[Pitlove]

Hi Justin-

Pro Plan has excellent digestibility which is probably why you are seeing better stool quality with that. If that is what he does well on, you may want to listen to what his body is telling you.

[theBCnut]

And try adding probiotics to whatever you try for a couple weeks and see if that helps.

Personally, I like NutriSource Large Breed Puppy, but you need to feed what your dog does best on.

[Justin A]

Pro Plan has excellent digestibility which is probably why you are seeing better stool quality with that. If that is what he does well on, you may want to listen to what his body is telling you.

You are probably right. It so easy to get focused on the ratings and not always on the actual results.

[Pitlove]

You hit the nail on the head Justin. Sometimes the “best” foods according to this website are the worst for your dog and vise versa.

[Aaron W]

I have a 4 month of boxer/Pitbull mix. He has had pretty consistent loose stools since we got him. The first food we tried was natures variety and now he is on TOWT with still no improvement. He has been tested for parasites a few times. Any suggestions of what food would be best for what I’m assuming is a sensitive stomach? I’ve read nutrisource is pretty popular.

[Alexis Y]

We started our IW pup on Wellness Core for puppies the end of last week and stools are now totally normal!

[Jen S]

Hi! I’m new to this forum, but this article has been tremendously helpful for me in choosing a proper food for my puppy. Reading the Google doc that Hound Dog Mom posted helped me choose Earthborn Holistic’s Primitive Naturals kibble and my 42 lb 5 month old chocolate lab puppy loves it but I have a question: How much do I feed her? Meaning, based on the bag/chart, do I feed her based on her current weight or based on her ideal weight? For her current weight, it says she should be getting around 2 cups per day. But is that enough? Or should I feed to her ideal weight which I think is closer to 70 lbs? This is my first dog and I’m trying to figure this out. Their offices are currently closed for the weekend, but I left a post for Earthborn’s Facebook page as well.

[theBCnut]

Jen

I answered you in the other thread..

Aaron
NutriSource is a pretty bland food that most dogs do well on. If that doesn’t work for you, google the Honest Kitchen Perfect Form.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by theBCnut.

[S B]

Hi,
My 6 month old German Shepard is 43lb, that’s 15 pounds under weight! We have been feeding him 1/2 cup of NurtiSource large breed puppy food three times a day, now we are going to feed him 3/4 cup of food three times a day. Is there anything else I can do to have him gain more weight?

[Pitlove]

Hi S B-

What is his activity level like? Are you guys exercising him a lot or does the vet feel he has a high metabolism? Personally I wouldn’t add anything else right now to the diet since he’s still growing. I would just increase the food until he puts the weight back on, then feed to maintain that weight.

[aimee]

Hi S.B.

What size is your cup? If you are using an eight ounce measuring cup 1/2 cup or even 3/4 cup three times a day is feeding under the feeding guidelines from the company.

[Jen S]

S.B. – I recently found this link and it was so, so helpful to me. There’s so much variation in dog food and this helped me zero in on where to start. Start by weighing your pup (today, right now – they grow so fast!), then find how many calories per cup the food you’re using contains. I found that on the website for our food. You can then use this formula to compute how many calories daily are needed for basic metabolic processes. For a puppy, the Ohio State vet clinic advises 2x the amount in the 4+ months to adulthood stage. I started there but found my puppy needs a bit more (they advise it can vary as much as 50%). Because she’s a large breed, we are going to watch/adjust weekly to make sure she isn’t growing too fast or too slow.

I’m not sure if this will help you, but I know how much it helped me and wanted to share. 🙂

https://vet.osu.edu/vmc/companion/our-services/nutrition-support-service/basic-calorie-calculator

[theBCnut]

My GSDs needed about 4 to 4 1/2 cups of NutriSource. Increase food slowly, keep a good eye on your dog’s stool, and keep you dog on the thin side until full grown.

