Puppy food

[Kashmir and Joanie]

Hi ABDoodlers!
I know you probably have talked about this matter before, but I wanted to know what puppy food your puppies started with from ABD's and what they now eat and how that is going. Julie told me what puppy food my puppy will be on, but I've never heard of it and would probably want to buy something else after getting her home. I know that should be a gradual change. Any information would be appreciated.
I get her in 5 more weeks!!!!

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

5 weeks...wow. See time does fly!!! Lucca came home with Nutro Puppy Bites. I kept him on that for awhile. I wouldn't change over too quickly. Let her adapt to her environment first until you start any changes. At least the food is the one thing she will be used to. Lucca turned very picky at around 6 months so we have gone through many changes!!! Right now he is on Orijen and seems to actually like it!!! I mix it with a spoonful of canned Buffalo meat and zap in the microwave for 10 seconds to make a gravy. We have also tried EVO, Solid Gold and Natural Balance. They are all good but he likes Orijen best and it's grain free which seems to help with his skin itchies. Kia and Mochi are on the Orijen. Cooper is on Canidae. Don't know about the others. Out of curiosity, what food are the puppies on now?

[Kashmir and Joanie]

Hi Carla,
Retriever Brand Puppy Food is what she told me. I looked on the internet and didn't find anything like that, that
is one of the reasons I was asking about what the other puppies were on.
I just got some pictures from Julie and I will post on my page!
Yes, 5 weeks will go by fast!!!! Thank you for giving me a few to choose from!

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

Interesting, never heard of it either. IF you can't find it I would suggest that you ask her to supply a bag of it for you (you can reimburse her, of course!!:). After what we pay for these dogs they should give you a years supply at no charge:) You don't want to get home and not be able to find the food. Their tummies are sensitive to change at that age. At least if you have one bag you can make the transition with it to a more available food. The Food Group on DK has a lot of information on food for puppies.

[Kashmir and Joanie]

She did say they give a small bag, but that is a good idea to ask her ahead of time for a bigger bag. I agree with changing after she gets familiar to her surroundings first! I have looked on the food group. I probably will do more research on that group and on the web.

[Debbie and Toby]

Toby was eating Nutro when we first got him, but with the Nutro scares, we took him off. Toby is a very picky eater. We found that he would not eat anything with beef or venison. Toby loved the Orijen 6 Fish formula, but we we re told the high protein may have caused some issues with him, so he is now on Wellness Simple One Rice and Salmon, he loves it and so far he is doing very well on it. I think, like Carla said, let her adapt to her environment first, then slowly make the change. I would suggest a grain-free or limited ingredient diet. There are many good healthy brands.

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

Joanie...I did some checking.....here's a lnk of the food and where to buy it in CA http://www.tractorsupply.com/dry-dog-food/retriever-174-hi-protein-.... Not much info on it.
Here is another website,
Dog food analysis ....http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/
Hope this helps. Don't mean to confuse you

[Kashmir and Joanie]

Hi Carla,
I went to the Tractorsupply website and found they have a store in Bakersfield right off the freeway, so we will stop there on the way home from Modesto and buy some. Use that and after she adjusts, gradually put her on something else.
Thanks!

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

Perfect. Glad it worked out

[Azure & Muppet]

Our litter (Muppet, Alma, Mochi, Cooper, Bode, Sydney) was on Iams ProActive Health Smart Puppy.

Shelly gave us a small bag (one gallon zip-lock) enough to get us through the transition. And now we just transitioned Muppet from puppy formula to adult formula dog food this month. Muppet is currently on EVO. I wanted to try Orijen, but it's not available anywhere in our area. I learned a lot reading in the Food Group here on DoodleKisses.

[Diane and Alma]

Alma was on Iams Smart Puppy, same as Muppet. We kept Alma on this for several months. I researched foods on http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com and talked to friends. I tried her on Innova puppy food but she didn't like it. Then I got 6-7 different puppy food samples from a reputable, local, pet store and did a taste test with her. She picked Taste of the Wild (TOTW) Duck formula but I think it was too high in protein and her stools were loose. I also had an email conversation with the Taste of the Wild company and they admitted that their fish supplier uses a preservative that is toxic (albeit well below the EPA standard). You can email TOTW directly and ask about their preservatives. The email I received had a confidential agreement (although I never agreed to it) so I suggest to email them.

So we went to Alma's second, taste test choice -Chicken Soup for the Soul, large breed puppy formula. She still eats this today. I will reevaluate her food in the next month or so when she will transition onto an adult food.

I've heard great things about Orijen, but again it seems too high in protein for Alma for now (and very expensive). They are a great company and produce everything themselves (no toxic preservatives) - which I like. I think I will go back to my pet store and get some adult, dog food samples for her to try. I will have her try them. When I see what she likes I will research them and pick the best for her.

Liza (Kachi) mentioned that liver treats are hard to digest in young pups. I noticed this with Alma so we have avoided liver. Also, my vet suggested that I feed Alma from a bowl on the floor. He said that raised bowls sometimes cause digestive problems. Ask your vet what they think.

You are so smart to be thinking about this now. Let me know what you end up feeding her.

[Kashmir and Joanie]

Thanks! This is all great information. Interesting about the raised bowls (I did actually buy one, that sits about four inches off the floor and then it adjusts as they grow) I had hoped to make small chix as treats but did want to get packaged ones also, so that information on the liver treats is good. I have had so much time to read and research, but of course a lot of it will be after I get "Kashmir" Feels great to be able to call her name and actually know there is a puppy that will go along with that!!!!!

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

Love the name!!! Dried Alaskan Salmon treats are good training treats too