# What Food Should I Get?



## LazyBeaver (Nov 3, 2015)

Hey everybody. We're adding a French Bulldog puppy to the family this weekend, and I'm having some trouble deciding on which food to get him. The breeder is currently feeding him Royal Canin Puppy Development and I've heard that Royal Canin isn't the best out there? Is this true? I'd love to try a raw diet but just don't have the money to do so, so I was wondering which dry food brand would be the best. Here's a pic of the little guy too.


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## LazyBeaver (Nov 3, 2015)

At 6 weeks old.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

There are many good options, it really depends on your price point and what is available to you. There are a dozen plus threads here on food for puppies, since you have a small/medium breed then you could use basically any puppy food or all-life-stages food.

If you want recommendations for a specific price per lb or from a specific chain store, that would be helpful to mention


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## Hector4 (Sep 16, 2013)

Omgosh that is such a cute puppy!!!! I hate cute puppy pictures, well I don't actually hate them, but I do because it gives me bad puppy fever!!!!!!!!!!!


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## LazyBeaver (Nov 3, 2015)

Price isn't too big of an issue, and we have lots of places nearby that sell and can order many different dog food brands. I was thinking along the lines of fromm or acana, as I've heard good things about these brands and don't have as many by-products in them.


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## Hiraeth (Aug 4, 2015)

I've heard that Fromm can be really rich and doesn't agree with some dogs, but both Fromm and Acana are "good" foods. (Good in quotes because it's a really subjective word.)

I feed Earthborn. I like it, my dogs like it, it's a family owned company and is available at TSC. Around $50 for a 38 lb bag. The kibbles are pretty small and it's an "all life stages" food.


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## MarieLovesChis (Mar 21, 2014)

There are MANY good quality kibbles to choose from. You'll have to find out from trial and error which food works best for your pup. Some of the brands I really like are Orijen, Acana, Wellness, Farmina, Annamaet, Fromm, and Canine Caviar. That's just a small few of the many to choose from.


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## doodlebug124 (Oct 31, 2015)

Royal Canin is not a great food, you can do much better. However, going to his new home is stressful enough, don't complicate it with an immediate food change. Give him a few weeks to settle in. 

I consider Orijen to be the best kibble on the market, they do make a puppy. It is high in protein and fat, so sometimes it doesn't agree with all dogs. Sister food Acana may be an easier transition. Earthborn and Fromm (4 Star Grain Free) are good foods but do not get all the protein from meat, they use some pea protein. Except for the lamb and weight control formulas, Earthborn grain free is actually richer than Fromm. But it's not significantly different and I rarely get customers coming back and complaining of digestive issues with either brand. The Fromm foods are all small kibbles. Now! makes a nice small breed formula. Their claim to fame is that they don't use any meals, they use all fresh meats. 

If using a grain free food isn't important to you, then Fromm Gold is a good choice or Health Extension Little Bites


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

Cute puppy...I hope it's an older picture & that he's not coming home at six weeks. 

Frenchies can have skin issues; I'd choose a grainfree food for sure. RC isn't a food I'd choose. My favorites are Farmina, Dr Tim's and Annamaet.

doodlebug: check your messages!


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

Don't get hyped up on grain free unless your dog needs grain free. As was said there are some good foods out there but I agree to wait until your pup settles in a while. You will not kill your pup feeding Royal Canin. A 5 lb bag will give you that time for your pup to settle in.

Just keep in mind that the best food food for your dog is what he/she does best on. I fed a bunch of different foods and my dog does best on Annamaet and Farmina, did lousy on Orijen and did OK on a few others. A food that people often overlook is Victor. The only downside may be it is slightly high in ash, around 8.5% I think so if your dog has issues with crystals forming ash may be a contributing factor. Annamaet and Farmina have ash levels under 7% but I will say that Zoey also did well on the Victor food which I believe was grain free.


