[crazy4cats]

Hi shawn b-

I have fed my two lab/golden mix dogs both of these brands with very good results. I rotated through all the WEF flavors for about six months with no issues. If she likes it more, and I believe it passes the large breed puppy calcium test, why not feed it?

Also, there are a bunch of posters on this site that highly recommend the Pro Plan food as well. I have not fed it myself, so I can’t really comment on it. But, if she was doing really well on it and liked it, you might want to consider keeping her on it as well.

Good luck. Rottweiler puppies are adorable!

[shawn b]

Our 9 month old Rottweiler is finally transitioned off of the Pro Plan her previous owner had her on, and on to Eagle Pack Large Breed Puppy dry food. The only thing is she doesn’t love it. When I add a handful of Whole Earth Farms dry food she seems to love that. Does any one think The Whole Earth Farms Puppy is just as good as the Eagle Pack LBP? These are the 2 foods I am considering because they have pretty good ratings and they are what I can afford. Any advise would be greatly appreciated and thanks so much!

[Gina H]

I did have two fecal samples tested two weeks apart from each other. All negative. He is on metronidazole and it helped what was diarrhea. He’s also on Fortaflora and I have added pumpkin to his food. Right now, he is only on the Fromm Large Breed Adult. My breeder is adamant against anything labeled “puppy”. I have noticed that the ingredients are pretty much the same.

He was on Pro Plan Focus when I brought him home. He had very loose stools on that. And I was not happy with the ingredients.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Gina H.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Gina H-
Have you had any fecal tests done? Specifically for worms, giardia and/or coccidia. These are all common for pups to have. They all can cause loose stools and intermittent diarrhea. Are you feeding the large breed puppy formula? Have you tried any other foods yet?

[Scott L]

Ron, Our pup was one of the smaller ones in the litter also, but he has been like a different dog since we got his poop stabilized. I am not thrilled with the ingredients of the prescription diet or the Pro Plan Focus large breed but it has definitely helped get him to a much better place. He is actually thriving on this food.

[Scott L]

FYI – Horizon Complete and Nutro Ultra are both the Large Breed Puppy Formula.

[Ron D]

— Update —

We had Sadie checked for worms again yesterday, and she is still worm free. We are going with Susan’s suggestion and changing her food over to Taste of the Wild. Our other lab has been on the Diamond brand large breed formula for a few years and really likes it.

Thanks everyone for your advice.

Ron

[pugmomsandy]

Have you looked at the Editor’s Choice list of Puppy foods? There is also an article with a calculator in (in the Review side) it so you see if the current food you are feeding is within large breed puppy guidelines.

/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

[Susan]

Hi Ron,
yes what other brands have you tried did they all have grains & same protein (Chicken)??
As soon as my IBD boy eats a kibble with Barley, Oats, Chickpeas, Lentils, Corn Gluten Meal his poos go sloppy, you can’t pick them up….
Have you tried “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mounatin Roasted Lamb?? it has just Lamb as the meat protein, Sweet Potato, Potato, Peas, Egg, Berries
Have you tried kibbles with very limited ingredients that have Poatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Egg? Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes seem to firm a dogs poos up, well most dogs….
Have a look at “4Health” Special Care, Sensitive Stomach, it’s just Potato & Egg as main ingredients, it’s pretty much like a vet diet but cheaper, then if his poos do firm up I’d slowely start adding 1 new cooked ingredient to his kibble every 3 weeks & see does his poos start to go sloppy again, add cooked boiled rice, add ingredients from the kibbles he’s been eating & doing sloppy poos on, work out which ingredients he’s sensitive too??…

“Canidae” make a few large breed formula’s, there’s their new All Life Stages, LID Turkey & Brown Rice Large breed formula but all their large breed formula’s have grains except their other brand “Under The Sun” Large breed formula but it has Chicken & Chickpeas, your dog might be OK with Chickpeas you’d have to try & see, this is why its best to try the “4Health” Special Care, Sensitive Stomach Potato & Egg LID formula then you just add the cooked ingredients & try & work out which foods he’s sensitive too, it might be chicken as chicken is normally in these Large Breed Puppy formula’s.

Have you tried Kefir to strengthen his gut? start with 1 spoon a day then after 5 days give 1 spoon twice a day.
Dosages
Recommended Minimum Daily Intake of Kefir
Small size dogs or cats – 1 tsp. – 1 tbsp.
Medium size dogs – 1 – 2 tbsp.
Large dogs – 2 – 3 tbsp.

