# Vet doesn't like Blue Buffalo



## PonkiPoodles

ugh, do not switch! IMO blue buffalo is a good brand.

I have realized over many years of owning dogs, and with Ponki who has severe health issues that most vets will push whatever dog food they are selling onto their patients. (Probably because they get a commission on all food sell in their practice). My vet tried to push science diet on me for over 7 years. Fact of the matter is the only dog food my dog can tolerate after being diagnosed with pancreatitis and several allergies (chicken, wheat, potato, turkey) is blue buffalo canned and dry. I've had her on many different brands while I was trying to figure out what she could safely eat without ending up at the emergency vet, even tried the prescription science diet food.

Most vets have no clue when it comes to nutrition, so feed your dog what you feel is the best for your dog.


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## Shamrockmommy

I agree! Blue Buffalo is not a favorite food of mine (they won't eat the dark bits) but it's still a whole lot better than SD or Purina/Proplan.


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## Caniche

Don't worry about it - our vet pushes Science Diet, Hill's and Royal Canin (the new RX versions). 

We don't feed them any of those (we were using the regular Royal Canin for awhile) but have used Blue Buffalo, Canidae (wasn't a fan), Halo and Fromm. Personally, Halo and Fromm were our favorites.

If you want an UNBIASED rating, visit www.dogfoodadvisor.com - they'll tell you almost everything you need to know about dog food.

Also, I've even called dog food companies before (we have toys, so kibble size is important) and they've always been helpful. 

I despise Purina - personally, I think it's garbage in a bag.


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## Countryboy

louislinus said:


> She said that we should switch to Science Diet or Purina One (or maybe it was Pro Plan).


Of course she did.  lol Those are the brands that she sells...


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## Lou

I feed blue wilderness and it has an excellent rating and most of important of all my poodles like it!! I tried several different foods and this is what worker for us.

Blue Wilderness kibble + blue Wilderness canned + a tbs of canned pumpkin(no seasoning) 

Oh! It makes nice poops 


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## Carley's Mom

My favorites are Orjen and Wellness, but I fed Blue to my shih tuz's for years and they were very healthy and had a great quality of life until almost 17 years old!


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## liljaker

louislinus said:


> We have a 10 month old spoo, Bodhi, and I just got an Airedale/Spoo mix last week, Weezy (6 months old). I took Weezy to our vet for an initial puppy check last night. She asked me about food and I told her that we've always used Blue Buffalo Large Breed Puppy. She said that we should switch to Science Diet or Purina One (or maybe it was Pro Plan). She said that Blue Buffalo has ingredients from China and that they basically put the formula in a computer and it makes the food that way. Purina and Science Diet are both tested on animals and all the ingredients come from the US. What do you think? I thought Blue Buffalo was a great food. Need your sage advice.


I think your vet may have an incentive to suggest something else; OR, they just don't know. Science Diet is crap and PO is not much better. Read the ingredients. Check reviews.

My vet tried to recommend SD when I first got Sunny and he had some tummy upsets. I told him if he'd eat a can, I might consider it. Well, you know how that went over.

P.S. He is no longer my vet!


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## Poodlemama99

My toys could not tolerate the high protein in blue wilderness but I do think it is a good food. My vet likes it too but after seeing a few small breed dogs with diarrhea we determined it is better for large breeds. 


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## CT Girl

Both of the vet recommended foods are poor quality. According to the Blue Buffalo website they do not source food from China. 

The Facts About Blue Buffalo Chicken Jerky Treats

Sound like your vet doesn't know what they are talking about. Most vets have little to no training in nutrition.


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## outwest

I contacted Blue Buffalo directly a while back. They don't get any food from China . They get a few minerals (as does everyone because they are unavailable in the US), but none of the food comes from there. Plus, they are manufacturered in the US. I had no complaints food-wise with BB and my dogs all did terrific on it. I stopped feeding it because my local Petco kept raising the price on it until I realized how much I was spending. My dogs liked the little bits in it. 

Science Diet and Proplan are both cheap foods with lots of fillers.


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## louislinus

Thanks all. I think a new vet is in order. Sigh.


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## Countryboy

louislinus said:


> Thanks all. I think a new vet is in order. Sigh.


I feel that way sometimes too. But they only know what they're taught. I don't argue with her over medical issues... and I'm not gonna find another vet... but I don't pay attention to _everything_ she says.


