Changing puppy food

[jjorash]

I need some advice here. I'm the one who lives in Kiev, Ukraine. When we first got our pup, I got her some puppy food that seemed to be very good quality. I'm not questioning the quality...she just didn't seem to like it very much. I add water to it to make it easier for her to eat (they were nuggets). Well, I decided to try another kind--that she really, really liked. (Pedigree--is that a good dog food?) She almost immediately threw it up. I told a friend about this, and she said you can't change a puppy's food like you can a cat's. They'll have diarrhea and stuff.
First of all: What kind of puppy food would you recommend? (Not that I can get it here in Kiev, but they do have Purina and Pedigree brands as well as others that are not American).
Second: How do you change food gracefully? I tried giving her the old food with a little bit of the new mixed in, but she still poops a lot more than she did before. In fact, for the past 3 days, she's had poop in her crate in the mornings--a problem we never had before.
Any suggestions for all the above?

[Cassiepeia]

To figure out what food is good or bad, you should check out this thread http://www.globalpaw.com/thread6858.html it details what ingredients you should look out for (the good and the bad) and how to evaluate commercial dog foods. It also gives a list of (american) dog food brands and tells you whether they're good or bad (and why). It's an excellent thread designed to help you choose a dog food.

You were doing the right thing by adding a small amount of the new food in with the old. You should slowly increase the amount of new food until you've made the switch.

If she's been pooping in her crate, the only advice I can give is not to feed her too close to 'bed time'. Although I'm sure someone with better advice will be along shortly.

Cass.

[calgal]

You could try putting a little chicken or beef broth over the dog food your currently useing, especially since you were not having any problems with her pooping in the crate.

[jjorash]

I looked on that "dog food" thread and Pedigree is NOT on the "good" list. My pup is not eating much at all now. In fact, she's been rather "punk". Like she's not feeling well. Having said that though, would changing food have such an effect? Anybody out with similar experience? She doesn't go outside yet (7 weeks), so it's got to be the food...? I'm going to see how she does today.