[haleycookie]

First have u had her dewormed? Second why are you still feeding the same food if it’s always been soft poop? Try changing to something else. Make sure she’s in health as well from the vet. I have a family member who has had multiple labs and they’ve all been on large breed puppy then adult by blue buffalo with no issues.

[Linda C]

Hi all! I think I’ve narrowed down our pup’s loose stool to a chicken sensitivity. She’s a large Breed puppy (Bernese Mountain Dog, our third) and so a lower protein percentage is needed. Both our breeder and vet advised adult large breed rather than puppy food as puppy food promotes faster growth. We started her on Fromme, moved to Taste of the Wild Venison (still had some chicken in it) and now have her on Natural Balance LID Venison and Sweet Potato. Her stools are fabulous (who knew we’d get so excited about good poop!), but the food is only rated 2 stars. Any recommendations for a quality, chicken free, food? Beef or venison? Thanks for your help! Btw, she’s been vet fecal tested twice, all clear.

[Susan]

Hi Chris
have a look at “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb 338Kcals per cup the weight just fell of my Staffy or look at “4Health” Weight Managemant formula has 318Kcals per cup, has grains $35 for 35lbs, or 4health Special Care, Weight Management his 279Kcals per cup, grain free $45 for 25lbs sold at Tractor Supply shops even the “4Health” Large Breed grain free formula is good to rotate with has 323Kcals per cup, cost $38 -30lbs or Large Breed with grains has 327Kcals per cup $35-35lbs …
Buy some frozen Beans cook leave in fridge & add to meals, take away 1/4 cup kibble, or just give the Beans as a snack, in Australia in Spring Summer time we get small ice cream container or small type plastic container fill 1/2 with water then add beans, apple pieces a few dry kibbles & freeze then give as a treat, keeps them cool & busy on a hot day…

[Nadine H]

How long did it take for him to do better on the Fromms? I would ask the vet how long to keep him on it. Is he on the Large breed Puppy?
Anytime we tried a new food I would take them right off if I saw loose poop. I wonder if I took them off quicker then I should have.

[Susan]

Hi Venessa L,
Stick with kibbles that have only 1 single meat protein with limited ingredients & once you find a few that she likes & agrees with her start rotating them to build up her immune to different ingredients, it sounds like Seasonal Environment Allergies & Food Intolerances like my boy gets, he starts rubbing his bum & mouth & gets red around his mouth/muzzle after eating Chicken, start giving weekly baths to wash off any allergens that might be on skin & coat look for in an anti fungal anti bacterial medicated shampoo I use “Malaseb” medicated shampoo excellent for red itchy skin, smelly skin/coat, allergies etc I also buy the baby wipes Coconut Oil wipes or the Cucumber & Aloe Wipes Adli’s have the Wipes when they have their sales or I get Huggie baby Wipes & I wipe Patch down after he’s been outside or when we come back from our walks, I know when he starts rubbing his mouth, head, body on my rug he’s itchy so I either bath him or use the baby wipes…
Start keeping an Diary & do you have Pet Insurrance? get some before you tell teh vet & he diganoses your dog with Allergies then I think its classed as a pre existing health problem & not covered so if later you have to see an Dermatologist your covered as Dermatologist are very Expensive….
here’s a really good Face Book group call
“Dog Issues, Allergies & Other Information Support Group” https://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/
A Dermatologist frequents the group + other people going thru the same problems as you
Here’s some LID foods to try for stomach/bowel problems (food Sensitivities) & Itchy Skin problems.

* “Natural Balance” limited Ingredient Formula’s read ingredient list for each formula as some of NB formula’s have different ingredients like Chickpeas.

* “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb

“Canidae” Pure formulas or “All life Stages” Large Breed Puppy, Adult Turkey Meal & Brown Rice formula has limited ingredients.
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products, scroll down a bit look to your right for “View All” click on page 5.

* “4Health” Special Care, Sensitive Stomach, is Egg & Potato
* “4Health” Special Care, Sensive Skin, has Hydrolyzed Salmon https://www.tractorsupply.com/landing-pages_brands_4health-special-care.html

[Susan]