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## JudyD

Countryboy said:


> I feel that way sometimes too. But they only know what they're taught. I don't argue with her over medical issues... and I'm not gonna find another vet... but I don't pay attention to _everything_ she says.


I agree. My vet nearly exploded with anxiety when I told her I was switching the dogs to a raw diet. She was clearly concerned for the dogs' health, although she did mention that her office sold some expensive brand of kibble I might want to consider. She has been more than kind and medically she's competent, so I don't want to look for a new vet, but I don't discuss food with her. Actually, now that I think about it, I haven't seen her to discuss anything since the dogs began the raw diet...they haven't been sick. :biggrin1:


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## Jamie Hein

louislinus said:


> We have a 10 month old spoo, Bodhi, and I just got an Airedale/Spoo mix last week, Weezy (6 months old). I took Weezy to our vet for an initial puppy check last night. She asked me about food and I told her that we've always used Blue Buffalo Large Breed Puppy. She said that we should switch to Science Diet or Purina One (or maybe it was Pro Plan). She said that Blue Buffalo has ingredients from China and that they basically put the formula in a computer and it makes the food that way. Purina and Science Diet are both tested on animals and all the ingredients come from the US. What do you think? I thought Blue Buffalo was a great food. Need your sage advice.


I think that your vet has financial incentives to give you that advice. Either they sell the Science Diet or Purina in the office or the company gives them incentives. Food companies are like drug companies when it comes to vets. They come in and bring cookies and stuff to get them to sell and recommend their product. I think that Blue is much better than both of those brands- it contains more species appropriate ingredients like more meat and less grain. Purina definitely doesn't source all ingredients from the USA.


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## Caniche

Normally, I wouldn't leave a vet because they are trying to push their food on me. It happens, and it is very much like pharmaceutical companies. As I said, our vet pushes Science Diet and Hill's. Now they've made a deal with Royal Canin - which is the better of the three, but still isn't my favorite (although their X-Small Kibble is great for toy puppies until they grow a little).

What upsets me about your vet is that they LIED to you. Your vet bashed Blue Buffalo and lied to you about them sourcing their products from China. Purina certainly does this.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness isn't my favorite either because I think the protein content can be too high for companion toy breeds (one of my mom's mixes was on it, 12 lbs, and she developed bladder stones. Not sure if that was the cause, but we changed the food and we haven't had any problems....knock on wood). 

I think the knowledge of many vets on nutrition and grooming is lacking. I have one vet who is very knowledgeable - and while he does "recommend" Royal Canin, he actually went over food labels with me and told me what to look for.

So I normally wouldn't leave a vet for pushing a brand of food. I would leave one for lying to me about something that's really important. 


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## CT Girl

I am unsure if your vet actually lied. There are a lot of rumors about Blue Buffalo sourcing fom China to the point where the company Blue Buffalo issued an official statement and it is disavowed on Snopes. If you believe your vet lied to you then I would change vets. If you like your vet and feel they are competent I would not change over a food disagrement. I have a great vet but I avoid speaking of food with her. I don't know her views but I feed raw and most vets disagree with this practice.


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## buzzieb41

I'm surprised your vet didn't recommend Beneful...one of the worst dog foods on the market. Yet another Purina Product. I wouldn't touch any of them with a ten foot pole. 

I fed my guys Orijen Large Puppy food and when I transitioned them to adult food I alternated between the three types of Orijen kibble. Month 1 - adult dog food. Month 2 Regional Red. Month 3 - fish (can't remember the actual name). Use a topping of The Honest Kitchen dehydrated food and alternate that with holistic canned dog food as a topping. Also daily give them their probiotics in their food. Feed each meal twice a day, probiotics only once a day. All this is pricey, but worth it. They both are thriving on this food. With 2 standards, I go through 28 pounds of kibble in about a month. I understand that Acana dog food is also excellent and less expensive than Orijen, although I have not tried it.


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## louislinus

We switched to this vet just when we got Bodhi - less than a year ago. I have never been in love with the vets there. I had another vet in the practice tell me, when Bodhi was a new puppy, that Blur Buffalo had too much protein and wasn't balanced. He recommended Iams. :/ So I've never loved this practice. 

Our old vet is about 30 minutes away and I switched because of the inconvenience (4 pets, 3 little kids and we both work a full time job). I thought the convenience would be worth it. I was wrong. Our old vet is the tops. And will just work it in to make the extra travel time work.


