Question Regarding Food

[Joanie]

Hi Everyone :)  I have a question regarding food.  I was speaking to Lani's breeder last night and she asked what food I have been feeding her.  I have her and my English Bulldog on Wellness Ocean Whitefish and Sweet Potato which is a limited ingredient food.  The breeder told me Wellness is not a good food.  Every review I have read said it's a very good food.  She said there is not a high meat content in the food and is not of high quality. Also, she said I should be feeding chicken or beef or venison foods and never fish based because fish oil has been tied to canine cancer!  Please let me know.  Is Wellness a good food?  Is fish based food really bad?

[Joanie]

Thanks :)  My dogs do get fresh veggies and meat in their diet.  Deer hunting is big here so we have a ton of venison for the winter.  If we are having it for dinner we make sure to give our dogs some.  They also get chicken and beef, carrots, peas, broccoli, really all depends on what we are having for dinner but we make sure to supplement their food so they aren't just eating dry food.  So, because of that I don't see why Wellness is so bad when it's not solely what they are eating.  I will check out the group you suggested.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

I think your breeder is out to lunch. Wellness is a very good quality food. How old is your doodle? if she's a puppy then they need higher protein content and should be on a puppy formula. I think every dog is different and has specific needs in terms of proetein, fatty acids, etc., but I know Wellness is a good quality food. Check in on the food group, it is one of the top recommended brands. Karen will be able to tell you more about what would be appropriate for Lani.

[Joanie]

She's 5 months.  We had Lani on the Wellness Large Breed Puppy Formula but, lol it didn't work too well.  Even though we fed Lan seperately from her sister (who is a 1 1/2 year old English Bulldog), Lan would happily eat her sister's food which is the Wellness Ocean Whitefish and Sweet Potato and Rox would eat Lan's Large Breed Puppy Formula.  So, after speaking to my vet he said it would be ok for me to just have both dogs on the same food since they both are eating it already.  He said there was no sense buying the Puppy Formula when it was mostly Rox eating it lol.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Wellness is a good quality food. The limited ingredient foods do have a lower protein content, which is sometimes necessary for dogs with chronic illness, but I would like to see a higher protein content for healthy dogs, and especially for puppies. Wellness makes grain-free formulas which might be a better choice.

Where your breeder got the idea that fish oil has been linked to cancer or any other disease is beyond me. Fish oil, particularly salmon oil, is full of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are one of the essential acids the body cannot make on its own, and it is extremely beneficial for dogs as well as for people. Far from causing illness, fish oil is even used to treat certain diseases in dogs, such as allergies, skin and coat problems, and GI problems. Your breeder is misinformed.

[Joanie]

Thank you Karen :)  And I'm glad to hear that fish oil isn't tied to canine cancer.  I got a little freaked out last night after hearing that from my breeder.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

Wellness is a good quality food. I prefer a higher protein, and grain free food but a lower protein food is ok if your dog isnt too active (though I would never go below 25%). I wouldnt feed a limited ingredient food unless its necessary due to allergies or a sensitive stomach. A variety of meats is the best. I also wouldnt feed exclusively fish due to the accumulation of toxins such as mercury, which is almost impossible to avoid. Some fish is good for them though. Have you thought about rotating flavours? -  A different meat source each time you buy a bag. 

As for puppy formulas - I think thats mostly advertizing. In the wild, all dogs would eat the same, puppies would just eat more. There are many foods out there that are all life stages, and if you feed raw, then its all the same!

[Joanie]

We went to a limited ingredient food because both of our babies have sensitive stomachs.  Rox (our English Bulldog) has a very sensitive stomach and we have tried her on chicken or beef or lamb formulas and she ends up with an upset stomach.  Lan I have noticed tends to have a sensitive stomach.  So the food we feed is the Wellness Ocean Whitefish and Sweet Potato which is part of the Super5Mix Line, but a little more limited ingredient which says:

• Single Animal Protein Source (Fish) for sensitive stomachs and food intolerances

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It would be unusual for a young puppy to have food sensitivities. Lots of young puppies have some digestive issues which are usually related to all of the stress caused by changes in their lives, the changes in diet, and their immature digestive systems. Parasites are also a common problem. But I sincerely doubt that lani has food sensitivities. It sometimes takes a while to find the right food for any individual dog. The Food group is full of discussions about that.

As far as feeding two different foods, there are ways to get around that. You can feed them in their crates, or sit on the floor between them at mealtime to make sure neither one goes near the other one's food. Throughout their lives together, they will almost certainly have periods when one or the other has to have a diet modification, so getting them to learn that the other one's food bowl is off-limits might as well start now.

Out of curiosity, what was the breeder feeding?

[Joanie]

The breeder was feeding Diamond Naturals Lamb formula.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, that shows you how misinformed the breeder is, because the Diamond Naturals food contains 23% protein VS 22% in the Wellness formula you are feeding, lol. One percent difference. And if you should be feeding chicken, beef or venison foods, why is she feeding lamb???? This just doesn't make sense to me.

In addition, the Diamond Naturals formula does contain unnamed fish meal, lol, so much for her comment that fish oil causes cancer. The Diamond Naturals formula is higher in fat, lower in fiber, and has a much poorer Omega 6:3 ratio than does the Wellness formula. The ingredients in the Diamond formula are also nowhere near the quality of the Wellness product, either, which is why it's a lot cheaper, and is less calorie dense to boot, so you have to feed more.

Wellness Nutritional Info

Diamond Nutritional Info

I would say that your breeder is not very knowledgable about dog food or nutritional requirements, and I would put her opinions on this issue out of my mind.

 

[Joanie]

lol thank you... I had never heard of Diamond Naturals and when I went to the store to look for it right before I got Lan I felt very uncomfortable about feeding it to her.  I just didn't feel it was high quality and as soon as Lan got home I slowly transitioned her to the Wellness Large Breed Puppy formula.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Joanie, you are in the right place here for the best advice and your instinct was correct.