[Patrick S]

I have a St Bernard. She is six years old. I’ve been told to only feed her food specified for large breeds, though I don’t know why. Anybody have information and recommendations for dry food.

[David E]

I cannot open No. 4. “Feeding Large Breed Puppies” by Jennifer Larsen DVM, PhD, DACVN
http://mobile.vetlearn.com/Media/images/pdf/2010/PV/PV0510_Nutrition.pdfn

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

Dori,
Your such a great wealth of knowledge, my little & i mean little experience with foods rotation is basically kibble with a lightly cooked topper of different proteins. I never fed canned.
i am sorry i am picking your brain so much, i really don’t know how to go about all this and then add in my fear well you can guess-
I used to feed Pepper a sardine every day until she couldn’t handle them, then I gave her fish oil-i would puncture a pill, she got beta glucan for her immune system coq10 for her heart 3x a week a Vit C, folic acid also-all human supplements just scaled down to her wt.
now with Millie I don’t want to overload her at this point because she is a puppy, i had planned to introduce the sardines a few times a week soon I think she needs the omega 3.
You know even though millie is eating a high quality kibble Orijen, Horizon legacy, I am starting to think she needs to get away from all kibble.
I have noticed,( funny that you mentioned this )Pepper’s stool has no smell since she has been eating THK, yet Millie’s does & I can only attribute it to the kibble.
I give Millie both the Orijen & Legacy mixed and she is ok with that.
I know she is ok with the orijen freeze dried (that’s what she gets for lunch alone)
I guess I made the mistake of giving her the HK with her kibble & chicken at nite.
I should have introduced THK alone with her protein as a topper.
Dori I will get this, i won’t be bothering you for ever, I am a Leo ,and we are perfectionists (that’s why I suffer from migraines) so i have to get this correct-poor Millie to have me for a mom 🙁
I did create a new topic on Puppy’s and supplements-i just haven’t had a puppy in ages & according to Millie’s breeder she needs nothing ( i don’t agree) but don’t want to go overboard.
I realize you don’t feed kibble but i saw a post where tripe is now made into kibble-petkind.com, I wanted your opinion, I have read here a lot of posters feed canned tripe-that it is good for them, I see that more of the large breed posters feed it, I just didn’t know if breeds like schnauzers would benefit. After all Pepper & Millie are not what you would call “working dogs’ Pep is in retirement & Millie is unemployed

[Giles123]

Thanks Dori. Our girl Sydney is also on the denamarin for life. Being a large breed she had developed some hip trouble and of course by her age some degenerative arthritis. The vet she had before had put her on rymadal but didn’t tell us she needed regular blood tests on that because it could damage the liver. Thankfully we have a new vet who found the problem with her liver right away but she will be on the denamarin for good most likely. Glad you and Cheryl let me know rice is inflammatory. I didn’t know that. I’ll check out the vitamin site you recommended. Think the vitamin will help her. Her hair has thinned a lot. Probably needs that vitamin e.

[Anita W]

My 23-kb 3- yr old Lhasa Mix has tartar on his back teeth. Our vet said to switch to a large-kibble dry dog food. We have been using high-quality dry food, but I’d like to find one with large kibble. The labels aren’t clear except when specifying “Large Breed”. Can anyone make a recommendation?

[Daren S]

Hound Dog mom, thanks for all your info. I am quite confused after reading all this, vet info, breeder info etc. I am trying to choose a great puppy food and, once he’s full grown, a great adult food, preferably cooked frozen ……for my 5 month Bullmastiff puppy.

After all the reading and because I am not a big raw fan (will feed occasionally as a mix in) I think I prefer the cooked frozen diets as they are not as processed as dry kibble. Sounds like I should stick with the Wellness Large Breed dry puppy food (DFA 5 star) until he is full grown. Then maybe switch to a cooked Frozen food like Maverick’s Nature’s Kitchen (DFA 4.5 stars). I will always mix in healthy human foods, to have variety and excitement.

My bully is now 5 months and 80 lbs should grow to about 140 lbs.

Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. 🙂

[CircaRigel]

I’m getting a Shiloh Shepherd pup in about 10 days. The breeder recommends Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy because of its low calcium/phosphorus. I didn’t see that in the list, though. Is there a problem with Eukanuba?

• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by CircaRigel.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by CircaRigel.

[theBCnut]

Look in the Diet and Health Issues forum for the Large and Giant Breed Puppy Nutrition thread. On pg 15 in a post by Hound Dog Mom, there is a google doc with a list of foods that are appropriate for large breed puppies. Print up the list and go to Chewy.com and look at the ingredients for those foods and start marking them off. Off the top of my head, Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Turkey would fit your needs, but I’m sure there are others on the list.

