feeding

Question
Hi Kim. my toy poodle, Kobe, will be 3 next month. i've only ever fed him  dog food.( Purina chow) is that ok?

Answer
Hello Toby,
There is nothing wrong with feeding Purina to your dog, as long as he is doing well on it.  The only thing I would suggest, is that you feed your dog a few sardines or a spoon of Salmon (canned is fine) a couple times a week as it helps add some oil to the dogs coat and skin.  This helps with the Poodle coat, to help prevent mats and keep the coat shiny.
You have to watch the "grocery store" brands of dog food because they tend to contain less meat products and more corn or grains.  Dogs can become allergic to corn based dog foods and tend to have more problems digesting it than some of the other fillers.  The better the quality of the foods, ie more meat content, less grain, meat from organic sources, fruits and veggies in the ingredients and so on also mean more money that you are spending.   In theory, the more expensive dog foods are going to be more healthy for your dog, but that being said, I know Show dogs that eat Purina, Pedigree, and even Sams Choice brand dog foods and do nicely on them.  I have had my dogs on these listed foods in the past and they have done well on it.  I now have them on Diamond Naturals Chicken and Rice.  I like the fact that it has no Corn, Wheat or Soy in it.  

You will want to stay away from table foods or human foods for the most part.  Dogs can have a treat now and then of the things we eat, but you have to be careful.  Dogs can't eat onions or raisins(including grapes).  Giving them these foods can make them very sick or even kill them.  You can give him bits of chicken, beef or fish off a burger or sandwich, carrots are good for dogs, peas, eggs in limited amounts, and things like blueberries or apples etc.  Just remember that these things are treats and shouldn't be given as a meal.  I also know of people that cook for their dogs as a part of their dogs diet, and that is fine also as long as you know what is ok to give your dog.  
Again, as long as your dog is healthy and in good physical condition on Purina, I would continue feeding it to him.  

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions about this or other Poodle questions in general, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim