Choosing the right kind of dog food for your poodle

Choosing the right kind of dog food for your poodle can be quite a challenge when there are dozens of choices of dog food brands available. 
It is hard enough to select the best dog food that is a good fit for your puppy or adult poodle, but now more than ever, we have to be very careful about which food we serve up to our pup.  There are many dog food brands that are on the recall list and you need to know which ones they are.

A Poodle at mealtime

Recently on a visit to my sister in law, Lucy began munching away at their dog's food bowl.  She is usually a very picky eater for a poodle, so I asked about what kind of dog food they were giving to their dog.  It was the "freedom" style of grain free food from the Blue Buffalo brand.  The ingredients looked great and had no grains in their recipe.  It was full of sweet potatoes, carrots, blueberries and cranberries.  She gobbled it up.  But when we decided to give it a try and switch her from her regular grain free dry food to this one, she developed a whopper of an allergy.  She scratched and scratched herself silly until we had to call the vet to find out what to do.  Finally it became clear it was the food. 
As good as this food might be, all of those dozens of ingredients made it impossible to isolate which one was the culprit and made her skin itchy, to the point of scratching non-stop for days.
When we switched to the old food, she went back to normal and stopped scratching after just a few days off of the food.  So you have to be careful with certain brands and it really depends on allergies as well as nutritional needs.  Many of the brands have good food and some are better than others.  But be aware that if there are too many ingredients and supplements in food, that more is not always better.

Choosing the right kind of dog food for your poodle

Do your best to get a good grain-free type of food for your poodles.  Dogs were not meant to eat things like oats, wheat, corn and other grains that can be found in some brands of dog food.   Meat and vegetables are what they need for nutritional requirements.  Some poodles do better with wet food and some with dry or both.  Lucy happens to be a little picky, but she likes the dry kibble.
We raised her as a puppy on raw meat, especially made for dogs.  Our veterinarian has a brand that they make in-house that is made with tripe and is very high grade raw food for dogs.  She turns her nose at it most days.  We tried other brands of raw and sometimes she loves it and sometimes she could care less and go without eating.
Then there are the numerous dog food recalls that have been in the news so much lately.  Tons of reports of salmonella poisoning have been in the news lately, mostly from dog food made at the Diamond Food company.  Initially, there was a voluntary recall of certain brands of their dog food, including a few varieties of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul formulas with best-by dates of January 27 or 28, 2013.  To date, there are over 40 varieties of dog food included in a massive dog food recall.
Here is a list of dog food recalls and dates associated with the various brands included in the recall from dogfoodadvisor.com

