[pitlove]

Hi Jacob-

Basically here’s the thing. Companies like Hill’s and Purina have put in years of research into the topic of proper growth and nutrition for large breeds. Royal Canin to an extent but not as much as the other two. In reality these foods are better to use because of how much research is backing them.

Also in reference to All Life Stages foods; no they are not all appropriate for large breed puppies. A lot of companies will not provide a nutrient analysis on their website so you will have to do some leg work and contact them and ask for their MAX levels of calcium and phosphorus in their All Life Stages or growth diets.

Dr. Tim’s Kinesis and NutriSource Large Breed Puppy are 2 excellent foods that you can purchase through chewy.com. Dr. Tim’s has been feed trialed as well which is important.

Fromm would out rank Royal Canin for a lot of people simply because they like the way the ingredients look. Both will let the dog grow properly. RC is just a bigger company that does feed trials and conducts their own research so from the view point of a veterinary nutritionist, RC beats Fromm.

Blue Buffalo is a tad shady of a company and I personally do not feel comfortable recommending them and I wouldn’t use their products again (I did when my pitbull was little).

[Mike P]

jacob. I can’t take credit for the research or the knowledge. But others on here have and I only forward it on. See Hound dog mom’s post earlier on.

She created a nice list for our large breed puppies. I don’t think the list has been updated recently though, but I assume these haven’t been downgraded.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit?pli=1

Also, instead of driving a couple hours round trip, can you buy online. I did from Chewy.com and amazon and it was great. Chewy offers free shipping for over $49.

try these links (i don’t know if they work right)
http://www.chewy.com/fromm-gold-holistic-large-breed/dp/32624

http://www.chewy.com/earthborn-holistic-coastal-catch/dp/36408

[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?

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Susan W]

I’ve had good luck with VeRus’ adult dog foods. They have puppy foods, too, including one especially formulated for large breed puppies. They also have canned food for dogs (and cats). They have NEVER had a recall in 20+ years of production and they will send samples (really nice samples) if you fill out the contact form. http://Www.veruspetfoods.com
They really are worth checking out.

[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.

[Salz]

Hello! I am a long time reader of DFA Forums but this is the first time I’ve actually posted anything. I have two dogs; a 4 year old minpin tripawd (Bean) and now a 4 month old Doberman/Rottweiler x puppy (Jax). Bean has done great on all and any premium food (wet, raw, kibble, he’s been on it all) but the more I read the more I want to just bite the bullet and switch fully to raw. Jax on the other hand, has had quite the hard time with kibble. I got Jax about two months ago and immediately put him on Orijen Large Breed Puppy. He’s had on and off diarrhea since I’ve had him. I figured the Orijen may have just been too much for his digestive system so I transitioned him (VERY) slowly to Natures Instinct Raw Boost Large Breed Puppy Kibble. His stools were firm for about three days until the diarrhea started again. I’ve had him tested for parasites and every malady under the sun with only negative results. Right now I just have him on cooked turkey and rice to settle his tummy until I decide on what to try next. I was hoping for some input from all of you lovely people!

I am concerned about putting a large breed puppy on raw so young, simply because I lack all of the knowledge about his nutritional needs. But so far, here are the options I’ve come up with.

Honest Kitchen Preference Base Mix mixed with a rotation of raw grinds/meats primarily from Primal and EcoPawz Raw (a local raw company in my area)

Stella and Chewy’s Frozen Raw (rotation of proteins)

Darwin’s Zoologics Line (a little out of my budget but they are sounding better and better)

No matter which I choose, I will definitely supplement with raw goat milk, yogurt, etc. I would also like some input on what kinds of meat I can buy at the grocery store. I’ve only ever bought dog raw from PFE. Sorry for the long post and I’m really looking forward to any and all input. You all rule!

Sally, Jax & Bean

[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.

[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”

[Joe W]

Ok, this thread has obviously deteriorated into a childish playground argument (thanks for that janus), let’s stay on topic and stop arguing like crazy biatc#s with PMT.

Anyone not intelligent enough to research opinions on a forum and come to a balanced decision based on opinion and fact (which I may add HAS to be linked and referenced otherwise only a retard would blindly belive it), is not responsible, intelligent or mature enough to be responsibly owning a dog in the first place.

