A Question About Dog Food For Puppies

[Marion Carmickle]

Riley has been on Iams Pro Puppy. As I have looked over the ingredients I am disturbed by the salt and by products in the product. I have gone through the forum and learned a great deal from earlier discussions, but I have a few questions:
1. I understand there was a recall on Kirkland's food...was this the puppy food?
2. I am also looking at Wellness and Innova (both were highly rated). Is there a source for buying that is less than in the stores or am I just being too innocent. The Wellness is $48 at Pet Supply House (33 lb bag) and the Innova is about the same. Is this typical?
The Kirkland's is the most cost effective but it, too, has salt, which makes Riley really thirsty. Should I be concerned about salt? The Kirkland puppy chicken, rice and vegies was rated 108, the Wellness Puppy was 117 and Innova Evo and Dog was 114.
I will appreciate your views. Thanks so much!

[9pavxfihcp80]

We buy Canidae All Life Stages for our 19-month-old and our 7 1/2-month-old and a 35# bag runs around $36. The others you mention run slightly higher if I remember correctly. $42 and $46 ring a bell.

We fed Calli Innova Puppy when we first got her because that's what her breeder had her on. It's a good food and reasonable. You must remember that while more expensive than the other brands, they typically eat less because it contains higher quality ingredients and more protein. I'm a strong believer in the better quality foods. Our doods do wonderfully on Canidae.

Good luck in your decision.

[Marion Carmickle]

Thanks so much...the more that I read, the more I am convinced that a higher quality dog food will pay off in better health & lower vet bills. I was also glad to hear that you had a good experience with Innova as it is high on my list.

[Tamara & Giada]

Yes, we feed Innova also, and she is right both my dogs eat almost 1/2 what is recommended and gain weight. My older dog gets too heavy on the amount they suggest.......wierd, huh?

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

Hi Marion,

There has been much info to be had regarding this as of late. I myself have been doing some major digging since Canidae changed their formula. Natura products were in my top 3 that I had narrowed my choices to. Natura products have never had a recall, manufacture their own product rather than hiring it out and looking the other way, and all of their ingredients are U.S. sourced. Specifically I like the Innova and California Natural. For puppies California Natural is an excellent choice as it is a very simple formula, additionally it is a tad more economical than the Innova. We are using a combination of California Natural and Innova here right now. Every now and then I also add Natura's Evo for treats. I really do not think that you can go wrong with the Natura products, the Evo is pretty high in protein though, and at this time I am a bit reluctant about using it as the main source of their diet until I can look at that one more closely. I have primarily focused my evaluations on their Innova and California Natural.

When looking at the Kirkland food, all I can tell you is that it is produced at a Diamond plant. If you look closely many of the recalled foods shared this common thread. And so it is not just the brand you need to look at but who they have hired for their production.

As for Wellness you may want to hold off on that one just for a bit. Eagle Pack another premium food has recently bought them. Both are very good foods but many in the business are wondering why an already successful brand might purchase another that did have some problems with a formula change a while back - yet still a good choice. I would be inclined to wait and see what develops rather than risking a change for your puppy's food should anything else develop.

There were some previously listed premium foods on Whole Dog Journals list this year which failed to make the list because they would not reveal who actually made their food. This was a new qualification for this list this year.

[Marion Carmickle]

Dianne: I hadn't thought of looking at who actually produces the food. I will start investigating Natura and at California Natural. My sister has a littermate of Riley's and she noticed that she is biting on herself a little as well. I suspect that this may be related to the food so I am anxious to find a replacement. Thanks for your very thoughtful answer to my inquiry!

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

Hi Marion,
Natura produces California Natural, Innova and EVO. California Natural is very good for skin conditions and dogs with allergies - you may want to share that with your sister. My dogs do drink a fair amount BUT we also live in Florida, so the heat could be a factor also. As you have been told they do eat less of the premium and what price can you place on their health? I have been told that it takes a month for each year of crappy food fed to remove effects from their system and sadly of course there are also some effects that cannot be 'removed'. This food project is something I have taken very seriously and I will be happy to share any information you may find helpful. Have a great day!

Dianne
http://www.trinitydoodles.com

[Marion Carmickle]

I absolutely agree...we live in south Texas, so the heat may be a factor, too. I found a vendor for California Natural and I will be going by to pick it up today. To avoid tummy upsets, how do you transition from one food to the next? What percentage of new food to old do you start out with and what time frame do you allow?

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

Marion,
I will usually do it over a week or so, starting with about 3 to 1 of the old mixed with the new and gradually increasing it. Mine have really liked the California Natural though and will pick it all out, I also caught one of pups with his head in the bag eating it straight out. Our premium pet food provider changes her 5 dogs constantly and swears by Wholistic Pet digestive enzymes which allows them to transition smoothly as well as digestion for the greatest good. We have used this product as well. Good luck with the transition. In the meantime continual education of your options is ALWAYS a good idea, that way heaven forbid any major catastophes in the pet food world you will already have options instead of feeling backed into a corner with choices.

Dianne
http://www.trinitydoodles.com

[Marion Carmickle]

Dianne:
I have a question: I just looked at the ingredients in the California Puppy...it does have salt. The Innova does not. Have you found the salt to be a problem? Iams seems to make Riley so thirsty after she eats and if I let her have too much water, the kibbles swell and she throws up (I learned this soon after we brought her home...now I pick up her water after she has a drink, then put it back down about 20 min. later). Not having a puppy for several years (we lost our beloved Chili, age 12.5 yrs in June), I didn't know if this a pupppy thing OR a food thing. Thanks for your input!

[Jackie]

Hi, I use Innova puppy food for Beckett. I've had no problems with it. I did a lot of research before Beckett came home and decided to go with Innova. Our breeeder had been feeding him Pinnacle and it was good too. But I was having a harder time finding that around here, but I still think I would've switched over to Innova after doing the research on it. It was so confusing and overwhelming doing all the research on dog foods! I narrowed it down to a few and then picked the one I liked the best. Good Luck.

[Deb, Connor & Simon]

www.pawstoadmire.com has a link to "rate your dog food" that I found interesting. thought you might, too. any money that you spend on an ultra high quality dog food will be money well spent investing in your dog's current and future health. :-)

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

Hi Deborah ~
The rating system is a good one, the only thing I would advise caution in would be the ratings already assigned to foods. This has been kicking around for a long time, many formulas have changed since its onset and some have changed manufacturers, ie Canidae changed both its formula and its manufacturer (now made at a Diamond plant). Also there are several there that have been frequent flyers for trouble and recalls. So the cliff notes would be, use the formula but not the list of pregraded brands. Thanks for sharing that site, they have some great stuff there.

Dianne
http://www.trinitydoodles.com