Best 5-Star Dry Puppy Foods

A high quality canned food, dehydrated food, or raw food is best. Don’t stick with just one, rotate through a few different ones to ensure your puppy is a variety of different nutrients. Take the 4 and 5 star list with you to the different stores around and see what is available in your area.

Soft poop is a digestion issue. Try a teaspoon of pure pumpkin for a few days to two weeks and see if it helps her to adjust to her new food.

No. I am just hedging my bets..lol. Both have appropriate ca/phos for a large breed. Once he is finished with these bags I will probably put him on what the others are eating.

HI Wooster..

My soon to be 5MTH OLD eng bull pup is eating 1/2 instinct rabbit and 1/2 Fromm lg breed puppy.

I agree with the other 2 posters, that canned when all factors are weighed up, is overall better than dry food. However, if you choose to feed only canned food, please, please, please, for the love of your dog’s teeth, feed it a raw meaty bone (RMB) such as a chicken wing. If you decide on canned food for daily meals, then feed it a turkey neck or chicken wing or equivalent RMB every day or at least every other day, to maintain your dog’s dental hygiene and health. A life time of feeding just canned food will decay its teeth to the gum line well before the end of its life span, giving you a greater maintenance headache to deal with later.

Either that, or brush your dog’s teeth on a regular basis. But feeding RMB’s for dental health, if not for anything else, is just as effective if not more so, with the added benefit that it’s natural, less work load for you while the dog cleans its teeth by enjoying eating an RMB. Not to mention the added bonus of natural calcium to phosphorous ratio, protein and fat, all absorbed synergically and naturally.

I recommend feeding an RMB as your dog’s last snack of the day.

Hi Jaime –

Your vet is correct – Taste of the Wild’s Puppy formula is not appropriate for large breed puppies due to the high calcium levels. High levels of calcium (>3.5 g./1,000 kcal.) have been linked to increased incidence of developmental orthopedic disease in large breed puppies. It is, however, not necessary to feed a food that states “large breed” on the bag – just because a food isn’t labeled for large breeds doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t suitable for large breeds and, conversely, just because a food is labeled for large breeds doesn’t mean it is appropriate for large breeds – this is why it’s crucial to real labels and contact the manufacturer for actual nutrient values. If you head over to the forum area there is an entire topic dedicated to large breed nutrition.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

Also, here is a list of 4 and 5 star grain-free foods that meet the AAFCO nutrient standards for growth or all life stages and that contain appropriate calcium levels for large breed growth (I’m sure you could find something comparable to TOTW within your budget):

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFQXNYZW01VzRVV00/edit?usp=sharing

A homemade diet would be best for your new addition. The quality would be higher than anything you could get in a can or a bag.

Before you feed your dog canned foods please do a little research on the “Dangers of canned foods”. Although the food inside the can is probably a higher quality then dry foods it is the can itself that poses a health risk!

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/december-2009/food/bpa/overview/bisphenol-a-ov.htm

“The chemical Bisphenol A, which has been used for years in clear plastic bottles and food-can liners, has been restricted in Canada and some U.S. states and municipalities because of potential health effects. The Food and Drug Administration will soon decide what it considers a safe level of exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA), which some studies have linked to reproductive abnormalities and a heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and heart disease.”

I have a 3 pound tea cup poodle and he is 5 years old ..I can tell he is getting older and I want to know the best thing I can feed him,,,,, and I have a 5 lb poodle and she is 6 yrs old what is the best thing to feed them….real food can food dry food I don’t care I just want the healthiest for them they are truly my babies help want the around a long Time. I had a 5 lb podddles when I was a young girl and it lived to be 19 yrs old my mom fed it from table and can mighty dog dry ECT But things were diffrent back then and that was 40 yrs ago…with all that’s in food now it’s diffrent …so tell me what is best for my babies

Hi again, wanted to add a few more questions about the maltipoo puppy. Which food is best for him wet or dry? and how long do I keep him on it for? He is presently eating Nutri Source chicken and rice.

Hi Jordan –

Congrats! Because your pup is going to be large I’d recommend picking a food with no more than 3.5 g. calcium per 1,000 kcal. as excess levels of calcium have been shown to contribute to developmental orthopedic disease in large and giant breed puppies.

If you can feed raw or homecooked that would be best. Canned foods and dehydrated foods would be your next best option, with kibble being the worst. If you do go with kibble pick a few different brands with different protein sources and rotate, I’d also highly recommend topping the kibble with a high quality canned food and/or fresh cooked or raw foods.

Here’s a link to the large and giant breed puppy nutrition forum:

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

Here’s a link to a list of 4 and 5 star grain-free foods appropriate for large and giant breed growth:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFQXNYZW01VzRVV00/edit

Hi Trevor –

Congrats on the new addition! Good choice for a name – my oldest male bloodhound is named Gus.

Because American Bulldogs are large breeds it’s very important that you feed a food appropriate for large breed growth – it should no more than 3.5 g. calcium per 1,000 calories. Large breed dogs grow very rapidly and are prone to developmental orthopedic disease – i.e. hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, pano, etc. High levels of calcium have been shown to increase the occurrence of developmental orthopedic disease.

Personally, I feel that a properly prepared raw or homecooked diet is ideal. A quality canned food or dehydrated food would be the next best options, followed by kibble. If you choose to feed your pup a kibble – which for cost and convenience reasons most, understandably, do – I’d suggest a 4 or 5 star food approved for growth or all life stages, preferably grain-free. When feeding processed commercially prepared foods, variety is important so rotate brands often and, when possible, incorporate some fresh, species-appropriate foods (raw or lightly cooked lean meat, eggs, tinned sardines, plain yogurt, etc.).

If you head over to the forum section there’s an entire topic area dedicated to large breed puppy nutrition: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

If you choose to go with a grain-free dry food, here’s a list of foods that have appropriate calcium levels for large breed growth: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFQXNYZW01VzRVV00/edit

My advice will differ a little to any following. Just like wolf pup in the wild would have, the best food to feed and what can be construed as the closest to that a wolf pup would get, is a variety of raw meaty bones, raw offal (organs from lamb, cow, and chicken etc, such as heart, kidneys, liver etc), whole fresh fish, quality mashed up fresh green vegetables, whole fruits, raw eggs etc.

Failing that, look for 2 or 3 good 5 star dog foods highest in protein (Each review shows each nutrient percentage on a dry matter basis), moderate fat level, and lowest in carbohydrates, that are classed as for All Life Stages. Find 2 or 3 that you may have access to in your area, and alternate the foods, at each meal time, so your pup gets a good variety, making sure you probably add a little extra to the packages already suggested feed size for pups and their weight.

Hi Samantha –

Here’s a link to the large breed puppy forum. There you’ll find links to several articles about large breed puppy nutrition and a list of food that are appropriate for large breed growth.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/