feeding the puppy

Question
Hello Dr. Fry  -
I have a 12 week puppy and I'm getting confused about the feeding quality available commercially.

What is your opinion of the Biologically Appropriate Raw Food diet?  On first blush it seems that it might be very good.  But this is my first dog and I want to do right by her.

Which of the commercially prepared kibble dry foods is the best?  I'm not concerned about the cost,  thats my least worry....thanks
Bill Dobni

Answer
Hello Bill.

I would recommend an all-natural diet that is void of preservatives, dyes, by-products and corn.  Some good quality brand names are Prairie, Eagle Pack, Verus, Flint River Ranch, Nutro Natural, Innova, CA Natural....but you should always read the label.  And meat as the #1 ingredient is best.   I am not a huge fan of BARF for the simple fact that it is truly hard to balance a diet by yourself.  Therefore, I would suggest that you add fresh veggies into your puppies kibble diet and use the veggies as treats instead of processed treats.  You can also give some raw chicken or burger mixed in with her diet, but just be careful about bacterial contamination...you should only feed organic and very fresh right from the butcher.  There are also commercially available RAW foods, which I think are better to use to supplement because they are already balanced with vitamins and minerals.  I know Prairie, for example, makes small frozen meat patties  www.naturesvariety.com

Good luck,
Dr. Fry