I'm torturing everyone with questions today!!! But which puppy kibble does everyone use? My big boy has IAMS as its the only thing he'll eat. And that was some trial and error!! But I'd like to at least try the best on the market for Piper and hope she likes it!!
I think the best kibble is what suits your pup, there are so many different brands and opinions as to which is best it is a difficult choice to make. Jura is on Burns. She was on Beta initially, which is what the breeder had her on but I switched her over to Burns after a bit of research. There is a website http://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk which details the ingredients in main brands and rates them. How scientific it is I don't know but it is a handy site to see what is actually in each type of kibble.
Initially you should stay with the food the breeder uses and look to changing it if you like after Piper has settled in. I used Husse Puppy food for Juno as that is what her breeder uses for her puppies and feeds all her dogs on the adult version. I found with Husse the recommended amount suited her very well with a reduction to allow for treats. I changed her kibble on the advice of the vet after she was spayed to Royal Canin Neutered Large Breed Junior and had to juggle a little more with the amount of daily kibble to keep her weight gain steady. I changed her kibble again on vet advice following her elbow operation and she is now on a Hills Prescription Diet. Overall I would say to feed her the "best" that you can afford. As your boy is on IAMS will you be feeding Piper the same when she's bigger? If so, it may be worth trying the puppy version. It can also be worth a chat with your vet for their recommendations.
Heh, asking which is the "best" dog food is like asking what is the "best" vegetable. Everyone will give you a different answer (although the answer is clearly the courgette). As long as you're not feeding bargain basement supermarket food, and she likes it, has a glossy coat, bright eyes and plenty of energy, I don't think you can go too far wrong. My two were on Hills as puppies (which I don't think was the best, but was the best I could buy locally - we don't have such things as internet delivery for dog food here) and they thrived on it. They're now on two small meals of Burns lamb and rice, with one raw meal a day and plenty of training treats. Do you know what the breeder has her on? It's best to keep her on that for a little while, while she settles in with you and then gradually change over to a new food, if you choose to do so, over a period of seven to ten days, to reduce the risk of a tummy upset.
I pretty much think kibble is kibble (leaving aside the bottom of the range or obvious rubbish) - it's all heavily processed food, and made with relatively large amounts of carbohydrate (which is necessary for processing). So what is best is really just about what suits your dog eg one dog does better on fish rather than chicken based, another might do better on potato rather than grain based etc. The labels are difficult to understand, and even if a meat source is the first ingredient listed, that could all change once the water content is removed (so meal rather than actual meat often makes for a high meat content, but there are some quality concerns over meal). It's a bit of a nightmare, and people generally find one that seems to suit their dog and call it a day. Which is sensible. If you want to go into it in detail, then there is a great book "dog food logic" by Linda Case, which is very helpful: http://thelabradorforum.com/forum/bargains-and-best-buys/books/245741-dog-food-logic-by-linda-case I don't feed this myself, but my own view of the "best" kibble is kibble that is dehydrated raw food rather than traditionally processed kibble with carbohydrate. I buy ziwipeak and use it for training treats, but it's a bit too expensive to feed all the time: http://www.ziwipeak.co.uk/
I don't feed raw, and I don't want to feed raw. But the "whole food" kibbles without carbohydrate would suit me, it's just they are very expensive. So I compromise by using this as basic training treats (I use a LOT of training treats).
Milles wolf heart seems to get good reviews. I'd have to buy online though because I live in the middle of nowhere!!
I buy dog food online, because I live in a tiny principality that doesn't really "do" dogs. I have it delivered to the courier's depot, which is a 90-minute drive away, across the border into Spain. I only have to do this a couple of times a year, because I buy 30kg at one time (for two dogs). Except I mistakenly double-ordered recently and now have 60kg taking up space in my bedroom So, ordering online isn't a problem - plenty of us do it, and if you can get it delivered to your door, you're lucky!
I order nearly all my food for Juno and my 2 cats from a company in the UK for delivery to France. Due to the incompetence of delivery drivers I always have to get it re-directed to the post office for collection. There's plenty of commies online and most offer free delivery in he UK over a certain order size.
I use Simpson's Premium 80/20 (not QUITE so as expensive as Orijin which I liked) and recently I have ordered through Zooplus as its a good price - free delivery for a 13kg bag and arrives in 2 days - very painless.
Quick question about 'expected weight' most of the food guides are based on expected adult weight. Rocco is 26kg (working lines) and hard to keep condition on. Do I base pipers 'expected weight' around that?? The weight range for labs is huge!!
I think that the old saying of 'you get what you pay for' applies here. You don't need to buy the most expensive food, but do avoid the cheaper end of the market. If your dog eats it up enthusiastically and looks healthy, with a good coat and energy, then you're probably doing it right. By the way the pumpkin is the best vegetable. Closely followed by the potato.
I think I'll put in a vote for sweet potato. All the uses of potato plus some....and tastier. If by pumpkin you include the small, tasty squashes, I'd sort of go for that, but large pumpkins can be tasteless and best made into soup with lashings of seasoning. My top vote in the squash/pumpkin family would go to Winter Festival Squash. I grow some nearly every year, and a big basket lasts us 'til spring...
Although, on taste grounds alone, not much beats home grown sweetcorn that goes in a pan of boiling water within 5 mins of picking....
Your best guide is the weight of the parents - and ask the breeder. If in doubt, go lighter than you think - it's best to under, not over, feed. My dog has never had more than 75% of the recommended amount on the packet.
But what about roasting pumpkin and using it for risotto, or tossing it through pasta with crispy sage, bacon, ricotta, lemon zest and Parmesan? Or pumpkin tortellini? Pumpkin gnocchi? And that's without exploring the application of pumpkin in all the world's other regional cuisines. Truly a superior vegetable.
mmmm....yum.....I can see I need to be more adventurous with pumpkin! Well, maybe. Still not the huge watery ones best made into halloween lights though....
But the humble chickpea is one of my all time favourites. Or the onion - where would all those pumpkin dishes be without the onion?
