What is the best dog food for my puppy?
91Dog Food
In general the best food to feed a puppy is going to be a premium brand dry food. A puppy would need to eat a one and a half times semi-moist food, or even twice as much can food to get the same nutritional value as in dry food.
Dry dog food will, also, help a puppy's teeth. Where can and moist food can soften the teeth.
When chosing a new dog food brand, make sure to gradually change your dog, or puppy, over to the new brand by adding it to the previous brand, It should take about a week, give or take, to fully graduate your canine to the new premium dog food brand of your choice.
Premium Dog Food
As for brand, you want to stick with a premium dog food brand, meaning no grocery store brands. That does not mean that you can't purchase good, or decent, food at a grocery store. It means you want to stay away from brans like Alpo and store brand items.
The premium brands include Hill's Science Diet, Nutro Natural Choice, Castor and Polluc, Natural Balance, Solid Gold, Wellness, EVO, and other natural dog food brands.
By purchasing a premium dog food, your dog will get less fillers and more nutrition from each and every bite. Less fillers, also, means that the dog will not need to eat as much to get the same nutrition, meaning less goes in, so less comes out.
Premium dog foods ensure that your dog is getting the best foods that you can afford. But many premium brands can be pricey. A decent priced, lower end, but still premium dog food is Purina One. No, not Purina Puppy Chow, Purina Beneful, etc, but Purina One.
Purina One proves that you do not need to spend $9.99 for a 5 pound bag of Nutro Natural Choice Small Bites for you puppy. Although, I do prefer the Nutro brand over all, but Purina One is still a good premium brand that is more affordable.
Dog Food Ingredients
You do want to check the back label of a dog brand that you're not sure of. Make sure that the first ingredient is not a filler such as corn, grain, or something therein. But, if the label reads a rice and chicken flavor, you might see rice as the first ingredient; in this case, you want to check the other ingredients in the top 5, making sure that the second ingredient is a protien based ingredient.
You want the first ingredient to be a meat product, like chicken, beef, pork, etc.
In terms of the first ingredient being a meat, you still have to be careful as to what the ingredient actually is. You don't want the first ingredient to be (for example) "poultry" becuase you still don't know what it is. Poultry is a broad category of bird and could include many things. You don't want you pup eating beaks and feet.
You also want to make sure that the dog food does not contain by-products, such as "beef by-product," or meal, such as "meat meal."
Not to call out a few brands, but Beneful, although it looks health and inviting, really isn't. The first few ingredients are a grain or filler. Kibbles and Bits, Alpo, and Puppy Chow, are all along the same or similar tract.
So, if you're not sure, check the label. You carefully read what is in the food that you eat, so you should do the same for your dog.
Dog Food Kibble Size
If you've found the brand you want to use, but are still confused about what kind to get. There are going to be three basic kinds of dry foods, labeled between small bites, large breed, and original, but of course there will be beef and rice, lamb and rice, and chicken and rice, as well. As for the flavors, that's up to you and your dog. Otherwise, you may want to consider:
- Small Bites: If you dog is going to be a smaller dog, usually sized up to 30 pounds, give or take, but you can feed a small bite formula to medium sized dogs, as well.
- Large Breed: For puppies that will be over 50 pounds. Large breed foods are forumlated for healthy growth of bones and muscles for dogs that will be of a larger stature.
- Original: The original forumla can be feed to dogs of any size, for the most part. But you do want to consider a dogs size when picking a particular type of food.
You don't want to feed a 6 week old chihuahua puppy a dog food that has kibble bigger than his mouth. So be careful of the size of the food, as well as the brand and ingredients in the food.
Breed Specific Dog Food
For the most part when choosing a dog food for a particular breed, whether a purebreed or a mix breed dog, it doesn't really matter as long as the brand and size of the kibble is appropriate. Again, as I have just mentioned, you don't want to feed larger kibble to a very small puppy.
Some brands, like Eukanuba and Royal Canin (both great premium brands), have specially formulated doog foods for certain breeds, such as German Shepherd, Yorkies, Chihuahua, Shih Tzu, Bulldog, Dachshund, Labrador Retriever, etc. So, if you want to go with a breed specific food, you can, but I, personally, am not sure of the difference.
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It's a blue American Pit Bull Terrier puppy at 6 weeks old.
Awwwww! She is cute!
