# Wow, things move fast.



## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

How exciting!! I love how the puppy search seems to go from 0 to 60 in a blink.

I feed Honest Kitchen Whole Food Clusters (grain-free, beef) by hand. But that’s only about half Peggy’s calories. She is free-fed Farmina Ancestral Grains (chicken & pomegranate), and also gets a spoonful of Weruva Paw Lickin’ Chicken for breakfast and dinner.

Based on personal experiences and my own (very amateur) research, I’m not sure I’d ever go back to feeding just a single food. But you could arrive at just about any conclusion on this. It’s a complex subject with no perfect answers.

Brands will sometimes provide a transition schedule on their packaging. I tend to think if a puppy’s thriving on their breeder’s food, it’s a good idea to maintain that routine for a little while, as so many other things in their life have abruptly changed. (Peggy was NOT thriving on her breeder’s food and so I gave her just chicken breast until I was confident she was keeping it down, and then switched all at once to her new food. I didn’t have the luxury of a typical transition period, which, for us, usually takes a couple of weeks.)


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## Rian (Sep 17, 2021)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Brands will sometimes provide a transition schedule on their packaging. I tend to think if a puppy’s thriving on their breeder’s food, it’s a good idea to maintain that routine for a little while, as so many other things in their life have abruptly changed. (Peggy was NOT thriving on her breeder’s food and so I gave her just chicken breast until I was confident she was keeping it down, and then switched all at once to her new food. I didn’t have the luxury of a typical transition period, which, for us, usually takes a couple of weeks.)


Great point, this is all good advice. I'll look into those other two brands you mentioned, thank you!


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

I am currently feeding my adolescent puppy Ritter a mixture of Purina puppy kibble and several other brands. With the current craziness in the supply chain I don't fully trust either the sourcing or the availability of any single product right now. I want him comfortable eating different brands if I can't get one, or if I open a bag and it seems off.


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

My pup gets merrick healthy grains puppy and honest kitchen whole grain chicken and oat puppy. Plus any bites she can grab of the senior dog food. Plus boiled chicken thigh daily (as training treats).


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Rian said:


> I got extremely lucky and found the perfect mpoo puppy way faster than I anticipated (stress!) thanks to this forum's INVALUABLE resources. So now it's time to figure out food.
> 
> They're feeding her a Purina puppy food for now. I have always heard bad things about Purina but I really don't know much. There's so much circulating around with grain-free, raw, homecooked, etc. it's hard to figure out where the best information is.
> 
> ...


I have been feeding Purina for over 50 years. I have raised and shown toy, miniature, and standard poodles over those years and they have all done well on that food. 

Many professional dog handlers and breeders use Purina. I do add a tablespoon (more or less depending on the size of the dog) of canned meat. The canned meat I am currently using is Wellness. This is pure meat product, not a mixture with grain products. I also give my dogs some vegetables - they love them, especially carrots.


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## PowersPup (Aug 28, 2020)

Topper has been eating The Honest Kitchen since he was about 8 months old. The grain-free turkey is recommended for all life stages, including puppies. It has always seemed to agree with him. Based on PTP's experience, I got the whole grain clusters to use in puzzle toys and the Bob-a-lot toy. I use the pate for filling Kongs and the stew as a change of pace or appetite tempter after Topper was neutered. 

The breeder had him on Purina Pro Plan, and we used that for about a month before switching to Basic Instinct Kibble plus Raw. (The breeder has switched to another food now.) Topper liked it for quite a while, then just stopped eating it. That's when I started him on The Honest Kitchen. 

Another thing I like about THK is that it's easy to take to the cabin and rehydrates quickly. I buy it in the smaller boxes, which make about two weeks worth of food for a one-year old, 10-pound mini. It has a long shelf life so you can stock up it to get free shipping from Chewy.


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## Rian (Sep 17, 2021)

Johanna said:


> I have been feeding Purina for over 50 years. I have raised and shown toy, miniature, and standard poodles over those years and they have all done well on that food.
> 
> Many professional dog handlers and breeders use Purina. I do add a tablespoon (more or less depending on the size of the dog) of canned meat. The canned meat I am currently using is Wellness. This is pure meat product, not a mixture with grain products. I also give my dogs some vegetables - they love them, especially carrots.


This is really good to know, thank you so much! I definitely like the idea of supplementing with a canned meat and vegetables.


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## TeamHellhound (Feb 5, 2021)

Food is one of those things that, like sex, religion, and politics, can be a dicey subject. I've fed various Purina products over the years, as well as a lot of other brands. Some of the foods that my dogs did the worst on were "super-premium" high-end foods, with price tags to match. In the end, the best food is one the dog does well on, likes to eat, and that you can afford to feed. 

I do recommend some reading material. First off is the book Dog Food Logic - Making Smart Decisions for Your Dog In An Age Of Too Many Choices, written by a canine nutritionist. She also has a blog https://thesciencedog.com/ Another good resource is the Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine's blog. Petfoodology


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

You'll get many brand recommendations since there are a lot of well formulated foods out there now .

First, I would hold off any transitioning for a few weeks. Let your puppy get thru the stress of adjusting to a completely new, unfamiliar environment and way of living before introducing any food changes.

When you do settle on a new brand to start first, look for a manufacturer that has a veterinary nutritionist on staff and for a company that follows the AAFCO nutritional guidelines.

Using more that one brand or protein source is a good idea but fully transition to one first, give that a few weeks to see if your pup tolerates it. After the first new food gets a thumbs up, then introduce the second food the same way. The general rule is to allow a week or so for the transition.

_How to Switch Dog Food_
_You may be anxious to make the switch to a new food, particularly if the new food will help address any issues your dog is having. A gradual transition is the best way to switch to a new food, though.

We recommend making the switch over a 7- to 10-day period. This gives your dog (and his stomach) a chance to adjust to the new food.

Here’s our 7- to 10-day plan for switching dog food:_


_Days 1 to 2: Feed 3/4 of the normal amount of current food and add 1/4 of the new food. _
_Days 3 to 4: Serve half the current food and half the new food. _
_Days 5 to 7: Feed 3/4 of the new food and 1/4 the previous food. _
_Days 8 to 10: Serve only the new food. _
_If your dog doesn’t seem to like the new food or if he experiences digestive upset, extend the transition over a few more days. You can also ask your veterinarian for advice.

Remember, you can use this transition process any time you need to change your dog’s food._


Supply chain issues have had an impact on dog foods as with other commodities and consumables over this pandemic period so look for one brand that can be easily found at any big pet store. This will help ensure you'll always have something to feed.

My food saga with my mpoo boys is around PF in several threads so I'll just say that we've happily settled on Purina Pro Plan Small Breed for now. The protein variety come from adding small amounts of whatever we had for dinner and a few veggies tossed over the top, and an ounce or so of warm (filtered) water.

I don't calculate portions and calories to the nth but I do adjust up or down as they need to maintain healthy weight for their height.

Congratulations!!! Happy Puppy to you!


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