[aimee]

Hi Michael,

I’d never head of that plan before. Interesting that she recommended those two brands. I’ve always had Labs and used to show them. My show pal showed Mastiffs. I’ve raised my pups on Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy and she used Eukaneuba LBP.

When I attended a Mastiff national specialty I asked each breeder I saw what food they recommended for Mastiff pups. Each one said Eukaneuba LBP.

The Lab breeders I got my pups from and others I knew from the show circuit all used Pro Plan.

Interesting that this plan rotates between these two brands.

I’ve always had good results with Pro Plan.

[aquariangt]

It doesn’t matter so much if it’s specifically a large breed puppy food or not. As long as it has the AAFCO profile for growth and hits the necessary nutrients (specifically calcium) they are noted as acceptable. In fact, many LBP foods AREN’T appropriate for what they are aiming for. All of those Matt listed would work for your golden pup

[Michael G]

Matt, thank you. Are any of these specifically for large breed puppys?

[DogFoodie]

Hi Michael,

Did you look at the list of approved foods on the LBP forum? Hound Dog Mom put it together after she specifically researched foods with Calcium levels that were appropriate for large breed puppies. All of the foods on the list are four and five star.

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

[Hound Dog Mom]

Check out the large breed puppy thread: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

[Michael G]

I have a 19 week old male Golden Retriever puppy. He is lean and healthy. I have him on the Hovan Slow Grow diet plan. Ms. Hovan specifically said to switch him on an off of Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Food and Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy Food. I would like to know if any knowledgeable members agree with this or would suggest another food for him. I am looking for the best way to keep him healthy and active for as many years as possible. This can be tricky for Golden Retrievers. Any knowledgeable help given is much appreciated! Thank you!!!

[pugmomsandy]

The fiber can be added with each meal daily. You just need to find out which dose of that particular fiber works best and start with a smaller amount. Some dogs need more fiber and some dogs do better with less fiber. That’s something you’ll need to figure out though. For a 25 lb dog: 1/2 teaspoon of psyllium or coconut fiber or chia or a tablespoon of pumpkin puree. These numbers aren’t written in stone. My 20 lb dogs either get 1/4 tsp of psyllium or a whole teaspoon of chia.

You might also try a limited ingredient diet if there are any out there that are appropriate for large breed puppies until he gets better.

He was a little too young to leave his mother (IMO). Younger pups might not have a strong enough immune system (since he’s meds for mites) and not a strong enough gut (a healthy amount of good bacteria in his intestines) to be eating processed hard kibble. And receiving vaccinations and being on a prescription are both stressors. I’d give him probiotics to strengthen his gut.

At the end of the day, we just want are pups to be better. Even if that means Science Diet for a couple of weeks or months until he is stronger.

[Trey W]

I have had my Lab puppy for over 2 months now and we can’t seem to get his stools regularly normal. At first we were feeding him Blue Buffalo Large Puppy Breed Chicken and Rice flavor and he was having diarrhea almost every time he would poop. So we switched his food to Simply Nourish Large Puppy Breed Chicken and Rice and for about the first week he was eating that his poops were pretty normal, but now they have started to soften up again. Many days his poops will go from decent to worse throughout the day, but he does not have an increase in poops it is just that when he does poop they tend to be very soft stools if not diarrhea.

He does not have any worms nor blood in his stool even though today I did find some gravel looking stuff in his stool. We have feed him boiled chicken and rice on days that his tummy has been real upset, and when we do that his poops are always better, but I cant feed him boiled chicken and rice forever. He eats, drinks, plays, and acts perfectly healthy. My vet recommended switching his food to Hills Science Diet because that is the softest on dogs stomachs. I am weary of this because I have heard that vets just push that on the customers because that is their sponsored dog food.

I am open to any suggestions, and just hoping to get my boy all better.

[Boerboel Daddy]

Hound Dog Mom

My Boerboel ( South African, Mastiff Type dog) is four months old.
He was fed Royal Canine Giant Breed Puppy by the breeder i wish to switch to Coastal catch as per your recommeded foods lists… but Im a bit confused with the feeding guide.

Usually one would feed for the dogs adult weight but is tht the same with Large breed puppies… all large breed formulas differ from the adult feeding guides until the pups reach a certain age…

is that true for Eathborn Ocean Fusion as well? i have used the calculator but the 6 cups of food just seems too much for a four month old pup to be eating… are they refering to a standard sized cup? if so how much is said cup in grams?

[Naturella]

Kritterlady, you’re right – back then I knew little about the food though. And if I recall correctly, it was a store associate who told me this. Oh well, wasn’t a terrible food overall (4.5 stars), but I no longer buy the “kibble is good for teeth” or “small breeds need their own breed specific food”. Only large breeds (especially the puppies) need LBP food and I know where to go to learn about that (the thread about it on DFA). But as long as the kibble size is not huge and Bruno can fit it in his mouth comfortably, then I wouldn’t get him a “small breed” food just because it is for his size – if I do, it would have to be because that recipe is outstanding or something, lol! 🙂

[matt n]

Ok so I’ve done a little more research but I’m still not sure about the calcium and it’s relation to medium breed dogs vs large & giant breeds.

Also, what I think I’m going to do is start off with Dr. Tim’s Kinesis then switch to Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch and then Victor Select Lamb Meal & Brown Rice. What I’m thinking is, this should show me which food (grain vs grain free, chicken vs herring vs lamb) my dog does best on. Is this legitimate reasoning? And what amount of time do people suggest keeping the puppy on a particular food before rotating to the next? Thanks

[Case]

Sorry for posting in two places. Hoping for a quick reply.

I’m already in trouble with the wife for the amount of time that I’ve spent reading over the past few days, so as much as I’d like to, I can’t read the large breed puppy food thread from the beginning. I downloaded the list on page 15 but still a few questions. We’ve recently added an English Mastiff x Great Dane pup to our family. My other dog is currently on a bag of Earthborn Primitive Natural. From what I gather it’s calcium/phosphorous/calorie content is not much different from Orijen’s large breed formula. I can get the meadow feast formula locally but I frown on the single source of amino acids. The only other decent food that I can get locally is blue wilderness large breed. My wife plans to top the food with 1/2 tablespoons of pumpkin and jack mackarel. Would the primitive naturals be too much? (1.5 calcium, 1.0 phosphorous, 20% fat)? Should I go ahead with the blue (not a huge fan but need a bag of food today).

