I purchased her a 30 pound bag of Blue Buffalo Puppy Food (chicken and brown rice) over a year ago and she's almost done with it now. Yes, it took her a year to eat a large bag of dog food--which strikes two points:
1) Store your pet's food in an airtight plastic bin.
2) Even though Blue Buffalo is more expensive that the national brands you can buy at grocery stores and Wal-Mart, your dog will eat so little that it's actually not expensive at all. I buy Nyota's food at the Tractor Supply Store where it costs much less than purchasing it at Pet Smart or PetCo. Her monthly food bill over the past year has averaged out to around $3/month. If you aren't yet convinced about feeding your pets a natural, healthy brand, google 'pet food kills' or visit the Blue Buffalo site for more information. There are other all-natural brands besides Blue Buffalo, but it's what I started her on as a puppy, so I'm continuing with it. Her coat is exceptionally shiny, by the way! In summation-- you want your pet to be healthy and happy. Some pets seem fine after a lifetime on generic or national brands of dog food, but honestly-- how can we tell if they don't talk, and perhaps they'd live longer if they were fed a better quality of food. Personally, I see prevention as another selling point as well. Anyone that has ever had to pay out-of-pocket vet costs for a pet illness or emergency knows that spending a few extra dollars now is better than a few hundred later. I'll be blogging about pet health insurance in the near future as well.
According to Cesar Millan's website, the ChiSpaniel matures between 10 and 12 months of age. Nyota definitely kept growing after 12 months of age, so I just used it as a general guideline. As with anything you read on the internet, it's best to consult your veterinarian if you are unsure.
Since I was switching from Blue Buffalo Chicken & Brown Rice Puppy to Blue Buffalo Chicken & Brown Rice Small Breed Adult, I wasn't worried about the transition. When I first got Nyota as a puppy, she was eating (moistened) Purina Puppy Chow, so when I switched her to Blue Buffalo Puppy food, I slowly mixed the Blue Buffalo in with the Purina, increasing the amount of Blue Buffalo over time until she was used to the Blue Buffalo. This is a pretty standard technique used to switch dog foods.
I do feed Nyota some human food, but I try to stick to lean meats (boiled chicken, Nyota LOVES duck), plain rice, veggies (green beans are her favorite), and fruits (No Seeds or Stems! apples, watermelon, and bananas). It's hard not to let her try things when she begs, but keep in mind high fat and salt diets are really bad for you dog. Here is a list of foods you should NEVER feed your dog. They can harm and even kill your pet in many cases:
Avocados
Walnuts
Macadamia Nuts
Other Nuts
Beer/ Alcoholic Beverages
Chocolate
Candy, Gum (Especially with artificial sweetener)
Grapes
Raisins
Onions (In all forms, even powder)
Garlic (In all forms, even powder)
Caffeine
Dairy Products
Toothpaste
Fat Trimmings From Meat (can cause pancreatis)
Bones (can splinter and cut digestive tracks-- especially fowl bones such as chicken and turkey)
Persimmons
Peach/ Plum seeds
Raw Eggs
Raw Meat/ Fish
Salty Foods
Yeast Dough
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Nutmeg
Raw Potatoes/ Potato Plants
This is just the list I've gathered over the years...I'm not a vet. When in doubt, call a vet!
Next month is Nyota's annual visit to the vet. Since she was so small when she received her puppy shots, they staggered them over many weeks, so it's now been nearly a year since her last shots. I'll be blogging about that in February!
