The Great Dog Food Dilemma

It seems like one of the biggest doggie debates today is about dog food.  Personally, I'm thrilled that people are becoming aware of what is going into their dogs' bowls.  Working at the shelter was always a big opportunity to educate the public, and while the pitbull crusade will always be my favorite, I also enjoyed putting Ol' Roy out of business.  In an ideal world, all dogs would get their optimal daily nutrition from their dog food, but the average owner of Fido really doesn't want to break the bank on kibble.  So the general rule I asked adopters to follow was this:  nothing colorful, nothing that looks like a kids cereal, and something your dog seems to enjoy- both going in and coming out. 

Parker and Skye are having a hard time with these rules.  My motivation for this post is a little blue pit curled up under a blanket, with a very loud, very angry stomach. 

Oh boy do I want to find the magical brand of food that they both do well on.  Originally I thought Parker would be the tough one- he is a picky eater who hardly ever has good stool.  It's sad when I start to envy another dog's poop, but I'm totally there.  Skye, as it turns out, is even harder to please.  She has a sensitive tummy and fur that has no problem going away and leaving her slightly balder than she was last week.  At least she'll eat like a champ, so no worries there. 

Sadly, the list of foods I've tried keeps getting longer.  Since May, we've gone from Blue Wilderness to California Natural.  Blue was boycotted by Parker, and CN was a chore for his little mouth to chew, plus Skye was itchy.  From there I tried Wellness, and even though neither had good stool I stuck with it for a while, to no avail.  I transitioned to Chicken Soup for the Dog lover's Soul, which isn't as rich, but has more ingredients.  Skye began to bald, and acted ravenously hungry all the time.  She went back to eating her poop if I didn't get to her in time, which hasn't been a problem since she started getting regular meals and gaining weight.  So we moved to Canidae, after a bout of chicken and rice to settle things down.  Canidae seemed like a great all around choice.  We went with the grain free chicken, since Parker seems turned off from fishy foods.

Now I'm nearing the end of the big bag, and although the stool isn't anything to get excited about, it isn't as bad as it was.  Until today, when Skye woke me up bright and early with her "you've got about 10 seconds to get me outside" face on.  Now she's skipped breakfast for the first time ever, and her stomach is making noises I've only heard on TV.  I was going to go out and buy another bag today, but now I'm in doubt.  Do I stick with it for another few weeks, or use the remaining food to switch again?  And to what?  My coworkers all feed their dogs Nutro, which doesn't rate well online, but their dogs look healthy and have pretty poop.  I want pretty poop too, so it might be the next step.  Maybe high quality foods are too much for my pooches.  Maybe Skye will go completely bald on Nutro.  I can either spend a fortune at my vet finding out what she has allergies to, or I can continue the taste test and try a new food.  Again.  At this point it's kind of a toss up. 

So what do your pups eat?  How long did it take you to find that perfect food?  I've decided my next dog will need an iron stomach, because this circus will only be in town once, then the show's over for life.