# What to feed?



## meghf (Mar 15, 2010)

We'll be bringing home our new standard poodle next week, he'll be almost 9 weeks old. His breeder cooks for her dogs and as much as I'd love to continue to do that I don't think it's possible. The breeder said that was fine, a high quality kibble would do. She recommended Taste of the Wild or Bil Jac. I've looked into Bil Jac and it doesn't seem that high quality to me unless I'm missing something. 

We fed Buddy (our 11 year old spoo we had to put to sleep last week) ProPlan for most of his life. I started really researching food and switched him to Taste of the Wild when he was 9. He liked it a lot but developed Bladder Stones about 3-4 months after the switch and I've always wondered if that was related. After his bladder stone surgery he was on a prescription diet.

I've researched Orijen, Wellness, Blue Buffalo, Nature's Variety and of course Taste of the Wild. I have issues with all of them base on the reviews I've read. Orijen had some issues with cat paralysis and death and then didn't even own up to these issues (I think in Australia), some Wellness reviews said they changed their formula and people found bits of plastic in the food, Nature's Variety also changed their formula, TOTW had recalls, Blue Buffalo had bugs. I'm just not sure what to think about all of this? 

Any guidance and experience would be much appreciated.


Also, while you're reading. Our breeder said they never get their dogs' teeth cleaned by the vet but instead give their dogs raw rib bones to clean their teeth. Where does one get these bones? Do you feed with the meat on or off? 

Thanks!


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

I would go with Taste of the Wild...one of the fish based kibbles with no grain. And you can get raw bones from a butcher shop or slaughter house, and the ones we use are meaty.


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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

I don't like eating meat that has been fed hormones and antibiotics and I won't feed that stuff to my dogs either. So, as Arreau has suggested, a fish based kibble it a good choice. 

My dogs get vegan kibble and real meat that I buy directly from farmers who raise their animals humanely and without added hormones and antibiotics.

My source of vegan kibble is www.v-dogfood.com. They are now coming out with a new formula that is wheat, corn, soy and gluten-free and 24% protein. My dogs like the old formula. We haven't tried the new one, but I'm guessing it will be good.

The meat that my dogs get is all the cheaper cuts -- beef heart is a favorite, as well as beef liver and kidney. One farmer that comes to a Saturday farm stand near me sells chicken backs that are ground up with the bone. It is basically what is leftover after he removes the breast meat to sell as boneless breast. All of the meat that I get directly from farmers comes frozen, so I fill up the freezer and pull it out as needed. I feed it raw when it has just been defrosted. But if I have a beef heart, I will sometimes give one or two night's supper raw, and cook the rest for the following few nights. I'm a little nervous about feeding raw meat that has been defrosted for more than a day or two. To find a farmer near you, go to eatwild.com or localharvest.org. Real meat is much better than anything you will find in a can! My standard poodles each get about 1/4 pound of meat per day, plus unlimited kibble.


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

For kibbles, I like TOTW, Orijen and Acana. Nickel is a raw-fed mini but I also give him Acana Pacifica kibbles in his treat dispensers.

I understand raw and/or home cooked diet might not fit into your lifestyle. Have you considered air dried or dehydrated raw? You can look into Ziwipeak and Honest Kitchen.

I feed RMB (raw meaty bones) to my mini twice a week. Turkey necks, turkey wings, beef and lamb ribs, etc. Depending on where you live, you might be able to find a farmer or butcher store near you. We live in a city-city so I just go to the grocery store. But Nickel eats better than we do. The meat and eggs I feed him are always grass-fed/hormone-free/cage-free.

p.s. My old schnauzer boy had a few surgeries removing bladder stones. I fed prescription diet after the first surgery and then I did some research and I started to feed home cooked diet which contains a lot more moisture in it than kibbles. I wish I had switched earlier. But after switching to a home cooked diet and offering beef broth (homemade; just water and a meat ball with no oil, no salt), the bladder stones didn't come back. More liquid consumption helps flushing out crystals before they even get the chance to sit and form stones.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

I may be in the minority here, but all of those are good foods. Some dogs do better on one than the other. Don't buy the grocery store garbage and stick to any of these higher quality foods. Your poodle will thrive. I like to add a little high quality canned in different flavors for variety. I also switch the flavor of the kibble every bag so they don't get bored. 

