Hi Marie,
My vet really thought very highly of the CurcuVET. I’d also love to ask my TCVM vet and see what he thinks. My regular vet described it as a highly bio-available therapeutic dose of curcumin, I was sold. I guess I never really made the connection before that curcumin would also help with digestion as well, which now makes sense to me (after further explanation from Patty).
I don’t know what Gemma’s taking that it might replace or if it would be OK in addition to… so I’ll leave that up to the pros for a little more feedback for you. : )
I was looking At Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance Freeze Dried…it has Chickpeas but I did not see any meat. Do the Chickpeas act as the protein? Never mind, I see the protein content from the Chickpeas BUT it also says to add you dogs favorite protein….I am a little confused. It’s the Pre-Mix.
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This reply was modified 12 years, 9 months ago by
Whitney.
Thanks for the info Betsy. I will ask the Vet and then look into it. That was very helpful! And April, I thought about that last night and was gonna look again today. I had looked before but then changed my mind because I thought I could deal with the “inconvenience” of driving 45 min. one way. Well I own a diesel truck and I am a homeschool Mom so we don’t have the extra money in the budget to drive to get dog food. Hence the Tractor Supply 4Health brand.I am trying to get Cal. level info on that. They are doing very well on the grain free as far as tummy goes but I am at Wal Mart more than I am Tractor Supply. That is why I wanted to try Pure Balance. They don’t list the Cal. on the bag either BUT I found a phone number. Oh, and what about the Phosphorus? Someone said that there should be certain levels of that along with Cal.? Just wondering.
Betsy: I’m wondering if that Thorne product may be good for my Gemma. She’s old, her tummy is fine but her joints aren’t. She’s bow legged a bit in the front, vet says from being crated too much. Anyway, she is currently on Swanson joint mobility plus (plus salmon oil and a chinese herb called “Benefit hips & knees”).
Do you, or anyone else, think this product would be worth trying? If yes, do I skip the other stuff or use all of it?
Ringmaster
The Swansons enzymes are fine. Try something like yogurt or canned food in the kong. You can even use some of your kibble mixed with yogurt.
Hi Whitney,
My 15 month old Golden pup has been diagnosed with pano and recently had another slight flare-up. I took him back to the vet (integrative medicine) and she recommended this supplement from Thorne: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005BSN030/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. I had been giving Sam turmeric, but she said it would be nearly impossible for me to give him a truly therapeutic dose of turmeric, which is what Thorne’s CurcuVET is. He’s up to taking it twice a day right now and it hasn’t been quite one week and I’m working up to three capsules daily (he weighs about 76 pounds). I really believe this stuff will help his pano as I’m already a believer in the anti-inflammatory power of turmeric, but I’m also very helpful that it helps heal his delicate digestive system. Funny thing is, I always shoved capsules into his poor gullet and I have now realized that I can literally just throw it into his bowl and he eats it right up with his food.
Not knowing if it would be appropriate for your pup, you might want to ask your vet about it also.
whitney, would it be a possibility to match something up from the lists with chewy.com or petflow.com?
reason im asking unless i missed it somewhere “its just a bit of a drive to costco so i would like something close”
hit 50 dollars on those websites and shipping is free to your door step. opens up a lot more options for food
AnonymousInactive
Hound Dog Mom – thanks for the suggestion. Nature’s Variety is a bit more than I was hoping to spend, but I will keep it in mind in case I need to go to a limited ingredient diet. We have a follow up appt with our vet in 3 weeks, so I assume if he isn’t better they would treat with a different dewormer rather than repeating the Panacur? And BTW, thanks for all the work you put into your famous list. It is such a helpful resource!
Pattyvaughn – I am on the Swanson website to order the ultimate 15 strain probiotic you recommend on the other forum. Would the Swanson brand digestive enzymes be good with that, or would you recommend something else specifically? If I start adding pumpkin to his kibble, should I stop putting it in his Kongs? I don’t want to overdo it. Thanks again.
I found the list on the first page. I was feeding her Kirklands, it’s just a bit of a drive to Costco so I would really love to find something close and comparable. Thank you for your time.
What should the calcium levels be? I can’t find that list.
Sorry, we were posting at the same time so I didn’t see your’s.
