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Hi! I’m brand new to this site. I’ll be getting a Sheltie/Pomeranian mixed puppy in 6 weeks (he’s 2 weeks old now). He will be fed Purina ProPlan Focus Puppy till he comes to me, but I want to transition him to something better. I’m not new to the concept of good canine nutrition…but hopefully this site will take some of the guess work out of it. My last Sheltie, who died in September, ate Canidae for 9 years, then Taste of the Wild, then home cooked after he was diagnosed with kidney disease at age 12. I just want the best possible start for my new little guy. He will grow to only 7-8 lbs, the smallest dog I’ve had, so I want to make sure his food is size-appropriate in nutrients. Thanks!
Congratulations!
We have maltese and rotate between the freeze dried and dehydrated 5 star foods. Good rule of thumb is to add 1-2 tablespoons of water to each patty or brick. These foods are easy to break into smaller pieces, nutrient dense, species appropriate and healthier than canned.
The following are in our rotation.
Primal
Stella and Chewy (and their treats)
Dogs for the Earth (one of their favorites)
Orijen (and treats)
Stewarts Bison
Dr. Harveys
Honest Kitchen (we purchase their sample packets and use in their rotation)
Nutrisca
Northwest Naturals
Chewy.com has a lot of these foodsWe also feed Tru Dog, Vital Essentials and Only Natural Niblets but I would avoid feeding to a tiny puppy.
I don’t like regular kibble because it’s so overly processed… plus mine don’t like it. The only dry type food they get is air dried from Real Meat Food Co, Only Natural Max Air Dried or Ziwi Peak. Meats are grass fed, free range, gmo/anti bitotic/hormone free. I keep this under 25% of their diet due to lack of moisture. They love air dried.
http://shop.realmeatpet.com/Introduction-Dog-Cat-Food-Trial-3-Pack-FD3PACK.htmWe also do some home cooking and use Dr. Harveys finely ground premix.
I highly recommend reading Scared Poopless which is specifically for small dogs…excellent info on how to avoid cancer and other diseases.
Also, Dr. Karen Becker’s newsletter is very informative. She offers great nutrition info and I use many of the supplements she suggests. I would definitely think about adding probiotics and enzymes to meals for optimum digestion and immune support, and to avoid stomach upset as you transition and rotate new foods.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/Good luck.
Wow, no pun intended, but that is a lot to digest! Thank you, Jeffrey. I went to the sites for some of the food you mentioned, keeping in mind that I will have a single puppy, and started visualizing my freezer and pantry filling up with pricey food. i had hoped it would be simpler. However, again, I want him to have the best start. I will start getting Karen’s newsletter, and also read about rotation. If I had to narrow it down to starting on just one or two foods, does anyone have any recommendations about that? Also, can someone direct me to where I can read about how long, etc., to transition him off the Pro Plan? Excellent idea about the enzymes, etc.
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