Imagine this: You are a writer and editor for Parenting Magazine, and you write about infant toys, vaccination schedules, and nutrition for infants and toddlers. A friend texts you from the grocery store and asks, “What should I be feeding my 8-month-old baby?” And she genuinely expects that you can give her the name of a product that will supply all her baby’s nutrition for years to come.
This scenario is ridiculous – of course! – and for several reasons, most notably:
- No parent in their right mind would consider feeding their infant or toddler the same food every day for months or years.
- No parent in their right mind would save important infant-nutrition decisions for the moment she or he was standing in the store, about to buy food, with no clue as to where to start.
- No knowledgeable writer/editor would think they could advise someone by text about something as important as nutrition!
There’s No One-Size-Fits-All When It Comes to Nutrition
While parents may read informative articles about infant and toddler nutrition in Parenting Magazine and others, one would hope they make notes about any questions and discuss them with their pediatrician. Because, while the writer/editor is knowledgeable about infant nutrition, she doesn’t know anything about the specific baby’s health. She doesn’t know if her friend, the baby’s mom, is knowledgeable enough to know how much food she should be feeding her baby, or to recognize signs of a food allergy or intolerance. And sure, she might be familiar with some great brands of infant formula and baby cereal, but does she want an offhand text to be the basis of her friend’s child’s health?
She does not!
Obviously, I’m asking you to consider this scenario because I get asked for dog food recommendations all the time, and I really don’t see a difference between this request for advice and the one described above. If anything, a food fed to a dog for a year will impact a greater percentage of the dog’s life than an infant formula given to a baby for the same length of time will impact hers; dogs’ lives are short!
Consider Your Dog’s Needs
A suggestion for a dog’s toy or treat can be responsibly conveyed in a short text or phone message. But a recommendation for a dog’s sole diet should not be conveyed via text – perhaps not even via a long email! There are many factors to consider, not least of which is the dog owner’s ability to observe the dog’s response to a diet and take appropriate steps if the dog has adverse reactions to the diet.
When I’m asked in a casual way for dog food recommendations, I usually push back a little by asking the dog owner some questions. How old is your dog? How active? How is his weight? How is his health? What are you feeding now? Why did you arrive at this food? How long have you been feeding him this food? Are there ingredients that you know you need to avoid feeding to that specific dog?
And here are the clinchers: How much fat is in the food and how much protein? What are the six top ingredients in the food?
Choose What’s Best for YOUR Dog
If they can’t answer those questions – all of them – then I can’t give them a recommendation for another food or two to add to what I hope is their rotation of three or four products from at least three or four different companies. Actually, the fact is, I’m not going to give them a recommendation of a specific food anyway. What I will do is try to educate them about the factors they need to understand about the foods they have already chosen for their dog, and what they can do to improve matters. As just one example, if the dog is overweight, they should know what the fat content is in the food they give their dog, and look for foods with less fat. That single factor is far more important than what brand they buy, so don’t ask me about brands unless you know all the other, more important factors behind your food-purchasing dilemma!
After reading all the comments I still don’t know what is best. Right now I am feeding my porty acana because it is canadian and not to much filler.
I have two 8 year old Golden Retrievers, I fed them Taste of the Wild grain free lamb formula until I leaned about this breed’s predispositiion to cardiac disease. Now I feed them a Canidae All Stages Turkey. It’s lon your list of recommend foods. My male sneezes a lot when he eats anything with chicken so we try to avoid treats and foods that contain chicken, chicken fat and byproducts. This is hard to do, chiicken seems to be a main ingredient.
I checked out the ingredients of the Canidae turkey kibble and found peas listed as a third ingredient. I have 2 Labradors and have done research as to what to avoid to help prevent canine dilated cardiomyopathy. Goldens are very prone to this. There is some evidence that using legumes as one of the main ingredients (listed as one of the first 5-6 ingredients)may contribute to DCM. You might want to follow up on this, especially the studies done through UC Davis. Right now I’m feeding mine Nutrisource Trout and Rice Formula. There doesn’t appear to have any legumes in it.
I have taken to heart the “don’t feed your dog the same diet” over and over again. I vary a forkful off canned food to moisten up the mixed brand kibble that I feed my Labradoodle puppy, 10.5 months old. Every two or three weeks I buy a bag of kibble and mix it in with the kibble remaining in her food bin. My rationale for doing this is that I don’t want to be tied to a single brand’s food preparation process and recipe. It also gives me a way to vary her diet on a daily basis. I use the canned food to mix in with the powdered probiotic she gets and to make her kibble a bit tastier.
When I adopted my Diana pawPrints I did research on the nutrition for big breed puppies. I didn’t know her specific breed but guess she would be a big girl. And she is. 13 months and 87 pounds now. A bit bigger than I had hoped but still a “Wonder Puppy.” I read every label for all of the available brands and settled on Solid Gold Wolf Cub for now. I monitor her treats for fat. The vet says she is a little overweight as he can’t see her waist or feel her ribs very well but I’m wondering if that might be a result of her mix. She has German Shepherd and Golden Retriever but she also has American Pit Bull and American Staffordshire terrier. Her “supermutt” mix (less than 4%) is Scottish Collie, Rottweiler and American Bully. Only the Rottweiler would account for her size and her weight unless her German Shepherd Grandpa was a really BIG dog. While she is food driven she is not a voracious eater so cutting back on her food is easily done. But I suspect the “ideal weight” of 80 lbs the vet has set might be a bit ambitious and overly optimistic.
