Hi all,

I really hope someone can help me, I have been on the computer ALL DAY NIGHT researching for the best dry mix food I can buy for my shar pei puppy- that I am getting on friday at 8 weeks old.

the breeder has advised me to buy puppy food and they have said any brand will do... however I have read from several reputable sources that a shar pei puppy needs adult food as they grow fast?

I have found lots of seemingly good foods such as Canadae, merrick etc but they are all american based, I need a good dry food I can get hold of easily in the UK, from somewhere like pets at home.

Looking at their food on their site, the best 2 I have been able to find are:

Wainwrights salmon and potatoe complete dog food
Salmon Protein 23%
Potatoe 21%
Sorghum
Whole grain barley 10%
Atlantic fish meat
Whole linseed 4%
sugar beet pulp 5%
sunflower oil

and I won't bore you with the rest as they are far down on the list, things with chloride in, mariglod extract, yucca extract, alfalfa, and dicalcium phosphate....

PROTEIN 21%
FIBRE 3.5%

I have researched extensively on dogfoodanalysis.com and by using the data I got from there have come to the conclusions that I need a dry food that has a high meat content, salmon is good- basically, potatoe is better than rice, no grains, etc. and to watch out for filler.

I read somewhere that red meat isn't good for a shar pei, so was looking at chicken feeds, but the salmon flavors seemed to have better ingredients, plus the chicken feeds are full of water.

Ok so the next one seems quite new and I can't find any reviews:

Pets at home ADVANCED NUTRITION sensitive dog food salmon/potatoe
FRESH salmon 42%
potatoe
potatoe protein
sugar beet pulp
pea starch
sunflower oil
minerals
salmon oil
salmon digest
brewers yeast
sodium chloride,
and so forth with all the chlorides, yucca extract, marigold, L- carnitine, then at the end it says: total salmon min 42%.

This is a relatively high meat percentage and double what is in wainwrights, however could it be that some of the salmon is made up of the salmon oil and salmon digest? it does say fresh salmon which certainly looks good.

oh and protein is 26% fibre 2%.

Anyone out there know the pros and cons of these ingredients? or how the 2 products might compare?
the wainrights seems to have less meat content but it also has lower protein levels which I read is good for a shar pei?

Please don't tell me about raw food diets etc now, I know they are better but I don't think I'll have time to make something like that up and for now just want to get a good dry food mix as I am getting the puppy in a few days! I am also very limited on funds at the moment, have chinchillas, a cat and 2 children plus a baby on the way! so just need something easy and quick for now.

I am also aware of the breed and any potential eye problems etc, I am putting money aside for vet bills as I anticipate these to be plentiful with this dog! but I am in love with him and am a very determined individual and I always make things work out.

So enough of that anyway, just wanted to cover my back as I know people don't like to hear about feeding dry dog food, the breeder has them on that now, I can't remember what brand she said, but she feeds her older dogs royal canin, I am not sure about this one, I heard it was very pricey? and on the dogfood site it didn't seem too good.

I really appreciate any advice/help with my question, I will probably be able to get some sleep when I have some more info and advice! thanks guys. x

Food selection for a puppy is :
If your dog is a few month older then give him in food fipronil 9.8%,S-methoprene 8.8%.The fipronil gets help to the oil of the skin and hair follicles and nourish to bones and makes a tummy stronger.

Gradually starts to give him/her meat but boiled meat.

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Joseph Todd

Didnt wanna read and run, but I cant really advise as I dont feed any of the complete foods - wont say whta tI think of them all, LOL! I feed raw meat and bones.

Good luck with ya pup though, but ya breeder should really be giving better fedding advice than that!!

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Fere libenter hormines id quod volunt credunt

Have you tried to go onto KC site and see who breed's these stunning dogs, email one or two of them and ask them for advice, I am sure they wont mind and if they do they wont reply

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siggie by Dawn............Smudge'smummy

Glitter Text Maker

Ok I don't know much (or anything) about Shar-peis but I do know a little bit about food.

Whether or not to feed puppy food is a very controversial subject! I don't think there is a right or a wrong. Personally I would feed puppy food for at least the first 2 months, and then change onto adult if I thought there was a need for it. I changed my own dog to adult around 7-8 months. I can't really help with that - it's a decision you have to make by yourself.

It's a little worrying that your breeder has said 'any food will do'! As you have researched, there is a vast difference in food quality and you definitely want to feed a good food!!!

I would ask the breeder what they are feeding, because you want to stick with the same food for the first few weeks (even if it's a rubbish food) because the puppy will have so much change happening that it needs a constant. Pups often suffer tummy trouble when first brought home anyway, and changing food straight away is going to make that even worse. A good breeder will give you a few week's worth of whatever food they are feeding for you.

