# How to choose what to feed my beautiful boy without killing him?



## daisy1234 (Jun 17, 2018)

https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods/

Going to cause a stir up on here posting this link but it was very helpful for me. You are right there are oh so many choices and it's good you seek advice. People choose foods for different reasons. I feed my Golden Fromm large breed puppy gold and my Beagle Nature's Recipe due to her allergies. Good luck in your search!


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

You are right, there are way too many dog foods to choose from. We have been feeding Purina Pro Plan Large Breed for a while now, and have been pleased with it. Both dogs are doing well. Many on the forum feed PPP.


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## waltrav (Nov 15, 2018)

My personal belief is in home made food. It takes more time, is more work, messy, & may cost more.
She had about 1lb of lean beef or chicken from my butcher, with plenty of veggies. Broccoli or Spinach in every meal. 

The pic below is when I was cooling off a fresh pot of stew. She absolutely loved my food. 


She lived until 15 1/2


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## Berna (Jun 14, 2016)

I am for home-made food too.


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## joro32000 (Feb 25, 2017)

I am for a home made food also. My first dog lived until 18, the second 13, the third 18, now the oldest is 14 with no signs of slowing down and the two youngest ones are 6.


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## Nathaliems (Feb 8, 2019)

I am completely confused too. I haven’t been on the boards for awhile, but when I was a few years ago Taste of Wild was the pick. Now it is PPP. I am
Choosing to home cook, but would like to know what is best for a back up? I am guessing PPP?


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## pawsnpaca (Nov 11, 2014)

If money is no object, I'd personally recommend trying one of the commercial frozen or freeze dried foods (we use Primal patties, but there are many other options out there). If you don't want to go grain-free check out the Honest Kitchen products (freeze-dried mix that you add water to, but they also have some varieties where you can add your own meats, etc.). The key would be to check the packaging for something that says something about "AAFCO certified for all life stages" as many of the raw/freeze dried products are marked "for intermittent feeding only" and won't be balanced enough to feed your dog as his primary diet. 

Home cooked is a great option too, BUT that means you are going to have to do a bunch of research to verify that whatever recipe you use has been reviewed by a canine or veterinary nutritionist to ensure it is balanced. My holistic vet gave me a recipe that she uses with her own dogs that she makes up in a crockpot every few days and then freezes. If you have a holistic vet you may want to start with them for some recommendations, but there are also some great books out there. Just proceed with caution and do some research to make sure the author has some decent credentials.

If you decide to do kibble as your primary diet, then learn to read a label to watch out for "problematic" ingredients (like artificial colors or preservatives or kibbles who "split" their grains to make it looks like there is more meat in the food than there really is. Lots of people on this forum feed and are very happy with ProPlan. I personally prefer the higher-quality so-called "boutique" foods, but I admit I'm concerned about possible links to DCM. Whatever kibble you choose, it's always possible to add some fresh food (meat, eggs, veggies, etc.) to the kibble to increase its nutrient value. I believe Honest Kitchen also makes some "toppers" that can be added to kibble to increase the nutrient value. Or you might consider feeding one meal of kibble and another with one of the raw/homemade/freeze dried options. Check out the websites for the Whole Dog Journal, Dogs Naturally, or Dog Aware for some good recommendations. It's also a good idea to rotate through a few different foods over the course of the year (either different brands or same brand with different protein/grain source) to avoid allergies (which can develop if you feed the same food year after year) and to increase the chances of an balanced diet overall.


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## Arthur (Oct 10, 2018)

One issue I'm struggling with right now for my dogs (year-old shih tzu, six-month-old golden) is what kind of diet to prioritize? They both eat kibble (small breed adult food for shih tzu, large breed puppy food for golden). You have all of the scares around DCM, and everyone basically running away from grain-free foods to foods without legumes, peas, etc. I recently switched away from grain-free foods. But we also know that carbohydrates (especially those high in the glycemic index) can potentially serve as fuel for cancer cells, and so dog owners are typically advised to feed a grain-free diet. So how does one balance these competing interests in a way that doesn't require labor-intensive meal preparation or tons of $$$ to address?


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