Pet Food Brand Question

[Evergreen]

They say curiosity killed the cat, but I am really curious so I can start Boo on a healthy diet and have a good idea where to start when we find the second doggie addition we’ve been looking for. Right now we’re feeding Blue Buffalo, however after reading over some of the recent forum posts I didn’t see anything about it as being a good solid brand, and we’re mainly feeding it because a friend of mine suggested it and when I read over I liked that it didn't have a bunch of unrequired additives.

Boo is about 7lbs right now, and is still a bit on the boney side – though we’re not looking to fatten her up much more, just to get her on a diet to help decrease the amount of hair she’s been shedding. She has a really bad case of dry skin, but otherwise is healthy. I would like some opinions about what I should be feeding so I can take the time to either swing by Petsmart, or out by Only Natural Pet in Boulder, CO and grab a recommended brand. She's not a huge eater right now but that has a lot to do with us getting her over Separation Anxiety, which is taking some time but we're slowly getting her past it.

 

[AllieMackie]

There's a ton of great foods out there!

You mention dry skin - does she have any seasonal allergies? It may or may not be a food allergy - in which case I'd usually suggest trying a higher-end limited ingredient diet.

Lots of limited ingredient diets on the market... check out Fromm Four-Star, Natural Balance, Pinnacle, Go! Natural... there's a handful of others I'm not thinking of, too.

 

[ihartgonzo]

Nature's Variety Instinct Salmon is really good for dry skin. The Rabbit formula gives my dogs NICE coats, too!

I used to work at Petsmart, and despite being able to get Blue Buffalo at a discount, I just didn't like it enough to buy it. My dogs and most of the dogs I know who eat it just don't do great on it... ok, but not great.

 

[Evergreen]

Awesome! I will look into both, thank you both so much

As far as allergies, we're still learning about her she was a stray before going to the shelter so she hasn't had any real knowledge done on her. However, we did take her to the vet and they didn't mention anything other then a slight sneezed they chalked up to be a new environment. Whatever it is, we will get right on top of it!

 

[katielou]

Seeing as she is such a wee little girl have you thought about any of the dehydrated raw products?

 

[JustaLilBitaLuck]

Seeing as she is such a wee little girl have you thought about any of the dehydrated raw products?

This. I highly recommend a raw/canned/dehydrated food over kibble. It has more moisture, more protein/fat, and less carbohydrates, which mimics their natural diet. For a lot of people with larger dogs, feeding a canned or premade raw diet is too expensive, but it would definitely be manageable with a smaller dog!

Some brands I recommend are: Primal, Nature's Variety, Stella & Chewy's (raw), Honest Kitchen, Sojos (dehydrated), and pretty much any grain-free canned food.

 

[Evergreen]

Thanks for all the help we went out and picked up a bag of Nature's Variety and both Boo and Zul love it! I appreciate the help greatly.

 

[Saeleofu]

With a small dog it's much more feasible to do dehydrated/pre-made raw than with a larger dog (due to price) so if you can swing it, go for it!

My foster chihuahua eats verious formulas of Orijen and Acana right now, and I used NAture's Variety INSTINCT as treats for all the dog (such small kibble, the dogs LOVE LOVE LOVE it, it's perfect!). My big dogs are on Taste of the Wild rotation at the moment, but a new rotation including TOTW, Acana, Fromm, INSTINCT, Pinnacle, and a couple other brands is in the works