Thanks f writing common sense about food. Food should be all about nutrition. So as far as I have researched there are only 5 basic catagories when it comes to food:puppy,large breed puppy(nutrition needs to be changed so they don't grow to fast for thier bones) adult,largebreed adult and senior.
Yes very cute dog
i love the dog that is on this page and i am doing a sciendce fair project on which dog food is better for dogs and which dog food does dogs pefer and this was a helpful website thanx! i love that pubby! so cute
Very cute puppy.Science diet Lamb & Rice is tops for my dogs, next in line is Nutro Lamb & Rice.Although it costs slightly more than chicken, it is a known fact that lamb is much better for the skin and coat. Which means lesser shedding of hair, and with the 2 brands I named above, I deal with smaller poo and less odour with the dogs.
Is Pedigree Puppy food a good brand?
It's ok... Not the best. If you're looking for a cheaper good brand, I'd try Purina One. It's considered a grocery store brand, but the ingredients fall pretty close into place. You want to use whatever she's currently beind fed and slowly change her over to what you want to feed her, as to not upset her stomach. Just add a little of the new stuff with the old stuff at start, and slowly add more and more until you've weaned out the old stuff.
I've been feeding Life's Abundance, which is holistic food, recall-safe. The dogs love it. www.newnaturalpetfood.com
Hey Whitney, cool blue eyed pup you've got there. Certainly one of the main attraction on this hub.
I'm a new hubber, notice you've got plenty of good hubs relating to dogs. Now you've got me thinking hard on what other dog topics I can hub on. I'm a dog addict as well as a fan in your club.
Enjoyed reading your hubs. Look forward to seeing your next release!
Another great Hub from Whitney05! As a general rule, I think you should buy the best food you can afford. Another benefit of the Premium Brands is that they are denser in nutrition so dogs don't have to eat as much as the cheap brands. Also, so there isn't as much waste. That's right - less poop to scoop! Because the dog's body uses more of the premium food, less comes out the other end.
Raw meat is best, chicken necks are good, 1 - 6 at a time, sart off with 1-2, till their stomach gets used to eat. Raw bones, blade steak or bbq steak has the best bone, then you can cook up the meat and feed him/her the meat after they have had a chew on the bone. Beef marrow bones to chew on. I have a rule in our house, if I won't eat it why should the dog. I make up dishes of cooked meat, carrot, rice, that will last a few days. Onions are toxic to the dog. Cooked bones can splinter in their digestive system.
The biggest difference with brands for specific breeds is the shape of each piece. Some dogs have shorter rounder faces and end up taking in a lot of air when they eat, the breed specific brands are shaped to help reduce this .
Other than shape I am not sure there is any difference in the foods.
what should i feed my 5month old pitbull puppy
Large breed puppy food. Premium dog food, not grocery store brands like Alpo or Pedigree.
I recommend Nutro Natural Choice. That's what my APBT is on, and she loves it. Other good brands include Natural Balance, Solid Gold, etc.Look for an all natural dog food with the first ingredient being a protein. Avoid meat bi-products.
ANY food, including the most expensive, can cause problems.
I was spending considerably more for dog food than a store brand, and my puppy was having diarrhea. -- I sent a sample to the company, and they were honest and wrote back that the food was rancid. -- It's expiration date was not past.
I would now not buy that food, simply because their distribution is so slow. -- The bags are at least three months after their manufacture date when they arrive at the store. -- Where have they been? and why?
This was an expensive food. One often recommended by Vets.
Sometime it seems that you just can't win!
I agree that any dog food can cause problems, but as for the expiration date, that's something that you could have checked before you left the store.
Thank you so much for this article!! We are adopting an German Shepherd and I am so nervous about the feeding and the best brand for our new baby!! Your Pitt is georgeous!!
Jennie congrats on adopting. I'd definitely consider large breed food. Try Nutro Natural Choice, Solid Gold, Castor & Pollux, and other all natural foods.
i have a 8month old pitbull, he is not 2 happy 2 eat science diet dog food, what other brand can i give him?
You can try nutro natural choice, solid gold, castor and pollux, and a few other natural brands. I feed my APBT solid gold and she loves it; it's a little expensive but it's guaranteed one of the best. She used to eat nutro natural choice large breed puppy, and I had no problems with that either; it's a bit cheaper.
best brand to feed 2very smallchihuahua 2 or 3 lbs. they are my babies
I would stick with small bites dog food. Probably with a natural food.