Just look in the ingredients, it’s the best way to tell….. anything that lists cereals or animal derivatives at the top of it’s contents is in my opinion AND supported by a huge ammount of fact (research it yourself as I’m not doing it for you lazy asses) not good for your pet and will only lead to a bad coat and other annoying issues.

The only dry food I trust is from an independent local supplier who is passionate about going against the big brand’s horrible ingredients and makes his dry food from vegetables and only natural antioxidants, it’s ingredients starting ‘CHICKEN MEAL, MAIZE, RICE, OATS, CHICKEN FAT, PRAIRIE MEAL, CHICKEN LIVER, BEETROOT PULP, SALMON OIL….. you get the picture.

If you’re wondering what to treat your dog with that’s not harmful? Then stop shopping in a business and make your own, frozen chicken liver chunks, or just cook a whole chicken (they are mega cheap) and shred up the meat, freeze it and use as treats. Remember that research suggests (yes anus, sorry ‘janus’ damn my typos) that smaller treats are better for training than larger ones, so just a taste will do.

The only manufactured treat I trust and use are natures menu ones, my golden retriever Nico LOVES them so much that his teeth chatter as you train him with them! He can’t get enough, and they are 95% meat so they are most and each small treat easily breaks into 6 or more smaller rewards, he loves the chicken best but other flavours are avaliable.

My experience? I have owned dogs, only ever had pedigree dogs from show dog families so the breeders have been crazy into health and coat care, nutrition ect. and have given me a wealth of knowledge….. this plus conversing regularly with a very good vet when I have a question I can’t find the answer to myself (yes janus, by researching different opinions of other dog owners which I VALUE and RESPECT more than, well more than you), has given me what I think a balanced view on what is best for myself and my dog…… But hey, that’s just my opinion right?…. Oh wait sorry, that was ‘In My Honest Opinion’

If any of my spelling was off there, I apologise, I’m using my phone and this forum isn’t too mobile friendly with it’s format.

Joe
Retired British Army Infantry Sniper….. Hence why any haters or immature children that want to reply with something idiotic will be ignored, I don’t have time to waste on keyboard warriors with arrogant ‘black or white’ ‘my way or I cry like a child’ opinions…… Life is one big grey area, engage your brain, adapt, overcome, and deal with it.

[Laurie W]

Thanks Mike. I incorrectly presumed that a 5 star rating would land them automatically on the Editor’s Choice list and appreciate the clarification.

From what I can determine, RAWZ is not raw, but perhaps small batch. There’s a lot to like about it — but your Editor’s Choice list matters to me and is why I pay for the membership.

Have a pup reaching 1 year’s old this week, so switching from Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy & have been researching your ratings for grain-free adult food options. Based on those, along with my preferred list of ingredients & exclusions, Fromm Four Star Nutritionals (Grain-Free) is my best match. Thanks again.

[Donna W]

This is my first time posting anything but I wanted to share some info with anyone that could get some help for their pet persons. I have an old German Shepherd/Akita cross. He is now 15 years old. He has always been a big fellow but he was my husbands pet and extremely partial to him over anyone else. My husband had passed away due to an accident and the dog became seriously depressed for some time. Because my health was in decline also my sister moved me from Georgia to Oklahoma out of concern for me. My dog was 13 at the time we moved and weighed around 85 pounds. When we got to Oklahoma the dog began to have lots of health related issues. I take care of my grandkids and am on social security so not much money to spend for medical help for myself or my dog. I noticed that he started shedding horribly. He started having a bad odor and was losing tons of weight. He was scratching at himself 24/7 and crying out. His ears started having a fowl order also. I changed him from Pedigree dog food (which he had always eaten without any problems) to expensive dog foods, then to non grain foods to no avail. I got prescription ear medicine for him but as soon as it was used up, his ears started with the same problems. He really smelled bad and when we washed him, the odor came right back. He continued to drop weight. He lost at least 20 pounds. Along with his hair falling out by the hand full, his coat was super dull and he had always had a beautiful black and shiney coat in the past. I know that large dogs did not live as long as smaller breeds but this was driving me nuts. I made sure he did not have fleas. Bought him the best flea medicines. All to know avail and after 6 months I was ready to take him to the vet to put him to sleep when I came across a site on the internet where other people were talking about them having the same issues with their pets exactly like my dog. I was in disbileaf. I ordered this enzyme called Din-o-vite and gave him a scoop a day along with a squirt of omega 3 oil and a squirt of oil that made his food taste better as the enzymes did not taste good. After about a week and a half he started to improve and he continued do amaze me in his improvement. Everything got better for him. He is 15 now and although he is showing a favoring in his right side rear end when he gets up his change is nothing short of a miracle. I don’t know much about enzymes but I read that a dog has trouble digesting food and as they get older it can get worse. I hope this gets to someone else out there that is having the same trouble, try this before you think of putting your dog to sleep. He has been on the Dine-o-vite for 2 months now and I cannot believe it is the same dog. I know that he wont live much longer but he is happy now again and I know that his few remaining years will be spent with us at home.