If your dog is overweight, it’s your fault :). Too much food and not enough exercise. It’s so simple.
We have field labs. Labs are voracious eaters, and often become overweight. Nope. Ours are very very trim, so much better for their hips.
We feed primal raw frozen and northwest naturals raw frozen. Rotate proteins. Perfection.
You’re right. I have dealt with my own health issues and my dogs suffered because of it. I’ve had major surgery and wasn’t able to get them or me the exercise that is required to stay healthy. Luckily God has blessed me with the ability to overcome or at least cope with life’s challenges. Now we take many walks a day. Lulu is my 98 lb Rottweiler mix and Bear is my 87 lb. Lab/pit mix. Bear has the hip issues you talked about and I thought I was going to have to put him down due to falling and not being able to stand on linoleum floors. I tried different products to no avail until I came across a product called Extend Pets. Within a day of him taking this supplement I noticed a difference. This product gave me my old pal back and we’re all enjoying whatever time God blesses us with. One thing I know for sure is you gotta keep moving. You’d think relaxing and kicking back helps but for me it only made things worth. Have a wonderful day!
Praying for the health of your pups and you. 🙂
I once heard that an overweight dog is a sign of a family that doesn’t get enough exercise.
Dog food/nutrition is the absolute toughest to sift through. We have a six-year-old Beagle Mix who just had a bout of acute pancreatitis, which scared the holy heck out of us. So hard to see a beloved pet sick and in pain. He has mended well with fluids, anti-nausea shot and meds, medicinal (Royal Canin Canned) food, though we are finding that sifting through all the information and getting wise nutritional support moving forward is beyond challenging, and has been prior to this episode. He has anal gland issues and allergies which we can’t seem to get to the bottom of, and finally got food to a point where it seemed to be ok, Raw Dynamix Rabbit. We live in NYC, love our Vet, she is conservative and more medical than holistic, so I read as much as I can and follow a few holistic vets. Our Vet prescribed the Royal Canin to help him recover and shared to continue with his regular food once he has three good health days, or whatever we thought was best. I feel a bit abandoned and lost by this advice. I am back to researching and came upon JustFoodForDogs and am considering doing a consultation with them. I’m taking this all as a calling to continue to grow and be educated, though there is so much conflicting info it is mind-boggling.
Your poor doggie. Have you considered a dermatologist vet for your dog’s allergies? I finally went to one and had testing done and found out she is allergic to many things, but none of them food. It can affect their anal sacs also with constant irritation and itching. May be worth ruling out if you’ve tried everything else. Good luck to you and your pup.
Thank you. I really think that is the next step, plus would love to find a wise dog/animal chiropractor. We are heart-broken and freaked to the core over the pancreatitis episode and are rethinking everything. Thank you so much for sharing and for your kindness and care.
my girl Bichon had a bout of pancreatitis too, very scary and I traveled over 100 miles to get her to the vet, I really thought she was dying, it is a very painful sickness. the vet, is not holistic nor open to thinking out of the box. she did want me to feed the royal canin too, I did buy 5 or so can. I sat down and read the label very carefully, then I decided no more of that. I have studied dog nutrition for 6 years now. I read on all new brands that I see. I followed Dr. Wendall Belfield, a pioneer in the field of Mega C Plus, as he was a compounding pharmacist and vet both!! From much of his studies, I’ve read, it comes down to the immune system and hence Mega C Plus was developed. you are so right there is a sea of information and products of this and that it will fix everything. Dog food, at least a great majority of it is just about poison. My little white dog has done so well on my food with Dr. Belfield’s supplement I never looked back. You are also right that you have to be so careful what your dog eats, I live on a farm and have access to clean beef and neighbors have clean buffalo. I wonder if thinking more simple will help you find a healthy approach. I use only 93% lean grass-fed beef, a broccoli and French cut green beans and change it up to organic chicken thighs (moist with good flavor) and tri quinoa (organic). and thank heavens, all 6 rescues are so far healthy. I do add sardines and things like this for calcium. all in a nutshell what I did learn, no kibble no canned food, can take place of a balanced home meal, even all the ones that proclaim they are special small batch home cooked goodness. I could go on forever, but the lady who suggested Dr. Jean Dodds is correct, very very wonderful, I have her books. oh yes, about acupuncture and chiropractic care, I have a chiropractor who lives close to me and it has done more than I can tell you, he is 30 years experience, he is a king to me!! Good luck and hope the pancreatic issue is all gone never to return.
Thank You Ruth!!! You just eased and confirmed so much that is on my mind. Thank you so much, and so sorry your girl Bichon experienced this, it truly is scary and shocking, especially when you are on a path “thinking” you are doing the “right” things. I’m going to look into the things you mentioned and carry on to good solutions. Can I say thank you, again! 🙂 He is bouncing back, only a few days on the royal canin, going to ease him to stella & chewy raw rabbit (best for the moment) as we process all this info. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!!!!!!
