# Puppy Food



## Zoey's Mom (Oct 21, 2006)

I have 6 cats and another dog Boston Terrier and I feed the BT & cats wet food mixed with the dry every night about 6:00 PM for their dinner. So along came Zoey and is now a part of the 6:00 PM dinner regimen. I leave dry kibbles down to nibble on throughout the day. They don't nibble much. 

I know what the BT likes but Zoey is proving to be very finicky and I have tried every puppy food there is on the market, Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet & Natural ??? something or other, the purple can, which she seems to like a little. But she really doesn't eat much of them at all. When I get the grocery store food like Little Caesars or pedigree puppy food she eats every bite. And now she has a little halitosis "bad breath" problem which she never had before.

I figured out the iron in the water was causing allot of the tear staining but I understand it's also the dyes in food. So what do you feed them that they like and will eat? I need names of products. In the Maltese Magazine they tell you how to look up the lables and choose the best foods but they don't give you any name brands to buy. 

I'm going crazy trying to figure out what food to buy. I need names of brands that she would like. And also, how old are they when they start eating adult food. She is only 6 mo.

This was when we first got her, she never ate much of it.


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## Cary (Jun 11, 2006)

Cute pic of you baby eating.
I use Chicken Soup brand (puppy) kibble for my two 
and I supplement that with fresh chicken (boiled) in
the evening. I only use bottled water. (Arrowhead)
I also give some snacks too. It has worked out well 
for my two and I.








I don't use wet doggie food at all.
What is best is what works for your animals, but I have
read the posts about food here, considered what they ate at
the breeders and tried a few different things.


Sounds like you have a housefull of love.


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## Bonnie's Mommie (Mar 2, 2006)

Switching foods so much isn't really good for puppies (or any dog for that matter). It's hard on their digestive systems. When you're transitioning to a new food, mix the new with the old for a week or two, then go to the new exclusively. Also, if you have a finicky eater, ask your pet store if they have samples so you don't spend a lot of money on foods. And maybe for now, you should stick to one of the foods you have, and 'sweeten' it with a little wet food. Get her used to one of the foods. Just because she doesn't eat it right away doesn't necessarily mean she doesn't like it. She could be a grazer, and eat throughout the day. Bonnie used to do that. (Now she wolfs her food down so she gets fed twice a day.







)

As far as when to switch to adult, I went with my vet who said at 1 year, although some on this forum have said you can switch around 8 - 10 months. If in doubt, always ask your vet or breeder.


Good luck.


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

Awwww your little puppy is adorable and that picture of her eating is so cute








At the present we are feeding Koko Pro Plan Plus small breed puppy kibble, I really don't like that brand and would love to change it, and probably will as Koko gets older but the breeder had him on it and he is doing really well as she says all her dogs do. My issue with it is the high protein content and some other ingredients but I don't want to chop and change his food if he is eating and gaining weight because that could make him picky, or cause any set back right now because he is so tiny.
My suggestion to you is to find a good quality kibble for your little one and gradually introduce it and once she is happy with it stick with it and don't change, too many food changes tends to make them very picky, we found that out with Scooby.


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## Zoey's Mom (Oct 21, 2006)

I use Nutro's Ultra for kibble and she likes that just fine. It's what the breeder used. I have been changing her wet foods trying to find one she likes. I know it's not good to change so much so I will stop. I like the boiled chicken idea mixed in with her kibbles. I know she would gobble that up. 

I've had to separate her from the masses at dinner time cause she tries to bark the cats away from their dishes to steal their food so I now feed her in my bedroom while the rest are in the kitchen. 

I've also bought a bunch of bottled water and have been giving that to her for the past two weeks. So far no changes in the tear staining. It's got to be the food now. We'll see.

Thanks for all the help.



> Cute pic of you baby eating.
> I use Chicken Soup brand (puppy) kibble for my two
> and I supplement that with fresh chicken (boiled) in
> the evening. I only use bottled water. (Arrowhead)
> ...


Plus umpteen turtles in a pond in the back. Wouldn't trade it for the world. I am very lucky.