[Susan W]

I’m a big fan of VeRus dog foods. http://www.veruspetfoods.com They have a puppy formula for small to medium (at adulthood) puppies and one for large breed dogs. One thing that’s really important with your pup is that his food supports his body while it grows. I had a German Sheppard once who grew too fast (for his cheap food) and ended up with joint issues. Had I known then what I know now, I would have fed him better food from the beginning. Of course, VeRus wasn’t around then.
Other great things about VeRus:
They’ve never (NEVER!) had a recall in their 20+ years.
They have a non-profit that helps train rescue dogs for veterans w/PTSD.
They have a contact form you can fill out – which they will acknowledge – and they’ll send you really nice-sized samples.
Check out their website – it has a lot of good info.
Good luck!

[Kelly P]

Your situation sounds very similar to mine. I have a 13 yr old mini Schnauzer and had heard several bad things about the food I was feeding her. Always dry food, no table scraps, etc. I finally got that smack in the face that your dog is getting old when she started collapsing if she got wound up. Sure enough, she’s got an enlarged heart and nothing we can do other than a few meds to stave it off as long as possible. My first Schnauzer suffered from the same thing.

But, the news about the other brand, her prognosis and her age made me think it was time to switch. I went with Wellness Core small breed and she ate it at first as I was mixing it up with her old food so as to ease the transition. That was fine but once I got to 100% Wellness she would sniff it and walk away. I even pulled the Nick Nolte “Doen and Out in Beverly Hills” trick where I stuck my face in the bowl. It actually works, but I can’t do that every meal.

Eventually at some point during the day, she would eat it. I suppose she was just hungry! Kind of like when you’re on a road trip and you stop at a place you’d usually speed up to get past.

Anyway, I made my decisions based on the recommendations here, I just recently tried Orijen Senior Formula. It’s not a small breed food, so the kibble is bigger. I put the Wellness in 1/2 the bowl and Orijen on the other side. She was all over the Orijen and left an almost perfect line where the Wellness was. I also bought a little 4 lb bag of Merrick Grain Free Real Buffalo & Sweet Potato if the Orijen didn’t work.

Like you, I think she likes bigger chunks and that Wellness was pretty small. Unfortunately, I don’t have any other data or info to share. The Orijen is not cheap by a long shot, but the people on this forum aren’t here because we value savings over health and well being of our dogs.

[adam]

Thanks for all the replies. I definitely did search through the forums and things tend to go in circles (Use the vet dog food/never use the vet dog food, high meat based protein causes stones/meat protein never causes stones, lowering urine PH helps/ Lowering urine PH causes stones, etc). But I understand there are a lot of unknowns and every breed if not every dog is different. I should know more when the full tests get back with what stones I am dealing with, and then certainly after they are removed and tested (still on the fence with surgery at such a young age but will probably go through with it).

Thanks for the recommendation to find a Board-certified Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist, is there a search they provide of their members, say by state or do you have to lookup each one?

From all these posts I did gather that water is key, so thanks I will really start upping her water intake by soaking the kibble. She gets out at least 3-4 times a day and gets 20-30 miles of walks a week. She is not overweight at all, about 107 for a female Pyrenees.

Making my own food for the two large Pyrenees I have is not really feasible at this point, I would love to, but that is 220 pounds of dog to feed a day, just not going to happen on my budget. I do give them as much meat as possible though. I like the diet guide Susan linked to and bookmarked to to use when I can.