Hi Cody,
start doing your own research so your puppy has a good start to her life, follow “Rodney Habib” on his facebook page https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib & watch his new free 5 part video’s “The Truth About Pet Cancer” scroll down Rodney’s F/B page & find Episode 2 & 3 & WATCH these episoes PLEASE so your pup has the best start to her life, also feed 4 smaller meals a day “Canidae” has their All Life Stages, Large Breed Puppy Duck Meal formula, or Turkey Meal Brown rice Wet & Dry formula’s.
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products scroll down a bit look to your right for
“View All” then click on Pages 5 & 9 for Large Breed Puppy Forumla’s & later when your pup is 6 months old start adding fresh healthy foods to her diet & rotate between different kibble brands so she isnt eating the same food 24/7, Pitbulls Staffys are prone to food sensitivities & skin allergies so get her use to a variety of foods & this strengthen her Immune System, just make sure if she is going to be fed a dry kibble her whole life you rotate kibbles but after watching Rodney Habib video’s Im pretty sure you’ll be looking for healthier food instead of feeding dry processed kibble, I only feed dry Kibble cause my boy didn’t have the best start in his life & now has IBD & cant eat a raw/cooked diet..

[Sharyl M]

I would be interested in a review of Nutrisource Large Breed Puppy Food, especially with regard to your article on Calcium intake for large breeds and danger of hip dysplasia in later life.

[haleycookie]

Blue Buffalo is far superior to puppy chow. Puppy chow is mainly corn and not a whole lot else. Blue Buffalo isn’t the best of the best by way better than puppy chow. Also if he’s overweight and also malourished at the same time how is that possible?? A lot of vets hate Blue Buffalo which I totally understand. Seems to give a lot of dogs diahrea. But a family member of mine has have her chocolate lab on blue for 7 years since he was a puppy and he’s the picture of health. So if he’s having good bowel movements, strong nails, soft fur not shedding much he should be just fine. But also try the puppy cans of food for now instead of the kibble. Just for a couple weeks if you can then I would switch to their large breed puppy food if you think the dog with get over 50 lbs.

[RAFFAELLO]

Dear Mike,
I got a beautiful Samoyed from the best breeder in Russia, and the breeder recommended to feed him with an excellent recipe of homemade cook foods, as he doesn’t eat anything raw or even rare.
She also recommended BELCANDO lamb and rice for puppies and to never use any preparations containing chicken.
BELCANDO is manufactured in Germany, and the breeder told me she had much better results with it than with ORIJEN.
At this moment I am feeding him with ORIJEN for adults because ORIJEN large puppies contains chicken and gives him horrible diarrhea.
I am very interested to know more about BELCANDO because it’s cheaper than Champion Foods as it’s manufactured in Germany meaning there are no import duties. On the contrary, ORIJEN comes from Canada that is not part of the European Union.
I live in Barcelona, Spain.
Here, I cannot get most of your 5 stars recommendations.
Could you rate BELCANDO?

[shawn b]

We just adopted a 9 month old Rottweiler. The people who owned her had her on Pedigree, then they switched her to Pro Plan. Now I have her. I am on a very strict budget, yet want her to get a really good dry large breed Puppy food. Very hard combination to find! I bought her Eagle Pack Large Breed Puppy Dry food for now, while I am searching for something even better. It is $39.99 for 30 lbs. and that is what I can afford. Please help me, I really need every ones input and thank-you so much in advance!

[Noelle M]

This is a hot topic for me lol
I have a dog with struvite stones and chronic utis.
Of course when we were given this diagnosis we were recommended a prescription diet from our vet. I immediately cringed at the ingredient list that was majority corn. There was no way I was going to feed my dog what was essentially corn meal with chicken fat half way down the list for the rest of his life. So I began my very long, very draining journey into finding a decent food that wouldn’t cause a flare up.
First I had to figure out WHY the prescription diets worked. Right on the Hill’s website they explain that the food contains controlled levels of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium to manage the development of stones.
So I took the calcium, phosphorus and magnesium levels from the prescription food and started comparing them to other foods. SO many foods. Many of which I had to email the company directly because they didn’t have those levels available online.
Essentially I looked for food with calcium and phosphorus levels below 1%, the lower the better. There are actually quite a few to choose from!
My boy has been on Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Senior for the past number of months, his meals are floated in water and I add a cranberry supplement. His condition has been kept 100% under control and he is doing wonderfully overall on this food.
Generally I have found that senior or large breed formulas are more likely to have sub 1% calcium and phosphorus.

Some of the brands I have found that could work are:
Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Senior
Nutram Sound Senior and Large Breed
Diamond Naturals Grain Free Chicken and Sweet Potato

I give bonus points to foods that contain cranberry already, though I continue to supplement it.

Bottom line is the prescription foods WILL work to treat a specific condition, but I personally could not bring myself to feed it long term based on the ingredient lists. There ARE decent quality foods out there that match or come close to matching the analysis of the prescription diets that should manage the dog’s symptoms and are generally much healthier overall. Look for subzero levels of calcium and phosphorus, float the food in water and consider a cranberry supplement.

