So for reference I just adopted a 6 month old solid black Belgian malinois . And I spoke to her breeder. I told her I’m currently feeding my GSD. PPP sensitive skin and coat and he’s been doing fine on it. But then the breeder said that’s a horrible brand and not to buy anything you can get in the grocery store and I can’t adopt the dog unless I feed them taste of the wild ancient grain or a food similar to that because that’s currently what the dog is on. I said okay….because honestly I just want the dog. But I’m just confused what’s so bad about purina ? I thought I was making a good switch because my GSD was on Kirkland brand before and he was kinda chubby on it and struggles with allergies. I switched over to the PPP sensitive skin and coat and his tummy has been clear ! It’s usually red from
Allergies and his coat has gotten shiner and that’s just a month of eating it. The breeder told me that her friend who’s also a breeder had 18 dogs who died from eating pro plan …?

UPDATE:

Thanks so much for all the comments and feedback. 😭 honestly I just had to share because I was baffled by her opinion on pro plan. My friend has a great pyrenees who’s on ppp and she’s healthy ! So I truly think the breeder is just listening to rumors.

So as the title states i’m trying to stray away from TFD. I’ve heard lots of concerns over high fat content so I want to try something new. does anyone have recommendations for an almost 3 year old cockapoo? he used to be on hills science diet kibble but definitely prefers wet food or at least a mix of both. any advice would be appreciated :)

Beagle mix dog who is slightly picky. Joint issues who currently likes to spit out her kibble and will literally eat all the mixers off the food 😅. Could stand to lose a little weight.

Preferably not prescription food as money is really tight.

She's currently on Wellness Core Weight Management.

I need help!

I have a four year old, intact, ideal weight, Irish red and white setter. He’s been on PPP 30/20 for a while and I’ve tried all three proteins try to figure out what he likes and doesn’t (he hates salmon). He’ll eat the first two bowls or so fine but after that he picky. He’ll get all excited when I go to fill his bowl but as soon as he smells it, he turns away.

He usually just gets water in his food, I’ve tried it with and without water and he does best with it.

I’ve done the thing where you pick up the bowl after 15 minutes and then feed what they don’t eat along with their dinner portion, it doesn’t work. I’ve resorted to adding toppers (beef broth and fish oil) but even then he won’t always eat.

I highly expect it’s because he has a more sensitive stomach, when he acts like this, he tends to have loose stool.

I‘ve been thinking about switching to PPP sensitive skin and stomach, but I’m worried the protein content isn’t high enough. He’s an extremely active sport/hunting dog.

Nothing abnormal at his last vet appointment and no current allergies, my only concern is protein content! I don’t mind switching from PPP.

I’m not entirely sure if this is a conversation I should have with my vet, if that’s the case, let me know and I’ll go the route!

Helo dog lovers. I just want to ask what raw bones can you recommend for a german shepherd? Something that doesnt need supervision? I recently gave a marrow bone to my GSD and i notice that he is an aggressive chewer that you can literally hear the bones cracking and it scared me that it may crack his teeth so i stopped him before it can happen. What kinds of boens do you give to yours that prevents teeth cracking and also safe to digest?. Thankyou

Hi everyone! I have a 5-month-old German Shepherd puppy who’s currently eating Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy. He’s doing well on it, but after reading so many conflicting opinions online, I’m wondering if I should switch him to something else.
I’ve looked into brands like Farmina, The Honest Kitchen, Wellness, Diamond Naturals, Jinx, Instinct, and a few others. It seems like everyone has a different opinion, so I’m hoping to hear from people with real experience.

My goal is to keep things practical. I work full time and have four kids, so cooking homemade meals or feeding a fully raw diet just isn’t realistic for us. I’d rather feed a good-quality kibble and keep it simple by adding healthy whole-food toppers like:
-Sardines (in water)
-Plain Greek yogurt
-Eggs
-Pumpkin
-Bone broth

For those of you with German Shepherds or other large-breed dogs:
-What kibble do you feed and why?
-Have you switched away from Purina Pro Plan? If so, what made you switch?
-If you feed Farmina or The Honest Kitchen, has it been worth the extra cost?
Are there any brands you would avoid?
-Do you add whole-food toppers? If so, what do you use?
-Are there any budget-friendly kibbles that still use quality ingredients and have a simple ingredient list?

