[Susan]

Hi, change vets & see a vet that’s knows about IBD SIBO EPI etc has she been tested for SIBO? have a look at the fat % & fiber % in the food she is doing well on…. ring Royal Canine & find out what % is the Soluble fiber, Insoluble Fiber & Crude fiber % in the wet tin food, did you try the matching kibble to the wet tin food she’s doing good on?? …. Have you tried limited ingredient kibbles & cooked meals? Have you tried boiled chicken breast, not boil till chicken pieces are like leather, get 1 chicken breast & cut up into small bit size pieces & just before it boils the pieces are normally cooked, take off stove drain water, boil the jug & rinse the chicken pieces with boiled water, the fat & white froth comes off then I put chicken pieces in cold water to stop the cooking process, also boil 1 potato & 1 sweet potato… same cut into bit size pieces… I freeze the Sweet Potato pieces in meal sections, same with the chicken pieces, I freeze in 1/2 cup sections & 1 cup sections…You cant freeze the potato it goes yuk I have found so I cook enough boiled potato for 2-3 days & keep in the fridge, I add 1 cup chicken pieces, a couple pieces of potato & a couple of pieces of sweet potato about 1/4 cup each to 1 cup chicken, put the chicken & potato & sweet potato in the blender & blend for a few seconds, stop when everything is all blended, put 1/2 in the fridge & warm the other 1/2 in micro wave if you have taken out of fridge for about 10-15 sec make sure it isn’t hot, now add 1/2 a can of her wet tin food she does well on & see when you add the chicken pieces, sweet potato & potato if she still does firm poos….maybe start with just the potato first no sweet potato just in case later if poos are firm then try adding some sweet potato… every thing you do has to be limited ingredients & only 1 thing at a time or you wont know what is causing the diarrhea…

My dog gets real sloppy yellow poos from the vet diet Royal Canine Low Fat Intestinal cause it has Maize & boiled rice in it, boiled rice can irritate the bowel causing diarrhea…
Have you tried “California Natural” Lamb Meal & Brown Rice?? it has just 4 ingredients but cause you have a puppy you should have your dog on a puppy large breed Lamb & Rice kibble…. here’s the California Natural web site… a few dogs with IBD do really well on the limited ingredient California Natural, I’m pretty sure its money back guaranteed if it doesn’t agree with your dog….

I really think you should be seeing a specialist that deals in IBD in dogs, she may need to be put on Tylan Powder or Metronidazole or a steroid…. Tylan Powder is excellent & firms poos over night but you need to put the Tylan Powder in empty capsule cause its very bitter & dogs can stop eating cause of the taste it leave a metal taste in their mouth, it’s online how to get a shoe box & put small holes in the top of the empty shoe box, so you can put the Tylan Powder into the empty capsules, you add about 1/8th -1/4 teaspoon into capsule & must be given with a meal once a day if once a day doesn’t firm poo, then give twice a day breakfast meal & dinner meal but I only gave at Dinner meal..

When you try any kibbles or wet tin foods make sure they have limited ingredients…. just 1 protein & 1 carb, another kibble & wet tin food brand you can try is “Natural Balance” Dick Van Patten limited ingredient but look thru all the formulas as some have peas only pick a formula that just has Potato & 1 single protein, that’s why the California Natural Lamb & Rice is the best it has no peas its just Lamb & grounded brown & white rice, feed for breakfast 1/2 cup kibble then wait 5-10mins & then feed 1/2 can of the Royal Canine that she can eat, what ever you try always add her wet tin food but I don’t like feeding wet tin or cooked with dry kibble together, my boy gets pain when I’ve added the wet tin & a kibble dry 2 together your girl might be Ok…. For breakfast I feed cooked chicken sweet potato, then I feed the 1/2 cup kibble for lunch, so you’d feed her wet tin for breakfast, then lunch try just 1/2 cup limited ingredient kibble for lunch, then for dinner her wet tin food do not give anything else that day, no treats nothing, just her wet tin food & the new kibble or the cooked meal……That would cost a bit buying the vet diet wet tin foods being a pup, they eat a bit, that’s why if you can, its cheaper to cook & fresher…..do 1/2 wet tin food & 1/2 cooked chicken/sweet potato also if sweet potato give sloppy poo, then try just the boiled potato, if it does work you will need to balance the cooked meal, I use DigestaVite Plus powder
http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products