• This topic was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Case.

[Case]

I’m already in trouble with the wife for the amount of time that I’ve spent reading over the past few days, so as much as I’d like to, I can’t read this thread from the beginning. I downloaded the list on page 15 but still have a few questions. We’ve recently added an English Mastiff x Great Dane pup to our family. My other dog is currently on a bag of Earthborn Primitive Natural. From what I gather it’s calcium/phosphorous/calorie content is not much different from Orijen’s large breed formula. I can get the meadow feast formula locally but I frown on the single source of amino acids. The only other decent food that I can get locally is blue wilderness large breed. My wife plans to top the food with 1/2 tablespoons of pumpkin and jack mackarel. Would the primitive naturals be too much? (1.5 calcium, 1.0 phosphorous, 20% fat)? Should I go ahead with the blue (not a huge fan but need a bag of food today).

[matt n]

First off, I’m glad I found this site. If I hadn’t, this puppy would have eventually been given the Cesar’s brand of wet dog food. It’s been interesting to read about rotating foods, calcium levels, grain-free foods and other things. I’ve mainly been looking at the large breed and giant breed thread as it’s very informative but, my dog will not be a large breed. She’s more of a medium breed. By math she’s ~68% golden retriever and the rest is toy poodle. The puppy is now 6 weeks old and the breeder estimated she would end up being 30-35lbs. So, what I’m wondering is, does my puppy not being classified as a large breed change the food she should eat? What about the calcium levels?

Right now she’s eating Life’s Abundance along with Nature’s Variety Raw Medallions for treats(not sure if this info is relevant but here it is nonetheless).

I was eying Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch or Meadow Feast as they’re pretty high rated and I’ve seen tons of positive reviews.

Any suggestions or information is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

• This topic was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by matt n.
• This topic was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by matt n.

[losul]

C4C, Bobby dog, Thnx. I agree about getting more back to basics. Hopefully more manufactur’s will lean more that way in the future. It’s mind boggling to me how many dogs are having allergies, intolerances, etc., and how many folks have so much trouble finding foods that are agreeable, out of the hundreds of foods out there. Is shouldn’t be that way, and why do so many dogs seem to have these allergies in the first place, I think it’s unnatural. 10 years and more ago, I thought it was very rare for dogs to have allergies, now it seems to be very commonplace. (or maybe I was just in the dark back then, well I know I was in the dark, lol. ). All of the botanicals in Origen are what have kept me from trying so far. C4C, I hear ya on the funny looks!

Naturella, I hesitate to advise you how much to give your dog and whether or not to give it at all, I almost feel like it would be medical advice. For one thing there’s such a variance in the size of cloves, and another some dogs would be more sensitve than others. The health and and nutrition of your dog could also be a factor. Your dog is very small, and only about 1/3 the weight of mine. I give mine about 1 1/2 large cloves per week, they average about 4 grams each clove. It’s crushed and mixed in with 4 days worth of food. For the next 4 days batch, I leave garlic out of it, the next, garlic again, and so forth. I think I give him less than most sites advocating it advise, I would never give him so much that he has would have garlic breath to much extent, and well, if I would ever notice that he would actually begin to exude the odor from his skin, I feel that would be entirely too much and could be dangerous. If you do decide to use garlic so, just to be precautionary, start out tiny, like just a small slice of a clove, and make sure there isn’t any kind of intolerance or allergic reaction first. I wouldn’t think 1 small/medium sized clove a week, distributed in several meals would be too much for your dog. I know I wasn’t much help, sorry…. BTW, I can almost smell the food a cookin! MMmmmm garlic toast, Luv feta cheese, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar on my tomato slices!

Aimee, Wow you exuded garlic fragrances for 3 days after just eating 1 meal with some? Are you sure you didn’t take a large doggy bag home with you and indulge several times? 😀

I didn’t mean to imply that all mammals have equal susceptabilities, just that they have the same suceptibilties.

I think the papers desribing garlic use for sickle cell anemia used aged garlic extract (AGE). Many of the compounds and properties were changed by the aging or fermenting process, no? At any rate garlic and it’s many compounds have a whole lot of medicinal possibilities wouldn’t you think?

It’s hard to come by actual research on humans, it’d be very unethical to try to induce hemolytic anemia in humans. There seems to be lots of it on various mammals, cats, rats/mice, dogs, cows, horses, sheep, birds, etc. Some of what I’ve seen is merely anecdotal, such as a professor and some students informally volunteered to eat an abnormal amount of onions ( i think it was 2 medim/large, cooked, daily) for a period of 5 days, they all displayed physical signs of anemia, and upon blood testing indeed showed that to be the case.

Here is a study where the researchers where attempting to test the effects of certain native vegetables that could mitigate garlics unwanted effects on Nigerians. The actual study was done with rats, but as I said….;

“Garlic (Allium sativum) is popularly consumed in Nigeria because of its health benefit in treatment and management of several disease conditions. However, excessive intake of garlic may cause hemolytic anemia. This project sought to investigate the ability of some commonly consumed tropical green leafy vegetables—namely, Amaranthus cruentus, Baselia alba, Solanum macrocarpon, Ocimum gratissimum, and Corchorus olitorius—to prevent garlic-induced hemolytic anemia.”

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jmf.2004.7.498

———————————————-

Is this the study that brought about AVMA’s determination that garlic should not be fed to dogs?

http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/ajvr.2000.61.1446

Objective—To determine whether dogs given garlic extract developed hemolytic anemia and to establish the hematologic characteristics induced experimentally by intragastric administration of garlic extract.

Animals—8 healthy adult mixed-breed dogs.

