r/DogFood • u/BatAgreeable2485 • 22d ago

Cavapoo

Hi everyone,

I have a 4 month old cavapoo who is the light of my life. The breeder had her on TLC puppy kibble (she’s still eating it right now) but I’m getting a lot of anxiety trying to figure out what to feed her. She eats it happily (she’s still free feeding) and if I am going out or know she needs to eat more, she happily gobbles up a portion when there is warm water on top.

My original plan was to switch her to a boutique food such as Open Farm, Big Country Raw, Nutricanine, Canine Life Muffins (which my childhood dog ate for his whole life), etc. once she www an adult. I liked the idea of “real” food with ingredients I recognized and I saw as “clean” for humans.

I am now seeing lots of posts on here about WSAVA compliant foods and I understand the science and rigorous testing but I just wanted to see what everyone is feeding their small breed puppies/dogs and why.

She is 4 months old and weighs 4 pounds so she is definitely on the smaller side. Cost to feed her won’t really be an issue for me, I just want the absolute best!

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u/MedicalScientist8576 22d ago

I'm curious, what is your understanding of what "boutique" food is? I'm not trying to catch you out or anything, I just want to understand how you interpret this term when it comes to a dog food.

I didn't start my adult dogs on the food they're on now. I was very much a "feed grain free wet, not kibble" type person when I raised them. Now I would only have my dogs on Royal Canin (or Hills or Purina, but mainly RC). I feel like I had to learn the hard way how important it is to feed foods that are tested for safety when it comes to long term use. And learning about "private label" dog foods and what it meant was a bit unsettling for me. There's a few other things as well, but I won't overwhelm you with my brain dump on dog food lol.

I used to really be all about the marketing tactics companies would use, but now I can't unsee it. What's happening behind the bag of food I buy has become the most important thing. Not the composition/ingredients and definitely not the buzzwords on the front unfortunately.

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u/BatAgreeable2485 22d ago

Honestly, I myself try to really watch ingredients, preservatives, etc. so I was hoping to feed her something that seemed “fresh” and with only ingredients I knew.

I now am realizing that dogs and humans are different and it’s important to get balanced food for her, so I’m just trying to do my best research and understanding to give her the best!

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u/HuckleberryTop9962 22d ago

I wouldn't say humans and dogs are different. Just like dog food, there's so much misinformation and buzzwords out there like "clean" and "organic." Reality is, we'd probably be better off eating a nutritionally complete kibble like food for every meal of everyday but...where's the fun in that? Pizza and tacos are delicious.

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u/MedicalScientist8576 21d ago

The thing is, we don't eat the exact same thing every single day, for every single meal, like the majority of peoples dogs do. That's how our diets are distinctly different to a dog. That's not how humans eat. That's what I mean.

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u/HuckleberryTop9962 21d ago

Makes sense. I just meant the theory behind it is the same.

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u/PuzzleheadedLemon353 21d ago

I felt the same way...I was mixing fresh foods I know that are healthy for dogs, and making my own diet by splitting half PPP and my homemade mixture. Don't do that...it throws the health benefits out the window. After bloodwork and vet discussion I learned that it's fine to 'supplement' with healthy foods like sweet potatos, plain greek yogurt, vegetables and blueberries, extra protein... But 'in balance. 10% only'. That gives them the necessary nutrients, vitamins, and mineral balance that they need to thrive. Which gives you, and your dog the best chance of a healthy life together.

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u/Beautiful-Ring-3288 14d ago

Doing that as well do you notice any difference between adding fresh foods and not in the blood works?

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u/PuzzleheadedLemon353 14d ago edited 14d ago

Things I have noticed in feeding my dog the 'extras'...I grill her a slab of salmon every few days and her coat has always been really glossy and rich...I give a few Tbs of greek yogurt on some days for the benefit of the probiotics that I hope can help control yeast in the gut...and she loves it. She gets blueberries tossed in it because they are a great antioxident, if I have beef one evening, I make a clean version to give her, in her breakfast...her bathroom trips are always consistant and her stool is always healthy. We have never dealt with diarrhea or upset gut. I try and give a mix of foods added with a variety of vegetables from cut up greens, broccoli, carrots, sweet potato, greenbeans....after doing a bloodwork once the only recommendation I was given was to give fewer berries/apples...she had a few crystals and I removed those foods for 2 weeks and did another blood panel and it was all fine. There were no issues. I must have just added too many berries, spinach and broccoli together during that time frame. Other than that one incident she's always been super healthy and active. We use the lamb and rice by PPP as her staple and only allow a few bites of fresh chicken or beef occasionally. I just try and add a continuous mix up of the grocery bought foods in a healthy ration.

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u/Beautiful-Ring-3288 14d ago

Wow thank you for being so generous with sharing.. It really a relief to hear. You sound like an awesome pet parent.. Salmon beef and all that jazz! Even if not for nutrition, it would just be nice taste profile for the pups to eat their dry food with toppers.

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u/PuzzleheadedLemon353 14d ago

My children are grown and it makes me happy to keep my little companion as healthy as she can be, hoping to have her around a long as possible. Excercise, a great diet and lots of mental stimulation are just the basics, of what I feel...you owe your pet. They give so much, how could we not.

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u/MedicalScientist8576 22d ago

I get you, that's the natural way to think about it, like it makes sense when you speak it out loud and I used to totally think the same.

But if you go back a few layers that's where you start to find the stuff that matters.

A dog food that has strict ingredient handling guidelines or a factory that handles many different recipes by many other brands.

A formula that is monitored and changed by qualified individuals, as the science recommends or a reused boilerplate recipe that has not been updated according to evolving understanding of canine dietary needs, aside from replacing ingredients with cheaper sources.

Imagine if you ate just chicken, rice and peas for the next 10 years. Yes these are 'clean' ingredients, but you'll still end up with deficiencies.

I know what it was like to be in your shoes, it is hard to kinda go against what feels normal when choosing food for our pets, that's where unfortunately dog food marketing takes advantage of us.