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Search Results for 'large+breed'
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Hi! I’m pretty new to this group. I’ve been reading and reading, but feel more confused the more I read. I’ll think I’ve got the right foods option and then feel like I missed something. So, I thought I’d come here for some advice.
We have a 10 week old golden doodle puppy. The breeder had her on Iams Puppy Smart for large breeds. After reading, I’m not super impressed with its quality. I’ve keep her on it for a couple weeks while she’s adjusting to her new home with us. Now, I’m ready to make a switch. I cannot spend mass amounts on dog food ($100 a bag kind of expensive), but want to give her quality food. I would love some suggestions.
I’ve also got an adult 5 year old black lab. He’s been eating Nutrition because we thought it was a good food…until I found this website. Now, I’m certain he needs a new brand as well. I know they can’t eat the same thing because of the differences in age, but eventually I’d like them to both be reading the same food. So, I’d also like suggestions for quality dog food for this guy as well.
Thanks all, in advance, for your help!
KariTopic: New Lab puppy – food changes
Hello everyone, new to this site and forum but in process of bringing home new male yellow lab puppy, currently being fed Blue Buffalo Wilderness chicken puppy food. While it’s not a “bad” puppy formula, I think I want to change him over to a more superior brand of food. This will be our second male yellow lab, the first of which lived until almost 16 yrs old, and who we also got as a 9 week puppy. I was looking at both the Orijen puppy large breed or the Wellness Core puppy. Need to know what is best way to incorporate a new food at this tender age, and appreciate any comments, opinions and recommendations about these brands as well. Thanks, and I look forward to being a member here. Carol
I cant really diagnois what the issue would be, however i think making a change to his food is a really good start. You’re paying a premium price (50$ at Petco for the largest bag of the Large Breed Light) for corn, rice and by-products. I certainly think you could find a better food for that price or perhaps a little more that has better ingredients.
Not sure what your bugdet is so it would be hard to recommend a food for you.
/dog-food-reviews/hills-science-diet-dog-food-adult-dry/
The Large Breed Light falls under this rating.
A lot of people believe that their dog has a “sensitive stomach”. What a sensitive stomach actually is, is a lack of healthy bacteria in the gut which allow the dog to change brands and proteins frequently without digestive upset. Just like a human a dog should be able to eat any type of dog food (unless they have a known allergy to a certain protein or carb etc) and not have digestive upset at all.
The stomach becoming unable to adjust to diet change, is due to eating the same food for many years or even months.
My dog used to be the same way. If i did have to change his food and did it too fast, he would get diaherra for a few days. Since adding digestive supplements to his diet and a probiotic (i use kefir, you can use plain yogurt too) I have been able to switch what brand he eats every bag without blending his food and he has no diaherra at all. Quite a few people on this site are actually able to do that with their dogs too.Just because you see no reason to change the dogs food, it doesnt mean your dog wouldnt enjoy variety in his diet. I highly doubt you would be happy eating chicken and rice for every meal of every day for the rest of your life. Your dog isnt happy doing that either.
Companies will tell you not to change your dogs diet. However its not because its in the best interest of your dogs health, its because they will keep you spending your money with their company. My dog eats a different brand every bag of kibble and a different canned food as well each meal. If i could afford to buy X amount of bags of kibble and change that every day I would do that too.
L M gave you some good advice about determining what the root cause of the itching and hair loss etc is, but diet is the foundation of good health, so starting there never hurts!
GL, keep us updated!
I know this topic has probably been worn down but I have become completely overwhelmed with my research and all the choices out there.
My almost 5 yr old boxer has recently started shedding a concerning amount and is itching all over. He has a bit of dandruff and he has constant ear infections and subsequent scabs from itching his ears so much. I can see spots where his fur is uneven and his skin is starting to show because it is so thin. When we took him to the vet, she recommended oatmeal bathes, fish oil, and an antibac./anti-itch spray for his raw spots.
He has been on the same food since he was a puppy, Science Diet Lite for Large Breeds. I know it isn’t the most amazing food out there, but he tends to have a sensitive tummy and until now he has shown no signs of needing to change. My immediate response at this point is to try something new with his food. We are on a pretty strict budget, so I hate to spend double the amount we are already paying for his food, but I do not want to skimp when it comes to his health.