Procedure—4 dogs were given 1.25 ml of garlic extract/kg of body weight <b>(5 g of whole garlic/kg) intragastrically once a day for 7 days.</b> The remaining 4 contol dogs received water instead of garlic extract. Complete blood counts were performed, and methemoglobin and erythrocyte-reduced glutathione concentrations, percentage of erythrocytes with Heinz bodies, and percentage of eccentrocytes were determined before and for 30 days after administration of the first dose of garlic extract. Ultrastructural analysis of eccentrocytes was performed.

Results—Compared with initial values, erythrocyte count, Hct, and hemoglobin concentration decreased to a minimum value on days 9 to 11 in dogs given garlic extract. Heinz body formation, an increase in erythrocyte- reduced glutathione concentration, and eccentrocytes were also detected in these dogs. However, no dog developed hemolytic anemia.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—The constituents of garlic have the potential to oxidize erythrocyte membranes and hemoglobin, inducing hemolysis associated with the appearance of eccentrocytes in dogs. Thus, foods containing garlic should not be fed to
dogs. Eccentrocytosis appears to be a major diagnostic feature of garlic-induced hemolysis in dogs. (Am J Vet Res 2000;61:1446–1450)
—————

Some notes about this; At the rate I give Turbo, it would take 2 years to give my dog the equivalent of what the researchers gave these dogs all in 1 week. The second paragraph gives plenty enough to be concerned about, but “However, no dog developed hemolytic anemia”

————————————————————–
I’m amazed you would not be concerned about feeding a dog grape pomace, when as far as I know, the causitive agent of grapes/kidney failure has yet to be determined.

[Bralic H]

Ok, another one asking for food advice… I have a Lab/Great Dane/St Bernard mix puppy, almost 6 months old and weighs ~60lbs… I have tried quite a few different foods, but his digestion hasn’t really liked many. I tried the Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lover’s Soul, but the kibble was tiny, so that wasn’t working. Just before that was Costco’s Kirkland Signature puppy, which he liked, but he had soft-ish stools and gas… before that was Nutro Max Large Breed Puppy, because I didn’t know better and bought from our local co-op.

I currently am feeding him Merrick’s Whole Earth Farms Puppy recipe, and he LOVES it, but he still has soft stools and I worry because its not a “Large Breed” food. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions from a website, like petflow.com, which is where I ordered the Merrick’s from. I am trying to keep the cost down, as we just bought a house and are 2 months away from having a little baby girl, so I have been comparing brands on DFA that petflow.com sells. So far I am stuck between “NutriSource
Large Breed Puppy Chicken and Rice Dry Dog Food” and “Horizon Complete Large Breed Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food”, which are 1.53$ and 156$ a lb respectively.

So should I be switching his food from the Merricks, which is only 1.33$ a lb? Or choose one of these other 2. I am willing to even pay a little more, but was hoping to stay under like 1.90$ per lb. Thanks!!

P.S. Oh and also, i was reading this website by a “Great Dane Lady”. She recommends not going grain-free until adult, is there any truth to this? Has anyone else glanced at her website? Is it too old to be useful? (copyright on bottom is 2002-2003)

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Bralic H.

[Deborah M]

Hi Nancy,

It really wasn’t a difficult transition. I was given a sample from the pet store and took it home to try it. My dogs went so nuts for it (I had never seen them eat with such gusto) so I thought I would try it. I have had VERY successful communications with the folks at K9 in Australia. I just email them with my questions, and they email me right back with a personal email. I have even struck up a friendly rapport with “Shane”… very helpful “Kiwi” as he calls himself 🙂 He suggested to me that when making the transition, that I might want to try to start with the Lamb Green Tripe, which I did. It has the most HORRIBLE smell in the world, but its ONLY ingredient is Green Tripe and very digestible and VERY good for them. They gobbled it up, despite the disgusting smell. I started adding in the venison, and they gobbled that up too. I don’t get the beef b/c it’s too high in fat. I noticed a difference in their stool immediately. Much smaller, and on the dry side. Sometimes, I add a little straight pumpkin so help keep their stool from being too dry. Now, I feed them only the venison, and add just a little of the tripe to aid in digestion. I’ve read ONLY good things about green tripe. Believe me when I say my dogs were finicky. I coaxed, begged, and added topper after topper – wasted a lot of money on high end kibble, Orijen, Acana, etc.. They didn’t like anything. Now, they eat like regular dogs, and on cue, so that I don’t have to leave food out for them when I leave for work. I purchase through Chewy.com – in bulk – it’s cheaper. Sometimes, Amazon. I’m sure there are other brands of freeze dried raw that are good, but I like the ingredients of the K9 Natural and I’ve had nothing but success. It will be pretty expensive for a large breed, however. That’s the downside of raw. I’ve priced all of the better ones out, and they all seem to be very similar in price. Good luck!

[Zach M]

Thanks for the answers. I was planning on mixing the duck and turkey and sardine recipes with the wellness core large breed. I have to ask, is that okay? And is the large breed ok for a 50-55 pound dog?

[Deborah M]

On paper, Fromm’s is definitely an above average food. That’s why I tried it for my two Shih Tzus. But, sadly, they wouldn’t eat it. I’ve tried so many “five star” dry foods and the reaction I got with just about every thing I tried would go something like this….: They anxiously wait for me to put the bowls down, they stand in front of the bowl, give it an unenthusiastic sniff and walk away with sad eyes as if I’ve just given them cardboard or something. I would come home after work, and food wouldn’t be touched. Orijen is one dry that they will eat, but only sometimes. I recently switched them over to K9 Natural (freeze dried raw) – venison and occasionally add in some of the Green Tripe. OMG!!! – you would think they died and went to heaven. In two years, I’ve never seen them attack their food like this … like actual REAL dogs. It’s expensive, but soooo worth it. Since mine are small, the expense isn’t as much a factor. I do feel bad for those with large breeds who want to go the raw route because it IS expensive, but I am factoring in how much money I’ve wasted in the last two years with failed trial and error. I order on-line … it’s less expensive.

[crazy4cats]

Hi CW-
Wow! This is a frustrating situation. I have two golden labs. They ate anything and everything up until a few months ago. One has decided to be a little bit picky. He likes to have something mixed in with his kibble. I mix either canned or fresh foods in and he eats it right up. For fresh, I rotate between eggs, sardines and frozen raw. He will not eat the Honest Kitchen Turkey flavor any longer. The other pup, who tends to be a little bit chubby still eats anything. He is glad to eat whatever the other one doesn’t! LOL!

