Best 5-Star Dry Puppy Foods

We will be getting a 6 wk old Great Dane/ Boxer puppy next week. I would like some advice on what might be the best kind of food for him. Thanks

Holly shmolly! I need him to give to my mum for Mother’s Day!

Hi Julie,

It might just be the stress of the transition to her new home that has her system a bit out of whack. She probably wasn’t eating the same food before you brought her home that you’re feeding her now so she’s made a cold turkey switch. I’d add a spoonful of canned pumpkin to each of her meals and either digestive enzymes or a bit of whole Greek yogurt or some kefir. See what happens with her food after you add those things to it and give her system a little bit of time to settle down.

If you’re still thinking about switching foods, check out the lists of four and five star foods. A food that I think is really well tolerated is NutriSource, which you should be able to find at Petco. Remember, you don’t have to choose a “puppy food” per se, foods that are labeled “all life stages” are perfect for growth for your little girl.

Hi Kalani,

My puppy is flourishing on Orijen puppy food. I would definitely recommend Acana or Orijen. I would slowly transition him slowly for a week or 2 weeks if his stomach needs more time. I gave my dog kefir and canned pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie mix. It’s easy to mistaken the two so make sure it’s purée pumpkin.

Your puppy can most likely benefit with some probiotic and digestive enzymes. Be sure to bring a stool sample when you see your vet to check for parasites. Congratulations on your new puppy.

Example:
Day 1 & 2 ( 25% new food + 75% old food),
Day 3 & 4 ( 50% new + 50 % old)
Day 5 & 6 ( 75% new + 25 % old)
Day 7: New dog food.

Oh my, what an adorable little fluff ball!

Have you considered a raw canine diet? Check out the Suggested Raw Food section. Or if no for whatever reason, then go for any of the 5 star kibbles that have a higher protein level and lower fat and carbohydrate level. Alternate between a few different ones from time to time and add full cream organic yoghurt for improved digestion and overall healthier meal.

Gorgeously cute Golden Retriever pup, by the way!

I can’t say I ‘ve ever heard that Blue led to any deficiency signs.

I got a bit “wiggy” over them not wanting to disclose nutritional info and that for a while their puppy food AAFCO statement said the food was formulated for maintenance. However, I don’t know of any actual problems that resulted from feeding Blue food to a large breed but I would feed Pro Plan over Blue.

From what I was told by my pups vet, Blue is causing vitamin and nutritional deficiencies in large breed dogs. I currently have my 16wk old female GSD on it, and always have had my large breed dogs on Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy Formula until they are two and then switch to The Large Breed Adult Formula. It has the Glucosamine for their hips, my dogs LOVE it, and I constantly get asked “did you clear coat your dog?” their coats are beautiful and shiny. Never have I had any issues with their skin, health, stomach upset, or stools. So that is definitely the one that I would go with!!! She is 16wks, and 33lbs. Her dad is 120lbs and her mom is 85lbs. So she is going to be a big girl

my 2 month cockapoo was started on Provico, Hypro by his breeder and he did fine. Need to know another good puppy food for him since the Provico place is 2 hours away. Tried him on Wysong, but he doesn’t eat it all until later and burps and has once or twice spit up. He’s obviously not happy with it and I would like something similar to Provico, Hypro. Please help.

Hey! I just bought a new dog 2 days ago. He is almost 4 months old (Born January 7) and he is a very small. Parents are: Shih Tzu/Poodle and a Maltese. His previous owner gave me a small plastic bag with some dry dog food in it. I’m not sure the brand, but that is what we fed him and still are till its empty. I decided to look up what type of dog food is good for him, though, because when I went to Walmart and Petco, there were a bunch of brands. I looked at the ones that say ‘Puppy’ on it, but they all said good things. I don’t know what is bad and what is good. Have any good recommendations for puppy food for small dogs? I attached a picture of him.

Hello dog lovers,

I am a first time puppy owner and am trying to figure out what would be the best food to get my new puppy zoey in the Phx, Az area! She will be 7 weeks old when my fiance and I get her. Her mom is a lab/terrier and the dad is a pomeranian/poodle, we expect her to be like her mom (around 60 lbs, since they look alike). What is a good puppy/adult dog food to give her?? We both just graduated college, so nothing crazy expensive!Right now she is getting purina puppy from her breeder.

THANKS!!

Hi Sheltie Love –

Congrats on the new pup! Any of the 4 or 5 star rated food would be a big upgrade from Pro Plan. I’d suggest finding at least three 4 or 5 star foods that are in your budget and available to you and rotating – variety is better than sticking with only one food. I’ve never used Trader Joe’s but Dr. Mike has rated it 3.5 stars – it’s not a horrible food, looks slightly better than Pro Plan and it’s probably cheaper. When possible, top the dry food with a high quality canned food, fresh healthy leftovers or raw food.

I have a 5 month old sib husky with horrible gas getting worse daily, we are using blue seal puppy formula and was great from 10 weeks on up until recently, any suggestions?

Hi Kimberly –

Sometimes if a dog is getting overfed it can get loose stools. If his weight was fine on the smaller portion you may want to scale things back a bit and see if the diarrhea clears up. Another option would be to try adding a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin to each feeding and/or supplementing with a probiotic and digestive enzyme supplement. Additional fiber, probiotics and enzymes can often help firm things up.

With that said – many people have been complaining about their pets developing diarrhea on Blue products and there is speculation that something is going on with the food. A friend of mine had a golden puppy that got horrible diarrhea on the food. If you want to try another food any of the 4 or 5 star foods on this site would be comparable in quality. Fine one within your budget and try it out – if you can pick a few different foods and rotate this is even better. Good luck!