Hi Whitney
Please don’t give her anything for pain before you have the vet look at her, since that may mask the pain and then the vet won’t get a true idea of the severity of the problem.
I don’t think anybody here said to not give her a puppy food. We definitely would have cautiond you to be aware of the calcium level though.
Thank you! We go to a Naturalist as a family and we eat our medicine so I will look into herbs for her. I just wasn’t sure what would be safe. You know, I hear slight clicking coming from her back end and I told the Vet and he said that it is probably just joints loose because she is growing and would check her at a year. So I will do the supplemental stuff until then. She is on Proin already at such a young age. They said there was no natural alternative. 🙁
Hi Whitney –
I’m not sure if the calcium levels in 4Health Grain-Free or Pure Balance are okay or not – I didn’t look into these foods because they’re only rated 3.5 stars and therefore didn’t meet the criteria of my list. So if you want to feed these I would suggest contacting the companies to obtain the calcium levels. If she’s still a pup and already experiencing pain I would discuss this with your vet – while it could be an injury it is likely Pano or severe HD (it would have to be pretty severe for the dog to be showing symptoms at such a young age). I would recommend supplementing with some natural anti-inflammatories such as boswellia, yucca, turmeric (curcumin), bromelain, omega 3’s, tart cherry, or white willow and/or high doses of omega 3’s. Now may also be a good time to start a joint maintenance supplement such as glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, hyaluronic acid, green lipped mussel and/or esterified fatty acids. I’d also suggest avoiding grains entirely as grains are inflammatory.
Anyone have an opinion on my previous post? 🙂
Kobe’s Dad
Sometimes Metronidazole just does not get rid of giardia. I’ve known plenty of people who have had to treat multiple times with Panacur before their dog finally licked it. Make sure that anytime you are giving antibiotics that you are replacing the probiotics in the gut both during and after treatment. Yes, the age of the sample can affect the test results.
Ringmaster
Probiotics are very sensitive to environmental conditions and the conditions that kibbles are regularly under are exactly the ones that kill probiotics, so I always assume the probiotics on kibble are only window dressing, except under very specific conditions. Additionally, kibbles rarely have the variety of different strains that a dog with issues needs.
I prefer the pumpkin be fed with the food for best results. Otherwise the pumpkin is going through the intestines at a different time than the food and it won’t help with food issues.
Earthborn has tubs rather than cans. Natures Variety Instinct is good too. For kong stuffing, I wouldn’t worry to much about calcium levels as long as you aren’t using something that is REALLY high in calcium.
AnonymousInactive
Kobe’s Dad: have you considered an intolerance to one of the ingredients in his food? That would certainly cause diarrhea. If there is a kibble he tolerates, even the prescription diet, compare ingredient lists to look for differences. If he hasn’t yet done well on anything, maybe you could try a couple of the limited ingredient kibbles (one at a time!) to look for improvement with the elimination of things like different grains, potatoes, or protein sources. I would give each a couple weeks to look for improvement. Have you tried adding probiotics and enzymes, as I plan to do for my guy with diarrhea per Patty’s suggestion? As far as kibble amounts go, I would take your breeder’s advice as a general guideline only if feeding the same food the breeder was, as calorie counts vary so greatly. If switching brands, the manufacturer’s recommendation based on your puppy’s weight is more useful. And the 6 month cut off seems arbitrary. Consider how much growth happens between 2 months and 6 months – I’m sure he wasn’t close to 80 lbs when you got him! They need to get more food slowly and continuously as they grow, based on their weight and activity level. And 3 cups a day seems very low for an 80 pound puppy. My guy gets 3 cups/day and he is only 20 lbs! If your food is around 400 kcal/cup, I’d expect Kobe to need something around 7 cups a day. I think the 6 month mark is a good time to switch from feeding 3 times per day to 2 times, though; just divide the total amount of food daily by however many meals you are giving. Maybe the breeder feared people would keep the meal size the same and start feeding 1 cup a meal twice a day rather than increasing meal size with the decreased frequency? But remember that they’re general guidelines, and individual needs will vary. You wouldn’t expect 2 of your patients to eat the exact same number of calories, fat, and protein just because both were 55 year old males. And about the vomiting after brown rice: I would strongly advise against getting your dog anything from a Chinese restaurant, no matter how good a restaurant. There is a lot of cross-contamination in restaurants, so you never know what you are actually exposing him to, even in tiny amounts, that could cause problems. A bag of rice is cheap and readily available, and it cooks up easily. For diarrhea I would stick to white rice, though, as it is more easily digestible. I hope some part of this ramble helps.