[adam s]

We just acquired two large breed puppies (golden retriever mix) for our five kids. FANTASTIC. However, my two sons have severe food allergies. No, they are not eating the dog food, but the allergies are also contact allergies. So, in order to keep the puppies, our dogs have to submit to the same food allergy awareness list as my sons. The big issues are gluten, egg, & nuts. I can easily find adult dry food without those three ingredients but puppy food like this is not so easy to find.

We’ve been using California Natural: Herring and Sweet Potato, which I thought would work since it is egg free and wheat free. But it is not gluten free because of the Barley in it….My son had an allergic reaction to the dog because the dog licked his face. This now precludes my boys from caring for the dogs (feeding and grooming and playing) because of the possible reaction.

Please, any advise would be appreciated. I need large breed dry puppy food without egg, wheat, barley, rye (gluten containing grains). I can easily find the gluten free, but almost ALL puppy food has the egg for the needed fats. AND, GO!

[atc5011]

A quick rundown of my dog first– Diesel is about a year and half and has only been on puppy food (Chicken Soup for the Soul Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food). He is a German Shepard-Rotty (prob some lab too) mix, but only about 50lbs. He seems to be getting bored of his current food so I was going to switch him to the Adult Chicken Soup, however, I came across some posts that were very negative about Diamond products, so I figured I would get an entirely new brand. On that same thread, the user mentioned Earthborn Holistics (Primitive Natural Grain-Free Natural Dry Dog Food), and after some research it seemed promising.

Is this a good switch? and should I continue with puppy or switch to Adult?

Thanks a ton for the help!
AC

[Bobby dog]

I have fed
EVO: GF Turkey & Chic, GF Red Meat (Bobby loves) dog kibbles, Turkey & Chic canned dog food, and for cat food 95% Chicken & Turkey canned, and Turkey & Chicken canned. Cats didn’t really like them too much.

Innova: cat & kitten canned (in permanent rotation), Nature’s Table GF Chic & Turkey (cats don’t really like it), and Nature’s Table GF Salmon cat kibbles, for canned dog foods Large Breed Puppy, Large Breed Adult, Adult Low Fat, and Large Breed Senior.

Cali Nat’l: Chic & Brown rice canned dog food, GF Chicken cat & kitten kibble

[Mom2Cavs]

I order from Chewy’s all the time. I have to get my Wellness Simple from them as no one locally carries it. This last order I put in two small bags of Annamaet, the Salcha and Aqualuk. The Wellness Simple has a great expiry date, over a year out. The Salcha has a great date, at least a year out, but the Aqualuk is only good till April of this year! I didn’t want to use it first, but I may have to…..could send it back but that’s a pain, too. I wanted to continue with the Simple for awhile because they usually eat Simple Small Breed, which is Salmon, and I ordered the regular Simple Turkey to see if they’d eat it (larger kibble size) and if they did well on it. I think I’m just gonna do the Simple Turkery and either use the Aqualuk as treats or give it to a friend of mine that I always give kibble to….very disappointed with it’s date. Chewy’s is usually fantastic, but maybe all their Aqualuk had that date? Maybe it’s not as popular as the Salcha or Manitok.

[Naturella]

Fade, hi.

I will second Marie on her comments:

1. Rotation is great, just make sure you do it over a few days. You can also add some canned/dehydrated/freeze-dried/air-dried/raw as toppers every once in a while, as well as maybe some coconut oil or fish oil (for Omega 3s), raw or lightly cooked eggs, and canned sardines, salmon, or jack mackerel (not tuna). Those are really good for dogs. For my 15lb terrier mix I feed one raw egg/week, 1/2 small can of sardines, and coconut oil every other day. I also use dehydrated/air-dried/freeze-dried as toppers on every dinner meal. I used to feed yoghurt too, but Bruno decided he’s had enough of it apparently, lol. But if your dog likes it, it is good stuff too. Kefir also.
2. Many dogs self-regulate, and many don’t. As Marie said, the bag directions are just guidelines, and many dogs require less than the recommended amounts. You should gage by body condition: https://dogchow.com/articles/1871/body-condition and adjust food amounts accordingly. My dog is at the caloric intake of 3/4 cups of food total, 1/2 cup dry and 1/4 cup (or so, calorie-wise) additives (“toppers”). This is within the recommended amounts, but when we used to exercise a lot, twice a day in the hot summer Georgia days, he would eat 3/4 cup of dry with similar amounts of additives. He was lean and mean even though he ate more.
3. As I have a small dog, I can’t tell you about good brands for large dogs, but this thread can: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/ Page 15 should have a link to a google doc with all brands written out, how they score, etc. It is an overall great resource for large breed owners.