I received a sample of Now Fresh large breed dog food a while back and the kibble was very large. They are a very good company if you want to try giving a larger size kibble a shot.

I fed the Royal Canin Vet food for a short while when they were pups due to stomach issues, and you are right, crazy expensive!!!

Good luck to you!

[DogFoodie]

I believe it was Blue Buffalo that refused to disclose information regarding the nutrient analysis of their products when requested by Hound Dog Mom while she was researching foods appropriate for large breed puppies; as a result, none of their foods made the LBP appropriate foods list.

[Heather D]

Aquerienot and Cyndi, just to let you know that I have located the Orijen food for large breed puppies and am thrilled to bits. As I was filling the hopper with the new purchase a few fell onto the floor and Max was straight onto them, which he hasn’t done with the Eukanuba. It does smell very inviting though.The ingredients sound so very healthy, and no grain, so all good stuff.
I will introduce him slowly to it over the next week and hope that he tolerates it well.
Thank you so very much for your help

[Heather D]

Hi, sorry me again. I have been onto the shop’s website and come across this food and wonder if this would be better than the Eukanuba. I have done the translation,

BREEDERS high end food for Large Breed Puppies.

Our breeders think is the only one with 100% ingredients fit for human consumption. It is a complete food for dogs 0-12 months old.

Most products are manufactured feed waste, what remains once have separated parts fit for human consumption. These ingredients have a lower quality.

Some feed ingredients, incorporate suitable for people, but Breeders is the only manufactured in Spain than it does on 100% of its composition. 100% premium ingredients . No features or use GM products.

“Breeders” is a brand sold exclusively at TiendAnimal, which offers a high-end feed at a very affordable price (up to half that of conventional brands). See for yourself our quality and you will be convinced.

Puppy food super premium quality at a super low price. This is because the direct sales allows us to avoid marketing costs, marketing and advertising that make up a large percentage of the feed costs of early brand names.

BREEDERS Cubs is a complete dry feed, in the form of extruded, balanced and very tasty dry kibble, made ​​from selected raw materials of high quality. Breeders is a food like no other approaches to what the animal would eat in your state natural.

It satisfies the needs of large breed puppies thanks to the extra size of your kibble as well as pregnant females or nursing. They think that a dog is puppy until it meets its first year of life , although in large breeds this time can be extended up to 6 months, even up to 2 years in giant breeds.

Key Benefits

Selected natural ingredients, origin certificate
High digestibility and energy efficient
Adequate protein and fat
Optimum calcium-phosphorus
High in DHA
Health skin and hair, thanks to the perfect balance of Omega 6 and Omega 3.
Promotes optimal growth, thanks to Natural chondroprotective

High digestibility. During the growth phase, the puppy’s digestive system is less developed than the adult dog. It is therefore important that the feed is especially easy to digest.

High in protein and fat. cub experiences a very rapid growth, stabilizing circa life. At that time multiplied 40 to 50 times their birth weight. To achieve this feat, you need a very rich in protein and easy energy to metabolize food.

DHA
DHA: docosahexaenoic acid
Optimal calcium-phosphorus ratio. Indispensable to form a healthy skeleton able to sustain the growing weight of the puppy.

High content of DHA. docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is important in the formation of the nervous system, particularly the brain. The brain content of DHA is related to learning ability and intelligence level of newborns and infants. It has been suggested the need to supplement with DHA the mother during the gestational period, and even before this, to ensure the supply to the normal development of the fetal brain. Evidence related to the greater learning ability of offspring from mothers previously supplemented with DHA.

High in Omega 3. Adequate ratio of Omega 3 and 6 helps maintain a healthy coat, reduces skin irritation and enhances the development of immune function.

Breeders not stored in silos , but goes directly by packaging as production. Thus contamination by mites (causing many food allergies) and quality loss are avoided.

BREEDERS is an exclusive brand of Tiendanimal.

I Breeders Cubs 2

Features

Ingredients : Dehydrated chicken meat (35%), rice, chicken fat, corn, concentradp vegetable protein, hydrolyzed and dehydrated meat chicken, apple pulp, salmon oil, dried yeast, yucca extract, potassium chloride, chloride sodium.

Additives

Vitamin A 16,000 IU / KG
Vitamin D3 1600 IU / KG
Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) 200mg/kg
Cu (copper sulfate pentahydrate) 23 mg / kg
Trace elements:

Fe (iron sulfate heptahydrate): 200 mg / Kg, I (potassium iodide): 1.5 mg / kg, Co (cobalt sulfate pentahydrate): 1 mg / kg, Mn (manganese sulfate monohydrate) 70 mg / kg, Zn (oxide Zinc): 225 mg / kg, Se (sodium selenite): 0.4 mg / kg

Preserved with EC additives (potassium sorbate). With natural antioxidants (citric acid, rosemary extract and natural tocopherols (source of vitamin E).

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude protein 30%
Crude fat 14%
Crude fiber 2.5%
Crude ash 9%
Calcium 1.2%
Phosphorus 0.8%
Moisture 10%
Glucosamine 600 mg / kg
Approx kibble: 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm x 0.8 cm.

Use

Serve dry food guided by the table of recommended daily allowance. It is better to split the corresponding ration in two servings a day. These amounts are only for guidance, so they must then meet the energy needs of the animal, guided by the maintenance of optimal body weight. Always leave fresh clean water available to the animal.