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## LazyBeaver (Nov 3, 2015)

Of course we'd never take a dog away from its litter until 8 or 9 weeks, and he's turned 8 weeks this week, so we're picking him up this weekend. Yeah I imagine that he would be stressed enough from the move, so I'm inquiring about dog food now so we have a good idea on what to get later on when he's adjusted. Him being a frenchie I don't want a food with lots of grain in it because lots of the breed do have skin issues. But I think trial and error is in order


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## BostonBullMama (Apr 20, 2013)

Don't limit your options before you need to - trust me on that one. It's valuable information to know if your dog has a legitimate problem with grains & specifically which grain, before just skipping introducing them altogether. If your dog does have allergies and sensitivities - knowing the cause is key because you'll have to avoid it in everything, not just food but treats too. My bulldog has quite a list of allergies and intolerance's and being so limited in what he *can* have, can make switching foods or buying treats more stressful than it needs to be - so if you don't *need* to avoid something, don't. Grains are not bad for dogs and are a great source of much needed fiber. 

If he's currently being fed Royal Canin, buy a small bag of that to blend with whichever new food you decide on. My bulldog is on Acana and really has no problems on it other than the fact I've seen his coat look shinier on Merrick (before it was purchased by Purina). 

One thing I will mention though - Pet store foods are different from veterinary diets - so if you wanted to keep him on Royal Canin and just buy it from your vet instead of the pet store - that may be a good option. The foods that are sold in veterinary offices have a completely different processing that they go through to meet very specific standards. So while RC from the pet store may have the reputation for being "crap" - the RC in vet offices are of much higher quality. You can speak with a pet nutritionist if you'd like more information about the differences.  

Acana can be too rich and that can be problematic, my cats were all on Acana too and it actually was the cause of a medical emergency for 1 of them. So it will also come down to *your* dog and what works for them.


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## LazyBeaver (Nov 3, 2015)

Yeah the breeder uses the vet variety, so we'll be making a trip to our vet before picking him up. I'm not exactly sure what the difference is between vet and store varieties of Royal Canin, just that the vet version is supposedly better.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

I really like Acana, and since Frenchies are fairly small and money isn't a factor for you, I'd recommend it. I like it for a few reasons- good quality, grain free and there are 5 (maybe more) formulations. This is important. The reason chicken is such a common allergy in dogs is because most dogs are fed chicken day in and day out. You expose someone to the same proteins day after day for years and allergies are bound to happen. For that reason, I cycle Acana- a bag of pork, a bag of duck, a bag of fish, a bag of lamb, repeat. (Those are the 4 I feed, I don't feed chicken.)

See how the little guy does, though. He might need some grains in his diet. He might need less fat. Acana may not do it for him. Blue Buffalo is an acceptable food, for example, but my dog won't eat the "Lifesource bits" in it, so that won't work for us.


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## Wirehairedvizslalove (Oct 24, 2015)

I used Fromm and have always been happy with it. For the past 6 months, I have researched Prey Model Raw diet. I switched my dog over to it last month, and could not be any happier! His teeth are pearly white and his coat looks a little bit shinier! It is def a lot more work, and it can be extremely expensive if you can't find a local hunter to help you out with meat, but I don't think I could ever go back to kibble to be honest. It is so rewarding hearing him crunch on the bones, and his face is priceless while I put together his meals.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Btw, Hiraeth, Earthborn grain free is a 28 lb bag, not 38 lbs. Does make a difference if one is figuring per lb price to compare brands.

I quite like Fromm but have only used their adult formulas.

Its not fancy, but i really like Pro Pac Ultimates. Regular old grain-inclusive formulas with a nice amount of meat based protein and good fat in the puppy formula and solid amount in most of the adult formulas too. Same manufacturer as Earthborn, lower price point since it has grains. I feed it often and the dogs do very well on it.

If the dog turns out to possibly have a grain sensitivity, you can then try a grain free using the same protein to test if its a protein or grain issue.


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## flphotog (Sep 23, 2015)

I've got a 10 month old Cavalier that I've had since he was 10 weeks old. He is a very picky eater and I've gone through more brands and types of food then I can remember (I'm sure my wallet remembers). I wish you luck in finding something that works for you. If you have any specialty dog food stores near you, not the big box stores, I highly recommend you stop by and talk with them. That's what I finally did and things seem to be working out.
I would up getting Solid Gold Turkey and Hearty Vegetables, not really recommending it but it's what wound up working for me and Kingston.


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## BennySimpson (Mar 18, 2014)

Dr. Tim's, Annamaet or Pro Plan Select/Naturals


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

BennySimpson said:


> Dr. Tim's, Annamaet or Pro Plan Select/Naturals


I notice you're not recommending Farmina anymore ... What's up with that?

