What do you feed ?

To answer why? I use foods that produce small poops, good coat, healthy dogs, with no gas, ear/eye/skin issues.

Current food:  Nature's Variety Prairie Salmon/Brown Rice.  Wow! Small poops, nice shiny coat on my minpin and my bichon girls' coats seem to have bloomed also. NO gas, they look great and scarf it down.  Canned: been using Newman's own (all flavors) because I get it at a great price at my commisary.

Past foods: Premixes: Sojo's (premix you add meat, veg's and water).  They did well, loved it, but coat became an issue. My minpin (red) lost a lot of his rich mahogany and he started to just look tan.  I also didn't realize but poos were pretty large, and my minpin had soft/large poo issues (but has for a long time, on several different foods).   Used Volhard NDF which had good results, although getting them to eat it became an issue, and of course a great food can't be great if you can't even get them to eat it.

I feed all over the place. I use a variety of kibbles (Solid Gold, Nature's Variety, California Natural- although I've recently scratched that one from my list).  Cans I use Newman's Own, PetGuard, Innova, California Natural, Solid Gold, Nature's Variety, etc.

Occasionally they get a raw marrow bone or wing.

Occasionally I make a meat mixture, cook 1 lb meat, 1/2 cup of veggies, water as needed and grind it up to a canned food consistency.  The dogs get 1/2 T per 1/3 cup food.

The biggest advice I can give is to keep a notebook of the date you start a new food, how the dogs do/did on it, why/why not you like it. That, and no matter which food someone swears is the "best one" to feed (kibble, canned, cooked, raw) listen to your DOG on how he's doing.

Good luck on the dog food adventure, hopefully you won't be obsessed like I am LOL

I feed raw, because I don't believe that processed food is the optimal diet for anyone. 

Casey eats Blue Buffalo - fish and potato formula right now, we switch formulas after he finishes a bag.

He also gets fish oil and vit. E supplements for his allergies and minor skin problems

He does well on this food, small, firm stool, not for everyone, but great for dogs with skin problems/allergies.Casey loves it.

I used to feed Nat. Balance fish and potato. When the recalls were killing dogs, my eyes were opened completely. No more processed food. I had meetings with my vet that knows about nutrition, and just used my common sense about feeding a wide variety of veggies, fruit and protein. Trudy has never been healthier.She is not needing any more Hydroxyzine pills. Just once in a while. Used to be twice a day.

She prances to the plate of salmon or lamb, veggies, etc. I love seeing her healthy and THRILLED with every meal! I make her treats and my derm. vet and reg. vet are very happy for her.

Chyna- a.m. Canidae ALS & Nature's Variety canned (flavors change)  p.m.  Canidae ALS & Nature's Variety Chicken Medallions

Bevo- a.m. Honest Kitchen Verve, noon Nature's Variety cans, p.m. Nature's Variety Salmon & Brown Rice Medley , Nature's Variety Venison Patties  

Brinxx- a.m. Canidae ALS & Nature's Variety canned, p.m. Canidae ALS & Nature's Variety Chicken Medallions

Shooter- a.m. Honest Kitchen Embark, noon Nature's Variety canned, p.m. Nature's Variety Chicken & Brown Rice Medley, Nature's Variety Lamb Medallions

Schatzi- a.m. Honest Kitchen Embark, p.m. Nature's Variety Chicken & Brown Rice Medley, Nature's Vareity Lamb Medallions

Thea- a.m. Honest Kitchen Verve, noon Nature's Variety cans, p.m. Innova EVO Red Meat, Nature's Variety Venison Patty

I feed Salem Fromm Family dry food. I switch between Salmon ala veg, duck and sweet potato and chicken ala veg. They also have a whitefish and potato meal, but the fat content is lower and he tends to get a little skinny when we feed him that one so we stick to the higher fat fomulas. 

We have used this food since he was about 6 months old. When he was a puppy he was on purina one (on the vets recomendation) and was doing awful. He had big loose stools, itchy feet, dry flakey skin, and gooey eyes. I did a lot of research and switched him to the Fromm Family, and it fixed all of the problems he was having with Purina.

I also try to mix in some high quality canned food or cooked chicken or beef or fish to his regular meals. I give him raw beef bones every once and awhile too. I want to start trying to do a raw food day once a week, but haven't done enough research on that yet.

Here is the info on the Salmon ala veg.

