[screename116]

My girlfriend got a little maltese male pup...and I am trying to find out what the best food for him would be. The breeder feed him eukanuba small breed puppy. Upon looking at reviews I found that Eukanuba is not the best food. It has "chicken meal" and "chicken fat" as well as corn and such. I read that grains are no good for dogs. But it seems that every dry food has grains in it. What is a grain free reasonably priced dry food?

Also...
With him being so small I thought about trying wet food. Is wet food any better for dogs?

 

[rannmiller]

Wet food is, in fact, better for dogs than kibble. As far as ingredients go, chicken meal and chicken fat are actually good ingredients, however Eukanuba still has other garbage in it you want to avoid such as everything else in there, pretty much. If you want a good grain-free kibble, I'd recommend Orijen, Horizon Legacy, Acana Provincial, Taste of the Wild, Nature's Variety Instinct, or Canidae grain free.

 

[screename116]

There are two pet stores in town. The only good food Petsmart seems to have in stock is several types of Blue Buffalo including the wilderness kind(I think taste of the wilderness), and Avoderm. There is also Royal Canin, is that any good?

I am going to check the other pet store and see if they have any better foods available but I doubt it.

What is a good brand of wet food? Since he is little I like to feed him 2-3 times a day. Would I split a can into three portions? I heard that wet food can make dog poo a little stinky and or wet is that true?

 

[rannmiller]

Wet food should be fine for your pup, if you notice it having any adverse affects, just cut back the amount you're feeding him because that usually indicates that you're feeding too much of it or they aren't tolerating an ingredient in it. So if you cut back and problems persist, you know you need to try something else.

Blue Buffalo is your best option there but the kibbles are sometimes too big for a little maltese puppy. Royal Canin is garbage so avoid that one. What's the other pet food store? Go see what they have, they may have some better selection. If not, Petsmart also has a brand called By Nature that is pretty decent but it still has grains in it. That or Blue Buffalo are going to be your best bet. At least the BB has their grain-free Wilderness formula.

Both of these foods have good canned foods that you can feed your puppy but the By Nature has one that's like 95% meat or something like that, which is a great option (or you could just feed real meat too).

Oh and make sure you do a slow transition when you switch your puppy over to it. Do like 75% of the Eukanuba with 25% of the new food for the first week, a 50-50 mix for the next week, etc. slowly weaning your pup off of the old food and onto the new one.

 

[screename116]

I don't know if I read it right or not, but BB and By Nature has a canned food? I think I saw the BB canned at Petsmart if I am remembering correctly. If I go canned do I just feed one small can or split it into two portions?

The other pet store in town is Pet Supplies Plus. That was actually my first job when I was 16 years old. But I can't remember all the brands that they carried.

I don't know anything about feeding raw food. I don't think I would want him to eat 100% raw meat. But could I incorporate some raw meat into his diet if he is eating kibble or canned?

 

[rannmiller]

Yes, both of them have a canned food. I would say he might need 2/3 of a can a day and see how he does on that I'm not sure what brands Pet Supplies Plus carries either, but if you find out, I'll be sure to let you know which ones are good. I think incorporating raw meat into your pup's diet is the best idea you've ever had. In fact, if you have anymore questions about raw, you should come over to the raw section and I'd be delighted to answer anymore questions or concerns you have about feeding raw to your puppy (who is more than capable of thriving on it).

 

[CorgiPaws]

The other pet store in town is Pet Supplies Plus. That was actually my first job when I was 16 years old. But I can't remember all the brands that they carried.

I don't know anything about this store, or your area, but many tractor supply type stores, or mom and pop stores, carry much higher quality products than the big chain stores, and are usually more affordable, too. You'd maybe be suprised how many pet stores there might be in your area that you haven't ever noticed. Do a google search!

I don't know anything about feeding raw food. I don't think I would want him to eat 100% raw meat. But could I incorporate some raw meat into his diet if he is eating kibble or canned?

I won't go into it in this section, but please, feel free to poke around the raw section. You might find suprising information you haven't considered yet. You got nothing to lose!:biggrin:

 

[screename116]

I went to Pet Supplies Plus today and they have a much better selection of premium foods than Petsmart. I picked up a bag of Taste Of The Wild in salmon. I picked salmon for the omega fatty acids for his skin and coat. I want to try this stuff out the bites are a little big but he dosn't have a problem with it. Its funny he gets a bite and walks a few feet away and eats it then goes back for more. I mixed 75% Eukanuba and 25% TOTW.

I chose TOTW for the availabilty, price and selection of flavors.

What are your guys thoughts on this brand?

 

[rannmiller]

From what I hear, it's a pretty good brand and many dogs do well on it, so good choice. However, only your pup will let you know for sure if it works for him so that's what you need to watch out for!

 

[screename116]

This is his second day eating 75% Eukanuba and 25% TOTW. So far he is doing great on it. I hope the salmon in it helps him with his itchy skin, if not I will add some fatty acids to his food or maybe some tuna. I have read where some people put canned tuna in oil into their dogs food once a week or so and it helps. Is canned tuna ok to use?

 

[rannmiller]

The only thing with tuna is that it's pretty high in mercury and with such a small dog, you don't want to overload him with it because it will affect him a lot faster and easier than it would bigger dogs. I'd say go with canned salmon instead (bones, skin and all). I'm glad he's taking to the food so well!