Look here http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/ for some really important info about feeding large and giant breeds and a list of foods that are recommended for large and giant puppies.

Does anyone have any recommendation for what dry food is best for 8 week old Pug puppies?

I have a Great Dane pup, 7 months old (85lbs) and she has been on Iams dry puppy food chicken flavor large breed. Since the rating of Iams isnt that good what would you people suggest as a better replacement. Iams is too pricey for what it offers the dogs. My supplier does offer Diamond brand. (I live in Ohio)

WHat is your opinion on Natures Variety Praire Puppy Chicken meal and brown rice medley? I have been transitioning my 11 week old Shih Tzu male puppy from Canine Puppy to this brand.. I know of the brown rice issue but it is not a major factor to me at this point..He seems to be doing fine on it…stools are soft and formed ..Is this a good product? My vet was ok to try it but wasn’t familiar with this brand as she uses Royal Canine..She said to use the puppy food and not the Instinct yet. Thanks!

I decided to try FROMM as the first food to start my new addition on. I went to a local store and talked with some vets in the area and decided on that brand. The great part of this store is that if my new puppy does not like it, they will take it back and let us try something else out free of charge. Thanks you dog community for the help! I am very excited and cannot wait to bring him home!

Looking at the spreadsheet HDM has made, Earthborn Holistic would be a pretty good choice or even Wellness Core: Puppy if you are wanting a dry kibble. Those are the two I am thinking of switching to. My Border Collie mix is 40+lbs at 6 months old and I feed him about 2 1/2 to 3 cups a day of Blue Buffalo (Although I will be switching his food soon). He is lean and fit, but he also is an extremely active dog as he herds and plays all day long.

I would use Earthborn Holistic; either the Meadow Feast or Coastal Catch would be appropriate for a large breed pup (with the calcium level) like yours. It is very reasonably priced, and you can order it online at sites such as chewy.com!

Hi Chris2590,

Congratulations on the new addition! I’m a sucker for black labs. My current lab I raised on Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy and am/was very pleased with her development.

HDM gave good advice regarding the rec. Ca levels for large breed growth. (Blue Buffalo would not disclose the actual ca levels in their foods so I choose not not use them.)

There is lots of good info in the forum thread that HDM linked to.

I prefer to feed foods that have gone through feeding trials during the growth period which is why I choose Purina.

Enjoy your new baby!

I am picking up my new Black Labrador Retriever this
Saturday and have to switch him over from a food that I cannot get since the area is quite far away and the breeder uses a special type from a farm and feed store. I have been doing tons of research and cannot find one I really like. I am a recent college grad and do not want to spend tons and tons of $ on dog food but want to get him something that is very good. I have looked into many different names brands and ways to feed him. I am debating between FROMM, Purina Pro-Plan, Blue Buffalo and some grain free ideas. I need some help and thoughts relatively soon. I would appreciate the help and guidance. He is goingto be about 75 to 100 lbs., a big boy, and I have read that the way to go would also be a large breed puppy formula. Thanks for any input and help. There is just so much information out there to sort through!!!!! Thanks very much in advance!

Hello, I have a little Doxie who has severe allergies, as well as liver problems, so we watch his protein content, we feed him science diet I/D, per our vet, as well as science diet kibble, does anyone have any suggestions for food for him, to help with his allergies. The only thing that ever helped him was a short bout of prednisone, but because of his health issues he cannot be on that for long, Thank you so much for any help. Bitseys mom

I have a 14 week old cavachon who the breeder had on Pro Pac performance Puppy. She has loose stools and tends to scoot on her bottom a lot. Vet recommended a food with a higher fiber content. Any suggestions? She’s about 5 pounds.

Wow! What a fast reply! And this early on a Saturday morning, what a LIFE you must have!
He does have a musty smell, but no one has mentioned ‘corn chip’ odor. (my sense of smell has been damaged in an industrial incident)
I have been feeding him Purina Puppy dry and throwing in some Blue Buffalo that was a gift from my Sister who has dogs with skin problems. I just started to give him Krill oil, and it seems to work better than the fish oil, but he doesn’t like it.
I’m going to stop with the Purina, it doesn’t even show up on your ratings chart.
I’ll read up on the link you sent and study that.
I shall also try the Coconut oil…I never even thought of that.
Darn…this dog is so much trouble I’m gonna trade him for a Cat!
Thank you for your help,
RalphPierre

HELP! I have a 6 Mo old Rat Terrier, and he scratches and itches and licks so much he annoys people. I feed him a high quality puppy food, and give him fish oil supplements, but it only helps a little bit. The itch is not localized, but seems to be all over. Vet says his skin is generally healthy, but a little ‘dry’. I don’t see any flakes, hair loss, or fleas. I think it might be diet related, but I just cannot buy every kind of food available to find out which one is good. There are just too many of them, and I have a limited budget.
What kind of dry puppy food is targeted at reducing itchy, scratchy, licking dogs?

I have a 4 mth old shoorkie, weighing 4 lbs. He started on raw then wouldn’t touch it. Tried Orijen for puppies…liked that for a few days, then no good either. I add a bit of water to make a gravy and he’ll eat now maybe once a week. So, I cook organic chicken, broccoli, green beans and kale. That he loves, but I don’t think he’s getting everything he needs. Is he?? Should I add something? Can anyone help, as I just want him to be his healthiest. Oh, sometimes he’ll eat a scrambled, with kale. Thanks so much!

