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  #1  
Old January 3rd, 2009, 05:43 PM
Tilly's Mom Tilly's Mom is offline
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Best food for Shih tzu puppy?

I have a 6 month old Shih tzu puppy who is currently on Eukanuba. She has dry skin,tends to scratch and I heard that puppies get allergies to food they eat up until 6 months of age. Should I switch her food? If so what is suggested? Thank you for your suggestions.
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Old January 3rd, 2009, 09:01 PM
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I'm not a big fan of Eukaneuba. Generally, if you look at the first five ingredients you can get an idea about the quality of the food. Although the first ingredient (chicken) is good, it's got some sketchy ingredients in there.

Chicken, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken By-Product Meal, Fish Meal (source of fish oil), Brewers Rice, Chicken Digest, Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Dried Egg Product, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E, and Citric Acid), Brewers Dried Yeast, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride source of vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid], Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Minerals [Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate], Dicalcium Phosphate, DL-Methionine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Marigold Extract (source of lutein), Chondroitin Sulfate, Rosemary Extract.

You've got corn (a useless, indigestible filler responsible for some allergies) as the second ingredient, followed by another grain, followed by by-products. This would not be on my top 10 list (actually, I'd never feed this to by dogs, period)

I would definitely recommend looking for a higher-quality, preferably grain-free, kibble, if that's the route you want to take (as opposed to raw). We used to feed our crew Orijen and were extremely happy with what it did for our critters, including for their skin/coats (eliminated any dandruff/dry skin). There are other good dry foods out there. Others will be able to recommend some I'm sure (sorry, my brain won't let me recall any other brands right now)

Just for comparison's sake, here's Orijen puppy ingredients...notice the difference? You've got meat protein in 4/5 of the first 5, all of which are whole or meals (meals are good), and potato (a tuber) as a starch, as opposed to a grain. And also notice how you can actually pronounce all the other ingredients!

Deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, russet potato, lake whitefish, chicken fat, sweet potato, whole eggs, turkey, salmon meal, salmon and anchovy oils, salmon, natural chicken flavour, sunflower oil, sun-cured alfalfa, dried brown kelp, carrots, spinach, peas, tomatoes, apples, psyllium, dulse, glucosamine Hcl, cranberries, black currants, rosemary extract, chondroitin sulfate, sea salt.

TONIC HERBS AND BOTANICALS

Chicory root, licorice root, tumeric root, funugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, zea mays, peppermint leaf, chamomile flowers, dandelion, summer savory, rosehips.

ORGANIC MINERALS

Iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate.

PROBIOTIC MICROORGANISMS

Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

PREMIUM VITAMINS

Mixed tocopherols (source of vitamin E), choline chloride, vitamin A, vitamin D3, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin B12, folic acid, biotin.
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Old January 4th, 2009, 12:20 AM
Tilly's Mom Tilly's Mom is offline
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Thank you for all the helpful info. One question though. I noticed in the orijen there is tomatoes and apples. I was told those are bad for dogs. Have you heard this?
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Old January 4th, 2009, 09:09 AM
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I am feeding my tzu/bichon a mix of Orijen Fish and Wellness Fish, and have no problems with itchies or dry skin. The only time he does scratch is when I give him extra "treats"....human stuff

As for tomatoes and apples...I haven't heard anything about them being bad, however I do know that Buster has no problems with apples...he absolutely LOVES them. I doubt that there would be enough tomatoe in a pet food to be a problem, unless your dog has an allergy to them. From past experience, I do know that raisins/grapes are extremely bad for dogs.

Sure would like to see pictures of your pup!!!
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Old January 4th, 2009, 12:39 PM
Tilly's Mom Tilly's Mom is offline
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Originally Posted by BusterBoo View Post
I am feeding my tzu/bichon a mix of Orijen Fish and Wellness Fish, and have no problems with itchies or dry skin. The only time he does scratch is when I give him extra "treats"....human stuff

As for tomatoes and apples...I haven't heard anything about them being bad, however I do know that Buster has no problems with apples...he absolutely LOVES them. I doubt that there would be enough tomatoe in a pet food to be a problem, unless your dog has an allergy to them. From past experience, I do know that raisins/grapes are extremely bad for dogs.