Any suggestions on where we can start, brand wise? TIA!
Good Evening,
My name is Joey. I am considering to start my 2 year old 200 lb EM on Earthborn Holistic Grain-Free Large Breed. I would like to know if there are any other higher recommended brands out there??? Thank you for your time.
R/S,
Joseph A. SmithIf these are your choices for food the first and most important thing you are going to need to do is read up on proper calcium levels for a large breed dog like the one you are getting and you are going to need to call each company for each food and make sure that any of them meet the calcium needs of a large breed dog, as what is listed on the bag is often a minimum amount of calcium meaning they can add much much more than what is listed on the bag. make sure to ask for the as fed amount. i would not even begin to worry about anything else until you know whether or not those needs are met. making sure that from 8 weeks to 8 months old, you meet the proper calcium levels for a large breed dog is vital in preventing skeletal disorders like pano, OCD and hip dysplasia later on in life and also as early as 10 months of age.
Here is a link to a thread made by Hound Dog Mom who has owned large/giant breed dogs for many many years of her life, discussing the nutritional needs of large/giant breed dogs
/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/
Hello
I am soon to be a weimaraner owner. Like every owner I with for my puppy to eat very best I plan to cook dog food when I can, but i need also dry food from time to time. Reviews on this site are very helpful but there is not many european brands. For reviewed food my choice is Acana Large breed. But there is few more brands for which I wish to hear opinion from experts. I listed links only to puppy food.Cibau – Recomended by breader
(http://www.farmina.com/?q=en/node/100)Brit – Recomended by breader and vet
(http://www.brit-petfood.com/products/dogs3/premium8/dry7/junior-l1111/)Sams field – My choice because it contains 65% of meat and 30% cheaper than Acana
(http://www.samsfield.com/junior-large)Looks promising and affordable:
Nutrivet – 80% meat grain free (http://www.new-instinct.com/dog-food/nutrivet/instinct/growth-nutrients)Optima nova – 65% of meat (http://www.optimanova.eu/en/products/view/puppy-large-chicken-rice)
mac’s soft – 65% meat herman only (http://www.macs-tiernahrung.de/Macs-Soft/Huenchen/MACs_Soft_Puppy/MACs-Soft-Puppy-Huhn-15kg)
Simpsons – 80% of meat (http://www.simpsonspremium.com/puppy-dog-food?product_id=95)
Lower quality brands :
Meradog – (http://www.meradog.com/en/products/high-premium-puppy/sort-overview/junior2.html)Josera – (http://www.josera-dog.com/premium/junior/)
Linda- Rotties! i love them. we also have a Rottweiler along with our Pitbull a chocolate lab and an English springer spaniel. Sam, our Rottweiler (technically he is my boyfriends parents dog, so I dont get to control what he eats unfortunetly but i still think of him as my dog since I give him the most attention as hes the outside dog) is 2 probably almost 3 years old now. The bf’s parents have had all the dogs on Purina ONE lamb and rice since forever. The family dog has always been Rottweilers and unfortunely all but maybe one passed away at around 8 years old. Cancer, e-coli poisoning, you name it its happened to our Rottweilers. If it were up to me and I got to choose his food I would feed him the way I feed my Pitbull who is also prone to the problems that large breed dogs have as he is 66lbs at a year old. I do what is called a rotational diet with my dog. I certainly have him on Orijen’s Adult Dog and after that bag is through i’ve got EVO lined up next for him to try. I also feed him wet food. Now that your Rottie is far past the point where you have to worry about the calcium levels not being too high or too low to prevent rapid growth thus causing many different skeletal related disorders, you can kinda give him a nice variety of foods. If you are on a budget as someone who is retired and need to stick with kibbles, definitely go for the 5 star rated ones. I know a lot of people on here have issues with Taste of the Wild. I BELIEVE its manufacture by Diamond which has a long recall history and a terrible reputation. You want to make sure that the kibble is as species appropriate as you can get if you, like myself, can’t feed a raw diet, which would be the healthiest way for any dog to eat. Species appropriate for ANY dog of any breed being high in animal protein, at least 30% or more, moderate in fats, and low in carbs. Foods that I like and have and will use in my rotation for my pitbull are Orijen (all of them), Wellness CORE, Nature’s Variety, Merrick (GF only), EVO, Grandma Mae’s GF. I’m still working on my list but that is what I have so far.
