[FREDOSMOM]

Ok guys, it's time..we're switching Fredo over to a better quality food (our old vet had us on science diet..yuck) and I was just wondering which one you guys thought was better. I have been looking at the food grades and I think my top choices are Canidae, Blue, and Royal Canin. I have a few concerns, 1) Is it ok that Canidae is for all stages and not puppyalso not a large breed formula? 2) Is it important that he be on a boxer specific formula such as Royal Canin? I just want my baby to have the best so I want to make the right decision here. Thanks

 

[tootsie]

I think the breed specific formulas, such as the Royal Canin are just a sales gimmick. Canidae and Blue are both excellent foods, and no it doesn't matter if they are not large breed or puppy formulas. An All Stages food is just that, for all stages of life, from puppies through seniors. If you have it narrowed down to these 2 brands, I would get sample bags and let your pup decide which one he likes best. Good Luck!

 

[sully]

If you search the archives, you'll have about 5 hours of reading material on the subject.  If I've learned anything it is that there is no one perfect food.  Just stick to the best rated foods and keep trying different ones.  Even if you find the seemingly perfect food, it's a good idea to switch up every now an then anyway.  Starting with samples or small bags is a good idea. That being said, my pup is on Canidae and he loves it but I'm going to switch to Timberwolf soon just because I want to try a fish based protein.  I think oggie would appreciate the variety.  A lot of dogs love the Canidae but you'll also read on here a lot of dogs that have skin allergies to it as well.

 

[sharonL]

I agree with what already has been said.  If you go to the websites for the food you are interested in I think you can get samples direct from them.  Canidae is a great food and so is Blue but all dog/puppies are different.  Fiona could not eat either of those because they both gave her very loose stool. I never tried Royal but tend to agree that there is no need for a food that has "boxer" on it, it is suppose to be the shape of the kibble for the shape of their mouths but Fiona has never had a problem eating anything she wants to...

 

[sumyasmom]

i feed sumya royal canin.we went through a lot of different foods before we settled on that one.she has a sensitve tummy and she does great with it.i don't feed her the boxer specific yet because in the label it says for boxers 15 months +. she eats the large breed puppy kind.that is just my exprience though.like everyone has said above, it is pretty much up to your dog...

 

[happy0506]

http://www.boxerforums.com/modules.php? ... pic&t=4043

The above link seems to have some good info on which dog foods to consider.  Most boxers are quite finicky, so its usually a trial and error thing on what your dog's digestive system likes best.  I personally tried 5 different dog foods before I found one that my Boxer liked and she didn't have trouble digesting.  I tried Eukanuba, Blue Buffalo, Iams, and Nutro Max.  The last one I tried that finally worked best was Royal Canin for Boxers.

Someone above mentioned that most of the breed specific dog foods are mostly marketing.  I agreed with that sentiment, hence the reason it was the fifth food I tried for my Boxer.  However, I must say that it is a high quality dog food and it worked best for my Boxer.  Maybe it was just luck that my Boxer liked it best, or maybe they actually have something better for Boxers.  Dunno and don't really care 'cause it worked for her.

Hope that helps a little.

 

[Mom2BoNLaila]

I'm on the third dog food.  Sis in law lives with me and feeds her dog purina beniful.  My dogs have Nutro Natural.  However, they run to the purina beniful bowl and I have to seperate them from Sadie, my sis in laws dogs food.  Don't know what to do with that........  Bo has gained 5-6 pounds in a week and a half on the nutro natural.  Laila has gained 3pounds..  They are looking so much better.

 

[Kate]

I agree with everyone above in that the important thing is finding a good food that works for your dog.  Either brand is a good quality food.  I'd start with a small bag and transition from the old food to the new one and she how well it is tolerated.

 

[Bumpy]

Just a note: I see everyone talking about buying large breed formula's etc. The Boxer by definition is NOT a large breed dog. They are considered medium. So don't get hung up on looking for large breed specific items.

 

[Michelle]

I remeber a post on here not that long ago that said the Boxers are considered a large breed dog...I can't find that post though.

Isn't a Boxer a medium sized dog, but considered a large breed?

 

[HannaBanana]

When bred properly Boxers should fall into the "Medium" breed category as stated in the standard.


http://americanboxerclub.org/standard.html  - stated in the first paragraph.

 

[tootsie]

Technically the boxer is a medium sized breed. However we are seeing more and more bigger boxers out there above the standard. Dog food companies consider any dog over 50 pounds to be a large breed, so they formulate their large breed foods for any dog over 50 pounds, which a boxer could fall into that category.