# Diet



## traceyrives (Oct 12, 2006)

What's the best type of dog food, supplements, etc. for the Havanese, especially getting a shiny, silky coat? Any info would be appreciated. I'm using Science Diet lamb and rice, and it occurred to me this may not be the best.


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## Judy A (Jan 13, 2007)

I have the same questions....what does everyone feed their puppies and when do you switch to adult foods. I don't want to do the raw diet, so I'm only interested in dry kibble.....


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## susaneckert (Sep 7, 2006)

I did the Raw and Yoda was not happy with it .He was hungry all the time. I now feed Yoda solid Gold he loves it. I will switch Yoda to adult food at 1 year or when this bag is all gone since he will be a year old March 18 . I just bought it so it should last until then.I keep his food in a sealed container .


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## susaneckert (Sep 7, 2006)

I dont feed science diet any more its not as good as the other foods that are out now days they use to be good but not no more. If you want a good quality food you want to get as natural as you can. When I was feeding Yoda the Raw he started loosing weight and he has always been a little under since I have had him. They say on Raw give him 3-4 I gave Yoda 6-8 at every feeding and he was so hungry so I switched Solid gold does have carrots in it ect and Once a week I give hime egg yolk he loves this food and he feels full . Since Yoda is 11 months I feed him 2 times a day morning and night.I hope this help a little Susan


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## Judy A (Jan 13, 2007)

Is solid gold a brand name? Where do you get it?
Same goes for wellness puppy....it's hard to find "different" dog foods in our area...we have the typical Iams, Science Diet, all the brands carried at the stores, pro-pack, etc.


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## susaneckert (Sep 7, 2006)

Yes its a brand name I get mine at petco they have a few different ones. and Yoda is starting to gain some weight not much but a little.I do feed him the puppy formula right now next month he will get the adult food.


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## susaneckert (Sep 7, 2006)

I pay something like 28.00 for a 15 lb bag and then I have the petco card to and after 10 bags you get 1 free of the same size you buy so thats not bad


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Ricky was on a pediatric formula that the breeder was feeding him, so had me buy a bag from her. I saw it contained an awful lot of cereal and by 3 mths., Ricky was always hungry so I stopped it. Got him 4 samples from diff. brands that the pet supply shop owner gave me. Ricky loved them all, the little piggy! lol I decided to get him Innova dry kibble for puppies. At almost 7 months, he is now getting 3/4 - 1 cup depending on how often I treat him during the day for training. More treats means less food at dinnertime. He eats morning and early evening.

Once in a while I also give him a can of "Wellness" food just for a change. Ricky will eat almost anything I give him! lol Loves to have a chunk of apple every time we eat one! REALLY loves that! I also give him bits of roast beef, chicken, as well as raw bones that I keep in the freezer. I pull one out (veal or beef bones from the grocery store/butcher) and he can gnaw on that thing for a good 1/2 hour or more. Every time Ricky hears the freezer drawer being pulled, he comes running! LOL


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## JodiM (Dec 28, 2006)

We feed Innova EVO.

I was considering California Naturals as well (Made by the same company) but she preferred the EVO over them. (I put both down to let her try them- she went right to the EVO)

No matter what you switch to, make sure you do it gradually... otherwise your dog can get an upset stomach from a quick switch.


What part of IL are you in?


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

My dogs have the worst diet. They only like Little Cesar, but I only give them 1/2 of that and 1/2 of a better brand ike Nature's recipe Carved Lamb. I also mix in some Royal Canin dry and vitamin supplements. I also leave the Royal Canin out for them to nibble on. They seem to be doing just fine. Their poop is consistent, not runny, so I guess it's OK. Their weight and size is great, also. I had tried Kodi on a raw diet, but he just refused to eat.


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## Judy A (Jan 13, 2007)

I'm from West Central Illinois about 34 miles east of Burlington IA, and 45 miles south of the Quad Cities. How far south are you??


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

We've been feeding Fromm's for a while. All our dogs are thiving on it, their coats look as good as ever, and they haven't tired of eating it. There are two litters here now out of two girls that were on Fromm's their whole pregnancy and before. Both litters are very consistant in weight and have gained steadily. All the pups are very strong and wanted to nurse as soon as they were out of the sack. They all have incredibly silky, healthy looking fur.


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

Hi 
Cosmo seems to be sensitive so he is on a home cooked diet and he does well on it .
It has taken me a long time to find out what he likes but now it is mainly chicken and vegetables made into a stew . I add enzymes supplements and acidophilus just before I feed him .. 
The vet recomended he be fed a home cooked diet and he was scratching and itching issues and a sensitive digestive track - he is due for a check up and maybe she will allow him on kibble but I doubt it . There is a lot of cereal in it . 
A raw diet was discouraged by two vets I saw . They said there are problems with quality control; and also some dogs have to be operated on for bowel perforations . I do know poeple who swear by it and who have had no problems . It does not work for me 
When I am traveling it does not make sense to pack a lunch so to speak so I give him Wellness Venison Formula . It is a kibble and he seems to like it and he tolerates it well .. 
Science Diet has a lot of corn in it you want to stay away from the corn .
I have used Wysong and Solid Gold for Asta and he liked it and tolerated it well .. I always feed him kibble . He was a grazer which is not good . I was told it was OK by the another vet as some small dogs will only eat that way ..
My new Vet says no - he eats twice a day and seems to do fine .. She is stricter but it works ..