Recommended daily

45 kg (adult weight) 60 kg (adult weight) 70 kg (adult weight) 90 kg (adult weight) 100 kg (adult weight)
2 months (old puppy) 320 gr 410 gr 450 gr 510 gr 540 gr
3 months (old puppy) 420 gr 520 gr 590 gr 670 gr 720 gr
4 months (old puppy) 460 gr 570 gr 660 gr 740 gr 790 gr
5 months (old puppy) 550 gr 660 gr 780 gr 880 gr 960 gr
6 months (old puppy) 620 gr 750 gr 880 gr 995 gr 1080 gr
7 months (old puppy) 620 gr 750 gr 890 gr 1020 gr 1100 gr
8 months (old puppy) 610 gr 750 gr 890 gr 1020 gr 1100 gr
9 months (old puppy) 590 gr 740 gr 870 gr 1010 gr 1080 gr
10-11 months (old puppy) 580 gr 720 gr 860 gr 995 gr 1070 gr
12-13 months (old puppy) 580 gr 710 gr 840 gr 980 gr 1060 gr
14-17 months (old puppy) 580 gr 700 gr 820 gr 960 gr 1040 gr
18-23 Months (old puppy) 560 gr 690 gr 820 gr 950 gr 1030 gr
24 months (old puppy) 560 gr 690 gr 820 gr 940 gr 1030 gr

[InkedMarie]

Heather,
I haven’t had as much time as usual to read here but I know nothing about large breed nutrition. If you head over to the free part of the forum. I can’t recall which forum has it but look for the stickie, highlighted in yellow, with the list of appropriate foods for large breed puppies.
No one here is a veterinary professional. One gal is a vet student but that’s about it. You posted on a weekend so lots of people are busy. I highly suggest feeding a good from the list I spoke of. Hound dog mom spent a lot of time gathering info for the list.

[Joanne R]

I would like to see options that I can feed my large breed puppy. I have just finally decided on a good food for him, and now wonder about treats. I am giving him carrots and bananas right now and also pieces of his food, but would love to know about more options. Thanks for any light someone can shed for me.

[Heather D]

Cyndi, what a lovely friendly reply, thank you. Yes I will keep him on the dry and cooked turkey, though the cooked turkey is receiving all his attention and the dry none haha.
I worry for him as he is from a large breed and this early feeding is of great importance.
We are going to the pet store tomorrow. I will take the list I have printed from here and see if any of it is available, though looking at their website none seems to be.
http://www.tiendanimal.es/?gclid=CO-g1t2F-r8CFU7MtAodqH0AVQ of course it is in Spanish but my computer translates for me.
They have very little in the way of tinned food.
The last time we went I did notice some very expensive, more than the 47euros, we pay fo the Eukanuba, and was drawn to it as it said free range chicken, wild salmon and free range eggs. I cannot remember whether it had any grain in as I wasn’t aware that grain was a problem.
If it is rice, is that ok?
As it is one hec of a journey to this pet store, we live way in the mountains, then I would like to buy there and then.
With this in mind should I look for high protein, low calcium lenels and low calories, this would help me maybe more than brand.
Thank you.

[aquariangt]

It’s a forum, not sure what you meant by “run by professionals” but forums are a place where people gather to discuss things. Looking at your previous post, you posted at 5:30 in the morning, that could easily be bumped down to the point where no one even saw it as a recent comment being so early, and not that many people are up and posting on the forums. No need to be rude-and attempting to guilt people doesn’t get you very far, anywhere in life really. (referring to this comment: “should I say Max a 10 week old puppy’s plight is ignored”)

Take a look at the above post that Naturella linked the list of acceptable foods for a large breed puppy, the most recent list in on page 15. Eukanuba is not a good food. That entire thread is full of good information. As opposed to asking “what food can I get around here” since most of us aren’t from spain, post what foods are available, and people can help you from there

[Heather D]

Hello members. Thank heavens I have found this site though have done nothing this morning with regard housework as just been reading.
We have a Spanish Mastiff crossed with a German Shepherd, rescued from a filthy pen some 4 weeks ago when he was just 6 weeks old. Riddled with parasites internal and external. Has been to the vet’s three times now but doing very well.
previously we had a couple of English Pointers so I was aware of the growth/calcium issue and they were reared to be 14 years. Dusty the bitch, spayed, died with skin cancer. We live in Spain and she was mostly white and was a momkey for lying in the sun with her legs splayed and stomach bared to the sun, she contracted skin cancer and sadly had to be put to sleep aged 14.
Bracken her pal, though not from the same litter, died just 6 weeks after Dusty with a heart attack.
They were reared for their first 18 months on Hills prescription for large breeds and did really well with it.
Now to our new little, well quite big puppy.
He couldn’t tolerate Hills so the vet advised Eukanuba food for large breed puppies and I give him two small additional feeds of cooked turkey each day to add to his protein as the dry food is 26% and wanted to increase it. He is tolerating it well, but I want him to have the best I can afford, and buy. We are pensioners and though not destitute we have to budget.
Spain is not known for it’s care of dogs, and sadly, living in the heart of Andalucia away from the Costas most dogs are raised on dry bread, yes dry bread and anything else they can find. These are the conditions our puppy Max was born into. Locked in a large fenced and gated pen, the owner coming only once per week to bring a sack of dry bread rolls and fill their water bowls. So we have adopted the family and go each night to feed and water through the fence.
The parents and the 2 other pups are doing well, and the owner as a thankyou gave us Max.
There are just 2 pet stores within a couple of hours drive that do sell some varied brands.
We want the very best for Max and from your lists I just don’t know if I am going to find any of the foods you mention.
My question is, sorry after this ramble, if I cannot find any you mention will Max be ok continuing on his Eukanuba for large breed puppies along with his cooked turkey, and are there any other things I can give him to supplement if he has to stay on this diet?

[Akari_32]

He’s definitely doing better. Got a bit of a ways to go, but we’re getting there for sure.

I agree with you on the chemical and such side of that. What I meant by average is brands (like Pro Plan and Hills) that promote themselves to be the best of the best, and have minimal (chemical, etc) additives to them, but also have some thought and research behind them. Not that I think either of these brands are overly good, but they do have their places, and at this point I’m about ready to try anything. But I do know to stay away from certain things. The price point on these two Pro Plans is great. Like $15 a case usually. That’s something we can definitely handle. It’d be good for keeping the cost down and for some variety.

