# Should I change from breeder food?



## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Food is such a personal choice and many people become very brand loyal! 

As to if Chicken is more allergenic then Lamb, I guess would depend on which the dog is allergic to. I have had pugs that could not eat lamb, and Misha is allergic to chicken, and Emilio is allergic to both. Pablo can eat just about anything! My daughters English Bulldog, Frank the Tank, can ONLY eat salmon for his protein source.

It used to be people fed lamb food as hypoallergenic but that only works if your particular dog is not allergic to lamb 

You may want to wait until your pup is settled in more before switching. Then do it very slowly. Some allergies may take awhile to show and others will show instantly. They put Emilio on Royal Canine for pancreatitis recently and he was a itchy mess in just hours. The food has a lot of corn in it so I suspect this was the culprit.


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## Cailin77 (Jul 21, 2012)

I suggest looking up pedigree canned food on dog food advisor... That may help you with your decision. Getting right down to it, the first two ingredients are water and chicken byproduct. Not something I'd feed my dog! 

Personally, I have no hesitation about switching my dog from a food given by a previous owner. You're trying to do the best for your dog, and that includes getting the best food you can afford. I actually think its a bit strange that her breeder doesn't want to know that you're going to be providing a higher quality food- I would think that would make most breeders happy.

Oh, and if you're going to give yogurt, I would give plain. The extra sugar in vanilla yogurt isn't something the dog needs.


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## PoodleFoster (May 25, 2013)

hello
I echo the pedigree and vanilla yogurt.
plain yogurt, with active cultures, not a blend is best. give yourself a spoonful of yogurt too! everyone benefits
(*I use walmart yogurt, 16 oz? it is inexpensive and is live culture. )
changing dog food can cause stomach upset/diarrhea, so be careful. changing food slowly, over a few days time will ease the transition.
good luck with your new puppy.


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## whome? (Jun 18, 2013)

I know I'm supposed to switch slowly but I sure wish I didn't have to buy a whole bag of Nutro!


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## Ciscley (Jul 16, 2013)

Oh, I'm surprised the breeder didn't send you home with enough to get you through a transition period. Call around to different feed stores, sometimes they have smaller "sample" size bags. And leftovers can be used as low value training treats once you've switched over 100% to the new food.


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## whome? (Jun 18, 2013)

Ooh, good idea about training treats, Ciscley. My std got too focused on treats so I couldn't use treats with him, just praise. But may use them with her, not sure.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

whome? said:


> This weekend we picked up our new girl mini! She has been fed Lamb and Rice Small Bites adult, a 3 star food.
> I did mix some Fromm Four Star chicken a la veg (not grain free) in with her food and she has been scratching her ears.


The grains, and additives put in kibble, are more likely to cause allergies than any meat. I am surprised she only feeds a 3 star food.Maybe that is to save her money? I would very gradually switch over to a 5 star grainless, or to raw, if it were my puppy.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

To the OP's original question, to be technical here, just about any protein can be the source of a food allergy or a food sensitivity. No, chicken is not more likely to cause allergy than lamb. If programmed to do so, a dog can develop an allergy to any protein (meat or otherwise) after a certain amount of exposure. Though, true food allergies are really quite rare and would result in a very immediate, severe reaction. Much more common are food sensitivities, which can cause chronic itchiness or GI issues. But these reactions are usually very delayed and it can be really hard to figure out exactly what the offending source is. These types of things take time to develop, so a food sensitivity wouldn't be the first thing that I would personally think of in a puppy, though I am sure it is possible!


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## georgiapeach (Oct 9, 2009)

Fromm is a good food, but I prefer grain free for all 3 of my dogs. They all get itchy really fast when fed a grain inclusive kibble, even a good one. 

Another kibble that I've heard good things about is Acana grain free, but I can't afford to feed it to 3 dogs - lol!


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

I would definitely up the value of the food for your pup. There are many on the market. Sunny is on the Acana Regionals grain free Wild Prairie and it's great. However, different dogs like different foods, and you just need to find what works for you and your pup.


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## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

Oh the food choices - and yet so few of them are of good quality.
I feed all my adult dogs Fromm (we also like Halo, as well,
but it's a bit more expensive) Small Breed. 

I would have loved to put Cash, my new tpoo puppy, on Fromm but they do not make a small breed puppy formula. I'm partial to a small breed puppy brand because I think the kibble is smaller and easier to chew. So, for now, I use Royal Canin X-Small (they make a mini version too) and a Royal Canin wet puppy is mixed with it. I'm not a fan of Pedigree foods. I've heard good things about Royal Canin,
although Dog Food Advisor gives them 3 stars. I'll definitely switch to Fromm at adult stages though.


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