Obviously I cannot gaurentee that any of these foods will work, but it is definitely worth a shot imo and has worked beautifully for my dog who had pretty severe and chronic symptoms.

Good luck!

[CockalierMom]

Glad to hear Atlas is doing better. It will take time for his tummy to heal and for the bacteria to get better established. For bacteria to flourish in the gut, it needs to be inflammation free and a diet with plenty of soluble fiber. It was after my girls were eating the Natural Balance Kangaroo and Potato for several months that I was not able to transition them to a new food without adding the kefir, even though one had been getting a good pet probiotic every day. It is a good food as far as digestion, but in my experience was not good for promoting gut health. (I never had a problem transitioning foods prior to the NB).

You may want to consider Purina Pro Plan. If you take a look at some of the threads on here, there have been several people with large breed puppies that were having poo issues, and they said their dogs do better on Pro Plan.

Good luck with the new vet and hopefully he/she will be able to help get Atlas on a more appropriate diet.

[haleycookie]

It probably is bone. And from my understanding when it comes to these higher quality foods that have more real whole meats and are less processed to preserve the ingredients a little better that bones do appear sometimes. I wouldn’t be severealy worried about it. They look tiny and you’re dog is a large breed. However I would continue to pester champion and see if they can give you a more accurate answer as to what exactly it is.

[pitlove]

Hi Jessica-

Depending on the breed, a puppy will reach an adult at different ages. Small and medium sized dogs when fully grown can transition to adult food at 1 year, toy breeds can often switch earlier at 9 months, large dogs over 50lbs at mature weight is about 18 months and for giant breeds some say to keep them on a puppy formula until 24 months.

If he was already lean and fit before switching to raw and has now lost more weight, you may be under feeding him. I am all for a lean, conditioned dog, but you can go overboard. Any idea what Leo’s projected adult weight will be with that combo of breeds?

[Susan]

Hi Randy,
This is excellent what Victor is doing, I wish more pet food companies would do this if they
have nothing to hide……
Victor writes the Meat Protein %, the Plant Protein % & the Grain Protein %….Victor also does the “General Anaylsis” probably got sick of people contacting them wanting to know the max protein %, fat %, fiber, carbs etc.. I don’t know why it’s called General Analysis for it should be called “Guaranteed” Anaylsis, cause the general analysis is recognized by AAFCO, where the Guaranteed Anaylsis isn’t recognized by AAFCO, when I see the words Guaranteed I asume it’s 100% Guaranteed but it isn’t in pet foods… I noticed Victor has NO Chickpeas or Lentils in their pet foods, I’m not into feeding dogs or cats chickpeas or lentils, maybe when they’re further down the ingredient list past 5th ingredient OK but when I see Chickpeas, Lentils as 2nd, 3rd & 4th ingredient that’s not a good thing, Victor is still making their grain free kibbles with Sweet Potatoes, it’s good Victor haven’t taken the cheap & easy route & added chickpeas & lentils to their grain free formula’s which is a good thing..
I use to recommend Victor pet food then so many other pet foods came out like “Sport Dog Food” & they were comparing all their ingredients & Analysis with Victor dog foods & Sport Dog were cheaper in price & Sport Dog uses Freeze Dried ingredients, so I started recommending Sport Dog Elite instead of the Victor, have you seen the “Sport Dog Elite” range?? 30lbs for $58 or their G/F Large Breed 30/14 formula, 50lbs for $75, is that cheap??
https://sportdogfood.com/dog-food/top-brands/sport-dog-food/

[Ellen H]

Thanks so much for your reply Sheb. I was afraid of Kirkland for the same reason. I ended up using Nutro Wholesome Essentials Large Breed for now, it’s not even on the dog food advisor’s editor’s list but it was non-gmo and that’s just really important to me. I’m on the third bag and even though I plan on finding something organic to feed them again, this food so far is actually not bad at all. The dogs like it and their stools are firm and not too numerous, pretty much unchanged from before. It’s just that it’s Nutro is mostly what is bothering me :).

[CockalierMom]

Hi,
I have been away for the past few days, and have just caught up on where you are. I have been through all this–stay positive and do not give up. Everything you are describing is consistent with not having enough gut bacteria to digest the new food- my little allergy girl’s gut was so bad I could not even add 4 single kibbles of a new food without her getting diarrhea.