Hi Kobe’s Dad –
Yellow mucousy indicates that the stool is moving quickly through the intestines and it could be caused by a few different things. It could definitely indicate giardia, it could also be insufficient pancreatic enzymes, increased bilirubin (a breakdown product formed in the liver) or a food intolerace/allergy. “Greasy” stool usually is associated with malabsorption. There’s really no way for anyone here to tell you for sure what the issue is – this really is something that should be discussed with your vet. Your vet didn’t have anything to offer concerning these problems aside from having him tested for giardia?
No one can tell you exactly how much your dog should eat, however 3 cups per day for a 5 1/2 month old dog that’s already 80 pounds doesn’t sound like nearly enough. I start with what the bag recommends and adjust from there based on his body condition.
TO HOUND DOG MOM AND PATTY,
I need your educated opinions on 2 issues
first, my bernese puppy-5 and 1/2 months old came to me from California Memorial Day weekend-diagnosed with giardia 3 days later he has been treated 2 times with the combination of metronidazole and panacur—the second treatment occurred in the setting of a negative stool test BUT the specimen submitted was several hours old before brought in to the vets office –i treated him because his diarrhea the second time was exactly the same as the first time—yellow and greasy–he got better but 2 weeks later-on monday 8/26–he again developed yellow ,greasy diarrhea–the stool specimen at 4am obtained was brought to the ANIMAL Medical Center in nyc 3 hours later–the specimen results 2 days later was negative–in the 2 days waiting ,he was started back on the same combination-metronidazole and panacur with a significant improvement in 3 days—this most recent episode ,he vomited twice during the night as well–12 hrs a fter his last meal-dinner– and afterleaving the Medical Center he had yellowish diarrhea with undigested rice seen in it—-that i put in his kibble 12 hrs prior–this was brown rice from a local chinese restaurant—previously, i only gave white rice but i was told brown rice was more binding——
to give you a little more information,icalled a human lab-QUEST-and was told a stool specimen would not be accepted unless placed in a container of theirs prepared with their preservatives so to speak———therefore the pup diarrhea clinically seems like giardia is the cause but the stool is negative—-do you guys think that the time delay before processing has led to a false negative result?
other possibilities are inflammatory bowel disease or pancreatic insufficiency which i cant believe—i am an adult cardiologist in nyc and all people with the above conditions are skinny and unhealthy looking !!–my pup is already 80 lbs at 5 and 1/2 months–hardly the appearance of an animal not absorbing nutrients from a chronic illness?
in summary, do you think that yellow greasy diarrhea could be caused by anything other than giardia?
my second issue is nutrition–Kobe is back on Hills i and d kibble-actually since i stopped NATURES VARIETY LARGE BREED PUPPY KIBBLE 2 weeks ago due to diarrhea-he has been on this I AND D—how long should i wait before transitioning him to better kibble given this weeks illness–antibiotics will be completed on september 5th?AND i have decide to use ZIGNATURE kibble–here is the problem: my breeders handout reads to use 1 cup of kibble 3x/day until 6 months of age then use 2 cups 2x/day after 6 months of age—the zignature company has recommended to give my pup 5 CUPS OF THEIR KIBBLE PER DAY!!
I am not an expert in nutrition-can you advise me how much i shoud give my pup of this kibble before 6 months of age but more importantly after 6 months—i dont know if their is a reason based on calories why 5 cups/day is recommended–i dont want to harm Kobe if i feed him only 3 cups/day
I APPRECIATE ANY AND ALL ADVICE-unfortunately, i know much about human hearts BUT very little about yellow,greasy diarrhea nor about how much of this ZIGNATURE TO FEED
THANKS SO MUCH,
KOBE’S DAD
I’m not sure if it’d be within your budget but Nature’s Variety Limited Ingredient Turkey could be a good formula to try if you suspect protein sensitivities. Also be aware that, depending on what type of tapeworm he’s infected with, the Panacur may not work.