Good luck, seems like Nala is in good hands! 🙂

[peter d]

Hi all,I’m new here having stumbled onto this site,and what caught my attention are statements about high or low protein.
Also Mike suggests for anyone to share knowledge-so here goes.
I speak with over 50 years of experience of commercial animal production with various species.Nutrition has always been my driving interest and study-by necessity-we had our own feed plant.
I have discovered some amazing things,by following ideas and hunches and putting them into practice.
With nearly all species the protein requirements lessen as animals grow.
With dogs however, it seems to me that manufacturers use high protein as a marketing tool-as users seem to think the higher protein-the better the food!
Puppy biscuits in particular at 29-30% protein and recommended to be fed to 12 and even 24 mths old!
This is a monumental mistake and a major cause of hip Dysplasia in dogs-and I’ll tell you why.
Proteins produce acids-the higher the protein-the more acids. The body attempts to neutralise this by using Calcium from the food intake and,invariably, leeches Calcium from the bones-which in a young pup-which are not born with bones-but need to develop and grow-and the larger the breed the more they have to grow.
2 of these acids cause secretion of the Calcium via the urine.
It is a major although not the only mnutritional cause of CHD.
I have always had large breed dogs as well-the last 15 years as a breeder of Malamutes as a semi retirement pursuit and love of dogs.
As I write this having reared many hundreds of dogs,I am yet to see one with CHD.
Nutrition is by far the most important thing in life of all living things-humans too!
Peter

[pugmomsandy]

The Editor’s Choice also has a list of recommended foods that meet guidelines for large breed pups. And if the kibble is small enough, your adult small breed can eat it too.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Large breed puppies have special nutritional needs, which you can learn more about in this article: /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

There is also a topic about this in the forums: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/#post-62904
If you go to page 15 and scroll down, there is a post by Hound Dog Mom with a google doc containing a list of acceptable foods.

As for your other dog, look around at the reviews of four and five star reviews and choose a few brands. Study the brand’s recall history to make sure they are not recently or frequently recalled. If they are not available locally, then you can order online, some sites that are popular are chewy.com pet flow.com. Stay away from doggiefood.com. It is best to have several brands and formulas to rotate between, because no dog food is perfect.

Good luck, I know it can be overwhelming and confusing looking for good dog food. Feel free to ask any questions!

[Holly C]

I own an adult small breed and recently adopted a large/giant breed puppy. What is the best food to buy them. I would love to do raw but can not afford it nor do I have the time to prepare it. I would like to be able to buy them a dry kibble with the occasional wet food, but having a lot of issues finding an appropriate brand. There is a local feed service store which supplies Diamond Naturals grain-free, Loyall, Holistic Blend(currently switching to this brand from Loyall), Summit, and Nutram along with very crappy brands like pedigree and purina. I would love to feed them a 4 star minimum. The small breed is a 16 pound Pomeranian/Shih-Tzu/Poodle male, neutered and the large/giant breed is a 12 Week Shepherd/Mastiff. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[David G]

Sorry, not sure what I’m messing up here.

It has this at the top:

“Large Breed Puppy Food List
Criteria:
-Dry food (kibble or dehydrated).
-Rated at least 4 stars on DFA.
-Grain-free.
-Meets AAFCO nutrient requirements for growth or all life stages.
-3.5 g. calcium per 1,000 kcal. or less.”

[David G]

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFY183Q0NVRXlidWc/edit

That’s the one I think. I posted the wrong link.

I am looking at the Fromm Gold Holistic Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food.

Seems very affordable and high quality. Might pull the trigger!

[David G]

Mike Sagman – Thanks for the reply. That article was one of the first things I read here and it was awesome. Always looking to gain more knowledge on the topic. Just need help finding one that fits the criteria and our budget..

crazy4cats – Thanks crazy4cats! I’m going to go down the list and check the websites that were recommended and go with it. The Kirkland puppy food isn’t specific for large breeds so poor little Tanky’s stool is consistently soft/loose. Trying to fix the situation asap!

DogFoodie – While I understand the logic, if that were applied across the board there’s very few companies I’d use in life. Keurig, Coca Cola…I can’t say I’m surprised Costco/Kirkland didn’t reply, and don’t want to rule it out based on that. I would just say it’s icing on the cake for the companies that did respond.