Home

[Laura L]

The vomiting started before I switched to the blue and continued while on the Blue for 1-2 days per month (april and may) before that she was on the Fromm which she tolerated for a long time before issues arose. Choices were so limited for large breed puppy food that I tried it and she seemed to do well except for the episodes of vomiting. I will look into the Nutrisource, Kenzie may like it better and eat better and then I wouldn’t have to worry about switching Libby when she is older.

[Pitlove]

How has Libby been doing on Blue? Was this the food she vomits once a month on? I’m not sure if you said already, sorry. If you are interested in changing foods, NutriSource Large Breed Puppy is also chicken and rice based, however it is technically an All Life Stages food so your 13 year old dog could eat it as well. Then there would not be the issue of Libby eating a food that she could be sensitive to.

Large Breed Puppy

[Laura L]

She is currently on Blue Wilderness chicken and rice large breed puppy food (since March or so).
I do feed them separately but my old girl has anxiety so I need to be around or she wont eat and she is also very picky so I pick her bowl up (she prefers to eat late so when Libby goes into the crate I put Kenzies food down but I am not always successful getting it picked up in time. I may also try to find something my old girl likes better so she will be a little more enthusiastic about eating. I am going to keep a diary for a while too and jot info down.

[Pitlove]

I was told by many people to avoid chicken for my food allergic pitbull as well. It turned out beef was in fact the problem. In fact he does not do well on any red meat. Could be the same for your pup and that is why she is reacting to the Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy, as it has lamb in it. We also switched off NexGard for the same reason (the beef), as per the vet.

Large Breed Puppy formulas are designed with a growing LBP in mind. They will not cause your pup to gain weight unless you overfeed. It is a tired old myth to feed a LBP an adult maintenance food, though a lot of breeders, dog clubs, and vets still recommend it. You are absolutely making the right choice in keeping her on a large breed puppy food.

No self respecting vet will suggest an allergy blood panel as they are notorious for being inaccurate. The only way to properly diagnose a food allergy is by a food trial either with a homecooked diet of a single novel protein and carb or the hydrolyzed protein vet diet. That is what we did for our pitbull and he is doing excellent now on a fish based diet that is grain inclusive. He does terrible on grain free foods.

[Laura L]

Hi Pitove, thank you for your help. I actually just had her to the vet as the vomiting increased today, in speaking with the vet I expressed concern over the apparent cyclical nature of the vomiting episodes and he indicated she could actually have a beef sensitivity and about a week after Heartgard she is having these episodes.
I started her on Fromm large breed puppy when I brought her home in August and and she was great for 5 months, she then got a very distinct odor (I could smell her all over the house) so I switched her to blue wilderness large breed puppy (chicken) and she has done well except for these 1x a month episodes. The odor was gone and stools were regular. A beef sensitivity makes sense, yesterday I cooked ground beef (I was thinking it was a chicken issue) and today she was worse. I will be seeing my regular vet on Thursday and will ask about an allergy panel.
I have been encouraged to switch to large breed adult to cut risk of too fast weight gain but am not comfortable with that so I am staying with large breed puppy.
Thank you for your help
Laura

[Pitlove]

Hi Robert-

While there might not be specific nutritional requirements for an 18 month old GSD, many choose to use a food geared toward large breed adults because they tend to be formulated with lower fat and often times larger pieces of kibble. I personally do use large breed adult formulas for my pitbull and lab for those reasons. When my lab eats a small kibble it falls out of his mouth and makes a mess.

18 months is the correct age to transition him to an adult food, so your vet is correct. Dr. Tim’s, Victor, Fromm or NutriSource would be my suggestion.

