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.

[Ruby doodle]

yes I know vets are not taught much about nutrition. and many of the brands they sell in their clinic at are not high quality. the vet did suggest probiotics if the food switch did not help. she of course suggested purina forti Flora. since she sells it. I know there are better options out there.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I just saw your comment in the Recommended Treats section about Ruby being "allergic" to chicken, white potatoes, pork, and other foods.

It's highly doubtful that Ruby is allergic to these things. Food allergies are relatively rare in dogs, and even rarer in puppies. And a dog has to have been exposed to a particular food on a regular basis for a period of time (generally more than 6 months) in order to develop antibodies to it, which is what triggers an allergic response. If Ruby has been eating TLC continuously since she was with her breeder, it possible that she might have developed a sensitivity to chicken, since TLC contains chicken, but there is no pork or white potatoes in it, and these are not common ingredients in treats, either. 

Some information about food allergies in dogs: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/facts-a...

[Ruby doodle]

Ruby has no allergies (that I am aware of). my post said that my moms golden has allergies. she has had allergy testing to confirm these and when she eats the foods she is allergic to she breaks out and bites her paws. she has been to vet specialists as well. surprisingly there are a lot of treats with potatoes or a form of chicken in them.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Sorry, I misunderstood your post, I thought you were saying Ruby had the allergies.

It's important for your mom to be aware that there is no reliable testing for food allergies. The only way to know is to do a food trial. 

But a any rate, there are a lot of treat options that do not contain chicken or potatoes. A lot of the treats on our recommended list are 100% protein. In addition to duck, she might consider rabbit, surprisingly, there are a lot of treat options utilizing rabbit as the only protein source.

[Ruby doodle]

good to know. ill ask my mom if she's tried rabbit. thanks for the suggestion.
my mom has been through many food trials. zoey is 7 years old. she has had troubles most of her life but we seem to have been able to figure out what triggers.her issues.