I juat got a blue nose pitbul he's only 5 weeks..
i've feeding him with "Natural Choice" but he's been messing all over the house
SHould i get another brand
please help...
If you work on house training, you will minimize the puppy pooing all over the house. Make sure if you cannot watch the dog, it is confined in a dog proof room or an appropriately sized keenel. Also, at 5 weeks the puppy is TOO young to be away from its mother. Take that into consideration, as well. You want to make sure that you can see the puppy at all times, and you keep it on a regular schedule of feeding, walking, playing, etc. Changing the food will not alter the dog going to hte bathroom all over the floor if you are not implementing good house training and puppy trainin habits.
I have a red & blue mix APBT who's 8 months old. We have been feeding him Black Gold, but here in South Florida its hard to found. What would be a good food for him?
You can try Nutro Natural Choice, Caster & Pollux, and Natural Balance. If the dog's parents were both over 50 pounds, I would suggest a large breed puppy version of whatever you decide to get.
i have a pitbull puppy and i am giving him royal canine pup food is that good
Royal Canin is a good brand from what I hear, although I haven't checked out the ingredients label. I would make sure that there are as few fillers within the first 5 ingredients.
Hi I have a 3 month old blue/red pitbull, I was wondering how many cups of food should be getting a day? I currently feed her Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed. I'm slightly confused by what's on the package. Thanks!
You should really ask your vet just to make sure. I don't remember what I fed mine at that age just that she was fed twice a day. that amount, I don't remember.
IS NATURES RECIPE A GUD FOOD. I HAVE A 7 MONTH PIT MIX. HE WAS ON NUTRO BUT IT SEEMED TO GIVE HIM ALOTTA GAS AND DIAHRIA.
APBTs have bad gas in general. the diarrhea shouldn't be caused by the food unless you just recently changed the food without a gradual change. nutro is a great dog food, natures recipe is ok. just check the ingredients label. you may want to consider a vet for the diarrhea, especially if hte dog has ben on nutro always.
I've recently purchased my second blue pitbull and was wondering if a raw food diet is healthier than a dry dog food diet? The breeders I purchased from fed there adults raw chicken everyday along with the dry food they have access at all times. Can you shed more light on this? Also at what age is it safe to start feeding a raw food diet such as chicken?
It is not recommended that you feed raw to your dogs, and definitely not puppies. If you opt for a raw diet, you need to start at an older age and not a pup. Dogs do not really get proper nutrition with raw diets. Remember that we have domesticated these dogs over thousands of years, and they are not like their ancestors who feed on raw foods. I have seen APBTs fed primarily on raw diets, and they look no where near as healthy as those on dry foods. I'm not really sure about the specifics about feeding raw, except that most vets do not really recommend it, and from what I have researched not many people do. I would talk to your vet about it before you truly considered it. Just remember that our current domestic dogs are not like their wild counterparts and cannot digest everything that wild wolves can. Also, I have never heard of feeding raw chicken; I belive it's usually raw beef and pork. The girl that i knew who fed her Pitties raw, she would go to the local butcher shops and ask for the bones that he would normally throw out and because they still have meat on them, just give her dogs that. I'm just not sure if any special supplements need to be added to the diet; it would make since so, but please consult your vet first.
This is such an important decision for new puppy owners. Thanks for the very informative hub. It's helping me and my family a lot.
Hi, I just got blue nose puppy, its a girl, named Roxie.
Im having difficult time finding right food for her, its her 2nd different food, she still havent eat as much, she ll finish her bowl next morning, its only 1 cup. HELP!
It's really not a good idea to let the puppy free feed. You need to take it up after about 20 minutes. She'll learn to eat it all at once. How old is the puppy? 1 full cup may be too much, also puppies should be fed at least twice a day. Try a half a cup at night nad a half during the day.
right now shes 4 months old. maybe its time for her to stop free feed, so that way she can start eat? but the question is what kind of brand dry food is good for pitbulls?
Any dog food that is good for other dog breeds. The breed of dog has nothign to do with the type of food. The best of the best is going to be all natural dog foods, but this means you're goign to pay more. My APBT is on EVO, which is about $75 a bag, and you can only get it at select sellers. You won't find it at a Petco or Petsmart, kind of thing. Otherwise, Wellness is good, Solid Gold, and some of the others listed in the article.