Pyrenees are pretty tough dogs and my other one who is the same age has zero issues with the same diet. You just don’t hear of Pyrenees getting stones very often, so I was just putting some feelers out there if anyone new something specific about that breed. When I read the ingredients of the “Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Urinary SO” I was just shocked that this was my official solution… feed my dog Rice, Corn, and chicken by-product meal. there isn’t a single true meat in that food. I will stick with the food for now, but here is an article linked to in the forums that pretty much states food isn’t the culprit, it is the water as you all have told me:
http://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/ken-tudor/2015/november/water-solution-urinary-crystals-pets-33270

[pugmomsandy]

Also, check out the article for choosing a large breed puppy food:

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

For large breed puppy food, I would go for a formula with appropriate calcium and phosphorus versus just choosing by star rating (if you indeed have a puppy). I call my 8 yr old a baby still. While adults can eat foods for “puppies/growth”, some puppies can’t have foods for “all life stages” due to these specific nutrients.

[pugmomsandy]

Sam R,

Fromm Large Breed Puppy doesn’t have the high amount of protein that Orijen and Instinct contain.

This article might help:

/frequently-asked-questions/rate-dog-food/

For a rotational feeder like me, I mainly choose 3.5 stars and higher in all forms of foods with few red colored ingredients. For instance, I use Pro Pac Ultimates Grain Free and also feed raw meat with no veggies and everything in between.

[Sam R]

Can you explain why Fromm Large Breed Puppy gets 4 stars when Orijen and Instinct get 5?
I read all three reviews and don’t really see an explanation to distinguish between 4 and 5 stars. Can you point out the deficiency that makes Fromm lose a star?
Thanks

[Jodi O]

Hello everyone,
I have an 11 week old black lab puppy that came home on Purina Pro Plan and was doing great. Last week we decided to switch to the large breed puppy Orijen kibble. Right now we are on a 60/40 split of Purina Proplan/ Orijen. He has had really runny poops basically since the switch. I know the Orijen is really rich but I thought it was the better kibble. Suggestions? Do I go back to the Purina Proplan solely? I would appreciate any insight. thanks!

[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.

[Tim S]

We have been feeding our latest puppy the Farmina Natural & Delicious Chicken Grain-Free Large Breed Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food for about ten months after transitioning from another highly rated food (Orijen). We are quite happy with the results, the puppy loves the food and the kibble size is relatively large (works well as a training treat).

I am not familiar with Farmina’s marketing strategy in the U.S. although I would guess that their market penetration efforts are regional in scope … beyond the existing nationwide Chewy.com distribution channel.

[Susan W]

I was going to try Blue Wilderness with my dogs. Just about the time I got ready to buy it they had their issues. I did some research and found a list of companies that had never had a recall & settled on VeRus Pet Food. Granted, my dogs aren’t puppies but VeRus has a large breed puppy formula – as opposed to their formula for small & medium puppies. This tells me they put some thought into it. The protein amounts are different in the 2 formulas, too. Best thing: They send samples! http://www.veruspetfoods.com

[Kathleen C]

This is not a large breed puppy, but I’d heard Wellness has pulled away from Diamond and may be coming back to its previous good quality, though not sure yet. I can’t seem to keep my dog from gaining weight on the Weruva kibble and was thinking about going back to the Wellness Core Reduced fat. Any thoughts on this? It’s about the only low fat dog food I felt safe in using. The Weruva has more fat, fewer calories and carbs, but still seems to keep my dog at least 1/2 lb over what I want him to weigh. The vet says he should be around 18-19 lb and I’m trying for 19. Half a pound on a small dog can seem like more.

[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! 🙂

[Linda A]

We have in the past with our large and giant breed puppies switched them to adult food at 6 months to slow their growth to prevent hip issues. I can’t remember if we did it back 15 years ago for our first saint or not but she never had a hip issue, and lived to 12 on cheap store bought food.

Currently the GR is on Pro Pack Ultimate Puppy and the other two are on crappy Purina adult food.

The puppy is on the low end of weight from being what we believe to be the runt. The Saint is a great weight of 118lb and the beagle is a perfect 35lbs.

[InkedMarie]

I suggest you read the stickie, located on top in yellow, on the Diet & Health issues forum, about how to feed a large breed puppy. Your golden has special requirements. Once you decide on a food for him, we can help you decide whether that food is appropriate for the other two.

The other two: how is their health? Coat? How is their weight?

