[Amy G]

I just started a small pet store and was looking for a high quality pet food that was a good price – I came across a company called Life’s Abundance – It’s developed by a vet and is very healthy for all types and sizes of dogs- It only has small and large breed puppy, All stages, weight management and cat choices. It is very easy to choose what to buy and the best thing of all you can order online and it ships directly to your house. The original foods have chicken meal for the first ingredient but I called the company and they explained that it is chicken breasts that are dehydrated and turned into meal – this company uses no preservatives so it has been made from 4 to 8 weeks when it arrives at your door. If you want to watch a video for information go to https://vimeo.com/lifesabundance
If you want to order you can go to my site at healthypetswer.com and it will ship to your house. PLEASE watch the video first it is very impressive !!!!
Amy
healthypetswer.com
Paws & Whiskers Boutique and Biscuits
pawsandwhiskersbiscuits@gmail.com

[Amy G]

I just started a small pet store and was looking for a high quality pet food that was a good price – I came across a company called Life’s Abundance – It’s developed by a vet and is very healthy for all types and sizes of dogs- It only has small and large breed puppy, All stages, weight management and cat choices. It is very easy to choose what to buy and the best thing of all you can order online and it ships directly to your house. The original foods have chicken meal for the first ingredient but I called the company and they explained that it is chicken breasts that are dehydrated and turned into meal – this company uses no preservatives so it has been made from 4 to 8 weeks when it arrives at your door. If you want to watch a video for information go to https://vimeo.com/lifesabundance
If you want to order you can go to my site at healthypetswer.com and it will ship to your house. PLEASE watch the video first it is very impressive !!!!
Amy
Paws & Whiskers Boutique and Biscuits
pawsandwhiskersbiscuits@gmail.com

[Alice B]

How much food do you feed each time? 1 cup, 2 cups, etc.? and do you keep a bowl of water always available? I haven’t had a puppy in several years and previously we feed 3 times a day 1 cup serving each time up to 4 months, then switched to 2 cups and if they ate it all fine, if not this was fine too. The puppy I am getting is a large breed and I want to feed a good 4 star or above grain free food. Any suggestions?

[Dog_Obsessed]

Hi! Large Breed Puppies have special requirements, and so you will need a food that meets those for the first few years of life. Learn more about that here: /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

Here is the forum topic about LBP food. /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/ Midway through page 15, there is a link to a list of foods that meet the LBP standards. Many of them are grain-free, and all are rated at least 4 stars by DFA.

I hope these are helpful!

[tt w]

I’m getting a St. Bernard puppy soon ,and have been researching possible diets. Of course I’m aware raw-feeding is the best option, but for an adult st. bernard, it would cost close to 300 dollars a month! Are there any good alternatives either kibble or wet food that are mostly protein, grain-free, and suitable for large breeds? I’m also in Canada, so anything available here would be great!

[losul]

Hello Aimee
I’m glad my pup raising days (and child raising days) are long past 🙂 or I’d have to study all over again to get enough confidence to homemake even then half of a pup’s food properly. I think it’s very important to start off a pup on good foundation to health early for the proper build of health throughout life. And then to think that someone could be using an exclusive food (most of us regulars here on DFA never would ) through gestation, nursing, puppiehood, and adult hood, one should be even more careful. if I did ever aquire another puppy, not at all likely, but I’d definitely want to see that at least some wholesome rawness was a part of the diet, but I’d also want to make certain it was properly formulated, and well rounded with wholesome ingredients, whether formulated by myself or someone else. Getting the macronutrients right at the VERY least, and not dependent to any large degree on any one formulation.

But I also think many raw maunufacturers face a dilemma, do they add a bunch of vitamins/minerals, many of them perhaps needlessly, and some perhaps harmfully,
in order to be able to put that AAFCO label on them? I think AAFCO guidelines were
designed for and are a must for heavily processed foods, the most so being kibble,
and even much more so when low grade, questionable, and inadequate ingredients are
used. I can’t imagine how nutritionally devoid most kibbles would be without rather
heavily added vitamins/minerals.

But, if you take vitamin E for example. It gets used up with time, processing, and
natural peroxidation/oxidation of fats, especially the sensitive, unstable fats.
What vitamin E added when a kibble is made, needs to be sufficient throughout the
manufacturing process, the time that the kibble is stored, and then throughout the
time someone is feeding the bag. Probably if measured at the time a kibble is fed,
it would be a very small fraction left of the original vitamin E included
originally, but hopefully it would still retain at least some smaller amount. I
think the AAFCO guidelines likely allow for these losses.
Whereas a raw, minimally, but properly processed diet, fed immediately, or that is
frozen in well sealed packages is going to retain most of the original vitamin E.
The food/fats is still going to undergo some peroxidation, albeit at a much, much
slower rate. I believe to much vitamin E can be very harmful, just like to much
much of many other added nutrients. Even AAFCO is concerned with overnutrition.
“Maximum levels of intake of some nutrients have been established for the first
time because of concern that overnutrition, rather than undernutrition, is a bigger
problem with many pet foods today.” I’m satisfied that Allprovide has more than
sufficient of vitamin E in that food for MY dog, with the added wheat germ oil.