You should never let a dog free feed. And definitely feed twice a day until the dog is a little older. You want to stick with the instructions on the bag. For example with most brands, at 4 months, depending on the size of the dog you want to make sure the dog gets a total of say 1.5-2 cups a day, although this will vary depending on the dog's weight. Puppies usually need more food than adult dogs, but it's spread out twice a day. Ex being for a 6-12 wk puppy at 20-40 pounds EVO says to feed about 3.5 cups a day, but an adult dog gets about 2-2.5 cups at the same weight. Something like that anyway.
Okay, i just got science diet, she hates it, i also got blue wild, she doesnt like it either, my next is nutro natural choice, if not then ill just going to order EVO. Do you know the website to order it?
Wow, I'm surprised tyour APBT is so picky. Most eat anything you give them.
As for EVO, check out their official site- http://www.evopet.com/ and go to the "Where to Buy" tab, enter in your zip code or city and state, and places that sell the food will populate within a certain milage. It's only sold by select vendors; for exmple in my town there is only one place that sells it, and I live in a pretty big town, next to one of the largest military bases in the U.S. If the one boutique didn't offer the brand, I'd have to drive over an hour to get find a seller. But, yea other than that, I haven't found a place online that offers the food.
Have you tried Solid Gold, or some of the other dog food's that you may find at a health food store for humans; some health food stores have pet foods that are all natural. How about Wellness?
Hi, My son (14) just got a pitbull which is about 7months old. We live in the caribbbean,what if any special care do you think we need to provide for our new pitbull. Also, my son feeds him Pedigree,I notice he has loose bowel movements everytime. Should we change food brand? and what amount of food and times would be best to feed. I also have a 7 yr old son that is afraid of any dog in general and we are trying to get him accostomed to the dog...any suggestions. My son is in school all day until 3pm.
Roxie, the pitbull finally like this food, Nutro Natural Choice!
Kand, I personally wouldn't feed my dog pedigree, but that's just me. I'd switch. The loose bowls could be the food or it could be somethign internal, you may want to have your vet check out the dog. As for a son scared of dogs, I'm not sure what to tell you... :-/ In a way that's going to be your call, but you don't want to lock theg up when your son comes home because of the fear.
Kristin, that's good that you've found somethign that your puppy will eat.
hi, what about mansource lamb for my 3 month pitbull puppy is that a good brand!
I've never heard of that brand. Just make sure that the first ingredient is a protein, and that there aren't any fillers within the first 3-5 ingredients.
Hi Whitney, My son changed the dog's food from Pedigree, to Alpo Beef which seems to be going well. But, I also took your advise and purchased Purina One. We mix the Purina One dry food with half a can of Alpo beef and he loves it. But isnt Alpo and Purina One from the same company?
I believe so, but I'm not 100%. Canned food is a little different than dry food, in terms of ingredients, as many will actually used real meats, but at the same time you'll find a lot of processed and by-products in the canned food. I'm not a big fan of a sole can food diet, so mixing with dry is a good thing. Just be careful, as some dogs will get addicted to the can and won't eat dry or won't eat dry without the can. So definitely keep that in mind.
Hi I am about to adopt a hybrid Bichon Frisse Poodle Puppy and I am gathering info on what food to feed my pup, any suggestions?
Hi, I was hoping you could advise me on a puppy food called.. Oven baked..? I didn't find it in the ratings...thx
Natalia, just follow the guide above. Get small bites puppy food. Try to get an all natural brand. I have outlayed suggestions above when choosing dog food; read that and you wouldn't have had to leave a comment askign for suggestions. If you have anything in particular you have a question about please ask.
Jules, I've never heard of the brand. Just make sure that the 1st ingredient is a protein, and that there aren't any fillers within the first 3-5 ingredients.
Hi ,my boxer is 4 mths old .I work days and have a routine for the dog. He is having probs potty training. He still goes in the house and in his cage when left at home. Any Suggestions
Check out these suggestiosn for crates and house training.
We are getting a pug pup in a few weeks and we were wondering what would be the best food. My friend fed her pug pup beneful, but from what I read you don't think that is a good choice. What would be better?