[boobear27]

Looking to switch my senior dog’s food..I have an 11 year old Rat terrier and I use to feed her Wellness complete health small breed dry food, but it was causing her to gain weight even when I gave less her less she just wasn’t shedding the pounds..When we took her out to the yard to play and have some exercise she will play for a little then just lose interest and not being too active like our Toy poodle is..She is kind of a couch potato too:) We switched her to Wellness core reduced fat and she loved it! She loved the bigger sized kibble she’s a small dog but a large dog chewer:) She actually crunched and munched on this formula, with the Wellness small breed tiny sized kibble she would just inhale it..This was also why we had to buy a small feeding bowl..She shed all those unwanted pounds and started being more active again:)..The problem I’m having now is that she lost interest in this formula..She is a food obsessive kind of dog everytime I use to give her her meal she will dig right in and now everytime I give her her meal she looks at it and walks away for a while then will come back and she will eat some of it then walk away again for awhile and then come back eat some more and then walk away again..It’s like she’s just forcing herself to eat it because she’s hungry and she won’t eat the whole portion I give her..The only way she gets excited about the food is when I put water or chicken broth in it and then she will dig right in and eat her full portion, but I don’t wet her food all the time I switch it up by giving it to her dry or wet..She also has a gas problem she has really stinky farts and I noticed she gets these loose or soft stools..We have to express her anal glands like twice a month. I was looking to switch her food to a different grain free food something that’s also reasonably priced..I was looking at the brands taste of wild, Victor, and 4Health, but can’t decide which would be the best choice..I’ve read some mixed reviews and they had some recalls in the past..Has anybody had any luck on these brands? Which will be the better choice for my senior dog? I’m gonna make a vet appt to get her teeth checked, but I think I’m done with the Wellness brand..My toy poodle doesn’t seem to be interested in her Wellness small breed either.

[Susan]

Hi, slowly start adding the Wellness Core Large Breed kibble with his old food, it tells you on the kibble bag how to add new kibble, first 2 days you feed 1/4 cup new kibble & take away 1/4 cup of the old kibble then 3rd & 4th day feed 1/2 Wellness & 1/2 old kibble & so on…..Maybe feed just kibble for breakfast & lunch & for dinner feed Kibble with the wet tin food or add some cooked fresh meat & veggies with his kibble instead of wet tin food what ever your cooking….Once he’s on the Wellness Core, I’d start looking for another 4-5 star kibble & start rotating in his diet so he gets use to different foods….Wellness Core is very Potato Heavy, I feed a grain free kibble that’s Lamb, Sweet potato, egg & peas then a Chicken Fish & Lamb Brown rice, oats, peas & potato, kibble…..
Canidae has Life Stages Duck Meal Brown Rice & Lentils Formula Large Breed puppies & as they get older its just Large breed…..also has the matching wet tin food…
Canidae is a 5 star food as soon as it comes to Australia, its sold out, Canidae can not keep up with the demand, so people have been feeding the Taste Of The Wild cause Canidae is always sold out for back orders TOTW is also a good kibble that is a best seller in Australia…
Wellness is only sold thru Pet Barn no where else in Australia, so it doesn’t sell that well, Wellness gave my Patch sloppy poos & wind/gas from the peas & potatoes….
http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

[Martin G]

I have a 11 week old German Rottweiler and he has been on Purina one large breed puppy food. I’ve quickly found out that this food was only good for the first few weeks. Now I’ve started him on wellness core: puppy rated a 5 on DFA. he had about 18 pounds of Purina and I added 12 pounds of wellness. He also is being fed blue wilderness wet puppy food as a topper should I take him completely off of wet food or should I just switch?

[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.

[InkedMarie]

Blue has had it’s share of issues; I think most of us won’t use it.
In the red line above, click “forums”. Go to the Diet & Health issues forum, read the stickie, highlighted in yellow on the top, of appropriate foods for large breed puppies.

[Martin G]

Thinking about switching my German rottweiler to this food. he’s already eating blue wilderness wet puppy food.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Martin G-

I’m thinking that a German Rottweiler is a large breed, isn’t it? If he’ll be over 50 pounds, then yes.

Here is a helpful article for keeping large breed pups joints healthy:
/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

It is important to keep them thin and lean. But, if your vet thinks he’s too thin, then he probably is because most vets prefer dogs on the lean side. So you can check the calories per cup on the bag and choose a food with higher calories, or just feed him more. You could even add more canned food to his meals as long as it is a complete and balanced recipe that you are adding.

