Kibble

Question
Hi Jennifer,

I have a female pup 5.5 months old.  Currently I'm feeding her Iams since that's what the breeder was feeding her when I picked her up. Within the last month she has more dandruff than usual and is constantly itching her face and paws. I'm afraid she might have allergies. I'd like to gradually change her diet before I run her to the vet. I've looked online for natural dog food ie/ no wheat, corn, soy etc but it's been difficult. Are there any brands you recommend? It would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Answer
There is a growing market for grain-free kibbles, so your choices will be expanding all the time.  At her age, my personal preference would be to stay in the moderate range for protein and fat (around 36% and 16%, respectively), though no doubt many feed the higher values of these to puppies and young dogs without problems.  Once the growth plates have closed, at around 14-18 months or so, the higher levels are fine so long as they don't cause weight gain.  You also want to watch the calcium level as too much calcium can be problematic for growing dogs.  

That said, these are some of the better brands of grain-free foods:

Solid Gold - Barking at the Moon (www.solidgoldhealth.com)
EVO and EVO Red Meat (www.naturapet.com)
The Honest Kitchen - Force, Embark (www.thehonestkitchen.com)
Orijen - (www.championpetfoods.com)
Raw Instinct (www.naturesvariety.com)
Timberwolf Organics - Wild & Natural, Ocean Blue (www.timberwolforganics.com)
Wellness CORE (www.wellnesspetfood.com)

Of these, The Honest Kitchen is probably the most moderate in terms of protein/fat; this is a dehydrated food, not a kibble.  I've fed it occasionally and my dogs love it (the "Force" formula; they did not do so well with "Verve", which is not grain-free).  The Timberwolf Organics formulas are also moderate, as is the Wellness CORE - though the Wellness company only recommends the product for dogs over one year of age.  The others are fairly high - about 42% protein or so, and 20-24% fat - but would be ones to keep in mind for when she's older.  

The Whole Dog Journal reviewed grain-free foods this month, so you might consider purchasing the back issue for more information (www.whole-dog-journal.com).  There are also analyses and opinions on many of the above foods at www.dogfoodanalysis.com

I hope this helps - please let me know if you have further questions!

~Jennifer