Annamaet is a very good food, company hasn’t had any recalls. I would definitely feed it over NV. If you call the company (Annamaet), there’s a good chance you’ll talk to the owner!

Hi Lesley –

If you head over to the forum area there’s a whole topic area dedicated to large breed puppy nutrition, including a list of recommended 4 and 5 star grain-free foods. The important thing when feeding a large breed puppy, in order to decrease the chances of developmental orthopedic disease, is to control portion size (don’t let the dog get overweight) and to feed a food with no more than 3.5 g. calcium per 1,000 kcal. (roughly 1.2% calcium or less).

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

Hi Chris2590 –

As far as specific recommendations, I believe a variety of minimally processed foods is best. My newest pup (now 10 months old) has been on a homemade raw diet since she came home at 8 weeks old. My previous pup (now 2 years old) ate a combination of high protein grain-free dehydrated foods and canned foods until she was 8 months old, then I switched her to raw. If you want to feed kibble that’s fine, but I’d suggest picking at least two or three different brands with different protein sources that have at least 30% protein and rotating after every one or two bags. Top the kibble with more species-appropriate foods such as commercial raw, fresh cooked, high quality canned foods or re-hydrated freeze-dried/dehydrated foods. Healthy “people foods” are a great addition to kibble as well – any leftover lean meat or low glycemic veggies from your own dinner, tinned sardines, eggs, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.

When you switch to a good food loose stools are common for the first week or two. Many dogs can develope anal gland issues because the stool can be very small and not express them naturally. Also, loose stools usually means your over feeding. The recommended guidelines are usually at the highest, you need to adjust by treats, activity, ect..

I personally feed raw and add a scoop of canned pumpkin on the side. Giving your dog full pieces of vegetables and fruit does no good unless you break them down or mash them. A dogs digestive system is very short and can’t break down the cell walls.

Hi connie –

Dogs do not need grains. Grains are not a natural food for dogs. Most dogs tend to do best on “species-appropriate” foods – high moisture content, high levels of animal-derived protein, moderate levels of animal-derived fat, low levels of carbohydrates, no grains or high glycemic starches. You’re on the right track by feeding a grain-free food however, despite being grain-free, Natural Balance’s LID grain-free foods are very low in protein and fat and high in carbohydrates (fillers). I agree with your vet in that your puppy needs to be on a food appropriate for growth – Natural Balance is way too low in protein and fat for a puppy (I’d say it’s even way too low in fat and protein for an adult as well…). I’d suggest checking out the 4 and 5 star grain-free foods on this site. I’d go with a formula that has at least 30% protein and that’s approved for all life stages – you can feed it to all your dogs. As an even better option you can pick a few 4 or 5 star foods your dogs like and rotate brands and experiment with species-appropriate “toppers” (i.e. high quality canned food, raw food, fresh foods, etc.).

If it were correct info, that would be a good thing. Keep looking.

Hey all-

I have a 3-month old lab mix who is going to be a big boy. He weighed in at 37 pounds at his checkup yesterday! I’ve been feeding him Innova Large Breed Puppy. The food has recently been recalled because of Salmonella. While this isn’t in itself a concern for me (my dog has displayed no signs of the disease and the vet yesterday told me he didn’t think this was a big deal), I am concerned that I’m not going to be able to buy any more Innova for a while.

So, I’d like to switch him to a different food while I have some of the Innova left to transition him. I don’t mind ordering online, and I’m not particularly concerned with price. I have spent time looking at HDM’s spreadsheet and am a bit overwhelmed. What food do you guys recommend, and how much do you feed your dogs? The Innova currently recommends ~5 cups a day!

Thanks, Tim

Boston Terriers are known for bad gas too. But even the ones that came into rescue with odor issues got better on a better diet and probiotics. Oddly, it would help with their snoring issues too.

I’m assuming your pup might be somewhere in the neighborhood of eight weeks ~ could a puppy that age really have a chicken allergy?

Hi Bud –

Congrats on the new pup. Here’s a link to the large and giant breed puppy nutrition forum, there you’ll find links to some articles concerning large/giant breed puppy nutrition and a list of 4 and 5 star grain-free foods appropriate for large and giant breed puppies.

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

I am in need of some help I am getting my new Great Dane puppy in a few days….now I just lost my 1st Danes a couple months ago and was feeding her Nutro and she always did great but after a little research I now see it wasn’t all that great. So I have been looking at all the info I can and now have a question …..what would be a good food to start him out on …mind you that my breeder think he may have an allergy to chicken…don’t know why…just a couple ones to narrow the search please…I can get just about any food close by…thanks

SO WHAT!? I just brought a new puppy into my home last night and her post helped me! Don’t you have anything better to do than criticize others????

I have two toy poodles puppies going on six months. One three pds. & one four pds. they are sisters.They were on nutro @ first & now on nutro ultra. They scratch alot & don’t like their food. 0ne eat her poop. I need food that they like & great if one can help her bad habit. I have tried everything. Please help us!

I am getting a black lab puppy in 4 weeks. I am doing numerous hours researching puppy food and the best kind. I run into these long lists and discussions that are confusing and jam packed with information. I am a recent college graduate and have a decent income level, but do not want to spend an arm and a leg on puppy food. He will get much exercise because I love the outdoors and running. I live in a small town and there is only a few stores that I can choose from including petsmart, farm and fleet, and a few local grain stores. The breeder has a type of food only available at a local store in her town that is very far away from where I will be raising the puppy. I know that there is no correct or right food but could someone be kind enough to help me out? Thank you all very much and I am looking forward to being in the dog owner community.

i switched my 5 month old puppy she is an australian shepherd and she is on blue buffalo wilderness is that a good food for her

orijen puppy?