I will say that I requested a nutrient profile from them and Annamaet ... I had one from Annamaet the next day and I'm still waiting for it from Farmina and its been about 2 months now! I guess they have to translate those big scientific words from Italian to English LOL!!


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## fourdogs (Feb 3, 2014)

Over the years I've come to prefer Fromm (start with the "gold" line first, grain-free is not necessarily better or best), Precise (Naturals line, not the holistic) and both their dry/canned varieties. 

For a new puppy, I'd keep him on what he's been eating until he's well adjusted to his new life and routine, a month or more, honestly. I am always so eager to get my pups on my favorite brands that I end up causing tummy issues with the stress of the move and the new food. 

Congrats, he's adorable!


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## philovance (Jan 7, 2009)

LazyBeaver said:


> Yeah the breeder uses the vet variety, so we'll be making a trip to our vet before picking him up. I'm not exactly sure what the difference is between vet and store varieties of Royal Canin, just that the vet version is supposedly better.


Although I feed a very mainstream kibble myself and am very happy with it, I have mixed feelings about Royal Canin. Despite what you can glean from the label about "inferior" ingredients, RC products are very well researched (for the most part in European facilities) and quality control is very strict. I've had cats that required a veterinary diet who would only eat Royal Canin. On the other hand, I think they go really overboard on formulas like breed specific diets and from the looks of it the Puppy Development formula sold through vets is more of the same. Leaving the ingredients aside for the moment, the food is *very* expensive like a lot of RC formulas. For the money you could feed almost anything up to and including Orijen.

All that said I would stick with what the dog has been eating for the first couple of months,. First, because he's used to it and you want to keep things simple in the digestion department. And two, because many of the very high protein, low carb formulas are high in ash as well as calcium and phosphorus. One thing that can be said for the biggest companies, apart from their quality control, is that they are very careful about correct mineral balances, especially with the puppy diets. 

My dogs have always done better with grain inclusive foods and I think the connection between skin issues and grains is way overstated by companies looking to distinguish themselves in the market and justify high prices. The fact is that pedigree dogs sadly have lots of genetic issues due to inbreeding and when a pet develops a health condition, particularly if it involves skin or digestion, we'd like to blame the food and hope that changing it provides an easy fix. I think your vet would tell you it's seldom the food.

I won't recommend the brand I use because I don't do food fights but I think the suggestion to start on Fromm Gold is a good one. It's a conservative middle of the road formula that's been fed successfully for many years. It's also priced well. Other "conservative" foods that people like include Farmina, Dr. Tim's and Annamaet, Victor if you can get it and the diet you want comes in a smaller bag. By "conservative" I mean the formulas are continually tested with real dogs, they're made in a trustworthy facility with no recalls, and the companies don't hype their foods while denigrating others exclusively on the basis of ingredients. 

Whenever you do switch do so very gradually, keep the portions small initially and give the diet time. I myself no longer rotate kibbles and put the dog through another transition every couple of months. To provide variety and exposure to other proteins I add fresh foods, canned and pre-made raw.


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## philovance (Jan 7, 2009)

Dog Person said:


> I notice you're not recommending Farmina anymore ... What's up with that?
> 
> I will say that I requested a nutrient profile from them and Annamaet ... I had one from Annamaet the next day and I'm still waiting for it from Farmina and its been about 2 months now! I guess they have to translate those big scientific words from Italian to English LOL!!


Farmina's apparently had some issues with their US operation and is "reorganizing." At one point they were very responsive on Facebook but I've sent messages to them twice in the past few months and haven't heard from them. Too bad because the European standards they maintain make for a strong new entry here.

Dr. Tim's and Annamaet are both manufactured by Ohio Pet Foods, who also own the Blackwood/Adirondack brands which are quite affordable. Ohio has never had a recall and the owners of Dr. Tim's and Annamaet are both very hands on in the manufacturing process. If Emma wasn't doing so well on Pro Plan they would be my first choice along with perhaps Fromm Gold.


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

I kind of alternate between Annamaet and Farmina, I started Zoey on Annamaet first and she was on it for a while. The only issue I have is it is a little more calorie dense so Zoey seems to gain a little weight on it; I think there's about 60 calories per cup between the two. 

If the food isn't affected then I'm not too concerned about staffing issues I just thought it was odd that they can't generate a nutrient profile.


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