[FIREMAN29]

Hello, I’m new to this forum but desperately need some help. I have a 5 1/2 month old almost 60 lb amstaff male who has constant on and off diarrhea. I apologize for the lengthiness but theres a bit of a back story to give context. We got him as a rescue by proxy. His mother was rescued by a firefighter friend of mine when she wondered into the firehouse one day. Little did he know that this 9 month old sweetie was preggers. Nonetheless, he took her in, had the litter in his home and posted the puppies up for adoption. My wife and I wanting to get a rescue naturally jumped at the chance to take a pitty home with us. He was 6 weeks old and 6.5 lbs and they had already been weaned and eating Purina Beyond Superfood Blend Salmon flavor. Once that was done, we did the 10 day transition to Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy food and he loved it. One day around 10 weeks old he just stopped eating his food and refused to eat it. We contacted our vet and she suggested switching foods, we took the opportunity to switch him to a grain-free and healthier brand (Blue Buffalo Wilderness) once again using the previously mentioned transition method. The transition went fine and he loved the food. Then around 12 weeks he started having diarrhea every second or third day with the days in-between having normal stools. (Mind you, he also was having terrible allergic reactions to his vaccinations and was constantly on prednisone, benedryl, flagyl, and a probiotic). So we figured his digestive issues stemmed from his vaccine issues. His last vaccination was in the second week of February so its been two months. In that time he’s been teething, causing untold destruction, and still having those digestive issues along with a reduction in how much he’s been eating. We’ve done the chicken and rice to help his stomach several times as well so that he’ll eat.

Most recently, the vet gave us a canned food designed for digestive management to use for a week that would help his stomach out. She suggested that the Blue Buffalo may be too rich for his stomach and that we may need to find another brand. I spoke at length with my local pet store manager (Pet Supplies Plus) about this matter and he gave me several suggestions that would possibly help me. So I brought home a small bag of Wellness Complete Health Puppy Food and the pet stores brand called Redford Naturals for all life stages. Once he had constant solid stools with he canned food we began the transition to the Redford brand using the canned food as well. He seemed to be doing very well with the new food and eating it like he used to when he was a small puppy; till today when he started having diarrhea again for his second morning poop.

This is incredibly frustrating, and I have no idea where to go from here. We can’t afford to get him wet/canned food as he would go through it way to fast. And we want the best health for him so that he can have a long healthy life with us. If there is anyone who can help with this we would appreciate it immensely! Thank you.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Fireman29-
That was awesome of your friend to take in the pregnant puppy!

Have you had a recent fecal test done? If not, I would recommend taking in a stool sample and having it checked for all types of worms and parasites, including Giardia and Coccidia. They are common in puppies and can cause intermittent soft stools and diarrhea.

The supplement called Perfect Form by The Honest Kitchen was very helpful when we were going through this with our puppies. But, no supplement will fix it if they have worms or parasites.

Here is a link that may be helpful: http://www.dogaware.com/health/digestive.html

Good luck!

[FIREMAN29]

I did forget to mention that he had giardia as a puppy around 8 weeks old but since then no other parasites. We’ve sent in about a half-dozen fecal tests in since this has all started and the only one to come back positive was the aforementioned one.

Do you think we should stick with the current food for now and supplement that with a digestive aid?

[crazy4cats]

Oh boy, Mine also had giardia and unfortunately, it took months for their tummies to get better afterwards for some reason. I had a hard time getting rid of it though. I would think about using another round of Panacur for five days unless you are absolutely sure that he is rid of it. You mentioned using Flagyl (metronidazole) which is an antibiotic and can cause their tummies to be out of balance. Therefore, I’d definitely continue with probiotics. Forti Flora by Purina worked well for us. It isn’t one that I’d use for maintennce. But, good for when they have diarrhea.

I used a lot of the supplements that are mentioned on the dogaware link that I provided above. Mostly Vetri Science Probiotic BD, Gastriplex as well as the Perfect Form I mentioned earlier. Some of them contain both probiotics and digestive enzymes, but also some healing ingredients as well. Only use one at a time until you see if it helps at all.

I fed them as if they had colitis, (yes, I have two littermates) adding some fiber and applesauce for the pectin. I would feed a moderate protein and fat food for now. Nutrisource large breed puppy food might be a good one.

There is hope, however. My dogs are doing well now. We can switch kibble and toppers up now without any digestive upset!!!! Woo Hoo! Best of luck to you!

[FIREMAN29]

Thank you for the help. Just worried about the boarding we have coming up for a week while my wife and I are on our honeymoon in Maui. The boarders are also our trainers, and while they are great at training they are also a bit fanatical and freak out at the smallest thing, but their facilities are clean, he will be socialized the entire time, and their trainers are internationally know so it may be just a case of putting them at ease while we are gone.

Once again, thank you for the suggestions and I’ll be looking through that website for sure. I’m sure that he is just working through all he recent little traumas he’s had and once he’s stabilized he will be fine.

[crazy4cats]

Yes, it sounds like he’s been through a lot! Transitioning puppies almost always causes some stress and loose stools let alone when they have other issues as well.

Have a great time in Maui. I love Hawaii!!! I’m sure your boarders will take good care of your pup. Congrats!

[Jenn H]

Wow your story & life is so parallel to mine. My husband is a firefighter. And my pup is also an inutero rescue. Seems desperate animals & people always find their way to fire stations.
My friend adopted a very young GSD and was told she wasn’t pregnant. We ended up basically hand raising the pups as mom had no interest in anything other than playing. She had absolutely zero maternal instinct. And was very jealous of the babies getting so much attention.
Anyway, Crazy4cats advice is exactly what I would suggest. First make sure there is nothing wrong health wise. Then try a probiotics. Either what she suggested or Wysong Pet Innoculant.
It has been my experience that dogs weaned too soon tend to have very sensitive bellies. Transitioning to new foods (and even situations) can cause upset easily. When trying a new food go even slower than the usual 2 wks. Sometimes it can take a month or more for them to adjust.
While doing so try adding:
*pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
*white rice, including the water it’s boiled in
*letting kibble soak in warmish water for a few minutes
*adding digestive enzymes-preferably animal sourced w/ pancreatin otherwise plant based w/ protase, amylase, lipase, cellulose
If possible feed 1-2 hrs after meals.
A limited ingredient food may also help him.
I haven’t looked up the protein amts for all the foods you’ve tried but I can tell you I recently tried switching my pup to a food with higher protein (Orijen from Solid Gold) and it did not go well. I chose another (Acana) with less and it’s much easier on him. Eventually we’ll try Orijen again. It was just too much if a leap at the time.
As you can see there is much you can do to help your guy. Most importantly be very patient and take things very slowly with him.

[harish s]

Hi to all

This is my very first post on this forum.. There is so much information here is unbelievable.

I am getting my 45 days old french mastiff by weekend. I Have always had dogs but never a french mastiff.

I am little concern about the food to give him .. been reading a lot about this, which has confused me even more.

we in india unfortunately don”t have large variety to dry food .we have brands like royal cannin , pedegree n fewmore.

What is the kind of food should i give me boy.

any suggestion welcomed.

[InkedMarie]

45 days? That’s six weeks; too early. Please leave the puppy with his mom/siblings. If the breeder is sending them home this early, find a better breeder.

[Pitlove]

Hi Harish-

Do you think you could provide a more comprehensive list of foods available to you in India? So far of the 2 you listed I would choose the Royal Canin Maxi Puppy formula if you can get that as it is designed for large/giant breeds.

[James S]

Hi!

I have a new Labradoodle puppy who will grow to 50-60 LBS as an adult. He is gaining 2LBS a week average between 3-4 Months (8 LBS in 4 weeks) I have him eating Solid Gold Hundchen Flocken, for med – large breed Puppies, just requested the Calcium and other specs from them directly, they are below.

Hundchen Flocken is 1.8% calcium, 1.14% phosphorus, 1% potassium, and 375 kcal/cup
Wolf Cub is 1.3% calcium, 1% phosphorus, 0.8% potassium, and 345 kcal/cup

Should I switch to Wolf Cub or something else, he has allergies and was very itchy on the Breeders Food (Costco Chicken and Rice) Much better now on Solid Gold. Any experienced input would be appreciated, thank you!

[Pitlove]

Hi James-

When you requested the calcium and phosphorus from the company did you make sure to specifically ask for the MAX levels? When I spoke to a rep from Solid Gold, I asked if any other formulas besides Wolf Cub were truly large breed puppy safe and she said no… I was confused about that since they have other formulas that say for medium to large breeds. Personally I’d play it safe and go with Wolf Cub.

[James S]

When you run the calculations, it comes back at 1.3 so inside the range for large breed. I might juist switch to Wold Cup although my Labradoodle is doing very well on Hundchen Flocken/Lamb, not sure it is worth the switch as he will only get to 50-60 lbs according to the breeder:
Here is Dane’s complete answer from Solid Gold, i find it confusing too because now they changed the bag for Puppy Hundchen Flocken to Small to Med breed, and Dane said the ingredients are the sale as when it was labeled Large Breed… go figure that one…
Hundchen Flocken is an excellent choice for breeds that will mature around 75 pounds. For breeds that will be larger, we suggest Wolf Cub, as it has reduced levels of calcium and calories to promote a healthy growth rate.

Hundchen Flocken is 1.8% calcium, 1.14% phosphorus, 1% potassium, and 375 kcal/cup
Wolf Cub is 1.3% calcium, 1% phosphorus, 0.8% potassium, and 345 kcal/cup

Please let me know if you have any further questions!

Seem like good quality food…Hard to find non chicken based large breed puppy that has normal protein and lower fat…

[Pitlove]

That answer does not make any sense to me either, as any breed that will be over 50lbs at mature weight is considered a large breed and should be fed a calcium restricted diet to reduce risk for DOD’s. I’d like to know their explanation for that. Yes, personally I would switch to Wolf Cub if you want to stay within Solid Gold.

[James S]

Their explanation was it was simpler for consumers to understand… HUH??? When I indicated that it was very confusing for consumers to see MED-LARGE breed puppy on the bag I just bought, only to go to your site and see Small to Medium for same food…(and even the Med to Large is still in the same description for Puppy Hundchen Flocken) He apolgized for the confusion and indicated that the formula has not changed, which is the most important thing here I guess…

Just found out that Diamond makes Wolf Cub and King, not a fan from what I have read, Think I will keep on with the Puppy Hundchen Flocken since my puppy is doing well and NOT scratching himself much anymore. Don’t want to change and tip the apple cart as the calcium calculator states 1.3 which is in the safe level for large breed puppies.

[James S]

I have decided to transition to Solid Gold Wolf Cub. Solid Gold responded very candidly through Facebook messaging about the Diamond plant this is manufactured in. Sounds like there are a lot of checks and balances in place to assure a good product come out.

They did say teh FDA has lowered their calcium standard for dog food, and that is why Hundchen Flocken had to be reclassified as a Small to Medium breed Food. (Although they said it was find for my 50-60 lb (at maturity) Labradoodle, I do not want to take any chances as I had a Golden Retriever with hip displasia)

[Eddie C]

I have a 6 month old female doberman pinscher and I’m currently feeding her eagle pack dog food what are your opinions on that brand of dog food is my question? She already weighs about 50lbs but is definitely lean.

[Martin G]

Thank you for the great information!
I’m defiantly going to switch my German rottweiler’s food now.
ummm I feed now Purina one large breed puppy food and 3 table spoons of blue wilderness puppy wet food. do you think i should keep the same wet food switch that too or take it away all together? Also what is your number 1 food on your list?
btw my pup is 11 weeks.

[Kim M]

Here we go. Another former reader ready to ask questions 🙂

We will be getting our soon to be 8 week old Labrador in a few weeks.
Parents are 65-70 lbs
Our female pup (Ellie) is charcoal coat

Breeder feeds Country Vet Naturals. Seems to be a Midwest brand.

I have combed the site and others to limit to a few possibilities. Looking for the best suggestions. These below were moderately priced. I would love to feed Annamaet but I’m not sure that’s budget sustainable right now.

Earthborn Coastal Catch (not sure if kibble size is small enough for puppies)

Wellness Core

Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy

Am I missing another to consider?!

We will be walking and working on retrieving nearly daily. I would expect her exerted energy level to be moderate most days. The most confusing part has been the calcium:phosphate portion of this reading adventure.

I was originally going to go with TOTW hi-prairie but my reading has me discouraged with Diamond among other things.

Help! 🙂

[Tim M]

Kim m,

I can tell you for sure that the Earthborne coastal catch is small enough for puppies. We feed our labs the same and would switch off to the Earthborne meadowfeast every other bag. The meadowfeast is just slightly bigger shaped. But not enough to cause any issues.

[Kim M]

Thanks Tim! Stopped by one of our new pet stores in town and was able to get a few samples as well!