Edit: I see Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain on the list actually. We may just go with that since we’re familiar and have had a good experience. I’ll double check.

InkedMarie – I’m going to do that right now. We want to get something that’s affordable, but above all else provides the nutrition and quality. Definitely not trying to cut corners when it comes to his health and growth. Thanks again.

-Dave

• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by David G.

[crazy4cats]

Dave-
Yes, definitely check out the new large breed article on the review side of this site that is noted in the above post by Mike Sagman. The ones from the list that I am familiar with are:
Nutrisource large breed puppy, Pro Pac large breed puppy and Victor Select chicken or Victor Select Lamb. These all contain grains. The grain free are: Earthborn Coastal Catch or Meadow Feast and Wellness Core. Again, please check the label to make sure they still fall within the posted guidelines. Have fun with your new pup!

[Mike Sagman]

Hi Dave,

As you may already know, large breed puppies have special nutritional needs that are different from those of most other puppies. The following article may help point you in the right direction:

How to Choose the Best Large Breed Puppy Food and Lower Your Pet’s Risk of Hip Dysplasia

Hope this helps.

[David G]

Hi Everyone,

We just got our first rottie puppy and have been doing our homework on the large breed puppy foods. There’s so many options it’s almost overwhelming. We give our other German Shepherd mix Kirkland Nature’s Domain, and like it a lot. We feel it’s a great bang for the buck.

Some of these puppy food formulas are almost double $60 – 30lbs. Can anyone recommend an affordable food for our baby boy? I saw somewhere that the Kirkland Natures Domain may be suitable for large breed pups as well.

Thanks. I checked out the google doc as well but it seemed limited because she only had so many companies respond about the calcium levels.

Sorry for the redundancy and thanks in advance!

-Dave

[Caitlin H]

Hello (:

I have an almost 7m old rough collie pup. I want to start feeding him RMBs, but I’m worried about keeping the calc/phos in check. If I gave him, say, 1 chicken neck every 2 days or so and fed him a bit less kibble on those days would that be ok?

Also, I’m getting some raw green tripe tonight but I’m not sure how much of it to feed. I’d like to give a little bit each day or maybe every other day. He’s getting about 4c/day of kibble, so should I give him a few tablespoons of tripe to supplement or cut out some kibble and give him a more significant portion? Basically, how much should I give him to where he’s reaping the full benefits of it?

Thank you so much to anyone who answers!

[InkedMarie]

Hi Bill,
hey’re a large breed; I suggest you go to the Diet and Health Issues forum here & read the Large Breed Puppy Nutrition thread. Hound Dog Mom has a list of appropriate foods as a stickie highlighted in yellow. I believe the list is on page 15.

[DogFoodie]

Here’s a great article that Dr. Mike just published on the review side that explains in simple terms the special nutritional requirements that a large breed puppy has: /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

[DogFoodie]

Hi Bryana,

I also have a Golden who started out much the same way as yours. I believe the vaccinations may have contributed to some of his early issues. It was my intention to spread vaccines out and I recall once the vet acted like, “Oops, I actually got a combo vaccine ready.” Of course, I let it go. I wish that I had insisted and that I hadn’t gotten unnecessary vaccines. My Golden had an infection in each ear at just a few months old and was at the vet sick with lethargy and diarrhea. I suspected vaccinosis. Yes, the vet put him on the I/D garbage as well. Since I can’t change that now, I only vaccinate for rabies and I titer for immunity to core vaccines.

As for food, my Golden had digestive issues as a young pup also. It seemed everything gave him diarrhea. Plain canned pumpkin can help firm up loose stool. Goldens are known for having sensitive stomachs and food intolerance / allergy issues. I’ve determined that my Golden has food intolerance issues. He cannot have fish, flax, tomato, chickpeas or lentils. He does better with moderate protein, fat and carbs and a bit lower fiber. I’m not suggesting your Golden has these same intolerance / allergy issues, but it’s my guess he’s intolerant of something and what you’re saying is the end product. You have to figure out what they are, which is the tricky part and it takes a lot of time. Can you compare any ingredients in the food he was eating too see if there are common ingredient that could be the culprit?

Also, your Golden is a large breed puppy that has unique nutritional requirements. You must feed him a controlled level of Calcium. You should also avoid over-exercising him to avoid stressing growing joints and you should also keep him lean while he’s growing.

Here’s a link to another thread in the forum that explains this in more detail, read the first few pages at least: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

On page 36, there is a Google document with a list of foods with appropriate Calcium levels for large and giant breed puppies. It was posted on 10/22/2013, at 4:22 PM by Hound Dog Mom. You should choose a food from this list: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/page/36

One food in particular that I might suggest is Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Turkey.