Fresh boneless chicken*, chicken meal, fresh boneless salmon*, turkey meal, herring meal, russet potato, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), sweet potato, peas, fresh boneless turkey*, fresh whole
eggs*, fresh chicken liver*, fresh boneless lake whitefish*, fresh boneless walleye*, sun-cured alfalfa, pea fiber, fresh boneless herring*, organic kelp, pumpkin, chicory root, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, blueberries, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium yeast, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium.

* DELIVERED FRESH, preservative-free and never frozen.

What is the best dry puppy food for an 8 week old German Shepard?

I just git 9 weeks old standard in size Australian labradoodle puppy. I am looking for the best food for her. Please help me:) . This is our first puppy and don’t know anything about dog food. Thank you.

Look for a food approved for “growth” or “all life stages” that has 3.5 g. calcium per 1,000 kcal. or less. Here’s a list of 4 and 5 star grain-free foods that would work: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFQXNYZW01VzRVV00/edit?pli=1

Hi Weezer –

Congrats on the new puppy!

You’re correct in your assumption that large breed puppies require special nutrition while they’re growing. My first recommendation is to stop giving vitamins – immediately! This is of the biggest mistakes you can make when feeding a large breed puppy. Commercially balanced dog foods are already supplemented with appropriate levels of vitamins and minerals, some are harmful if given in excess and nutrients like calcium can actually result in developmental orthopedic disease if large quantities are consumed. My second recommendation would be to make sure the food you’re feeding has 3.5 g. calcium per 1,000 kcal. or less. Here is a list of 4 and 5 star grain-free foods approved for growth that have appropriate calcium levels: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFQXNYZW01VzRVV00/edit?pli=1 . Blue Wilderness isn’t on the list – I know I looked into it when I was making the list and I can’t recall exactly what the issue was, either it was already over the recommended level with the stated min or the company refused to disclose the actual levels… If you want to continue Blue I’d suggest contacting the company and asking for the maximum calcium levels and checking to see if they’re appropriate (it’s very important that the calculation is based off the actual or max level and not the min stated on the bag – the actual levels present in the food tend to be much higher than the min). Adding raw meat to the food is great! I personally feed my crew a homemade raw diet. However, if you’re just adding meat and not balanced raw, make sure it accounts for no more than 20% of her total food intake otherwise you risk throwing off the nutritional balance of the kibble. Some other steps you can take to minimize the risk of developmental orthopedic disease (hip displasia, elbow displasia, pano, etc.) are monitoring her portions and keeping her lean (do not overfeed!) and limiting strenuous and high impact activity until she’s 18 – 24 months old (running, jumping, etc.). Also, this isn’t something you can change now, but I hope you got her from a responsible breeder who had hip and elbow clearances on the parents – this is crucial when purchasing a large or giant breed puppy as genetics are the number one determining factor in whether or not a dog develops orthopedic issues. I’d also encourage you to check out the large and giant breed puppy nutrition forum – there are links to a lot of great articles here: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/ .

Good luck!

Hi Brinny –

Sure thing. To calculate calcium the first thing you’ll need to do is contact the company to get the actual calcium levels (if they aren’t given on the website). Most company’s only provide the minimum guaranteed calcium level and the actual level is often much higher, this is why it’s important to base calculations off the actual level. You will also need to know the calories per kilogram.

So let’s say we’re trying figure the calcium level of a food (in grams per 1,000 kcal.) that has an average level of 1.5% calcium and 3,500 kcal. per kilogram.

1 kilogram = 1,000 g.

1,000 g. X 0.015 = 15

So we know there are 15 g. calcium per kilogram of food.

Now we need to get the amount of calcium per 1,000 kcal. of food.

(15 g. ca per kg)/(3,500 kcal. per kg.) = 0.00429 g. ca per kcal.

(0.00429 g. ca per kcal.) X 1,000 kcal. = 4.29 g. ca. per 1,000 kcal.

Here’s a list of 4 and 5 str grain-free foods appropriate for large breed puppies: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFQXNYZW01VzRVV00/edit?usp=sharing

If you’re expecting him to be 60 lbs. or more at maturity you should feed a food appropriate for large breed puppies. However, it’s not as simple as just picking a food that says “Large Breed Puppy” as many foods marketed to large breed puppies are not appropriate. Look for a food with no more than 3.5 g. calcium per 1,000 kcal.

Hi Bitsy –

Checking out the 4 and 5 star foods would be a good place to start. I’d stick with one approved for “growth” or “all life stages” until she’s a year old. If it’s affordable to you raw, canned, dehydrated and freeze-dried foods are preferable to dry foods. You can feed raw, canned, dehydrated or freeze-dried as her sole diet or use them to “top” dry foods. I’d also recommended rotating brands and protein sources periodically to provide her with a healthy variety.

Oops, the file is “locked”. Any other way to get the information you’re sharing? Thank you.

Hi Amy –

All of the Back to Basics formulas are too high in calcium for a large breed puppy. Here’s a list of grain-free 4 and 5 star foods with appropriate calcium levels: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFY183Q0NVRXlidWc/edit?pli=1

Here you’ll find information about large breed puppy nutrition and a list of 4 and 5 star grain-free foods appropriate for large breed puppies: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

Thank you!

I can’t help but wonder if this is a real person or a bot. That name posted a few times right together, all saying basically the same thing, and all having very poor spelling and grammar.