A couple of questions… Did you stop the kefir? How much and when did you give it?

Kefir is basically lactose free so there will not be a “dairy” reaction as many animals and people have to lactose.

I still think you are not waiting long enough before increasing the new food based on the condition his gut has been in. (A 7 to 10 day transition works for dogs with healthy guts prior to a food change-not dogs in the shape that Atlas was in.) When you make a new addition, if he has not been consistently firm for a couple of days prior, then it is only going to make him more runny. The soft and runny poo is a sign he does not have enough bacteria to digest the food properly and when you add even more, it gets worse. Take Atlas back to a 1/4 cup or the new food or just the LID and chicken and potato. When he becomes consistently firm for 3 to 5 days (like you said he was before you started the transition), then add 1/4 cup of the new food. I would wait at least 3 to 5 days after he gets firm to add another 1/4 cup.

I know you need to get Atlas on a large breed puppy food as soon as possible, but I think it will take some time. I suggested the kefir before because you will be able to transition faster with it. You may need to add a couple of tablespoons with each meal to see a difference.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Anand-
Congratulations on your new pup! I have two six year old male golden labs. It is extremely important to feed large breed puppies a food that has the appropriate amount of calcium and phosphorous due to being prone to hip dysplasia and joint issues.

There is a great article on the subject on the review side of this site. Click on the library tab at the top of this page.

Slow, steady growth and limit exercise and jumping while they are growing is also helpful. I’d stick with a well known brand if I were you.

Good luck. Check back in to let us all know how it’s going!

[Susan]

Hi Jenny,
Acana is very rich dense kibble, my boy wouldn’t be able to eat Acana, it has organ meats & Lentils, Acana is excellent if you have a dog who can handle all these ingredients…She might be sensitive to an ingredient as well,
Have a look for formula’s that have sweet potatoes, potatoes after the meat proteins, do not feed any formula’s that have chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) or Lentils as these ingredients can cause intestinal stress like they do in humans…

My boy has IBD, Food Sensitivities & Skin Allergies & finally I tried “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb formula, people in the EPI & IBD Face Book groups were having really good results with TOTW & it has been excellent with my boy IBD, TOTW Roasted Lamb is my go to kibble if my boy starts doing sloppy poos while eating another brand kibble, also “Canidae” Pure formula’s & Canidae’s new All Life Stages, Turkey Meal & Brown rice large breed limited ingredient formula… https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

But first if your near a “Tractor Supply” shop get a small bag of “4Health” Special Care, Sensitive Stomach, it has a GSH picture on the front of the white kibble bag, the 4Health Sensitive Stomach formula has limited ingredients, Egg & Potato really good when a dog has stomah/bowel problems & then rotate & slowly introduce “4Health” Special Care, Sensitive Skin formula it’s Hydrolyzed Salmon or try the 4health Turkey & Potato it’s in the brown kibble bag, just make sure you read the ingredient list as all formula’s have different ingredients…. the fat is around 14% & protein is around 24% it depends which formula you get, start with a formula that has the least ingredeints cause she may have food sensitivies….read the ingredient list to the Acana formula she’s eating & try & aviod some of those ingredients when you pick a new formula’s around 15%-fat & 26%-protein no higher.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/landing-pages_brands_4health-special-care.html

[Tyla M]

Robyn,
In regards to what Nadine said. Luna had loose stools on her first grain free food. I’m not sure if it was caused by the other products put in place of the grains, or if it was too rich for her with the protein. I just switched her to fromms duck and sweet potato and going to see how well this one works. I love fromms and they have good calcium levels for most of their brands for large breed puppies. I started with their regular large brees puppy food but my pup itches with chicken so I had to move on from it.

[CockalierMom]

Hi Atlas,
If he is still not gaining weight, I would increase his food even though you said calories are there.

The soft poo at the end and frequency could be due do not enough gut bacteria especially since the food he is eating does not contain probiotics. I occasionally have that issue with my grain intolerant girl. I used to give the girls pet probiotics, but I have found that kefir seems to populate the gut faster and better than everything I have tried in the past. Also, when you consider the price of pet probiotics, kefir is a lot cheaper. I use Lifeway Plain Kefir that I buy at my regular grocery store.

I would personally try a few more days to get the poo less frequent and more consistent firmness before starting the Nature’s Domain. (Since he is a large breed I do think the transition needs to be done fairly soon to meet his growing needs.) If you want to try kefir, start with 1 tablespoon once a day and see what happens, and if necessary twice a day. I give 30 or 40 minutes before a meal–if he gets runny during the transition, mix the kefir with his food or give to him right before he eats.

