the larger bites are fine if your pup can it them....it actually will help clean the teeth more so than the small bites. some toys are just picky and eat better with the small bites. parker is on hills t/d which is the same company as science diet. it is a food that is designed to clean teeth. i chose this food b/c working for a vet in being in vet school i know that toy breeds are more prone to dental problems.i already can tell that it has kept his teeth cleaner than is he were on another food brand. he is on the small bites but the nuggets are made very large...small bites are larger than a regular dog food large bite. and the large bite t/d is very big like and inch by inch square. so dont worry about the bite size if you pooch will eat them. the more they chew the more their teeth get brushed
any premium dog food brand will be fine...the reason why it is important to have a meat product as the first few ingedients is b/c if the food is full of corn the dog will eat more of the food b/c carbs are empty calories, also will make to poop smell more, so if the diet is higher in protein then they will eat less, poop less, and it will smell less. so basically if you can find it at the grocery dont buy it (exception eukanuba is a premium brand) but if you can only find it at a pet store then it is most probably a premium brand food. i personally have no probs with byproducts...i eat them myself but here is a quote about that very thing:
[/QUOTE]The internal organs of chickens and cows are by far the best source of nutrition for animals - much more so than the tender breasts and tenderloins we so value. Nothing beats a good chicken liver or cow's heart for nutrition. In many other cultures, these are the most highly prized parts of an animal. Western culture has spurned their use in favor of the less messy and intellectually cleaner steaks and the like. If you ever watch an animal kill (on TV or live), you'll notice the first thing they eat is the internal organs - and for very good reason - it's the most nutritious part. (It's also why your dog tends to tear the stuffing out of its toys) Your mother knew what she was talking about when she said "Eat your liver and onions. It's good for you." Too bad most of us consider it gross.
sorry for the long post..hope this helps