As for raw, if it is something you are interested in, PLEASE make sure you do A LOT of research before feeding raw because it is possible to make your dog very unhealthy by not feeding a COMPLETE and BALANCED raw diet.
Also to help with the transitions to the food, you can add probiotics to their diet, like canned pumpkin and kefir. I also use a supplement thats premade in a power form made by a very great company called The Honest Kitchen. They use human grade ingredients and make their food in a human grade factory. Its called Perfect Form. Probiotics help build healthy flora(bacteria) in your dogs gut to make transitioning to a new food pain free for you and your dog. Just like with humans dogs should be able to eat a different food or protein every meal if not every couple months without digestive upset. Dogs whos stomachs are already sick and lacking those bacteria that make their gut strong due to being fed the same food day in and day out are the ones who get loose stool and vomitting when you switch their food. Instantly the owner blames the food and switches them back and never switches the food again under the claim that their dog has whats commonly called a “sensitive stomach”.
The joint supplements are a great idea. Glucosamine is a great supplement for joint and hip problems. Cancer, I feel, and I think others do too can have a lot to do with a poor diet. A lot of poor grade dogs foods do contain ingredients that are carcinogenic even for humans and without variety in their diet they are being fed those toxins for years and eventually is catches up with them. The rotational diet helps prevent that and the build up of allergies as well. If your Rottie is already allergic to a protein source like chicken, you are going to want to be very careful with the food you choose as many have chicken meal or chicken fat hidden in the list of ingredients. Its all about reading ingredients but more importantly HOW to read the ingredients and the GA, which is why this website is so helpful. But like many here including Dr. Mike will tell you, its a jumping off point. Once you find a good food, you want to look further into the company that makes it, the co-packers, the recall history etc and make sure that you’re not being fooled into thinking its a good food based on the ingredients. Also knowing where the company sources from is important, what with all the problems we have been having with China lately. Avoid China. Thailand on the other hand is ok.
I really hope that I’ve helped a little and that others will contribute or correct me if I’m wrong about any of my points. I love Rotties so I’m glad to be able to give you some direction with his health!
Okay, I’m just going to throw this out here because I’ve found this to be a remarkably useful website, and if there’s anyplace I might productively ask my question, it’d be here. I apologize in advance for the length of it.
My family’s got four dogs currently: One small, one medium, one medium-large, and one large. It’s a nice range. I try to order higher-quality kibble brands to offset the lower-quality ones sometimes brought home by other people. A month or two ago, I had a two-hour phone conversation with my aunt, who’s got one small dog on a raw diet (with wet canned stuff in the mornings.) I’d hoped to simply be able to follow her precise regimen, adjusted for our pack…and got a half-page worth of notes during that convo in Microsoft Word. I should’ve figured it wouldn’t be simple, and I suppose I could start ordering some whole rabbits or tripe or turkey necks and supplements or any of the other various things I jotted down from the site she mentioned…but the whole thing still seems so overly, excessively complicated and worrisome. She said that she hadn’t even told her vet about the switch, but had been at it for about a year now.
A few benefits stood out: Cleaner teeth naturally, because no matter how much toothpaste or how many correct-ingredient-inclusive wipes I use, nothing removes the ‘icky’ stuff (which is worst on the oldest dog.) My aunt also noted that cleaning up after them is much easier thanks to the raw–and since that job typically falls to me, I’d really appreciate that. AND potential weight loss/healthy-weight management, as well…I almost always opt for the low-fat variety of everything to be on the safe side. Fortunately the hefty Brittany did recently move down to a smaller dosage of heartworm med, and can suddenly fit behind the sofa again–so I guess it finally paid off.
