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DOG FOOD HELP!

1K views 9 replies 9 participants last post by  MarinaGirl 
#1 ·
Hi all-

I am on the verge of weening my dog off the breeder's food and onto something that's more available to me. My previous dog was on a prescription allergy food, so it's been years since I've had to buy something from the store. What brand/type do you all feed your Hav, both puppies and adults? I'm looking for something nutritious, organic, reliable, and low/no preservatives (although that's probably obvious!) Also... What fresh foods do you feed your Havs in addition to dog food? Thank you!!!!
 
#2 ·
I like to vary what the boys eat. For kibble, they get Fromm, and I recently added Zignature to the lineup, which I have been incredibly happy with. They also get raw, for which I use Stella and Chewy's, Raw Bistro, and Nature's Variety Instinct. They get canned very infrequently, and for that I usually use Weruva.

As far as non-regular food goes, they both get a little coconut oil, which has done wonders for their coats, and Nino gets Primal Raw Goat's Milk. Nino loves blueberries as a special treat, but Mario doesn't trust them. Both would do just about anything for lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, and zucchini. Everything in moderation, of course :)
 
#3 ·
Well, you will find almost as many different dog food choices as dogs and owners on this forum, so I won't go there. In fact, I have 3 dogs, and they don't all eat the same thing! ;) I can tell you that as far as I know, there ARE no "organic" dog foods out there. Natural Balance used to have one (don't know if they still make it) but they sold out to Delmonte, which is a company I don't trust, so I no longer buy their food. The most important thing is that the food is North American soured and human for grade. That's about the best you can do, but there ARE several smaller companies that make excellent foods that meet those criteria.

As far as add-ons, unless the dog has specific food intolerances (you learn that as yu go along... I have one who does, two who can eat anything ;)) any lean meat or fish that you are cooking for yourself is also good for them, as are occasional raw chicken necks and wings, even if you don't feed raw on a regular basis. Most fruit and vegetables are also fine, and mine eat steamed veggies almost every night. Stay CAREFULLY away from onions and grapes, which can both be very toxic to some dogs. Another food that my dogs adore is eggs, and I cook extra for them whenever we are having eggs ourselves. Fair products are not tolerated equally well by all dogs, so if you decided to try them, try small amounts to start with, and always choose low fat alternatives. If you feed yogurt, check the label CAREFULLY. Some low calorie or sugar free options have xylitol in them, which is DEADLY to dogs in small amounts. (check peanut butter for this too... more and more brands are using xylitol to cut the amount of sugar they use)
 
#5 ·
They are not completely organic, though... and it looks like the Natural Balance isn't any more either. (if it ever was... I knew a lot less about what I wanted to feed when I was feeding it)
 
#6 ·
I feed Leo and Rex Primal Freeze-dried beef now. Leo has a sensitive tummy and it's taken a while to find something he tolerates well. In April Rex developed yeasty ears and I have finally gotten that resolved with the Primal and Proviable-DC probiotic. Feeding these little guys can sometimes be a challenge while others can eat most anything and have no issues.
 
#10 ·
I feed commercial raw dog food - Darwin's Natural Selections, which is a grain-free, gluten-free mixture of free-range meats and organic vegetables. When I'm not home and can't feed Emmie her (defrosted) frozen raw food, I feed ZiwiPeak air dried or canned. I also rotate the protein every few days (e.g. beef, bison, duck, lamb, turkey).

When I first brought Emmie home, I fed her Orijen, which is what the breeder fed, but after doing a bunch of research I decided that kibble was not the healthiest diet for my Havanese and now feed her raw exclusively. I also feed her raw chicken/duck/turkey necks 1-2 times a week.
 
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