Best fod for Shiba puppies
Hello all, I am new to the forum and was just poking around around the food threads and thought I'd reach out for some advice here after reading about all these food options I've never even heard of!!! I am currently searching for a quality food option for my 4 and a half month old pup. My baby hasn't had any allergic reactions to food and seems to have a very hardy tummy. She was eating Science Diet at the vet's request and was given a free bag at her last visit. I immediately started searching for something better as I don't want her eating all that, pardon my language, ultra-processed crap. This is my first pup (first pet that couldn't be flushed actually lol) so I am a total newb despite the internet rummaging I have been doing. Any advice would be fabulous!
Thanks a bundle, Penelope
Thanks a bundle, Penelope
Comments
Now they eat a rotation of Orijen 6 Fish and Ionnova Evo Small Red Meat Bites. Plus I am looking into doing some home cooked meals for them 1-2x per week.
They also get Brewers Yeast and Garlic, Fish Oil and Glucosimine and Chondroiton Supplements.
Further, regulations give pet food manufacturers 6 months to update their labels after an ingredient chance has been made. So you could be unknowingly feeding fluffy chicken when the label says venison.
Once in a while I give him a raw whole carrot (ends chopped off) he loves to chase it around the room and take it to his special corner and chew on it.
Although we know that Eukanuba is crap Mercutio never had any problem with it at all. However when I changed his diet to the 6 star stuff his coat went through an amazing change. It is now sooooo shiny and sooooo soft! His poo is smaller now and less stinky!!!
my shibas are super sensitive stomaches, so im glad they have been doing great on Orijen.
i also give them supplements, i add meat/veggies on their kibble daily, rotate between chicken, fish and vegetables. i started doing this thanks to members on the this forum who provided me with the helpful info!
I am not real knowledgeable about cooking and ingredients but hope to attempt to add some raw foods into toki's diet.
however, from all the raw foods posting, people seem to feed meats I have not found in the market ie. game hen, rabbit, venison...what types of meats are good to buy that I can get from safeway? please be specific like if I were to buy some sort of beef, what cut, ribeye, sirloin, steak meat etc. (i'm not even sure of what types of meat are better than others for humans who enjoy steak)
and is there a main chain of store that sells orijen or evo? I can't find it anywhere (ps. i live in oregon)...does anyone buy it online?
steve, thanks for that carrot info it sounds fun...i usually give toki the baby carrots raw but he seems to play with it more than eat it...any other veggie or fruit tips? toki loves apples but he only gets apples cause he steals the whole thing without me realizing it...i normally hate cutting up apples so he usually never gets any
I don't feed any RAW, but do cook some stuff for the kids (carrots, sweet potato). They also love frozen yogurt cubes and frozen fruit (berries especially). Sake also loves Pineapple.
Natural Balance is a pretty good food. If Toki is doing well on it, don't think you have to change it because other people feed other foods. Its like you said - what works for one doesn't necessarily work for all others.
Orijen didn't agree with my dog either, for 2 months it made her very very gassy. And its also very hard for me to find without paying crazy shipping.
Solid Gold has some good foods that I have been referred to by many people, but I cannot feed any of their variety, hund n flocken has grains, barking at the moon has beef and wolf king has very high protein - all things my female shiba cannot handle well.
If you are truly interested in feeding raw or homecooking, know that to do it correctly, you must balance all the necessary nutrients your dog needs through the meat and supplements you feed. That means you will have to find all kinds of things like chicken/turkey necks, hicken/beef/pork livers, beef/pork kidneys, chicken/beef hearts.. all that would make up a complete diet using raw foods.
I can steer you in one of three places:
1. first (and I'm cross posting, sorry!) is the raw diet forum on Dogster. It really helped jump start my RESEARCH into raw: http://www.dogster.com/forums/Raw_Food_Diet/thread/431875
This thread is called "So you are interested in feeding RAW" and provides the beginning of a research into the why's and how's of the raw diet. Don't just skim - take it all in if you are considering any portion of the raw diet.
2. In addition to #1, perhaps seeking out a vet that either promotes or accepts raw feeding will help. Holistic vets and canine nutritionists are a God send in helping formulate these types of diets
3. Nature's Variety website: http://www.naturesvariety.com/ It gives a review of their plan for a rotation (raw/kibble/canned) diet and instructions on feeding. I use their medallions and chubs to get my lamb (and sometimes venison) source.
Good luck! I applaud your concern for your shibas diet, he's a lucky pup!
Beef is very rich and expensive at a safeway. I used to go with Ox tails but then prices went through the roof. At a safeway you should be able to find turkey backs and necks. Those are great and usually very cheap. Here in Seattle one major grocer is QFC. They aren't cheap, they are like a Nob Hill/Raley's but I can get Turkey backs for 50 cents a pound.
A great alternative is ethnic markets. You can find all kinds of great stuff there and cheap. Play with it. I bought my dog some cow eyeballs once and she had a blast because when she ate them they popped all over :)
Fish is really the best food if your dog will eat it. At a Chinese market you kind find live Talapia for $1.00 each. Now, I have an Akita so I will feed her the whole thing. For a little dog like a shiba cut the fish into 4-8 pieces and feed two times a day and see how it goes. My dog love fish heads. You can go to your market or even seafood restaurants and see if they will sell you bags of heads cheap.
One thing about feeding raw it will always have you on the hunt. You'll be tempted to stop in at each and every little store you think you might find something good.
When she gets used to raw food ad a nice live culture plain yogurt once a week. You might also want to add green tripe once a week. Go easy on the innards as they are very rich and can cause the runs.
Now, your dog may have runs during the switch over. This is 100% normal. Use some acidopholis tablets and that will pass. have fun!
Jen: Absolutely! Please pass it on. There's nothing wrong with the allergy diets from Natural Balance, Welness, etc. as long as you aren't using them to treat a food allergy. For sensitive dogs, even the trace amounts of other proteins that end up in those foods can send them spiraling.
Thanks again, I passed the info along.
p.s check this article out:
http://www.dolittler.com/2009/03/14/Food-trials-and-tribulations-for-allergic-pets.html