should i switch foods?

[megdav]

we are bringing Dozer home in a week. he's 7 mos old today. he is presently on blue buffalo wilderness, which i hear isn't the best? but he has no health problems or allergies atm. should i switch him to a better brand or leave well enough alone? and if i should switch him, should i switch him right away or wait till he's settled in?

she also gave him Canine Carry Outs (I havent even checked the ingredients and I'm already pretty sure these can't be good lol) every as a treat each time she asked him to go to his crate (mostly at night). Should i use those till he's settled too?

 

[2BullyMama]

Trash the canine carry outs .. total garbage.

Personally, i would not feed any Blue products they have had too many recalls (voluntarily or not) .

Some of the best brands (no particular order)

Acana
Orijen
Fromm
Earthborn
Natures Variety
Taste of the Wild


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[Manydogs]

Personally I would not make any changes in the beginning. Let him settle in, as this will be a great change in his life. In my opinion, if he is doing well on that food, I would continue with it,until he is at home, then get a better food.I think canine carryouts are just dollar store treats. After he adjusts, I would find a better treat! So excited for you, and he is a cute fella'!

 

[megdav]

Thank you. This is what I was thinking also.


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[megdav]

And he IS such a cutie patootie [emoji16]


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[Vikinggirl]

we are bringing Dozer home in a week. he's 7 mos old today. he is presently on blue buffalo wilderness, which i hear isn't the best? but he has no health problems or allergies atm. should i switch him to a better brand or leave well enough alone? and if i should switch him, should i switch him right away or wait till he's settled in?

she also gave him Canine Carry Outs (I havent even checked the ingredients and I'm already pretty sure these can't be good lol) every as a treat each time she asked him to go to his crate (mostly at night). Should i use those till he's settled too?

Again awesome advice already given. I agree I would wait until he's settled in before making more changes in his routine. He will probably be a little stressed at first until he becomes adjusted to his new home, new smells, and new surroundings, plus adjusting to being without his sister and other dogs. When you do switch his food, it's best to do a slow transition to avoid stomach upset. Start with 2/3 of the old food mixed with 1/3 of the new food for a few days, then mix 1/2 of the old food with 1/2 of the new food for a few days, then finally mix 1/3 of the old food with 2/3 of the new food, then transition to just all of the new food. This will usually take about two weeks to fully transition, but is better to do it slowly so he gets used to the new food. It can take up to a month for the old food to leave his system. I usually just use a couple of pieces of their own kibble to use as a treat, or "bribe" lol. The pieces are small enough, they aren't going to cause any weight gain if you are just giving a piece or two, and it's their food, so they are used to this, so won't cause a reaction or allergies. The kinds of treats I like and buy are all natural like Benny Bully Dried Liver, the only ingredient in these are dried liver, I like the fruitables, which are also all natural, and made with fruit, and the Zekes Peanut butter treats. I also have made my own, my guys like a Tbsp of unsweetened yogurt with a tsp of peanut butter, I place it in a ice cube tray, or on parchment paper and freeze them. I also give my guys 1/2 a banana each two or three times a week, they get cut up apples, cut up strawberries,and blueberries. I also give my guys natural supplements like plain unsweetened yogurt on their morning kibble, for the probiotics, and for digestion, it is also great for the immune system due to the probiotics, I give them coconut oil on their evening kibble for the Omega fats, and I add 1 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar to their evening kibble as well. There are many health benefits to ACV. I like these things because they are natural, have no side affects, they boost the immune system, the Omegas are excellent for the hair, skin, brain, and joints, and they are all inexpensive to buy, and can be bought at a health food store or I the organic section of the grocery store. I buy my Organic Coconut oil at Costco.

 

[megdav]

Again awesome advice already given. I agree I would wait until he's settled in before making more changes in his routine. He will probably be a little stressed at first until he becomes adjusted to his new home, new smells, and new surroundings, plus adjusting to being without his sister and other dogs. When you do switch his food, it's best to do a slow transition to avoid stomach upset. Start with 2/3 of the old food mixed with 1/3 of the new food for a few days, then mix 1/2 of the old food with 1/2 of the new food for a few days, then finally mix 1/3 of the old food with 2/3 of the new food, then transition to just all of the new food. This will usually take about two weeks to fully transition, but is better to do it slowly so he gets used to the new food. It can take up to a month for the old food to leave his system. I usually just use a couple of pieces of their own kibble to use as a treat, or "bribe" lol. The pieces are small enough, they aren't going to cause any weight gain if you are just giving a piece or two, and it's their food, so they are used to this, so won't cause a reaction or allergies. The kinds of treats I like and buy are all natural like Benny Bully Dried Liver, the only ingredient in these are dried liver, I like the fruitables, which are also all natural, and made with fruit, and the Zekes Peanut butter treats. I also have made my own, my guys like a Tbsp of unsweetened yogurt with a tsp of peanut butter, I place it in a ice cube tray, or on parchment paper and freeze them. I also give my guys 1/2 a banana each two or three times a week, they get cut up apples, cut up strawberries,and blueberries. I also give my guys natural supplements like plain unsweetened yogurt on their morning kibble, for the probiotics, and for digestion, it is also great for the immune system due to the probiotics, I give them coconut oil on their evening kibble for the Omega fats, and I add 1 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar to their evening kibble as well. There are many health benefits to ACV. I like these things because they are natural, have no side affects, they boost the immune system, the Omegas are excellent for the hair, skin, brain, and joints, and they are all inexpensive to buy, and can be bought at a health food store or I the organic section of the grocery store. I buy my Organic Coconut oil at Costco.

