Food for the JRT

[<3OTTB]

What are you guys feeding your Jacks? I'm currently feeding Natural Balance dry with a spoonful of canned. My dog looks great on it, shiny soft coat, great weight, lots of energy. My only gripe is that it's getting to be a lot of money. Aside from the $56 for the big bag I also have to drive all over to get it.

I was wondering what you guys used and how you liked it? I wouldn't mind trying something that's cheaper and easier to get. But I also hate fixing what isn't broken.

[Auventera Two]

I feed Fromm Surf N Turf, and Tate of the Wild, all varieties. Good dog food is expensive, no way around it. But the TOTW is very affordable as far as top-end, grain free diets go. A 30 lb. bag is about $41 here. The Fromm is about $60.

Oops, I don't have JRTs, but I do have 3 big dogs.

[<3OTTB]

I was using TOTW For my Beagle. He didn't thrive on it even though everyone else who uses it loves the results. It's a real nice food.

The NB bag isn't that big either. It probably wouldn't bother me so much if it wasn't such a hassle to get.

[CoopsZippo]

I have terriers. Scottie and a Westie. Due to allergy issues which seem to haunt terriers I will keep them on Natural Balance.

BTW as for big retailers Natural Balance is exclusive to Petco. I don't know where you are located but that may help. You also can earn free food with them using their PALS card.

I also liked Innova's EVO. That was more expensive and harder to find for me.

Wellness core and Blue Buffalo is good too.

[Roan]

I used to feed Natural Balance, but now I feed my rough coat collies Avoderm, which you can also get at Petco. It's around the same price as Natural Balance they carry @ ~52-56$ for the biggest bag.

How long does the big bag last you? One big bag of Avo or Natural lasts my three collies about a month. That's with feeding about 1½ cups a day each. If you are going through it that fast for one JRT, maybe you are feeding too much?

Eileen

[<3OTTB]

Petco is what I'm buying now. It's a real pita for me to get there. Would you happen to know the biggest bag size they make? And yes, you are right terriers do seem to have skin issues.

I'm not sure I'll switch to another food since the NB is working so well.

[hitchinmygetalong]

But I also hate fixing what isn't broken.

I know it's pricey, but honestly, how much does your JRT eat? :)

What kind of foods are offered at a place that is more convenient for you? Maybe we could narrow down the choices.

But honestly, if the NB works (and it seems to be doing the job), I wouldn't change.

And of all the folks who have replied, it appears that I am the only one who actually has a JRT. She is now on SD EN after a near-fatal pancreatitis attack last winter (brought on by an accident that almost did her in) but before that she was on NB and doing well. She's 17 years old, by the way, and has been on everything from Purina One to Wellness.

[Marney]

I work for a natural pet food store for dogs and cats in Washington state and a beef based food like the Avo Derm is a great food for terrier breeds also Innova has a beef based food that is good. If Natural Balance is a good fit then I would continue using it.

[morganmare]

I have a rough coat JRT that is 18 lbs. She only gets 1/2 cup in the morning and then again at night of Wellness Core Low Fat dry food. I buy the 4 lb bag and I think it lasts about 1 and 1/2 weeks? And its about $15.

[JWB]

My JRT is on Acana Pacifica (which is grain-free and fish based) but it is very hard to find - Not available at big chain pet stores, only at holistic pet food stores.
She has food allergies and we had her on Evo briefly but it was too rich. The Acana is better tolerate, but quite pricey ($28 for 15 lbs). Fortunately she's small. Our bigger dogs are on Eagle Holistic Anchovy & Salmon.... We get it at the same shop.

If you want to search for something cheap and available at a grocery store, read the labels. Try to find something that is free of soy and corn, has meat as the first ingredient and some sort of meat product (meal, etc) as the 2nd product.... Grain should be #3 and it should not be corn....

But honestly, if you find that in a grocery store, please let us know what it is!

Incidentally, I once had someone tell me that my border collie HAD to eat lamb and my retriever HAD to eat duck.... I asked if my terrier needed me to find a rat based dog food too.

[Auventera Two]

I would try to find a natural pet food store close to your home. You'll have to do some googling, but once you find one, Wow, you'll never go back to the big box stores. There has been one about 5 miles from me for years and I never knew it. I found it through the TOTW website, and that's the only pet supply store I go to now.

They sell really cool foods that aren't sold in big box stores.

[CoopsZippo]

I feed the Small bites Potato and duck. It is made out of 100% fresh duck no meal of etc.

Anyway the 12.5# bag of Small bites feeds my two free fed a month.

The biggest bag is a 30 bag.

[klr]

found on Craigs list 1.5 yr tricolor smooth male ---the only quiet JRT I've ever known.
He had been on Beneful (yuck) and had the stinkiest and most frequent farts with gross mushy poop. (double yuck)

He's eating as much Kirkland Lamb dry food twice daily as he wants and really likes it; with their cookies/biscits (break into pea-sized pieces he's soo small)
this is the Costco brand--he can now sleep upstairs with us hahaha!!

Has normal poops now too--did have some scabs on back and does scratch ALOT but the scabs are gone now and he's not breaking skin with scratching--I'll look into the allergy thing though.


He might not stay quiet though--he teamed up with my Springer bitch to kill a rabbit today (good dogs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
klr

[SSS4]

All 5 of my jacks eat Exclusive chicken and rice or when we go up north Diamond chicken and rice. They are very healthy and I have people ask me all the time what I do to get their coats so shiny! It's not the high end, expensive food but they have the best labels I can find and the money for fancy bags and marketing has to come from somewhere!!

[Whitfield Farm Hanoverians]

My 2 JR's do great on Bil Jac Senior. Great food

[Daydream Believer]

I'm feeding Wellness for Small breeds. I order it from Smart Pak and it is delivered to my door....can't be easier to get!

[Auventera Two]

My 2 JR's do great on Bil Jac Senior. Great food

Bil-Jac isn't the worst food on the market, but I definitely would not call it "great."

Ingredients:
Fresh Chicken, Fresh Chicken By-Products (Organ Meat Only), Oatmeal, Corn, Fresh Chicken Liver, Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Brewers Dried Yeast, Cane Molasses, Eggs, Salt, Sodium Propionate (a preservative), DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), BHA (a preservative), Vitamin B12 Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Manganous Oxide, Inositol, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Cobalt Carbonate, Potassium Iodine, Sodium Selenite.

BHA is suspected to be a carcinogen, and high quality dog foods do not use it as a preservative. By-products speak for themself. Corn and molasses are known allergens and contribute to itching, ear infections, and impacted anal glands.

I work with a guy who now feeds Fromm to his dog, after having 2 other dogs die prematurely of cancer. All he ever fed was Bil-Jac. When the 3rd dog started puking almost daily, he asked me what to do. I suggested Fromm, he switched, and the dog has not vomitted since. Anecdotal, and certainly not "proof" of anything, but just passing on the info.

[RacetrackReject]

I'm afraid I probably won't help much though as I feed Taste of The Wild. My guy looks good, is in great shape, and his coat gleams so much it seems to have an almost metallic tint to it at times. While he is energetic, he is not a complete cracked out ball of energy, either, so I am pretty happy with TOTW. My guy can also be a picky eater with dog food (unlike people food-fruit/veggies), but he eats the TOTW good.