We now feed all of our new puppies and moms one of the wonderful chows from PawTree. We have used the turkey and sweet potato; lamb and sweet potato; and the salmon, sweet potato, and pea recipes (you can read about it on our Great Products drop-down and even order it from our website from the provided link), and we couldn’t be happier with the results. We are currently using the salmon, sweet potato, and pea recipe so all of our puppies will be on this chow when they go to their new homes. We strongly encourage each of our valued clients to use this wonderful dog food for at least the first month after they receive their puppies. Puppies are stressed when they are taken from their mothers and littermates and sent to their new homes, so anything that can be done to reduce further stress is important, and this means not abruptly changing their diet. PawTree has several grain free recipes and healthy grain recipes, and they should all be great for your Frenchie puppy and/or adult Frenchie. You can rotate between several of the recipes to give your dog some variety if you choose, but you will still need to transition to the new recipe over a week or so based on the protocol below.
When changing dog food, you should start with a ratio of 25% new and 75% current for a few days. If all goes well, i.e., no loose stools or indications of not tolerating the food well, you can go to a 50% new and 50% current for a few days. If all continues to go well, you can go to a 75% new to 25% current ration for another couple of days. If all continues to go well, you can switch over to the new chow. Just remember that you are what you eat, and so is your Frenchie. Make sure you are not scrimping on the quality of their food. It should be grain free or free of problematic grains such as corn, wheat, or soy, none of which a dog’s system handles well. Meat should be the first ingredient and there should be a high percentage of proteins and fat (26%+ and 14%+), and it should contain all of the other nutrients and minerals that are necessary for a high-quality, balanced diet. Saving a few dollars by using an inferior dog food can lead to some very costly problems down the road. We recommend the high-quality chows from PawTree, but there are several other good recipes from other manufacturers. If you do make a change from what your puppy has been eating, just do so gradually, as described above, so that your Frenchie’s digestive system has time to adjust to the change.
We are often asked if by clients if they should be feeding their Frenchies any supplements. One supplement that should definitely be taken is a good probiotic, to ensure good gut health, which leads to good overall health. Several months ago we were introduced to a great new product which contains a pre- and a probiotic. It is very convenient to use as is given in tablet form, which our dogs take like a treat. It is from MaxiVet and you can read more about it on our website under Owner Info > Great Products, and scroll down to MaxiVet.
We also highly recommend NuVet Plus supplements for your Frenchie, since we don’t always know how well our pets are eating, and whether they are getting all of the nutrition they need. It is also in tablet form, which our dogs take like treats, and it ensures that they are getting all of the nutrition they need. We believe in it so highly that we increase our one-year guarantee to two-years if these supplements are used on a daily basis.
As a final note, please make sure that your Frenchies have plenty of fresh water 24/7, to ensure they they are properly hydrated.