AnonymousInactive
Thanks, Patty! I apprecite your quick response. He has been getting about 3 tablespoons of pure pumpkin twice a day in his Kongs with diced apple or, more usually, kibble mixed in. Why add probiotics when the higher quality kibble is already coated with it? Are there not sufficient amounts on the food, or do you want different strains? I think I saw another forum on probiotics – I’ll have to go take a look. I didn’t mean to imply my vet was totally guessing in her diagnosis, just that she was basing it on my report and not on anything she saw herself. I did think my description was pretty textbook (though they didn’t look flat to me), and I do have a lot of faith in her, but it’s nice when the pros can see it themselves. I will take a closer look at the Earthborn. I originally ruled it out because it was at the high end of allowable calcium for a LBP, but I guess under 3.5 is under 3.5… I would also like to find a good canned food to use in Kongs as a break from pumpkin, but it doesn’t look like Earthborn makes one, and I should probably get the kibble issue sorted out before I add anything else new.
Try Earthborn Coastal Catch or Meadow Feast. They are a decent price for a great food. Also pick up some digestive enzymes and probiotics at the health food store and canned pure pumpkin. Give him a heaping teaspoon of the canned pumpkin with all his meals while you are transitioning and for a little while after. Give the enzymes in every meal too, enough that he is getting an adult dose every day for at least 2 weeks after you have finished transitioning. Give an adult dose of the probiotic every day. You can do this any time you transition foods as long as you need to.
You described tapeworms exactly, your vet is not guessing at all. It only takes eating one flea to get them, so they didn’t have to have noticable fleas. And he had to have eaten that flea fairly early on for him to be shedding segments already.
AnonymousInactive
Hi everyone. I’m looking for suggestions for my 11-week-old Golden Retriever. He weighs 20 pounds, and is a healthy weight- can feel ribs and see a waist. Our vet says that he looks great, and if we weren’t reporting problems she would think him completely healthy. He came from the breeder at 8 weeks with Iams puppy food for small/toy breeds (!) and we immediately started switching him to Fromm Large Breed Puppy. His stools immediately got soft, with frequent diarrhea and a few incidences of bloody diarrhea. Our vet thought it was stress and treated with metronidazole, which showed temporary improvement but never really got his stool firm. A couple days ago I saw what I thought looked like worms in 2 bowel movements: rice-like, segmented, pale yellow, and profuse! Unfortunately, I didn’t think of saving a sample for the vet until after I’d disposed of it, and the later samples I took in tested negative. Based on my description, and the fact that he has already had Heartgard, they are assuming tapeworm, though at 11 weeks old I’m not sure where he would have gotten them. We visited him weekly from 8 days old, and his mom and litter mates never had fleas, and he’s never been off-leash to eat a rodent! So as of yesterday we are back on metronidazole, plus panacur dewormer, and he’s eating Purina prescription diet EN, which is almost entirely rice and corn, with just 23% protein and 10% fat. Only 18 hours after the switch, his stools are completely firmed up. Obviously we can’t keep him on this long-term, though. The vet said after 5 days we should start to transition back to regular food, and suggested perhaps something with fewer protein sources since the Fromm’s has duck, chicken, fish and lamb. So, in your much-respected opinions, should I give the Fromm’s a second chance, or go to another new thing? I want to stick with one of Hound Dog Mom’s recommended kibbles, but am of rather limited means. The breeder had recommended TOTW, but I would really prefer to avoid anything from Diamond. If environment might suggest another problem, we are in upstate New York. Thanks so much!
“What are good options to implement (such as veggies and fruits)?”
Toppers can be scrambled egg, sardines, raw meat, canned food, whatever you like it to be but the general rule is to not use more than 20% as a topper and try to use species appropriate toppers. As for veggies or fruit, use these in small amounts as dogs don’t need too much of them but they do contain nutrients and antioxidants, etc. Fruit has a lot of sugar so I don’t use much. When I make a homemade batch of food I don’t use more than 5% fruits, and 20% veggies. And actually my last batch of food, I didn’t put in any veg/fruit.
“What is the ratios?”