Make sure that when you do change foods, you do it gradually by mixing a little of the new in with the old.

The two foods you detailed there are both good middle of the range foods. A lot of people here feed Wainwrights (and I did for a while too). I don't know about Shar peis and protein levels but I don't think a level in the low to mid twenties is bad. Generally a good food with lots of meat is going to have a fairly high protein level, because that protein comes from the meat. But maybe someone else can help with this.

Other good foods that you may want to look into include Orijin, Acana, Arden Grange, Fish4Dogs, James WellBeloved, Burns etc. You might also want to look at complete wet foods - good ones of these are Wainwrights, NatureDiet, Natures Harvest, Lily's Kitchen etc.

Hope this helps a little and someone with more breed knowledge can help.

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Mckenzies advice is spot on.

Find out what breeder is feeding, do carry on with that for a while.
Yes definitely breeder should be giving you better food advice.
I did keep my pup on puppy food for a while, she came to me on jameswellbeloved puppy and I had her on that for a while. But I do think its by the by really and if you have read about sharpeis wanting adult, then a good quality adult will be fine.

Good luck with your new puppy

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The New Look Willow's Place Website
http://willowsplace.weebly.com/

Echo what's already been said to keep pup on the food he is having regardless of what it is until he has settled in and possibly had his jabs (if he's having them). It's the only thing that will remain constant in his little life and changing foods can cause tummy upsets at the best of times.

Of the foods you mention, I would highly recommend the Advance. Other varieties in that brand arent as good (cereals) and WW is better. The Advance however has twice the fish (as you say) and no cereal.

Have you considered feeding a bit of wet?? When I first got my pup, I had no idea wet foods have improved loads and now feed all wetD

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"Life is mostly froth and bubble, Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another’s trouble, Courage in your own”

OK long time pei owner here. Best dry available for your pup is an adult version of either Fisf4dogs or Wafcol salmon and potato

The 2 you have mentioned are not bad but have beet pulp and/or barley. The best dry food to feed your pup is one with ABSOLUTELY NO GRAIN/CEREALS. Protein needs to be lower in a pei with compromised kidneys, thats all

What colour/coat are you getting?

Thankyou for all the tips and advice!! This is the kind of thing that makes the internet worthwhile!

I had found Wafcol myself actually and looking at the ingredients it's sure looks better, athough there is only 32% salmon in it? and I don't know if the advanced nutrition one is really all that salmon they are saying, when further down there are things like salmon oil and salmon digest? could these also be contributing to the percentage? it's a pets at home brand but then again so is wainwright.
The wafcol for puppies has a shar pei on the cover, which makes it feel a little reassuring, and the protein percentage is 29%, the wainwrights puppy salmon and potato version is 30% protein and 3% fiber. Do you know hwat the fiber percentage should be? I read in one place that it should be lower than 4% and over 4% in another! most of the dry foods are under but the wafcol one is 6% fiber, does that just mean firmer stools?


I can get a 15kg bag of wafcol for £43.99 and a 15kg bag of the waiwright one is £33.49, I don't know how much the advanced one is, it's £9.99 for 2.5kg so would work out around £60 for the 15kg worth.

I don't want to give my puppy inadequate food, (yes I know dry is not ideal but I will be giving him supplements when I find out what these are, I have read cheese, yoghurt, carrots so far) so was wondering if it is really worth getting the Wainwrights to save a tenner?

I don't think it will be really in the long run, so I think I will definitely get the WAFCOL.

I will ask the breeder to give me some food although they seem a bit blaze about it. He is a full pedigree, comes with papers, puppy insurance for 4 weeks and is wormed, fleed and has had his eyes tacked.

He is a lilac horsecoat, he is adorable, I had to chose between him and a lilac bearcoat, which was difficult but the horsecoat was giving me more attention and playfully attacking the other dogs that came near me! haha! so I think he had already decided I was his!
The bearcoat seemed lethargic, although the cutest thing I ever saw he was moping around and trying to sleep on the 2 occasions that I saw them. (the other dogs use him as a pillow!) I will try and upload a pic if I can, now I have the important stuff sorted I just need to find a nice name! can I do that on here? or is it for more important stuff? x

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Try petplanet, slightly cheaper but only by a few quid. Although the bag has a pei on it, please do NOT buy the puppy food. Yes the grain free is dearer but it really will save you money in the long run ie better overall health, no running to the vet because he has skin problem caused by the grain

The bears are the most laid back in temperament by far, so was probably just his normal self. My girl is horsecoat too