What a lucky puppy that gets to have an acre back yard to run in! Have fun and good luck!

[Martin G]

So i have a 11 week old German Rottweiler and he weights 21.5 pounds. I recently took him to the vet to get his shots and the vet told me even though he is only 11 weeks old for the structure he should be a lot heavier and also he just looked “too lean”. She then asked about his feeding schedule and the brands of the food I was feeding him. I told her he was eating purina one large breed puppy food and also every time i fed him I gave him 3 tablespoons of blue wilderness wet puppy food. I was feeding at the time 3 times a day. Now he has free range of dry food and 4 times a day I give him 6 tablespoons of wet food. Its now 1.5 weeks later and he is leaner than when i took him to the vet. I asked the breeder and she agreed with the vet. I’m thinking since he has free range of our 1 acre back yard and is running all day that is why he is lean OR the brand i am feeding. price point on food isnt a big deal the only reason why he is on purina is because that is what the breeder had him on. I was thinking blue wilderness dry food since he is eating the wet food already. Please help!!!

[Martin G]

So i have a 11 week old German Rottweiler and he weights 21.5 pounds. I recently took him to the vet to get his shots and the vet told me even though he is only 11 weeks old for the structure he should be a lot heavier and also he just looked “too lean”. She then asked about his feeding schedule and the brands of the food I was feeding him. I told her he was eating purina one large breed puppy food and also every time i fed him I gave him 3 tablespoons of blue wilderness wet puppy food. I was feeding at the time 3 times a day. Now he has free range of dry food and 4 times a day I give him 6 tablespoons of wet food. Its now 1.5 weeks later and he is leaner than when i took him to the vet. I asked the breeder and she agreed with the vet. I’m thinking since he has free range of our 1 acre back yard and is running all day that is why he is lean OR the brand i am feeding. price point on food isnt a big deal the only reason why he is on purina is because that is what the breeder had him on. I was thinking blue wilderness dry food since he is eating the wet food already. Please help!!!

[Linda C]

Thanks everyone! I was pretty sure there wasn’t an issue with too much protein as there is with large breed puppies. I liked the Dr. Toms ingredient list and there’s no yeast in it! I don’t know if the yeast issue has been proven (yeast increasing chance of bloat) but these deep chested guys are susceptible to bloat so why take a chance. Thanks again!

[s s]

They don’t have any special needs unless they have digestive issues, which is possible in large or giant breed dogs as they age. If you want a traditional kibble Dr. Tim’s is the best.

[Scared D]

Annamaet is great food but the on-line prices are very high making it a bad value. You have a very large breed dog known for a big appetite. Locally here in the east those foods are much cheaper. $85 for a 30lb bag of food is crazy.

As for TOTW puppy, the foods are all peas and pea protein.

Personally, Dr. Tim’s Kinesis for six months then Dr. Tim’s Pursuit after that. Chewy.com ships out of Nevada so you will get your food very fast. Dr. Tim’s sled racing teams always win. Great food, maybe the best kibble being sold today.

Abady you will have to call to see the best place to get it If there are no stores carrying the food locally you can buy direct from them.

http://www.therobertabadydogfoodcoltd.com/State%20of%20The%20Art%20Large%20Breed%20Puppies%20%20Front.htm

http://www.abadyfeeds.com/

Abady is a dry food but not a kibble. It goes through very little processing and it is like coarse sand in texture. It has been on the market for about 45 years. It is superb food. In our area it is the choice of the store owner and staff for their own pets.

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Scared D.
• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Scared D.

[Scared D]

I don’t think there is any reason to mix foods. In terms of foods I would pick either Dr. Tim’s Kinesis, Annamaet Extra or Abady Granular.

It seems you are drinking the Grain Free Kool-Aid. TOTW is not appropriate for large breed puppies and the TOTW puppy foods are garbage.

If you have to buy Annamaet on-line due to local availability, then Dr. Tim’s is much better. It even comes in 44lb bags from Chewy.com and at a great price with free shipping and no sales tax. Annamaet is a rip-off online. Unless you live in the Northeast, Abady has to be purchased on-line.

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Scared D.
• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Scared D.
• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Scared D.
• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Scared D.
• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Scared D.
• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Scared D.

