# What are you feeding



## pebbies (Feb 1, 2006)

My apologies for bringing up something that's probably posted several times over on this board. I'm trying to get the hang of things.

O.K. So I'd like to know what type of food you all feed your chis. I've been looking at Nutro, but I'm open to other suggestions. What are your thoughts on Nutro?

She's eating Eukanuba(sp) small breed puppy right now.


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## everestgirl (Aug 10, 2006)

Royal canin for small breeds.
They love it.


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## Kari (May 13, 2004)

Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul. Awesome food with a great price! :thumbright:


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## Lin (Jun 7, 2006)

Kari said:


> Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul. Awesome food with a great price! :thumbright:


Yep! That's what my guys eat.


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## rachel (Jun 16, 2006)

Same as Kari & Lin...Chicken Soup is what Gracie & my Springer eat. Stewie is on a special low-protein diet, so he's on Hill's k/d.


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## Gizmo's Mommy (Oct 22, 2006)

Royal Canine here for Gizmo. Most days he eats it but I am finding him picky on certain days...


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## appleblossom (Mar 10, 2005)

My guys are eating Wellness & they love it!! Tader is on the wellness adult chicken but he also loves the lamb & Chili is on the wellness puppy formula


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## Leeseebat (Jun 27, 2006)

my guys are on Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance

they love it! and they are very picky!


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## tuckersmommy (Aug 5, 2006)

Tucker is eating Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Salmon.

I just re-read the bag, it is called "Sweet Potato and Fish". The fish used is salmon.


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## Xymenah (Dec 4, 2006)

I'd suggest Royal Canin Chihuahua 28 (it is one of their dog foods for mini sized dogs that is specially made with chis in mind)


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## Jen (Sep 13, 2005)

my guys also eat dick van patten's natural balance. i switched foods because teddy decided he no longer liked chicken soup. woody will eat anything.


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## DB-N-Whiskey (Nov 7, 2006)

I'd also suggest Royal Canin Chihuahua 28. On the subject of foods what sort of treats does everyone feed? I'm feeding Old Mother Hubbard treats now, good price for the size of the bag, and it's all natural with oatmeal, chicken, apples, and carrots, my lil' guy seems to love them...plus they come in nice sized treats perfect for a chi puppy's little mouth.


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## Jangles021204 (Sep 20, 2006)

I feed Timberwolf Organics. The kibble is really small, and the ingredients are great, so I'm happy with it. And so are my dogs. 

I don't feed a lot of commercial treats, I usually just give plain yogurt or tiny pieces of fruits or vegetables. Or I just use a different type of dog food (from sample bags I get), and my dogs like it as if it were a treat just because it's different. I also give the occasional bully stick.


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## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

My dogs eat Innova, adult, small bites. They have beautiful coats!


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## hnj22 (Jul 14, 2005)

Corky and Lizzy eat Solid Gold Wee Bits. It has a higher fat content but Corky has food allergies and there is nothing in it that he is allergic to. I just have to monitor how much he eats because of the fat content. Lizzy loves it too but has never had a tendency to overeat like Corky!


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## pebbies (Feb 1, 2006)

Thanks for all of your suggestions! I looked into Chicken Soup and found 2 dealers in my area (they still aren't close though). I'm also going to look into a few of the other suggested brands.

Thanks for the help you all


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## harleysmama (Oct 7, 2005)

Harley is on the Innova Adult Small bites, also. He loves it and is so healthy.


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## chi-momma (Jun 21, 2006)

Mine are also on Innova small bites and they love it!


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## Sidech (Apr 3, 2006)

Tamara is on wellness. She's not a big eater but she stays a good weight on it. Plus, it smells really good!


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## foxywench (Feb 7, 2005)

royal canin chi mixed with royal canin mini dog here, the chis like it and look GREAT!


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## Tinksmama (May 23, 2006)

Either canidae or chicken soup for dogs here...both of those are excellent quality and decently priced....


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

I feed my girls Royal Canin Chihuahua 28 also


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## pebbies (Feb 1, 2006)

My list is growing 

O.K. now here's the next question...would you all suggest keeping her on the food her breeder uses until she's a year old, or is it a case of "the sooner the better?"


