[Susan]

Hi
Gee 50% for the next 3 orders that’s excellent, you’ll be able to get a few different brands & rotate, always rotate between a few different brands with different proteins & ingredients, see which brands your dog does really well on then keep these brands in your rotation…..

Have a look at “Canidae” they also make “Under The Sun” a cheaper brand, there’s a Large Breed formula page 1…..
Look at the Canidae, All Life Stages formula, Multi-Protein, Chicken, Turkey Lamb & Fish meals formula….. it’s very similar to the Fromm Gold he’s eating at the moment, I think Canidae All Life Stages is a better formula, it has chicken meal, turkey meal lamb meal as 1st 2nd 3rd ingredients then brown rice & has more Kcals per cup, so your dog won’t need to eat as much…
There’s also 2 Canidae All Life Stages large breed formula’s as well,
Canidae kibbles size are nice & small, so easy to digest if you have a gulper… page 4 & 5 have the All Life Stages formula’s.
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

[pitlove]

Hi Mike-

Take a look at Dr. Tims Kinesis or Precise Holistic Complete Large & Giant Breed Adult.

[Mike G]

Since Fromm is not allowing Chewy’s to carry their food any longer, I’m looking for a replacement food for my adult Labrador Retriever. I’m a little overwhelmed with all the choices.

Chewy’s is offering 50% off my next three order, and I want to take advantage of the money savings.

I’ve been Feeding Fromm Gold Holistic for Large Breeds. I would appreciate any recommendations. I like to feed my dogs 4 or 5 Starr food.

Thanks

[pitlove]

Breeding is complex and yes everyone will have their own opinion. So will people on the internet.

Breeders who’s goals are betterment of the breed are carefully selecting their breeding stock, importing new bloodlines and adding them to their program and constantly looking for dogs to add to their program without genetic ailments plaguing their breed. Those breeders are the ones that we need to help move away from the belief that pure breds are less healthy than mutts. For example Golden Retriever breeders are working to breed cancer out of their lines. Slowly they are accomplishing this. Nutrition plays a huge role in the health of any individual animal, but so does genetics.

Also as a breeder you have a responsibility to your breed to keep up with current research. That being said, the myth that “high protein” diets affect growth in large and giant breeds was debunked over 20 years ago with a set of excellent studies done on Danes. Dietary calcium and over nutrition, coupled with genetics are now recognized as the leading causes of DODs in growing large breeds. A growing puppy should never be put on a “senior” or adult maintenance diet. This was an old practice before companies developed quality foods geared towards large breed puppies. Now with all of the excellent foods available there is no excuse for having them on such an inappropriate diet.

[pitlove]

Hi Elise-

Have you asked other Mastiff breeders what they feed? I find the breeding (at least amoung quality breeders) and show world to be very tight knit, so I would assume you talk with other exhibitors and breeders.

I personally prefer products from larger companies that staff nutritionists, do feeding trials and do their own original research.

[Tyla M]

Hi everyone!

I am new to this forum but am looking into freeze dried food for my pup. I have some questions…my girl is 3.5 months and I just hate feeding her all kibble after reading all about it. Are the fat content and calcium percentages appropriate for a large breed puppy ? Also, how do you calculate these items. For example, a rehydrated guaranteed analysis may be 15% protein and 15% fat….fat….if you’re looking at patties, do those amounts get tripled of you have to feed your dog 3 patties?? Please help! Haha I’m going crazy ! Thank you

[pitlove]

Hi Kim-

Your 2 year old Great Dane can be on any food you are interested in trying, but for your 1 year old Dane, he should still be on large breed puppy food.

You will need to contact Canidae regarding any formula you want to use for him, ask for the nutrient or typical analysis of that formula, take the values given for the calcium and phosphorus and input them into the calcium calculator found on this site and see if it meets the criteria for a LBP food.

[pitlove]

Tyla-

My top choices for a large breed puppy food will always be from larger companies. So Hills and Purina, specifically Pro Plan. Reason being, the millions of dollars they pour into research of nutrition and growth of LBPs.

As far as the smaller companies go I would use NutriSource Large Breed Puppy, Dr.Tims Kinesis (grain inclusive) or Precise Holistic Complete Large & Giant Breed Puppy.

[A]

I recently had a training with Origen/ Acana and they have started to take the meal out of some of their things.
When it just says deboned chicken that’s including water weight, once you cook it, it falls lower on the list of ingredients and some things may be heavier than you expected.
Orijen is expensive to make and is good but there are definitely other large breed formulas I would consider first.

At my work we deal with more dogs with pancreatic and diabetes allot more now, it’s running rampid in the dog world now.

I used to feed my pitty large breed Fromm, she was always gassy and I never knew why.
Now she’s on firstmate lamb and rice in the morning and raw at night and I have a non gassy pitty.
They do also get answers fermented goats milk, cows, and fish stock to give them different beneficial benefits.

[Tyla M]

I appreciate it and so does my wallet! I currently use Fromm gold holistic large breed puppy food. I may wait to see if the fish oil the vet gave me will help with the itching before I decide if it could be the food. I’m sure once I switch to adult food I’ll be Looking for help again! If I do decide to switch her, what are other good options for large breed that meet all the criteria? I remember looking at the fromm heartland one but I think it was the grain free one and it had 17% fat. I may supplement with some wet food, too.

