What Dog Food Do you Use?

All4ChiLuv · Super Chi

What Dog Food Do you Use?

sattie · Senior Member

Binks is still in transition to Blue Buffalo.... I think in another week he will be on it fully. From there I think it will be another week or two before I see any benefits (if any). I do expect to see something since it seems to be far superior to the Eukanuba that I was feeding him. Boots is still on Euk.... but I plan on switching him as well.

I want their diet to be as natural as possible and free of ingredients that are not beneficial to them.

newf · Gooda Chis

I use to feed the dogs chicken soup, but found that my aussie was itching like crazy. I switched them both to blue buffalo, and she has stopped itching, both of their coats are shiny and soft. I have notice a big improvement in their general well being overall. I have been feeding them blue for roughly three months now.

All4ChiLuv · Super Chi

Thanks! Can you guys let me know where you get your food and the cost as well? If you don't mind. I appreciate it!

sattie · Senior Member

It is kinda pricy, but for me no worse than Euk, I was thinking a 15lb bag for around $30 is what I paid....

luv2chis · South Chi Mom

Mine have been on Nutro Ultra. Mine love it and it is a good hollistic food, but I want the best for mine so I am switching them over to Nature's Variety. Mine are young and very healthy. I don't expect to see a major improvement right now but I am looking into the long run of their health as senior chis.

All4ChiLuv · Super Chi

luv2chis wrote:

...but I am looking into the long run of their health as senior chis.

That is what I am very concerned about too. I want mine to be as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

chiDeb · Global Moderator

We feed Science Diet Small Bites mixed with Nutro Puppy for Bandit and Spikey and will until they reach 1 year. The grown chis eat Science Diet Small Bites.

newf · Gooda Chis

I buy the blue buffalo at Petsmart. Actually I bought one today. It was a 15lb bag, and it cost $22.99 to be exact. The thing I like about this food as well, is that they eat less of it, therefore it lasts longer. I feed my aussie and Chuwee the same food, and a bag of this food lasts me a month or more. The dogs love each of the different kinds, but I think their favorite is the fish and sweet potato.

sattie · Senior Member

newf wrote:

I buy the blue buffalo at Petsmart. Actually I bought one today. It was a 15lb bag, and it cost $22.99 to be exact. The thing I like about this food as well, is that they eat less of it, therefore it lasts longer. I feed my aussie and Chuwee the same food, and a bag of this food lasts me a month or more. The dogs love each of the different kinds, but I think their favorite is the fish and sweet potato.

Hey!!!! How in the heck am I paying $30 for it?????? I got mine at Petsmart too!!!!

newf · Gooda Chis

I don't know sattie. I was wondering that as well. I saw your post on how much it cost you, and I was like,...hmmmm, I don't think I paid that much for that bag. So I went and got the receipt and looked at it. It said $22.99. I don't know if they mischarged you or what, or the girl here charged me wrong, but that is what the receipt says on it. And I am pretty sure that's what I pay normally. I never really looked at the cost before, I just go in and get it. There shouldn't be that much of a price difference between stores.

Ok, I went to Petsmart Online to see what they charge there. The 15lbs bag is $22.99. The 30lb bag is $39.99, and the 6lb bag is $12.99. Maybe you bought the larger bag?

-- Edited by newf at 15:46, 2006-09-10

jessie · The Chi Crew

I feed my chis Timberwolf Organics. It is a holistic food without grain and no fillers. Their coats have never been shinier, and they are so healthy and full of energy. 7lb Madison only eats 1/4 cup a day of it (the higher the quality of the food, the less they eat of it). A 4lb bag is $8, but it lasts for a while because of the small amount they eat of it.

For example, I looked up Purina Beneful, and 7lb Madison would have to eat 1 cup of this a day. There are so many fillers so dogs need to eat more of it.

There are a number of higher quality foods available at Petsmart/Petco, etc, which aren't badly priced (especially since they eat less of it). One of the brands already mentioned is Blue Buffalo. Nutro Natural and Ultra are good foods as well. I also like Royal Canin but it is priced pretty high.

If you really like the Purina brand, there is Purina Pro-Plan. I normally wouldn't recommend it, but it is much better than Dog Chow and Small Bites. Pro-Plan is on the same "level" of foods as Eukanuba.

I know we all want what is best for our pets, and really, the best food for our dogs is what they do the best on.

-- Edited by jessie at 16:39, 2006-09-10

sattie · Senior Member

newf wrote:

I don't know sattie. I was wondering that as well. I saw your post on how much it cost you, and I was like,...hmmmm, I don't think I paid that much for that bag. So I went and got the receipt and looked at it. It said $22.99. I don't know if they mischarged you or what, or the girl here charged me wrong, but that is what the receipt says on it. And I am pretty sure that's what I pay normally. I never really looked at the cost before, I just go in and get it. There shouldn't be that much of a price difference between stores.

Ok, I went to Petsmart Online to see what they charge there. The 15lbs bag is $22.99. The 30lb bag is $39.99, and the 6lb bag is $12.99. Maybe you bought the larger bag?