Salmon À La Veg FOR DOGS A delectable fusion of fresh wild salmon & rice with cheese, cauliflower, blueberries & parsley. Fresh Wild Salmon Cartilage Rich in Natural Glucosamine Real Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese Prebiotics & Probiotics to Aid Digestion Optimum Omega Fatty Acids Ratio Ingredients: Salmon, Salmon Meal, Brown Rice, Sweet Potato, Pearled Barley, Potato, Oatmeal, White Rice, Whole Dried Egg, Salmon Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Millet, Dried Tomato Pomace, Safflower Oil, Cheese, Flaxseed, Carrots, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Apples, Lecithin, Chicken Cartilage, Potassium Chloride, Monosodium Phosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Cranberries, Blueberries, Salt, Monocalcium Phosphate, Chicory Root Extract, Alfalfa Sprouts, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Folic Acid, Parsley, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bifidobacterium Longum, Enterococcous Faecium, Vitamin A, D3, E, B12 Supplements, Choline Bitartrate, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Cobalt Carbonate, Calcium Iodate, Sorbic Acid, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite. Calorie Content: kcal/lb: 1,850 | kcal/cup: 405 Daily Feeding Recommendations: Weight of Dog 5 lbs 15 lbs 30 lbs 50 lbs 75 lbs 100 lbs Cups/Day 1/2 1-1/4 2 3 4 4 2/3 Weight of Dog 2.5 kg 6.5 kg 13.5 kg 22.5 kg 34 kg 45.5 kg Grams/Day 55 125 210 315 425 495 Animal feeding testing using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Fromm Family Four Star Nutritionals™ Salmon À La Veg™ Dog Food provides complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages.

Guaranteed Analysis Protein 25% Min Fat 16% Min Fiber 3.5% Max Moisture 10% Max Ash 6.5% Max Omega 6 Fatty Acids 2.7% Min Omega 3 Fatty Acids 0.5% Min Lactobacillus Acidophilus 100,000,000 CFU/lb Min Bifidobacterium Longum 100,000,000 CFU/lb Min Lactobacillus Plantarum 100,000,000 CFU/lb Min Enterococcous Faecium 100,000,000 CFU/lb Min Typical Analysis Calcium 1.2% Phosphorus 1.0% Sodium 0.4% Potassium 0.6% Magnesium 0.12% Zinc 135 mg/kg Iron 229 mg/kg Manganese 70 mg/kg Copper 11.0 mg/kg Cobalt 0.4 mg/kg Iodine 1.53 mg/kg Selenium 0.47 mg/kg Glucosamine 400 ppm Chondroiten 40 ppm Vitamin A 18,200 IU/kg Vitamin D 1,300 IU/kg Vitamin E 180 IU/kg Vitamin K 1.52 mg/kg Vitamin B12 0.10 mg/kg Choline Chloride 2,320 mg/kg Niacin 82 mg/kg Pantothenic Acid 26 mg/kg Ascorbic Acid (Vit C) 38 mg/kg Riboflavin 7 mg/kg Thiamine 8.7 mg/kg Pyridoxine 4.2 mg/kg Folic Acid 1.4 mg/kg Biotin 0.3 mg/kg

I think he looks pretty good.

SalemsMom

I feed Salem Fromm Family dry food. I switch between Salmon ala veg, duck and sweet potato and chicken ala veg. They also have a whitefish and potato meal, but the fat content is lower and he tends to get a little skinny when we feed him that one so we stick to the higher fat fomulas

I started feeding my sensitive stomach boy the Fromm Duck, and one other little Pug girl the same food. Both are doing so good on this food so far. My boy was on Eagle Duck, but the transition over to this food was with no problems. I will probably rotate the two foods with him.

I have two senior Pugs  on Ocean Blue(TO). My others are on TO Bison, but rotate with the Wild Natural and Natures Logic. I love Natures Logic!

I might try Fromm with all of my guys, and will try the Salmon next. I take my puppies off puppy food at 12 weeks, and Fromm's kibble is small enough like TO for toy breed puppies. I guess it is hard to find, so never hear people talking about it. My local store carries the four star line.

 They all get some Wellness canned salmon mixed in, they love it! My little English Toy eats mostly Nature's Variety raw, would love to feed that as a main diet to all my dogs, but with 11 Pugs, would be too expensive!

Forgot to add, as well as my older Pugs are doing on Ocean Blue, they don't smell as nice on this food. They sleep under the covers with me, curled up to my face, so not a good thing! Will put them back on Nature'sLogic when this bag is done.

I feed Nature's Variety pre-made raw.   It's what she likes best and she does really well on it,  much better than with anything else we've tried. 

Nature's Variety Prairie Salmon/Venison (rotate between the two formulas) in the morning with Grizzly Salmon Oil.

Nature's Variety Beef/Venison Raw Diet (rotate between the two formulas) at night.

my golden and pug have been on Canidae ALS for a year. then i put them on Eagle Pack Holistic Select lamb and rice, chicken and rice and also fish formula, they were doing great on them. after EP, i swiched them to Orijen, great poop and good energy. right now they are on Innova Evo Turkey and Chicken formula. they were doing really bad on red meat formula, soft stool.

chicken soup adult with some quality table scraps

 What haven't I fed?  LOL. 