[pitlove]

Maybe I’m one of the minority, but I do not care for any products by Champion Pet Foods (Acana & Orijen). So personally I don’t think they are “the best”. The best food for any large breed puppy is a food that will promote optimal growth (low calorie, appropriate ca/phos), digests well, is feeding trialed on large breed puppies, and something they will eat. I prefer simple foods that focus on more on proper nutrition than being flashy. Those foods are not going to be produced by smaller companies usually because they don’t have the funding to research and test foods.

A quality puppy food designed properly for a large breed puppy will have balanced levels of everything you mentioned. Not some balanced and some in excess.

[Tyla M]

I love and appreciate all the advice! So I’ll keep asking questions …can you tell It’s my first pup? I’ve opened my mind up to not necessarily going grain free … now I’ve read about 500 different things. The most recent being that the most important things to focus on for a large breed puppy is calories and calcium/phosphorus. However, other s have mentioned fat being too high…if Orijen is a top food but has a fat % of 20..and acana with 17 and 18%, what is one to do?? Focus on calories and calcium and good ingredients .. or on fat content??

[pitlove]

Tyla-

Raw and homemade are risky with large breed puppies and puppies in general. Very easy to off balance ratios of nutrients and create growth issues. I’ve seen it too many times. Best to wait til their done growing for that.

[A]

When looking at feeding grain free food just be sure and check you have no pea or potatoe protein in your food, and a lower fat.

Our favorite and foods we see the most large breed puppies on are the following at my work:

Holistic Select Large Giant breed with a 23%P and 12%F

Firstmate POF 23%P and 10%F

Canidae Large breed 23%P and 13%F

My mastiffs have done amazing on firstmate and it has actually helped tremendously bring her levels down (she has liver disease and the vet had her on royal canin and she did horrible on it)

Each cup takes roughly 4 hrs to break down so if your dogs eating 6 cups a day or something their is not enough hours for them to break it down.

Bigger breakfast and smaller dinner, same with humans you don’t want to eat a huge meal before bed time. We don’t burn and store it, feel sluggish etc.

[Tyla M]

This one is for large breed puppies. Problem is I have not found a food that covers all of these things that is not $90

[A]

it is an extreme high fat for a large breed puppy. And regular puppy food does not monitor calcium and phosphorus.
I would look into a puppy food that’s large breed specific most don’t go over 14% fat and all of the ones we recommend at work and have seen best results with are a 10-12% fat.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by A.

[Tyla M]

How much fat% should a large breed puppy have in it’s food?

[Tyla M]

@ Jennifer,

Thank you, I’ll check out Farmina. I may try to avoid chicken in this next food just to see, also. Especially because I’ve also been giving her some boiled chicken. Oh no, I hope she doesn’t need injections!

It’s aggravating because there’s all this info. On what food large breed puppies should have but not a good detailed list of the specific foods to get.

[Tyla M]

So I am looking for a grain free, large breed puppy good…aka a good that has a low calcium % and phosphorus %.. as well as appropriate fat%. …reasonably priced…ive had her for a month and she’s been itching like crazy so it may be a dairy allergy. Not sure, but vet gave me some fatty acids to see if that helps. For now I’d just like to switch to grain free (I know most allergies aren’t from grains).. any suggestions ?I’ve literally been researching for hours. I am looking at wellness grain free but it’s 1.5 calcium so. . I know that’s a little on the higher side of the safe side

[amy r]

I use sardines (a whole can ) 3 times a week the other days I will use salmon or a chicken duck or lamb protein I also add 1 fish oil capsule daily. I am currently using fromm large breed. Her coat looks amazing before the fish was added in it was very dull looking.

[pitlove]

Hi Eric-

No Pro Plan does not meet Dr.Mikes requirements for a 4 or 5 star food, but even as he says “that does not mean it is a bad food”. The star ratings on this site do not factor in a lot of good qualities that Pro Plan and Purina have. For example the millions of dollars invested in research on nutrition and growth that Purina does, including the growth of large breeds.

[Eric C]

Fromm is not offered at Chewy anymore and we have several dogs and it is easier to go through them. The Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy does not seem to be listed as a 4 or 5 star food, yet I do see it recommended by respected people on here. Wellness Core is really nice, but it might be a little too far out of range.