When you used to leave his food out, did you try to touch or pet him while he was eating?

[Blkdoodle]

Right now we are using Nutro Wholesome Essentials Large Breed Adult Lamb . It’s the only one I have found so far that starts out with deboned lamb, then lamb meal. No potatoes. I do top it with 1/3 can Nutro Essential Lamb and Rice. She has 3 cups dry and 1/3 can, for 3 meals. Two meals didn’t work for her as she would go to bed on an empty stomach then in the mornings it was heaves with bile. Empty stomach cause that. Our furbaby is a Goldendoodle.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by Blkdoodle.

[Tyla M]

Thanks for the responses. When I got Luna she was on the Purina Pro Plan Focus large breed puppy food and was scratching and biting like crazy then. At the time I didn’t think it was chixk3n. Switched her to Fromm large breed and loved it, as far as poops and how she looked, but itching continued. It only lessened when I switched to a food with no chicken in it. As soon as I introduced the old fromm back into her diet, she started biting and scratching excessively again. So I’m going to stay away from chicken. I really like fromm, and I like their research and how they provide you will all of the nutritional info on their website so I may try one of their large breed foods next. Just decided between the grain free with all those peas and chickpeas, or swith grains, with rice and sweet potatoes. I’ve read from other people that their dog had loose stools on grain free and she had that on the GF zignature. Not sure if it was too rich with the protein level, or if it what was put in, in place of grains. Man, I’m more worried about what she eats than what I eat!!

[Nadine H]

I looked at both of those foods. I couldn’t use the large breed puppy because of the lamb. One of my pups can’t tolerate lamb. I contacted cs and they finally recommended the adult that you’re looking at. They sent me the complete vitamin, mineral etc analysis so I could compare them and there is a big different between the two products.I wasn’t comfortable putting two dane pups on the adult food. After reading some of pitloves comments I tried the purina focus large breed puppy and both of my danes are doing very well on this food. Vet did tell me that maybe only 1% might have a food allergy and so many foods include chicken.

[Tyla M]

Interestingly, they have the same practically the same fat, protein, and calories…or off by 1-2%. Calories are off by 9 but I’ll have to look at the vitamin and mineral levels in each to compare. Calcium in one is 1.13 and 1.14 in the other. She doesn’t do well with high protein and the large breed puppy one has 30% fat, while the large breed adult has 28%. A duck and sweet potato one has duck, duck meal, pearled barley, sweet potato, brown rice, oatmeal, white rice, egg, etc, . How do those Ingredients look? The other 2 I was talking about had beef, pork meal, peas, lentils, chickpeas, potatoes, dried tomato pomace, egg…..then all have fruits and veggies stuff after. Clearly 2 are grain free and one is not. I just finished the signature zssentials, and her poop went soft and green for the entire bag. I started weaning her back to her old food and poop looked better but the itching started up more again, convincing me that it is the chicken or the grain …and from what I’ve read it seems it’d be the chicken over the grains. That’s why I’m just stayi away from chicken for now and will see how it goes.

[CockalierMom]

Hi Atlas,
Susan may have better information as to how long to wait before trying the Nature’s Domain, but here are my thoughts. The LID food is formulated for adult dogs whereas Nature’s Domain is formulated for All Life Stages and also claims to be appropriate for growing large breeds. I think the sooner you can transition to Nature’s Domain the better. Since you are already feeding a salmon based food that appears to be working, the transition may go smoother going to the Nature’s Domain Salmon first before trying the Turkey. You said you are in day 3 but what is the home cooked to kibble ratio?

It does not surprise me that he has not gained weight in the past month, since food has not been staying in his system long enough to absorb all the nutrients. If you do not know how many calories a day is suggested, you might ask the rescue. Other option would be to look at the bag of Natures Domain (or get on the website) and see how many cups of food are recommended for his age and weight, and convert to calories. Then figure up how many calories you are actually feeding with the home cooking and the LID kibble added in. If you need help with this, just let me know how much and what type of chicken, potatoes and kibble you are feeding and his weight. I feed my allergy girl a mixture of THK base mix, home cooked protein and a few kibbles and I have spreadsheets setup to keep track of the calories.

[Tyla M]

I was wondering if anyone knew what the differences are between large breed adult food and large breed puppy food, other than calcium levels. Because I’m looking at the large breed adult from FROMM, and it’s actually less than the large breed puppy food for calcium. Are there other factors I should be focusing on? Thanks!