Sure would like to see pictures of your pup!!!
Thank you I think I am going to try the Orijen and see how it goes. I am going to wait a couple of months being doing so because she is still a little young to change her food just yet...I think?! I know what you mean about the human food....I am bad for that and have a hard time stopping now that I started. I have thought of giving her her dog food dipped in plain yogurt when we are eating, hell she doesn't know the difference if it's our food our hers...lol Here is a few pics of her. Thanks for the info.
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Old January 4th, 2009, 03:08 PM
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Apples are totally fine and make a wonderful healthy treat. Tomatoes are fine too, but shouldn't be consumed in enormous quantities (like several pounds at a go). Both are great as components of a healthy diet. Try to avoid giving people food scraps if they're seasoned, salted, fried, fatty etc. A little yogurt or fresh fruit or veg or plain meat scraps wouldn't hurt, but be mindful that any extra snacks mean extra calories, and you don't want your pup to become unhealthily portly.

As far as the food change goes for you little cutie, there's absolutely no reason not to start it right away...why keep feeding her junk during these very important months of growth? Just do the transition gradually, over the course of 10 days or so. A simple rule of thumb to switch is "10%". Day one, feed 10% new food and 90% old, mixed together. The second day, feed 20% new food and 80% old food...and so on. For most dogs thats more than enough time to do a change that won't upset a potentially sensitive tummy.
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Solomon - black DSH - king of kitchen raids (11)
Gracie - Mutterooski X - scary smart (9)
Jaida - GSD - tripod trainwreck and gentle soul (4)
Heidi - mugsly Boston Terrier X - she is in BIG trouble!!! (3)
Audrey - torbie - sweet as pie (11 months)
Patrick - blue - a little turd (but we like him anyways) (6 months)
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  #7  
Old January 4th, 2009, 04:54 PM
Tilly's Mom Tilly's Mom is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bendyfoot View Post
Apples are totally fine and make a wonderful healthy treat. Tomatoes are fine too, but shouldn't be consumed in enormous quantities (like several pounds at a go). Both are great as components of a healthy diet. Try to avoid giving people food scraps if they're seasoned, salted, fried, fatty etc. A little yogurt or fresh fruit or veg or plain meat scraps wouldn't hurt, but be mindful that any extra snacks mean extra calories, and you don't want your pup to become unhealthily portly.

As far as the food change goes for you little cutie, there's absolutely no reason not to start it right away...why keep feeding her junk during these very important months of growth? Just do the transition gradually, over the course of 10 days or so. A simple rule of thumb to switch is "10%". Day one, feed 10% new food and 90% old, mixed together. The second day, feed 20% new food and 80% old food...and so on. For most dogs thats more than enough time to do a change that won't upset a potentially sensitive tummy.
I am very glad to hear about apples being ok for Tilly she loves carrots so I think that I am going to stick to vegetables and apples for her cookies. Also I am going tomorrow to get her the Orijen. Hopefully she will take to it well. How about pictures of everyone who posted here animals.
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Old January 4th, 2009, 05:11 PM
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bendyfoot bendyfoot is offline
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Carrots are great too, my pups go crazy for baby carrots!

I'm on dialup and downloading pics would take forever, but you can go to Jaida's blog www.jaidasjourney.blogspot.com to see newish pics of my pups!
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Solomon - black DSH - king of kitchen raids (11)
Gracie - Mutterooski X - scary smart (9)
Jaida - GSD - tripod trainwreck and gentle soul (4)
Heidi - mugsly Boston Terrier X - she is in BIG trouble!!! (3)
Audrey - torbie - sweet as pie (11 months)
Patrick - blue - a little turd (but we like him anyways) (6 months)
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Riley and Molly
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Old January 4th, 2009, 05:31 PM
Tilly's Mom Tilly's Mom is offline
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Originally Posted by bendyfoot View Post
Carrots are great too, my pups go crazy for baby carrots!

