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Old March 7th, 2011, 09:53 PM
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maryevaoh maryevaoh is offline
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What to feed my 3 month old Husky?

Hey everyone, I'm looking for advice on what to feed my 3 mo. old Siberian Husky pup. He is very healthy as is I had him eating a bag of Beneful Puppy Food because I needed to get something at a grocery store quickly, and that was all they had. Other than that, he has been eating ProSeries Puppy, which certainly is better than the Purina, but has more corn, rice, added salt, and other things I'd rather avoid feeding the pup. It's also costing me about as much as better foods would.

I tried him on Acana Pacifica and loved it. He was full quickly, and his coat was quickly shinier and softer. He just finished off the bag of it on the weekend, and he's about to finish what's left of his last ProSeries bag. I'd like to get him more of the Acana stuff, maybe trying another flavour, but I'm hesitant. Until the summer, I'm living with my grandparents who are currently paying for his food, and I don't want to ask them to pay so much for dog food when they feed their two adult huskies Purina Dog Chow (bleeeugh...) and the two dogs are extremely healthy.

So I'm looking for any tips on a good grain-free dry food to feed Koru. Canadian-made is best, but as long as the ingredients come from a reputable source, and the price is right, I'm happy.
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Last edited by Ford; March 9th, 2011 at 05:36 PM.
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Old March 8th, 2011, 11:15 PM
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cassiek cassiek is offline
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Originally Posted by maryevaoh View Post
I tried him on Acana Pacifica and loved it. He was full quickly, and his coat was quickly shinier and softer. He just finished off the bag of it on the weekend, and he's about to finish what's left of his last ProSeries bag. I'd like to get him more of the Acana stuff, maybe trying another flavour, but I'm hesitant. Until the summer, I'm living with my grandparents who are currently paying for his food, and I don't want to ask them to pay so much for dog food when they feed their two adult huskies Purina Dog Chow (bleeeugh...) and the two dogs are extremely healthy.

So I'm looking for any tips on a good grain-free dry food to feed Koru. Canadian-made is best, but as long as the ingredients come from a reputable source, and the price is right, I'm happy.
Hi maryevaoh,

Would love to see pictures of your new pup!

Being 3 months old he should still be on puppy food would be my thoughts. Acana has a puppy large breed food that may be more ideal than the Pacifica for this stage of his life. I know we alternate between the Acana Lamb & Apple and Pacifica and they are two of the more expensive ones (because they have limited proteins). The puppy chow may be cheaper, but I can't be sure of that as we've never fed it. Another thing to remember is that Champion PetFoods does have a frequent buyer program that gives you a free bag after 12 I believe. That helps to cut down on the cost a bit. You'll have to ask at the petstore you buy it from if they offer that.

I've compared cheaper dog food with a higher quality food such as Acana or Orijen, and have always found that the cost is actually fairly close. If we fed exclusively kibble (we feed half kibble half raw), we would need to feed Diesel upwards of 6-8 cups a day on a cheap kibble. On Acana he only needs about 3.5. Maybe that's something you could bring up to your grandparents?

Plus... there's always a lot less poop to pick up on a higher quality kibble haha!

Oh... and did I say PICTURES please?
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Old March 18th, 2011, 11:35 AM
Training_Benji Training_Benji is offline
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Talking Grainfree food for puppy

