Food and Nutrition advice for my dog

[MariaM]

I give Carly Open Farm chicken & ancient grains kibble with a topper of Fresh Pet dog food Natures Fresh chicken recipe. She also likes whole grain Chicken from honest kitchen human grade dehydrated dog food. But then heard controversy over sodium selenite?
And lastly I have also given her OC raw dog patties as a topper.

Do you think These foods are good choices? There's so many out there!

 

[Dr. Christina]

You are so right, Maria, there are a lot of brands out there - just like with frozen or dehydrated people meals.

Most of the fresh food brands are still good. The problem, especially with the kibble, is that we never know when they get sold to another company, or change the quality of their ingredients. Your local holistic pet store often stays more on top of that - members with stores please chime in on these choices.

Since dogs are fairly easy to feed fresh food to, that may be your better option. Weaning off the kibble may improve health. Integrate Carly's meals into your shopping list. By feeding individual ingredients you know their quality because you know where you bought them (same source as your food ingredients), you will probably be rotating proteins, vegetables and fruits (if using them) by the seasons, and it becomes a family meal time.

The way to tell if any food choices are good is to track the Early Warning Signs of Internal Imbalance and BEAM.

When feeding commercial options, you can also read their website, do google searches and, as you did, ask here. I am not familiar with those foods, so hoping other members will chime in.

Dr. Chambreau

 

[Dr. Sara]

Dear Maria,
Dr. Chambreau has given you some excellent advice, particularly regarding feeding minimally processed (fresh and frozen) food as much as possible, and observing how the food affects your individual pup's BEAM.
There are several trustworthy on-line resources to compare pet foods. The first is the on-line Dog Food Advisor:

Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor

The Dog Food Advisor's unbiased dog food reviews and ratings searchable by brand or star rating. Find the best dry, canned or raw food for your dog.

www.dogfoodadvisor.com

They rate many dog foods based on their ingredients and nutrient profiles. They also track dog food recalls.
Another resource is The Whole Dog Journal:

Home - Whole Dog Journal | Dog Health, Care, and Training

Whole Dog Journal offers well-researched, in-depth articles about all aspects of dog care and training.

www.whole-dog-journal.com

They publish annual reviews of various food types, providing information about producer ownership and transparency.
I hope this is helpful!
Dr. Sara

 

[SharonC]

Is there a site to review and read about feline foods?
Thank you

 

[Dr. Christina]

Our Dr. Jean Hofve has a great site - www.LittleBigCat.com

 

[SharonC]

thank you Dr. C, shall check the site out.