# science diet, royal canin, solid gold, natural balance



## andra (Feb 23, 2009)

need your input!

had my puppy on SD small bites for a while, stool was firm. she seemed pretty ok with it (she isn't a picky eater, actually). switched to RC indoor junior because of some reviews i saw on SD which weren't that great. i thought RC would be better (judging from some of the reviews i saw) but tigerlily's stool was a little softer and lighter in color as compared to what it used to be when she was on SD. so that was totally contradictory because a lot of people said RC was better than SD! i personally wouldn't say so. and RC smells a lot like corn... don't think that's a very good thing.

when i feed her SD or RC i feel like im not giving her what she really needs. SO. i did some more research, and now i'm torn between getting SG hundchen flocken or NB potato and duck. can you guys share any experiences you might have had with these two types of dog food? please and thanks!


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## andra (Feb 23, 2009)

also, has anyone tried feeding their maltese boiled chicken liver/boiled chicken breast with white rice? (not as her regular food of course, this would need vitamin supplements.) i like to add some canned/wet food to her kibble sometimes, but it can get costly if i do it everyday. so i was also thinking of adding some mashed chicken liver to her kibble once in a while. has anyone tried this? i find that canned food is getting too expensive :|


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## madden (Jan 15, 2009)

I use Natural Balance Duck and Potato small bites and Madden just loves it and his stools are firm.

I have never fed Madden any chicken liver so I have no advice on that one. Some people on here do feed their pups boiled chicken and rice when their little ones have an upset tummy. Others will be along shortly to answer your questions better.


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## revakb2 (Sep 8, 2006)

I add a tablespoon of cooked chopped chicken breast to Bogies kibble. I usually feed him NB small bites. I boil the plain chicken breast, just chop it up in a food processor. I freese it in small plastic bags about a weeks worth in a bag, and defrost when needed. I would imagine that the cheaper parts of the chicken would be ok too, just more work in deboning.


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## shannonb (Feb 4, 2008)

A lot of it depends on your dog - there is no BEST food overall - just best for your baby. 
My black shepherd was on NB Duck and Potato and did beautifully on it. I have also used Solid Gold with him and he did fine on that too - it was just harder to find around here. 
My MIL's malts are almost all on RC, and my female shepherd and Misha the malt are both on RC. My shepherds are on the GSD formula though of course and also get some supplements b/c they are working dogs with higher protein needs. 

I am also a big fan of Wellness.

Here is an article on choosing a food: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/sample/ho...e-dog-food.html

Also- if you google Whole Dog Journal dog food list - you can find their approved list and why they like certain foods. 

Chicken livers can be okay as an occasional treat - but they can make the the dog have runny poop as liver is VERY rich. Can also add to tear stain and weight gain on these little guys. Boiled chicken (not the liver) would be preferable. 

There are people who feed exclusively home cooked foods (with supplements) or raw food. This takes a bunch of time and research, but some people do it, and for some highly allergic dogs, it can be really a good thing. 

Good luck!


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## I found nemo (Feb 23, 2006)

Nemo is on Natural Balance also and has done well. He is on it for 3 years now.
Wellness is also a great food, but Nemo did poopy to much on it and it stunk to high he$$ :smheat: :smheat: 
I agree with Shannon also, it DOES depend on your dog.
Good Luck :biggrin:


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## Starsmom (Jan 31, 2009)

I am certainly no fan of commercially prepared dog food - having said that, if your choose to go the chicken and rice route, you should know that chicken breast is considered very low fat, while the dark meat (thighs) are considered low fat for dogs. White rice has little nutritional value, while brown rice is a much better choice. Also, you will need to add vegetables to the mix as well as a small amount of beef and of course supplements. I cooked for Star his whole life - if you care to know exactly what and how much I used PM me.


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## shannonb (Feb 4, 2008)

I just re-read that - and wanted to amend to say that I didn't mean it to sound like raw or home cooked should only be a last resort. 

My best friend swears by raw for all of her dogs (and cats) just as a common protocol. I guess my intent was to mention that it isn't as easy as just feeding them table scraps - you have to put a lot of intentional thought into your dog's diet... 

