Is this food ok?

I am trying to change Lily's food to a better quality food. Since she is so picky this is a challenge. I am feeding her 'Newman's' canned food, mixed with 'Royal Canin' dry food and I am adding a very thin slice of deli turkey that tear into little pieces and mix into this and she just loves it all. She wouldn't touch it without the turkey... I would think turkey would be ok for her, but I thought I would ask to be sure, as I might have to do this forever, which is fine with me, as long as it is ok for her. What do you guys think? Is it ok? 1 thinly sliced shredded piece of deli turkey?...
Thanks for any replies,
Sharon :)

That should be fine, deli turkey's generally pretty low in fat, and you use just a little so I don't think it will be doing any harm.

In general, sounds OK.

Do keep in mind she is getting added salt in the turkey. Be sure she always has access to water.

You can learn a great deal about dog foods by reading some reviews on here:
www.dogfoodanalysis.com

Thank you so much. Yes, she always has fresh water available.

Ya gotta read the labels. I have cats, and I give them gluten/meal free. They're all healthy and their coats and soft and shiny.

If your asking about the turkey, its fine. The food is only middle quality though.

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Originally Posted by IRescue452

If your asking about the turkey, its fine. The food is only middle quality though.

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I was trying to let her learn that for herself! LOL

Well, geez, I thought "Newman's" was a good quality food. I know it's a big step up from "Cesars"... what I was using... LOL... "Royal Canin" dry is not good either? ... *sigh*...

The Newman's is alright, it is the Royal Canin we are suggesting you upgrade.

Just the fact that your dog won't eat it without a "topping" should suggest you keep learning.

This is all a huge learning process. You are well up the list, far away from grocery store stuff.

Royal Canin isn't that great.

On Dog Food Analysis it is a 1-star dog food. There are better ones out there, like Taste of the Wild, Natural Balance, Orijen, Blue Buffalo, Kirklands is rated 4 stars I do believe, etc. As for the canned, Newman is rated a 3-star which isn't that bad. Natural Balanced Canned is really good, has no by-products in it.

I would also stay away from Nutro, it's not that great of a food either. Just my 2 cents. :)

Taste of the Wild:
http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/

Natural Balance:
http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dogformulas/home.html

Orijen:
http://www.orijen.ca/orijen/products/

Blue Buffalo:
http://www.bluebuffalo.com/

You can find Kirkland at Costco. Good luck. :) Also if you switch to any the foods I suggested especially TOTW, Orijen, or anything she will not need turkey or a canned food with it. They are pretty high in protein. Fish oil capsules are always a good supplement.

Agreed with everyone above. I also like Solid Gold, Nature's Variety, Canine Caviar, Ziwipeak (expensive but good!!!!), and Merrick.

Thanks all... I don't know why I thought Royal Canin was a good food. I can change that real quick. I just need to find something with small bites. She is a Yorkie mix and doesn't like big bites of food. I just would love to find a really good quality canned food(I would love it better if she would eat dry food, but I know better), that she would LOVE to eat. Price is not a concern since I have only her to feed and she is small. I hope I can find a good dry food to mix at Petco or Pet Supermarket. I will take a list with me.

Thanks for all your help... I REALLY appreciate it! You are all so kind.
Sharon :)

I feed my dogs Acana, it's a grain free high quality food. The bites are small enough. I mix my dog's food with a little water so it's all soggy. Not only does it keep their teeth cleaner, my little picky eater, Molli, LOVES it that way.

Acana is pretty good too. I think they also carry small bites. :)

Actually the thing I don't like about Dog Food Analysis is they don't tell you about ingredients like Menadione which are quite dangerous for dogs imho. Nutrisource uses this ingredient. You've got to look up each individual ingredient, especially if you have no clue what it is.

They also don't tell you how extremely high Blue Buffalo is in "animal digest". It a by-product also known as poop. Its listed in their ingredients as individual bacterias. Blue Buffalo also has two seperate artificial sweetners and that I would think would be especially dangerous for small dogs.

Canned food is a fine choice for a yorkie mix. I think its dry food that helps knock their teeth out as they age and little dogs need all the teeth they can get. No wild animal eats crunchy pellets and wild animals don't have the dental problems our pets do. Think about it, what sticks to your teeth more, dry cereal or meat? Its the cereal. Cruchy food does not clean teeth. That's a lie. A canned food like Innova Evo or By Nature organics would be as close to 100% meat as a commercial diet allows.

There are pros and cons to wet and dry food.... They have dry food that is a bigger kibble, which has an abrasive effect on the teeth. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wet or canned foods, but from what I have been taught in school, it is not so great for their teeth. It doesn't have the abrasive effects as dry food does. Now a mix of both wet and dry is a better option, in my opinion. Any dog can do just fine with out any teeth, I've witnessed it several times, they can eat just fine, with either wet or dry food.
So the very best option for dental health, is to brush your dogs teeth! And routine dental cleanings, as needed.

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Originally Posted by IRescue452

Canned food is a fine choice for a yorkie mix. I think its dry food that helps knock their teeth out as they age and little dogs need all the teeth they can get. No wild animal eats crunchy pellets and wild animals don't have the dental problems our pets do. Think about it, what sticks to your teeth more, dry cereal or meat? Its the cereal. Cruchy food does not clean teeth. That's a lie. A canned food like Innova Evo or By Nature organics would be as close to 100% meat as a commercial diet allows.

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Very true. Vets always told me to feed my dogs hard kibble instead of soft because it helps their teeth. The exact opposite is true. Also, having added water to their food helps with digestion. Think, wolves in the wild eat meat full of liquids, not bone dry food like kibble is. Just add a bit of water to the kibble and let it soak. I think that's helped Molli's teeth quite a bit, considering she has dental problems.

We've seen the same amount of disgusting teeth in both kibble and wet food fed dogs in my clinic. Kibble is very sticky when it gets wet from saliva and sticks between their teeth very easily. I don't think you'll see a difference in teeth cleanliness between wet and dry.

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Originally Posted by MonicanHonda

We've seen the same amount of disgusting teeth in both kibble and wet food fed dogs in my clinic. Kibble is very sticky when it gets wet from saliva and sticks between their teeth very easily. I don't think you'll see a difference in teeth cleanliness between wet and dry.

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I totally agree with this.... no food is going to keep a dogs/cats teeth completely clean and free of tartar... the only way to ensure this, is regular brushing, and dental cleanings performed at your veterinarian's office under anesthesia as needed. And just to add about "anesthesia free" or "gentle dentals".... RUN away. It is impossible and inhumane to have this done to your pets. You cannot effectively clean below the gum line without the animal under anesthesia... that would hurt! This is done at some pet stores and groomers. A groomer is not qualified to clean your pets teeth!