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## PoodlesinSpace

I find that vets know little about pet food. Stick to your guns, do your research. I second the person who said to check out dogfoodadvisor.com


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## Poodlemama99

I find most vets know little or nothing about nutrition just as most doctors know little or nothing about nutrition. Both just sell whatever the reps are bringing them samples of. It is a travesty! 


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## sulamk

How did the dog food advisor switch from being a human dentist to analysing dog food! Not saying anything about him you can read this on his blog!


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## SAS

Our 13 week old std puppy is eating fromms large puppy food. I have to give her pumpkin with it to keep her stool not loose. Even so, most o the time it is a little loose. 

How much pumpkin should i be adding. I add about a level teaspoon (measuring spoon) with each meal and she gets 2/3 c food 3 times a day. This is on the low side per the pkg chart. If the food, is right, should the pumpkin be necessary at all? She weighed 13 pounds at the beginning of the week and is growing like a weed, loves her food and is healthy otherwise. 

Suggestions? When she is older, she will get some table meat with her food but not at this age. This is my second std poodle. The last one lived a long healthy life on table meat and purina one so i am not a dog food purist, just want something that works for this puppy.


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## poodlecrazy51

Caniche said:


> Don't worry about it - our vet pushes Science Diet, Hill's and Royal Canin (the new RX versions).
> 
> We don't feed them any of those (we were using the regular Royal Canin for awhile) but have used Blue Buffalo, Canidae (wasn't a fan), Halo and Fromm. Personally, Halo and Fromm were our favorites.
> 
> If you want an UNBIASED rating, visit Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor - they'll tell you almost everything you need to know about dog food.
> 
> Also, I've even called dog food companies before (we have toys, so kibble size is important) and they've always been helpful.
> 
> I despise Purina - personally, I think it's garbage in a bag.


Regarding the dogfoodadvisor.com. It doesn't always give an accurate perception of some of the dog food brands. The one I feed, for example. I can't mention it here, I don't think, because I am a distributor for it. It is all I will ever feed. Never had a recall, but the dogfoodadvisor only rates one of its recipes. (an unlike almost all other brands, they only have 4 recipes based on the main protein source.) That is not a fair rating for this dog food. I see other brands will have several of their recipes rated. Read the labels, call the company, read where they get their ingredients, read how it is made and where, what the shelf life is, get your info that way. You will make a much more informed decision for your beloved dog. And vets usually take ONE CLASS in nutrition. My horse vet was very honest with me, when we had a growth/bone issue with a foal. He advised me to "call the Phd's in nutrition at the feed company and let them set up a diet plan for our filly. They are the experts, not me or you". They came to my farm to see the filly!!!! Wish dog food companies were like that. But my dog food company personel will call me, answer my emails, and he is the owner of the company. 
I am always wary of dog food companies that have huge advertising budgets and tons of different recipes, or outsource the making of their feeds. JMHO.


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## poodlecrazy51

I am wary of any dog food containing fish. Know the source. If it ships from overseas, on a boat from anywhere to get to the US, by federal law, it has to contain ethoxyquin. 
And I had terrible experience with Iams and Eukanuba. It turned black spoo coat to a brownish, in rings, like the growth rings on a tree. I did an experiment. I fed it for a month, noted the dates, then went to another feed. Then I watched the growth of the hair. It was reddish brown in a ring, right when I fed the Iams or Eukanuba. I called the company, they blamed it on me, that I did it, I let her get sunbleached, (it was the deep of winter in Midwest, not much sun out there, nor long stays outside!!!) I was done with those companies forever.


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## poodlecrazy51

SAS said:


> Our 13 week old std puppy is eating fromms large puppy food. I have to give her pumpkin with it to keep her stool not loose. Even so, most o the time it is a little loose.
> 
> How much pumpkin should i be adding. I add about a level teaspoon (measuring spoon) with each meal and she gets 2/3 c food 3 times a day. This is on the low side per the pkg chart. If the food, is right, should the pumpkin be necessary at all? She weighed 13 pounds at the beginning of the week and is growing like a weed, loves her food and is healthy otherwise.
> 
> Suggestions? When she is older, she will get some table meat with her food but not at this age. This is my second std poodle. The last one lived a long healthy life on table meat and purina one so i am not a dog food purist, just want something that works for this puppy.


Our spoo puppy, also had chronic not quite diarrhea, early on. Our vet gave us forti-flora to sprinkle on her food once a day, but also, checked her stool. She had bacteria, infection, or something, and needed antibiotics. That cleared it up. 
I also did add pure pumpkin, no spices, to her food. In a blob on top. She loved it. But used more than a teaspoon. It was more between a heaping soup spoon and a heaping dinner spoon.