I have my suggestion in the article above. Just make sure to get a small bites formula. Natural foods are better. The Beneful is loads of fillers and grains in the ingredients, much less within the first few. I used to use it for my dogs, until I realized what they should be eating, in terms of few to no fillers, and I started reading the ingredients label.
I have a 2yr old Mastiff. I have fed her Royal Canine, large breed puppy and now Large Breed. Great stuff. My vet reccomended it.
I just got a cockapoo puppy and the breeder provided a small amount of food but I have no clue what it was. We started him on Purina One for Puppies but he doesn't seem to love it and his coat seems less glossy. Should I stay with it or change right away?
You may want to call the guy you bought the dog from, and see what he gave you. That's a question you shuold have asked when you got the puppy. Purina One is an ok brand, although there are much better brands that you can feed your dog. I'd ask the guy what he/she recommends before you opt to just start switching brands.
Also, cockapoos aren't a real breed, so you can't say that the guy is a dog breeder. Not really, anyway.
I was tod by my vet that the Costco brand was a good brand. My dogs where on it for about 2 months when all of a sudden all 4 of them started having bloody diarrhea. The major thing heer is I had just opened a new bag ( the bag they had just finished was the same lot number and bagged 2 minutes prior) Anyway, I poured enought food for the 1 1/2 days I would be gone. I took the 2 younger one with me. The next morning I woke up and the ones with me were passing straight blood. I called my brother and had him check my other 2. He called me back and they to were passing blood. I quickly put them on white rice then over to duck and potato food. The bottom line was I had to put the youngest one down. She was bleeding out. I called my vet and was told tests could run into a lot of money and most likey not find out what was wrong. I did report it to the FDA and Costco. The lady that handled the complaint for Costco told me my dogs most likely had a virus and this had nothing to do with the food. I do not belive a virus will hit 4 dogs at the same time. One may get sick and then a day or two later the others may start showing signs. I belive the food made my dogs sick. I am back on Nutro Max now and all seems ok. The company that makes the Costco dog food is Diamond. Has anyone else had problems with Costco dog food? This happened in Aug 2008.
It sounds more like a virus than the food. If you had the dogs on the food for 2 months, and it was the food causing the problems, you would have seen the problems sooner. You probably should have run the tests and treated the dog instead of just blaming the food and putting down the dog. I have never heard of the Costco brand, but dog food shouldn't affect your dogs like this unless it was tainted by something. A virus can affect multiple dogs at once; it's call contagious.
I wanted to know if Iams is a good brand for puppies. I went to this website hoping it was but I don't see anything about that brand. Is it not a good brand for puppies, should I switch?
I have a pure bred red nose pit he is 6 weeks and i let him try iams for puppys he seems to be eating it well was just wondering if its okay for him to eat hard food like that he is so little lol
jweidner, iams is not a good brand. I would switch to a premium, all natural dog food.
raebby, you should switch from iams to another brand. You'll want an all natural, premium large breed food. Only large breed if the parents were both over 60 pounds.
is it ok that my puppy (3months old) eats adult dog food?
No, You need to purchase a dog food. There are some brands of high-quality foods that don't make puppy or adult food, but those foods are built with all the nutritious essentials for any age, but those brands are also very expensive and top of the line. EVO is one of those brands. I actually believe there are only two brands that do this. Either way, unless you're feeding one of those two brands, you need to feed your puppy a puppy food. He just won't get all the nutrients that a growing dog needs from adult food.
hi i hav a pit and Doberman mix and he was doing super with Puppy Chow and now he has diarrhea ?? is it the food or is it the wet adult food we gave him like twice?? help
It could be the puppy chow, or it could be the few cans of can food. I would stick with a steady dry food diet of a premium food. Puppy Chow is not it. Otherwise, it could be a health concern. I would seek the consult of a vet. My pup had diarrhea when younger and it ended up being something that required medicines.
hi like he did not have costant diarrhea sometimes he poop normal but after eating he would do a mess i stopped giving him puppy chow and gave him wet pedigree puppy food and now he does not have diarrhea i think it was puppy chow we're thinking of buying him science diet because its not that expensive so what do u think?? i mean we gave him a can once and it worked perfectly so is it and ok brand??
Personally, puppy chow and pedigree puppy food are both grocery store brands that aren't worth a crap. Science diet is better, but still not a favorite of mine. Can really isn't the best to feed, as it can cause teeth problems, so if you want to feed can, you should add dry food to the can to add crunch. Dry food is cheaper, and it's typically much better for the dog. Can food will add moisture to your dog's diet which can help with hydration, but it's really not the best for a constant diet.