I’ve given the pooches everything from the raw-coated kibbles to Stella & Chewy patties to Fresh Pet to Honest Kitchen “green slop” (we’ve had that huge box for over a year now), to dozens of kibble brands that all seem essentially identical–and so on and so forth. When I try to look up which kibble or commercial raw food to try (assuming that cans would disappear far too quickly to be worthwhile), I am instantly overwhelmed and confused–I see loads and loads of brand names and packaging and shapes, but all of the food and flavors appear to be the same. I have no idea how to even tell which to buy. The sizes and portions and pricing baffle me–how am I to tell what will feed multiple dogs of various sizes and breeds for more than a couple days? We usually get a new big kibble bag about twice a month. I simply cannot tell what the raw equivalent would be…and even for dry food, I’m now kinda stumped. Every time I’m asked to order another bag, I freeze. How to choose?!?! My list’s grown so long, and we’ve tried so many…now I usually go with whichever has the best price per pound at the time, and a decent rating/reviews. I wish I could just find the perfect brand to consistently turn to, and continuously rotate through their flavors and treats. (Deciding which treat to pick up becomes a whole other can of worms, and I’m just like, “Gods, why, why, why must this be so bamboozling?! Why the hundreds of redundant choices? The dogs don’t even care, they just want our stuff!”)
Only one of the four dogs eats neatly (my Saluki, who has a snood. š The other three are slobs, knocking the bowls around and splashing before they even touch the floor. The little Beagle frequently flat-out refuses to eat from a bowl, insisting that the food be spilled onto the floor for him. Also, my mom’s a clean freak–and I’m a bit of one myself at times. For these reasons, I knew that any attempt to transition would be tough and drawn-out, if not impossible. I knew I’d have to discover the cleanest, neatest, easiest, least odiferous method.
Now, before I got older and started performing more research into these areas, my parents…well all right, let me just put it this way. The two Beagles we had at the time I was born ate cheap supermarket kibble and human leftovers, lived in the backyard, never once to my knowledge had their teeth brushed (the one had green teeth and rancid breath) or nails trimmed or even saw the vet…yet both lived happily & health-problem-free for 16-18+ years (we can’t be exactly certain because they were adopted from a shelter.) Thus it can be very difficult for me to convince these guys, no matter how many times I reiterate what the healthy-food brochures say, to go out of their way for “special frou-frou dog food” or anything they’re unused to.
WHEW. Ever so sorry to unload all that frustration here. Any advice, recommendations, or assistance that anybody ever feels like dropping would, of course, be most appreciated.
How do you know which size/type dry dog food to purchase. Small medium or large breed. I have a hybrid a bernedoodle/ Mother a Bernese Mountain Dog at 125 pds. the Father a miniature labradoodle at 15 pounds. Puppy is 7 months, 25 pounds with ultimate weight 40 pounds.
Hi jake’s mom-
I don’t have any older animals (dog is 1 yr old on Monday, kitten is 7mo), but I do give them the Honest Kitchen’s Perfect Form for their digestion and also because I want to get my dog’s stomach healthy enough to transition dry foods without blending.
I was highly considering giving him Dogwell’s Healthy Hip treats with Glucosamine or some type of supplement for it because of my fear of him getting hip dysplasia. He comes from a bad breeder and I know I wasn’t feeding him food with proper calcium levels and he is a large breed dog. I don’t feel like preventitives can hurt, but thats just my opinion. I’m still fairly new to proper animal care. When I was younger we always had cats but neither my mom nor I really knew anything about animal needs health wise. Now that I’ve got animals that I am soley responsible for I’m trying to do the right thing by them.
My 15-year old dog (small mixed breed – about 13 pounds – she’s lost weight) has developed a significant case of yeast-based dermatitis. She’s always had sensitive skin, but this reaches new heights. My new vet had her on prednisone and Baytril, which seemed to provide her some relief, and I’m using a special shampoo (though not regularly 2x/week – must correct that behavior on my part). She has large hairless patches, scabs around her face, and a good case of itching (though that has improved). I was reading this morning that carbohydrates in the diet can exacerbate this condition. I typically feed a selection of foods: her current favorite is Whole-Earth duck stew. Also provide a bit of kibble. She regularly gets probiotics, too. I am going to check the labels (and the Dog Food Advisor reviews) to ascertain the composition of her regular foods. Any responses regarding experience with withdrawing — or at least minimizing — carbs in her diet would be appreciated.