[DieselJunki]

For an 18 month old I wouldn’t worry about having to feed him a specific large breed dog food. When he was a puppy feeding a food specified for large breed puppies would have been best but don’t panic if you didn’t. It’s just due to the fact that large breed dogs supposedly have slightly different nutritional requirements in their early growth stages. Now you can feed just about whatever you’d like.

Orijen is top of the line but extremely expensive, especially when you’re feeding 4 cups a day like I do for my big guy so I just can’t swing that type of price for a 26-28lb bag.

You mentioned you were a member of the Editors Choice here. There are loads of brands to look into there and they even have a Budget Friendly list. For my 100lb Ambull I feed Dr. Tims, Victor, and Wellness Core so far. I buy their biggest bag which is usually anywhere from 26-30lbs and change to the next protein source within that brand or change brands completely after each bag. I also top the kibble with some canned food every so often (when budget allows) and do fish oil on the kibble as well.

[Pitlove]

Hi Laura-

It is actually recommended by most veterinary nutritionists to keep a large breed puppy on a large breed puppy formula until 18 months of age. What foods has she eaten and what is she eating right now? Will make it easier for me to help with a recommendation if I can look at the ingredient panel of what she is currently eating.

[InkedMarie]

Not answering your treat question but wanted to say that you should read the Diet & Health issues forum and look at the stickie for feeding large breed puppies.

[zcRiley]

FROMM PRAIRIE GOLD (large breed dry kibble with NO CHICKEN)
Fromm Prairie Gold is a line of grain-free, red meat recipes that are naturally formulated with beef, pork and lamb and are also enhanced with probiotics to aid digestion.
(Side Note: Puppies need extra nutrients but yours is just 2 months shy of switching to adult food so it’s fine).

ALLERGY PANEL TESTING: http://www.glacierpeakholistics.com
You’ll be amazed to find out to which proteins your dog is intolerant, plus 100 other foods found in dog food.

After analyzing my own pups’ allergies (they became allergic to chicken during year 1), they now thrive on Zignature Zssentials. You can read the ingredient list on Chewy.com.

[Laura L]

My 10 month old lab puppy weighs in at 64 pounds. She is starting to fill out but is not fat. She was spayed at 9 months a and has started to experience vomitting and diarrhea episodes approximately 1 episode per month (January 29, March 1, beginning of April and again now). Vet had suggested switching her to adult food and 2 episodes corresponded with intro of new food but recent food addition. Is a food she has been stealing from my older dog on a regular basis without issue right along. Now vet is questioning a possible issue with chicken but again I am not clam not convinced. It is very difficult to find a large breed puppy food without chicken. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Also would love input on large breed puppy versus large breed adult.

[Pitlove]

Hi Sue-

Large breed puppies have much different dietary requirements than small and medium breeds. These dogs are at high risk for developmental orthopedic disorders caused by genetics, but also poor nutrition. It is important to watch calcium intake, so I would heed the suggestion to add too many toppers to the dry kibble during growth or use something like Trippett which has very low calcium and phosphorus.

The two companies that have done the most research in regards to large and giant breed nutrition and growth are Hill’s and Purina. A puppy food geared towards large breeds from one of those two companies would be a fine choice. However, I do understand that there are those who do not feel comfortable feeding diets from Hill’s and Purina. A few other LBP safe foods I can suggest that are from smaller companies are: NutriSource Large Breed Puppy, Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy, Precise Holistic Complete Large & Giant Breed Puppy, Nulo Puppy, Solid Gold Wolf Cub, and Dr. Tim’s Kinesis. If you can order online, these are all available on chewy.com.

Another important thing to remember is not to overfeed, as excess weight puts strain on the developing joints and can also lead to orthopedic disorders. Shepherds are meant to be lean by breed standard, so it is best to keep them that way during growth and throughout life.

Edit: In regards to your question about Rachael Ray Nutrish. How does the other dog do on it? How is the stool quality? Does she get a clean bill of health from the vet? Does she enjoy eating the food? Your dog is the only one who can tell you how the food is working for her. The opinions of others are irrelevant.

