Switching to adult, grain-free food
My vet recommended that I switch Peggy to an adult food when she turned 6 months old. Well, she was just spayed last week and is almost 6 months old so it's time for us to begin exploring adult foods!
She is quite the picky eater and I had a lot of trouble finding a puppy food that she would actually touch. We tried Wellness, Innova, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, and California Natural. She finally ended up settling on Merrick Puppy Plate (and I add a small teaspoon of of plain, fat free yogurt to make it more tasty for her).
What are some recommended adult foods?
Should I be considering a grain-free food?
I've heard that super high protein foods such as Evo and Orijen aren't the best for Corgis. What percentage of protein is "safe" and healthy for Corgis?
Thanks, all!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Nichole and Shelly! on
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Both my dogs (and english bulldog and a corgi mix) are on Blue Buffalo Wilderness. Its grain free. Both my girls can be alittle picky but they LOVE this stuff! I swear I could use this stuff as high value training treats!
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Permalink Reply by Sky and Lyla on
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High protein is perfectly safe for Corgis or any other dog without any protein specific diseases. My Corgi was on a rotation of Orijen and Evo from the time she was 10 months old until just recently, and that's because I switched to an all raw diet. I probably would put her on a regular high quality adult food for another few months still (like Innova). The only protein concern is in puppies because it makes them grow too fast and can cause joint problems later in life. So get her on a good quality, lower protein adult food (no higher than 26%) until she's done growing and then try the Orjen or Evo. Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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You have to decide what will work with you and your dog. I'm not a fan of high-protein, high-calorie performance foods for the average sedentary pet, but others see things differently. Grain-free is great for dogs with allergies or intolerances, but most dogs do just fine on traditional kibbles that use grain as a filler. I think of the grain-free the way I think of Atkins and the like: it's great for some, not for others. Those who are in favor of it are very passionate about it.
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Permalink Reply by Kimberlie on
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I was told the same thing by my vet, and have been researching what food to switch to, Adora gets spayed in a month. I have been mainly looking into grain free foods, as grain isn't part of a canines natural diet. I was also told to go Corn free for food and treats as it is hard to us to digest never mind dogs, which is not go dog breeds that are easily over weight. The hard part is most grain free foods are high in protein. My vet told be to make sure no Adult food we feed Adora is over 35% protein until she is a year old. www.dogfoodanalysis.com is a great help. My plan is to go with Wellness Core, rated 6 out of 6 stars. Plus it is sold at our favorite and closest pet store to our house.
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Please keep in mind that while grain may not be a part of a canine's "natural" diet, they have been fed by humans for tens of thousands of years. Also, grain-free usually uses some sort of potato as the starch, and last time I checked, potatoes were not part of a canine's "natural" diet either. Just a thought. If grain-free appeals to you, that is wonderful. Just separate out facts from marketing.
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That is true but potato is easier to digest then grain(wheat, barley, millet, rice, oats) potato is a veggie and wolfs and coyotes will eat veggies and berries as a filler or when they are too weak to hunt. So it may not be part of their "natural" diet but it is eaten out in the wild as a "survival" technique. And just becuase we have been feeding them for thousands of years doesn't mean what we where feeding them where in there best interest. If one has the means to give a "more" natural diet than why not do it. I believe in doing best for your animals that you can.
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Your vet is right, you do want to make sure you are not feeding a food too high in protein. It's actually why I won't feed a puppy food to a growing puppy, it makes them grow too fast. IMO, Wellness Core is still too high in protein if your girl is still growing, still 34% which is very high (I'm not sure how old she is, so you'll have to be a judge of that). I too prefer grain free products, although Beth is right, most still have to use some kind of starch to make the food hold together, but I still like that better than rice or oatmeal, or heaven forbid, corn. I am currently raising an Aussie male pup and so slow growth is very, very important. I have him on Natural Balance Chicken and Sweet Potato. It is technically grain free (although it does have the sweet potato, so not a "grain" but a starch) which is only 21% protein. Before that I had him on Now! Adult food, which is 26% and still within the realm of reason for a growing pup. I wouldn't want to go above 26% protein for a growing pup though. The Natural Balance is also an "All Life Stages" formula if you are worried about having something that is approved for puppies (although I would not be worried about feeding a puppy an adult only food, good show breeders have been doing it for years). I would just be careful about doing too much protein before she's done growing, it increases chances of bone and joint disease later in life. After she's done, I think your fine feeding any of the higher protein foods.
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I do agree about the protein and growing puppies.
Wellness makes a nice traditional kibble (with grain) that comes in several varieties and most are very modest protein. And the Natural Balance sounds like a nice protein level for a growing pup too.
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Permalink Reply by Joanna Kimball on
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The ban on high protein is a little bit right and a little bit wrong.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with feeding a puppy a high-protein diet. Dogs can handle protein of up to 50% and they do great.
The problem is that high protein is a marker that the food is also high-CALORIE. And that is where the problem comes in. Dense foods that are high in calories in adult dogs just make them fat; high-calorie puppy foods make puppies grow too fast. And that's a classic risk factor for all kinds of bone, joint, and other problems.
You can feed absolutely anything you would like to a puppy AS LONG AS you're restricting calories appropriately. That's very difficult for the majority of owners to do, so breeders have come up with a bunch of rules (no puppy food, no grain-free foods, etc.) because it's a lot easier to do that than take twenty minutes to explain how to restrict calories, especially when you know that the owner is going to feed the puppy too much no matter how hard you warn them.
My Cardigan puppies right now are getting a little of everything - they get whole chicken backs, ground tripe, beef and organs, veggies, some canned food, and - yes - Orijen grain-free kibble. I just keep them whip-thin and don't make the Orijen more than one meal out of four. They're staying small and growing slowly, which is what I want.
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Permalink Reply by Amy & Peggy on
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Really appreciate everyone's advice--very, very helpful.
Has anyone had experience with First Mate foods? I've talked to a few premium pet stores in my area and this seems to be a consistent brand that's recommended.
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Permalink Reply by christy fry on
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I've seen this in a few premium per stores domn here in southern washington but if price is an indicator it must be a wonderfull food...I couldn't afford it for my 3.....LOL
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First Mate grain-free is a classic example of a food that manages to call itself grain-free but it's mostly starch. It's more potato than anything else, which is how it manages to be a low-protein food and grain-free. The conventional formulas look like a basic "premium" (not super-premium) kibble.
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