I'm on dialup and downloading pics would take forever, but you can go to Jaida's blog www.jaidasjourney.blogspot.com to see newish pics of my pups!
Your babies are very cute. The blond dog looks like my neighbors dog who is a terrier...very cute. Thanks foe sharing pictures.
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  #10  
Old January 4th, 2009, 05:46 PM
rhartjr rhartjr is offline
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I'll throw a vote for the Orijen. I switched my pup to it the first week we had her. She's growing like a weed, coat looks good, good energy levels, seems to be treating her well. She likes the taste and eats good. This is the first pup I've had on a premium grain free food. I've also noticed there is (sadly) hardly a scent of puppy breath, there's been no puppy fart stage and very small poops.

As far as apples; I once had a pitt lab mix named Phantom that would stand up on his hind legs and pick fresh apples out of the tree ignoring the ones on the ground. He would then lay down hold the apple lengthwise between his front paws and eat the apple like a person would leaving the core.
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Old January 4th, 2009, 10:58 PM
Tilly's Mom Tilly's Mom is offline
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Originally Posted by rhartjr View Post
I'll throw a vote for the Orijen. I switched my pup to it the first week we had her. She's growing like a weed, coat looks good, good energy levels, seems to be treating her well. She likes the taste and eats good. This is the first pup I've had on a premium grain free food. I've also noticed there is (sadly) hardly a scent of puppy breath, there's been no puppy fart stage and very small poops.

As far as apples; I once had a pitt lab mix named Phantom that would stand up on his hind legs and pick fresh apples out of the tree ignoring the ones on the ground. He would then lay down hold the apple lengthwise between his front paws and eat the apple like a person would leaving the core.
Wow Phantom was a very smart dog...lol I am glad I got another vote for the Orijen. I know that I am not the only one who wants best for there baby. She will get her first taste tomorrow. I will post on how she likes it or doesn't.
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Old January 4th, 2009, 11:07 PM
Tilly's Mom Tilly's Mom is offline
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Ok I am extremely disappointed. I went on line to the three major pet stores here in Toledo Ohio and they do not carry Orijen. I can order it on line which can become a hassle. So I have copied the brands they do carry. Any Suggestions now? Again I appreciate all the info.


Brand


AvoDerm, Beneful, Bil-Jac, Blue Buffalo, Breeder's Choice, Castor & Pollux, Cesar, Cesar Millan, Diamond, Dog Whisperer, Eagle Pack, Eukanuba, Halo, Healthy Naturals, Hill's Science Diet, Iams, Kibbles 'n Bits, Little Champions, MAX, Mixables, Natural Balance, Natural Choice, Nature's Best, Nature's Recipe, Nutro, Old Mother Hubbard, ONE, Organix, Pedigree, Pet Pro Nutrition, Pet Promise, Pinnacle, Pro Plan, Purina, Royal Canin, Selects, Solid Gold, The Goodlife Recipe, Ultra, Ultramix, Variety Pet Foods, Vita Gravy, Wellness, WholeMeals

I did find a store in Michigan that is not to far away. I will call tomorrow to see if they carry Orijen puppy.

Last edited by Tilly's Mom; January 4th, 2009 at 11:13 PM.
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Old January 5th, 2009, 07:28 AM
rhartjr rhartjr is offline
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I've gotten both bags I've used from heartypet.com. Both times I ordered one morning and the next afternoon FedEx delivered. First time they were offering free shipping, second time half price shipping. Right now if you use the coupon code SHIP you can get the half price shipping.
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Old January 5th, 2009, 07:37 AM
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BusterBoo BusterBoo is offline
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From experience, I would suggest Wellness, Buster eats a combination of Wellness and Orijen and actually some days prefers the Wellness (picks the Orijen out and drops it on the floor!!!)
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Old January 5th, 2009, 09:59 AM
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Originally Posted by Tilly's Mom View Post
Ok I am extremely disappointed. I went on line to the three major pet stores here in Toledo Ohio and they do not carry Orijen. I can order it on line which can become a hassle. So I have copied the brands they do carry. Any Suggestions now? Again I appreciate all the info.