Another example, I think you know of the importance of vitamin D in regulating
uptake of calcium and some other minerals. Probably you also know the detrimental
effects of to much vitamin D in supplemetation, including possible hypercalcemia.
And we have both seen how many raw foods, both homemade recipes and some
commercially prepared, appear to be “deficient” in vitamin D when going by AAFCO
guidelines.
I found this study interesting, “Some Observations on the Dietary Vitamin D
Requirement of Weanling Pups” and the conclusion; “Dogs fed diets with and without
supplemental cholecalciferol did not differ in growth rate, food consumption or
selected serum or urine values. Likewise,there were no differences between the two
of response to added cholecalcifrol was probably due to adequate levels of calcium
and phosphorus in the base diet and possible synthesis of vitamin D. However, it is
possible that some vitamin D could have been present in one or more of the
ingredients of the basal diet. It has been suggested that dogs may only require
additional vitamin D when there is a mineral deficiency or imbalance in the diet
(11). However, one study reported canine rickets in diets containing 1.2% calcium
and 1% phosphorus (6).It has been reported that carnivores may not possess the
mechanism of vitamin D synthesis in the skin (7). Another study demonstrated that
dogs fed a nonpurified diet without added vitamin D under conditions of total
darkness did not exhibit bone defects (Kealy,unpublished data). Previous reports
did not record the ultraviolet light status of the environment. It is not
understood at this time how the dog acquires sufficient vitamin D for metabolism.
Part of the explanation appears to be related to a very low vitamin D requirement
in the presence of adequate dietary mineral balance.The observation that large
breed dogs raised in indoor-outdoor kennel runs do not require added vitamin D is
important <b>because supplemental vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus are frequently
recommended and used at levels in excess of the nutritional require
ments of the dog, presumably to enhance bone growth and development. The data
reported here suggest that supplementation of nonpurified, commercially available
dog foods with vitamin D may not be necessary.</b>

http://www.2ndchance.info/homemadediet-Kealy1991.pdf

Aimee, I know you’ve expounded about the blatant abuse of some other raw manufacturers in applying the AAFCO label of completeness on their foods, and I largely agree with many of your points, especially when it comes to all life stages/puppy, and especially the macronutrients Ca,P. etc.

I never expected you to approve of this one either. But for us, the puppy blend, good quality balanced proteins and well balanced fats, The meat, bone and beef organs in the proper proportions, and it’s other rounded whole food additions, and it’s 95% of the way there for us. I have a few more questions to ask, but as it stands for now, when my food supply runs down some, I intend to buy some Allprovide puppy blend and use at least as a sometimes meal/topper for my adult. It can replace some of the to expensive canned foods we’ve been using for the second meal of the day. I see it as a step up and less money too. The first meal will still always be raw homemade, or another solid commercial brand raw. If I did see a long list of added synthetic vitamins/minerals, for me, I’d likely just pass on this food. I’d still really appreciate someone (Dori?) to take a visit to them and report back.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by losul.

[Ellen D]

My labradoodle puppy is SuPeR fussy. I’ve started him on a raw diet this week, and he will FINally eat without a battle, but I went through a bunch of different kibble brands because he still needs kibble for lunch at doggy day care. I know all dogs have different tastes, but the one kind I found that he will eat without acting like I’m offering him marbles to eat is Fromm Beef Frittata Veg. Maybe that will work for your lab! It’s one on the list as being suitable for a large breed puppy as well.

We went through: Nature’s Instinct Large Puppy (realized had too much calcium and he stopped eating it anyway), Wellness Core Puppy (he ate it ok once and refused after that), Avoderm Revolving Menu Turkey (he will eat it grudgingly), Nature’s Variety Instinct Rabbit (wouldn’t touch), and Fromm Pacific Ocean Fish Puppy (wouldn’t touch it).

[DogFoodie]

Excess Calcium contributes to skeletal disorders, NOT protein.

First, read this article recently published by Dr. Mike: /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

Take a look at this thread and read at least the first several pages (taking particular note of information and links posted by Hound Dog Mom) for lots of additional information: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

Here’s a list of foods (which appears on page 36 of the above thread) that have appropriate Calcium levels for large and giant breed puppies: https://docs.google.com/a/dogfoodadvisor.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit?pli=1

[Carol W]

Hi. I recently bought a German Shepherd puppy that I’ve had on a high quality brand of puppy food, but just the other day, I was told by a professional handler that with large breeds, that’s not always a good thing. The puppy foods usually contain high percentages of protein that can cause problems with bone development happening too fast. She advised me to switch to a good adult brand to prevent this from happening. Just something to consider, especially with a large breed like a Mastiff.