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## SAS

poodlecrazy51 said:


> Our spoo puppy, also had chronic not quite diarrhea, early on. Our vet gave us forti-flora to sprinkle on her food once a day, but also, checked her stool. She had bacteria, infection, or something, and needed antibiotics. That cleared it up.
> I also did add pure pumpkin, no spices, to her food. In a blob on top. She loved it. But used more than a teaspoon. It was more between a heaping soup spoon and a heaping dinner spoon.


I know they did a sendout to check for worms but dont know if they checked for anything else. I may try a little plain yogurt. Yogurt is ok for dogs, right?


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## liljaker

sulamk said:


> How did the dog food advisor switch from being a human dentist to analysing dog food! Not saying anything about him you can read this on his blog!



From his website; I think he makes it clear where he gets his information.

The Dog Food Advisor is a public service blog published to help you make a more informed decision when shopping for dog food.

Welcome! My name is Mike Sagman. And as the editor and creator of this website, I believe it’s important for you to know a little about my background.

Mike Sagman, D.D.S.I’m a graduate of the Medical College of Virginia with a doctoral degree in dental surgery.

My college curriculum included a major in chemistry and a minor in biology.

Yet none of my education or my more than 30 years practicing dental medicine should be considered a qualification for publishing The Dog Food Advisor.

However, after researching and posting over 800 dog food reviews representing some 3,500 commercial products, I’m considered an authority on reading and interpreting pet food labels.


The Method I Use

The Dog Food Advisor’s approach to evaluating dog food is based upon one important principle…


No dog food product can ever be magically better than the ingredients that were used to make it

That’s why it’s so important for you to know what’s actually in your dog’s food — before you buy it. And the only reliable way I know to do that is to carefully examine the label.


Where I Get My Information

The many articles you’ll find here are the direct result of information I’ve personally aggregated from readily available public sources…

Books, journals, and published research materials at the United States National Institute of Health PubMed medical libraries.

And of course, from dog food company resources, too.

All the reviews on this website represent many thousands of hours of my own hard work — which I do whenever I’m not taking care of my human patients.


Who Owns The Dog Food Advisor?

The Dog Food Advisor is a personal blog written and edited by me. The views and opinions expressed here are presented in good faith and are strictly my own.

I do not accept money or samples from pet food manufacturers in exchange for special consideration in the preparation of my reviews or ratings.

To learn how I support the cost of operating this website, please feel free to visit my public Disclosure and Disclaimer page.


Why I Do It

What really made me passionate about canine nutrition was the result of a personal tragedy.

Penny

In 2007, I lost a wonderful little shelter dog named Penny to my unquestioned trust of commercial pet food.

So, after that heartbreaking experience I made it my personal goal to never again let anything like that happen to any dog in my care.

And I’d like to help you make sure what happened to Penny could never happen to your dog either.


What You Can Do to Help

Have you ever bought a dog food and discovered something about it you didn’t like? Or maybe you finally found one you believe is the perfect choice for your dog.

Here’s how you can help us grow a valuable dog food resource:

Simply share what you know about any dog food we review with the rest of us.

Your personal experience with different dog foods could provide valuable information for everyone. So, please leave your comments and opinions after any review you read.

I’d love to hear from you. And so would the rest of the world’s dog lovers.


Speak Up for Dogs

By the way, be sure to visit The Dog Food Advisor’s community action website, Speak Up for Dogs. 

And while you’re there, please sign our petition to help us change the pet food industry on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves — our beloved dogs.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Mike Sagman, Editor


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## liljaker

After reading some of the posts here regarding credentials for Dog Food Advisor, or dog food ratings, I think it's important to mention that DFA or Whole Dog Journal (my preferred source) or any other online source is just there to present their ratings and it's important to read how they do so--just like Consumer Reports, etc. These are all just tools to help you make an educated decision for you and your pet. You can go to 4 vets and get 4 different opinions of certain dog foods; does not mean they are all right or wrong. I think it's important to do your homework, weigh your concerns and make an educated decision. Sites like these provide much more information than you can find on a bag or can of food, so it helps you to make a decision.