Hey
I have a 3 month old cattle dog and I feed him Orijen Puppy food which is about $50 for a 15lb bag that lasts all month. He was on Royal Canin but it made his skin dry. Orijen is grain free, has tons of protein for an active dog like a husky and is Canadian made (Alberta). I'm sure tons of people are recommending Orijen.
The kibble is very hard though! and my dog has trouble with it. But it's supposedly very good for your dogs!
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Old March 18th, 2011, 11:42 AM
exkalibur exkalibur is offline
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Originally Posted by Training_Benji View Post
Hey
I have a 3 month old cattle dog and I feed him Orijen Puppy food which is about $50 for a 15lb bag that lasts all month. He was on Royal Canin but it made his skin dry. Orijen is grain free, has tons of protein for an active dog like a husky and is Canadian made (Alberta). I'm sure tons of people are recommending Orijen.
The kibble is very hard though! and my dog has trouble with it. But it's supposedly very good for your dogs!
did you try soaking it with a bit a water, before feeding ? I did that with Chief when he was a pupper. Helps them to chew instead of swallowing.
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Old March 18th, 2011, 07:57 PM
SamIam SamIam is offline
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Maryevaoh, with a husky I would suggest a raw diet. They seem far less likely than other dogs to do well on kibble of any kind, and far more likely to thrive and live twice as long as on raw.
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Old March 18th, 2011, 10:17 PM
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Originally Posted by SamIam View Post
Maryevaoh, with a husky I would suggest a raw diet. They seem far less likely than other dogs to do well on kibble of any kind, and far more likely to thrive and live twice as long as on raw.
I think benefits of raw feeding would apply to all dogs...
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Old March 18th, 2011, 10:29 PM
SamIam SamIam is offline
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I think benefits of raw feeding would apply to all dogs...
Yes, probably so. More critical for a husky, though, newfoundlands as well.
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Old March 18th, 2011, 10:34 PM
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Yes, probably so. More critical for a husky, though, newfoundlands as well.
i am curious -- why these breeds more so than others?
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Old March 18th, 2011, 10:49 PM
SamIam SamIam is offline
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Originally Posted by Masha View Post
i am curious -- why these breeds more so than others?
With huskies it could be that they are less domesticated (=changed from wild ancestors). Today the vast majority of husky breeders and sled runners still feed raw (and cooked portions) animal-rich diets, whereas many other breeds have been created and kept for the decades or centuries of their existence, with omnivorous scraps and then more recently manufactured diets.

With newfs I don't have as strong a connection to the newf community to offer an explanation.
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Old March 19th, 2011, 04:07 AM
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Love4himies Love4himies is offline
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Originally Posted by SamIam View Post
With huskies it could be that they are less domesticated (=changed from wild ancestors). Today the vast majority of husky breeders and sled runners still feed raw (and cooked portions) animal-rich diets, whereas many other breeds have been created and kept for the decades or centuries of their existence, with omnivorous scraps and then more recently manufactured diets.

With newfs I don't have as strong a connection to the newf community to offer an explanation.
Huh . Do they have different digestive tracts? Nutritional needs? Digestive enzymes? Teeth? Please explain, as I am very confused.
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Old March 19th, 2011, 04:22 PM
SamIam SamIam is offline
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Huh . Do they have different digestive tracts? Nutritional needs? Digestive enzymes? Teeth? Please explain, as I am very confused.
Yes. Each breed of dog, each line within a breed, and in fact each individual dog has a different and unique physiology. So while I would definitely recommend a raw diet for any husky, it is still not what is best for every dog. In fact, I have one dog who cannot digest raw-diet food, home-made-cooked, or any of the low-mid quality manufactured diets.

Feel free to confirm with any husky breeder, sled runner (i.e., someone with more than just one or two huskies).
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Old March 19th, 2011, 10:22 PM
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Huh . Do they have different digestive tracts? Nutritional needs? Digestive enzymes? Teeth? Please explain, as I am very confused.
That makes two of us.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SamIam View Post
Yes. Each breed of dog, each line within a breed, and in fact each individual dog has a different and unique physiology. So while I would definitely recommend a raw diet for any husky, it is still not what is best for every dog. In fact, I have one dog who cannot digest raw-diet food, home-made-cooked, or any of the low-mid quality manufactured diets.