[Ellen D]

I think I have decided what I would like to do in terms of feeding my puppy. Background: he’s about 25 lbs, labradoodle, 14 weeks, should be around 65 lbs full grown. He is a picky and light eater, so I’ve been trying to do 4 meals per day but he just isn’t that interested in food so now it’s 3 meals.

This is what I’d like to do in my perfect world. Can anyone tell me if this would work or help tweak it?

–AM meal – either homemade or pre-made raw. I have a trusted recipe for homemade when I have the time to make some. Pre-made would either be Darwin’s or Allprovide, depending on which he prefers.
–Lunch – this is where it gets trick. He goes to day care 3 days per week, and they will only feed kibble. They will not mix anything with water, open cans, etc. Has to be non-perishable something. And if he doesn’t eat lunch, he will sometimes vomit, not to mention he is already bordering on underweight. So he needs something. The other 2 days my sister in law serves as our dog walker and can feed him anything I ask her.
–PM meal – I would like this to typically be RMBs, such as chicken backs/necks/wings to begin with and progressing from there. He already gets a raw chicken wing a couple times a week and loves it.

In order to figure out portions, would I just take each meal separately and divide it in 1/3? So give 1/3 of what would be a total day’s worth of food of each the pre-made/homemade, kibble, and RMBs? I would add his supplemental items either at breakfast or dinner – organ meats, probiotics, and sardines/fish oil/yogurt, etc.

I have looked into things like a “better” kibble – ziwipeak was the only thing I could find that seemed to fit the bill. However, their maximum calcium level in their “kibble” is like 2% which is way too high for a largeish breed puppy. Do you think I could get away with giving this at lunch and then having dinner on those days be meat without bones? Does it balance out like that, or is the calcium ratio a per meal type of deal?

[Marcie D]

Hello,
I had 2 large breeds that had TPLO surgeries. Both were done by one of the Veterinarians who developed this wonderful surgery. When I brought them home I didn’t want to crate them only because they were so large they could not stretch out in a crate. I stayed beside them 24/7 with a collar and leash on because once they start to feel better they do dangerous things and down/stay doesn’t last for days! I put boxes around them in a room so that they could only stand up and turn around. As they got better the boxes were removed until they were healed. If your Veterinarian recommend antibiotic I would suggest you use them as this is orthopaedic surgery and right into the bone.
Good luck!

[Ellen D]

Hello –

I have a 3 month old labradoodle puppy. He was 20 lbs a week ago, so I’d think he’s between 20 and 25 now. He’ll be about 65 pounds full grown most likely.

I’m currently feeding him Nature’s Variety Instinct Large Puppy kibble, which I’ve now realized is even too high in calcium for him. He gets some Stella & Chewy meal mixer in with breakfast and I always give him either a scrambled egg, cottage cheese, pumpkin, or some plain meat chunks with dinner – lunch is plain kibble, as that’s at the day care most days. He gets a raw chicken wing or thigh as a treat a couple times a week right now.

I’m going to plead ignorance and admit that I thought I was doing a great thing by getting him “fancy” kibble and only realized a week into having him that there’s much, much more to dog food than dry kibble.

So my dilemma:

–I need to provide him with some form of kibble or dry-fed food for various reasons – the day care can’t mix his food, I do travel from time to time on business so he may need to be boarded 3-4 days per month, and I’m afraid if I stop kibble altogether he might refuse it while I’m away and be a very hungry boy when I return. However, this doesn’t have to continue to be a significant portion of his food. I am happy to keep it just to stuff Kongs/food toys so he stays used to it, but I need to have some on hand. I’ve narrowed this down to – Annamaet Salcha, Avoderm Turkey, or Fromm Beef Frittata.

–I am very interested in a raw diet for him, but I can’t decide what to do here. I’d like to have some freeze-dried product on hand (narrowed down to NRG Maxim and THK Love) for convenience. But ultimately, once he’s down to 2 meals per day from 3, I’d like to go as full raw as I can do – whether it be commercial or homemade or a combo. I have found what I am confident is a very good and versatile homemade recipe (from Ottowa Valley Dog Whisperer – are we allowed to post links here?). My one and only issue with this recipe is I need to sit down and do some maths and figure out what to add in terms of calcium – if I need to alter the recommendation in the recipe based on having a largish breed puppy.

–I am also interested in supplementing with raw meaty bones, as my dog really enjoys his chicken wings and chews them very nicely. Is it okay to just use rmbs as a supplement/treat kind of deal? Could/should I give him one daily or just a few times a week or is it better to just replace a whole meal with them? I would vary the meat/bone source often.

I’m trying to do the right and best thing for my puppy, and I’m 100% open to suggestions and criticism about my plans. I welcome any and all advice, as I’m new to this and my head is just spinning. Added to this is that my wife travels 5 days a week, I work full time outside the home, and we have a 4 year old (human) daughter as well as 2 cats and about 200 fish haha! So I’m a single parent 5 days a week. I’m really at the mercy of convenience. However, I can manage an evening cooking session once a week or a couple times a month and can freeze portion sized amounts. It’s just a matter of figuring out that pesky calcium balance. The recipe calls for powdered eggshell or bone meal. OR I can add whole prey meat to the recipe – I assume I would grind this – and omit the eggshell.

