Food for a chow

[macmannequin]

Hi guys. As you know I have a 10week old full breed chow named Celiné. And today makes 2 almost 3 weeks since I've gotten her. She's been eating Beneful puppy food but when I went to Petco today they asked is she always eating (& honestly I know she eats 4 times a day, but she's always hungry) he said something about it being made of only corn which doesn't fill chows up. She's 19pounds already but he recommended we switch her to Taste Of the wild puppy formula grain free diet. I'm not sure if this is a good brand for chows or if he even knows what he's talking about. Also he said since she bathed 2weeks ago it isn't necessary to bathe her again today. He recommended we spray her down with fresh and clean cologne spray and wipe her off as well as use the wide tooth comb to comb her hair out. Any and all stories are welcome . Thank you

[DrewBear]

My pup is now 16 weeks old and I've been feeding him TOTW Puppy kibble (salmon) for the past 8 weeks. It's the one I chose after researching on this forum and elsewhere. It's rated 4.5 of 5 stars and is relatively affordable at ~$1.50/lbs. Beneful is pretty bad, but I'm not sure it has much to do with your pup being hungry. I also feed my pup 4x/day, but he's usually not interested in eating more than the recommended 4 cups/day. Here's a site that rates & reviews dog food: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com

There's some debate about frequency of bathing. I groom mine every day (comb & brush, no sprays) and haven't needed to give him a bath yet. Of course it's been dry here (first rain today in many weeks) and temps have been moderate. Much depends on the climate where you live and other environmental factors (snow, mud, dust, etc.). I've used a damp cloth to wipe bits of dirt & dust followed by a dry towel and grooming. I'm hoping that baths will be very infrequent, maybe twice a year? Aside from a very thorough rinsing, you'll need to make sure she is properly dried. I plan to buy this pet drier:
http://www.carealotpets.com/products/me ... __658.aspx

[Rory's Dad]

TOTW is 100 times better than Beneful. So are a lot of other foods, so you want to do some research. Quality foods at a reasonable price. Go for sample type sizes and see what your dog likes. The don't all like the same thing/formula. Read the ingredients list. In most areas it is mandated that they list the ingredients in order of quantity. If the 1st couple of items are a corn or other grain product, or a meat byproduct...move on. Unfortunately there are a ton of foods on the market, with many of them being pure crap. TOTW is good, Blue Brands is a decent product, my chows alternate between Nutro (prefer the large breed with that brand, any flav or), i would recommend puppy formulas for you, and Earthborn Holistic (Bison).

[rmb]

I got my first full bred Chow Chow a year ago, found him online as a 13 month old chow mix at a shelter. DNA proves he is full Chow. Anyway, he had unhealthy looking poos for several months until I tried Purina Pro Plan Salmon & Rice formula. May have been that it took him that long to be comfortable with us and living in a home for the first time. May have been that I finally found a food that agrees with him. I have read alot about Chows being sensitive and subject to allergies so I would be careful about switching puppy food too often. BUT, I agree - Beneful is NOT good food.