All I said to them (all of them) was that I needed a low carb food. I’m thinking Hill’s response was them thinking they were going to get my money anyways. Silly Hill’s– I’m not that stupid LOL

I know small breed foods typically have more calories per cup, which is great in my case for Haley, my 11 year old 60 lb lab mix. She can’t stomach too much dry food at once, so toy and small breed foods are typically a good choice if I can’t get a puppy or other higher calorie food. And large breed puppy foods, if formulated properly, have certain calcium and phosphorus levels and ratios. Beyond that, I don’t know if makes any difference giving large breed food to small breed dogs lol

[Bobby dog]

Hey Akari:
Nice update!! Glad he is physically more comfortable and the hair is still growing back.

Those are the two Pro Plans I feed, nice to know, thanks for posting the info.

The main parts I disagree with about feeding an “average” food versus “fancy” food are the artificial/chemical ingredients. I believe it is best to avoid a food that contains added colors, chemicals, artificial preservatives and flavorings etc which is what you find in most average foods, not all. IMHO those chemicals are detrimental to a pets’ health in any amount. I feed the Pro Plan’s you received info on and the Purina One Ground Classics; they don’t have the artificial preservatives/colors, starches, glutens, and various grains that I like to avoid for Bobby in those recipes.

Check out this link Tabatha posted on the forum today for a pet food analysis calculator:
/forums/topic/pet-food-label-help/

You have done some nice sleuthing. I would guess you might have provided too much info for some of the companies. Nobody wants to be held responsible for any information provided when a possible medical condition is involved. Maybe just ask specific questions about the food without going into detail about Bentley’s condition if you contact other companies.

If I wanted to up the calories or protein content I would probably add a little fresh meat to some or all of his meals. I would also probably add EVO to a rotation, but I understand your concern and you would know best. I am not sure about the large/small breed food differences. Never really looked into it, but I have fed Bobby a few large and small breed canned foods before, he’s a medium sized dog.

[Akari_32]

Hey guys. Just updating. No baths in a few weeks, but his hair is growing back really well (new growth is about an inch long), and his skin is no longer red all over. Still red at his paws and up his hind legs some, and around his nose, but his body is back to pinkish-white, and he is chewing and scratching much less (and doesn’t smell nasty all the time). I’ve been giving him 3/4 of a can of By Nature 95% one day, and the next day he gets the rest of the can, and 1/4 cup of THK, mixed with however much water it needs to thin it back out to the consistency of just canned food.

He does need a bath right now (some one *cough* mom *cough* cleaned up pee in the hallway around his cage and then thought it was a good idea to put the pee towel in the cage because she didn’t want to walk it to the laundry room…), and I’ll use his medicated shampoo, and then wash him with his new shampoo and conditioner (supposed to be really good for their skin and coat, and has keratin in it– I’ll get the name of it in a bit).

I’m looking at some other foods to add in to his diet. I’ve emailed several companies and asked for the as fed carb values of their foods. My answers so far:

Purina Pro Plan:
“We appreciate your interest in our products. Please know that this information is not something we have readily available and takes time on the part of our nutritionist to determine. We cannot provide it for each and every one of our products.

However, if you can narrow your choice to a particular flavor or two, we’ll be happy to fulfill your request. Please understand it may take some time to process this information. We appreciate your patience.”

What the crap is that?? You don’t keep this info on hand?? Yeah, ok. Anyways, I went through the review side, and picked out all the four star formulas. More than they asked for, but whatever. My thought on the Pro Plan is that maybe an “average” food rather than a “fancy” food would do him some good. Some dogs don’t do well on high quality foods– we all know this. One of those if its ain’t broke sort of deals. Just an idea for a back up food. It’ll take some time to get an answer from them, I’ll assume.

Hill’s:
“Thank you for visiting HillsPet.com and sending us your message.

Due to your special pet’s medical condition we would suggest that you speak to your veterinarian for a food recommendation. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. offers a full line of therapeutic products which are formulated for the management of certain health issues that can develop in pets. The product that will work best for your pet depends upon his or her individual circumstances and is something that your veterinarian will have to help you to determine.

We appreciate your interest in Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. If we can help in any other way, contact our Consumer Affairs Department toll-free at 1-800-445-5777 8AM-5PM CST, Monday-Friday or revisit HillsPet.com.

Sincerely,

Consumer Affairs
Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc.”

I was hoping to get some values on Ideal Balance. Another “average” food sort of idea. But looking at the values on the can today at the store (they have dry matter basis on the Hill’s website), I’m ditching this food. Way too low protein and just 4.5 and 5%. And toooooooons of carbs. Each can has a protein source, and then three or four carbs sources. No thanks!

Nutro:
” Dear Danielle,
>
> Thank you for taking the time to contact us. Our canned food for dogs average about 5% carbs. Canned food is low in carbs because they are primarily water or broth (around 78%). We do not make anything that will have lower values than 5%.

……

Hi Danielle-
None of our dry foods will have a carbohydrate level as low as 15%. They average 30-45%. Canned food, by nature, will have the lowest carbs, as they are primarily made of water/broth. The Ultra™ and the Natural Choice® Chunks & Gravy formulas have the lowest amounts (approx. 4%). Hope this information helps!”

All of the Nutro Natural Choice and Ultra cans are right in our price range, at $21 to $28 a 12 can case. The Large Breed recipes seem to be the best looking as far as how much to feed, and protein values. And if the carb values they gave are correct, they are right where I want to stay. Very nice looking line. I don’t tend to follow the whole dog’s size and age marketing thing, but he’s only 8 pounds. Would a large breed (puppy and adult food) be fine for him? He’s two years old, and should be about 8 pounds (he’s probably 7-ish).

And theres always EVO. Good price point, but high fat. Not a food I’d have him on all the time. Maybe I’ll use it to keep his weight up. I’m having trouble keeping his weight up with out him eating us out of house and home. I’m trying to do the best by him and by moms budget. $20 a case where he’s eating the whole can every meal is not helping the budget issue. The By Nature is great, but its not high calorie enough, and I don’t think high fat enough, either. He’s an active little guy, and needs something that can keep him beefed up.

Anyway, if anyone has any thoughts or input or anything, throw it out there!