If I were to make the homemade diet, I feel like I would probably feed that for 2 meals per day and continue with kibble for 1 meal. And then when pup’s down to 2 meals, perhaps full homemade with kibble in the kong or as hand fed treats so he stays accustomed to it.

Last question – there doesn’t seem to be a lot of question/issue with feeding raw meaty bones or prey model diets to large breed puppies. Does the nature of a raw diet negate the need to watch the calcium levels so closely?

[Tal R]

Hi!

I would love to hear opinions about Acana Ranchlands (an “Acana Regionals” sub-type).

/dog-food-reviews/acana-dog-food-grain-free

The review is for Acana Grasslands but they got overall 5 star review for the brand and for the “Acana Regionals”, and “Enthusiastically recommended”…

My dog is a large (25 kg.) female elderly (14.5 y/o) mixed breed (probably mostly German Shepard) – more details here: /forums/topic/the-difference-between-senior-and-regular-dog-food/

I’m not sure if there’s potatoes in the ingredients though… in their website they mention “Burbank potatoes” as one of the ingredients but it doesn’t appear in the ingredients list (see below)… I am inquiring their customer support about that…

http://www.acana.com/products/regionals/ranchlands

OVERVIEW
————
FRESH, LOCAL FRUITS & VEGETABLES
ACANA Ranchlands is loaded with a full 40% of fruits & vegetables including Red Delicious apples and Bartlett pears from the sun-drenched Okanagan valley, and butternut squash, Burbank potatoes and spinach greens from the black soils of local prairie farms – all bursting with goodness to support peak health and immunity.

INGREDIENTS
—————-
Deboned beef, beef meal, green peas, deboned lamb, lamb meal, whitefish meal*, herring oil, field beans, red lentils, salmon meal, deboned bison, beef liver, lamb liver, sun-cured alfalfa, pea fibre, whole apples, whole pears, yams, whole pumpkin, butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, spinach greens, cranberries, blueberries, kelp, chicory root, juniper berries, angelica root, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, lavender, rosemary.

Regards,
T.R.

• This topic was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Tal R.
• This topic was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Tal R.

[Tal R]

Hi,

Basically, I would like to know the main differences between senior and regular dog foods and should an elderly dog that already gets joint support food supplements and doesn’t have a weight problem be given special or regular dog food?

In specific, my dog is a large (25 kg.) female elderly (14.5 y/o) mixed breed (probably mostly German Shepard).

She is in relatively good health, especially since i started giving her food supplements / drugs over the last 2 years to improve her joint problems (everything was done consulting the veterinarian of course). Her hind legs still show weakness but the condition has improved to a point that she even sometimes jumps now days.

Over time the list of supplements/drugs evolved to the following:

1/2 pill of Previcox (Firocoxib) every 2 days (56.75 mg per day on avg.).
1 pill of 20 mg. Omeprazole a day.
1 tablet of Glycoflex 3 (1000 mg Glucosamine, 1000 mg MSM) a day.
2 tablets of Power Supplements SAMe (400mg) a day.

I would appreciate any advice or tips.

If any additional information is required, let me know…

Thanks!
T.R.

[DeAnah G]

I have a 11yr. old 4lb Yorkie, she has been THE BEST dog ever!! I recently took her to a Vet for her annual teeth cleaning and physical. Come to find out she has COPD, Enlarged Heart, Fluid in her lungs, Arther, and Tracheal problems due to the enlarged heart. He put her on 5 different medications and prescription dog food (which she hates!) Heart controlled, very low sodium. Anyway, he said she can live for another 5-10yrs with this controlled diet but I don’t want her last years to be miserable. I’m fine to keep her on the meds but the food even looks gross! I was wondering if anyone suggest a more natural type food that she can enjoy that will also give her the vitamin nutrients she needs? Also, has anyone ever given their dog these meds and how well have they worked for your pet? Furoquid and Enalapril
Thanks for your help! 🙂

[Autumn]

I have a 1 year old Great Dane who has gone through this. I first started him on a grain-free lamb Taste of the Wild formula and the same thing happened to him. In between his toes was always red, he had rashes, scratch at his ears constantly, had little bumps underneath his chin etc. I also fed him the Royal Cannin food, and I kept him on this for about 2 months. His symptoms improved tremendously but I couldn’t afford to pay 60 dollars a bag with a dog who eats so much food! My vet suggested that I try a novel protein-limited ingredient diet. I wasn’t sure what this meant at first, but it basically means all proteins that your dog has not been exposed to. So, Kangaroo, Duck, Bison, venison with just one other ingredient like rice or potatoes. I put Sully on grain-free Kangaroo and Duck formula but he just got worse. Surprisingly, I tried the food that your dog is on now (except for large breeds) his symptoms were completely gone! He’s been doing so much better and I’m so thankful because he was so miserable. What I would suggest doing is staying on the hydrolyzed (royal cannin) for about 2 months just to see if his symptoms go away, and if they do, then try out the limited ingredient novel proteins. Chewy.com has some great ones, they ship really fast too!