[Susan]

Hi Ashley,
yes Canidae’s cheaper brand “Under The Sun” is very chickpea heavy, I tried UTS formula with Lamb & rice but I think they’re discontinued now ….
Chickpeas & Lentils are the new filler’s in grain free foods & Barley in grain formula’s, Chickpeas & Lentils are harder to digest & can cause gas/wind if your dog has sensitive stomach/bowel, if there’s a grain free formula that has chickpeas as 5-6th ingredients then there’ll be less chickpeas, Patch seems OK with the Canidae grain free formula’s, no bad farts or wind pain…. but when chickpeas are 2nd, 3rd ingredient then there’s more chickpeas in those formula’s…..that’s why I like “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, it has sweet potatoes & NO chickpeas but I’m pretty sure the TOTW made for American customers has Salmon Oil 🙁
I posted the Canidae link in my first post, go on page 2, look at the Canidae Pure Land formula, Patch did real well then go on page 3- Canidae Pure Wild Boar & then the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior has very good ingredients 3 proteins as 1st-Chicken, 2nd-Chicken Meal & 3rd-Turkey Meal then 4th ingredient is Sweet Potatoes then chickpeas are the 5th ingredient & my boy did really well the only problem with the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior it has Chicken & Chicken Meal & my boy gets red paws & gets a bit itchy when he eats chicken so I rotate & only give him the chicken formula for a few meals a week, if you go on page 4 look at the Turkey Meal & Brown rice large breed formula, I email Canidae & asked can a small to medium breed & a senior dog eat any of their large breed formula’s & the lady said yes… the Duck meal, Brown Rice & Lentils large breed is also good on page 5…the Lentils are further down the ingredient list….If I find a large breed kibble with ingredients Patch can eat, I feed a large breed kibble in my rotation & try it out, the only problem with some large breed brands, some brands make a bigger size kibble but Canidae doesn’t…I like small size kibbles, my boy gulps his food & when the kibbles are smaller then they digest easier when they’re swallowed whole…

I just came across another kibble called “Performatrin Ultra” look at the Ultra formula’s with grains, the grain free formula’s are chickpea & lentil heavy… http://www.performatrin.com/products-selector/
also Hills “Ideal Balance” formula’s don’t have fish or fish oils..

[anonymous]

Excerpt from:https://www.vetinfo.com/is-it-safe-to-use-human-glucosamine-for-dogs.html
Is It Safe to Use Human Glucosamine for Dogs?
Given the fact that the human glucosamine and the dog glucosamine have the same formulation, the human glucosamine can be safely used in canines.
However, it is highly important to have the right dosage for your pet and never go over the recommended dose. The dose for a larger dog breed may coincide with the dose recommended for a human patient, but smaller dogs need less glucosamine. An excess of glucosamine can lead to bone growth abnormalities and even internal damage. The administration of glucosamine supplements may also affect the liver and the kidneys of the pet in the long run. 
In any case, if you have the choice, it’s better to get glucosamine for veterinary use, as certain glucosamine for humans use have various salts that are included in the drug and these may irritate the dog. Be sure to talk it over with your vet first, as unique factors for each dog may need to be taken into account.
Also: You may find something helpful here, often the comments are informative too
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=glucosamine+

[Susan]

Hi Heather,
I found “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb to be really good for diarrhea, it just has 1 protein lamb & has limited ingredients, sweet potato, egg, peas, potato, Protein-25%, fat-15% fiber-4% a few dogs with Gi problems seem to do well on this formula & the TOTW Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon… also I’ve read a few dogs with Gi stress also do well on the “4Health” formulas sold at Tractor Supply…..Make sure whatever formula you pick it just has 1 protein with limited ingredients, there’s also “Natural Balance” Sweet Potato & Bison or “Canidae” life stages has a limited ingredient Turkey meal Large breed puppy formula, on page 4 is the large breed formula’s link below……. Canidae also make a cheaper brand called “Under the Sun” but the formula’s have chickpeas & are lower fat, lower protein & limited ingredients https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

[Heather P]

7 month old puppy has diarrhea due to clostridium overgrowth; he’s on antibiotics. Every time I try to add his kibble back to his diet, he gets diarrhea
again. He’s on orijen large breed puppy; Orijen just seems to be too rich right now. I need to change his food, for now, so he’s able to eat kibble again. Any suggestions?

[pitlove]

Hi Lori-

Protein is inconsequential in the growth of any large or giant breed. Ca/Phos ratios are important and using a low energy density food (low calorie) to prevent excess weight gain. Wellness Core Puppy is approaching the safe upper limit for the Ca/kcal ratio, so I would think about reconsidering that formula if it were my puppy. Not to mention the kcals/cup are on the high side + the fat being high. Realistically that would be a puppy formula more suitable for a small to medium size breed.

As far as grain free goes, what is YOUR reasoning behind using a grain free diet?

[Lori P]

Hi!
We are getting our Bullmastiff puppy this week and the breeder has her on 4Health grain free puppy food. We are thinking about switching her to Fromm Heartland Gold Large Breed puppy food and Wellness Core Puppy Food. Rotating them because they are different proteins every month to 2 months. Fromm is beef, pork & lamb and the Wellness is chicken & turkey.

Wellness Core Puppy Food: Calcium: 4.0g per 1000 kcal
Cal to P ratio= 1.5 to 1
Fromm Heartland Gold LBP Food: Calcium: 3.0g per 1000 kcal
Ca to P ratio= 1.1 to 1

The Wellness Core Puppy Food is pretty high in protein @ 36% min. & fat 18% min. Do you think those are too high for a growing Bullmastiff puppy? I don’t want her to grown too fast! Also, how do you feel about rotating proteins? Is it necessary? Grain Free? Again, necessary? Thanks! I can’t believe how difficult and confusing it’s been trying to find a good puppy food! Thank goodness for this site!!

