Holistic Care : Diet : Premium Kibbles

When feeding kibble, we have had excellent results with Eagle Pack Holistic Select (Chicken Formula) bagged food. Here are some of the reasons why we like this particular brand:

• Eagle Pack is one of the only foods that has been feed-trial tested on growing giant breed puppies (Great Danes) to ensure sound joint and overall health over a long period of development, and with several litters, before being made available to the public, and also has the longest track record of any food being successfully fed to giant breeds.
• Our dogs have outstanding coats, with no hotspots, allergies, itching, or ear gunk forming, when on this food as opposed to other premium bagged foods
• The food is highly absorbable - the dogs have minimal poop which is small and firm
• The chicken used is free-range Certified Organic hormone-free and antibiotic-free meat with no water added
• Several ingredients (amaranth, quinoa, and others) are Certified Organic
• This food is preserved naturally with no ethoxyquin, BHA, or BHT
• The 24% protein/15% fat formula can be used for puppies and adult dogs
• Eagle Pack Holistic Select formulas have been consistently ranked extremely high by the Whole Dog Journal's review of premium dog foods

In General: There are a few things to look for on the ingredient listing of your bag of dog food in order to make sure you are feeding a top quality bagged food. Not all dog foods are created equally and the quality and quantity of ingredients vary dramatically, so please start reading those ingredient lists very carefully!

1. Make sure that the first one or two ingredients listed are a quality source of protein (chicken, beef, lamb). It is also a good idea to alternate the sources of protein by changing between the bagged foods you feed every couple of months.

2. Whole meat source as one of the first two ingredients:

3. Whole, unprocessed grains, vegetables, and other natural foods:

Please remember that dry foods that are baked at low temperatures will preserve enzymes much better than foods that have been processed at high temperatures. If you are feeding a dog food that has been processed at a high heat, then do consider adding a quality digestive enzyme supplement, as well as some fresh food, to your dog's diet.

Things to avoid: Make sure your food does not contain any "food fragments", "meat by-products", unknown fats or proteins, or any artificial preservatives, colorings, or sweeteners.

Our recommendations for dry dog food include Wysong, Innova, Canidae, Solid Gold Mmillenia, Eagle Pack Holistic Select, Wellness, and Natural Balance Ultra. If you are living locally, all these foods can be obtained from The Canine Commissary in Plano.

Click here for an excellent article by the Whole Dog Journal on how to select a good bagged dog food