In my case, I think that Sully was allergic to some of the ingredients in the grain-free foods I had been feeding him (thank you to the kind individual on this message board who pointed this out to me), not necessarily the type of protein. However, I’ve read that a lot of dogs are more allergic to the most common proteins like chicken or beef, so that could be what you’re experiencing. So definitely stay on the hydrolyzed and then try out limited ingredient novel protein diets.

[LabsRawesome]

Hi Trevor, here’s a list of foods that are appropriate for large breed puppies. I have had great results with Victor and Earthborn. Check the list for specific formulas. https://docs.google.com/a/dogfoodadvisor.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit?pli=1

[aquariangt]

Both brands are really good. If you head over to the canine nutrition forum, and look at large and giant breed puppy food, Hound Dog Mom has a lot of really good links to LGP nutrition articles. On page 35 or 36 she has a list of 4-5 star foods that fall into the acceptable calcium and nutrition levels for a large breed pup. I believe Orijen didn’t actually fall into the acceptable levels, so I’d lean Wellness CORE. Double check the list though, it’s quite useful. I suggest picking 3-5 foods and rotating, and try to get different protein sources. Start with a bag of whatever the breeder was on though, too much change in that first week can be tough on the pup.

All of this is just from my reading, I haven’t had a large breed puppy in…18 years? A while at least 🙂

[crazy4cats]

Hi Trevor’s puppy parent:

Congrats on your new addition! It is a little unusual for Labs to be picky. I have two very unpicky labs. LOL! I don’t know if you have checked out any of the various articles on this site, but there are a few that contain valuable information for feeding large breed pups. They have special requirements to help with keeping their joints healthy while they are growing. The biggest being calcium levels in food. Here is a link with helpful information:
/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

Here is another link with recommended foods for large breed puppies:
/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/page/36/

Please write back with any other questions you may have. Thank you for rescuing a puppy and good luck!

[Jane C]

Raising a large breed puppy can be extremely confusing. There is a website that I think will answer lots of your questions. GreatDaneLady.com. Hope this helps and good luck.

[Ryan K]

Thank you guys so much! Susan, you just eased my mind a lot! This is BEYOND a stressful time for us. We are in the middle of a move and literally have ZERO extra funds right now for any serious incidents to be happening. Since she seems fine otherwise I am going to switch the food out to the recommended food you mentioned and hope that her poo incidents decrease. I think it’s the food. I am HOPING it’s the food. I know things only get worse as they age and as a large breed dog, 13 is pushing it, but I hope that she gives us a little longer with her. I’ve had her since she was 6 weeks old. She’s like my best buddy. If she shows any discomfort I will rush her to the vet. It’s just awful timing. AWFUL AWFUL TIMING! 🙁

Thank you for the help!! I am buying that food now!! 🙂

[Ashley M]

Hello,

I have a six month old lab puppy who seems to have food allergy or food intolerance. We started him on Nature’s Balance Large Breed Puppy and he would get awful tummy aches to the point of curling up on the floor and crying in pain for extended periods of time.

After several trips to the vet along with x-rays, blood tests, and an ultrasound trying to figure out what was wrong and being told repeatedly by the vet that it was not food intolerance or allergy I asked her to please recommend a starter food that they would give a dog who does have food intolerance. She went ahead and prescribed Hills Science Diet Branch I/D. Its been two months and Jaxon (my puppy) hasn’t had any of those awful tummy aches since.

That said, Jaxon is still not on the right food in my opinion. I feel in the long run Science Diet is a poor brand of food (the ingredients don’t strike me as high quality) and the ID formula isn’t right for a large breed puppy. I am terrified to transition him to anything else though and don’t know where to begin. My vet of course recommended Science Diet or Royal Canine Large Breed puppy. After thoroughly reading about both recommendations on this website I definitely do not want to feed Jaxon either of those. Can anyone give me a recommendation of other foods to research for a puppy who has a sensitive tummy or food allergy even though I have not been able to determine what exact ingredient causes this? Or possibly point me to a website that has more information on how to navigate through feeding a puppy with food issues? Thank you!