I feed my APBT's Orijen. I tried EVO, it was good, but Orijen just makes my Pits coats shine and they seem to tolerate it better. I truly believe grain-free is the way to go, but I would also buy a small bag at first to see if your dog likes it and tolerates it. Grain-free can be too rich of a diet for some. I have had success with RAW diet as well, but can be very time consuming and very expensive.
Wondering how Kristin did with the food for her dog. My puppy is 4 months old and just seems to never eat either. She was on Iams when I got her, but she really didn't show an interest. I switched to Royal Canin and she doesn't seem too thrilled either. I know puppies are supposed to devour food. Mine doesn't. I've been adding table scraps to her food to get her to eat more. She does sometimes, but I know I've started some bad habits by doing so.
Any suggestions on food that's small enough for toy breeds? The Royal Canin is small enough, but again, she's not eating much. Oh, and I'm lucky if I get her to eat 1/4 cup a day. She's is gaining weight (before I added the table scraps)and I can't believe it.
Jesse, EVO is my preferred dog food. I haven't heard much about Orijen. I will have to check it out.
maureen, I would definitely avoid using table scraps to get the puppy to eat. Have you consulted with your vet about the situation? Most dog foods come in regular and small bites. A 1/4 of a cup is a good amount for a toy breed puppy.
I have a 10 week puppy, Olde English Bulldogge what should I feed her? Hows is the Kierland brand stand up? Is mixing a little brown rice once in a while bad? Thank you
I haven't heard of the Kierland brand. There's really no need to add brown rice to the food; it's just carbs. You want a natural food with the first ingredient a solid protein, and very little fillers in the food.
hi! i have a 5month old long-haired chihuahua that is 6lbs. i want to make sure i am feeding him the right type of food. i now have him on nutro ultra pouches for puppies but got a little nervous after reading negative things about the brand. can you tell me what you think? also would like to know if i should be mixing the pouches with dry food? thank you:)
I've never really read anything about the brand. I'd make sure that you know how to read the label so thatyou can determine whether it is a good or even decent brand to use.
hey there, i have a 6 week old pit. when we got her they told us they were feeding her diamond. never having heard of the food we just went to heb and got her puppy chow and sum alpo but after reading your aricle, what should i feed her. everyone tells me to keep her on diamond, that its a really good food for dogs. wat do you suggest???
Keep her on Diamond; it's a much better dog food than puppy chow. Puppy chow really isn't a good dog food by any means. Plus, if you're going to switch you don't want to switch all at once.
This link will help you learn how to read dog food labels:
thanks for the advice im going to look for that food its just hrd to find. i was reading that nutro is a good food which one is better? what would you suggest?
I'd go with diamond over nutro, but nutro Natural Choice is ok. Nutro Max isn't as good.
I like evo, but do they have a puppy food?
Evo Innova is for puppies, adults, and senior dogs. They do not make different stages. It's formulated to be ideal for all ages.
What do you think is the best puppy food for my 5 months old french bulldog?
A small bites puppy food that qualifies the criteria above.
is ol' roy good?
Not by any means.
Hello whitney, how old is your blue bully? I just recently purchased my 3rd APBT, but she is my 1st blue bully ever. I noticed that there werent any topics about BILJAC? Its a very nutricious dog food, and I have had alot of luck with it so far. The entire product is meats, no fillers and or grains. Its a great choice for your dog. I only use it as an adding portion to my bullys diet. Her main course is Chicken Soup for a Dogs Lovers Soul. Yet, another brand I failed to read about in this topic. Its up there with EVO and Nutro top brands. I noticed within the last 2 years of this topic being created, you changed dog foods a few times whitney. Out of curiousity, why? I see your bully is on EVO now. Why? For other people coming here in search for intel on diets for dogs, make sure you do as whitney stated several times in this article, lol, make sure the first 3-5 ingrediants is a meat, or protien! No fillers! Its a risk you really do not want to put your dogs health through! I use BILJAC and CHICKENSOUP...
