A puppy is what a puppy eats........

Huh? Aren't all dog food brands virtually the same??
Well...apparently not.

Meeko arrives home in 6 days. Time to go get puppy food. Hmmmmm....do I feed him the same food our older dogs are eating? Nope....puppies need a higher caloric and more nutrient dense food for good growth and proper energy supply. What goes in, comes out. And I'm not talking in that sense. I'm talking about the quantity and quality of food our puppy eats, will naturally affect how he behaves and how successful he will be in managing the daily stresses of puppy life. So if not our Fudgy & Boomer's brand of food, then what? Ok then....time for some research.....( you all know how I love to research!!)

WOW! There a lot of dog food choices out there! And a lot is CRAP!(or will be)  (parden my pun!)

When I was growing up we used to feed our dog Tanya ( a sweet Heinz 57) our human food left-overs. Makes sense...why not...if it's good enough for us why not then especially good enough for our canine companion? Apparently many years ago ( ok....not THAT long ago!) commercially prepared dog food became popular because of claims that human food didn't contain enough of the nutrients that dogs needed for good health, and that it possibly contained ingredients that were difficult to digest. I suppose some of that makes a case....however are today's dog or puppy chow choices really much better?

Makers & producers of dog food these days, are really just that....producers. It's a business. The faster and cheaper they can make it, the more the dough rolls in. Veterinarians are noticing a huge pitfall in the majority of brands of commercially prepared dog food choices on pet store shelves today. These vets are noticing more and more cases of liver & kidney disease, seizure disorders, skin allergies, pancreatitis, and on and on, in the pets they care for.
Not more than a few months go by before we hear of yet another widespread pet food recall. This can affect numerous brands that have been found to contain poisonous substances as well as many ( I really don't want to go here, but it'll be quick and brief!) rendered animal byproducts; and sadly, it's not the livestock left-overs we consume!! ( Done....no more!)
Another huge problem with these mass market produced brands is that the extreme heat used to produce it destroys what it's supposed to (yes...all the bacteria infested junk), but it also destroys most of the nutritional value (if there is any) of the ingredients, including any beneficial bacteria and, vitamins & minerals, and enzymes needed for digestion.

OK....so ....where does that leave us wise and conscientious dog food consumers? Well....it leaves us with 3 good choices! (phew...you were worried huh?) (I was!)

1. Human-Grade High Quality dog/puppy food
2. Home cooked food ( and no this is not YOUR left-overs)
3. Raw Food Diet

Human-Grade High Quality dog food - There are a few pet food manufacturers that developed and offer a better choice in dog food. They have created a dog food that is actually fit for humans to consume. It is primarily made up of fresh real ingredients such as; chicken (real chicken, not rendered pieces we couldn't eat), chicken liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, apples, and supplemented with flax seed oil, vitamins and minerals! You can choose dry kibble or canned versions. And if you still feel like maybe your pet may be missing certain nutrients you can always add your own such as, cottage cheese, raw fruits(Note: raisins & grapes are toxic to dogs!) & vegetables, a raw egg, acidophilus, yogurt...etc

Home Cooked Food - This is not always the food you eat at your dinner table.....at times it can be, but if you are eating pizza & brownies tonite....it may not be the best choice for Fido. This option can be time consuming if you are already cooking a meal for a family of 5 and then making a separate course for your pups! But it is definitely a good option. At least then you know what your pets are eating and can add any supplements yourself, that they may need to correct any health problems they may be experiencing. There are endless websites with recipes and ideas to help you get started!Go.........google!

Raw Food Diet - Apparently our canine friends thrive on an enzyme-rich diet, which more closely mimicks their diets from the wild. All raw food dog diets include raw meats such as; beef, fish, poultry, venison, lamb & rabbit, mixed with raw vegies, fruit, high quality oils, and herbs such as parsley, ginger & garlic. You can also add grains such as quinoa or brown rice. Again....a very viable option, probably a bit more expensive and time consuming. But fabulous if you've got both of those.

So.....after all this fabulous information, what did I decide to go with? For now I am choosing the human grade canned and kibble dog food. (Mixed with the occasional home-cooked meal as well, just not on pizza night!). The brand I am first going to try is Merrick. They have fabulous & delectable flavors that you might find on an old-fashioned small town cafe menu. Servings such as; "Grandma's Pot Pie", "Burger Pie & Sweetie Fries", " Mixed Grill", "Brauts N' Tots", "Harvest Moon", & " Thanksgiving Supper", and so many more! Merrick's kibble has an all natural dried gravy coating so that you can add a bit of warm water to it and it creates a yummy gravy for the pups to slobber up! It is really & truly all natural and all human grade food! WE could eat it! Really! ( I wouldn't and I won't, but I could!!) AND...all of Merrick's chicken is now organic! Bonus!

But it'll be so fun to watch Meeko gobble it all up....hopefully anyhow. I'll let you know with a follow up post in a week or two.

And Fudge and Boomer lucked out with a few cans of Grandma's Pot Pie for a taste test. Maybe they'll be trading their old kibble for more of the good stuff as well!