[InkedMarie]

Hopefully someone who has large breed dogs will chime in because I don’t think there are any special needs for an 18 month old dog; I think you can feed any high quality dog food.

[InkedMarie]

Sue:
I don’t think Rachael Ray’s foods are all that good, to be honest. If you go to the review side here on DFA, you can read about it.
Regarding your shepherd, go to the Diet & Health Issues forum here; on top is a stickie on appropriate foods for large breed puppies. We can’t tell you what you can buy at your store; you need to look at the list of foods and call around or order online, like alot of us do.

[Robert J]

I don’t understand code but I’m trying, just became a paying member, but there is no section on large breed dry dog food. I have a 18 month old German Sheppard dog he weighs about 85 lbs , my vet said I can start switching him from puppy food to adult dog food, although I made some personal bad in my life, I want to make his diet to be the best choice I can make so he can be with us for a good healty long time. So anybody who knows about GSD breeds have any recommendations for the best large breed dry dog food for him. Whould be greatly appreciated. Thank You

[Rox B]

Julia J you do not need a nutritionist to feed your GSD. Please join my Facebook group Learning Raw With Roxane. It’s free and you will learn how to properly feed raw. I have an 8.5 year old GSD and members with GSD’s including one with a GSD puppy who is growing fine feeding raw. We have MANY members with large breed puppies. I teach Prey Model Raw Diet 80/10/5/5. Come learn HOW to feed raw and what raw meaty bones are safe. You can learn about weight bearing bones, their risks and so much more helpful information. Here is the link to my closed group. Request to join….it’s free. https://www.facebook.com/groups/LearningRawWithRoxane/

[Pitlove]

Hi Julia-

Your GSD is a large breed and you need to be extremely careful about how much calcium he is getting in his diet. Too much and he is at high risk for developmental orthopedic disorders. Not to mention if he is an AKC GSD I would be even more careful since they are now being bred to have a sloped roach back.

Raw diets are very difficult to balance without the help of a board certified veterinary nutritionist. I would highly recommend seeking out the help of one before continueing this diet.

[Pitlove]

Hi Mariet-

Orijen Large Puppy is formulated to be safe for a large breed puppy, however you will not know how she does on it until you feed it. Make sure and tranisition her from her old food to Orijen.

[Mariet C]

Would Origen Large Breed Puppy dry dog food be appropriate for my 3 month old female Irish Setter?

[James S]

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

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

[Pitlove]

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

[James S]

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

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

Please let me know if you have any further questions!

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

[Pitlove]

Hi James-

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

[James S]

Hi!

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

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

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

[Pitlove]

Hi Harish-

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

[crazy4cats]

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

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

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

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

[FIREMAN29]

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

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

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

[Jen S]

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

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

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

[S B]

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

[stones]

How do you leave a comment under the Zignature dry dog food?. I entered my comment (which I posted below)and then I click the login with facebook and it brings me to the Disque signup page. When I try to signup with Disque, it keeps giving me the message “there was an error submitting the form” If you’re having difficulty, try repeating the action on https://disqus.com. I get the same message when I try to sign up under https://disqus.com.

Maybe someone would post this under the zignature dry dog food for me.

Ziignature Zssentials is listed for “all life stages” but those of you who have puppies, especially large breed puppies might want to do some more research before feeding this food to your dog. Per Aignature, the 100% dry matter basis for calcium is 2.19% and the phosphorous is 1.29%.

Feeding high calcium diets with excess calcium is often blamed for contributing to bone problems in young, rapidly growing dogs. There does appear to be a link between the incidence of hypertrophic osteodystrophy (HOD), osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) and hip dysplasia, and overfeeding of calcium

I’m supprised this food is listed under the link for best dry puppy foods. People, please do your own research.

[stones]

I’m having the same problem. When trying to leave a comment under the Zignature dry dog food, I click the login with facebook and it brings me to the Disque signup page. When I try to signup with Disque, it keeps giving me the message “there was an error submitting the form” If you’re having difficulty, try repeating the action on https://disqus.com. I get the same message when I try to sign up under https://disqus.com.

