Puppy Food Dilemma please help!

[SirBuddyRules]

I did post this in the introduction since I am a new member. I thought it might be best in here.

So glad we found you!

I really need advice on what to feed my mini LH cream.
My vet said to feed Eukanuba, Royal Canin, Iams or Purina.
Since looking into the nutrition I didn't like those options and got what I thought was the better brand Blue Buffalo Wilderness.

(I did change the puppy food very gradually from Purina to BB over 2 weeks) Well since he has been on BB I've noticed my 15 week puppy either finds it difficult to poop or it his stool is really loose. I notice he has tears in his eyes and he seems to have a dry mouth so I don't know if that's because hes not drinking enough water. (he seems to be peeing fine) My vet told me to take him off it and give him Eukanuba for Dachshunds.

The more I am reading about what dry food to feed I am just getting too confused. Dog Food analysis and the other web site I can't remember the name said BB was excellent. however, I am reading reviews from people extremely unhappy with the health of their pups experiencing the same symptoms as my baby. Then I saw Origen and thought that would be good but it seems its too rich for some puppys and the same thing loose stools.

He loves real chicken but I don't want tofeed him that kind of food its expensive! I just want to feed my pup something hes going to like AND I want it to be healthy not where I get a nasty surprise where he gets renal failure or something like that from eating the wrong food! (he's starting not to want to eat his kibble which sometimes I mix in BB pupp canned which he did love at first)

Please can you tell us what you feed your pups and what you would avoid. I know its a personal decision and everyone will have differing opinions but I don't want to end up with a sick dog.

I want to know if it really matters if pups eat grain free or not or if this is just something to con us to feeding so called 'premium' food. Are breed specific dog foods a con too or do they actually provide specific nutrition for the breed (namely Dachshunds!!)
What about fillers are they really as bad as what I am reading about or again is that just something to influence us to buy high protein best ever foods that are just too rich for the pups? I hope I am making sense!

I'm sorry if I seem so green well I AM!! Its my first pup lol.

 

[Lbonnienclyde]

Welcome to the puppy world. We have two mini dachsunds and we feed them, Purina One, with rice & lamb, they get 1/3 cup of dog food and a tablespoon of veggies,(pea's, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato's) I rotate the veggies. They just love the veggies. Sometimes they get fresh fruit. The same amount in the evening. Good luck to you and your new puppy.

 

[amparra]

Not all vets are well schooled in Canine nutrition. Thats why you see many of them recommending garbage like Science Diet.

Grain Free isn't jut a gimmick. Some dogs have allergies or sensitivities to grain and need grain free diets. Others are perfectly fine eating grain inclusive foods and there is nothing wrong with that. My dogs do better on grain free so thats what I feed.

I would be careful about feeding grain free to a puppy. I don't know if this is only for larger breeds, we had labs long before we ever had dachshunds, but with larger breeds at least, most grain-free foods do not have the correct calcium/phosphorus ratios for a puppy and can negatively impact growth. You will have to research if the same applies to smaller breeds.

As for Blue Buffalo, it looks great on paper but the results are not the same in real life. I fed it to my lab as a puppy and she had explosive diarrhea on it. Blue doesn't own their own manufacturing plants and they have had issues, especially the the Wilderness line, with the vitamin D levels being too high and making dogs very sick. The idea behind the product is good and their marketing is fantastic but I would just stay away from it.

My dogs are currently eating Earthborn Meadow Feast but if I had a puppy I would feed Fromm Puppy Gold.

The most important thing really is to find a food that works for your dog and stick to it. You really want to put a young puppy on the food roller coaster during its critical growing period.

 

[andi2010]

I would suggest you check out this website Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor
It analyzes all the dog food brands and explains the differences in a way everyone can understand. That way you can make a choice with all the right information. Love your dachsie! I've got an English cream myself!
Andi

 

[SirBuddyRules]

Not all vets are well schooled in Canine nutrition. Thats why you see many of them recommending garbage like Science Diet.

Grain Free isn't jut a gimmick. Some dogs have allergies or sensitivities to grain and need grain free diets. Others are perfectly fine eating grain inclusive foods and there is nothing wrong with that. My dogs do better on grain free so thats what I feed.

I would be careful about feeding grain free to a puppy. I don't know if this is only for larger breeds, we had labs long before we ever had dachshunds, but with larger breeds at least, most grain-free foods do not have the correct calcium/phosphorus ratios for a puppy and can negatively impact growth. You will have to research if the same applies to smaller breeds.

As for Blue Buffalo, it looks great on paper but the results are not the same in real life. I fed it to my lab as a puppy and she had explosive diarrhea on it. Blue doesn't own their own manufacturing plants and they have had issues, especially the the Wilderness line, with the vitamin D levels being too high and making dogs very sick. The idea behind the product is good and their marketing is fantastic but I would just stay away from it.

My dogs are currently eating Earthborn Meadow Feast but if I had a puppy I would feed Fromm Puppy Gold.

The most important thing really is to find a food that works for your dog and stick to it. You really want to put a young puppy on the food roller coaster during its critical growing period.

Thank you so much! I decided to get Horizon Amica for puppies. Fromm & Origen were my other choices - Origen seems to be too rich for smaller breeds. I am going to stick with Horizon for now. I feel so bad because I am changing him slowly again but I am scared to death he will get sick from feeding him Wilderness. I have been giving him veggies for little snacks and he loves them!

What are your thoughts on rotation?

Thanks again!

 

[SirBuddyRules]

I would suggest you check out this website Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor
It analyzes all the dog food brands and explains the differences in a way everyone can understand. That way you can make a choice with all the right information. Love your dachsie! I've got an English cream myself!
Andi

Andi Thanks so much I looked those websites up and decided on getting Horizon Amica for small breed puppies. I really appreciate you taking time out to send me links and info. I *love* my ENglish Cream and I didn't know until I got his Pedigree and heritage that his grandparents, great great granparents are from UK & they were champions. I think I'm going to start small with him and some of the AKC puppy obedience and see what happens. He's a smart little fellow!

Sam & Buddy

 

[amparra]

I like rotation feeding but I wait till my dogs are close to a year old before I start. I rotate through brands every couple of months but I know folks who rotate every bag and even one woman that rotates every meal and her dogs do very well on it.

For me rotating is important because I don't want to be dependent on a single company. If theres a recall, I can easily move to another food on my rotation.