It's hard to fix what isn't broken

[Stacy]

Hi all - This is my first time posting to the group, but I've been reading since before I brought my puppy home. I have an 18 week old f1b mini goldendoodle named Katie. 

It's time to buy food again. She was eating Bil Jac at the breeder and I've kept her on that, but I know it's not a top quality food. I want the best for her, but she has been so incredibly healthy and wonderful since I brought her home. She's growing at a rate of 0.8 - 1 pound a week, she has a soft, shiny, healthy coat. She has firm healthy stools. No GI issues at all. My breeder cautioned me against puppy food causing her to grow too fast and causing joint issues. I've read what the food group has to say about that - but I'm still nervous about changing things when everything has been so good. I just don't want to mess it up. 

Additional info: I have been free feeding. Katie is a good eater but not a chow hound. She's a healthy weight. I can feel rib bones and hip bones, but she's not boney. She eats what she wants and then walks away, even if there's still food in the bowl. I have always been very careful not to have fat dogs. It's just too hard on their bodies. Katie is my first "big" dog. I have had papillons in the past, and currently also have one tiny 13 year old 4.5 lb papillon girl who is the princess of the universe. She is currently eating Bil Jac with Katie, but before the puppy was eating Royal Canin. I truly thought that was a good food, and I may be wrong, but I think it was one of the Whole Dog Journal's recommended foods - at least a few years ago. 

I have a fancy dog food store nearby, and I've been in to look at dog food, but the choices are so overwhelming. I know that no one can say that one particular food is the best food for all situations, but I wish someone could just tell me what I should start with. Or maybe I shouldn't change at all? I'm a bit lost here! 

Any advice? Thanks so much! Stacy (and Katie too)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, there's no reason you have to switch. That's a personal choice. 

But good health at 18 weeks is no indication of anything. Most 18 week old puppies will be growing at a good rate, have soft shiny coats, and have no digestive issues no matter what you feed them, lol. It's the long term health that can be affected by diet. Just like teenagers can be healthy and gorgeous living on a diet of soda and french fries, lol.

But beyond that, we're concerned with the reliability and trustworthiness of a food brand. The people whose dogs died back in 2007 from melamine in the foods that imported ingredients from China thought they were doing the very best they could for their dogs. Eukanuba and Iams were considered very high end, premium foods. You couldn't buy them in grocery stores back then. The sense of betrayal added to grief was a very hard thing for people to deal with. This group and many others like it started because people wanted to help others avoid that heartbreak. 

I'm not always impressed by the WDJ's advice on food, but I have a hard time believing they recommended Royal Canin, which is owned and made by Mars, Inc. It must have been a very long time ago. 

IF you feel you want to change foods, we'll be happy to help you select one. I'd need to know the exact Bil-Jac formula you're using.

But you really don't have to switch if you're comfortable with the current food. I can't recommend it, but I'm sure there are people here on DK who happily feed Beneful and Pedigree and are not interested in the recommendations of this group, lol. 

[Stacy]

No, I do want to do the very best thing for my Katie. I just feel like sometimes the best thing this week will be the worst thing next week. Do you know what I mean? With people right now it's Paleo and Gluten free. Before it was eggs will kill you, now it's eggs are the perfect food. And don't even get me started on trans fats and high fructose corn syrup! And yet, I really wish I could live on soda and french fries. lol. 

Right now I feel like everyone is touting grain free as the best things for dogs. A few years ago everyone was sold on a raw diet. I did the raw thing for a while, then the princess of the world had bloody diarrhea and we were done with that. That was when I switched to Royal Canin. It was during that horrible food recall time and at the time Royal Canin hadn't been part of any of the recalls. It looks like Royal Canin came off the Whole Dog Journal's list in 2011. My subscription lapsed. But it was on it before then. That's just to point out that I have been trying to provide good nutrition to my four legged friends, even if I haven't picked the right foods.

Please don't misunderstand. I am looking for help in picking a new food! (I was rambling a bit up there) I'm terrified of cancer and definitely want to minimize that risk. I am just really trying to figure out what the very best thing to feed my puppy is, and at the same time minimize the chance of creating GI issues where we haven't had them so far. I should have access to all of the recommended brands, but I don't even know where to start in choosing. Help? Please? Thanks so much!  

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If it helps, we don't follow fad diets here. Our information is based on proven science and factual information. When I was helping human clients with their diets, it was the same. When you know the science behind nutrition, or the facts behind manufacturing practices, it's easier to figure things out and not be swayed by someone's "latest" opinion. I've recommended whole eggs for people and for dogs since 1994, lol. I've never been a fan of prey model raw diets, mostly because scientifically, none of what its proponents say makes sense. We use common sense and solid nutritional information and look at ingredients, the source of ingredients, the macronutrient profiles, and the individual dog's issues if any. 

