What Food Should I Feed My Dog?

Question

We used to feed him human food, like rice with beef and soup, or meat spaghetti, and sometimes he would puke it up. We took him to the vet and he said that human food gave him constipation and madehim puke, so we put him on dog food. We live in Italy, so we're not exactly sure which dog food is good and the other just a copy.. and now he has diarrhea, help!

Answer 1

I hear Iams is a good food for your dog and my dog doesnt puke it up after hes done eating it.

Answer 2

your dog has now  diarrhea because he is used to his '' human food''

go to your local market and look at the food bags there usually different food for different kinds of dogs.

Answer 3

You definately don't want to feed him any grocery brands like pedigree, alpo, purina, etc. And even some of the so-called premium brands are not very good anymore (i.e. Iams & Eukanuba...they used to be good quality foods until they were bought by another company a few years ago). I would recommend natural, holistic dog foods. They are easier for your pet to digest because they have no junk added to them. My dog used to have to eat perscription dog food because she couldn't digest the "premium" brand i had been feeding her. She did not like the persciption food so I looked around for a natural food to try. I started feeding her Natural Balance and she hasn't had problems since (and she likes eating it too). But that's not the only good food out there, just search "holistic dog food" on google. =)

**Additional Info**

I just talked to a dog nutritionist while at the pet store getting my dog's food. She said that "Natural Balance" and "Wellness" are the 2 best, because they have no animal by-products.

Answer 4

Human food is a NO.

If you can, try to find a high quality dog food there.

Go to the store locator's of some of these brands.

Wellness

Canidae

Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul

Blue Buffalo

Innova

Artemis

Orijen

Merrick

Nature's Variety

Timberwolf

and many others..

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_...  for more

Answer 5

Here is a website that has dog food brands graded based on their ingredients http://forum.kijiji.ca/ptopic6749920.htm... This should help you find a high quality food that fits your budget.

Don't use any of the foods that you can find in a grocery store (Iams, Purina, Pedigree, etc. even Science Diet and Eukanuba are not good foods). My manager at the pet store I work at says the only reason that veterinarians recomend these brands is because these brands give financial aid to veterinary practices and institutions so that they will endorse the brand. These foods are full of fillers like corn and wheat, sugars, artificial flavors/colors/preservatives, and meat and chicken by-products. Your dog cannot digest any of these fully, so he may not be getting the nutrition that he needs to thrive. These brands are simply junk food for dogs and can actually shorten their lives. It has also been proven that these foods contain chemicals used to euthanize animals.

Your dog will probably have diarrhea for a few days after switching his food. This is normal because his digestive system is not use to the new food, but it will get better after a few days or so.

Buying a high quality food (can only be found at pet stores) may cost more initially but is actually the same price if not cheaper because you will feed your dog LESS (since premium foods don't have the fillers). I feed my dogs Wellness. It has no fillers, artificial flavors/colors/preservatives, no by-products, and no soy products. He goes crazy and starts dancing when I put it in his dish! :)

Answer 6

Hi depends on the type of dog you have, but ROYAL CANINE is a good brand that has specific dog food types for particular breeds. My dachshund eats the special brand for his breed type, but the quality is much higher than the other dog food brands out there.

Answer 7

You want to look carefully at the ingredient list of the kibble:

- Look for a kibble with meat as its primary source of protein.

- Avoid kibble with wheat, corn, or soy as their main ingredients. For sources of carbohydrates, potatoes or rice are easier to digest. Many dogs are allergic to wheat and corn.

- Avoid any food with wheat or corn gluten. Here's why.

http://petnblog.preciouspets.org/?p=73

- Avoid kibble with too many "by-products" in their ingredient list.

- Avoid kibble with many generic ingredients e.g. poultry meal, fish meal. Instead look for chicken meal, or salmon meal.

- Avoid kibble with artificial coloring and preservatives (e.g. BHA, BHT).

- Avoid kibble with too much filler material (e.g. corn hull)

I feed my dogs Innova EVO which is high protein and grain free. Other really good brands include Orijen, Nature's Variety Instinct, and Wellness CORE. For a lower cost alternative, Canidae All Life Stages is best.

Answer 8

I'm not sure what dog foods are available in Italy. My advice is look at the ingredients. You want to look for foods with little to no grains, and meat products as main ingredients. Or, since he's used to eating human food, you can always feed him raw. If you're not comfortable feeding raw, a lot of people do cook for their dogs, and you should be able to find lots of recipes and ideas on the web. He has diarrhea most likely from the quick switch from your food to dog food. Give him some canned pumpkin, and the diarrhea should clear up fast.  

Answer 9

DOG FOOD

Answer 10

i use and recommend Purina Pro Plan.