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## Sidech (Apr 3, 2006)

I personnally wouldn't keep her on Eukanuba. I would find a better food and switch her right away. Just make sure you do a transition period, slowly mixing small amounts of the new food with the old one and gradually increasing for about 2 weeks and then she'd be on the new food completely. There is no need to keep her on the old food and switching won't hurt her. If you notice a reaction to your new food, even though you're being careful with the transition, then go back to 100% old food, wait a week or two and try another brand. Good luck!


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## DB-N-Whiskey (Nov 7, 2006)

Eukanuba isn't all that terrible, I know a lot of breeders who recommend it, but I would probably switch her also, to something that scored a little higher the on the dog food rating test, since nothing is too good for our babies. lol. Like I said before, Royal Canin, but Kirkland is also really good, either that or Nature's Recipe, or Merrick's Wilderness Blend---->this comes in Venison, and Bison flavored, all flavors that most of them really love. BTW, these are all really reasonably priced foods. But, for Merrick's Wilderness Blend you may have to look at an all natural pet food store, since it is completely natural and organic, with the only preservative being Vitamin E.

Anyway, hope this helps.

D.B


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## lalaNlucky (Jan 10, 2006)

my pups were on chicken soup but since it has two sources of protein (chicken AND turkey) it was giving them an upset stomach and stinky poos 

now they are on wellness super5mix chicken and doing great!


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## pebbies (Feb 1, 2006)

Thanks for all of your responses  You've helped a great deal.

I will start the process of switching her over.


P.S.

I'll post pics soon


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## oreo'sfolks (May 15, 2006)

Hi guys, nice thread!

I need some help with HOW MUCH to feed. The instuctions on Chicken soup call for certain amount of cups, but i'm not american, and I don't know how much a 'cup' is. Could you reccommend in palm size or tablespoons?
Oreo is 10 months

Thanks!


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## oreo'sfolks (May 15, 2006)

*same, same*



pebbies said:


> My list is growing
> 
> O.K. now here's the next question...would you all suggest keeping her on the food her breeder uses until she's a year old, or is it a case of "the sooner the better?"


Oreo also started on Eukanuba, but we changed as soon as i read this site. She still likes a little bit mixed with her c.soup - maybe it reminds her of her baby days!
good lucj pebbles!


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## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

A "cup" is 8 oz (don't know if that helps). I think it's like a small coffee mug...not a large one.

Also, just use those as guidelines. You can overfeed pretty easily if you feed what the label says...I never do. I give my dogs what they will eat at one sitting, then pick it up. With a chi, you want to free feed or offer it several times a day, but still, you will probably adjust to your pup's appetite.

Also, yes, I switched pretty quickly after getting Dolly. She was on IAMS puppy, and I switched within the first month...slowly at first. We went to California Naturals, then to Innova, so I've done the switch thing a couple of times. It went fine each time.

Good luck!


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## oreo'sfolks (May 15, 2006)

That is a real help. thanks so much Dolly's grandma!


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## chimom06 (Jun 25, 2006)

We use Eagle Pack. It is a great food and my picky chi loves it, it is under 10.00 for a 6.6 pound bag. Blackjack also gets Natures Variety Raw medallions once a day as well.


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## MSBOOTS (May 4, 2006)

We feed Authority Harvest Baked from Petsmart.
It is good quality food and only costs around $7 for a five pound bag.
Check out the thread on how to grade your pets food it should help you decide what is best for your baby.


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## CM Katie (Sep 28, 2005)

Carl gets Wellness super5mix chicken 
but I'm probably going to switch him over to Timberwolf Organics, since that's even better. (Although Wellness is an awesome food too!)


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## CarrieQuiteContrary (Sep 5, 2006)

I work at a dog store (food, treats and toys, not selling dogs lol) and we carry many different brands of high quality food. Almost all of the ones mentioned above: Merrick, Chicken Soup, Royal Canin, Wellness, Innova etc. I personally am feeding Royal Canin puppy right now, but Rylee is 7 months old so I am switching her over to Innova Evo. I was going to give her the RC Chihuahua 28 but its main ingredient is chicken meal....which I would rather have it be plain chicken. That is better for them if the main protein isnt a "meal". 
One word of caution... NEVER feed Alpo. I spoke with a woman today who used feed it but it made her dog sick so she sent a letter asking what the by-product in it was and the "meat by-product" they put in is actually euthanized animals..... NEVER feed Alpo. Plus a lot of the food sold at Petco, Grocery stores etc isnt very good quality.
I suggest going to Mud Bay, All the Best, and any other specialty pet stores.