People who are unhappy are ones who put reviews in at a greater rate than those that are happy. I always read negative reviews with a grain of salt. 

I have been happy with blue buffalo and my dog has done well on it. I am getting ready to switch her to adult food and am up in the air about what to choose. I like the Cost Co foods and they now have a grain free salmon based food I am looking at, but my dog has done well with high quality grains. My sister in laws poodle had loose stools on BB and she switched to Natural Balance Limited Ingredients. Her poodle has good stools now. 

My puppy was a raw fed puppy when I got her (it sounds like your might be too?). It was hard on her when I switched because she had too much bacteria in her intestines at first (needed to process the raw foods well). Once she adjusted (it took a few weeks), all was well. 

Choose the one you like the most whether based on ingredients, price, availability or whatever. You won't go wrong with any of these.


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

I have two 15 year old Shih tuz's that have done well with Blue for years. I now have a spoo that was on Chicken Soup for years... I mix the two and all are doing well .


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I feed commercial raw, Aunt Jeni, but I have a toy so it is affordable. If I had a standard and wanted to feed raw I would do it myself and not buy commerical. I agree with Outwest. Take the negative reviews with a grain of salt. Judge by ingedients, price, availability ect. I do hope you continue with the feeding of raw meaty bones. It is in my opinion one of the best ways to keep your dog's teeth sparkling white. I have had a dog that needed a professional cleaning transform into perfectly white teeth after a couple months of feeding him raw meaty bones. Swizzle has been on raw since he was a puppy and his teeth are good enough to star in a toothpaste ad. You could try chicken backs to start. Any non-load bearing bone that is big enough that your dog need to chew it will work fine. The reason you do not want a weight bearing bone is because it is very hard and your dog could chip a tooth. You can get bones at the supermarket or from a high end pet store. I buy bags of chicken necks from a good pet store. They are the perfect size for a toy. Congratulations on your new puppy. I look forward to hearing all about him and seeing pictures.


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## TTUSpoo (Oct 29, 2011)

I have my 5 month old puppy on natures variety large breed puppy and have since the start. I will feed him this until 6 months, then I am switching to TOTW puppy for change. I wanted a large Breed formula for the majority of his growing. I think change is good.

I have my 1.5 year old spoo on TOTW and I buy a different bag everytime. 

I plan to integrate raw later as I have more time to figure out a raw/ kibble diet. Totally raw is not practical for me.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

I feed a homemade raw diet, but if I fed kibble I would feed Acana or Orijen. TOTW is a decent food, too.


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## jfo (Nov 19, 2010)

I feed Canine Caviar NOT the puppy formula as it's too high in Cal and Ph for large breed puppies. Raven likes the Lamb formula. Brand new this year are "alternate" proteins like buffalo, venison, etc. We went through a bunch of trials as well trying to find what Raven liked and what agreed with her tummy. Canine Caviar is where we landed.


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

I brought my first raw meaty bones today! I got beef ribs and turkey necks. I would never have given my dogs bones before I got involved with this forum... so if my dog chokes, I am comin for you guys... LOL Just kidding, but I am a bit scared.


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## PoodlePowerBC (Feb 25, 2011)

I feed raw, but I recommend this site if you're looking for Kibble ... Dry Dog Food Reviews | Dog Food Advisor
And I would not hesitate to feed Costco foods now. I also would recommend raw meaty bones for their teeth.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Carley's Mom said:


> I brought my first raw meaty bones today! I got beef ribs and turkey necks. I would never have given my dogs bones before I got involved with this forum... so if my dog chokes, I am comin for you guys... LOL Just kidding, but I am a bit scared.


Beef ribs are not fully edible and are just a recreational chew - keep that in mind.

Also, I highly suggest that a turkey neck not be the first edible raw bone that your dog eats. Too hard of bone for a brand newbe - could upset tummy. I recommend chicken backs or quarters for a week or two before turkey necks......


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

Thanks Cmillie, I have not been brave enough to give her either yet... maybe check into the chicken first. Thanks for the tip.


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

Cmillie, what do you mean by chicken quarters? I hate to sound so stupid, but I want to do this right. Thanks


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Carley's Mom said:


> Cmillie, what do you mean by chicken quarters? I hate to sound so stupid, but I want to do this right. Thanks


Chicken leg quarters.