[Susan]

Hi Amanda,

When you get your puppy the food you have finally picked & thought was going to be the best food for your new pup, may not agree with your pup, he may start doing sloppy poo’s on this food….you’ll need to know what he was eating when you get him so you can slowly introduce the new food with his old food…
The best way to avoid any food sensitivities/intolerances is by rotating foods & introducing new foods to your pup diet, by allowing short exposure to a wider variety of proteins types, meat, grains, veggies, this way the immune system is primed to a larger range of potential allergens, which strengthens the immune system & may reduce the risk of allergies, food sensitivities developing, this is very important for young animals, hopefully your pup will have an iron stomach & be able to eat everything by the time he’s an adult, in the beginning still feed his regular puppy food then once he has settled in & is doing really well start to add 1-2 tablespoon of fresh healthy human food, whatever you’ve cooked for dinner as long as it’s a healthy meal with veggies & some meat, when your giving him a treat give him something that’s healthy, instead of a process treats, a few small bite size pieces of peeled apple, blueberries etc that’s when I started introducing different foods to my boy who has IBD & food sensitivities, I gave the food as a treat in the beginning…..

What breed will your pup be? will he be pure breed or a mongrel?? this will play a big part in his health & what health issues he’ll inherit….
Follow “Rodney Habib” on his face book page, click on link below, then watch “Why it’s so important to offer your pet FRESH human food”
https://www.planetpaws.ca/tag/healthy-food/
On your right once you have clicked on the link above are helpful video’s Rodney has made over the last 2 years, since he found out his 14yr old dog Sammie now 16yr old had cancer & now is cancer free… start following 1-2 people who you like in the pet world & this will stop a lot of the confusion… Also join a few healthy nutrition pet groups like “Canine Nutrition & Natural Health” “Planet Paws” & “K-9 Kitchen” the people in these groups will be able to help you if you need any help about puppy nutrition…

[Susan]

Hi Nataya,
I don’t think you’ll get many raw feeders on DFA, a lot feed kibble, there might be the odd poster that may help……are you going to make your own raw diet or buy the pre-made raw diets? homemade is the best this way you know what they are eating where the meat is coming from….
Start doing research & follow people like “Rodney Habib, Dr Karen Becker & Steve Brown, Dr Karen Becker is bringing out another new book with simple easy to make raw meals, her old books have all sold out & people on Amazon are asking ridiculous prices for her old books…. look at Steve Brown book called “Unlocking The Canine Ancestral Diet” your local library can order in books, I borrow books from the library or they order in books I’m interested in then after I have read them & like them I buy the book…
Here’s Rodney Habib’s link, once you follow Rodney you’ll get in the loop…
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib

Join some raw feeding groups on face book, just make sure these diets are balanced properly, vets are normally against raw feeding only because a lot of people don’t balance the diet properly & the vets see all the health problems that can occur from a dog or a cat not eating a proper balanced raw diet, I live Australia & a lot of Australian’s feed raw & dry kibble + raw meaty bones at lease twice a week…. a lot of our Australian made kibbles advise to add raw meat, raw meaty bones with their kibbles….
I went thru an Animal Nutritionist Jacqueline Rudan the maker of Natural Animal Solutions(NAS) products, this is her Maintenance Diet I followed minus any bone or organ meats cause my Staffy Patch has IBD, food intolerances & skin allergies…
http://naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/2016/03/15/maintenance-dog-diet/
I added her Digestavite plus powder to balance the diet, Patch was very hungry when we first started feeding the raw diet I was feeding 3 smaller raw home made meals a day, Jacqueline said, he has to get use too eating a raw diet after being feed a high carb process kibble, they stay fuller longer when they eat kibble..

Your making the best decision for your dogs health, with the Great Dane pup I would see what the breeder is feeding him & make sure you find an Great Dane breeder that raw feeds her dogs & pups, this breeder will be able to help you with preparing a raw diet
for a large breed pup…. sometimes its better to feed large breed pup a good quality large breed puppy kibble + raw until they’re 1-18mths then put them onto a full raw diet once they have finished growing, you have to be careful with large breed pups that their bones don’t grow too quickly the breeder will explain things a bit better then me….

There’s a lot of raw feeders on Lew Olsons F/B group called “K-9 Nutrition”
or Monica Segal F/B group called “K-9 Kitchen”
Make sure you take before & after photos of your Pit Bulls, you’ll see a big improvement with skin coat & all over health once they’re eating a raw diet…
Good-Luck

[Susan]

Hi Jenny you go girl, educate your vet about pet food nutrition….Jenny ask Anon101 what she feeds her dogs??
She does NOT feed Science Diet, she does NOT feed Royal Canine & Purina she does NOT feed, yet when someone post a post asking what should I feed my new large breed puppy, she says feed it Purina Focus… I bet she has never even read the poor ingredients in this puppy formula…
Anon101 feeds Zignature a premium food that I kept recommending to feed dogs with allergies all last year, she doesn’t feed any of these kibbles with cheap ingredients from china……

Anon101 why don’t you feed your dogs the Purina Sensitive Skin & Stomach or the Science Diet Sensitive skin formula if it’s so good, why don’t you practice what you preach??

