feeling overwhelmed with food choices

[Ruby doodle]

I am overwhelmed! please help.

Ruby is almost 7 month old golden doodle.

She has been eating TLC brand food all her life. I have put TLC into the search here and have read through all the posts that contain it and read that it is not the best of a food. I have found the extensive list on this discussion of your top recommended brands. but there are soo many. how is a girl suppose to choose??

We live in Ontario, Canada so it needs to be a brand I can get here.

According to the TLC website i spend about $1.80 per day on her food. I read the discussion that listed costs and it seems this is the high end. I am find with spending a similar amount for a better product.

I have no idea if I should be looking at grain free, healthy grains, or a raw version. I am not interested in having actual raw or frozen raw food for Ruby, but a dehydrated raw is fine with me. there are soo many options im completed overwhelmed on how to make a decision.

I also want to know whether Ruby should go on a puppy formula food or straight to adult. Our breeder explained that she should not be on a puppy food since it will cause her to grow too fast and create joint issues. I did find research online to support this view, however i also found lots of research to go the opposite way. I have a hard time understanding these things.

My husband is happy to read over ingredient lists for me, he is actually a canadian government feed inspector. CFIA. - unfortunately pet foods are not under the CFIA act and are not inspected. but he understand analysis and ratios, but i have found it hard to find good research on the proper ratios for a 7 month old aprox. 45 pound puppy.

sorry for the long post! I really hope someone will have some input and suggestions.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There's really no reason to have to do an analysis on the nutrient ratios in any of the foods we recommend, because they have all been certified as being nutritionally adequate for the life stage for which they are labeled, by either AAFCO or CFIA.

So that's a non-issue.

As long as you feed the proper amount of calories and don't let a doodle puppy become overweight, there is nothing wrong with feeding a formula made for puppies. It won't "cause her to grow too fast and create joint issues." Your breeder may be confused by information about feeding the giant breeds, who do not complete their skeletal growth until they are well past 18 months old, and even in those cases, there are large breed puppy formulas with reduced fat and calcium to prevent them from gaining too much weight too fast. Or your breeder may have said that because TLC doesn't make a puppy formula, lol. 

So the only question that remains is, which food should you choose? 

If Ruby has no health issues or digestive issues and has been doing well on a kibble diet, there's really no reason not to stay with kibble. 

If I'm doing the choosing, I'm going with Orijen or Acana (both made by Champion) every time. IMO, it's the highest quality kibble you can buy, made by the most ethical company around. And I know you can get it in Canada, because Champion is a Canadian company, lol.

All of the formulas are grain free, so you have no decisions to make there, either. 

I would go with Orijen Puppy (not the large breed formula) and I would switch her cold turkey. With Orijen, you're going to be feeding a little over half the amount that you've been feeding with the TLC, and the foods are so different that there's just no point in mixing them or drawing out the transition. 

I think you'll be pleased with Orijen. :)

[Nikki & Charlie]

Just curious what breeder your dog is from? I was told the same thing from mine and I am also on TLC for my dog, but transitioning over to Orijen.

[Ruby doodle]

they are not from the same breeder. mine is from Niagara. what part of Ontario are you in. are you having problems on tlc at all? or just switching for better quality

[Nikki & Charlie]

I'm closer to Toronto but we got our pup from a place in Georgina. No problems on TLC but I'm switching to better quality... But I don't think Orijen is working for him

[Cyndi, The Boys & Callie]

We have 3 doodles and switched to ACANA about 18 months ago.  The Boys love it and I feel very comfortable with Champion Foods.  As Karen said, they are in Canada and both Orijen/ACANA are very good.  Good luck.

[Ruby doodle]

omg sooooooo cute that you have one of each Colour. why did you choose acana over orijen?

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

I live in Ontario too :). Orijen and Acana are pretty easy to find, usually at smaller stores like Pet Valu.  Fromm is about as common.  Luna has been on Acana for 2 years now and we're very happy with it!

If you decide to go with a lower cost food like wellness or blue buffalo you can find those at petsmart.

[Ruby doodle]

Ruby has had a lot of loose stool issues. does this change your opinion of we should try orijen or a different one.
what is the difference between acana and orijen?

also. not trying to be devils advocate. just trying to understand what makes a good food. I believe I read somewhere on doodle kisses one of the reasons tlc is not recommend is due to the numerous protein sources. doesn't orijen also have multiple sources. (i know the grain is one of the other reasons its not recommended )

thanks

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't know what you may have read about TLC somewhere on DK, but here in TFG, TLC is not recommended because it is a mediocre quality food with a truly lousy Omega 6:3 ratio, no choice of formulas, and is sold only through a multi-level marketing program, otherwise known as a pyramid scheme. We would never say that a particular brand was not recommended because of multiple protein sources. For dogs who have sensitive stomachs, digestive issues, or suspected food sensitivities/allergies, I would say to go with an LID (limited ingredient) formula that contains a single protein source, and not a formula that uses multiple protein sources.

Different dogs need different types of formulas. We recommend brands, based on the company's sourcing, quality of ingredients in general, manufacturing, transparency, and recall history or the lack thereof. 

Within any brand, there may be dozens of formulas. Any one of them might or might not be a "good" food for any individual dog.  

The difference between Orijen and Acana is that Orijen's formulas have a higher protein content, so it is priced higher than Acana. Acana also offers a greater variety of formulas, including some LID formulas.

Is Ruby currently having loose stool issues? If she is not having them now but did have in the past, was that related to giardia or another parasite issue?

[Ruby doodle]

she has been tested for everything. all.is negative. vets opinion is we switch food. of course vet suggests the brands they sell, none of which are on recommended list. vets main complaint with tlc is the phosphorous to calcium ratio.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There is often a great improvement in the stool consistency and volume when you switch from a food with lower protein and grains (like TLC) to a higher protein, grain-free food like Orijen. 

Regarding the calcium/phosphorus ratio, ideally it should be 1.2:1.

TLC's calcium/phosphorus ratio is 1.3 to 0.8 %. 

Orijen's is 1.3 to 1.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If you've been doing some reading here in TFG, you probably also know that there is no required nutritional curriculum in vet school, and most vets are not experts on canine diets or nutrition. One thing they often overlook is the importance of probiotics in regulating stool consistency. For a dog with loose stool, adding a good probiotic can often make a big difference. It's also essential that a dog be given probiotics any time they are treated with antibiotics. 

Most vets also have no clue at all about EFAs (essential fatty acids) in a dog's diet.