So you believe anything that is writen on a label? Spray can cheese is apprently made with real cheese, but I would not touch it with a 10 foot barge pole…

try natrual balance dry puppy food petco sells it i use it for my dog they have free samples to try go to prtco

Hi lovemypups -

Iams and Purina are both very poor quality foods. I would suggest trying one of the 4 or 5 star foods that are approved for “growth” or “all life stages.” Try supplementing their food with probiotics and digetive enzymes and adding a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin. This should help clear up the diarrhea. Once you get their digestive issues cleared up it would be a good idea to switch foods occasionally and top the dry food with a higher protein more species-appropriate food such as canned, raw or fresh cooked. Good luck!

I have a 4 month old cockapoo (cockerspaniel/poodle mix) what would be a good brand to get?

Hi Ron -

Large and giant breed puppies are prone to developmental orthopedic diseases (hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, pano, etc.) so it’s very important that when purchasing a large/giant breed puppy to purchase from a reputable breeder that has had an OFA or Penn Hip done on the parents, that you don’t overexercise the pup while it’s growing, that you keep the pup lean and that you feed a food with appropriate calcium levels as excess calcium has been linked to growth abnormalities in large breed pups. It is not necessary to feed an adult food and, in fact, I would strongly advise against feeding an adult food. Feed a quality food approved for growth or all life stages that’s low in calcium and control your pup’s portions. Here’s a link to the large/giant breed puppy nutrition forum, here you’ll find links to articles and a list of appropriate 4 and 5 star grain-free foods:

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

THANK YOU for your time. I’ll post on the Merrick pages once we give them a try.

I know you replied to Marie, but who in the world, or out of it, were you talking to????

(thought I posted but don’t see it): Delgada Jayne, I assume you’re speaking to someone else, not me?

All of Merrick’s formulas are too high in calcium for a large breed puppy (I’ve checked into it), however at 10 months old your pup is through her rapid growth phase so you don’t need to be concerned with calcium. I normally watch my hound’s calcium levels until they’re 6-8 months old. Merrick Classic is a good food, if you can afford it go for it.

What do you think of Merrick Classic or WEF, HDM? Looks like we’d feed less, get much better quality, and support a local TX company. Should I be concerned about their Calcium levels (I think one review said too high for large breed pups/dogs)?

If they don’t eat, just leave it for a few minutes and pull it up after a while. Its called tough love. Trust me, they’ll eat when they need to. You’re not starving them, as they are all top notch foods.

Hi pinkbully –

Any of the 4 or 5 star foods that are labeled for “growth” or “all life stages” would be a good choice. If you can do raw, canned or dehydrated that’s better yet. I know English Bulldogs fall on the medium/large breed borderline and I’m not super familiar with the health problems they’re prone to. If they’re prone to developmental orthopedic diseases (such as hip dysplasia) I’d urge you to check out the large breed puppy nutrition forum, there are some articles and a list of foods posted there that will help to minimize growth problems.

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

What is the best food for my 12 wk old English bulldog?

Hi back to you! Report back with a complete list of what you can get locally. Do any of your dogs have any issues? (underweight, overweight, hard to keep weight on, frequent ear infections, any skin/coat issues, paw licking?). This helps us find foods.

I’m just reading this now so I’m not prompt but a couple questions: what is your price point, are you looking for a food for this one pup, both the puppies or all four dogs? Are you interested in ordering online or do you need to buy in person? If you need the latter, can you give us your town and state, so we can better help?

Hi LoveOurShepherds –

Large breed dogs are considered full grown at 18 months of age. However the “critical” (rapid) growth phase in which you would want to be very concerned about calcium levels would generally be from weaning up to 6-8 months – this is the time frame in which puppies can’t regulate passive calcium absorption and are more susceptible to developmental orthopedic diseases. Ideally, I would recommend keeping her on a food that states that it meets AAFCO nutrient requirements for “growth” or “all life stages” for life (these foods are higher quality than “maintenance” formulas and generally contain more protein and less filler) or at the very least keep her on a growth/als formula until she’s 18 months old. I have three dogs – an 8 month old puppy, a 2 year old adult and a 7 year old senior – they all eat a raw diet tailored to the AAFCO’s “growth”/”all life stages” requirement. Prior to starting raw, my oldest dog ate kibble and I always fed him foods labeled for growth or all life stages. I never fed “maintenance” foods.

Hi LoveOurShepherds –

For younger puppies in their critical growth phase it’s important to feed a food with controlled calcium levels, however because your girl is already 10 months old I don’t think calcium should be a huge concern. I would just focus on finding a budget-friendly 4 or 5 star food. Some budget friendly options that are at least 3 1/2 stars: Pure Balance (sold at Walmart), Merrick’s Whole Earth Farms, Fromm Classics, Healthwise, NutriSource, Pro Pac, Eagle Pack, Hi-Tek Naturals and Victor. All of these foods generally retail at $45 or less for the largest bag (usually 30-40 lbs.) and none are made by Diamond. If you can’t find any of these foods locally I would check sites such as wag.com, chewy.com, petflow.com, doggiefood.com and naturalk9supplies.com – these sites offer free shipping with no weight restrictions when you spend a certain amount of money (usual $49+) and they all offer a large selection of quality foods.

Blue Buffalo has responded to those allegations. Although I’m not a big BB fan I have yet to read or hear anything definitive saying there’s something wrong with their food.

Oftentimes I don’t think people truly know if their dog is doing “fine” on a food. To them “fine” probably just means the dog seems healthy and hasn’t had any major issues.

Dogs tend to hide small illnesses anyway.