[LuckyLab]

Thanks guys, lots of great information.

We haven’t switched him off his original kibble yet. He’s only been home with us 1 week, we’re not going to mess with his diet until at least 3 weeks with us if not a bit longer.

Pit, I agree we only want to change him once so we are wiping his legs and just monitoring him for the time being. We have a 3rd vaccination appointment in about 3 weeks, and we’ll have watched him long enough to talk about switching food and if we thing something is up with the chewing.

I’ve heard good things about zignature as well, but they don’t do a large breed pup formula. We may just try Fromm Complete Health once he’s good to switch and see how he tolerates that.

[anonymous]

I am very pleased with Zignature Whitefish kibble, I don’t know if Zignature makes a large breed puppy food, but if you go to their website they tend to answer questions promptly.
The food is not cheap, but then neither is going back and forth to the vet.
Sometimes it is worth it to pay a little bit more.

Regarding grain free diets, hope this helps:
https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/
excerpt below:
Grain free diets have become all the rage in the last few years. I suspect this has stemmed from greater recognition of gluten sensitivity in humans. Most pet food companies have jumped on the band wagon following the marketing success of grain free human diets. The truth of the matter is that there are no dog or cat studies showing a health benefit to grain free foods. A myth has been perpetuated that grains are unhealthy. In fact, whole grains contribute vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids and are highly digestible by dogs and cats. Allergies to grains are actually very rare, and only the Irish Setter breed has been demonstrated to have a gluten sensitivity. Many grain free diets substitute potatoes and tapioca, which have less protein, more sugar, and less fiber. And typically these come at a higher cost.

[Susan]

Hi Brain,
buy some “Malaseb” Medicated shampoo & bath weekly to wash off any allergens that may be on paws & skin, Malaseb is excellent for itchy skin, red paws, yeasty smelly skin, environment allergies & is mild enough to use daily….

Have a look at “Canidae” they also make “Under The Sun” a cheaper range of dog formula’s, there’s Under The Sun, Puppy formula with healthy ingredients, page 1, bottom right..
I think it’s Ok to feed a growing large breed pup a kibble that has healthy grains, like brown rice, oatmeal etc & also has potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, blueberries, beans, carrots etc grain free ingredients as well, I don’t know what these kibbles are called they have both, I’ve noticed a lot of large breed puppy formula’s don’t have the bad old ingredients like corn, wheat, gluten meal & soy but will have healthy grains now…
there’s Canidae Pure Foundations puppy grain free, page 3, top left
then there is Canidae’s new vet formulated All Life Stages, Large Breed, Turkey Meal & Brown Rice formula on page 4, bottom right…..
or there’s Canidae Life Stages large breed puppy, Duck Meal, Brown Rice & Lentils page 5
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

I would look for 2 large breed kibbles that both are different brands & have a different protein & rotate between the two…..A rotational diet allows a better chance of providing a more complete & balanced diet…..This is particularly important for young animals, the idea is that by allowing short exposure to a wider variety of protein types, the immune system is primed to a larger range of potential allergens which strengthen the immune system & may reduce the risk of allergies or symptoms developing….
I feed 1 brand kibble for breakfast & I feed a different brand & protein kibble for dinner..

[anonymous]

He is too young to be diagnosed…..but it could be environmental allergies, wipe his feet off or rinse with plain water every time he comes in from the outside, especially after coming in from stepping in grass covered with morning dew. Let’s hope the allergies (if that’s what it is) are mild and seasonal.
The only way to rule out food sensitivities would be an elimination diet/prescription food under the guidance of a vet.
Veterinary Dermatologists don’t advise testing until the symptoms have been going on for 1 year/4 seasons or are are severe, and have not responded to treatment by the regular vet.
Wait and see what your vet suggests for food as it may not be related.
What about ProPlan Focus Large Breed puppy https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-focus-puppy-large/dp/52425

[LuckyLab]

Hey guys,

My 9 week Yellow lab has been chewing on his paws. Not at a super alarming amount but enough that I’ve began to notice. The Diamond Puppy food the breeder has him on has by products and then two wheat ingredients so I suspect it may be the food. I had decided to switch him to Fromm Lrg. Puppy but its not Grain free and I don’t love their Heartland (which is grain free).

I’m also a fan of the Precise Holistic lrg. breed pup food but that’s also not grain free. If we are going to upgrade his dog food we’d like to do it only once if possible and try the grain free, see if it helps and if it doesn’t we’ll have the vet run some tests. I’m going to put in a call to her tomorrow either way to be sure this is the correct course of action.

Any Large Breed Puppy kibbles you can suggest? Nature’s Variety looks great but its just too expensive. We may be able to swing Orijen but if I’m going to spend that on food I’d want to know for certain it fixed the problem. Other than Orijen and Natures Variety and suggestions?

[HoundMusic]

“The Sportdog Large Breed has a lower fat than content than the others (14% vs 18%) which leads me to believe it may not alleviate my weight maintenance struggle. 30/20 protein/fat seems to be the “standard” for active sporting dogs. I would prefer a grain free food, but obviously I am not dead set on it, otherwise I wouldn’t consider the Victor.