[Madelon H]

Yes Doc had giardia and a bladder infection – I think we did three rounds of antibiotics to get rid of it and when he tested negative he still had diahrea which is when I put him on the royal canin GSD – it was a stressful time. He comes from an impressive blood line and is truly a gorgeous dog. I’m reluctant to change foods but feel the royal canin is too expensive – I have a lab/collie mix who is on royal canin satiety because she was a fatty patty and she’s done great on it – I like royal canin for their prescription food. Doc is my first large breed dog and I know GSD tend to have sensitive tummies which is why I’m nervous about switching – royal canin GSD claims to have things in the food designed to be easy to digest and help with the sensitive stomach issue. Shortly after we got Doc we lost my boston terrier Bugsy – it was the worst time of my life – I had him for 14 years and in his last three years he had to have an eye removed and then suffered two major strokes which required hand feeding him and teaching him how to walk again – his head was permanently crooked – he was the sweetest most loving perfect dog ever – I tell you all of this to say Doc – which I was reluctant about getting but my husband wanted – helped me and my 12 year old son get through the roughest time and has brought us so much joy that I want the very best for him. I don’t like the idea of feeding human food – don’t think it’s really safe for us 🙂 and I don’t want to rotate because of stomach issues – I’m really thinking of fromm right now.

[Madelon H]

Hound dog mom – please help!!! After reading everything and researching food I’m still confused and stressed and my husband is threatening to divorce me! I have a 12 month GSD who is solid black. I’m very protective because we got him from a great breeder but he had issues when he was little – despite giving medicine from breeder he had a parasite and horrible diahrea after treating parasite. I switched his food to royal canine gs puppy (recommended by my vet) and his stools firmed up and he’s done great. His trainer recently said RC is crap food and recommended Merrick – after researching I both agree and disagree. I talked to the breeder and she said she likes RC because they have not jumped on the advertising bandwagon of trying to list ingredients that consumers want and because they have prescription food they actually DNA test their food. So I’m still soooooo confused – thinking of switching him to Fromm large breed – please help – what do you recommend? I just want him to be healthy after his horrible start in life – I even spent the money to have him tested as a puppy for that genetic digestive disorder because I was so worried – $500 later it was negative 🙂

[crazy4cats]

Hi Nancy D-

/frequently-asked-questions/aafco-nutrient-profiles/

The above is a link to information on AAFCO standards. To date there are only two categories: 1.) Adult Maintenance and 2.) Growth and Reproduction. The growth and reproduction includes puppy and all life stages dog food. There is no official large breed category. Therefore, when a company labels a bag as such, it is their interpretation of what a large breed dog food should be. Since I have large breed dogs, I have looked at large breed dog food and have found that most companies decrease the protein as well as fat in their LB recipes.

So, you just have to read the ingredients and the guaranteed analysis on the bag to see if it fits your needs. I have actually fed my dogs who are three years old food labeled as senior food because I liked the fact that it was lower in fat than their all life stages recipe.

Hope this helps!

[crazy4cats]

Hi merleGDgirl!
How exciting a new giant puppy! I have two large breed dogs, but didn’t know about this site when they were small pups. Fortunately, their hips and joints seem fine so far at 3 1/2 years old. On this site, the creator and most participating members believe that it is OK to feed puppy food and higher protein to large and giant breed pups. It is the calcium level that is the major concern. Please check out the link that Dog Obsessed provided up above to help with the appropriate calcium levels.

I think that Wellness Core puppy food would be a great choice. It is a fan favorite on this site and better than that your very own sister has had good luck with it. You will probably want to feed your new pup whatever the breeder is feeding it for a while until everything gets settled down. There are already enough changes going on for that pup at first without changing that too!

I wish you well with your new adventure! Let us know how things go!

[Nancy k]

hello… What is benefit of buying a label that includes Large Breed. We have a 65 lb yellow lab that is 2 yrs old…

[Dog_Obsessed]

Congrats on your soon-to-be new puppy!

I have not had direct experience with Large Breed Puppy nutrition, but here are a few resources that will hopefully help clear things up for you:
Here is a basic article about LBP nutrition, along with a calcium/phosphorus calculator: /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

Here is a link to the forum topic about LBP nutrition. In the middle of page 15, there is a link to a list of acceptable LBP foods: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

Good luck with your new puppy!

[GSDMom]

Hi Madelon H, I don’t think it matters if it says ‘large breed’ but I could be wrong. I’ve used Acana a lot with my GSD and that was a great one, too. I’ve been researching for almost 7 years and I feel like my head has exploded 1,000 times. I hope there will be some more opinions here soon!

[Madelon H]

I have a 12 month old solid black pure breed GSD. He weighs about 90lbs and is gorgeous. After researching dog food I have decided I want to switch him to a high quality food – he’s currently on royal canine GSD puppy. He had trouble with diarrhea as a puppy and when I put him on the royal canin he did better. He’s been tested for the genetic disorder regarding his digestive system (name escapes me now) and doesn’t have it but I still worry about their sensitive stomachs. I’m thinking of blue buffalo grain free for large breed, merrick and wellness core – does it matter if it doesn’t specifically say large breed on the bag or are these foods so good it works for all. I was thinking the large breed formulas would have more nutrients for hips and joints. PLEASE help I’m driving myself crazy with research!

[aimee]

I raised her on Purina Pro Plan large breed puppy.

[Lori]

When I got my lab at 17 months, he had been fed Nutrisource Large Breed Puppy until it was time to transition to adult food, and he came to me on Nutrisource Chicken and Rice.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Christine,

The soft stool could definitely be the result of a food intolerance. My dog with food intolerances gets soft stool from lots of things, especially flax.