It really bothers me when people bash a good or great dog food because their dog didn’t do well on it. It doesn’t occur to them that their dog is not like every other dog.

It’s typical selfish thinking that I see day in and day out in the retail world.

Funny, my stools do just the opposite when I make a meal out of meat. I know, I know, TMI

Yes!! If you had the same symptoms, you would change your food, no? Buy the best quality food you can afford; it saves in vet bills down the road. Find something he likes. Healthy pet food stores will have samples from the top manufacturers; see if your dog likes one, get a SMALL bag to start, and switch foods. The usual recommendation is to mix foods for a week, but if your guy is having such a bad reaction to current food, you can probably switch over 3-4 days. You CAN switch over immediately, but may have to wait a few days to decide if it solves the runny stool problem since it is known that sudden food changes will upset dogs’ systems and cause diarrhea. I had a friend whose dogs had TERRIBLE gas, she was giving one can of CHEAP (i.e.Dollar Store) food a day “so the dog would have something other than dry” and when I got her to stop, the gas stopped. Your dog obviously is reacting to the food. Keep trying!

P.S. Orijen has received Dog Food of the Year several times…….

The high quality, i.e. high protein foods WILL give a soft stool. Dogadvisor.com has good ratings. Just give your dog raw carrots, raw apple, cooked pumpkin, or other vegetables/fruits high in fiber to firm up the stool. Some dogs like cooked oatmeal; mine does not. Mine likes raw baby carrots or apple slices as a treat. He also plays with carrots…..Use these for training instead of unhealthy biscuit things! Do not add extra sugar to anything. Just like when YOU eat only high protein food, your stool is soft……I also mix grated carrot or apple or cooked pumpkin in food instead of offering it whole. How much to give? Until stools firm up. Some dogs may only need one or two baby carrots a day, some may need more. Big dogs need full size carrots. Don’t cook the carrots or they develop more sugars. I am a pharmacist that eats healthy/organic, and my dog does too….And people constantly tell me how active & alert my dog is. It’s really true, you are what you eat…..I personally buy Orijen food but any 5 star recommended food will be the “best” for your dog. Just remember to slowly (over a week) mix the old with the new when changing foods. And your dog WILL let you know if they hate a new food, they refuse to eat it until they are starving. If they skip several meals ylu will know they dislike it. So get samples from a healthy pet store (one rarely finds the best stuff at groceries and if they do carry it, they don’t have samples) plus if a grocery like Whole Foods has the food they won’t have samples. Petsense doesn’t have good food, but Petco has some. And see if your dog likes it….a friend of mine was feeding her dog Science Diet (which is actually bad, second highest ingredient was corn meal) and visited; her dog scarfed down the Orijen I had out for mine! Yet mine rejected other high quality dog foods. So get some samples & see what your doggie likes best!

Good heavens you folk! You worry about puppy and mature dog formulas? Dogs have evolved by eating anything they can – unlike humans who will eat EVERYTHING! Make sure your dog food is not contaminated with pesticides (impossible), or GMO’s (equally impossible or unlikely). Give your dog the best food you can and give him/her plenty of attention and exercise. Keep them close to your heel (but I’m preaching to the choir, aren’t I?).

Hi Lotto
The best thing for your pup is to pick a few high quality foods that she does well on and rotate between them. This helps keep her gut healthy, which is a huge part of the immune system. Nature’s Variety has a really good line of kibble, too. My personal favorite is Brother’s Complete.
Of course if you really want the very best….feeding raw is the way to go.

Hello all, I really need some help to feed my lil mini- dachshund. she’s now 4 months old and I have trouble to find the best dry food for her. Everyone say different things….. my vet recommended RC and fed her couple days but I figured that the RC is not a great food for her. So after lots of research, it narrows down to Orijen or Evo. I bought 2 small bags already and tried on her and she likes both of it. So, Please recommend me a high quality dry food for her~! thank you…..

Hi Gus2 –

If he’s on antibiotics definitely get him on a high quality multi-strain probiotic supplement. If you head over to the forum section there’s a list of foods appropriate for large and giant breed puppies and links to several articles: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

I have an eight month old Scottish Terrier. Could you please suggest the best dry dog food for him. Thank you.

I have a 4 month old yorkie and want the best dry food I can give him. Anyone have an idea who has yorkies.

Hi Shirl –

A high protein grain-free food is best. However, I wouldn’t feed Taste of the Wild as it’s made by Diamond – the company has frequent recalls and poor quality control. Innova has a good quality grain-free food called “Innova Prime”, also a wonderful grain-free food made by the same company as Innova is EVO. These or most other 5 star grain-free foods would be a great choice for your pup.

What’s “your area”? Sometimes you have to drive a half hour for quality, or shop online, like HDM and Sandy suggested

Have you looked online? Alot of online retailers have free shipping when you order a large bag.

thanks! I will give this a try.

I have a 3 1/2 month old boxer. We have been feeding her 4 Health puppy food but she doesn’t seem to really care for it. I live in southern Iowa and we have a Menards, Tractor Supply, H&S feed store and Orscheln’s. And I don’t want to spend a whole lot of money. Like 30-40$ max?

Natural Balance is listed in the four star ratings on this site.

Hi clwar1 –

She’s adorable!

Science Diet is a fairly low quality food which could be causing the flaky skin. A switch to a high quality 4 or 5 star food may solve the problem. I’d also add a drizzle of fish oil for omega 3′s and coconut oil for medium chain triglycerides – both can help improve dry skin and coat (don’t add too much – maybe 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. each). Also, make sure not to bathe her too often – this can dry out the skin and coat. Give the diet change a few weeks, the improvement won’t be immediate.