I am leaning heavily towards the Sportdog Active, assuming I can actually get it in 50lb bags. Which would you recommend and why?”

Full disclosure: I never tried any of those feeds. That being said, I do have a few friends who use the Sport Dog maintenance formula and are very pleased. Their dogs seem to be in excellent condition, with unusually thick coats for this time of year. I have also heard beaglers rave about Black Gold, though I’ve no personal experience with it myself. You might also want to consider Eukanuba Premium Performance 30/20. I mainly used it for bitches in whelp, but when I had a large pack running, that was my mainstay. I have tried several performance feeds over the years, and that exceeded them all in terms of alertness of my hounds, weight maintenance, heat cycle regularity, tolerance of bad weather conditions, coats, stool output, etc. It cost me somewhere around $35 for 30lbs, but that was several years ago.

BTW, I run rabbit dogs and my experience has been to be VERY wary of grain free feeds, because the carbohydrate sources they contain are often high glycemic index, simple, rather than complex, carbs. Hypoglycemia is your worst enemy in the field. Foods that spike the blood sugar, as well as *those that do not raise it high enough* need to be the stuff of your nightmares if you’re planning on seriously hunting with this dog. That means, be wary of low carb AND high glycemic index diets. Potatoes are an iffy ingredient. They should be all right if not the main source of carbs, but I prefer a feed without them after experiencing a hypoglycemic fit in two dogs from Wellness CORE about 10 years ago 🙁

On low carb diets, I saw concentration issues, however, you definitely need to be concerned about excess protein. In summer or warmer months, a dog in training runs the risk of overheating. During hunting season, you also risk overloading the kidneys and liver, hence the importance of moderation and a maintenance diet in the summer. For that, stay somewhere around 21% or under.

Another thing; fat and protein content have surprisingly little to do with weight maintenance – in my experience, the bioavailability, overall digestibility and kcal content contribute more to weight gain and muscle mass than does overloading with protein. I have a young hound in training who just returned from a friend’s rabbit pen and gets exercised every day, built like a truck on a 19% protein feed. He was on Sportmix 27/12 and has already shed fat and gained muscle after three days back on a 19/8 feed.

So don’t worry overmuch about fat/protein not being enough. And good luck in finding a feed!

[pitlove]

Hi M N-

I’ve read a lot of different opinions about what type of diet working breeds need. It seems that a lot of people who hunt their dogs or compete in dog sports will use a performance/sporting food during the season and then go back to a normal maintenance diet during the off season to prevent weight gain and keep them conditioned. You have to feed for the energy expenditure of the dog.

Typically performance foods are going to be a 30/20 formula, but still have a good amount of carbs for quick energy conversion. I believe Victor and SportDog both have performance formulas. I see you are interested in grain free, but I would highly consider a grain inclusive diet as many grains actually have better bioavailability.

As far as feeding for a large breed puppy, he is just shy of the 18 month mark at which he could go on to an adult food and at this point he should be able enough to control is calcium uptake enough that the main focus should be keeping him in condition to hunt him. While a 3 on BCS is not terrible, 4 would be better/ideal. GWP/GSP are lean by nature, but the standard is not that of a Greyhound, Poodle etc.

[M N]

Hello, I have a 16 month old German Wirehaired Pointer. I am currently feeding him free-choice TOTW Wetlands formula. I started him on TOTW High Prairie Puppy at 7 weeks and switched to the adult Wetlands formula at around 9 months as we were struggling to keep weight on him. Currently on the Wetlands formula he will swing between a 3 and 5 on the 9 point scale, depending on how active we are that week. Overall I have been very happy with TOTW.

Lately (since about March-April) I have been hearing a lot about dogs getting sick on TOTW. Naturall,y this concerns me. Also, with summer upon us and the increased training and exercise that comes with it, it has been a little harder to keep weight on him. As summer progresses and we start conditioning for hunting season I suspect it will get even harder. This combines to have me again looking to change foods.

Initially when I was looking at switching I was looking at the Black Gold Salmon and White Potato because it was available locally and looked good on paper. We tried a bag this spring and he seemed to do okay on it, but we never fully transitioned as my local feed store stopped carrying it. I also considered Victor Nutra-Pro, but again there was no local supplier for it. When I mentioned this to the owner of the feed store he told me that if I wanted him to he would order either of them for me on their regular shipments, he just needed 1 week notice and would have it in for me.
I also looked at the Sportdog formulas this spring, but they didn’t ship directly to my area and the cost through Amazon was more than I was willing to pay. Now I see that Amazon has 50lb bags in the Large Breed and Active formulas, both of which are at a price that I find reasonable.