The first thing I would do is put him on a limited ingredient with an appropriate Calcium level for a large breed puppy; ie: Nature’s Variety Instinct LID Rabbit.

Loose or even soft stool for a prolonged period is a problem that you can’t allow to resolve on its own without taking action. I would change the food and add canned pumpkin to his food to help firm the stool and ease the transition to a new food.

[Thomas K]

so if i went auto ship…with a large breed puppy…approximately how frequent should the auto ship be? i realize each breed is and size is different. just curious if there is a good “average” starting place for an auto ship.

Thanks
chewy.com looks pretty good.

I appreciate your insight.

[Dina Kouveliotes]

The largest kibble I’ve found is NOW Fresh Large Breed by Petcurean. It’s rated 4.5 stars and has been very good for my German Shepherd Dog with a sensitive stomach. I highly recommend. I add raw extra virgin unrefined coconut oil and a every other day I mix in either scrambled eggs, salmon, fresh cooked chicken or ground beef. Just for variety and some fresh foods.

[InkedMarie]

Thomas,
Here in the forums, go to the “Diet & Health issues” forum. On top, highlighted in yellow, is a thread about large breed puppy nutrition. Its very long but I suggest you start from the most current page (highest number) and work backword to find the list of approved foods for large breed puppies.
Also, you’re on the internet so you have access to almost any food by ordering online. Most of us do. I suggest Chewy.com because of theor awesome return policy. Other good sites are PetFlow, Wag and PetFoodDirect.

[Thomas K]

I have had 2 labs and lost both to cancer. The most recent this January at 9 1/2 yrs old. We will be getting our new puppy around September of this year and while it is early, I’ve been trying to research puppy food for a large breed. I see the reviews, check out the 4 and 5 star foods on DFA and invariably at the bottom of each review that depicts the high quality food and its contents are the horror stories by posters sharing how horrible the food is and the side effects and other health issues the “4 & 5” star foods delivers.

I have limited choices at my local Petco with really no other retailers around other than the local grocery stores.

I am totally confused on what food to even consider. and yes, i’ve read ALOT on this forum.

Are there really “ANY” good choices, it seems no matter what you look at, someone or many people say STAY AWAY from this food and this company. For every praise there is a horror story.

*sigh*

:/

[Rachel M]

Hello! I am very new to the raw dog food world, and I’m finding it to be overwhelming! But… I want what’s best for my dog child, so I need some help please 🙂 I will fill you in on the details first, since I’m not sure what you all need to know. My canine child is a 1 year 3 month old Doberman Pinscher. His health is normal. He is currently on Fromm Gold Large breed dog food. He eats 5 cups a day, 2 1/2 in the morning, 2 1/2 at night. He was previously abused, so he has some problems with eating quickly *or at least I assume the abuse was a huge factor*. I have given him raw turkey neck before as a treat *AFTER I searched to make sure it was safe*, and he loved it. I started looking more into it, and that’s when I found all these things about raw feeding and how it’s great for them. I can’t afford to feed him entirely raw, so I’m looking to supplement. I was thinking of switching him to Taste of the Wild, but I am wondering if this would be a wise switch as well. We tried the puppy pacific stream formula when he was young, (3-5 months?), but that was right after we had picked him up from a situation where he wasn’t being fed. The food was too rich for him at the time, and he had mushy poo’s. We ended up trying a few different foods, but went with Fromm, as it seemingly fixed his poo problems. I’ve been reading that Taste of the Wild is a good food, but I wasn’t sure if I should try it again.
I am also always looking for long lasting chews for him. I made the terrible mistake of giving him a beef knuckle bone when he was young, and he ground his canine teeth down a little bit 🙁 I will feel terribly guilty for the rest of my life for that. Regular rawhide scares me, so right now he gets Digest-eeze and pork chomps. These are not enough. He FLIES through these.
SO BASICALLY, I am wondering
A. If I should supplement his kibble with raw? And if so, how should I do this? How much raw? How much of a kibble cut back? And how often should I feed raw? Is this something I should mix WITH his kibble every day? Or feed raw in the am, kibble p.m? I am so lost!
B. Is mixing a kibble while also feeding raw going to hurt him?
C. If I should switch his food to TOTW? Is this worth trying again?
D. ARE THERE ANY CHEWS OUT THERE THAT WILL LAST LONGER THAN 10 MINUTES FOR MY DOG THAT AREN’T GOING TO HURT HIM?!?!
Haha! Crazy dog mom essay over. Thank you in advance for your help, and I apologize for all of the questions! I am just totally overwhelmed!

[Thomas K]

I have calculated the following.

Calcium Content Analyzer

1.58 % Calcium
1.04 % Phosphorus
3400 kcal / kg

Calcs therefore at Calcium = 4.6 g per 1000 kcal
Ca to P ratio = 1.5 to 1

This is for Whole Earth Farms Puppy Food. Suppose to be fit for all sizes of puppys.