[Deborah M]

I would try the Venison, Chicken, or the Green Tripe. The lamb and the beef are pretty high in fat. The green tripe is disgusting … it smells like an elephants stall. But … my dogs LOVE LOVE LOVE it. And I’ve read so many beneficial things with regard to the green tripe. And it’s very easy to prepare. My dogs have always been really finicky eaters since they were puppies. I’ve tried dozens of top quality brands, this is the ONLY food that actually causes them to beg at meal times. I am very happy with the quality of the ingredients, the ease in preparation, and the fact that my girls absolutely love it. It is on the expensive side, so I feel bad for those with large breed dogs who want to go this route. My two are only 11 lbs each, so its a little more affordable for me. I buy it in bulk at either Amazon.com, or Chewys. Both offer free shipping and no tax options. The local pet store is more expensive, plus I have to pay tax. Hope this helps.

[Rhonda C]

Does anyone know if there are any Large Kibble dog food with Glucosamine 4 or 5 stars that are in at the least 30 pound bags? Some of the bags say large breed adult but when you buy the food the kibbles are very small. I am looking for large kibbles in the bag not just the words on the bag. Thank you

[DogFoodie]

I just started looking myself last weekend and haven’t found a lot so far. I’m more limited because my dog is fish intolerance as well. I’ll share what I’ve found, although none are fish based, and maybe you can check their other proteins: Annamaet, NVI LID, Canidae Pure Sky, California Natural Large Breed Lamb Meal & Rice., Acana Pork & Butternut Squash.

Oh, here’s a couple of good ones, Orijen Six Fish and Annamaet Aqualuk.

I’ll post as I find others.

[Marlene N]

hello Kelsey I read your post and im starting to believe the same.
I have a Golden Retriever puppy too.
At 9 weeks old we were forced to change your food because the breeder was using a cheap brand called ” purina ol Roy”. (No nutritional value) We chose the blue life protection large breed brand. For the first 5 months everything seemed to be fine. Her coat was softer, her energy level and bowel movements better and she was anxious to eat her food. Then she started to be exposed to swimming in a lake, grabbing things off the street, eating grass , basically everything that comes with summertime. The diarrhea started. so we stopped her food and started her on the chicken and rice diet and then slowly gradually introduce her food to the chicken and rice and same thing the diarrhea came back full fledged.
For us -it has been going on for 2 months on and off, and we even tried to switch her over to the blue wilderness because we believed it was the grains causing it, but our second visit to the vet today, believes that the blue brand dog food is to rich in protein for dogs with senstive stomach’s. It makes sense. after a lot of research and discussions with veterinarians they believe that golden retrievers naturally have a sensitive stomach so diarrhea is something that will be regular, when it happens, our vet recommended imodium 1 tab every 12 hrs to stop the inital diarrhea runs and cramping along with the bland diet of chicken and rice. And to not feed them blue products.
So at the end of the day, we are guilty of trying to do the best thing for our pets by buying the best brand of dog food on the market with no grains, no by products, no soy or wheat and no chemicals when it would appear that this is what some dogs require.I would suggest any brands that for large breed sensitive stomach like natural choice nutrition. On another note, I saw 1 recall back in 2010 but it was for to much calcium.
right now our girl is on the chicken and rice with a slow introduction to new vet brand of dog food find that is a made by Hills, prescription I / d. we are keeping our fingers crossed that this works. Good luck!

[David T]

I am considering switching my 2 year old IW food (Blue Buffalo Large Breed) to one of the editors choices recommendations. I think Blue Buffalo has been giving my IW infrequent (1-2 times every couple of months) diarrhea. I have heard that Blue buffalo mixes there vitamins separately which can cause abnormal dose in the dry food. I like Blue because of the low calcium <1.5%. However, I have noticed that a lot of the editors choice brands have very high Calcium levels in their food. From what I have read, (on this site) it is recommended to stay below 1.5% Calcium. Are there any dog food brands that are high quality and tailored to large/giant breeds?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Brenda & Linda –

Pregnant bitches should be fed a high quality food appropriate for puppies or all life stages. All of Orijen’s formulas would be acceptable, all of Acana’s formulas with the exception of the Adult Large Breed, Senior Dog and Light & Fit would be appropriate and all of Natural Balance’s foods with the exception of their Fat Dogs formula, their Vegetarian formula and their Ultra Reduced Calorie formula would work as well. Personally, however, the only Natural Balance formula I would feel comfortable feeding to a pregnant or lactating bitch would be the Synergy formula – the other are all too low in fat and protein for my liking and I feel it would be difficult to maintain body condition on those foods. I would also highly recommend mixing in a quality canned food with high levels of protein and fat with whichever dry food you choose, this will not only aid in further increasing the protein and fat levels of of the kibble but will also increase the moisture level in the diet helping to keep her hydrated and increase the palatability (many bitches tend to not eat enough to support the high energy demands of pregnancy and lactation so this is important).

[dsrogers]

I am changing my dog over to authority large breed grain free from the regular authority. I notice that her stool is very light, like a white or pale yellow colour. Is that normal for grain free?

[Naturella]

Darren,

This thread here should help: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/#post-47810

It has great info on large and giant breed puppy nutrition, as it is very important to balance the calcium and phosphorus ratio right. On page 17 or so there should be a document you can download with acceptable foods for large and giant breed puppies.

Good luck with the new pup! 🙂

[losul]

O.K., O.K., you got me!!

I loved the title you chose for your post. If you had wrote something like “Looking for a good dog food that blankety, blank, blank, for blankety, blank, blank”, I very likely wouldn’t have even read it, and left it for others more capable to help. As it was, how could I resist the challenge!!

Unfortunately, what you are requesting with all those parameters in a kibblet, is likely and truly “Mission Impossible”.

I can come close to, but the fat the fat percentage is a bit less than what you request. (12%). Also it’s equally as expensive as the NL, and more than regular wellness core. Wellness Core large breed 34/12 3540 cal/kg., 346 cal/cup. It’s only slightly less calorie dense than regular Wellness Core at 3660 cal/kg (3.5%) and 420 cal/cup. The main reason so big a difference in cal/cup is because the kibble size is large for the large breed. A cup of stones weighs less than a cup of sand. weight and volume don’t go hand in hand.

http://www.chewy.com/dog/wellness-core-grain-free-large-breed/dp/54100

This message will self destruct in 5 seconds… 😀

• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by losul.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by losul.