I understand that there are alot of quality foods out there, I am looking at these foods specifically due to quality, availability, and cost (under $1.50 a pound). Another reason I am looking to switch is I have another puppy coming this fall, and I feel TOTW has a higher calcium content than I would like to see for a large breed puppy. The 4 formulas I am looking at seem to be a better all around fit for me, with the exception of the large breed which the kibble may be a bit big for a puppy. The Victor may be higher protein than I want/need, and is not a grain free, but does advertise a higher percentage of protein from meat than Sportdog (90% vs 76%). The Sportdog Large Breed has a lower fat than content than the others (14% vs 18%) which leads me to believe it may not alleviate my weight maintenance struggle. 30/20 protein/fat seems to be the “standard” for active sporting dogs. I would prefer a grain free food, but obviously I am not dead set on it, otherwise I wouldn’t consider the Victor.

I am leaning heavily towards the Sportdog Active, assuming I can actually get it in 50lb bags. Which would you recommend and why?

$45/40lb – https://victorpetfood.com/product-items/nutra-pro/?portfolioCats=133%2C135%2C134%2C153%2C159%2C160%2C162

$35/30lb – http://blackgolddogfood.com/natural_grain_free_salmon_dog_food.htm

$72/50lb – https://www.sportdogfood.com/elite-grain-free-active-dog-puppy-30-18/

$67/50lb – https://www.sportdogfood.com/elite-grain-free-large-breed-30-14/

[LuckyLab]

Hey guys,

Need some help here.

I’m not confident in my calculations in the Calc/Pho. ratios for Wellness Complete Health Large Breed Puppy and Fromm Gold Lrg. Brd. Puppy I did are correct.

Fromm gives a typical analysis where Wellness just provides a minimum. Can someone answer me simply if both are appropriate ratios/levels for Yellow lab to ensure he has enough for healthy growth but not so much that he’s at risk for hip dysplasia and other bone issues as he grows?

Thanks!

[Kait B]

My dog is a Pitbull Mix. She’s 35 pounds. I have found that she has trouble chewing the regular to large size kibble in most foods. I had her try a few samples of food for small breeds, which has smaller kibble and she loves them and has a much easier time chewing. Are these foods scientifically formulate for tiny bellies? or is it ok for her to eat the small breed food on a regular basis?

[Eric C]

In two weeks we bring home my baby Australian Cattle Dog. My Yellow Lab is a little over a year old and she has been on Fromm Large Breed Puppy her entire life. I see that it is now a 4 star but thought it was a 5 star when we started her on it last year. My new boy will likely be just a little over 50 pounds but I think it might be wise to start him on a controlled calcium food as ACD can have hip issues. What foods in the 5 star category are the most popular here? Wellness, Orijen?

[crazy4cats]

Hi Clare-
Here is a great article from the review side of this site that may help you choose a large breed puppy food:

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

Hope this helps!

[pitlove]

Brian-

Protein doesn’t effect their growth at all. Excessive dietary calcium and overnutrition(being fat) does.

I do understand that many people do not like Purina, however I feel that there is a lot of misinformation about Purina on the internet. I do not like all of Purina’s lines, but Pro Plan is a quality one. I appreciate a company that does their own independant research and contributes to our knowledge base of nutrition. I also really like the Purina is one of the leading reseachers on large breed puppy nutrition. As one of the other posters on here has said before and I always give her credit for this statement “you only have one chance to create a sound orthopedic structure”. That is why I would prefer to feed a food from a company that does feeding trials and conducts their own research.

[pitlove]

Hi Brian-

No need to be concerned with protein levels for growing large breed puppies. 20 years of research has demonstrated that protein is a non factor in proper growth for LBPs.

Of the brands you listed off Fromm and Wellness are the 2 I would be most comfortable with. Other good brands to consider are NutriSource, Precise Holistic Complete, Purina Pro Plan, Hills Science Diet or Royal Canin. The last three have all gone through feeding trials on LBPs and are formulated by veterinary nutritionists who are keeping up to date with current research on the nutritional needs of growing LBPs.

[LuckyLab]

Hi guys,
I just got a nicely bred Yellow Lab who I will be bringing home Sunday (8 weeks and 2 days old). He has had a small spell of diarrhea while with his breeder and they are getting him through. His first kibble and what he’s getting now is Diamond Puppy. I’ve heard this is a decent food and good value but the breeder told me if I wanted to upgrade she like Blue Buffalo.

Finding a new food is so overwhelming but I know the first 2 years can be so important for his growth and development. I’ve narrowed down my options to:
-Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy (is this too much protein?)
-Fromm Heartland Gold or just Fromm Gold (both for large breeds)
-Taste of the Wild Puppy
-Wellness Complete Health or Core (Puppy)
-He’s currently on Diamond Puppy

So many different opinions, we go to the vet on Tuesday but not sure he’ll have a recommendation. We were told whatever we decide to keep him on his current Diamond food for at least 2 weeks after we bring him home not to stress his system as he adjusts then we could start slowly changing.
Thank you so much for the help (sorry for the long post).

[Clare M]

Hi,
Our mini-Aussie (12 weeks old) goes absolutely crazy so we have to train her a lot to stop unwanted behavior (barking, eating carpet, biting us). She does have a meal time (which we use to train her). We are having to give her so many treats (use her food for a lot of it) for training. I feel like she is being fed way too much. I’m afraid of growing too much, but i’m not sure if that is really a medical issue for dogs her size or just large breeds? The vets office couldn’t answer if there is a good growth rate (about .1-.2 lbs growth every day). Also, because she is eating all of the time, we do not have a predictable potty schedule.