[Anonymous]

Just as a reminder, whatever you choose, make sure that the calcium:phosphorus ratio is appropriate for large breed puppy growth.

[Haley H]

Hi everyone!
This is my first post, but I’ve been a constant on this page for quite sometime. I have a malamute baby coming home to me this July and I want to give him the absolute best!!

I’ve found a great local-ish supplier of green tripe, raw hooves, and all sorts of cow bits. I was all about tracheas and gullets until I read the study that links thyroidtoxosis to feeding gullets/trachea with thyroid tissues present. I asked my supplier if their raw tracheas and gullets had thyroid gland on them, they assured me that their sources removed thyroid glands beforehand.

I’ve looked all around the Internet, to no avail…I’m fairly certain the entire feeding of gullet is out…too close to the thyroid glands, however do you think the trachea, sans thyroid tissue, is safe to feed???

I was planning on using the fresh or dehydrated tracheas to serve part of my puppy’s meals in. I’m a huge fan of Dr. Ian Dunbar’s positive reinforcement methods, and also his idea to allow the dog the opportunity to work for their food…something crucial to all working breeds imho. So I was going to use both forms of trachea, filled kongs, and stuffed raw horns, hooves, and bones instead of using a bowl at all for food. I know this is another topic altogether, but I’m curious to hear what everyone here thinks.

I was planning to do a 25/75 kibble/RF plan, where his kibbles are fed in the morning, his midday and evening feeding being raw, with kibble occasionally used as training reinforcement. I have read lots of the opinions on combining RF and kibble, but a study done (I’ll share the link here), shows via x ray, that the rate of digestion largely has no effect on a dog when it comes to raw versus libble, being that raw food actually takes longer to digest because the dog’s body is working to utilize ALL goodness.
LINK: https://therawfeedingcommunity.com/2015/01/08/digest-this-kibble-may-actually-digest-faster-than-raw/

I may transition him completely to raw by age 2, but I’m not entirely willing to risk messing up his joints or growth feeding strictly raw from the time I get him (which will be 8 weeks)

I’m super excited to be here, obsessed with canine nutrition, and eager to talk to someone who can follow what I’m thinking about right now…no one in my life really cares much for my research and pontificating. LOL.

[Susan]

Hi Sydney. your best sticking with limited ingredient kibbles, that way you have less ingredients that he can be sensitive or intolerant too & start reacting with skin problems…. Have a look “Taste Of The Wild” Grain Free formulas like the Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon, my boy does well on the Taste Of The Wild Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb, I try & stay around 40% & under for carbs, you add the Protein % + the Fat % + the Fiber % + the Moisture % & + the Ash % if there’s no ash % on bag or their internet site then just add 8% for the ash, now take the results away from 100 & you’ll have a the carb %….also rotate when you find a few kibbles brands he does well on, rotate them, you can do it monthly every time you have to buy a new bag of kibble….
My boy starts to smell real yeasty when the carb % is over 45% in carbs & when he eats barley, corn, maize, gluten meal, beet pulp & sometimes oats, depends where on the ingredient list the oats are, he starts to smell scratch & itch, it will depend on your dog, what he’s sensitive too, even the grain free kibbles can be very high in starchy carbs as well, have a look at Canidae Pure kibbles, they’re grain free, there’s Pure Wild, Pure Land, Pure Sea, Pure Sky, the Canidae Pure formulas were a bit too rich for my Staffy, he has IBD & got acid reflux when he ate the Pure Land, probably the Bison was too rich for him or the chickpeas…a lot of dogs do really well on fish kibbles that have skin problems, the Canidae has their Pure Sea… Canidae Pure Formulas are very dense, high in Kcals, you don’t need to feed as much kibble…. Canidae also have their Life Stages Formulas, have a look at the Duck Meal Brown Rice & Lentils Formula for large Breeds….. Patch just tried the Life Stages, All Life Stages Formula, it has Chicken meal, Turkey Meal, Lamb Meal as the first 3 ingredients then Ocean fish meal is further down the ingredient list & its around 39% in Carbs, or try another kibble that has a few different ingredients to the kibble he’s eating now, try & make sure there’s about 2 to 4 proteins as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th ingredients maybe try a grainfree kibble you’ve tried a kibble with grains also fresh foods are excellent give a few small sardines, the tin sardines in spring water as a treat or add to his kibble, at dinner time if you’ve cooked too much & have some left over veggies & meat make him a meal as well, I prefer fresh foods then feeding kibble, kibble is quick & easy for us…I try & feed 1 meal kibble breakfast & dinner a cooked meal, I cook then freeze meals…. here’s the Canidae page http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/ the new Pure Wild looks good, I’m waiting to try it, I live Australia & we haven’t got the new Canidae formulas yet 🙁 I love Pit Bulls being pure white, I hope he doesn’t get skin allergies as he gets older, my vet said he see’s more white, pink skin dogs with skin problems then dogs that are black or brown with dark skin, also are you washing him weekly in the Malaseb medicated shampoo?? bath in a antibacterial shampoo to kill the bacteria & yeast…I have a English Staffy he has skin problems only where he’s has white fur the brindle areas are fine & stomach problems…. I hope you have better luck with your boy, so make sure he’s eating a good diet & use sun screen on face head etc & give him a nice raw meaty turkey leg once a week for breakfast also in Australia we give Staffys whole coconuts to play with, you peel the husk off the coconut a bit can cause sloppy poos, then the coconut keeps them busy trying to open the coconut & drink the milk, keep 1/2 the coconut for another day, may cause soft poos depends on your dog..