It’s listed as a 3 star food, so it won’t be on a 5 star list.

Here’s the link to Hound Dog Mom’s list of 4 and 5 star foods that are appropriate for large breed puppies.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BwApI_dhlbnFY183Q0NVRXlidWc

Hi I have a 5 month old Siberian husky and right now she is eating Science Diet Large Breed Puppy food, but I want to see if there are any better options out there? I usually shop at Petsmart, but am willing to shop at other places to find the right food. What do you think is the best food for this breed of dog? Thanks!

My puppy likes California Natural Chicken and Rice Puppy.  she is a 7 mo old boxer.

Hi LisiePooh –

It depends on the dog’s chewing style. I’m sure a marrow bone would be perfectly fine for a teething puppy and keep it busy for a long time. For older dogs that are heavy chewers however, I advise avoiding recreational bones (weight bearing bones of large animals – such as marrow bones and knuckle bones) because they’re actually so dense that a determined chewer can break a tooth and/or wear down their teeth over time. I have heavy chewers so they all get raw meaty bones only (completely consumable bones – such as chicken backs, turkey necks, etc.).

Thank you so much, HDM! I have a lot of research ahead of me! Thanks for pointing me to some great resources.  Good to know about the calcium. I will mix the wet in with the dry; good tip. Do you think marrow bones are a good raw bone? Geez, I feel like such a newbie… 

Adding moisture to kibble is a good thing, having it actually incorporated into the food is great.

Thank you for replying, Hound Dog Mom. I’ve tried Sojos (only 3.5 stars) and The Honest Kitchen (zeal, love, & embark are all 5 star). She liked The Honest Kitchen mixes, and a dried lamb sample we got (I don’t remember the name, since it wasn’t pre-packaged, but the large box of pellets was over $100. They were hard to break up, which had to be done before adding hot water. The other available flavor was venison.)

I think we can combine the BBW with either the Honest Kitchen mixes, or the canned Evangers, and continue supplementing with raw meat (I freeze it, then give it frozen), eggs, and fresh fruit. The freeze dried meats were very expensive, and she’s eating about 3 cups of dry food a day, plus training treats (freeze dried liver), teething pizzles, and yak milk chews. 

I didn’t like the smell of the Sojos. It smelled salty, and reminded me of instant ramen (ick). She ate it, though. 

I’ve got another week here to do personal research to see what she likes the best. 

Any feedback/hints/suggestions are appreciated.  

My 5 month old Lab puppy is getting tired of Blue Buffalo Wilderness, so I’ve been “doctoring” it lately with a bit of canned (Evanger’s or Wysong) rabbit, duck, or venison or other treat type bits. I’ve been picking up samples of dry foods (mostly grain free), and even some freeze dried foods. So far, she prefers lower quality dry foods, like Natural Balance and Now. She eats some raw meats (which she loves). Her vet says she’s healthy and at the perfect weight for her age. 
Does anyone have suggestions for dry or freeze dried foods? We’ll be out of the U.S. for the next 2 months, and need to bring enough food for a growing Lab and my senior sheepdog. If I stick with the BB Wilderness (doctored) and the sheepdog’s Natural Balance, my car will be full of dog food, leaving little room for me & the dogs. 
The only foods we’ll have access to while traveling are fresh beef and fruits & veggies. The packaged dog foods in Mexico are not fit for consumption. 

Hi Melissa,

Both your son and your pup are beautiful!  What a sweet picture.  : )

A great source of information for you would be to head over the forum area and check out Hound Dog Mom’s list of suggested foods and some very informative nutrition information as well.  Here’s a link:  http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

A couple of super important things to remember with large breed puppies is slow, controlled growth – keep him lean.  Excessive growth and weight gain is a major contributor to orthopedic issues including dysplasia and pano.  As well, you need to keep the calcium in check, which is why you’re better off taking a look at HDM’s list.  An all life stages foods with appropriate calcium levels of 1.3% or less would be great for both of your pups.  

Good luck and congratulations!

HELP!  I was hoping to get some advice. I am picking up my English Lab puppy tomorrow, and I have to say I’m terrified! I haven’t raised a puppy in 12 years (our chocolate lab died last month )  Can anyone tell me how much I should be feeding her, and should I be doing a combo of wet and dry? Currently she is on Iams Full Active Health Smart Puppy, I am told, but I would like to get her onto something more superior.

Various sources seem to give all kinds of disparate answers. Some say leave the food down and let your puppy eat to its hearts content…. I don’t believe that, as when our first lab was a puppy she got into a bag of kibble and ate the entire thing and blew up like a balloon!  

I just want to do this right, from day one!

Also, as a side note, what kind of treats are healthy? I see someone mentioned raw bones… 

Thank you so much in advance!!!

I definitely agree with you there – any homemade diet done incorrectly is potentially disastrous, but I don’t think that a properly balanced raw diet can be improved upon.

HDM,
 I will agree with you to a point. Sometimes even nature needs a little help. Its true nature can and does supply every thing but some times those things aren’t always available to the specific animal causing a deficiency. Since processing is a form of predigesting it will make some foods a dog could not normally digest into something they can finish digesting and can actually end up being better for some dogs than what nature provides. One simple example would be carrots. While I have to agree the prey diet and the barf diet are fantastic for dogs they also have to be done correctly. Get just one thing wrong and it could develop into a major problem. I doubt if more than one in ten people will get it right even if they read a hundred books. (ok maybe a little exaggerating)  So for the remaining nine out of ten people I will stick by my statement. For the one in ten that does get it right I stand corrected. Maybe this time we can agree to disagree.

