Expert: Kim Wingate - 6/27/2009

Question
what is the best dog food for poodle.  I have tried puppy chow and kibble n bits.

Answer
Hello Debbie,
The best foods for dogs are foods that are made with natural products that that contain Meat as the first ingredient.  Most "grocery store" foods have corn as the first ingredient, which is hard for dogs to digest.  If the ingredient is rice, its better for dogs.  

I would try Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Nutro Natural Choice, Sensible Choice, Bil-Jac, or Royal Canin Mini Poodle.  You can find all of these foods by typing their name into your search engine.  
If your dog is a puppy, get a puppy food first as it contains ingredients that will help a growing puppy.
These foods may be a bit more expensive, but will be cost effective in the long run as they will keep your dog more healthy than the cheaper foods.  

You can also try this recipe (along with the dry food) as it will provide Vitamins and Minerals that are good for your dogs skin, coat and body.  

1 lb Hamburger, Lamb, or Turkey Burger
1 can Sardines in Olive Oil
1 cup Spinach, blended with the Oil of the Sardines
1 egg scrambled
1 1/2 cup Special K or Total Cereal
1 Apple Blended (or you can use 1/2 cup of Applesauce)
1/8 tsp Garlic powder
1 grated carrot
1/2 cup brown rice, cooked using broth (either a meat or Veggie variety) for better flavor
1/2 cup Cottage Cheese (optional)

This recipe is for a large dog, so you can either 1/2 it or mix it up and freeze a portion of it for later.  I would add around 2 tablespoons to your dogs food each day.  
It will also help your dogs dry food go further.  

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim