Shelter puppies do well on Pro Plan puppy, their small breed, regular, and large breed variations, even during sudden transition when surrendered or picked up as abandoned/stray. It’s highly palatable, as they invest in veterinary nutrition r and d proving and improving palatability, safety, balance, and good growth development. It has higher DHA/EPA concentration, essential omega fatty acids contributing to formation of cardiac, bone, nervous system, eye, kidney and skin tissue during development. Purine ONE is a step down in ingredient quality, but their puppy diet is also highly palatable, with dehydrated shreds of meat amongst the kibble pieces. Royal Canin is another option, although Pro Plan is more palatable by most clinical observation of puppies’ appetites. HIll’s Science Diet puppy isn’t as palatable as competing similar puppy diets, as shelter and veterinary professionals can attest despite its good nourishment for lactating mothers as well as puppies, but if your pup’s apathy towards commercial diet persists, as long as he’s maintaining body condition aka adequate covering over bony processes such as hips and spine that you can feel these when press lightly, but not see them, he is ingesting enough to maintain during his growth and development. Mealtime training, with less treats between meal time, i.e. 2T peanut butter in kong at crate time twice daily, after meals, but not treats throughout the day, can improve appetite at meals. At his size and age, his approximate daily energy requirement is 1000-1200 kcals. It will be closer to 700kcal when growth is complete. Diarrhea on a rich, fatty diet does not necessarily imply sensitivity. If his body condition was good on Hill’s per your DVM, maintain; if he was a bit low body condition per your DVM, try the Pro Plan, or ONE, or Royal Canin. Boutique diets advertised as human grade or superior quality don’t have the r and d testing to ensure appropriate growth and development, safety, and palatability that more established manufacturers have. Adding less than 10% of the total diet as cooked egg, lean meat, whole grain such as rice, pasta, orzo, lentil, can entice appetite, but can create a dog that will not eat food without these added, may not eat the treats you have on hand for training, and lead to more restrictions due to preference down the road. This can especially make medicating or prescription diet feeding difficult. Food for thought.