Maybe someone would post this under the zignature dry dog food for me.

Ziignature Zssentials is listed for “all life stages” but those of you who have puppies, especially large breed puppies might want to do some more research before feeding this food to your dog. Per Aignature, the 100% dry matter basis for calcium is 2.19% and the phosphorous is 1.29%.

Feeding high calcium diets with excess calcium is often blamed for contributing to bone problems in young, rapidly growing dogs. There does appear to be a link between the incidence of hypertrophic osteodystrophy (HOD), osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) and hip dysplasia, and overfeeding of calcium

I’m supprised this food is listed under the link for best dry puppy foods. People, please do your own research.

[Coonhound Mama]

I would agree with Pit Love- a nutritionist would be your safest and best bet. There are some very important things you don’t want to guesstimate on such as calcium/phosphorus ratios, especially since GSDs are large breed dogs. It is crucial to get ratios in balance at this stage. Definitely check out this link for some supplemental resources for starting puppies on raw:

http://perfectlyrawsome.com/dogs/raw-feeding-puppies/

[Pitlove]

Hi Chandra-

I would recommend inlisting the help of a veterinary nutritionist to properly balance a raw diet for a growing puppy, not to mention him being a large breed and prone to orthopedic disorders especially if hes bred as AKC show quality. You can find a list of board certified veterinary nutritionists through the ACVN website. This is the safest route to ensure he is getting proper nutrition.

[Pitlove]

Hi Jonathan-

I don’t feel that diet rotation or star rating is critical at this juncture for your dog. Labs are large breeds and prone to the same DOD’s (developmental orthopedic disorders) as any other large breed is. Genetics plays a role in the expression of these disorders, however nutritionists are finding more and more that in some cases proper diet can manage and reduce the risk of these DOD’s. Up until he’s roughly 18 months of age, the most important thing is keeping him on a puppy food that is suitable for a growing large breed, which means it will have restricted calcium and calories. Some All Life Stages foods do meet these requirements, but it can be challenging doing all the research and emailing required to figure out which ones are. The two companies that have done the most research on large breed puppy growth and DOD’s are Hill’s and Purina, but if you are opposed to using one of those brands then I would look at NutriSource Large Breed Puppy, Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy, Precise Holistic Complete Large & Giant Breed Puppy, Solid Gold Wolf Cub, Dr. Tim’s Kinesis or Nulo Puppy.

If you want to rotate these foods I suppose you could, but you may not want to start that during a critical growth period in case something does happen (DOD).

Hope this was helpful!

[InkedMarie]

Jonathan,
I would check out the Large Breed Puppy thread on the Diet & Health Issues forum for appropriate foods for your lab puppy.

[Michael C]

A veterinarian might be able to give you an idea what breed it is, or at least say whether it is a large or small breed dog, which would narrow your choices of puppy food down as there are some foods for small breeds and some for large breeds. And if you are REALLY curious, there are DNA tests for dogs designed specifically to identify the breed(s) of the dog.

[Susan]