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## traceyrives (Oct 12, 2006)

Thanks for the info. I'm going to try something new. I know when I switched from puppy to adult food, I did it painfully gradual. Do I need to do the same when we change brands? Also, what's the best flavor (like lamb and rice, etc.) healthwise and coat-wise or does it make any difference? I have a very good eater, so that's not a problem. He's a little itchy around the chin area and back of the ears. Could this be diet? Tracey Rives


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

Hi 
One thing I learning about Havanese is the each one is different .. Some are more sensitve than others diet wise .
This is what my new vet said and I like her very much . She said some of them have dietary sensitivities that have just occurred recently as there has beeen a lot of new breeding going on the past couple of years .
She did not recommend Lamb & Rice formula diets at all any more only because a lot of dogs are now becoming sensitive to it due to overuse and overexposure . She said 10 years ago dogs were doing well on it not now .. .
She personally feeds her dogs a high end kibble as she has large dogs and she does not have time to cook .
She said some low end kibbles are like Macdonalds and should not be used all the time . Only in a pinch and really to try and avoid them .. It is not worth it in the long run she said .. 
She recommended I give Cosmo a home cooked formula . I have revised it so many times as he is so picky . So I keep the protein to turkey , chicken , or venison . No lamb no beef - no oats no rice .He started to itch and scratch when I tried it as an experiment .. He tolerates the other proteins fine - then I add squash , potatoes celery and carrots and zucchini ..
I know people have busy lives and they cannot cook for their dogs so I recommend to try small packets of different kibbles and small cans and see how it goes .
A lot of stores will now give you little sample bags of kibble . I know Wellness brand gives them out .. Not Petco but other high end pet stores just ask they have them .. 
There are a lot of new foods out there one is called Merrills - my friends feed their Bichon the stew formula and he loves it and tolerates it . There is also Wellness formula kibble and wet food .. - Cosmo does well on their Venison kibble .
There is Wysong that I think is a good kibble - very natural a lot of people do well with Innova Cosmo did not . I threw away so much stuff .. I also had him on canned California Natural salmon he liked it only for a short while .. His coat was good very shiny from the fish oil and he did not itch but he smelled of fish all the time and people remarked about his fishy breath .. 
Years ago my pointer did well on Solid Gold kibble for a long while but eventually he was put on home cooked food and he did much better on that - it extended his life by almost 2 years .. 
There is also a kibble called Healthy Pet - you can buy it on line through Trilogy . Asta liked it - but it is not good for puppies only dogs over 1 year . They say it is OK but I do not agree .. The kibble is too big for little puppies .. 
Yes you are right - introduce any new food very gradually a little at a time if you can .. 
Good luck .. 
I never though feeding a pet was so complex .


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

When I first got Bugsy I fed him Solid Gold Whee Bits and my poodles were on Solid Gold Adult food (lamb I think). But after a while, Bugsy stopped liking the Whee Bit and I got sick of buying two different food, so I switched all three over to Evo and all three love it. It also now comes in three varieties. Original which was turkey and chicken, RM which stand for red meat and RF - reduced fat which has even more protein (52% as opposed to 42%) and less fat (reduced has 15% and regual and red meat have 22%). All holistic food is on expensive side, but well worth it as far as I am concerned.


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## Olliesmom (Sep 29, 2006)

Guess Ollie is pretty boring...just eats Nutro puppy - likes it - and free feeds...usually empties bowl around 5 pm - doesn't seem to be picky and just loves his snacks....1 piece of kitty food - too funny how he thinks its such a big deal...- oh and when we leave for work he gets a Kong of low fat whipped cream cheese cause hubby is alergic to peanut butter...barks to go IN his crate cause he knows the Kong is coming!!! Makes leaving so much more pleasant....


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## luchetel (Jan 15, 2007)

*So much I don't know! Feel like a new mom all over again after having 2 children!*

I am not sure if I am feeding Parker everything he needs either- He is almost 7 months old- The breeder told me to buy Natural Choice from Nutro Products- LambMeal and Rice Forumula for puppies. He has not had anything else- not people food as of yet. Does anyone know if this is sufficent nutrition for a Hav? If I were to let him try something in people food, what would be the best first item- or should I stick with the kibble and not start?

Another question- I read something last week that said that dogs under 15 pounds , particularly those that have hair not fur, should be wearing a sweater outside when it is very cold (below freezing)if they are going to be out for more then a quick potty stop- I have not done that and my puppy loves to play outside with me in the snow and the cold!

And one more- what do you do about the heart worm prevention and flea and tick prevention? I have been reading up and I understand that Heart worm is caused by mosquito bites- which are higly unlikely in the winter months- So why did my vet give me the pills to give 1Xmonth? Isn't that overkill- unnecessary meds? And the Advantix drops too? (THough I live in an area in New York where tics are around all year- though not so much in the freezing weather. Are fleas around all year?
Thanks for any info.


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