Be sure to not buy enhanced. You want less than 100 mg. of sodium per serving.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

It is a little nerve wracking the first time you give them a raw meaty bone. Your dog has been eating this way already so I am sure you will have no issues. Necks are dense so backs and quarters are a great way to start. I love feeding my dog and giving him raw bones. He gets so excited and is always in a great mood after. Just keep an eye on his poops. If they get too hard you need to add more meat. I keep hearts and gizzards on hand and give him some of that if his poop is too hard. Since you have a standard you might want to have some chicken breast or something larger on hand. I have Swizzle eat on a towel in a tiled room. It is easy to get them to stay on the towel. They have their bone so they are happy. Let us know how it goes. By the way there are no silly or stupid questions. A lot of areas of the country have different names for cuts of meat and it is far better to ask and get it right than give it your best guess.


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

Thanks guys ! I don't plan to go raw, just give some RMB every now and then to keep her teeth in good shape. Do you think a couple of times a month is enough to do that? Should I skip her evening meal and give the RMS as a meal ? This is a new adventure for me, but I think Carley will love it .


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Carley's Mom said:


> Thanks guys ! I don't plan to go raw, just give some RMB every now and then to keep her teeth in good shape. Do you think a couple of times a month is enough to do that? Should I skip her evening meal and give the RMS as a meal ? This is a new adventure for me, but I think Carley will love it .


 It's an edible rmb skip a meal. If not edible you should be fine still feeding a kibble meal.


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## ShelbySP (Dec 28, 2011)

I know there are a lot raw food fans on this forum, but for those who prefer feeding kibble or don't have time to do it, I suggest checking out the Goodguide.com. It's an independent website that provides consumers with expert ratings and information about the health, environmental and social performance of products and includes many pet food companies.


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

I feed Orijen/Acana mixed with NatureDiet wet food, and mine thrives on it. The kibble is very palatable (I use it for training too), and I have had zero issues with quality in 2.5 years. I do wish they sold it in smaller bags; even the 2.5 kilo takes us some time to get through and I sometimes throw out the last of a bag if I think it's gone stale.


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## PoodlePowerBC (Feb 25, 2011)

ShelbySP said:


> I know there are a lot raw food fans on this forum, but for those who prefer feeding kibble or don't have time to do it, I suggest checking out the Goodguide.com. It's an independent website that provides consumers with expert ratings and information about the health, environmental and social performance of products and includes many pet food companies.


I just checked out the Goodguide site and for the dog food part I'm afraid I don't agree. They posted Science Diet Adult Healthy Mobility as the #1 dog food??? On the dog food adviser, which gives a total break down on the food, it's posted way down the list as a #2 (They rate 5 as best - 1 as poorest quality) IMO you might want to check both sites to get the best ingredient accuracy. Dog food adviser does not calculate "environment" or "society" ratings


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## louise (Nov 29, 2011)

what are the recommended levels of Calcium and potassium for puppies? I have a 5 month old standard.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

*Dog Food Reviews*



PoodlePowerBC said:


> I just checked out the Goodguide site and for the dog food part I'm afraid I don't agree. They posted Science Diet Adult Healthy Mobility as the #1 dog food??? On the dog food adviser, which gives a total break down on the food, it's posted way down the list as a #2 (They rate 5 as best - 1 as poorest quality) IMO you might want to check both sites to get the best ingredient accuracy. Dog food adviser does not calculate "environment" or "society" ratings


I'll stick with Whole Dog Journal Reviews of dog food -- correct I would never believe anything they said once I saw that!


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

The other thing I notieced on goodguide.com was all the advertising; while searching on the site, lots of advertisements from Blue Buffalo and noticed the corporate logo -- what I like about the Whole Dog Journal reviews is that they don't really "rank" them, but do review them, too and I have found to be very informative and allow you to make up your own minds.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

*Dog Food Reviews*



PoodlePowerBC said:


> I just checked out the Goodguide site and for the dog food part I'm afraid I don't agree. They posted Science Diet Adult Healthy Mobility as the #1 dog food??? On the dog food adviser, which gives a total break down on the food, it's posted way down the list as a #2 (They rate 5 as best - 1 as poorest quality) IMO you might want to check both sites to get the best ingredient accuracy. Dog food adviser does not calculate "environment" or "society" ratings


I'll stick with Whole Dog Journal Reviews of dog food -- correct I would never believe anything they said once I saw that!


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