I also wanted to state a fact about what type of food you should feed your dog. It depends on your specific breed of dog, size, allergies, genetics, medical issues, (ect)... I myself, own a blue american pitbull terrior, and did extensive research on what exactly makes their skin blue. It comes from a long line of genetic skin diseases passed on from litter to litter. So is a blue APBT really a rare, and or special dog? The answer is NO! This specific breed of canine is prone to multiple skin cancers and or diseases. Not saying its inevitable your blue bully will be diagnosed with it, just stating its likely your dog will expierence some sort of skin issue. So if you own a blue bully, I suggest getting a brand of dog food with OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS in it. It helps protect the skin and coat of your canine. Salmon oil is essential to your canine s diet, especially a blue breed dog. I recomend the brand CHICKEN SOUP for your canine. It has both OMEGA 3 and SALMON in it. Overall, it has a 28% protein level.
Bil Jac is a good brand.
I opted to change her, trying to find the best dog food. I've opted to stick with EVO because it is high protein, low fiber. She has bone cancer, and cancer cells feed on fiber.
(She is 2 years old; diagnosed at 17 months.)
Dog breed really isn't as big of a concern, as to the individual dog's needs. Fawn and blue are both dilute colors and are both prone to demodectic mange, which can occur no matter what food the dog is on. A simple cream treats it, but the dog will have it throughout it's life off and on.
You are also correct in that blue is not rare or special. APBT's are actually not prone to any health problems or diseases. The only thing they are prone to is demodex, but only towards the dilute coats, but that is common in any dog of a dilute color, not just APBTs. The color of any dog will not determine disease, cancer, etc. A dog's color coat may only determine skin conditions, but they will be skin conditions that will be prone to any dog breed of that color, not breed specific.
Because APBTs were bred for a pyschological trait, not a physical trait (in the beginning), they were not really in-bred as much, which makes them less prone to breed specific health problems. That by no means says that they cannot or will not have health problems, such as disease, cancer, heart murmurs, etc.
thanx for your input, i really admire your hubs, im ur biggest fan! lol. im interested in EVO, whats the protein percentage?
I actual retract that, cancer feeds on sugars, but grains (fibers) metabolizes into sugars. EVO has no fillers, it's expensive but it's worth it. Problem is with dog foods that have such high proteins and low moisture, they can cause issues with the kidneys, which is going to be a concern for chemo patients anyway; you just have to make sure the dog drink plenty. That's going to be the case for most dry foods high in proteins though.
As for the amount of protein, I'm not 100%. I know the can is 95% meat. The dry has a minimum of 42% protein according to the Guaranteed Analysis.
According to the boutique that we buy it from, it's number 2 dog food. It's highly recommended especially to dogs with cancer. It comes in cat and ferret recipes as well. The dog can comes in rabbit, venison, beef, chicken & turkey, and duck; whereas the dry comes in either beef or chicken & turkey.
hello there i just got a german shepherd puppy 6 weeks old....what is the best food for her please reply me asap
tnak you
Large breed puppy food. Follow the suggestions above as for the brand. Avoid grocery store brands and avoid food with high filler and grain content.
6 weeks is pretty young. Typically good breeders keep their pups for at leas 8-10 weeks.
Hi, I just got my first Miniature pinscher. I've never own a pet before looking to get some advise on how or which is a better puppy food brand?
Small breed puppy food that follows the tips above. Try all natural brand with few to no fillers or grains
Hello, what ever you do, do NOT feed your dog Pro plan, they poor animal blood on the food. and once the dog get accustumed to it, they need the blood, they will bite or kill animals or possibly humans... DO NOT FEED it. I have always fed Actrium and i have a german Shepard, American red nose pittbull mix, and she loves it.
I just wanted to say thank you for a solid site. I am so sick of looking at forums and getting ripped on for feeding my dog Purina ONE. I get it isn't the best, but at least it is everywhere and I can actually afford the stuff.
It's actually no where near the best, but it's one of the better grocery dog foods. If I had to pick between alpo, ole roy, the grocery store brand (publix, win dixie, kroger, etc), and Purina One, I'd pick Purina One. I wouldn't purchase Purina Puppy Chow or Dog Chow.
I'd still try to find a better dog food though.
Hey Whitney!,
You have a beautiful dog she has grown so quickly. But I also have just gotten a 6 week old blue APBT, and I have a 9 month old rednose girl, and a 3 month old blue/red boy. I have just started the transition from Pedigree to Diamond large breed puppy. It says Naturals on the bag with lamb and rice. I have read through your whole hub and no one has mentioned Diamond dog food. I heard that it was supposed to be a pretty good food. It has 27% protein and 15% Crude fat and 3% fiber. It also has the omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. What do you think?