Is this ok? its close to recommended levels of 4.5 g per 1000 kcal and a ratio of 1.5:1

Thoughts? I have this food available locally and its reasonably priced.

Does this food work for a large breed lab puppy?

Thanks

[DogFoodie]

Here’s a link to the list of foods Hound Dog Mom compiled that have appropriate Calcium levels for large and giant breed puppies. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit

I had a link to a document that breaks down foods by price based on star rating, but it’s several years old by now. I’d suggest you look at the link above, see what looks good to you and start researching prices at the places you prefer to shop.

[Thomas K]

What about Whole Earth Farms for a Large Breed Puppy?

Is it adequate for a large breed Lab and why?

Thanks

[Thomas K]

There are nearly 1700 posts in that topic you pointed me too. More specifically I am asking for a list of some sort that is ordered by cost to feed. Feeds can cost anywhere from $1.00/lb to $2.5/lb or more.

That’s a huge swing. so back to the heart of my question, is there anywhere on this forum where there is a break down of quality foods from a cost perspective.

Maybe its somewhere in that topic on large breed dogs, if it is, pointed to the page # would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

[InkedMarie]

I suggest you go to the Diet & Health Issues forum here on DFA. On top, highlighted in yellow, is a stickie on Large breed puppy food. Read it, there is a list of appropriate foods for your pup.

[Thomas K]

I am wondering what would be the most reasonably priced Large Breed Puppy food that is of good quality?

While i’d like to say that price doesn’t matter, the reality is whether its for our own well being or that of our pets, unless you are just one of the fortunate few to have a fat checkbook, price does matter.

any recommendations for good food with more recent reviews would be nice. My breeder recommends Iams Large Breed. this food will be for a Lab puppy.

Thanks!

• This topic was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Thomas K.
• This topic was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Thomas K.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Hi James,
Congrats on your new puppy! I don’t think you need to switch to a lower protein food. The myth of high protein causing kidney disease in dogs has been disproven, and high protein should not be a problem in puppies, with the exception of large breed puppies, who have special requirements. Wellness Core is a great food, however no food is absolutely perfect. For this reason, me and many other “regulars” on DFA support rotational feeding. Learn more about that here: /frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/

Remember to always transition slowly between foods. Adding a digestive enzyme or probiotic can help if your dog has a sensitive stomach. Also, until she is around 6 months old, make sure all of the foods you are feeding are listed as “puppy” or “all life stages.” Good luck!

Edit: Just saw the part about her not liking her food as much. Rotation could help with this, if she is getting bored of the same stuff. Also, adding a small amount of wet food, or even water with some dogs, can help make the food more palatable.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Dog_Obsessed.

[Damon M]

Sorry to hear about your pup. I just brought home a standard as well. I was curious as to why you chose those foods over the editors choice large breeds? I just read those and they haven’t listed the ones you used. Is there a more specific option we standard poodle pup owners should be trying? (sorry didn’t mean to thread jack…just thought it was inline with my own question) The breeder was feeding “Jessie” Victor Professional and I am trying to find the best food option.

[kevin w]

My pup has had very loose stools for a week. I’ve had him and stool samples to the vet and all is well. I changed his food from Wellness to Fromm and he was good for a couple of days now his stools are loose again. Feeding the recommended amounts. Any suggestions? The foods are large breed puppy foods too. I would be more than to try some other food.

[DogFoodie]

I agree with Marie. It’s a very long thread, but there are lots of great articles in the first few pages. Definitely take a look; here’s a link: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

Here’s a list of appropriate foods (from page 36 of the thread) for your giant breed pup: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit

It’s Calcium you need to be concerned about that contributes to skeletal disorders, not protein.

A couple of my friends (I’m in the U.S.) chose Zignature and Earthborn Holistics for their giant breed pups because it has appropriate Calcium and they’re two of the more affordable foods. Any chance you’re able to buy those where you are?

[InkedMarie]

Did you look at the “Diet & Health” forum here? On top, highlighted in yellow, is a stickie for large breed puppy foods. It’s a very long thread but since you have a very large breed puppy, its important to read, there is a list of appropriate foods to feed. Someone here can chime in on what page to find the most current list.

[Diana B]

Kristin-every time I research that question, I find so many answers. I think it depends on the size of your dog, how large they will be as an adult. Smaller dog breeds mature quicker and can be on puppy food for shorter periods of time. I have heard Giant breeds should stay on puppy up to 18 mos. Since I feed the smaller end of “Large Breeds”-Golden Retrievers, I think about switching around a year. Oliver was a little over 1 when I transitioned to adult food.

I know that puppy food has different nutrients and is usually more calorie dense so weight gain and more can be a concern. One source said when they reach their adult height, (about a year for my Goldies, and then they fill out) is a good time to transition.

There are many more knowledgeable folks on this forum, so I know they will have more input! What kind of pup are you feeding?