problem promoted by grain consumption."_

Now, buying a grain-free food doesn't necessarily mean you are getting a good food - there are lots of other non-grain fillers they use, and saying it's "grain-free" just makes it sound good.

I ended up at this site because I have two dogs with various problems - runny eyes, thyroid problems, heart problem, anal gland problems, constipation problem, baldness, joint problems, on and on and on. 

They are both older dogs. They didn't start out like this. 

Imagine, if all those problems were created, over the years, by the food they were given.


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## kabs996 (Apr 6, 2011)

So....my puppy LOVES Canidae ALS. Good or bad choice???


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## Jackielyn (May 27, 2009)

From what I've heard, Canidae is a good food.


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## ajcstr (May 24, 2010)

I'm starting to come around with respect to the grain-free. But isn't grain just replaced with potato?


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## Serendipity (Aug 13, 2010)

ajcstr said:


> I'm starting to come around with respect to the grain-free. But isn't grain just replaced with potato?


I think most people prefer grain-free because grain-free kibbles are _generally_ higher in meat. Some dogs are also allergic to grains. Potatoes and peas aren't biologically appropriate foods for dogs either, so if they made Orijen grain inclusive with the same amount of meat, I personally wouldn't care.


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## Mokapi (Apr 7, 2011)

I've heard good things about Canidae, but I like recommending Taste of the Wild because it's pretty cheap for the level of quality, in my opinion.


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

ajcstr said:


> I'm starting to come around with respect to the grain-free. But isn't grain just replaced with potato?


Generally I find the amount of carbs in grain free foods tend to be lower than grain inclusive. Also, in the better foods there is more protein from meat sources.

Our dog has done very well on EVO Turkey/Chicken. And when we decide on a pup, it will be from the EVO line as well.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

you also just have to observe your dog. Snorkels did awful on grain-free, I can't remember what brand but she went bald on her back legs and behind her ears and she had alot of stomach upset. I think it had sweet potatoes in it.

Now, both of those things could have been something besides the food, but I think she was very happy to be taken off of it.


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## ajcstr (May 24, 2010)

Is there a way to figure out the carb % of a food? I agree, would like lower carbs in general but I think with a small dog I have to watch out that the fat% is not too high either.


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## MissusMac (Jan 6, 2011)

I had my pup on Taste of the Wild before switching him to raw food, and was pretty happy with it 

Congrats on your shih-tzu/poodle mix. What a cute mutt!


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

ajcstr said:


> Is there a way to figure out the carb % of a food? I agree, would like lower carbs in general but I think with a small dog I have to watch out that the fat% is not too high either.


I would think that info would be on the nutritional breakdown on the label. Or on the company's website.


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## ajcstr (May 24, 2010)

SubMariner said:


> I would think that info would be on the nutritional breakdown on the label. Or on the company's website.


Nah - they don't list the carbs! Gee, I wonder why? But I found a way to calculate it (2 different ways of course)

Is Your Dog Getting Fat?

How to Estimate the Hidden Carbohydrate Content of Any Dog Food


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## Lisa_j (Apr 7, 2011)

We fed Taste of the Wild prior to raw and my pack did well on it too.


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## Doc (Jan 17, 2009)

If the dog is doing well on RC, why change?


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

ajcstr said:


> Nah - they don't list the carbs! Gee, I wonder why? But I found a way to calculate it (2 different ways of course)
> 
> Is Your Dog Getting Fat?
> 
> How to Estimate the Hidden Carbohydrate Content of Any Dog Food


Really? Conspiracy theories about nutritional breakdowns? :spy: Please, let's not complicate this any more than it needs to be.

Maybe they just don't list them because unlike human food, they're not required to do it.hwell:


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

I think Champion lists carbs on their dog food bags.


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## AmeliaPond (Mar 25, 2011)

ajcstr said:


> Is there a way to figure out the carb % of a food? I agree, would like lower carbs in general but I think with a small dog I have to watch out that the fat% is not too high either.


dogfoodadvisor.com lists the percentage for various foods. Not sure if it's accurate or not but it may give you an idea anyway.

For example, here are the stats for Wellness Core - Wellness Core Dry Dog Food | Review and Rating


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

Also some dogs just flat out can't handle grains. Mine have instant nasty upset tummy the instant something with grain in it (even rice) hits their tummies. They were fine with kibbles and dehydrated foods that used potato, sweet potato, and tapioca (NV Instinct) as carb sources though. We've since cut out the carb issue entirely by going prey model raw.

If I had to pick a kibble it would be Orijen or Acana grain free. Champion is a damn good company imo.


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## ajcstr (May 24, 2010)

SubMariner said:


> Really? Conspiracy theories about nutritional breakdowns? :spy: Please, let's not complicate this any more than it needs to be.
> 
> Maybe they just don't list them because unlike human food, they're not required to do it.hwell:


I'm not saying its a conspiracy theory, and I know they are not required to list them, but it IS in their best interest NOT to list them. Earthborn does list carb% on their website but they appear low (somehow everything in the product has to add up to 100%). I'm just saying this because I am not as concerned with the makeup of the carbs (grains vs potato) as I am in the volume of the carbs understanding that the carbs are there to hold the kibble together, not for nutritional value.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/canine-nutrition/dog-food-carbohydrates/


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## schtuffy (May 17, 2010)

Out of the list, I would recommend the Orijen, then Canidae. The other ones have too much grain. My puppy did great on Orijen when he used to eat kibble, but like others have said, every dog is different. I believe Evo is a great kibble, but my friend's dog just could not get solid poops from it. 

In addition to higher proteins and fewer carbs, grain free is a better quality source of protein. Lower grade kibble offers protein, but are usually from things such as corn, soy, etc. Dogs are carnivores and are designed to get their protein naturally from meat. It's not all about protein numbers, but also where it comes from.


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