You might try a NutriScan test. Developed by leading vet nutritionist, Dr Jean Dodds. Her website is hemopet.org.
Thank You Carol! WIll do! So grateful to all for the direction! 🙂
My 7 year old male chihuahua has pancreatitis and anal gland issues. The nutritionist said to add “Fruitables Pumpkin Superblend” to his food; more fiber is a big help. And my vet recommended a probiotic to add to his food; once a day, called “Proviable-DC”. These two products have made a huge difference and has reduced flair-ups. Hope these help for your pet!
Hello Norma! We do use Proviable DC, taking into consideration all shared here and truly grateful to you and all for the assistance. Thank You!
There are great natural solutions to skin and seasonal allergies – try a great supplement I found called Ultra Oil – no I do not work for the company, it is a sardine and anchovy oil in a hemp base oil – no fishy smell,, no re flux and my dogs yeasty ears and scratchy skin is a thing of the past! And the added benefit is his coat is amazing. As far as food – check out My perfect Pet – GREAT food with specific diets with low phosphorus and low glycemic choice and it is a frozen human grade food – its awesome.
You might want to look at Just Food For Dogs. They only use human grade food, no waste products, and they have done extensive research. Their findings have been published in scientific journals for vets and reading the White Paper is eye opening.
This is now the food recommended by all my vets (large vet group). They also have their recipes for their food on the website. I now use their supplement powder and make my own and keep some of theirs frozen for a backup.
I’ve called and spoken to them on several occasions and they are more than helpful, very knowledgeable, and very involved with their food production.
Like Linda, I have four dogs. Age range 16 yrs – 10 months. Two have perfect weight and never over eat. The other two (both have poodle genes???) want to lick the smell out of the bowl. Thus, they are both a few pounds over weight.
one of those is 10 years, and the other is 10 months!
I have no clue how to manage mealtime.
Between the two of us, my roommate and I have five dogs. One is overweight because my roommate feeds her too much. They have become very picky and so have tried numerous foods, dry (Fromm, Canidae, among them). Then we tried raw, Primal (which they wouldn’t eat), and now Fresh Pet. We still have to top it with Weruvia shredded chicken. I would like to cut it back to at the least two foods. I can’t ask my vet because it seems they only know to suggest Science Diet.
Stella and Chewy Raw freeze dried is great and one of the only foods my dog will eat.
However, my dog has been about 20 percent overweight since we got her at 4 months old. She always seems to be hungry (mini dachshund). Plus, she hates to walk.
Thinking the Stella might be partially responsible for her weight (higher fat), I started mixing half Wellness reduced fat kibble with chicken Stella and Chewy mix-in. I give her the amount suggested for a 10 lb dog, taking into consideration both foods, which is what she should weigh. I put a little warm water in the kibble and let sit for 30 seconds before crumbling in the Stella and Chewy. I mix well and she loves it. She has lost about a pound over a years period of time. She’s a lazy girl, so it’s a slow process.
Give it a try.
So true! Agree 100%. I don’t ask vets about food/nutrition. All they say is Science Diet and mine is so against raw (that’s what I feed my pup). They don’t want to be responsible in recommending something that isn’t “approved” by some organization in case something happens to your dog and you can turn around and say my vet said it was okay. I just use a vet for health check ups, blood work to make sure all his organ systems are fine, checking his weight, any lumps or bumps that I may be missing, or things I can’t do at home!
Just so you know that it’s very hard to know what is good for my dog. She’s a bull terrier/terrier mix and I know she had digestive issues when she was a puppy so I went grain free only to realize it could,possibly kill her down the road. I live in a rural area and I don’t have the luxury of taking her to the vet so I wish people would be more understanding about this subject. I’ve tried a lot of dog foods grain free and not grain free.
The grain free food will not kill your dog down the road – what you want to look for is a balance of more meat protein versus plant protein. That is how you can know that your dog is receiving the enzyme Taurine that your dog needs for adequate heart health . I lot of people believe that seeing Meat as the first ingredient is a sure fire way to know that this is a dog food with more meat protein than plant protein. Not necessarily, uncooked meat, and all ingredients listed in dog food is listed by mass PRECOOKED, once the meat is cooked it looses as much as 60% of the “weight” value in your dogs food. You want to look for a good quality bone meal as that does not change the percentage of protein even after cooking. Avoid chicken by product meal. There are lots of good foods out there even in rural area as well. Kirkland even makes what I feel in my opinion a decent meat based protein. Check out Venture that is both a grain free and no pea protein and meat based food. Available on line.
Lori, another brand I stumbled on that has Taurine is the new Petco line. They have their own line of kibble, wet food and treats. I feed a chicken and brown rice kibble. (I feed a different brand of wet food, but I also cook a lot of my proteins for my dog myself). I didn’t check all of the other flavors or the wet foods to see if they all have Taurine, but I’m sure they must have more than just one flavor with that ingredient. Their prices are also reasonable.
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