Brand


AvoDerm, Beneful, Bil-Jac, Blue Buffalo, Breeder's Choice, Castor & Pollux, Cesar, Cesar Millan, Diamond, Dog Whisperer, Eagle Pack, Eukanuba, Halo, Healthy Naturals, Hill's Science Diet, Iams, Kibbles 'n Bits, Little Champions, MAX, Mixables, Natural Balance, Natural Choice, Nature's Best, Nature's Recipe, Nutro, Old Mother Hubbard, ONE, Organix, Pedigree, Pet Pro Nutrition, Pet Promise, Pinnacle, Pro Plan, Purina, Royal Canin, Selects, Solid Gold, The Goodlife Recipe, Ultra, Ultramix, Variety Pet Foods, Vita Gravy, Wellness, WholeMeals

I did find a store in Michigan that is not to far away. I will call tomorrow to see if they carry Orijen puppy.
Darn. Generally, the bigger the pet store the less likely they are to carry "good" brands of food. You might have more luck if you look up some smaller businesses.
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Heidi - mugsly Boston Terrier X - she is in BIG trouble!!! (3)
Audrey - torbie - sweet as pie (11 months)
Patrick - blue - a little turd (but we like him anyways) (6 months)
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Old January 5th, 2009, 10:01 AM
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http://www.championpetfoods.com/orij...ator/Ohio.aspx

I did a search on the Orijen web page for retailers in Ohio. I have no idea if this is close to you or not, but it's the only one listed in the state...:sad: If you go to the web page they list online dealers as well.
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Owned by:
Solomon - black DSH - king of kitchen raids (11)
Gracie - Mutterooski X - scary smart (9)
Jaida - GSD - tripod trainwreck and gentle soul (4)
Heidi - mugsly Boston Terrier X - she is in BIG trouble!!! (3)
Audrey - torbie - sweet as pie (11 months)
Patrick - blue - a little turd (but we like him anyways) (6 months)
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Riley and Molly
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Old January 5th, 2009, 01:57 PM
Tilly's Mom Tilly's Mom is offline
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Originally Posted by bendyfoot View Post
http://www.championpetfoods.com/orij...ator/Ohio.aspx

I did a search on the Orijen web page for retailers in Ohio. I have no idea if this is close to you or not, but it's the only one listed in the state...:sad: If you go to the web page they list online dealers as well.
Thank you that town is almost 2 1/2 hrs away. the store in Michigan is closer but not real close. I may have to wait until the weekend to get up there.
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Old January 5th, 2009, 11:07 PM
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flipgirl4 flipgirl4 is offline
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Wellness and Eagle Pack are good brands. Wellness has produced a grain-free food called Core if that is the route you choose. I like the fact that it doesn`t have as much fat as Orijen but both brands are good. You could always drive the 2.5 hours and buy in bulk...maybe they`d give you a discount! Or maybe ask the stores near you if they could start selling it. No harm in asking.
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Old January 6th, 2009, 01:30 PM
Tilly's Mom Tilly's Mom is offline
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Originally Posted by flipgirl4 View Post
Wellness and Eagle Pack are good brands. Wellness has produced a grain-free food called Core if that is the route you choose. I like the fact that it doesn`t have as much fat as Orijen but both brands are good. You could always drive the 2.5 hours and buy in bulk...maybe they`d give you a discount! Or maybe ask the stores near you if they could start selling it. No harm in asking.
Thank you. To be totally honest with you I am not sure what type of puppy/dog food I am aiming for. I just no that I want my puppy to eat good nutritional food. Also she has dry skin so something that could possibly make her coat more healthy and not so dry. I did try to cahnge her food one time to Natures balance and she defiantly didn't care for that. So I switched her back to Eukanuba.
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Old January 6th, 2009, 01:45 PM
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Why not browse the Dog Food Project webpages, you might find some helpful information and ideas of what to look for...I understand it's a lot of information to take in, but taking the time to learn about what fuels our pups is a great way to help keep them healthy!

