Looking for GOOD Dog Food Recommendations for 20-25lb Shelties...?

I've bred, owned, and trained 9 shelties over the last 10 years and TOTW is an excellent food for them. I use Solid Gold and it works just fine for all of them, keeps the weight down and also the poo......lol. Shelties are very prone to Hypothyroidism, and a pancreatic problem (sometimes shows up as loose poop), so kind of watch the protein level unless you are showing in a performance ring. When you see either of them with a loose stool, add a heaping teaspoonful of non-fat, unflavored yogurt to their meals and that should clear it up. Weight that is hard to get rid of is usually due to the Hypothyroidism that is soooooo common in shelties. Wispy coats, dandruff, sometimes a behavior change, and simply a very sad look in the eye will be the beginning signs that the thyroid is starting to become a problem. Just for comparison, using Solid Gold, my 20 pound shelties get 1/3 cup morning and night, and my 38 pound girl gets 1/2 cup morning and night. All 3 get 1/2 a one inch in diameter salmon patty as a treat, twice a day. I'm very careful what I give them because of all the food allergies I've run in to. So far everyone is within a good weight for the height they are.

Best Dog Food For Shelties

The Petsmart lady is right. I feed only natural food with no corn/wheat/soy. TOTW is a great food and I've used it before, but now I feed Native. Canidae is another food to consider. BARF (biologically appropriate raw food) is a good option, and with smaller dogs it's easily affordable. I don't feed raw foods because hard food cleans teeth and with the right food you can get just about the same results. I've heard good things about Nutro all naturals, and Diamond Naturals, but I haven't used them so you may want to do some digging.

Remember that you get what you pay for. The better the food you get, the less the dog usually needs to get their nutrients. Cheaper foods are mostly filler, for example, one of my dogs would need 8.5 cups/day of Purina Dog Chow to keep up with his 4 cups/day of Native (and that's not my opinion, that's on their recommended dosage charts-which is a whole other issue).

DO NOT feed Alpo, it's garbage and completely grain based. Also avoid Ol' Roy, Purina, Pedigree, Hill's Science Diet (unless it's prescribed for allergy reasons), Kibbles-n-bits, Iams, Eukanuba and any other grain based foods. Just because they show a picture of meat on the bag doesn't mean it's the main ingredient.

Soft stool is common when changing brands of food and should go back to normal after a few days. If it doesn't, consult a vet, not someone who works at a pet store (the vet has more information).

Another thing to do is to split up the feedings to twice a day. Dogs are able to fully utilize every bit of food they consume that way, and therefore end up eating a bit less. Feed the amount for the weight the dog SHOULD be, not how much is it (If it weighs 26 lbs. and should be 20 lbs., feed it for 20 lbs.). They shouldn't drop weight off too quickly, but if you get good food and keep a good schedule the weight will come off.

Have water always available, it helps with their digestion.

Sorry, I tend to ramble...

I don't have a breed specific food idea but i have heard great reviews about TOTW? Question though is how long have you had them on BB? And how high is the protein in the BB you are feeding them now?

Check this one out: http://www.bluebuff.com/products/dogs/longevityfor...

The point i was going to make is that it can take a while for a dog system to get used to a new food. So they may not have been on the BB long enough for there "poo to firm up" just yet.

And is the alpo canned food? That could be causing it as well and be part of the weight gain.

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Here some you might like; they're all holistic with very reasonable prices: - Blue Buffalo - Taste of the Wild - Natura California Natural - Acana - Whole Foods 365 Brand - Natura Health Wise They're all around $1.15 to $1.70 a pound in my area. If that's still too much, try Kirkland Signature.

Nutro Ultra is an excellent food, and undergoes the most stringent testing you can imagine. Unfortunately, rumors abound on the internet, and there's not much you can do about it. I highly recommend calling the company to discuss your concerns before you decide against Nutro Ultra. I feed my dog Nutro Ultra Weight Management. He absolutely loves it, is in perfect health, and looks like a million bucks!

You don't really need weight management or breed specific foods, just feed less and exercise more. To keep them from gaining weight, just feed a small amount, and be mindful of any treats you give them.

IMO, the best diet for any dog is a raw prey model.

science diet is a good one. also royal canin. my dog is picky so it's hard for him to eat but we made it work with both of those