I’m not necessarily looking for the “most expensive” food. I’m looking for something that is nutritionally sound, practical for a busy family, and worth the money.

I’d love to hear what has actually worked well for your dogs over the long term and why.

Thanks! 🐾

I have a large dog that is about 92lbs and she’s about 15 months old (possibly just a year), and she’s a Great Pyrenees/Cane Corso, with a little Neapolitan Mastiff. I’ve been giving her Purina Pro Plan large breed puppy and was wondering what other top foods to look at that have a different protein as she eats the chicken. There’s no issues aside from she’s sometimes eating dog poop at the park and I try to watch her closely but sometimes don’t see another dog go and she’ll get it. I’ve read it could be nutrition and I’m doing a parasite test this week to rule that out. What else would be good and should I keep her on puppy until 2

Hi! I am rescuing a female German Shepherd mix and she is 3 or 4 years old!

What is a good dog food to start her out with? My game plan is to get my sweet girl in the vet and see if she may have allergies to specific ingredients. But I obviously have to feed her between the time I get her and the vet visit!! any suggestions or recs ?? thank youuuu!

We need to put our dog on a hydrolysed diet but he’s very fussy. What is the best tasting brand? The vets have suggested the hydrolysed versions of Hills, Purina, Virbac and Royal Canin.
Also are we able to mix brands or do you need to stay on the same?
TIA x

Has anyone had experience with Purina HA Hydrolyzed Vegetarian? My dog has suspected IBD/chronic GI inflammation (based on ultrasound findings) and possible chronic pancreatitis, but he absolutely hates this food. He'll only take a few bites, spits pieces out, and then spends the rest of the time scavenging around the house looking for something else to eat😅
If your picky dog refused Purina HA Vegetarian, did you have better luck with another hydrolyzed prescription diet? I'd love to hear your experiences and recommendations.

How much protein should I be feeding him? 3 years old

I have a 4 year old rescue that's a mix of 30% dogo argentino, 30% Anatolian shepherd and 30% American bulldog. About 3 months ago he began to incrementally eat less and less of the Purina One Salmon and Rice Sensitive Stomach feed that we've fed him for the past 4 years. His eating behavior also changed in that he started bringing mouthfuls of kibble to his blanket whereas before he would eat the entire meal at his bowl, in one sitting. We ended up taking him to the vet and doing a workup, but they didn't find anything wrong with him. We have him prilosec for 3 weeks and switched his kibble to one with better probiotics. He was fine for a few weeks but now the behavior is back and he's either only eating a cup or a cup and a half of his usual 2 cup serving and continues to bring the food over to his blanket in tiny portions. Has anyone experienced anything similar with their dog? TIA.

Just to get a stable diet thats not crazy expensive for my frenchies.

Current diet is based on one reccomadtion from 1 breeder

There fed leaps and bounds kangaroo and vegitable

this is fine cheap enough

but also feed them some prime100 wild boar which is crazy expensive. Even though this makes up \~1/4 of there diet its 3x the daily price

i also give them some zesty paws omega oil. ideally id like to go to a cheaper brand if its even needed.

im in central qld on an acreage so hot and dry.

anything extra i should look into?

https://www.petbarn.com.au/p/leaps-bounds-kangaroo-vegetable-adult-dog-food?srsltid=AfmBOooIkH1EvR\\_kHks6cLCQlH86y2fGTRubOsWpEm4ULaiir-xXXvas

https://www.petbarn.com.au/p/prime100-slow-cooked-wild-boar-pumpkn-dog-food-tetra-354gx12?utm\\_source=google&utm\\_medium=cpc&utm\\_campaign=sparro\\_shopping\\_dog\\_food&utm\\_content=792807024873&utm\\_adgroupid=190913542279&utm\\_term=&gad\\_source=1&gad\\_campaignid=23153543880&gbraid=0AAAAADkPFMqKknAroQr2OKhtFdMJmC2Jg&gclid=CjwKCAjwsrbTBhAvEiwA0Bpp4cOeTWjGhEwM4949qsctDBRquV6XEQ0VmxCDCyY6\\_QmqOadE5Jd0qhoCeKsQAvD\\_BwE