Has your boy been wormed with an all wormer??
the quicker you change his diet the better off he’ll be, when a dog continues to have diarrhea they get scaring of the bowel & thickening of the bowel, I rescued my boy 3 yrs ago & vet thinks Patch was feed a poor quality kibble & the owner just kept feeding the kibble & Patch must of had food sensitivities to 1 or 2 ingredients which has cause his IBD that he has now… but it has taken 3 yrs & finally I can rotate Patches kibbles with no problems as long as I stick with limited ingredient kibbles…
I live in a unit & Patch & I go on walks everyday same time 7.30am & 5pm to the local park the bowel will get into a routine as well if you go for walks same time everyday morning & afternoon, Patch also goes down stairs in the community garden for wees thru the day….
I’ve just started feeding the “Taste Of The Wild” Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon & the Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb, Patch is doing the best poos since I rescued him 3 yrs ago first I started him on the Pacific Stream, then I didn’t really have to introduce the Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb I just feed it to him & he was OK I was surprised.send TOTW an email asking for some samples they have other formulas that are higher in protein & fat like their High Prairie Canine formula or Welands Canine Formula http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/formula-finder/formula-results/
Costco sell the Kirkland Signature Natures Domain brands made by Taste of The Wild & is cheaper then the TOTW… I don’t have a Costco near me…. http://www.kirklandsignaturepetsupplies.com/natures-domain-brand
another kibble Patch did well on was “Eagle Pack” Original Lamb Meal & Brown Rice it has 3 proteins or there’s the Original Chicken Meal & Brown Rice there’s also their Large & Giant breed Adult http://www.eaglepack.com/product-dog.aspx?pet=2.VwJQV8Jf2M9
Maybe cause he’s been eating a kibble that’s low in proteins maybe start with a kibble that’s around the same protein % maybe just that bit higher & work your way up to higher proteins…..Eagle Pack Lamb & Rice is only 23% protein & 12% in fat the Chicken & Rice is 26%-Protein & 14%-fat, the Costco Kirkland Signature is a bit lower in fat & protein then the TOTW kibbles, that’s what I did with Patch & now finally no more stomach grumbling noises, no more diarrhea or sloppy yellow poos…..touch wood..

[Jen S]

Thank you so much for your help! I’ve decided to start tracking her weight weekly on the calendar and visually determine health on the 9-point scale weekly as well, so hopefully we’ll find a good groove.

I ended up buying the Coastal Catch variety and setting the Primitive Naturals variety aside. On their website, Earthborn Holistics states that PN is not suitable for growth of large breed puppies but they haven’t placed that statement on the bag; that’s disappointing. I know I read the back of the bag in the store and would have appreciated that statement.

For anyone who may read this later, I ended up using this calculator which is based on research from Ohio State University. It calculates number of calories needed based on life stage of the dog. Then I took that daily caloric need value and divided by the number of calories in a cup of her food….which gave me a number of cups to feed per day. I’m going to start there because it makes the most sense to me. But every week we will re-evaluate her weight and visual condition and adjust as needed. That link is:

http://platopettreats.com/connect/dogs-daily-calorie-calculator/

[micah g]

Purevita is this a great dry dog food? I have a Cavalier King Charles and a mix breed large dog, I am looking for a great food, price is really not an issue. My cavalier has a small murmur but she is 12 and un symptomatic and the other dog just joint stiffness. My holistic Pet store owner suggested Purevita or Fromm. I just want the best food for her cardiac support and his joint stiffness. Thank you.

[Stan F]

I would like to know if “Fromm Heartland grain-free Large Breed Puppy” would carry the same recommendation as the “Fromm Classic Gold Large Breed Puppy” (4 stars).

[Jen S]

I just went through this link (http://www.petmd.com/sites/default/files/bcs-dog.jpg) and she’s at about a 5. She has great waist definition, I can feel her ribs and spine running my hand along her. She has a very thin layer of fat. No saggy belly. She just got spayed about 2.5 weeks ago, so I’m guessing that will slow her metabolism. I just calculated her age in weeks and she’s 22 weeks, weighing about 42 lbs. For some reason I was thinking 2 lbs per week was good growth for puppies until about 6 months or so. I appreciate your help figuring out what to feed her. It can feel overwhelming trying to find the right fit; we’ve already tried a couple other foods until I stumbled across the Hound Dog Mom Google document outlining appropriate foods for large breed puppies. Neither of the ones we were using made the list. And as I was writing this, I just went back and checked the list and Primitive Naturals doesn’t make the cut either. 🙁 According to my calculations, the calcium content is 1.5:1 with phosphorus, so it’s definitely at the higher end of acceptable for large breed puppies. I can’t believe I goofed that – but I was reading so many different things the day I decided on Earthborn Holistics. Grrrrr….. I can’t waste the expensive bag I just bought, so we’ll finish it and then switch. Earthborn makes a Puppy Vantage, but it includes grains and a few more controversial ingredients. Oh the decisions. :/

[anonymously]

I am more familiar with small/medium breeds, I find at 4-6 months they are about at the halfway mark. At 9 months they are full grown but continue to fill out a little more.
Some large breeds continue to grow/fill out till 1-2 years of age. But, I would guess that at 9 months they are about 75% done.

