# Purina Pro Plan Puppy Sensitive?



## kilodzul (Oct 7, 2013)

I don't know if I should change Cashmere's food - after reading your posts about food, I started to think if maybe this food is too cheap?

So, Cashmere doesn't have problems with eating, she would eat everything, all the time. But she had allergic reaction to chicken, so I've switched from Royal Canin to Purina Pro Plan for puppies with salmon and rice. (here I did a mistake by switching it immediately and completely, without mixing old an new food for a week, but she didn't seem to mind? She didn't have any bad reaction, not even one bad poop, so maybe we lucked out.) And she's doing fine on it, good poops, good coat, great level of energy, she loves the taste and actually started to chew the pieces, instead of gulping them down, maybe because they're bigger. The scratching and biting her feet stopped and she stains less. She puts on weight, gains muscles - everything seems alright.

But I know it's not the best dry dog food in the world and I even found e-shop that offers some better foods - like Acana, Canine Caviar or Taste of the Wild. I plan to switch to one of them when she'll finish 10 months, but do you think I should do it sooner? Is it possible that even though everything looks good on the outside, she's missing some ingredients she should get?


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## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

Yes, Purina Pro Plan is not a great food - the other brands you mentioned are much better quality. The problem with foods like this is not so much that it's "nutritionally incomplete" - they can pump it full of whatever junk they need to in order to label "balanced and complete" :huh: For example, meat by-products as a source of protein :thmbdn: Check out sites like Dog Food Advisor for reviews and you'll see why Pro-Plan isn't the best quality dog food you could be feeding. 

The important thing with dog food, in my opinion, is the *source and the quality* of the ingredients. That's what I look for when picking foods for my two. For example, one of the foods I regularly give them is Primal. Below is what their website has to say about the ingredients that go in to their food:

"All of our raw foods and treats are produced using the *freshest, human-grade, antibiotic-free and steroid-free meats, poultry and game*, *certified organic produce, certified organic minerals and unrefined vitamins*. At Primal Pet Foods, *we procure our meats, poultry and game from ranchers throughout the United States* that take pride in producing wholesome sources of protein through *natural, sustainable agriculture*"

You may note that Primal is a raw food. I'm not the biggest fan of kibble because I like to stick with foods that are as natural as possible and I think kibble is too processed for me. I mainly rotate through frozen or dehydrated raw foods for my two. That is a whole other discussion but you can apply what I said above to picking a good quality dry food too. Take a look at the Fromm Four Star line if you can get it in Poland. When I occasionally need to feed dry food to my puppy, Fromm is what I pick. I know several other SM members feed this too. 

Good luck picking a food. I would go ahead and gradually switch to an all-life stages food now. If you want to know more about any specific brands, do a search on the forum as I know we have had many threads discussing the popular brands.


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## kilodzul (Oct 7, 2013)

Nida,
thanks for answer. The problem with the food from the brands I mentioned is that there is limited access to them in Poland. I don't even mind paying a bit more for them, but i.e. - those three brands I mentioned offer food only for adult dogs or only based on chicken (like Fromm, for all stages).
It's very frustrating to read Dog Food Adviser, and finding out that the best food is sadly not available in Poland - at least not for puppies. On the other hand, they don't have reviews for some brands I see in pet (or internet) shops.
I could switch to Taste of the Wild as it is for all stages and can be based on fish, but isn't changing food so often bad? She's on Purina for less than 3 weeks now.


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

Can you get a selection of the Fromm? Salmon Tunalini is a good variety.


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## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

I would do a gradual change starting immediately. I just don't trust Purina. I always have two different types of food that my dogs are accustomed to. So, if at some time I can't get one, they don't have a sudden change that results in digestive upset.

Have you looked into any of the freeze dried brands? They are lighter than kibble, so probably cost less to ship. There are varieties made with fish, or rabbit.

I get totally mesmerized by your siggy vid of Cashmere. I love it.


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## kilodzul (Oct 7, 2013)

maggieh said:


> Can you get a selection of the Fromm? Salmon Tunalini is a good variety.


 No, there are only 4 types of Fromm kibble available in Poland (for puppy, for large breed puppy, for adult dogs, and for seniors) all with chicken as main ingredient.



Sylie said:


> Have you looked into any of the freeze dried brands? They are lighter than kibble, so probably cost less to ship. There are varieties made with fish, or rabbit.
> 
> I get totally mesmerized by your siggy vid of Cashmere. I love it.


Hmm no, I didn't even know there is thing like this... can you give me the example of this kind of brand? I don't know what I should look for...
And thank you!  I love it too!

Oh, and I found something like this:
Supreme Junior - Mini Baby + Junior - Happy Dog
It's available in Poland... do you think it's good?
[Edit: ok, I just saw it has poultry... so don't know if it's worth a risk...]


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## kilodzul (Oct 7, 2013)

Or maybe: Firstmate Pacific Ocean Fish Puppy? It has 4 stars on Dog Food Advisor, kibble for puppies has 28% protein, kibble for adult dogs has 23%.


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## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

This is the freeze dried food I have been feeding my kids for a while. Other members have noted, and I wholeheartedly agree, that they poop a lot more on this food. I don't know whether that is good, bad, or not important. When reconstituted with hot water it looks and smells like "real" food. 

Honestly, I don't think there is any absolute right, but I think there are some absolute wrongs. You really need a doctorate in canine nutrition just to have a pet. But, we do the best we can, and learn as much as we can. 

Look up some of the other freeze dried foods on the Dog Food Advisor.

Here's the link to what I am using: Grandma Lucy's Pureformance Dog Food | Review and Rating


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

I've been using Addiction dehydrated for about 4 months now and they are doing well. They aren't pooping any more frequent than on the Fromm. It might be a little low in protein for a puppy but you can always add meat to it for protein and calories. I rotate through the 5 grain free proteins.


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