How about I say what I'd feed, if money were no object, since the question is why?  Money has to play a big part in my choices right now for my crew, unfortunately, though I'm hoping that will change shortly.

All dogs would eat prey model raw, with a couple supplemented with kibble. 

My working dogs, except Gus, would eat Bil-Jac Select Puppy formula as a supplement.  Gus would simply eat all raw.

I'd do exactly as I'm doing now with Ben.  Money doesn't limit what I do with him - his allergies and sensitivities do.  So, he gets a rotation of grain-free, non-chicken based diets.  My favorite so far is Nature's Variety though I think it needs some extra EFAs or something - his coat doesn't look so great on it.  But his weight and energy levels are through the roof.

Why:  I have never seen my dogs do so well as on prey model.  Except, it was really hard to keep weight on the extremely active dogs, and Ben has incredibly high energy needs even when he's not working.  I played around with different kibbles for the working dogs, and Bil-Jac was the one that delivered the most efficient, easy-to-digest punch of energy when they needed it.  Yup, it's got corn, "by-products" (though the company says it's all organ meat), and BHT, and it gets an "F" on that wonderful food-scoring model.  But it's what works best for those dogs, especially my dog with the bite problems who can't eat normal kibble properly.

I also top the kibbles with a variety of crockpotted goodies, canned meats, lightly scrambled eggs, canned dog food, tripe, even good quality cat food.  I also make yummy raw meat "meat balls" for a quick snack when they've been working extra hard.

Sophie gets Innova.  She also gets canned food three times a week, either Innova, Newmans Own (she loves the taste), or occasionally PetGuard.

When I got her she was on Purina Puppy Chow and I switched her right away, at that time I thought Nutro Natural Choice was the best food out there so that's what she was on.  After that I tried out Canidae, she hated it and the kibble seemed to small for her that she had a hard time with it.  We do a lot of hikes and nature walks, so I wanted a food that could keep up her energy level.  We decided to try Innova because I liked the ingredient list and she's doing very well on it!  Her coat looks great (well as great as a puppy coat can really look), she has no itchies or eye gunk, and she has plenty of energy.  She had loose stools the first few days on it, which really freaked me out, but now they are firm so I think we'll stick with this.

Ideally, all of my dogs would eat prey-model raw. Unfortunately, cost, freezer-space, and allergies are all issues there. Mostly cost.

As it is, I try to give my dogs as much raw as possible. Axl is sensitive to raw chicken, AND he is missing alot of teeth and has some jaw structure issues, so any raw meat he gets must be boneless, and it can't be chicken.

With their kibble, I try to give all of the dogs some kind of raw every day, even if it's something very small for a snack. Whole rabbits, fur and all, when I have any extras, and whole chickens, are what I prefer. They also get one fresh raw egg each day from my hens with their kibble.

I buy lots of pork neck bones because they're cheap. They count as RMBs for a couple of my dogs and recreational bones for others. I'll usually give Axl some kind of ground beef or something else soft.

I'm planning on ordering 50 Cornish Cross chicks in the next few months (might wait till spring) to raise just for the dogs, so they'll be getting more raw in their diet pretty soon, hopefully.

I also crock-pot occasionally, give them healthy table scraps, and buy canned mackeral and salmon as mix-ins/toppers for their kibble. I buy Solid Gold Green Beef Tripe too, and everyone gets a few tablespoons of that with their kibble as well.

As for kibble- I feed just about everything. We recently got a Petco and I have access now to alot of brands I didn't have before. I rotate Blue Fish and Potato, Natural Balance Duck and Potato, any of the Avoderm Baked formulas, Canidae (when I can get it) Castor and Pollux, Solid Gold...and probably some more stuff I'm forgetting.

Usually I get a bag 30-40# of the "Good stuff" (one of the above premium foods) and mix it with a 20# bag of Lamb and Rice formula Maxximum Nutrition- the Lamb and Rice formula doesn't contain corn like the other formulas, and while it's not a fantastic food, it's GREAT for the cost and it saves me alot of money.

That's what everyone except Culley and Chief gets. We have a hard time keeping weight on Culley so I JUST feed him Solid Gold as far as kibble goes since that's do a good job of putting weight on him.

Chief is weird because he lives with the goats- he eats the goat's grain, and catches a wild rabbit almost every day (we're overrun with wild rabbits for some reason) and he would PROBABLY do fine on that alone- but I offer him some Maxximum Nutrition every day and he'll eat it if he doesn't manage to catch a rabbit or two that day.

As far as supplements go, I supplement with Fish Oil, Yogurt, and either Missing Link or Show Stopper- though I want to try the Solid Gold Supplement I saw at Petco next time I buy supplements.