[InkedMarie]

Allergies: all but impossible since each dog with allergies/sensitivities is individual

large breed: see the Diet & Health Issues forum below

Breed specific: In my opinion, thats a bunch of bunk except for Dalmatians who need low
purine.

Digestive Issues: depends on the issue but NutriSource is known to work well

[Bonnie Y]

We have a 15 week old chocolate Labrador puppy who was started on Purina Pro Plan Puppy by the breeder. I knew that this was not of the quality recommended for a fast growing puppy. After “much” research, I slowly transitioned her over to Kirklands Signature Super Premium Puppy Food, but I did not like the smell of the food and she was experiencing loose stools often. Back to the drawing board… I researched ALL the puppy foods and have chosen Natures Valley Instinct Raw Boost Large Breed Puppy (grain free) which is a 5-star rated food on Dod Food Advisor. She is doing GREAT, with her coat becoming shinier, her stools consistent, and her energy level and growth rate exactly where it should be for her breed and age. She tends to eat quickly so I started to “float” the food in warm water which slows her down greatly. The puzzle bowl I purchased caused her frustration so she scratched at the food rather than eat it, splattering it all over the kitchen. UGH !!! The two types of kibble in this puppy food can easily also be used for rewards during training periods. Natures Valley presently has a special sale, online for a $10 reduction for the 20 lb bag, which has been price matched by the local retailers. This has been very helpful since this puppy food is a bit pricey, but I feel well worth it at this stage to avoid future health and bone concerns since she is growing so quickly. I suggest no matter which new puppy food you choose, take a week++ to transition your puppy slowly to the new food, mixing the old food with the new, less & less daily with the new food as the week progresses. I feed her 3 times per day, 1 cup per feeding, which is recommended on the package. Good luck and I hope you experience the same success we have had with our puppy.

[Patricia T]

I am grateful for the information found on this website. It would be more helpful, however, if the users could sort or search based on a food’s best use, allergies, large breed puppy, breed specific, digestive issues, etc.

Also, it would be great to have some sort of comparison tool, such as a grid, similar to what you find on the BB site when searching for laptops.

Thanks!

[theBCnut]

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

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

[Justin A]

I have an Irish Wolfhound pup as well (he’ll be 13 months on the 11th) and have been looking for a dry food that would give him firmer stool as well. My guy generally has “soft serve” like stool as you describe.

When I got him he had been on Purina Pro Plan Dry Dog Food, Focus, Puppy Large Breed Chicken & Rice Formula with the breeder and for a bit with me. This is probably when his stool was the firmest.

I wanted to get a better food for him and went with Whole Earth Farms Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food. I tried that for about 4 30lb bags worth but his stool stayed soft the entire time.

I then tried Fromm Gold Holistic Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food, roughly through 3 bags (33lbs I think) but didn’t see a change.

I am now on my 4th bag of Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food (30lbs) and I really haven’t seen an improvement.

I am almost now thinking it may be something else, like the various treats I give him or maybe the soft stool isn’t an issue (other than clean up!).

[anonymously]

You might want to consider a DNA test, my vet told me Wisdom Panel was good http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CAVM9SI/ref=s9_dcbhz_bw_d0_g199_i1_sh

Twelve pounds at 4 months sounds kind of light for a large breed… a veterinarian that examines the dog might be able to tell you the approximate age of the dog.

Most puppies eat 3 small meals per day. Then taper to 1 or 2 meals per day by 7-8 months.

You may find some helpful tips under General Guidelines http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

Also, here http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

[Jenn H]

Wellness Core GF puppy (not the large breed) says on bag Calcium “not more than” 1.5% Phosphorus “not more than” 1%.
Don’t see where it says as fed, ME or DM. That can also change the #s.