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Well, I don't think that food is seperated by breed. Food is seperated by age and size. I would recommend a Small Breed (sizes are puppy: 1-12 months, adult-12 months to 9 years. Senior: the rest.). Jet eats Eukanuba because that's what the breeder put him on and it's not too bad. However, I NEVER recommend Science Diet or Proplan, Don't get a food with any by products as the first five ingredients. I would really recommend a food that cares for specific needs, such as a Small Breed ______ (fill in the age) food. Solid Gold is a pretty good food as well.
Hope this helps and paw mail me if you need anything!
Lots of Licks,
Jet
Jet
answered on 9/27/09.
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What to look for in a commercial dog food? Well, here's some links:
www.5stardog.com
www.executec.com
thepetcenter.com
dogfoodanalysis.com
dogfoodproject.com
I don't agree with every sentiment expressed in those links (for example, the idea that dogs need vegetables in their diet, and the Pet Place link supports the meat-based formulas of crappy brands like Purina (don't get me wrong, a bag of Purina with meat as the first ingredient is better than the formula of Purina with corn as the main ingredient), but they certainly are food for thought.
Don't think ingredients matter? Well, check out this thread, before Cookie was fed a meat-based diet and after Cookie was was fed a meat-based diet:
www.dogster.com
The best dog food of all? If you ask me, I'll say a homeprepared raw diet. I started my Papillon mix on raw last year, and he's doing so well (softer and shiner coat, better breath, cleaner teeth, smaller firmer and less frequent stool) that I'm never puting him back on commercial dog food. Raw is real dog food. A dog's digestive system is designed to handle raw meat, bones, and organs, and it kills almost any bacteria ingested. What do you think dogs ate before commercial dog food came along? Some families fed scraps, of course. However excellent raw is, you do need to do your research and know what you are doing. This is what can happen if you do not:
www.dogster.com
Also, there is much controversy about the diet. I recommend reading up on both sides. Thoroughly.
Burkett's Cookies 'n' Creme
answered on 9/27/09.
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There is no one best food for a specific breed. But there are alot of good foods out there.
www.dogfoodproject.com
www.dogfoodanalysis.com
Some good sites to read and look at foods that are out there.
Daisy
answered on 9/27/09.
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High quality food! Check out www.dogfoodanalysis.com
I'm feed natures variety prairie at the moment. He kibble is small, good for smaller dogs and his coat is excellent on it.
www.naturesvariety.com
Chocolate
answered on 9/27/09.
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Unless you are seeing problems, I would stick top what you are feeding. Many people have switched to ''better'' foods and had problems even with a careful, slow switch over. Leave well enough alone.
The common brands have a very good record in the large, professionally managed service dog programs. I am sure the people in charge of them know much more about dogs thant everybody here put together.
Aster
answered on 9/28/09.
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Mom recommends trying Ultra for Small Breeds. It is what my little brother is on and he loves it! He is a pom and eats it right up! It has fresh chicken, chicken meal, lamb meal, and salmon meal in it so it is super flavorful and full of protein. Mom always recommends a food like Ultra that has no ground yellow corn, no artificial colors or preservatives and no chicken byproducts (chicken heads, feet, and intestines) in the food! She also suggests making sure that there is a protein source listed as the first ingredient and preferably in meal form since it is more concentrated!
Ultra also has pumpkin, blueberries, pomegranate, and other 'super foods' that are high in antioxidants!
Check out the website:
www.ultraholistic.com
You can get the food at Petco, Petsmart, and TSC as well as some other independent stores!
Good luck finding the right food for your bichon! Every dog is different so there is not one right food for every dog.
Maverick
answered on 10/3/09.
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