Feel free to confirm with any husky breeder, sled runner (i.e., someone with more than just one or two huskies).
I am not a breeder but I do have a siberian husky and had two previously. I also do not understand what you are trying to say.
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Old March 19th, 2011, 10:38 PM
SamIam SamIam is offline
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That makes two of us.
I am not a breeder but I do have a siberian husky and had two previously. I also do not understand what you are trying to say.
So you've had 3 huskies. What did/do you feed them? Did they ever have health problems? How long did they live?
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Old March 20th, 2011, 12:29 PM
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Welcome to Pets maryevaoh. As other have requested we love to see pics of your pup.
As for diet - I've spent some time searching the net for anything that states huskies in particular need to be on a different diet than other breeds. What I found says that huskies can be (not necessarily are) sensitive to the ingredients in some of the cheaper dog foods. Probably like those found in Purina Dog Chow. These days I find there are a lot of dogs (and cats) that are sensitive to the ingredients found in pet food. I blame that on some pet food companies looking to cut costs and adding crap fillers to their foods. I did, however, find a good site for you to read. It gives you a variety of different options. I'm sure one of them will meet your baby's nutritional needs. The site is: http://www.allabouthuskies.com/food.html . There is also a ton of other info on the site.

As with any pet it is important to do your research to find the best diet suited for your particular dog. Of course the level of exercise you are planning on doing with your dog will have a great deal to do with what/how much/what quantity and quality of food you want to feed your pooch. Unless you're planning on running the Iditarod any time soon the grain free puppy foods you want to feed are a good starting point. Remember the higher costs of better food is offset by having to feed less of the food.

If you are interested in learning about raw feeding we have a BARF sub-forum on Pets as well. There is a ton of info there. Good luck. And ummmm - can't wait to see those pics.

Edited to add the sub forum.....
http://www.pets.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=64
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Last edited by 14+kitties; March 20th, 2011 at 05:05 PM. Reason: Bolded to emphasize my meaning so it is not taken the wrong way
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Old March 20th, 2011, 01:04 PM
SamIam SamIam is offline
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As that website states (without a lot of detail), huskies are prone to kibble-related digestive and other health problems. They have short list of brands they and other husky runners have found successful, in addition to BARF diets, or fed alone. Definitely worth taking a quick look there.

I do want to comment on "cheap junk" though. Trust me, there is expensive junk out there, too!
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Old March 20th, 2011, 04:47 PM
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Originally Posted by SamIam View Post
I do want to comment on "cheap junk" though. Trust me, there is expensive junk out there, too!
Which is why it is so very important to learn how to read a label. Hopefully with the education that is available on line on sites like this and with gently leading people to different choices they can make their own decisions. I don't want folks to go away with the idea that their husky, just because of the breed, is always going to have digestive issues. Any breed may have that propensity.
I've seen tons of the other junk. A lot of it is made by the biggest names in pet foods.
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Old March 20th, 2011, 08:31 PM
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I don't want folks to go away with the idea that their husky, just because of the breed, is always going to have digestive issues. Any breed may have that propensity.
I've seen tons of the other junk. A lot of it is made by the biggest names in pet foods.
100% agree... based on what I have seen, it is not the breed the dictates what a dog should be fed... but figuring out whats right for one's own dog, regardless of breed...
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Old April 3rd, 2011, 03:56 PM
Brandon W Brandon W is offline
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My advice is stay with Acana,or go to Orijen,they are both the same company(champion) and are all canadian,with locally caught fish,and local beef and chicken. Acana is a 60% protien,and Orijen is 80%. The higher protien is better for huskies,but every dog is different. My dogs i just put on Acana Pacifica,it uses 3 types of fish. Problem is the fish is $$. If your dogs are ok with chicken and are not allergic to it then go with the Acana that has chicken as well,it will be a little less pricey. You got him on a good food right now,and he loves it and has showed good results so stick with it if you can. Either of the other mixes are going to be ok to switch to if you want to. Dont forget to transition them to the new food. Usually 3/4 old and 1/4 new is good. Talk to your vet though for better advice.Hope this helps.
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