[InkedMarie]

Marci,
go to the Dog Food Ingredients forum here; there is a stickie highlighted in yellow for large breed puppy nutrition. Its a very long thread but I *think* the list of appropriate foods is on page 15. If i’m wrong, someone will come along to correct me!

[Marci G]

Does anyone know if this is ok for a large breed puppy, Rhodesian Ridgeback? It’s not specifically a large breed puppy food. Thanks!

[DogFoodie]

I thought I responded to you also, but don’t see my comment.

Quickly, before I run, I would definitely feed as if a large breed puppy. Better safe than sorry. Feeding your medium breed pup as if a LBP, poses no risk.

Also, I would add delicate Omega 3’s at the time that I feed rather than looking for a fish based food. Fish based foods oxidize quickly and the risk that rancid fats pose can cause serious health risks, include, but not limited to, pancreatitis. If you must feed a fish based food, buy only the smallest freshest bag that you can find.

[Trout-lily]

I’ve rotated her food frequently since we brought her home in June and to be honest it was only because I was trying to find my medium with budget and a quality puppy food. She did well on Dr Tim’s kinsis for a while and then I recently switched to Innova large breed puppy. I also couldn’t resist the Black Friday deals for wellness core grain free. Denali was having small issues with th innova before I started to introduce the wellness bag. I thought about switching her back what she was previously eating, dr.tims kinesis, but I might try the digestive enzyme first to see how that works. We eliminated the cat food temptation over the weekend and it made her accidents less frequent but it still isn’t solving our issue

[crazy4cats]

Hi Sarah-
I’d definitely play it safe and feed your pup as if it is a large breed. There is a good chance she will be if she is 3/4 golden. She is going to be beautiful! Right now, I’d worry more about her joints than cancer. You can always supplement with fish oil or sardines/salmon if you can’t find an appropriate fish based food at this time. I have two three year-old 3/4 lab, 1/4 golden mixes and I give them each one tin of sardines per week and then a krill oil pill each on another day. I also feed them eggs, beef hearts a few times per week with their kibble as well. Good luck and have fun with your pup!

[Sarah]

Thank you Susan! I did notice that food but it was listed under small and medium sized dogs. Pearl is not a huge puppy but I am a first time dog owner and don’t have much to compare it to. However, Pearl is 3/4 Golden Retriever and 1/4 Border Collie, would that make her considered a large breed and if so, would this still be an appropriate and adequate food?

Secondly, I am noticing many people talking about switching food regularly. Is this beneficial? If so how often should I be switching her food?

Sorry for all the questions. I am trying to make the best decision and in the process confuse myself more.

[theBCnut]

If you really want the benefits of omega 3s for her coat and cancer fighting properties then you want to stay away from fish based foods and only add fresh or well protected sources or omega 3s. Omega 3s oxidize quickly when exposed to air and oxidized fats are more in the line of cancer promoting than cancer fighting. You are better off feeding a good food and adding omega 3 right before feeding.

Since you aren’t sure what size your pup will be, you should also read the first few pages of the Large and Giant Breed Puppy Nutrition thread in the Diet and Health Issues forum.

[kelsey s]

I don’t think she will have very many. It was probably her first heat cycle, she seems very young; has a lot of behaviors most older dogs have been trained not to do, like taking food from the table. And she’s nearing the halfway point and her belly isn’t as big as I thought, as this is my first large breed. On a side note, what is a good flea remedy for her? She’s been scratching so bad that she has cut her nipples.

[Sarah]

Hello Dog Experts!

I would love to get your suggestions on what would be the best food to get for our new puppy Pearl who is 3/4 Golden Retriever and 1/4 Border Collie mix that the breeder refers to as a Coltriever. We have had her since she was 10 weeks old and is now 13 weeks and weighs 12 lbs and is a very active and happy pup. She is currently on Taste of the Wild Puppy which was what the breeder was feeding and we have switched between the Wild Prairie and Wild Pacific Salmon formulas and she has done well on both but seems to like the Wild Pacific Salmon formula more. She has a long and very fluffy puppy coat still and the Vet suggested having her on a fish based puppy food for both her longer coat and to help with the cancer that is so prevalent in Goldens. My understanding is TOTW is a good food for the price point however, I am looking to find what the best food would be for her. I joined the Editors Choice but the large breed Puppy foods listed were not fish based. I don’t mind paying more $$ as it is important to me to have her on the best food possible. Our vet is not pro Raw food and we currently are not looking to go that direction except for possibly supplementing. If anyone has suggestions on supplements we should be adding I would love to hear those as well! I am also scratching my head on whether I should be doing all dry or a wet/dry combo for her food.
These are some of the suggestions we got from Mud Bay for her dry food (a local high end pet store):
1. First Mate Puppy
2. Instinct Salmon (it’s not a puppy formula but they said that it has the same protein and fat ratios as a puppy formula would have)
3. Acana (they didn’t carry but said was great)
4. Orijen (they didn’t carry but said was great)
I appreciate the help, the more I research the more confused I get and would love to hear from people’s personal experiences!
~Sarah

