[cinnamon]

I have a 4 soon to be 5 month old dachshund/Pomeranian mix and I started her on purina little bites indoor puppy food but about a week or so ago, I switched her to Purina beneful healthy growth for puppy's. She won't even eat the little bites anymore, she would rather eat beneful. After reading all the stuff that's in it, I would like to find a better puppy food for her. People have told me to stay away from wally world or any store bought food. Please a little feed back would be very helpful and she is only 8.2 pounds right now, is that normal for a small puppy like her? And at what age do they lose their baby teeth, she is already losing a few. Someone told me they can lose them at 4 to 5 months of age.

[tinacasler]

I have a five month old mini dachsund/chihuahua and she has probably lost about 10-15 of her baby teeth... I find them all over the house... the dog food that I use is kibbles and bits and "sadie" loves it... I don't know if sadie even weighs that much she is very small... I hope that this is helpful.

[cinnamon]

Is that a bad weight for a mix like her?

[labman]

If she has a Dachshund like long back, I would switch her to an adult chow now. The word is getting out for the larger breeds that an early switch to adult chow slows growth and allows more time for sturdier joints to develop. With dachshunds having so many back problems, I would do it with them too. Keep her lean too.

There is an enormous amount of garbage around on dog nutrition. Much of it put out by people selling premium dog chows, and they have no proof dogs do better on them. Frankly, I admit much of what goes into dog food turns my stomach. The real question is, what is good for your dog?

Suppose you knew a breeder that bred hundreds of dogs a year, mostly Labs, Shepherds, and Goldens. They provided all the medical care for most of them the first year. At the end of it, they did a complete physical including hip X-rays on all of them. They then spent $35,000 training them before giving them away. They have a large data base of breeding records. Dogs with any physical or temperamental problems are unfit for the program and are a waste. Their well equipped clinic and vet staff are available for serious problems as long as the dog is working. When the dog is no longer able to work, it is replaced at again the $35,000 plus a large emotional upheaval for the person depending on the dog. They have experimented with different diets and exchanged data with other such breeders. Don't you think that what ever they are feeding is healthy and safe? What kinds of controlled studies do the people you have talked to done? How objective are the sources of your information? Is your dog's health, their top priority?

I have been raising puppies since 1991 for a large dog guide school that does exactly that. What do they feed? They instruct us to feed Pro Plan chicken and rice puppy chow until 4 months and then switch to adult Pro Plan chicken and rice. I know enough of the people with the trained dogs to know they continue the Pro Plan. The group I meet with monthly for training includes people that have raised puppies for 6 different service dog schools. Some of them are feeding other premium commercial chows including Iams and Eukanuba. Any dog owner wanting a healthy, long lived dog can make this regimen work, leaving more time to spend on the dog. It is also relatively economical.

[tinacasler]

My dog is very small and is not going to get any bigger, she does have the long back and already eating adult food... like I said before it is kibbles and bits for Sadie.

[labman]

Oh, I forgot the teeth. Usually they start falling out at 3-4 months, once the jaw grows enough to leave gaps between the baby teeth. Usually the front incisors first, then towards the back, and the sharp, nasty canines last. My 6 month old Lab, Nita, still has hers, but she was more quick to learn not to bite than some of my puppies.

[cathyw]

My Pomeranian did not start losing teeth until 6-7 months old. Unfortunately, he had to have 5 teeth pulled when he was neutered. If the teeth need to be pulled and you are having your dog fixed, I would suggest doing it at the same time so your dog doesn't have to go under anesthesia twice.