• Diamond Issues Yet Another Dog Food Recall (5/18/2012)
• Solid Gold Dog Food Recall (5/8/2012)
• Apex Dog Food Recall (5/7/2012)
• Diamond Dog Food Recall Summary (5/6/2012)
• Canidae Dog Food Recall (5/5/2012)
• Wellness Dog Food Recall (5/5/2012)
• Natural Balance Dog Food Recall (5/5/2012)
• Kirkland Dog Food Recall (5/5/2012)
• Diamond Dog Food Recall Expands Again (5/4/2012)
• Diamond Dog Food Recall Widens (4/30/2012)
• Diamond Dog Food Recall Expanded (4/26/2012)
• Diamond Dog Food Recall (4/6/2012)
• Petrus Dog Food Recall (12/28/2011)
• Arrow Brand Dog Food Recall (12/12/2011)
• Advanced Animal Nutrition Recalls Dog Food (12/9/2011)
• Two Dog Food Brands Recalled by Cargill (12/7/2011)
• Iams Recalls Puppy Food (12/6/2011)
• Iams Pet Food Recall Mysteriously Removed by Retailer (11/27/2011)
• FDA Issues Dog Treats Warning (11/18/2011)
• Recalled Soy Possibly Linked to Dog Food (10/7/2011)
• Merrick Recalls Dog Treats (8/9/2011)
• Bravo Recalls Pig Ears Dog Chews for Salmonella (6/1/2011)
• PrimeTime and KC Beefhide Pig Ears Recalled (5/18/2011)
• Diggers Natural Treats Recalled for Salmonella (5/18/2011)
• Pig Ears Recalled Due to Possible Salmonella (5/4/2011)
• Jones Natural Chews Pig Ears Recall (3/9/2011)
• Merrick Pet Treats Recalled for Salmonella (1/30/2011)
• Kroger Dog Food Recalled for Aflatoxin (12/19/2010)
• Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall (10/8/2010)
• Hartz Naturals Real Beef Dog Treats Recall (9/5/2010)
• Merrick Expands Dog Treats Recall (8/16/2010)
• Merrick Expands Recall of Dog Treats (8/4/2010)
• Eukanuba and Iams Dog Food Recall (8/1/2010)
• Merrick Dog Treats Recall (7/6/2010)
• Pro-Pet Vitamin Recall Expanded (7/5/2010)
• Pro-Pet Vitamin Supplement Recall (6/23/2010)
• Natural Balance Dog Food Recall 2010 (6/19/2010)
• Nature’s Variety Dog Food Recall Expanded (3/9/2010)
• Nature’s Variety Dog Food Recall (2/14/2010)
• Merrick Dog Treats Recalled for Salmonella (1/15/2010)
• Pet Carousel Dog Treats Recalled (12/10/2009)
• PetsMart Updates Salmonella Recall (11/10/2009)
• FDA Recalls Pet Carousel Treats (11/6/2009)
• PetsMart Recalls Dentley’s Beef Hooves (11/5/2009)
• Wysong Dog Food Recall Expanded (11/4/2009)
• Wysong Dog Food Recall (10/13/2009)
• Nutro Dog Food Recall (10/4/2009)

Read more from the original story here

This is a massive list of dog food brands that have been recalled.  It is alarming and downright disturbing that this many types of food out on the market could be tainted and harmful.  There have been numerous cases of humans getting sick from just handling the food.  Some people have even ended up hospitalized for sickness due to handling the dog food.

Here is the link to the FDA's own report on the deplorable conditions of the Diamond Pet Food Company.
Get the FDA report here

Here's some savory advice from webmd on the subject of choosing the right dog food for your poodle.

2. What is dog food made of?

Dog food ingredients vary, depending on the manufacturer and the brand, but most meet standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). Those standards cover protein, which supplies necessary amino acids; fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

Depending on the manufacturer, the food could contain protein from animal and/or plant sources, grains or other types of carbohydrates, fat, moisture, vitamins, and minerals. The FDA is responsible for ensuring that pet foods are safe and labeled appropriately.
3. How do I choose a high-quality dog food?

Check the label first for the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement, which indicates the food provides complete and balanced nutrition. It should also include the life stage for which the food is appropriate. Life stages include growth (appropriate for puppies), adult maintenance, gestation/lactation, senior (appropriate for older dogs), and “all life stages.” A food labeled for all life stages can be used throughout a dog’s life, from weaning through adulthood.

When choosing a food, look for one that fits your pet’s flavor preferences, lifestyle, medical conditions, and environment, says Susan Wynn, DVM, AHG, a nutritionist for Georgia Veterinary Specialists in the Atlanta area and a clinical resident in small animal nutrition with the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine.

Use the food for six to eight weeks to see how it affects your dog, says Wakshlag, who accepts some research funding from a major pet food manufacturer. Good signs: A shiny coat and a pet that looks healthy. If the dog is producing a large volume of stools or develops diarrhea, he may have problems digesting a food. If a dog has skin, ear, joint, or other problems, try another food to see if there’s a connection, Wynn says.
Original article may be found here

For sure, when it comes to choosing the right kind of dog food for your poodle, it might just be a process of elimination.  Which foods are NOT on the current pet food recall list and which ones might appeal to your poodle.  Always go for a grain free formula first, and as a last resort, use a dog food with as little grains as possible.