I think Abady dog food is extremely sketchy. Their website says some really crazy sh!t.

Dave,
I’ve used Abady for years. I did have to stop using it for awhile because I lost my only source. However, since I found out the factory is less than 20 miles from my house and there is a local distributor I am once again feedinfg Abady to my boyz. The best online outlet for Abady’s is 1800whiskers. I have three GSD’s with the newest being 10wks old. I will be talking to Erika at Abady’s today about opening account and purchasing directly from the factory, since I now have three other people that want it. I use a combination of Abady’s raw, canned, granulated, and kibble. I also use Brothers. In my opinion there absolutely is nothing better. And I am including other barf and prey diets when I say that. I can guarantee you will not find a dry food anywhere that has a higher overall amount of meat protien in it then Abady’s since they don’t use plant based protiens. Every other dry food on the market include plant based protien which weighs less than meat protien. Think about it. Even Origen has high amounts of nonmeat protiens when compared to Abady’s. I think the combination of Brothers and Abadys is about as good as it gets period.  Abady’s granulated is their premium dry food. It looks a lot like sand, and tastes like beef with a little fish. The granulated is calorie dense and should be mixed either with canned or raw and a small amount of water or broth. Sometimes I also added steeped fresh meats. to make steeped meats simply bring some water to a brisk boil turn it off place chucks and pieces of fresh meat into the water and just let it cool. That will kill any surface germs while the inside stays raw. The liquid is reserved as a healthy broth used to add extra moiture to their meals. Also the amount of arsenic that may be found in white rice is so small it isn’t even worth thinking about. Dogs can process arsenic out of their baodies way better than humans and just so you know arsenic is also a natural heartworm preventitive. 

doggiefood.com has Abady with free shipping.

 I ordered the same granulated. Shipping at For Dogs Sake wasn’t cheap….

Dave –

I use “State of the Art Maintenance and Stress Formula”

I’ve tried the canned, Dave. Mine really like it. The consistency is different that lots of other canned foods I’ve used. It’s not as dense as other canned foods and seems to be more “aromatic” than lots of foods – not in a bad way at all, it’s nice and beefy smelling. I picked up a couple of boxes of two different kinds of the granular and a small bag of kibble while I was at it. Did you by chance order from 1800whiskers.com?

You’re talking to someone named Bruce, not Patty

  Pattyvaughn – Get some good quality shoes and get your dog out with you together, start on basic commands, throw the ball a little.  Unexercised Rotts are problems.  Get the Rottie to puppy school and socialization

Hi Jbrucew –

You never want to make a large breed dog under the age of 18 months do any heavy-duty forced activity. Up to 6 months of age I don’t force any exercise on my pups, not even walks – I just let them play and do their own thing. After 6 months I’ll take my pups on short 20-30 minutes leashed walks. Once my dogs are a year old I don’t restrict leashed walks, I’ll start walking them with my adults (a one hour walk morning and evening). But I never forced force any high impact activity on a large breed puppy until after 18 months – that means no taking the dog for a run, no tossing frisbees in the air and having the dog jump to catch it, etc. etc. Any extreme activity before the dog’s bones and joints are fully formed (18 months for large breeds and 24 months for giant breeds) can contribute to orthopedic issues – such as hip and elbow dysplasia.

Hi memepapa –

I’d try Abady granular. It’s very high calorie and high fat, great for putting on weight.

Hi Ruth,

I’m just wondering… are you definitely sold on a dry diet?

You could make your own raw at home, or use a commercially prepared and balanced raw diet. I use kibble for my dogs morning meal and Darwin’s raw for their evening meal.

Raw is amazingly digestible and I bet your dog would love it. No matter what you choose, you can always supplement kibble with sardines, fresh lean meats, etc.

Hi Ruth,

What I would do is go through the lists of best puppy foods and best dry foods. All of those foods are either four or five star foods. Simply look through the ingredients and try something other than chicken or chicken meal. Turkey is not the same protein as chicken, by the way.

Because your dog is a large breed, I would be conscious of slow, controlled growth and limit the calcium intake to avoid excessive bone growth (about 1% for dry diets). Most importantly, keep your pup lean during his growth phase.

This link will take you to the forum area: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/. In the post the third from the top, Hound Dog Mom has put together a list of foods she recommends for large breed puppies, so this might be a good place to start. Just look for one as a protein source other than chicken or chicken meal.

I have a six month old alaskan malamute that seems to be having problems with poultry products. Can anyone recommend a good dry food that does not contain poultry?

Hi Dayami –

Most of the 5 star foods are grain-free and they’re all going to be high protein – any of these foods would be a good choice. I now feed raw but when I fed kibble my personal favorites were Orijen and Nature’s Variety Instinct – both high protein and rated 5 stars. I’d recommend picking out 2 or 3 quality foods that your dog likes and rotating for variety and also, if you can, top the dry with canned, dehydrated, raw or fresh cooked (it’ll make it healthier). Good luck with your new pup!

The “where to buy” link at the very bottom of their site works.  And also Nature’s Select Hi-Protein/Puppy food is also small and triangular like the Nutrisource puppy.

http://www.nutrisourcedogfood.com/nutrisource/where_to_buy

Where can you find nutrisource?

Cyn –

There’s a thread in the forums about large breed puppy food. Click “forums” on the top red bar, once in the forums click on “diet and health issues” and the large breed puppy thread is a yellow sticky at the top of the discussions list.