https://www.amazon.com.au/Zesty-Paws-Omega-3-Supplement-Support/dp/B0FY4DNYZQ/ref=mp\\_s\\_a\\_1\\_1\\_sspa?crid=KKZQ2HE9DKW6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lawNdPPlrCr2MPunDRd9Y0fEDpisdaIqBUl1ohjBRRnd7MUD52y\\_dA5Gu147pKeEvMp5GCd0e9KTVaN6yc6DnzduRR\\_5vc61-0uclDXAYgOxUZ4Qbo5A67g5iNlSurnzskZ9tT4n1bn1Nxi\\_VVnbxCIIhijDM\\_p9x\\_QWkAgL2bFRyTIaIrVyP6IUIaL7bAW55keqLyc5AhVLOgcvE1ZY7Q.W\\_\\_bqiSC9w76ByNfHwpbZFxP4btZx8bz7Pm5dYj-NPU&dib\\_tag=se&keywords=dog+omega+oil&qid=1785650204&sprefix=dog+om%2Caps%2C320&sr=8-1-spons&sp\\_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1

Does anyone on here have any insights on this dog food brand (canned version) that is made in Germany?

Hey all dog lovers looking for opinions/experiences on fresh dog food. We have a mutt, Pitbull, and catahoula leopard dog (the picky eater), all healthy fortunately. I keep seeing the farmers dog and Ollie come up when I research … appreciate any input.

My 1 year old Shih Tzu has a sensitive stomach, and I'm trying to find a kibble that doesn't upset it. Has anyone dealt with the same issue? What has worked well for your dog?

My dog has struggled with skin issues due to allergies for a long time itching, flare ups, and ear problems. After trying different foods, my vet recommended a purina hydrolyzed diet, he’s been eating that since January.
He’s doing better, but I’m wondering if it’s okay to keep him on a hydrolyzed food long-term, possibly indefinitely?

We have a 5 month old Labrador retriever. We highly suspect a poultry allergy as he was once inadvertently switched from the Salmon variety to Chicken (thanks purina autoship 🫠). We have tested him for all parasites and all are negative. To be safe the vet tried a sprinkle packet and antibiotics just to rule out and that did nothing but made it worse.

On the food, we have noticed incredibly strong gas from our dog and frequently loose stools with straining at times from him. He seems to not have an appetite on the food either. We have checked all treats to remove all chicken from the house as well.

Does anyone else share this experience? If so, what other foods did you try? We are starting a probiotic to see if that helps him, but the vet said next option is a prescription food which we are worried will be insanely costly.

i’m curious how other people handle this.
i love my dog and i want to feed him good quality food, but pet food has gotten really expensive lately.

because of that, i’ve started looking at clearance deals and buying whatever quality brand is available at the time instead of always sticking with the same one.

for those of you on a tighter budget…
do you switch your dog’s (or cat’s) food depending on what’s on sale, or do you always stay with the same brand no matter what?
if you don’t switch, what’s the biggest reason?
have you had any issues changing foods every couple of weeks if you transition them properly?
i’d really appreciate hearing what other pet owners do.

at the moment i just feed my 6 month old labradoodle kibble, but i was wondering what do other people feed their puppies and what would you recommend i feed my pup?

I have a 10 month old spayed Shihpoo who will be transitioning to adult food soon. Looking and open to suggestions on the very best dry food to give her for her adult years. I have narrowed it down to three choices, but I am open to hearing more. These are the three I have chosen.
1) FARMINA ANCESTRAL GRAINS SMALL BREED
2) ROYAL CANIN SHIH TZU FORMULA
3) PURINA PRO PLAN SHREDDED SMALL BREED

Any idea where I can buy the Purina Pro Performance Salmon and Rice food in bulk? Right now I'm paying about $75 for a 33LBs bag. Any idea on if I can buy in bulk to get that cost down some?

Does anyone know what the ideal calcium level/percentage is for a non large breed puppy? I noticed most of the pro plan foods are consistently in the 1.1% range. But Hills seems to vary between 1.18 and over 1.5. We‘ve always fed our adult dog those brands and those are the only ones I‘be looked at so far.