Cindy from Ohio wrote:
Hi, I am enjoying your Chihuahua report. I have been looking for a good brand of Dog food for my new Chi. I was told that Merrick, and Chicken Soup for the Puppies Soul were healthy foods to feed him. What is your opinion on these two? Do you have a name brand recommendation that is nutritional and safe?
Thanks Cindy
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Hi Cindy,
The ingredients for the Chicken Soup for the Puppies Soul look very good. A good variety of meats and veggies with very few presevatives. Two things that concern me about the food:

1) It is made by the Diamond Pet Food Company. They have not had the best track record for making quality pet foods. In fact, the canned version of the Puppies formula was included in the recent pet food recall because it contained the rice protein concentrate additive, melamine, which is the prime suspect in the rash of dog food related deaths that occured last spring.
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/diamond04_07.html

2) Some dog owners have reported bloody stools after feeding one of the Chicken Soup varieties of food. Coincidentally (or maybe not so coincidentally), this was one of the key symptoms associated with the deaths as well.
http://www.rateitall.com/i-53381-chicken-soup-for-the-dog-lovers-soul.aspx

While I'm sure that Diamond has tightened up their quality control since the tragedies last spring, I'm not sure I would trust them to have your pet's health as their #1 concern.

The ingredients for Merrick also look very good. I like the fact that they are a small, family owned outfit too. It appears that they have had some quality control issues...but only a few. I wouldn't hesitate to try their food.

We feed our Chi's Nature's Variety Freeze Dried Raw Medallions. Half a medallion morning and evening. We also leave 1/4 cup of the dry kibble out for them to nibble on each day.
http://www.naturesvariety.com/

One last comment: each dog is unique. Therefore, watch your dog closely anytime you change his diet. If he doesn't tolerate the new food well after a few weeks of adjustment time, then change to something else.

Hope this helps,
Gregg
http://www.chihuahuafanatics.com/