# Puppy food recommendations



## pting619 (Jul 18, 2018)

Have recently purchased my 1st Havanese puppy (10 weeks old). The breeder feeds her dogs “Purina ProPlan for puppies -lamb & rice). Then one of the web sites recommends Life’s Abundance small/med puppy food along with NuVet Supplements. Should I stick with the one my breeder feeds her dogs? Or is there something better?

Also, any opinion for the Healthy Paws health insurance for my pet. They pay 80% after a $200 deductible for covered medical treatments. Is this a worthwhile investment?

Any suggestion/opinions is appreciated!


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## Scarlett's mom (Feb 14, 2017)

There are many foods that are better than purina. I prefer to feed raw or freeze dried raw. Currently using Ziwipeak and Stella and Chewy. Dogs don't need starch. You will get many opinions here. Most people say buy the best food you can afford. Dr. Karen Becker (Mercola Pets), Dr. Judy Morgan (my vet) have some good information out there. I'm sure others will chime in. 
I don't know much about pet insurance...sorry!
Please post pics!!


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## ptgrin (Feb 17, 2018)

I also have been feeding my 7 mos old a commercial raw diet after much trial and error with high quality kibble and canned. She has done well on Instinct frozen raw rabbit, lamb, and duck (I rotate the proteins every few days), and The Honest Kitchen Zeal as a topping once a day (the fiber helps). Her eye staining is better on this, she poops about 3 times a day, and has a lot of energy. Best of all, not scratching/itching!


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

You can check out petfoodadvisor to see the ratings on different foods. I agree with the advice - find the best that fits your budget and don't stress beyond that. If you want to go with a kibble there are many out there at different price ranges that will be great for your puppy. Everyone here will tell you what they think is the best - but that's what is best for them, you need to look at all of your circumstances and decide what's best for you and your pup. 

I like Wellness Core (one of the lower cost 5 star rated foods, though definitely not low cost), but Perry seems to have runnier eyes with the chicken and the fish version smells a little too fishy for me. We recently switched to stella and chewy freeze dried in the morning (the patties - the meal mixers also smelled waaaaaay too meaty for me) and Fromm in the afternoon - though I'm considering switching again, but trying to decide which to go with (Orijen is on my list at the moment). I haven't made the switch to freeze dried for both meals because (1) it's super expensive and (2)we travel a lot so I wanted to keep a kibble in his diet.


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

Definitely not a fan of Purina products. Avoid products that are advertised as "puppy food." This is a marketing ploy to get you to spend more than you should. It is best to feed your pup a well balanced diet that s/he will use from puppy to adult. I do vary Ricky's diet slightly from time to time to add variety. Be careful with 100% kibble diet, it can cause crystalline deposits in the urine, which is not good. If you feed kibble, mix with water (about 50/50) so your dog is forced to drink lots of water with it.

Having said the above, our go to diet for Ricky is Honest Kitchen dehydrated base. We add the recommended amount of fresh boiled chicken or tuna or lean beef or organs for protein. This diet is moderately priced, but definitely not inexpensive (I think we spend about $40 a month on his diet, but really don't know because we don't keep track). He goes nuts for this food. We mix it with enough water so the end result is moist (like canned dog food), but not wet and soupy. Therefore Ricky gets plenty of water in his diet. The best guide is to check the stool. The stool should not be mushy. It should not be rock hard. It should be well formed "tootsie rolls", soft but holds form when you pick it up - sort of like Playdough rolls. Ricky poops anywhere from 3 to 5 times a day, it just depends.

As my amigos have said in above posts, there is no one best dog food, but some are much healthier and better value. Dogfoodadvisor.com is a good place to start...............but only use it as a guideline, not the final authority. YOU are the final authority for what works best for your dog and what fits best into your budget and lifestyle.

Keep asking questions, we're all here to help.

Ricky's Popi


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

just a word of caution on tuna.

from Jean Dodds "Fish is also an excellent protein source for dogs (but not shellfish). Opt for fish low in mercury, such as sardines, wild-caught Alaskan salmon, Pollack and catfish. Avoid high-mercury species such as tuna (especially albacore or "white" tuna), King mackerel, tilefish, shark and swordfish".

The Food and Drug Administration recommends that people eat albacore tuna once a week at most and chunk tuna no more than twice a week. Pregnant women (or those trying to conceive) should avoid high-mercury fish as much as possible.

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/natural-foods/can-dogs-eat-tuna/


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

My best friend was very happy with Healthy Paws when the dog she rescued ended up having a lot of health problems, so we decided to go with Healthy Paws for Shama. So far we haven't needed to file many claims for our sweet girl. Healthy Paws doesn't cover routine care like exams and vaccinations, however, so be sure to read carefully before deciding if their coverage is what you want. Google "pet insurance havanese forum," and you'll find more than 10 threads on this topic.


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## Henry&Kate (Mar 29, 2017)

> so be sure to read carefully before deciding if their coverage is what you want.


this is good advice. The policies are all different in what they cover and when etc.

Think about what you want the pet insurance to cover. I decided I was okay paying for routine care and smaller events. What I wanted was something that would pay for some big event - like an accident or surgery or cancer - something that could cost thousands. I didn't want to have to worry if I could afford the treatment. So I opted for a high deductible no routine care policy from Trupanion. But that's what suited my needs.

Be sure to check out when deductibles reset, what the maximum they'll pay overall and by incident, etc, whether they pay what your vet charges or what they determine is a fair price.


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