-- Edited by newf at 15:46, 2006-09-10

Ok, I am gonna go find my receipt!

All4ChiLuv · Super Chi

Thanks Everyone! Jessie, you were a big help. The boys just got a big bag of the Purina, but when it starts getting low, I'm gonna gradually change them to one of the better foods from PetsMart. I'll look at them and decide on what I want to try.

Edited to add: Ok, I'm wondering if with Hershey being over weight, I am thinking he's reached about 13 lbs now , and with Jax on the bigger side, though not badly, if I should use a weight control type dog food. I was thinking of one of these 3 below. Anyone have any comments about this? Or prefrences with these 3? 2 are weight control types.

Nutro Max Weight Control Formula

Mini Light by Royal Canin

Royal Canin® MINI Indoor Adult 21™ Formula

-- Edited by All4ChiLuv at 23:08, 2006-09-10

-- Edited by All4ChiLuv at 23:09, 2006-09-10

jessie · The Chi Crew

When it comes to the bigger brands, I favor Royal Canin. Royal Canin is also a great food for picky dogs... especially small dogs. Small dogs do not have as good of a sense of smell as larger dogs, so food doesn't smell as good to them. Royal Canin sprays their kibble with chicken fat in order to make it more appealing to smaller dogs. The Mini Adult Indoor Formula has good ingredients, and low protein (21%) (especially good for overweight/low energy dogs). With chihuahuas, I like their protein to normally be between 21-28%. Anything higher than that isn't good for a little dog.

Nutro is a good, well known company as well. I think they are the #4 largest dog food manufacturer (don't quote me on that though!). I used to feed Madison Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice when he was a puppy for a few months.

Petsmart also lets you take back opened bags of food, no questions asked, so if any brand doesn't work out you can exchange it for another and find a brand that works well with your boys.

I have also heard that if you are trying to get a dog to lose weight, to drop their amount of food to a bracket lower than what they normall get. Like, feed a 10lb dog what a 7-8lb dog should be fed.

I know that foods like Dog Chow, Iams, etc, tend to be higher calorie foods. I have heard of people switching their dogs to Eukanuba Puppy for quick weight gains when their dogs do not seem to be gaining any weight. Corn tends to add on weight... it is a filler which ups the calories and protein in a food. It is easier for dogs to gain weight on foods with a lot of grains.

When you switch your boys over, I would take 10-14 days to switch their food over. Good luck:D

All4ChiLuv · Super Chi

Wow, thanks SO much Jessie! That's helpful!

I'll be sure to take the time to switch them over. I think I'll go with one of those 3, maybe try the Nutro Max Weight Control Formula. I'm very concerned about Hershey's weight. I don't want him to have the problems a small, overweight dog is prone to. No wonder he's so big with all the corn that is the main ingredient in most of the Purina they have been eating. When I give him treats I'm usually just giving a small bit of things low fat. Mostly Pupcorn and Blue Dog Bakery low fat treats. Hershey is a naturally big chi, but he really needs to get back down to about 9.5 to 10 lbs. He looked very good at those weights. Not fat at all.

gottaluvchis · Baby Chi

don't know if you remember, but I feed a raw food diet. Based on all the feeding calculators my guys should get 2-2.5 oz of raw food a day, so I feed both of mine for a month for $30. I bought a meat grinder and I just that to grind it all up and mix it together and I give the raw meaty bones on the weekends. Akira takes 2 hrs to eat a chicken wing. I don't have time for that during the week.

Jess · Chi-Zilla

When I first had Ellie she was on Royal Canin. She loved it but I noticed she was scratching a lot for a dog with no fleas; I found out that some dogs will react like this when fed too much maize. Royal Canin's first two ingredients were maize so I switched and it's been fine evr since. I'm not saying this will happen to everyones dogs, but just be aware that just because a brand is well known and expensive doesn't mean it is a good quality food. I'm also not completely convinced that Royal Canin's meat content is good quality as they do not state exactly how much of the protein percentage is meat and how much is cereal. I want Ellie to eat as much meat as possible and not just bulkers like ceral, as this is what she would do in the wild.

In the next few months I am hoping to switch to another brand too. Ellie's currently on James Wellbeloved and it is suiting her fine, but I'd prefer her to be on an organic, human grade meat diet if possible.

There are SO many different dog foods out there it is a nightmare to figure out which is the best!
Love, Jess x

luv2chis · South Chi Mom

Yea, I tried Royal Canin and Beni was itching a lot and he already is on a vitamin for dry skin. Also mine didn't seem to like it too much which surprised me cause I have heard a lot of good things about and other peoples chis liking it. Mine would eat but didn't seemed that thrilled too. Here is a link I am switching mine over to http://www.naturesvariety.com/content.lasso?page=1305 I have given them the raw medallions and they love them but I am going to use the dry kibble cause it is easier.

mialamb · Baby Chi

Luv2chis and Jess,

Mia is having Royal Canin. I give her half puppy and half chihuahua. She scratches herself sometimes, but not like crazy. Wonder if the scratches are caused by the food or sth else...

jessie · The Chi Crew

Royal Canin Chi and Puppy both use corn as an ingredient... it is corn gluten meal, so it is finely ground and easier to digest than just ground yellow corn. Still, corn is corn, and it could be causing allergies. Chicken also causes food allergies in some dogs. I would recommend switching Mia to a food that doesn't contain corn or chicken (probably a food for allegies). Most allergy foods are made with duck or venison, and brown rice or potato for the grain.