A lot of the health and diet info in the WDJ is based on junk science, and a lot of it is plain wrong. Here's the government's list of brands affected by the 2007 recalls. You can see that Royal Canin was definitely on it: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/petfoodrecall/

What you have to realize is that there is no one "best" diet for every dog. There are things that should be avoided, but there are many, many good choices. Just like for humans. 

I need to know the exact Bil-Jac formula that you're feeding; it gives us a place to start, since your pup is doing well on it, we can try to match the macronutrient percentages and the healthier ingredients. 

[Stacy]

I am embarassed to tell you that I'm feeding Bil Jac large breed adult. Silly because Katie is actually pretty small at 13.5 pounds. She's definitely not going to be a giant doodle. 

It does help to know that you don't follow fad diets. I do know that there's no one size fits all food. I wish it was that easy. But I appreciate your help! 

I think I'm glad that I didn't know I was feeding killer dog food back in 2007. I would have been a wreck. I am very grateful that none of my guys seemed to be affected. Having said that, when you know better you do better. And I intend to give this little one the best chance at a long healthy life that I can.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

One thing you should be aware of with Bil-Jac is that it contains an artificial preservative called BHA which has been linked to cancer. It's actually illegal in most countries, even in dog food. As this article states, the effects of BHA are cumulative, as is the case with most cancer causing substances. Just like the longer you smoke, the higher your chances of lung cancer. Teenagers rarely get it. :)

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/red-flag-ingredients/bha-in-dog-food/

You can also read about BHA and other undesirable dog food ingredients here: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/?page=badingredients

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

Bil-Jac is actually the reason I found DK. I fed Bil-Jac for years to my beloved Golden Retriever, Chloe. She got bone cancer and passed away at age 12.  I was doing some research on food for my new Doodle puppy and discovered the info about BHA. I can't tell you how that added to my grief to think that I had caused her cancer or at least added to the possibility. So from there I stumbled upon the recommended food list from DK. The rest, as they say, is history!

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

It is great that you show so much interest in what is best for your dogs' health!

Here is a list of recommended brands; Karen and others have done a ton of research of every one of these foods, so you will know that the quality and sourcing of the ingredients are sound.

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/recomme...

[Stacy]

Thank you so much! I've looked at the list, now I'm just trying to figure out specifically where to start with a dog who hasn't shown any food sensitivities or intolerances. 

I'm a pediatric nurse, last night I had a mom tell me she was thinking of starting her baby on formula and she wanted to know which one was best. I told her that there isn't one "best" formula. But with a healthy baby who hasn't shown an intolerance to anything you wouldn't start with a specialty formula like soy, or nutramigen, or gentlease. (sorry, I know more about baby formula than dog food) You would switch to one of the specialty formulas if the baby failed the "normal" formula. So I guess that's what I'm looking for with dog food. Which dog food is the best. But also, which type is the best to start on. 

I hope that made some sense! 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If Fromm is available near you, their Chicken a la Veg formula might be a very good choice: http://frommfamily.com/products/four-star/dog/dry/chicken-a-la-veg/

The nutritional profile (macronutrient percentages) are very similar to the Bil-Jac formula, it contains chicken and oats like the current food, and Fromm is an excellent company. Plus, down the road you'll have lots of options for rotating other formulas from the Fromm 4-Star line if you like.

[Stacy]

Thank you for this! I looked at the ingredient list, and it sounds tasty. Maybe I should consider changing myself to this! Just kidding. I don't think I'm ready to eat dog food, but a friend and I once had a very odd conversation about how much easier life would be if we just had a perfectly formulated human kibble that was nutritionally sound and tasty, but not so tasty that we were tempted to overindulge. Nutrition is hard. 

Fromm is available near me. I'll pick it up the next time I'm out. Thanks again!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There are a dozen different formulas in the 4-Star line, and Fromm has other lines as well, so you may want to jot down the name of this formula. 

My neighbor's dog does have some mild digestive issues and he does very well with the Chicken a la Veg. I think your dogs will like it, too. 

[Stacy]

I just brought home the chicken ala veg - and mixed it with the old food like you're supposed to. They picked all the Fromm out and ate it and left the Bil Jac (all over the floor around the bowl, I might add.) So I think it's a hit. I'm not sure if it's because it tastes that much better or if it's just new, but it makes me feel good about the food.