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## Jamie Hein

I like dog food adviser and his ratings. I like how he explains why some ingredients aren't desirable, and the star system is very simple. If someone wants a dog food suggestion sometimes instead of giving them a specific one I could just say "one of the 5 star foods on dogfoodadvisor.com instead so that they can choose for themselves off of the list. I meet a lot of food reps at work and almost all of them are very rude when you disagree with them on their food and they usually think their brand is the best. On a few occasions I have asked them questions about ingredients and they had not one idea on the answer. This is not true with the Blue Buffalo and Nature's Variety reps I have met. They seem less concerned with you buying their food and more concerned with you buying a better food, not necessarily theirs, but not Purina either. Also they often hand out coupons  Royal Canin and Science Diet reps have had public arguments with me and it got pretty heated. Not very professional people. The Nutro rep always steers customers away from what I recommend to them and asks why I'm not recommending their food AS I am showing them what I think is best- not professional either.


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## liljaker

At the end of the day, dog food companies and the reps are in it for profit, so everyone is trying to sell theirs and they usually get commissioned accordingly.


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## Jamie Hein

liljaker said:


> At the end of the day, dog food companies and the reps are in it for profit, so everyone is trying to sell theirs and they usually get commissioned accordingly.


Exactly. It seems like if you want to avoid recalls, allergens, inappropriate ingredients and formula changes you have to make the stuff yourself, which is fine by me, but not everyone has the time unfortunately.


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## lily cd re

I vote Blue Buffalo. We free feed large breed chicken and rice formula and both our dogs are stable healthy weights for their size and breeds. Our vet thinks they are rock stars!


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## N2Mischief

I feed Solid Gold brand. Not because it is my favorite or because I think it is best. I think it is good. I feed it because the protein source is fish and fish is supposed to be better for dogs with liver problems. It is also very low in fat which works for my dog with pancreatitis. 

I just emailed the company to find out where they source their fish. They say it is all wild caught and their product is made in the U.S. But I want to know where the fish comes from now. If they used ethoxyquin wouldn't it have to be on the label???


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## N2Mischief

poodlecrazy51 said:


> I am wary of any dog food containing fish. Know the source. If it ships from overseas, on a boat from anywhere to get to the US, by federal law, it has to contain ethoxyquin.
> 
> This really scared me because I feed my dogs a fish based dog food, so I contacted Solid Gold directly and they answered very quickly. This was their response:
> 
> Thank you for contacting Solid Gold. The rumor is that by law, fish meal has to be preserved with ethoxyquin. This is not true. There are natural preservatives approved for preserving fish meat. The fish meal we use is preserved with a natural, tocoperol based preservative called Natur-Ox.
> 
> The preservation required has nothing to do with the country of origin of the fish and everything to do with the high volatility of fish meal, which is usually processed on a processing ship. With that being said, the "ocean fish meal" in our dry foods is menhaden herring sourced from the Atlantic off the U.S.
> 
> Best Regards,
> Solid Gold


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## captainlou303c

I had to switch my standard after battling several ear infections and excessive eye drainage. We chose Earth-born Holistic grain free and haven't had any problems since. I highly recommend checking out dogfoodadvisor.com they are a great resource!


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## Tyler

*Research...*

It's pretty hard to know what's a good dog food these days, without constant research. "Good" brands don't always STAY 'good', and things you've been told to stay away from have improved.
One problem is that Vets don't do their own research, they believe what the dog food rep tells them.

Here's a quick go-to website, where this guy stays on top of what's in all this stuff: Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor

I notice that Blue Buffalo has moved from 5 stars to 4 stars (except the Wilderness line) since I started feeding it to my guys. 
Knowing where ingredients are FROM is almost impossible, but there are a few guidelines, like that around fish meal.


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## lily cd re

Well said Tyler. It is important to do your research and be open to change if indicated. I would just remind everyone that does decide to make a switch to do it gradually so your dog's digestive tract can adjust without adverse reactions.


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## fuzzymom

Blue Buffalo did have a recall of their food a couple years ago due to too much Vitamin D, which is toxic and caused kidney damage in some dogs. Bottom line is you always have to be careful. If you're dog is acting sick for no apparent reason try homemade food until you find the problem.


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## sschoe2

I feed mine Nutro small breed. Seems to be decent quality. Acutally I feed them grilled chicken (they decided they like it cooked indirect heat grilled better than oven roasted) mixed with Nutro kibble. Sari is 30# so she is at the upper end of what they recommend for small breed. She also gets some of the large kibble Nutro lamb which she snacks on or takes a big kibble and plays with it by tossing it arround and eventually eats it.


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