type of food for my cairn

Question
QUESTION: I just got a cairn terrier about three weeks ago, and he has been on Royal Canin for puppies... I just wanted your advice on whether or not I should change my diet, and which dog foods are the best ones... I've been looking around online for some time now, but it seems like every dog food has some downside. Thanks!

ANSWER: The good news is that there is a better grade on the market than the Royal Canin. The Bad news is that there is not one single commercial dog food that is truly good for our dogs..some are just less harmful, if you want to look at it that way.

Anyway, don't know if you know this or not, but when a dog brand discusses stages, it's ALWAYS A GIMMICK for the suckers like you and me LOL. Oh yes, I fell for it too. But puppies need more fat than adult dogs and a high quality food such as Wellness Puppy provides this. I have always liked this product IF I am going to use commercial at all. I now feed my dogs Nature's Variety organic chicken medallions and they are thriving. Down the road, you might want to try this too.

Having said that (cause I write a dissertation on pet foods, the why's and wherefore's) I have used and liked Wellness Puppy Food. There are other high grade pet foods on the market like, Natural Balance, Life Abundance (not a commercial dog food and holistic--if interested, let me know), Evangers, Innova Evo, Wysong, Instinct, Wellness Core, Merrick, Nature's Variety Raw Pellets, Orijen, and Timberwolf OceanBlue are all the grainfree high quality foods and some do not have stages.

I don't mean to confuse you at all, not with a new pup. At any rate, what was the breeder feeding you little one? YOu might want to stick with that for a while. BE VERY CAREFUL OF TOO MANY FOOD SWITCHES AS THIS CAN CAUSE SOME SERIOUS DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS IN YOUNG PUPS WHOSE DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS ARE VERY, VERY VULNERABLE. Why do you want to stop the Royal Canin? But if you do, and I do not blame you, DO SO SLOWLY AND VERY SLOWLY BEGIN TO ADD INTO WHAT SHE IS EATING NOW THE newfood you choose. So, Try the Wellness puppy food (wet and dry)--my pups always did very well on this product. Then you might want to consider home cooking for your little one down the road. But IF YOU DO, WATCH IT! You cannot simply cook food and feed it to your dog without a complete knowledge of the supplements you will have to add if you want to make sure your pup is getting all the vitamins and nutrients it needs. Check back if you decide to go that route.

Also, check out Whole Dog Journal for their list of high quality commercial foods. Being from New York, as I am, there are lots to choose from that are sold in the private, smaller pet stores and NOT at Petco or PetsMart.
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/

For now, I think that Wellness Puppy might be the way to go. AGAIN, ADD IT IN SLOWLY to what you are feeding her now or you might wind up with raging diarrhea.. Hope this helped. Sue




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks a lot!!

By the way, he was on Dry Pedigree Dog Food when he was with the breeder (that isn't good is it?). We switched to royal canin after 2 weeks apprx. because we ran out of food from the breeder.

ANSWER: You are most welcome! Now do learn to read dog food labels, make a selection based on the great stuffyou learn and get your dog onto something really healthy. And once you find the food that agrees with him, that he likes, STICK WITH IT and don't do any sudden switching. Please follow this advice cause too much switching can play havoc with a dogs system. And IF, you do switch, do it ever so slowly, ok?

Do check out the Whole Dog Journal and feed that little guy twice a day, even three times if you can--smaller amts. Once a day is just not enough for any dog.

Good luck and write again if you think I can help...Susan

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: One more thing ... is 1/4 of a cup three times a day too much for my puppy (he's about 6 pounds right now, supposed to be 13-15). thanks!

Answer
I definitely do not think that 1/4 cup three times a day is too much. I wonder if it is enough, actually.  How does he act? Lively? Too hungy? Too full? How much to feed one's dog or pup is really such an individual thing for YOU AND THE DOG. If you see that he is getting too rolly polly too quickly then you are overfeeding..if he seems ravenous to the point of not being able to focus on anything else, then it's not enough. See what I mean? YOu cannot go by what the packages say..you must go by your own dog's needs. Also, it also depends on how many "treats' one gives throughout the day. I really do not believe in treats, period, UNLESS it is the dog's own mealtime food or a biscuit by the same company. Go easy on treats. If his appetite is good, his poops good, and his weight ok, then you are doing fine. What he is supposed to weigh sometimes doesn't work out at all LOL. What does your vet say about your little one's weight?? HOpe this helped. Sue