[Sarah]

Hello Dog Experts!

I would love to get your suggestions on what would be the best food to get for our new puppy Pearl who is 3/4 Golden Retriever and 1/4 Border Collie mix that the breeder refers to as a Coltriever. We have had her since she was 10 weeks old and is now 13 weeks and weighs 12 lbs and is a very active and happy pup. She is currently on Taste of the Wild Puppy which was what the breeder was feeding and we have switched between the Wild Prairie and Wild Pacific Salmon formulas and she has done well on both but seems to like the Wild Pacific Salmon formula more. She has a long and very fluffy puppy coat still and the Vet suggested having her on a fish based puppy food for both her longer coat and to help with the cancer that is so prevalent in Goldens. My understanding is TOTW is a good food for the price point however, I am looking to find what the best food would be for her. I joined the Editors Choice but the large breed Puppy foods listed were not fish based. I don’t mind paying more $$ as it is important to me to have her on the best food possible. Our vet is not pro Raw food and we currently are not looking to go that direction except for possibly supplementing. If anyone has suggestions on supplements we should be adding I would love to hear those as well!

These are some of the suggestions we got from Mud Bay (a local high end pet store):
1. First Mate Puppy
2. Instinct Salmon (it’s not a puppy formula but they said that it has the same protein and fat ratios as a puppy formula would have)
3. Acana (they didn’t carry but said was great)
4. Orijen

I appreciate the help, the more I research the more confused I get and would love to hear from people’s personal experiences!

~Sarah

[Dori]

I agree completely with the Nut and Marie. I feed my three dogs, one of which was 15 years old last September high quality, high protein foods. All are grain free. I feed a rotational diet to all three and the proteins in the foods I feed vary. The lowest protein I feed is 38% and the highest is around 54%. I’ve been feeding this way for approx. 3 years now and all my dogs are doing really very well. As a matter of fact, since starting the high protein grain free foods my senior is more puppy like than she’d been in the previous years. She used to sleep a lot, had lost interest in most activities and had lost her spunk. As the Nut stated, seniors need more protein not less. It’s antiquated marketing that would have us believe that puppies, adults, seniors, active, less active, yada yada yada all need their own special diets. Puppies would probably do best on an all life stages food with the exception of large breed puppies which need less calcium with the correct ratio of phos. so as to slow (or not speed up) down their growth rate. I don’t have any large dogs but from all I’ve learned on this site I believe what I’m saying about large breed puppies is correct. I may not be wording it correctly. Anyway, seniors do better and need a higher protein food not less.

[Dog_Obsessed]

So I don’t usually post here, because my dog is about six times too small to be considered a large breed. I just wanted to weigh in about rotational feeding and stomach upset. Erin, does the stomach upset seem to happen most while or right after transitioning foods? If so, that could be what is causing it, but rotational feeding does have many benefits. Like OnyxMom said, adding a digestive enzyme, such as THK Perfect Form, could help. The cat food could definitely cause it too, and adding an enzyme could also help with that.

[Trout-lily]

Hi Everyone,
I see a lot of people in the past have had issues with diaherria and loose stools. I’m rotate my feeding my 9 month old Bernese mountain dog Dr Tim’s kinesis, innova large breed puppy, and wellness core grain free. All are on the recommended list. Has anyone had any issues with these foods? She also likes to sneak out kitten’s food so I’m wondering if that food could be the culprit. It has been going on for a month but she still seems to be eating and drinking fine.

[Akari_32]

Oh boy, this’ll be fun lol

Haley and Dweezle: Natural Balance Ultra Small Breed. Only got it because it was $1 a pound after coupons– I’m not very happy with, so after the two bags I have are gone, I’ll not buy it again. However, they like it. But they like anything, regardless of how eatable it is lol They also each get a salmon oil pill in their food. Next will be Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Senior and Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Adult, mixed 2:1. These dogs are 60 and 130 lbs, btw LOL after that will probably be Ideal Balance puppy, then Wellness Core Puppy and Small Breed mixed, then who knows. I have a good sized stash to chose from. I try to keep it interesting.