some examples or articles you might find helpful:

Identifying better products:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index....betterproducts

Ingredients to avoid
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index....badingredients


FWIW, we're now feeding our dogs a raw diet. It's not for everyone (my DW is all for it but can't touch the food, too ), but I have to say the price is right, the dogs love it and it eaaaasy!
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Solomon - black DSH - king of kitchen raids (11)
Gracie - Mutterooski X - scary smart (9)
Jaida - GSD - tripod trainwreck and gentle soul (4)
Heidi - mugsly Boston Terrier X - she is in BIG trouble!!! (3)
Audrey - torbie - sweet as pie (11 months)
Patrick - blue - a little turd (but we like him anyways) (6 months)
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Riley and Molly
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Old January 6th, 2009, 01:53 PM
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I feed Wellness Core Ocean to my ABD... He loves it. I also supplement with Wild Salmon Oil to help with his skin...

I think EaglePak is a good brand too!
You can try www.dogfoodanalysis.com and look up the brands you saw at the pet store!
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Old January 6th, 2009, 01:55 PM
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Aha! THAT was the other website I was trying to remember, thanks ABM!!!
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Solomon - black DSH - king of kitchen raids (11)
Gracie - Mutterooski X - scary smart (9)
Jaida - GSD - tripod trainwreck and gentle soul (4)
Heidi - mugsly Boston Terrier X - she is in BIG trouble!!! (3)
Audrey - torbie - sweet as pie (11 months)
Patrick - blue - a little turd (but we like him anyways) (6 months)
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Riley and Molly
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Old January 6th, 2009, 07:54 PM
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flipgirl4 flipgirl4 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tilly's Mom View Post
Thank you. To be totally honest with you I am not sure what type of puppy/dog food I am aiming for. I just no that I want my puppy to eat good nutritional food. Also she has dry skin so something that could possibly make her coat more healthy and not so dry. I did try to cahnge her food one time to Natures balance and she defiantly didn't care for that. So I switched her back to Eukanuba.
Have you looked up Nature's Variety Instinct? Nature's Variety offers three types of food: Raw, Grain=free (Instinct) and REgular (they call it authentic - Prairie - with grains). I would opt for the raw or the grain free; but I feed it to my cats and it's supposed to be good for their skin. I would also try giving your dog a wild salmon oil capsule every day. Just poke the capsule and squeeze the oil out onto his food. It may just increase the pallatability of his food too. I looked up Toledo, ohio and there are quite a few store which carry Nature's Variety. I only chose Toledo as it requires me to enter a city but I don't know which city you live in.
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  #24  
Old August 24th, 2009, 12:42 AM
DarcieN007 DarcieN007 is offline
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Best Food For a Shih Tzu puppy.

I have a five month old Shih Tzu, they are the most wonderful dogs.
I have been researching all the dog foods because I want him to have the right food for his breed.
I did read that Orijenve was rated #1 out of four brands that were rated. Here is my problem. There is so much protien in this food that it may not be so good for this breed as they require more fat.
If I put too much protein on my own hair, it becomes dry and lustless. Othere websites recomend that puppies under 10 months not get so much protien. It is all very confusing.
I had my boy on Science diet at first till I realized all the corn that is in it. I then switched to Nutra Natural Choice and read the vitamin K may be toxic to their kidney.
I just know switched to Solid Gold for puppies as it got a good review and does not have corn and by products in it.
So what exactly does a Shih Tzu need to keep a good coat and their eyes and kidneys protected?
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