Shannon 


QUOTE (shannonb @ Feb 23 2009, 01:17 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=732679


> There are people who feed exclusively home cooked foods (with supplements) or raw food. This takes a bunch of time and research, but some people do it, and for some highly allergic dogs, it can be really a good thing.[/B]


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## sassy's mommy (Aug 29, 2005)

We use the Natural Balance, but since Sassy doesn't get outdoor exercise we feed her the reduced calorie (which is chicken flavor). I used to use the Venison and Sweet Potato and she also liked that. I sometimes add a little cooked chicken breast, baby carrots, or green beans for extra flavor. Only one of the extas, not all of them, LOL 


Today I had baby carrots in my lunch, smack smack, yummy! ~Sassy


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## cleooscar (May 28, 2008)

I'm so glad this question come up because I'm in the same situation. We're getting a new puppy this weekend and not sure what to feed him. The breeder got him on Royal Canin for small dogs and supplementing it with cooked chicken breast and liver (he's a bit picky). He's going to be 12 weeks this Thursday and right now he's about 1lb and 5 oz. Last year when Raine was a puppy, she came home with SD and I switched her to Organix but she just picked at it and it seemed very hard for her to chew. Both Raine and Pasha are now on NB Duck and Potatoes. I also just bought the NB Venison and Potato as well but haven't opened it yet. 

Is it okay to give the puppy NB instead of puppy-specific food? I have wanted to try Solid Gold Hundchen Flocken Puppy to avoid poultry but when I went to Petco on Saturday, all their SG stock has expired! The staff said they don't sell very much of it (although that's no excuse for keeping expired stock on their shelves). I can get another store to order but is there a better non-poultry puppy food out there?


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## I found nemo (Feb 23, 2006)

QUOTE (cleooscar @ Feb 23 2009, 03:29 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=732810


> I'm so glad this question come up because I'm in the same situation. We're getting a new puppy this weekend and not sure what to feed him. The breeder got him on Royal Canin for small dogs and supplementing it with cooked chicken breast and liver (he's a bit picky). He's going to be 12 weeks this Thursday and right now he's about 1lb and 5 oz. Last year when Raine was a puppy, she came home with SD and I switched her to Organix but she just picked at it and it seemed very hard for her to chew. Both Raine and Pasha are now on NB Duck and Potatoes. I also just bought the NB Venison and Potato as well but haven't opened it yet.
> 
> Is it okay to give the puppy NB instead of puppy-specific food? I have wanted to try Solid Gold Hundchen Flocken Puppy to avoid poultry but when I went to Petco on Saturday, all their SG stock has expired! The staff said they don't sell very much of it (although that's no excuse for keeping expired stock on their shelves). I can get another store to order but is there a better non-poultry puppy food out there?[/B]


I think you should feed whatever you feel is the best for your pup .
NB is a great food but so is Royal Canine .
Best of luck with your new fluffball :biggrin:


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## madden (Jan 15, 2009)

QUOTE (cleooscar @ Feb 23 2009, 03:29 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=732810


> I'm so glad this question come up because I'm in the same situation. We're getting a new puppy this weekend and not sure what to feed him. The breeder got him on Royal Canin for small dogs and supplementing it with cooked chicken breast and liver (he's a bit picky). He's going to be 12 weeks this Thursday and right now he's about 1lb and 5 oz. Last year when Raine was a puppy, she came home with SD and I switched her to Organix but she just picked at it and it seemed very hard for her to chew. Both Raine and Pasha are now on NB Duck and Potatoes. I also just bought the NB Venison and Potato as well but haven't opened it yet.
> 
> Is it okay to give the puppy NB instead of puppy-specific food? I have wanted to try Solid Gold Hundchen Flocken Puppy to avoid poultry but when I went to Petco on Saturday, all their SG stock has expired! The staff said they don't sell very much of it (although that's no excuse for keeping expired stock on their shelves). I can get another store to order but is there a better non-poultry puppy food out there?[/B]



NB is for all life stages, so it's definitely ok to feed it to puppies!

Good luck with you new puppy and we definitely want pics!


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## bbry (Feb 17, 2007)

I also feed the NB Potato & Duck but have been cutting down on the amount of kibble and adding a little Nature's Variety Raw or Stella & Chewy's freeze-dried. I would guess that it would be cheaper to just add a little boiled chicken occasionally. The Nature's Variety and the Stella & Chewy are rather expensive. Mine are so small that I just add maybe a half of a patty per day. If I had bigger dogs, I'd probably be looking for something a little less expensive.

I want to give my doggies what they need but I don't spend more than I feel like is necessary. Especially in our current economy. No clothes at all for my babies. They each have a coat that I bought 75% off in the Target Dollar section. DH only let them wear them one time when we were camping at Thanksgiving.


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## andra (Feb 23, 2009)

cool! thanks for the replies. i think i'll try SG next (NB is kind of hard to find around here). if that still doesn't make things better, i'm going back to SD. tigerlily was cool with that one.


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