What snacks do you use? That was another question I had. Most of them have dyes in them and the only thing I found were these Smokehouse Chicken Strips. The only ingredient listed is "Chicken Meat". Zoey loves them.


BTW all your signatures are adorable. Who does them?


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## Cary (Jun 11, 2006)

Janet (Scoobydoo) did my siggys.









I get dog food samples from the food store and use those in their Kongs
along with a Kong cracker thing. The food store only carries foods recommended
by the Whole Dog Journal listed as "whole" healthy, natural etc.
I also give them raw whole baby carrots. I've heard all kinds of snack ideas and everyone 
seems to like something different.


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## carrie (Aug 24, 2004)

i just wanted to say i love that picture of your fluff eating.







how adorable!!


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## Bonnie's Mommie (Mar 2, 2006)

Regarding tear staining - at Zoey's age, it could be exacerbated by teething, so I wouldn't try anything radical or aggressive at this point. Bottled water, and avoiding products with any type of beet in them should be enough for now. And of course, cleaning her face daily with a mild soap and water. She sure is a cute little baby! I think it's funny that she barks away the cats.


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## Zoey's Mom (Oct 21, 2006)

> Janet (Scoobydoo) did my siggys.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'll have to try carrots. My Boston T loves them. I've decided to feed her dinner at lunchtime instead of at night with the rest of the crew. She gets too distracted by the others eating their food.



> i just wanted to say i love that picture of your fluff eating.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks. She's a little bigger now and not so fluffy, but still the most adorable thing I've ever seen. And by the looks of this forum they are all obviously the cutest dogs I have ever seen.


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## Zoey's Mom (Oct 21, 2006)

> Regarding tear staining - at Zoey's age, it could be exacerbated by teething, so I wouldn't try anything radical or aggressive at this point. Bottled water, and avoiding products with any type of beet in them should be enough for now. And of course, cleaning her face daily with a mild soap and water. She sure is a cute little baby! I think it's funny that she barks away the cats.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks. She is teething right now. I even found one of her baby teeth in my bed. I wash cloth her face every night and been giving her bottled water and feeding her foods without dyes and that's all for now. I'm honestly not too worried about the tearstains. I mean I won't try anything radical on her. If they don't clear up we will live.


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## wagirl98665 (Jan 5, 2006)

The only thing I wanted to say is...don't leave the collar on your baby
when you're not home...It's dangerous! A puppy last winter on this forum
hung himself when he was left alone with his collar on. Ever since then
I haven't used collars. I noticed the collar and just wanted you to be aware.


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## Zoey's Mom (Oct 21, 2006)

> The only thing I wanted to say is...don't leave the collar on your baby
> when you're not home...It's dangerous! A puppy last winter on this forum
> hung himself when he was left alone with his collar on. Ever since then
> I haven't used collars. I noticed the collar and just wanted you to be aware.
> ...


Great advise. I take her collar off with her leash after every walk because I like to scratch her neck and can't do it as efficiently with the collar on so I got in the habit of taking it off. Never thought of her hanging herself with it though. I will remember that. Thanks. I always worry when I leave the house that something might happen to her anyway. I bring her to my moms if I'm gone for more than a few hours.

So different from any other dog I have had. She is not a dog, she is a baby.


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## Littlemans Mom (Apr 6, 2005)

If you are giving her kibble and she likes it, you don't have to give her the can food. Eating the dry kibble is good for their teeth also. We feed Indy dry kibble only and that is also the only way he will eat it







If one gets even moist it goes off to the side as a reject







it has to be completely dry







Just make sure to give her the recommended amounts of the kibble each day and she will be fine


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## kodie (Aug 24, 2004)

I also feed KElsie Pro Plan small breed chicken puppy. Love the eating picture! What a cutie you have there!


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## Fenway's Momma (Dec 6, 2005)

I am happy with the Innova puppy. i'll prob. stick with the Innova line once I switch to adult formula.









actually I should say Fenway is happy since he is the one that eats is


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