Wow great post, thanks! What kind of food do you feed?


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[NewEnglandBully]

I'm in agreement to sticking w/what works for now (buffalo isn't the best, but it's not bad, there are far worse out there) until he's one year old…then you can transition to a regular (not puppy) food of your choice and he will have acclimated by then. You can use pumpkin during the transition to help w/stomach/digestion.

As far as treats, you can buy your own kind right away, dogs LOVE treats, no need to take the dollar store treats... I recommend Stewarts freeze dried liver treats (and we call his NuVet supplement a treat too, he loves it).

 

[megdav]

I'm in agreement to sticking w/what works for now (buffalo isn't the best, but it's not bad, there are far worse out there) until he's one year old…then you can transition to a regular (not puppy) food of your choice and he will have acclimated by then. You can use pumpkin during the transition to help w/stomach/digestion.

As far as treats, you can buy your own kind right away, dogs LOVE treats, no need to take the dollar store treats... I recommend Stewarts freeze dried liver treats (and we call his NuVet supplement a treat too, he loves it).

Oh ya the nuvet vitamins for treats! I forgot about those!


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[Vikinggirl]

Wow great post, thanks! What kind of food do you feed?


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I started with Fromms for both of them, but due to Dozer having allergies, I had to switch his food several times and I am still struggling and experimenting to find a food he tolerates. Fromms is an excellent food, and Blossom does very well on it and so I continue to feed her Fromms, she is on the Lamb and Lentil and she also does well with the Pork and Applesauce flavour. Dozer is allergic to several proteins, he can't have chicken, salmon, beef, lamb, rabbit or kangaroo, I've tried them all, and he gets sick and suffers from many symptoms like goopy eyes, yeasty ears, excessive licking of his paws, and scratching his chest. Out of desperation, at the beginning of the summer, I put him on a Vegan Kibble. I used Natural Balance Limited Ingredient vegan kibble and I fed him that for a month to detoxify him from all proteins, he did really well and cleared up, but there wasn't enough protein and he lost some weight, that's when I introduced the Natural Balance Limited Inhredient Rabbit and then the Kangaroo, he didn't tolerate either one, so I went back to the Vegan and added my own non-animal proteins like kidney beans, scrambled eggs, and lentils to give him protein. I then tried the Natural Balance Venison, which he is currently on, and doing okay so far. So what I do is I feed him the vegan kibble for two weeks, and then give him the Venison for two weeks. I'm hoping that by switching them up, he won't develop an allergy to the Venison. So far so good, but If this doesn't work, then I'm going to home cook for him, and give him the vegan kibble with it. Time will tell. It's really trial and error until you find what works for your baby. If your dog doesn't suffer any allergies, there are many good choices for kibble like Fromms, Acana, Orijen, or Wellness. You can go to the Home page and click on The Dogfood Ratings to see other choices, you want to choose foods with a 4 to 6 Star rating.

 

[helsonwheels]

Personally I would switch. I know of the old saying dont touch whats not broken but eventually it will break on the BB. Im just a big believer in orijen n acana. You so cant go wrong on them two. Watch for orijen as its very rich in calories. Give less! They take alot of pride in their kibbles. And if you can afford it, raw, honest kitchen and home cooking. Home cooking is like making that extra plate for your child. Not the adult but the child. Healthier

 

[megdav]

Is this a good flavor of Arcana to start with? I suppose any flavor would do? do you think i should start with a smaller big since i dont know if he'll like it? hmmmmmmmmmm....

https://www.chewy.com/acana-heritage-free-run-poultry/dp/121059

ps: are Zuke's treats any good?

 

[NewEnglandBully]

Is this a good flavor of Arcana to start with? I suppose any flavor would do? do you think i should start with a smaller big since i dont know if he'll like it? hmmmmmmmmmm....

https://www.chewy.com/acana-heritage-free-run-poultry/dp/121059

ps: are Zuke's treats any good?

Acana is a great food from what I've read. I haven't tried those treats and upon looking up the ingredients, it doesn't give exact details, but they appear to be healthy. You may want to keep a little notebook for the kibble switching to track symptoms (if any) of allergies and stool. Finding the right kibble can be a process.

 

[Hankster]

Hank has done great on the Acana Fish, lamb and apple, and Grasslands............ and now Honest Kitchen Marvel... Also Origen Fish And home cooking, and raw treats. So far so good ............ coconut oil, acv, turmeric added