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## pebbies (Feb 1, 2006)

Well, I know I haven't been back to this thread in a little while (I've had Pebbles for a week now). She went to the Vet Saturday, and she of course asked what we were feeding her. I told her Eukanuba and she replied, "Oh good". I then told her I wanted to switch foods and she says she's gotten really good results with Euk. She goes back in two weeks for shots. 
I'm thinking she'll be switched soon after. It's so difficult consulting with the "professionals" about dog food.


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## chimom06 (Jun 25, 2006)

just remember vets have very little if no nutrition training.


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## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

They also sometimes get incentives from dog food companies....

I highly recommend Innova!


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## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

I've had my chis on quite a variety of dog food, but right now I'm feeding my babies Timberwolf Organics, the Southwest Chicken and Herbs. They are both doing superb on it, and I love it. I am thinking about trying the Merrik Wilderness blend, but I'll have to think about that. I've heard that Authority Harvest is also good. I just worry that if I stick to one food, then my babies might get tired of eating the same thing, but maybe that's just me thinking from my own perspective.


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## Kari (May 13, 2004)

I wanted to mention that too. The vet's recommend certain brands because that's the brand they push. :wink:


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## MollyChi (Sep 30, 2005)

I am feeding Science Diet. I have tried Chicken Soup and Royal Canin and neither of those worked out well. I know Science Diet isn't very popular on this forum, but I used it with my Yorkie, and she was very healthy and lived to be 14.


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## Kari (May 13, 2004)

What matters most is how well your dog does on the food, regardless of what brand it is.


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## Lin (Jun 7, 2006)

Kari said:


> What matters most is how well your dog does on the food, regardless of what brand it is.


Absotively, posilutely! :foxes_207: :cheer: :foxes_13:


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## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

I would gradually switch over to whatever brand you like. Try make the switch gradual by mixing in a little bit of the new food and then adding a little more each day. I would probably take 2-3 weeks at least to switch over if possible. This way your baby won't get an upset stomach or loose stool. Also, in terms of treats, I give my baby the Solid Gold Turkey Jerky, and she LOVES it. She absolutely goes bananas over it. I've also tried these treats from PetSmart that have glucosamine in them made with beef and rice. She likes this too but not as much as the turkey jerky. I give her rawhides periodically too to help keep her teeth clean. Of course this doesn't take the place of brushing her teeth. Anyways, good luck with your decision, and let us know what you decide on. =)


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## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

Katie 18 said:


> Carl gets Wellness super5mix chicken
> but I'm probably going to switch him over to Timberwolf Organics, since that's even better. (Although Wellness is an awesome food too!)



Glad to hear you're thinking about switching to Timberwolf. Like you said Wellness is awesome, but I've had FANTASTIC results with Timberwolf. I love that brand! I would recommend it to ANYONE. My babies have soft, luscious coats, and they're abounding in energy. Just thought I'd share... =)


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## Krista (Dec 29, 2005)

I feed a food called NRG ... it's the best food I've ever seen, and Yoshi is doing sensational on it ^_^


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## usmcjess (May 3, 2005)

Royal Canin Chihuahua food, they both love it.


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## DB-N-Whiskey (Nov 7, 2006)

Actually I agree with that, whatever food your pet does really well on. Because, of course pets, like humans are very different, every single one of them...


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## oreo'sfolks (May 15, 2006)

Just switched O from Chicken Soup to RC Chi, she hoovers it up quicker than I can say go! hurrah!


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## pebbies (Feb 1, 2006)

Wow. I took way too long getting back to this thread. Just to update-I was interested in Solid Gold (an added bonus was that I *thought* it was sold in Petco). Unfortuntaly, I can only order it online with them. So, I decided if I have to order online anyway, I may as well keep looking. There were several good brands suggested and I had it narrowed down to Eagle Pack, Wellness, and Canidae. I think I'm set on Wellness. I'm ordering via Only Natural Pet Store. Do any of you have any experience with them?

I think part of my problem was availability of food. We got food for my last dog at a feed store which is no longer convenient since I've moved. I wanted to be able to go grab a bag at the store. Oh well, I guess I'll grow accustomed to ordering.

And again, thank you all for your suggestions. I really appreciate it


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## lalaNlucky (Jan 10, 2006)

my two switched to wellness super5mix chicken and do great!! no strong oder to their poo and they only go 2-3x per day, and its solid. which means they have less waste bc the good ingredients


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