Questions: Should their potty schedule be very predictable at this age?
How to manage caloric intake when treating/feeding all the time to stop unwanted behavior?

Thanks for your recommendations, no talking down to people please.

[mydogisme]

Hi everyone, I have had a ‘new ‘ little one for the past 4 years since my 10-year-old terrier, Dixie died and nearly broke my heart. This one is a rescue and a pom. She has had 4 surgeries in 4 years due to the abuse she suffered the 1 st year of her life. Super great Vet! She is doing extremely well, she is my baby after all 🙂 Anyway, I had her on LID Natural Balance can, she gained some weight because of surgeries, so her Dr. suggested the S.D. prescription metabolic and joint. She loves it but I feed her the Fish stew, I just can’t do any type of chicken in anything, as she was on Duck and Lamb in the Natural Balance. She weighs 19.4 and needs to be between 15-17, She is the large breed pom not the tiny breed, black and white called Parti. I am hoping to have more activity this summer and she ‘loves’ the water. I have concerns about Science Diet. Any others feel that way too? Hi Hound dog mom! and Inkmarie!

[Susan]

Hi Melissa,
sounds like you have a puppy with a very sensitive stomach/bowel, he may suffer with skin allergies as he get’s older, there’s a few Goldendoodles with sensitive stomach & skin on a Face Book group I belong too….
Food sensitivities/intolerances can take anywhere from 1 day to 6 weeks to react to a certain ingredient & have Intestinal stress… sounds like there’s an ingredient in the Fromm he’s sensitive too..
My boy has skin allergies & food intolerances & can’t eat high fat meals, tapioca, beet pulp, liver, barley & high fiber kibbles & too many proteins & ingredients he gets stomach up sets, acid reflux, sloppy poos/diarrhea & he wakes up 2am, 4am or 5am crying at the front door to be let out to have diarrhea, sometimes you can hear loud grumbling noises coming from his bowel (Wind)….
You’ll have to start working out what agrees with him & what doesn’t, keep a diary & write down foods, kibbles etc that don’t agree with him & try & work out if there’s an common ingredient, I ended up doing a elimination food diet..

I’ve had great success with “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, it is a single protein formula with just lamb meal & has limited ingredients, grain free & is a all life stages formula, has the matching wet tin food…… https://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/

When a dog knows a food/kibble causes pain, upset stomach, wind, nausea they’re hesitate to eat it or don’t eat it at all, listen to your dog when he doesn’t want to eat something, he’s telling you, mum this makes me sick, offer to feed something else, he might prefer a wet tin food, cooked, raw or rotate between 2 brands of kibbles that’s what I do, so he doesn’t get sick of eating the same kibble formula, Patch gets Canidae Pure for breakfast & TOTW for lunch & dinner…but you have pup I don’t know how it works rotating Puppy formula’s if it’s Ok….ask & email the kibble company, they would know….
TOTW have vet nutritionist that email back & give advise…

Canidae is another food I feed the Canidae Pure Wild Boar, all the Pure formula’s have limited ingredients.
Canidae have a 3 large breed puppy formula’s, 2 in their “Life Stages” formula’s dry & wet tin, Canidae have a new Large breed puppy Turkey & Brown Rice that has only 1 protein Turkey Meal that’s not too high in protein or fat & can be feed all stages of life Puppy, Adult & Senior large breed…
http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-large-breed-turkey-meal-brown-rice-dry-formula
or Canidae Life Stages Large breed Puppy Duck Meal & Lentils wet & dry
or Canidae’s “Under The Sun” Large Breed Puppy Chicken dry

Maybe try a kibble that has limited ingredient & only 1 protein & see how he goes, no more then 8 ingredients so there’s less ingredients to cause any problems .. Read the ingredients, fiber, fat & protein % in the Nutrisource Puppy formula & the Fromm Heartland Puppy & see is there heaps of ingredients? how many different proteins? is the Fat, Fiber & Protein on the higher end?
Best to buy from a Pet Shop this way you can take it back for a refund & try another food if he doesn’t really want to eat it…..

[pitlove]

Susan, I have no idea how the ones you are talking about compare to the US one I’m talking about.

I’ve recommended Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy and Hills Large Breed Puppy plenty on times on here and at work. I tailor my recommendations to the individual and I fully recognize that a lot of people on here won’t use Purina.

I use this “c***” food because it’s not “c***” at all. I have used Orijen, Acana, Fromm, NutriSource, Taste of the Wild, Natures Variety, Wellness CORE, Zignature, Primal, Stella and Chewys,… I mean really the list goes on. None of those foods worked well for him. He was either sick, skin was flaring up or he simply refused to eat. I cried so many times because I felt like I couldn’t help him and he was just suffering despite eating all these “great” foods. So after completing our elimination trial our vet suggested Pro Plan Sensitive Skin, so we tried it and it worked. I can’t argue with results and I can’t argue with how much healthier and happier Bentley has been this past year and a half.

Judging me for my choice of food doesn’t make you a better pet parent. We all care for our dogs and want what’s best for them, regardless of how we get there.