• Ask your vet.

• Read the research and make a decision for yourself: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggests against grain-free due to research leading to Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) - Disease of cardiac muscle. Source: FDA Article and Research

Key Things to Do and Note When Choosing your Dog Food

• Budget & Cost: Think about your how much you are willing to spend on food. It is easy to overspend when you didn’t intend to.

• Ingredients: Avoid “by products” or “chicken meal”, or any type of “protein meal”. These are typically the remains of the animal once all the nutritious meat pieces are used. Be comfortable with what you are feeding your puppy or dog.

• Lifestyle: We travel a fair amount (road trips, flights, leave with friends or at daycare) so dry food is most convenient as we can pack and go. This would be harder if we had wet (liquid) or raw food (must find grocery stores with meat you trust on the go).

• Fat and protein percentages: Can help you decide between different foods if you’re on the fence

• Breed and kibble size: Breeds sometimes need different kibble size because their teeth might be too small, or their jaws aren’t strong enough to chew large kibble

• Types of Food: Dry, wet, human grade (cost from least to greatest)

• Age Dependent: Puppy, adult dog, and senior dog food are different

• Transitioning Food: If you want to switch up your food, transition 25% each day until your dog is fully on the new food

• Storage: Keep the food in the original packaging (and in airtight container) because the bag is designed to store the fat and oils. Do not pour the food into airtight container unless you plan to finish quickly. Keeping the bag also allows you to know how much to feed your pup, measured in both calories and cups.

• Slow feeders are great for slowing down eating if your dog is vomiting from eating too fast

Which food? Dry, wet, or human grade?

We currently feed Brioche quality puppy dry food, but may look into transitioning to human grade food in the future once he is an adult. We have heard great things about the effects, but Brioche is doing great without it, and it makes traveling much easier!

Regardless of the diet, make sure you buy food for age of your dog, and consult with your vet when changes.

Dry Food

• Pros: easier to store, cheaper than wet and human grade, helps clean teeth as the kibble is hard

• Cons: not fresh, may include unwanted or unfamiliar ingredients in your dog’s food

Wet Food

• Pros: can help dog stay hydrated with high-moisture content, typically more protein and fewer carbs, more appealing to picky eaters, easier to digest

• Cons: spoils faster, not the best for dental care, more expensive than dry food

Human Grade

• Pros: high quality - can change dog’s coat and increase playfulness, takes up fridge/freezer space

• Cons: very expensive, not the best for dental care

  
  

When to Feed & How Much

• Calories: Check the calories on the bag, and ask your vet if it needs to be adjusted

• <6 months: Feed 3-4x a day. We fed Brioche at 8 AM, 1 PM, and 8 PM. Brioche vomited white foam if he went too long without eating.

• >6 months: Feed 2x a day. We feed Brioche at 7:30 AM and 5:30 PM. Snack time at 9 PM and a small treat before bed when he enters his crate.

• Do not free-feed your dog (meaning leave food out all day), as this is likely to cause obesity

Is my dog overweight?

• Feel the belly area: You should be able to feel all of your dog’s ribs without a thick layer a fat on top

• Check from above your dog: Chest should be wider than abdomen

• Check from the side: Stomach should not be sagging or swinging side to side when walking

• Analyze activity: If your dog’s energy level is relatively inactive or low, this may also be a sign

• Ask your vet on what you should do to put your dog on a diet. This may require food change, less food, or fixing the timing of feeding.