[Linda A]

Hi everyone. I have a golden retriever puppy who is 5 months old. He is on pro pac ultimate puppy and has been since 8 weeks. However he is still on the small side. Only 29lbs. Any suggestions?
We also have a 2 1/2 year old Saint Bernard and a 7 1/2 year old German beagle.

[goldenstar]

I have looked for this information and could not find it. So ..sorry if I missed it. My question is…..Does the calcium to phosphorus ratio change if I were to add more meat and add raw chicken or turkey necks to my pups diet. I have a 13 week old Golden Retriever. I am feeding her The Honest Kitchen “Love”. I want to stay away from kibble and Love seems to fit into the safe for large breed puppy’s with calcium and the cal phos ratio. But I would like to add more meat to her diet and maybe some raw chicken or turkey necks a few times a week. How would this affect the calcium phosphorus levels? Thanks for any help on this.

[Jeremy G]

As everyone else, I’ve been reading this topic for the past week or so as I prepare for my first giant breed puppy, a purebred English Mastiff. Per the breeder she is expected to hot between 150 and 170 lbs, and we want to set her up for the most successful life possible! We’re currently feeding our Chihuahua/Italian Greyhound mix Honest Kitchen and she loves it. We’re feeling loyal to Honest Kitchen, but I’ve read a lot of really great things about Fromm Four-Star, and we keep going back and forth between the two. I like the idea of a food she has to chew, there’s something weird about dogs eating oatmeal (Honest Kitchen) to me.

I’m under the impression that these are both all life stages food, so does anyone have an opinion one way or another between Honest Kitchen: Love and Fromm Four Star Beef Frittata for our 7 week mastiff that comes home in a week?

[Mike P]

Hey all. Just like Jeremy, I too have been reading this thread for a few weeks now. I too just brought home my first English Mastiff puppy. She is our second dog and our first is a rescue Chihuahua/Dachshund mix. (They are getting along well)

Jeremy.. I started on page one a few weeks ago and have read so much and there are some great advisors on here. Hound Dog Mom and Pitlove are really great along some other regulars. HDM even put up a couple lists of recommended foods and from what I can tell, it seems go me, it is a good idea to rotate a 2-3 and see what you puppy does well with.

Our mastiff puppy (Lola) is on Eagle Pack large and giant breed puppy food right now as the breeder was feeding her that and I didn’t want to totally shock her system. I assume the transition to a new home and different dog was going to be enough.

I also bought a bag of Fromm Gold Holistic large puppy food and will transition her to that next. In the future I plan on trying both Earthborn Coastal and Meadow feasts, Annamaet Salcha, Wellness Core, and Kirkland Signature ND Salmon.

There is also some that are adding a little wet food to their pups eating plan. Like Tripett. Also, some are going completely raw.

In my opinion, it comes down to what works well for you and your puppy.

To quote HDM “The best thing you can do is monitor his/her weight and adjust the food intake accordingly. So many factors can affect the calorie requirements of a dog including size, activity level, age, breed, gender, whether the dog is spayed or neutered, temperature, level of stress, etc. etc”

[Jeremy G]

Mike, thanks for response. There’s something about confirmation bias that makes me feel better 😉 We also have a Chihuahua mix (with italian greyhound) and are also picking up our first english mastiff puppy! Funny how that works.

I went with a Fromm 4 Star, Honest Kitchen and some Trippet to start with and see what she likes.

[pitlove]

Hi Jeremy and Mike-

Congratulations on the new mastiff pups! They are wonderful dogs.

To you both: I would definitely caution against using THK as a sole diet for your growing puppies. The company itself is infamous for diets that are lacking in nutrients per AAFCO and the NRC. Using it supplementally is safe, but not long term by itself.

However, it does already sound like you both have decided to use a large breed puppy kibble base which is a much better idea. Tripett is a good choice for a canned topper since the calcium and phosphorus are very low and already balanced properly.

Most veterinary nutritionists recommend using a food from a larger company that invests in feeding trials. Obviously those companies being Hill’s and Purina. I do however understand that many do not feel comfortable using those brands. Dr.Tim’s Kinesis has also been feed trialed and is safe for large breed puppies.

Others that I recommend that meet the criteria for large breed puppies based on lab analysis are: Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy, NutriSource Large Breed Puppy, Nulo Puppy(formulated by a veterinary nutritionist they have staffed), Precise Holistic Complete Large & Giant Breed Puppy, Solid Gold Wolf Cub.