[Vikki A]

Lori J
Earthborn Holistics grain free large breed is what I started giving Douglas. This is my email… vmadair@gmail.com. Please contact me via email and I will give you all the information I found. Do you have a large breed dog? I have a large list of the companies that actually got back to me with the correct information. So frustrating when you ask them for something specifically and they give you something else. Looking forward to getting you the information you need!

Thanks
Vikki

[Atlas T]

Hi everyone,

This is a long story, but I’ll try to be concise: we adopted our 7mo old lab mix puppy 1 month ago. Before that, he was fostered by my brother, so we know his history. He has had very soft stools for a long time (I’d say slightly more firm than emoji poop), that vary from slightly softer/harder, but never truly hard, and he was pooping about 5 times/day. There tend not to be any pieces of unprocessed food in them. All of this was on Instinct Large Breed Puppy food, provided by the rescue.

With help from the rescue, we put him on several different dewormers, several probiotics, and finally an antibiotic (metro), but nothing helped the poop. The vet took a fecal sample and found no problems. About 3 weeks ago, he actually started having diarrhea, so I put him on a bland diet (pumpkin, rice, chicken) and it got BAD: became explosive diarrhea. I completely limited his diet (no treats, no peanut butter for pills, nothing else) and it was still bad, even when it was chicken and rice (no pumpkin). After about 4 bad days like this, I decided to try a different bland diet – just chicken and potatoes, and once or twice, egg + potato. This firmed things right up (conclusion = he may be intolerant to rice, but does great with chicken and potato). Within a day, his poop was actually formed and semi firm. He stayed on this diet for about 4 days. Then I decided to try to transition him to dry kibble – Nature’s Domain Puppy (I decide to try this one because it doesn’t have rice). I’ve done this transition veeeery slowly (we are on Day 5 now) and his poop is gradually getting worse again.

The rescue has suggested that while he is not intolerant to chicken (as proven by the chicken and potato bland diet success), he may be intolerant to whatever preservatives are used in chicken kibble. They suggested trying Nature’s Domain Salmon and Sweet Potato. This will be my next attempt, but I’m feeling a bit hopeless. And while I’m hoping this is the answer, I wonder if something else could be going on? The vet has not been helpful, so I’m hoping folks here can provide some suggestions of what to do! And I do want to note that cost and affordability are a definite consideration, so I’d rather not go to expensive limited ingredient foods unless absolutely necessary.

Also, he has not had gas, vomiting, itchyness, lethargy or any other symptoms as far as I can tell – just the soft stool. One more thing to note – diarrhea has somewhat coincided with when he was given topical Revolution, but I’m not sure there is causation there.

[Nadine H]

When you say Large breed puppy what breed is it? I used Victor for awhile and I think they have a good food. I had to switch because something changed in their formula and Logan had problems with it. If you’re talking about A dane puppy the beef and brown rice is a good option. Less calories and fat. You want slow growth and high fat and high calorie probably wouldn’t be my choice.

[M N]

I will first admit that I have not read this entire thread. I have however read large portions of it, as well as many other articles on this topic.

I currently have a 1.5 year old German Wirehaired Pointer. I have had him on Victor Nutra Pro for about 4 months now (switched from TOTW) and he has been doing very well on it. I currently have no complaints whatsoever (well, I would be even happier if it was a bit cheaper, but I don’t think that counts).

I am getting another puppy shortly. Ideally, I would like to feed both dogs the same food. Any opinions on Nutra Pro for a large breed puppy?

3.5g Ca/kCal, 1.2:1 Ca:P

But, at 38%, protein is considerably higher than other large breed puppy foods…

Protein 38.53 %
Fat 20.81 %
Fiber 3.17 %
Carbohydrates
“Calculated” 22.6 %
Moisture 7.95 %
Ash 8.03 %
Calcium 1.38 %
Phosphorus 1.16 %
Cal/Phos Ratio 1.2 Ratio:1
Magnesium 0.14 %
Potassium 0.624 %
Sodium 0.33 %
Zinc 198 mg/kg
Iron 325 mg/kg
Copper 17 mg/kg
Cobalt 0.2 mg/kg
Iodine 2.2 mg/kg
Manganese 44 mg/kg
Selenium 0.42 mg/kg
Vitamin A 13780 IU/kg
Vitamin D3 1145 IU/kg
Vitamin E 180 IU/kg
Vitamin B12 0.09 mg/kg
Riboflavin 6.8 mg/kg
D-Pantothenic
Acid 22 mg/kg
Niacin 75 mg/kg
Folic Acid 1.27 mg/kg
Pyridoxine B6 4.10 mg/kg
Thiamine 10.15 mg/kg
Biotin B7 0.23 mg/kg
Ascorbic Acid 47 mg/kg
Choline 2100 mg/kg
Taurine 1400 mg/kg
Omega 3 0.45 %
Omega 6 2.6 %
DHA 0.16 %
L-Carnitine 60 mg/kg
Calories On Bag 3909 kcal/kg
Calories per Cup on Bag 475 kcal/cup