Bentley: SSLL mix, with coconut oil (won’t eat the mix plain, the little brat!) and a nice de-boned raw turkey leg. He gets a random pick of turkey or chicken (bought whole and cut up and separated into white meat, dark meat, and bone-in meat), ground pork, or beef or chicken hearts every day.

Ginger: half Wellness Small Breed Simple Salmon and Potato, and half Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Healthy Weight. She’ll be moving to Purina Veterinary Diet Joint Mobility when I have the money in my account to order it, her Wellness Simple was running out, so I’ll put it off a bit longer, so she’s not switching arounf too much. Her stomach just can’t handle it. Nothing Purina is my first choice except for a very select few of the canned cat foods due to cost, but I’m at my wits end at what I can do to help her poor old joints, and not break the bank (not that there’s much of a bank to break at this point…). I can get it less than what the same size bag of Wellness is, so it’s worth a shot. Her treats today was a half of an Amoxicillin pill in the morning and tonight. She eats it like it’s the most delicious thing she’s ever tasted, so I just let her think that LOL

Usually they all get some form of Zukes or Pet Botanics treats, but no one got any of those today, except the cat, who did high-fives, shakes, and up’s for his G-Zees treats :p He also got 3oz Wild Kitty raw cat food mix (made with chicken) for breakfast, and a 5.5 oz can of Friskies Ocean Whitefish as a very special treat. I don’t do fish or any other Friskies other than two flavors of Special Diet for him very often, but I’ll grab something fish based every now and then for something that isn’t turkey, chicken or beef. Gotta have something different when your crazy mommy limits you to very specific flavors from very specific brands lol I’ve also been giving Bentley a few pieces of Natures Variety Instinct Raw as a treat a few times a day. He loves to eat the little pieces still frozen. I think he likes the texture, and the fact that it’s red meat, something I can’t afford for his rotation very often. Innova Prime Red Meat used to be his favorite kibble before we realized he had carb allergies and before Innova got bought out.

Just a side note on the Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health forumlas: I’m extremely happy with all of them. Typically, even in the rest of the Wellness line, senior and diet foods are just complete crap, but these are comparable to other puppy and adult grain inclusive foods. They have good protein (close to 30%), and low fat (which is what my three old farts need), and are still high calorie (high 400’s!). Would definitely recommend either of these to anyone with a dog that needs a low fat diet, or to any owner who likes to feed lower fat diet food, small or large breed. It’s pretty decently priced, too, especially if you have coupons 😉

[aimee]

Hi Michelle R.

My experience with Natures Logic was /is very different. I considered using the brand as my dog is on a diet of venison. I went to the website and was very concerned by what I found. The company inserted words into quotes which changed the meaning of the quotes, and it appeared that they only had one product analyzed and then posted those results for all the products.

I’ve talked with Mr Freeman on the phone and in person. In person was very telling!! I asked him about inserting words into quotes and he looked up and off into the distance, stroked his chin and in with a long drawn out affect said as best I remember “Oh… did I? Gee… I’ll have to look into that” When I asked about the nutrient analysis all looking the same he looked down and started to chuckle and said well yes, he only had one product analyzed, the chicken formula and then just changed some numbers here and there for the others. I asked him about the low Vit D levels in his diets and he told me to let my dog sit at the windows when the sun came through and my dog would make all the Vit D she needed. When I reminded him that dogs only make insignificant amount of Vit D and it is a requirement of the canine he said something like “Of course they make Vit D, probably when the researchers tested them they had the dogs locked up in a room in the dark without any windows.

Pressing onward, I asked him about the calcium levels in his diets and the effect on growth for large breed pups. He said you can feed a puppy all the calcium you want they would only absorb what they needed. When I reminded him that puppies can’t regulate calcium absorption which is why they need a controlled level in their diet he told me to feed a high calcium food and measure the calcium level in the blood .. it would be fine. YIKES !!! So I tried again and reminded him that yes the calcium level in the blood would be normal despite the effect the diet had on the C- cells and calcitonin levels. He didn’t know what those were. Then he handed me a copy of Dog Naturally magazine to use as a reference instead of the NRC Nutrient requirement of dogs and cats. I found that downright scary!

I asked who formulated his diets and what that person’s education was. He formulates the diets and his degree is in marketing. Suddenly it all became very clear!!! He doesn’t know anything about nutrition because he is in the business of marketing not in the business of nutrition!!