[Pitlove]

Wonderful! I did not know that about Wellness. I do quite enjoy when companies provide their nutrient anaylsis for the general public. Makes it much easier for us large breed puppy lovers 🙂

I’m glad I could help and I hope he does very well on Wellness TruFood if that is the food you choose for him!

[Pitlove]

Hi Heather-

Which values for calcium and phosphorus did you use when you input them into the calculator? If it was those on the bag, those will not give you an accurate idea of if the food is LBP safe or not since it is only the minimum amount of calcium and phosphorus in the food.

You are correct that a food can be safe for a LBP without being called a “large breed puppy food”. WellnessCORE Puppy and Nulo Puppy are examples of this. That is the part where an email or phone call to the company is called for to obtain the max levels of calcium and phosphorus to input into the calculator tool on this site.

[Heather S]

Hi thanks to you both for the responses 🙂

To determine if TruFood might be good for my puppy, I used the LBP food guidelines here on DogFoodAdvisor to determine if the Ca to Phos ratio was correct as well as the other suggestions in that article. My confusion comes from the fact that not all of the foods on the recommendation Editors Choice list here on DFA site for LBPs are specifically called LBP food. ALso, to the best of my knowledge the only Wellness LBP specific food has grains in it (Wellness complete LBP food) the wellness Core Puppy food is indeed grain free but does not claim to be specifically for LBPs although it is on the Editors Choice list as being appropriate for LBPs. There is a Large Breed Adult Core formula though.

Geez this whole food thing is hard and confusing.

[Pitlove]

Hi Heather-

How did you determine Wellness TruFood Puppy was safe for a large breed puppy? Have you looked at WellnessCORE Puppy? It is grain free and already determined safe for large breed puppies. I would certainly not follow the advice above to NOT read labels. That is silly. However, you do need to call the company and ask follow up questions to determine if a food meets the needs of your dog.

Here is a recommendation to a pet parent from Dr. Rebecca Remilliard DVM, ACVN for how to select a large breed puppy formula: “Having said that, most nutritionists would agree that about 1-1.5% calcium is not harmful and safe. Secondly you want to feed a lower fat or lowest kcal/cup ….. to help control the growth rate now and prevent obesity later. I would suggest you select the food with the lower kcal/cup (350-375 kcal/cup), lower fat and higher fiber, if the calcium is about the same on both products.”

[Heather S]

I have a 14 week old puppy that I think is a Golden Ret/German Shepherd mix but am not sure since he was a rescue. So that means I think he is a large breed puppy – the online adult calculator says he will weigh 55 lbs when full grown.

He is having a lot of skin issues so I’m trying to switch him to a grain free food. He has been eating Wellness Large Breed Puppy and I would like to feed him the new Wellness TruFood Puppy but they don’t have a LBP formula. I did check the calcium/phosphorus ratio and it appears to be within the suggested limits so now I’m double checking to see what you guys think.

Also will 55 lbs actually count as a large breed. I see all kinds of definitions of what constitutes a large breed.