https://victorpetfood.com/product-items/nutra-pro/?portfolioCats=164%2C165%2C135%2C134%2C133%2C153%2C159%2C160

[Nadine H]

MY guys are doing really well on the pro plan. I have them on the large breed puppy. They’ll be on that until 18-24 months and then we’ll switch to adult.

[Scott L]

I have a 14 week old Rottweiler with some formed and soft stools. The breeder started him on Wellness Core Puppy and we have continued that. Today our vet recommended Purina Pro Plan. Nadine, how is your pup doing on the Purina Pro Choice Large Breed?

[Kim B]

Thank you so much @pitlove. I am struggling through whip worm currently. I thought it was the food causing the problem but instead one of the dogs had been diagnosed for this but not treated. I have purchased the Canidae Large Breed All Life Stages. As soon as we are off of the chicken and rice and medication, I will give it a try and let you know my results. Thank you so much for your dedication to this running conversation!

[Tyla M]

Okay @Pitlove and anyone else that has success not going grain free. I had been feeding my pup Fromms Large breed puppy food and her poop was great but I was wondering if she was itching and biting from chicken or something in it. I switched to zignature…her poop has been green and soft for almost the entire back so it’s time to look yet again for a new food! I’m starting to think I’ll have more options as far as with low calcium levels if I don’t just look at grain free foods. I’ve done research and have heard both sides. I know you’re a big promoter of not grain free due to your pups intolerance of peas and success not going with GF. Please convince me with reasons why so I can start looking for the best food for my pup that includes nonGF!:)

[Kathy B]

I was having issues finding a food that my rescue could eat without diarrhea, someone on this site suggested NutriSource and we have had good luck with it, although only two stores in our town carry it. They have chicken and rice and Lamb meal and rice which is what our girl prefers. (I only feed large breed so they might have something else in regular)

[Margaret G]

Hi Nadine and Pitlove,
I have Keeva on PurinaProplan large breed now too. Her poop is perfect and she loves it. I asked another friend with Irish Wolfhounds had also recommended Purina so despite some of my concerns, I too am planning on keeping her on Purina. Thanks for all the info.

[carol w p]

Generations of our Rhodesian Ridgebacks have been given “regular’ size Greenies as a special treat all their lives. Our vet has been ok with it as long they’re supervised, and never given to a dog that tends to gulp or swallow things whole. The regular size isn’t very big for a large breed, but it’s enough to lodge in the trachea if not chewed into pieces before dispatch.

The Veterinary Oral Health Council website has lists of approved dental chews and treats: http://www.vohc.org/index.html

[Nadine H]

So today I decide to go to the Purina website. They have a thing you can fill out so they tell you which food is best. I’ll be darn if it didn’t come up Pro Plan Giant Breed Adult. Now I’m somewhat conflicted, do I feed the large breed puppy of the giant breed adult that has a a little lower protein, fat and calories. Ingredients look almost identical. They have online chat that is really worthless, the person I got couldn’t answer my question, I was asking about the large breed adult when a dane is still growing until at least 18 months or longer. I kept getting the message that they would be back with me shortly and after more then ten minutes I gave it up. So then I called the 800 number and i was told large breed puppy until 18/24 months for a great dane, As usual I’m overthinking this but really thought a co as big as Purina could do better then different people giving me different answers for the same question.

[pitlove]

@Kim-

I just got off the phone with Canidae. There is only one formula they make appropriate for large breed puppies. It is:

Life Stages Large Breed

Calcium = 3.3 g per 1000 kcal
Ca to P ratio = 1.3 to 1

He gave me dry matter values for the Pure Foundations and Under the Sun Puppy, but the ca/calorie ratios are off the charts. I would not use them.

[Nadine H]

Well I for one am done searching. We’re going with Purina Pro Choice Large Breed Puppy. I have spent a fortune trying different foods that I thought were the best, now I read about this. Orijon is one of the most expensive foods that you can buy and now I wouldn’t feed it along with several others that are suppose to be the best.