Combing that with him telling me he doesn’t do any type of ingredient testing and he didn’t seem sure of what post production testing was done as far as quality control pretty much lowered the boom of doom onto that company for me.

He is good at what he is educated in .. marketing. Well except for promising things he never follows through on. Like posting correct nutritional information on his website. I think it was last year that he told Dr. Mike he had each individual product analyzed and the data would be posted shortly. But the information really hasn’t changed much…. except for a few numbers here and there.

After talking with Mr. Freeman and evaluating his company I can see why the company isn’t on Editors Choice. The food has a great concept but poor execution in my opinion.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Guys-
Honestly, you never really HAVE to switch. Food labeled as puppy and/or all life stages are OK to feed forever. Food labeled as Adult or Maintenance should only be fed when the pup is full grown. Large breeds between 1 and 2 years. Small breeds between 6 months to a year. Just make sure that the large breed pups stay lean and grow at a slow steady pace to avoid joint issues.

[AL S]

Can you advise where you would place “Ole Roys” Large Breed Dog Food which is what we were told to feed our Great Dane which is now 6 months old and doing great and growing like a weed. Thanks, AL

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Jessica –

If you’re an Editor’s Choice member check out theEditor’s Choice Puppy Foods – there’s a list of foods appropriate for large breed puppies.

If you’re not an Editor’s Choice member, there’s a large breed puppy thread in the general forum area that can be found here.

There a few different routes you could take to try and get to the bottom of the loose stool issue. First and foremost (if you haven’t done this already) be sure to get a stool sample to the vet. Coccidia is very common in puppies and will cause loose stool. If you can rule out parasites, you can then look into switching foods and/or supplementation. You can try simply switching to a different brand, if this doesn’t work you may need to consider a food intolerance and start trying foods without ingredients that are common culprits (e.g. chicken, grains, etc.). You may also wish to try supplementing with a good quality probiotic and/or adding some additional fiber (a spoonful or two of plain canned pumpkin usually works well).

Good luck!

[Jessica B]

I have a 10 month old black Labrador. She has been eating blue buffalo Lamb & Oatmeal puppy food (based on high reviews) since she joined our family in May. Although, her stool is soft and runny more times than not. I am now contemplating changing her food to see if it helps! What are your recommendations? What do you feed your large breed puppy?

[DogFoodie]

Adding too much Calcium to a large / giant breed pup’s can have some pretty detrimental consequences.

[theBCnut]

The recommendation is just that-a recommendation, not the amount you must feed. Gaining 4 lbs in one week IS NOT healthy, even for a dog that needs to gain weight, and especially not for a large breed dog. Weight gain should be slow and steady. She may end up needing 3 cups a day, but probably not while she is having diarrhea issues and you may need to build her up to that amount slowly, so her body can get used to having that much nutrition at once. She may need her food in 3 meals at this point so they can be smaller meals. At this age, you should be able to see her last ribs and her hip bones and about 3 vertebra. Don’t worry about her being skinny, that can wait until the stool issue is fixed, as long as she isn’t loosing a bunch more weight.

[Erica L]

I am pretty sure she is not overfed. The bag of food says for her age and weight is 3-4 cups a day. She does 2 cups in the morning and 1 cup at night. I think she was underweight coming from the shelter she was rescued from. She is a tall skinny girl (you can see her ribs)
She isn’t drinking as much water today as she usually does but I think the chicken/rice/pumpkin has helped…she hasn’t needed to go potty since this morning even though that was runny. I just ordered the Perfect Form for her. I have been looking at the large breed puppy feed. Its just very confusing to pick one food out of over 30. I just want her to have great food and for this runny poo to go away. I won’t lie I am overwhelmed right now trying to guess what is best for her.

[theBCnut]

Um, I hate to say this, but you must be way overfeeding her for her to gain 4 lbs in 1 week, and that alone can cause diarrhea. With all dogs, but especially large and giant breed dogs, it is very important for them to have slow even growth. Fast growth means that their joints are forming too fast and not necessarily well, which means hip and elbow dysplasia. Feed her to keep her athletically lean, no extra weight. Keep her on probiotics until she has had normal stools for at least 2 weeks.

You may want to look into a supplement by the Honest Kitchen called Perfect Form. A lot of rescue dogs have had really bad cases of worms that have damaged the gut lining and it may take months for the damage to heal. Perfect Form has some really nice ingredients to soothe irritated intestines and firm up sloppy stools.

Have you looked at the Large and Giant Breed Puppy Nutrition thread?