# Dry food for a Mini Schnauzer.



## Nell (Oct 21, 2010)

Hello. I need as many opinions as possible. 

I recently decided to switch my mini schnauzer's kibble. He was on Royal Canin up until now, but the schnauzer recipe is hard to find and I am not quite satisfied with the ingredients.

So I researched for a bit. Beef, Pork and Potato came up as reccomended ingredients for the Schnauzer's diet. I also learned that Mini Schnauzers tend to suffer from kidney ailments, skin issues, diabetes and pancreatitis and that diet is key to preventing most if not all of these. 

I decided to switch him to TOTW High Prairie. It uses bison, which can be considered a lean form of beef, has more than two meat sources, fruits and vegetables and contains potatoes as well as no grain fillers. 
TOTW high prairie has Protein: 32% Fat: 18%.

My concern right now is whether or not the protein and fat levels are too high. There are mixed opinions on whether high protein levels are healthy for dogs, particularly their kidneys. I know TOTW offers high quality protein because its primary ingredients are meats and meat meals, but I haven't found any information on how much is too much. 

Please help. How much is too much?


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

My Miniature Schnauzer had _terrible_ gas on HP. He would also pretty frequently poop out waste that wasn't really ready to be pooped out yet, and it was super soft and CRAZY STINKY. It has been suggested to me that it's the bison more than the protein level, it's too "hot" of a protein. I've had good success with Pacific Stream and Wetlands. I rotate in other brands too and try to stay around 20-25% protein.


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## Nell (Oct 21, 2010)

Yeah... I am concerned about the fact HP has higher protein than the other two TOTW, but I am also concerned that going for a fish based diet will make his waste smell way stronger as tends to be the case. 

The sierra mountain variety has 25% protein, so I might switch to that if he doesn't handle the HP well. 

How much of a downgrade is TOTW from brands like Orijen and Acana?


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

I never noticed a stronger smell on the fish one. The kibble has an oder, but you should be keeping it in an airtight container anyway and my dog doesn't just leave food sitting around. 

I'd say TOTW is maybe a step or two down the ladder? I don't know, I've never feed them. Mostly I've fed TOTW with the occasional bag of Fromm or Canidae (which I didn't like).


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## BobSD (Feb 1, 2008)

The fact is I have two mini-schauzers, and no matter what I fed them they still had periods of the runs, and my male started getting tumors, there anal glands were not always working right, all went away when I swiched to raw. The dehydraded version. Even thier PH moved away from the acidity side to the alkalinity, great for the kidneys. Also I learned to stay away from the exotic foods like bison, rabbit, lamb, unless they are having a problem with the basic chicken turkey beef. HTH


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## Nell (Oct 21, 2010)

Has anyone asked their vet for mini schnauzer nutritional advice? Are they normally that delicate?

BTW why is an alkaline pH better for the kidneys?


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## NRB (Sep 19, 2009)

well I have a standard schnauzer, and feed TOTW Pacific Stream and Wetlands. I prefer the PS b/c of the lower fat %. I had her on Innova chicken and she had off and on loose stools. Fecal tests on the loose stools showed Coccidia. Treated for that. Next fecal showed Giardia. Treated for that. Clean fecals thereafter. I switched to TOTW and I also added fiber and a probiotic (per vets suggestion)..... So for me the good stools might be coming from 1) no longer having stomach bugs and 2) the probiotic and the fiber.


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## Nell (Oct 21, 2010)

:b I am pretty sure the lack of stomach bugs is the dominant factor.

I also think I will switch to Orijen Red instead of TOTW, because TOTW uses tomato pomace and "oceanfish meal" (which is about as clear as "animal fat") and not all nutritional information is readily given, while Orijen offers more nutritional info, non sketchy ingredients and is produced by a Canadian company. 

I would appreciate any knowledge from schnauzer owners on to-dos for good kidney health, the pH question piqued my curiosity a lot. I have heard among many other things that vitamin D3, phosphorus and calcium are things to look for in schnauzer fit food. I will eventually ask my vet but for now I'd like to hear from other owners


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Not an owner and no oxalate crystal issues, knock on wood. A neutral pH urine keeps oxalate crystals from forming in oxalate crystal forming dogs like Miniature Schnauzers. It can be a futile exercise to keep the urine there with diet as that is just how the dog creates urine. Using a kibble that is in total lower in oxalates might help but good luck with that exercise as oxalate content isn't known for many foods. Guessing you would cross that nice Liver and Spinach kibble off the list anyway. If your google fu is good you might be able to find Leslie Bean's Fuzzer Food feeding system on the web using the waybackmachine for further information. B-Naturals has some general information on crystals. If your dog does have issues with oxalate then you can joint K9KidneyDiet, contact her and get the diet which is simple and mostly consists of avoiding certain foods, using a couple supplements and distilled water.


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## John Rambo (Oct 9, 2010)

I have a Giant and a mini. The mini has bad gas whatever kibble i feed him (solid Gold currently). It seems as if he does poop alot, even as much as my Giant. I only feed him 1 cup a day..and he still poops alot.


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## NRB (Sep 19, 2009)

JR want to see pics of the mini and the giant please, side by side


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## SchnauzerLove (Jul 7, 2010)

I also have a mini and contrary to my desires, he will only eat Purina One Senior Protection Formula, we have tried several superior quality food but nope, Rocky only likes Purina One, his stools are fine, he has never had diarrhea or loose stools, maybe its not the best quality out there but is he's happy and healthy then Im happy also.lol


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## NRB (Sep 19, 2009)

Nell said:


> :b I am pretty sure the lack of stomach bugs is the dominant factor.


LOL. Actually I'm thinking that she was bug free on the Innova for a couple months before I switched her over to TOTW.


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