All dogs no matter what breed in order to maintain proper weight and dietary needs as long as they are healthy with no known medical conditions usually do best on a food that is high in protein, moderate in fat, and low in carbs.
I’m sure if you gave us more info as to your situation (e.g income, how much access you have to pet stores, do they have a wide selection, do you prefer to order online) we could help you out a lot better.
Yes, typically canines do better with a grain free food, however, like most people on this site who are regulars will tell you, just because it’s grain free does not mean it’s species appropriate for a dog. A lot of companies that have gotten on the “grain free” bandwagon have replaced the corn, soy, wheat and rice in their foods, with high carbs like potatoes into order to bind the food together. So you need to pay close attention that the protein is not less than the carbs and the fat % is not too high either. Also, you need to pay attention to where the protein source is coming from. For example, a food that has 30% protein but you don’t see a whole meat or meat meal listed as the first second and third ingredients. That means they are using plant based proteins, which are not species appropriate protein sources as dogs are carnivores.
A few brands that meet these needs that are not avaliable at a commercial pet store like Petco would be Orijen, Acana, Wysong. Some brands that commercial stores do carry are Merrick, Nature’s Variety and Wellness CORE.
These are just ones I can think off the top of my head and that are apart of my dogs rotation. Most of us also use a canned wet food for the added moisture content and many people on here do raw homemade meals too. However if you think about going that route please do your research on how to create a balanced raw diet for a dog before just slapping together some chicken and veggies and calling that a meal.
edit: here’s the direct link to the google.doc aquariangt was talking about
https://docs.google.com/a/selu.edu/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit
these are foods that have the proper calcium levels for large breed puppiesI don’t know what the problem is, I can access every other thread but the one I started, when I try to read it or anything it keeps asking me to log in, obviously I AM logged in or I wouldn’t be able to even read this premium area I paid for..
crazy4cats wrote:
Hi Wolff-
I agree wich zcRiley, you should stick to a puppy or an all life stages food with the appropriate calcium level for your new large breed pups.Also, I would have a fecal test done to rule out parasites. Giardia and Coccidia are sometimes hard to detect and regular dewormers do not get rid of either one of these conditions. They both also can cause intermittent loose stools or diarrhea and they are both fairly common in puppies.
Wellness Core is an excellent choice. Good luckHi,
Well the thing is I haven’t bought puppy food for many years because much of it is an American advertising gimmick, they create a “need” with consumers where none existed, this is an American phenomenon you don’t (or didn’t) see in Europe. I’ve been in dogs since 1982, used to show, and always had an average of four dogs concurrently. I’ve always fed an adult premium feed for slow steady growth.
But now with Nutrilife I’m not seeing the smaller firm stools I used to even in my two adults, it’s almost as though they suddenly changed the formula to more filler or a different supplier.
I have had only one puppy with cocidia many years ago, he got it when I visted “my” breeder and we went to a show together with her dogs and my adult, we put my puppy in one of her kennel runs that had a dirt/gravel floor, when we came back my puppy had excavated holes while we were gone.
Shortly after that he started getting foul smelling bloody diarreah and sure enough it was coccsidia.
My puppies don’t have diarreah as in squirting liquid, and it’s not foul smelling or the like, it’s just soft very poorly formed stool that comes after going once and having a more firm stool, and a few minutes later going again to finish and it’s soft and doesn’t pick up cleanly.
Remember what I said earlier- the Nutrilife bag suggests about 4-3/4 to 5 cups for giant breed puppies, 12 weeks/30# and they are getting 7-1/2 cups and still pretty thin, so to me it’s more of a loose stool from eating too much feed along with possibly a formula change. They clearly are not doing well on this brand.We’ll see what happens on wellness.
Hi- I’m new to blogs, forums, and posting things. I just purchased a Great Dane male puppy that will be ready for pick up at 8weeks(5/24/15). Everything i’m reading states i should feed him large breed adult food b/c the puppy food has too much protein and additives. Does anyone use BlueBuffalo? If so, is there a particular kind you like? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Recent Topics
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