[Darren S]

I have a Bullmastiff puppy on the way. Im looking for recommendations on puppy food? Don’t want to do a raw diet. Thank you.

[Kritterlady]

NectarMom, you make some good points but remember, the foods that rate so low now are made completely different than they were 15 or even 10 yrs ago. As they’ve been bought by larger corporations the quality of once good foods has nose dived. Also dog breeds that once were working dogs are no longer being bred to be hardy. As they’ve gained in popularity as pets the immune systems have weakened. Just as city dwellers no longer have the strengthened immune systems as people living closer to the land and working hard outdoors our dog breeds also have lost their vigorous ability to handle the toxins in the environment.

[Susan]

Hi Tracey, have you looked at the Wellness kibbles, they have their “Complete health”range, their “Core” grainfree range & their “Simple” limited Ingredient range, here’s a link so you can have a look at them all, the fat% is under Guaranteed Analysis http://wellnesspetfood.com/dog-wellness.aspx the Core grainfree fat % is around 16% the Core does have a Grainfree reduced fat at 10% fat but the fiber is 12% a bit high but the Complete Health Large breed is around 11%fat not grainfree & the Simple Grainfree Salmon & Potatos is around 12% fat & the Simple has a grainfree Healthy Weight that is 8-9% fat & the fiber is only 6% I hope this helps.. I like their Simple range the best…

[FrenchieBourdeaux]

Hi,
I am new to the forum and I know this question my have been answered and if so I am sorry. I just recently got a Doug De Bordeaux mastiff and I also have French Bulldogs so I am struggling to figure out what the best food would be to feed I feed my Frenchies a Nature’s Logic which they love and do great on mixture of there raw and dry. Ludo the new boy the mastiff came from the breeders eating TOTW which I don’t like to much or trust. Well he loves the Logic and wont eat the large breed puppy food the horizon complete he wants to eat what the girls eat (Frenchies) and the girls want to it his food which they cant. So I was wondering which food I could feed them all with were they would all be happy is Nature;s Logic calcium levels to high for him and if so which one on the list would be good for both to eat the Frenchies have a lot of allergy issues so I get nerves switching but it is not working feeding two different foods. Is the Now Calcium levels to high? And if so which one on the list do you feel would be the best for both breeds. He is 10 Weeks my Frenchies are 1, 5, and 8 years old. And is there any supplements that I should have him on? Sorry for the book..lol.

[mellowmutt]

The problem with bloat, is how poorly it’s understood. I followed all the guidelines and still ran into it; changed nothing, hasn’t recurred. IMO, the least-likely cause is an elevated food dish. Wishing I had one right now due to a herniated lumbar disk, it’d be easier to pick up. Practical owner concerns aside, if your pup eats faster from an elevated dish I would suggest not using one. Otherwise, I doubt it’s a factor, or that it’s something large-breed dogs somehow “need” according to anyone who doesn’t sell them.

[Ben M]

I just got a Bouvier puppy and was looking for a good dog food. After looking through some documents and doing some research I was leaning to the Nature’s Variety Instinct: Limited Ingredient Diet Turkey…when I went to the site to verify my decision (I saw they had reformulated recently) I found the calcium levels higher than what i thought was recommended at 1.9%

http://www.instinctpetfood.com/product/instinct-grain-free-limited-ingredient-kibble-dog-food-turkey

The have a large breed puppy formula which looks better….however the 1.2%(min) throws me a little as to what the (max) would be

http://www.instinctpetfood.com/product/instinct-raw-boost-grain-free-kibble-large-breed-puppy-food-chicken

Can someone help me out…maybe I’m looking at it wrong?

[spaniel39]

hey Mom, I had a post and needed your advice-Thank you!

Hi
HDM et all
My sophie the Komondor is now 17 months old and I’ve switched her large breed puppy
food to Adult large breed, still with the lower calcium and phosphorous levels
around 1.4 calcium and 1.0 phosphorous
But I can’t seem to find any information on if I can feed them higher levels once full grown
and adults. I have 2 springer spaniels and even though I rotate their diets, would like not
to have to get so many different kinds of dog foods
is 2.2, etc too high a cacium level for an adult large breed? Does it even matter.
The spaniels are doing well on Wellness Core Ocean (and great stools) and would love
to put Sophie on that
Thank you all
Michael (and Sophie and Samuel the Spaniel and Charlotte)

[spaniel39]

Hi
HDM et all
My sophie the Komondor is now 17 months old and I’ve switched her large breed puppy
food to Adult large breed, still with the lower calcium and phosphorous levels
around 1.4 calcium and 1.0 phosphorous
But I can’t seem to find any information on if I can feed them higher levels once full grown
and adults. I have 2 springer spaniels and even though I rotate their diets, would like not
to have to get so many different kinds of dog foods
is 2.2, etc too high a cacium level for an adult large breed? Does it even matter.
The spaniels are doing well on Wellness Core Ocean (and great stools) and would love
to put Sophie on that
Thank you all
Michael (and Sophie and Samuel the Spaniel and Charlotte)

[spaniel39]

Hi Hound Dog Mom et all:
I just can’t seem to keep Sophie the Komondor’s stools firm;
Have her on Nutrisource Large Breed Lamb, which she loves; not really giving her
treats; She does go the the dog beach and park (where she could pick up something
whether a “bug” or eating something bad); but been tested for Giardia, etc
(which I know doesn’t always show) so I just do a course of Panacur or Metronzadole.
She is happy, healthy, but Pudding poops
I read a thread about D. Earth, adding a tablespoon to her food daily. could try that.
In addition, she gets probiotics (Coagulans Bacillus) and NWC total Biotics.
Also done the boiled chicken/rice/sweet potato/canned pumpkin
Thanks!

[InkedMarie]

Go to the “Diet and Health issues” forum here; there is a stickie highlighted in yellow there with large breed nutrition.