Diamond is a MUCH better food than pedigree puppy food.
By the way, there's no such thing as a blue/red, and no reputable breeder would breed a blue and a red together. Different bloodlines.
Thank you! I'm eventually going to switch to EVO though it sounds like the best. Do you know of any way that I can find out what breed/bloodline he is? Because I honestly am not sure. He has green eyes with a very light brown coat, with the stripes all over that are the same color as my blue APBT.
Nope. Not unless the breeder knows. Bloodline cannot be determined by appearance. If your breeder did not tell you, then more than likely he wasn't a reputable breeder. His breed is American Pit Bull Terrier. If he's the same color as your blue (which isn't a bloodline either), then the dog is blue, but brown is not blue. Stripes would indicate brindle.
The color does not indicate bloodline. When I said that red and blue come from different bloodlines, I meant that a bloodline that produces red is very seldom, if ever going to produce a blue dog, and vice versa.
APBT bloodlines can include Gotti, Razor's Edge, Gator, Red Devil, Colby, Watchdog, Mealers, Chinaman, etc. There are many bloodlines, that can't be determined by color, weight, head, build ect. Because each idividual dog in the bloodline isn't exactly the same, it's hard to identify on appearance alone.
I'd call the breeder and see if he knows, especially if you're planning on breeding. In my opinion, with my research and experience with the breed, unless you got the dog from reputable breeders (which it doesn't sound like you did) they shouldn't be bred. If they didn't come from a pedigree of champions in one of the many competitions the breed can compete in, then they really shouldn't be bred. Those that are bred because they can be, are backyard breeders, who are only worsening the reputation. They're getting money because they can due to popularity of the breed, but they're producing more puppies and passing them out to more people who just want money. Just because the dogs may be pretty, doesn't mean they should be bred.
I have a full blooded Gotti blue APBT. She had a few champions in her past, but wasn't champion quality herself. She was spayed and is pet only, and will be nothing otherwise considering she developed bone cancer at 17 months old.
About 6 months ago a white pitbull was hit and left on the side of the road. The woman who hit him was too busy talking on her cell phone while driving and she kept going. So I took him to the vet and he was ok. After a few weeks he began to have skin problems. I found out he had Demodectic Mange. I used Ivomec, gave it to him everyday for months and his mange is in remission. THANK GOD. Now we have 8 dogs (GOD help me) I too am looking for a better dry dog food for the dogs. I am finding out that brands I thought were good are actually not so good. I have a pitbull, pitbull/shep mix,husky,yorki poo, shih tzu,Catahoula leopard and two yorki poo shih tzu mixes. NO MORE DOGS FOR ME. As you can tell I have a big heart for dogs who need a home. I have read this whole topic thank you Whitney for all the info. I am on the hunt like I said for a good dry dog food that is NOT going to kill my wallet as times are tough right now. Any suggestions not listed above would be great.
Also what about Iams Healthy Naturals? Is that just as bad as the regular Iams?
Demodex is not contagious to other dogs. It's quite common to many colors - white, blue, and fawn included. The dog can get it at any time again, just put the cream on the spots and keep along your day. My blue APBT has it and when she starts to get thin, we use the cream till it goes away. It's not contagious, like other forms of mange.
Sounds like you're definitely over the limit. I've never looked at Iams or Iams Healthy Natural. It's not a brand I've ever used. Check the ingredients labels. Check for proteins, fillers, and grains.
Here's a hub that I have that gives tips on reading labels:
i just got a blue nose pit 4months ago.what is a quick way to give him musle hes growing quick.ps nice pit
There's no reason to grow his muscles fast. Just let him grow naturally. If you enhance his growth in any way your are greatly increase muscle, joint, and bone problems in the dog. It's pretty ignorant to enhance muscle growth. Regular exercise and healthy high quality diet is a must. Do NOT offer strenuous exercise until at least one year old, as the dog will still be growing and you will greatly increase muscle, bone, and joint damage.
Why is it important that you increase muscles? These dogs have a bad rap for people trying to get the biggest and most mean looking dog.
Krysta says:
2 years ago
What kind of dog is that?