[goldenstar]

pitluv…can you explain or give me more info as to why THK is lacking for aafco and nrc standards fir large breed puppies?
Are they not giving accurate info? Thx.

[pitlove]

Hi goldenstar-

THK has been discussed a lot on the forums and on THK review on the review side of DFA. Per AAFCO, if a diet exceeds 4000kcals/kg you must correct for energy density. All of THK’s diets exceed 4000kcals/kg (including Love) and therefore when you correct for energy density many key nutrients are below AAFCO and NFC minimum’s.

[goldenstar]

Thank you pitluv for this valuable information.

[Susan W]

Check out VeRus’ large breed puppy food. Their adult foods are excellent and they put a lot of research into making great formulas. In something like 28 years of production, they’ve never had a recall. Their website has a LOT of great information & they have a patented way to do probiotics. http://www.veruspetfoods.com
Also, if you fill out the contact form, they’ll send you really nice samples.

[jacob h]

Hey guys, I am sure this has been asked before but i have gone back a couple pages and have not seen it so i apologize if this is a repeat. I am looking for a large breed grain free food for my 11 week chocolate lab. Breeder had him on purina puppy chow but i want to get him on a better food. I would like the grain free just because it seems like a smarter thing to do, as well as being better for the dog. I know that chocolate labs contain recessive genes, thus them being the chocolate color, which can correlate to more allergies. or thats what my vet tells me. Suggestions for large breed grain free? also thoughts on grain free vs with grain. thank you so much. I have been standing in Petsmart for an hour, so hopefully this will help me out.

[pitlove]

Hi Jacob-

Grain free is inconsequencial to the proper growth of the dog, which is the ultimate and most important goal that should be focused on. Grain free also is not inherently better for allergies (especially ones that may or may not manifest themselves). I would focus more on finding a food that will help your dog grow properly and less on marketing gimmicks. However, if you are 100% positive that you need to feed grain free Nulo Puppy is a grain free food formulated by a veterinary nutritionist, that is safe for large and giant breed puppies.

As far as what is available to you at PetSmart, the only brands I would recommend from there is Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy, Science Diet Large Breed Puppy, Royal Canin Maxi Puppy and Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy. The other brands I would recommend you would have to purchase online or at a speciality pet store.

[Amanda M]

I have a quick question! I have Great Dane and feed Fromms which they like but we have a problem that the kibble is so tiny! Same size as my Maltese food! They eat and the food will fall out of their mouths! I have to always sweep after every meal it’s a mess. Is there any great dog food for giant breeds that the food is actually big enough for a giAnt breed??!

[jacob h]

Thanks for the reply Pitlov. What brands would you recommend? We have a couple speciality stores in town I just have not checked them out. I am new to this whole puppy thing. My puppy is a chocolate lab, is a akc and the whole 9 yards. His parents were both over 80lbs so he will be a larger lab I’m sure. Just want the best thing for him, it helps me sleep better at night

[Kim M]

Jacob,

We recently got our Charcoal lab (she’s 10 weeks tomorrow) and decided upon Earthborn’s Coastal Catch. I’m quite sure she would never turn down any food (ha) but her stools have been great on it and the kibble size is good for a pup. You can also easily switch between a few flavors as the formulas are the same.

Fromm and Wellness Core were also considered as possible brands. Our stores have nice sized samples so we picked some up to try out. She is currently at 75/25 mix as we are phasing out the Country Vet food she had been on with the breeder. I focused my study mostly on the calcium/phos ratio to be sure we don’t grow joints and bones too quickly.

Ellie’s mom is 65 while her dad is now 85. We are sure we may have a larger lab on our hands.

[jacob h]

thanks for the reply Kim. The earthborn is for all stages, is there typically not a significant difference for large breed specific food. It seems that finding large breed grain free is hard. Petsmart did not have much of a selection. How do you feel about royal canine? I was looking up pet stores and i am not sure if I do have any specality stores where I live. I live in Greenville NC and I’m pretty sure the closest speciality store would be an hour away. Also, Blue Wilderness seems to be the top tier food at Petsmart, it is what the employees recommended. What is the exact problem with Blue Wilderness?

[Author]

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