Jess · Chi-Zilla

Yeah, I think I'd agree with Jessie, and not just because we share the same name!

I'm about to switch Ellie onto a different food, one that is organic and has no corn in it at all. I'm looking at a Pero at the moment. It uses only organic, human grade ingredients. Ideal in my mind. But then I am a little obsessive about the quality of food!

Anyone heard or tried Pero? I'm not sure whether or not you can get it in the States.

I'd love to hear a review on it from you guys if anyone has used it!

Love, Jess x

HarleysLove · Camping Chi MOm

The best food is the kinds that the 1st ingrediant are not corn. When Daisy was smaller we fed her food that the 1st ingred. was corn and she pooped all the time and it was very solid. So we got a diff. kind that had something else for the 1st and i seriously could tell a difference on how many times she pooped and her poop was more solid.

jessie · The Chi Crew

Jess, I'm the same way- I always look at dogfoods, lol. We have a much bigger variety of holistic foods over here in the US, though. I've heard that it is really hard to find holistic foods over there.

Jess · Chi-Zilla

Yeah, I think you're probably right there; we only get about five different brands of organic dog food. I'm thinking perhaps the attitude to dogs is different between the UK and the US. Like here, where I live, there are lots of farms and I think many people have dogs to aid their agricultural work. These folk, mostly, wouldn't dream of feeding themselves organically, let alone their dog! And I'm guessing most Americans who own dogs have them as a member of the family, so naturally want to give their pooches the best. Also, I kind of view America as a virtual internet, where one can find/purchase anything they like! Brilliant!

I have ordered a sample pack of Pero dog food and treats to see if Ellie likes it or not. The funny thing is that this 'sample' comes in a 2kg bag, which is the size we usually get anyway!

Love, Jess x

jessie · The Chi Crew

In certain areas here in the US, we have access to more foods. People from different regions of the US look at dogs in so many different ways. I live in Orlando, and we have a wide variety of foods in stores here. Here in Florida, there are a ton of different dog products and holistic/organic foods.

I have a friend from Iowa who moved down here a couple of years ago, and I am trying to get him to switch his dog from Beneful onto a holistic food... his attitude is that it is a dog, and a holistic food for a dog is crazy. He said that most of the people who he knew back home would just feed their dogs table scraps and they lived outside. He was telling me about how when he was a kid and a dog was sick, his dad would take it out back and shoot it.

Now, things are nothing like that here in Orlando.

It's funny how different things can be throughout this country.

All4ChiLuv · Super Chi

Ok, Well, if you saw the update in one of my pics threads, you'll have seen that my chihuahuas, especially Hershey, is losing weight and doing well with my management of the treats and table treats (YAY!). So now I'm not going to get a 'light' or 'diet' type food as I can control their weight by what extras I give them, the dog food wasn't the problem. I have now also solved the problem of them getting into the cats food by now feeding the cats up on a table that's working well for them. I'm now trying to decide between these 2 foods to switch them to:

Nutro Max Mini Size

Royal Canin Mini Indoor Adult Formula

I was wanting to try the Royal Canin but after hearing about the itching some dogs have with it, I'm a little worried. Anyway, I'm gonna go with one of these two I believe. I sure appreciate all the replies I've had in this thread.

jessie · The Chi Crew

The itching that some dogs have on Royal Canin is caused by the corn... there is no corn in the Mini Indoor Adult formula, though. However, there is corn in the Nutro Max which would cause itching as well in dogs with corn allergies.

Jess · Chi-Zilla

Personally I dont think I would actually recommend Royal Canin as I dont really trust their meat quality or sources. But as I have stated in the past, I am a little overly concerned on this matter!

I dont know a huge amount about Nutro, but I do know some others on here do use it for their Chis and say it's good. I dont know, I'll take their word on it I think.

Love, Jess x

jessie · The Chi Crew

I would recommend Nutro Natural Choice or Ultra over Royal Canin, but the Indoor Mini Formula looks pretty good. It seems much better than the other Royal Canin foods. I am not a huge fan of the ingredients in Nutro Max; like I said, I like the Indoor Mini Formula more than the Max.

All4ChiLuv · Super Chi

Thanks for the input. I think I am gonna go with the Royal Canin Mini Indoor Adult Formula. After the switch, I'll keep an eye out for any signs of excess itching. I'm excited about getting them on some better food.

I'll plan to buy some in about a week.

Radar_Love · Mega Chi

Radar is on Purina Moist and Meaty. It isnt the best dog food on the market, but he is so picky that he refuses to eat anything dry. We've tried the Royal Canin, which he didnt touh for about 4 days! We tried switching to another dry food and he still tried to starve! But, we keep an eye out for any odd behavior while he is on this food. It hasnt given him any problems, and he is eating good. So, we'll probably stick with it for now.