When talking about ratios, a couple things come to mind. First, the calcium to phosphorus ratio is important for large breed puppies. This affects their bone growth. Secondly, the prey model diet ratio of 80/10/10 of meat/bone/organs. Some recipe books have varying ratios.
“Generally how many times a day do people feed their kids?”
I feed twice a day, occasionally once a day. Some will fast their dogs one day a week.
“Are dairy products like cheese bad for dogs?”
It depends. If your dog is lactose intolerant, then yes. If it’s cheese from a cow that had antibiotics and growth hormones, yes it’s bad. I suggest a goat product like goat milk or goat milk kefir or cow product that came from free range cows that did not receive antibiotics or growth hormones. Products like full fat, no artificial sweeteners or colors yogurt has live cultures of beneficial organisms so it can help some dogs with digestive problems. Cottage cheese can be a good source of protein and is low in lactose (I think).
“What is the advantages of “bully bones/or marrow bones” vs rawhide bones?”
Rawhides are hard to digest and can cause blockages and the way they are processed can be problematic. Sometimes chemicals are used. And I think many of them come from China. Marrow bones aren’t processed and once the marrow has been taken care of, you can reuse the bone by stuffing it with something else and freezing it and giving it as a treat. Bully sticks can cause blockages too if they are gulped down. I usually take them away when they get small but gnawing on them helps clean the teeth. Cow hoof is another item that my dogs like to gnaw on.
Hi there! I have a Mastiff mix and I have been feeding 4 health grain free because the regular gave everyone gas. She has been doing fine but I want to switch to something more readily available. I bought Pure Balance today, the chicken formula. I was wondering if you think it’s still ok her being a large breed puppy and all? I know, or at least I think that I remember, that you said I should feed her an adult food so she doesn’t grow so fast and have joint issues. Just want you opinion 🙂 And she is having some aches and pains on occasion, in her hips. Should I give her some joint juice or something. Doggie aspirin?? Thank you!
Thanks! Yes, it is the only Dr. Tim’s food that I’ve tried. I didn’t try the grain-inclusive formula. That’s an idea. They have similar first ingredients and the grain-inclusive Kinesis is 2% higher protein than Fromm’s Adult Gold.
My only concern with Fromm’s Puppy Gold is that the calcium level is higher — 1.37% as-is and 1.47% dry-matter (vs. 1.16% and 1.24% respectively with the Adult).
I do normally try and feed a wet food topper, as well.
I’ve just never been able to get my 2 year old on a food that settled well with her — she’s been on Nature’s Recipe (ugh, I know) and that worked great but was low quality, Taste of the Wild, Acana, and then Fromm’s.
Perhaps I’ll try the grain-inclusive Kinesis and see how it goes? I do like how their stools are with Dr. Tim’s.
Hi Saireah –
Fromm Adult Gold is labeled for all life stages – so it would be fine to feed a puppy. Personally, however, I would feed the Fromm Puppy Gold to both your adult and puppy if the sensitive dog tolerates it as it’s higher in protein. The ingredient lists are very similar so I wouldn’t think there would be an issue. Is the grain-free Kinesis the only Dr. Tim’s food that you tried? Did you try any of the grain-inclusive formulas?
HDM: a few months ago, we talked about converting my 8th month old mastiff/lab mix to Dr. Tim’s GF Kinesis. One of my main purposes for this transition was to also put my 2 year old lab/vizsla on the same food as him.
He’s doing fine. In fact, they both love the taste. However, Quinn (2 year old) has been chewing her feet like crazy since she transition 100% over to Dr. Tim’s (3 weeks ago). She developed a rash on her stomach and I actually took her to the vet to get her on steroids as over-the-counter wasn’t working. Additionally, they gave me a pill to help with the itching prior to the steroids, but that also did nothing.
At first, I thought it was her allergies flaring up. She had to be put on steroids last summer. However, she had lasted all of the summer (June and July) without any itching while on Fromm’s Adult Gold. The reason I believe it may be the food is that she’s also thrown up twice since I started feeding it to her.
The basis for the background question is this:
In your opinion, can I feed Riggs (now 10 months — will be one year in mid-October) the Fromm’s Adult Gold? Note that I said Adult Gold, not Large Breed Adult Gold.
Quinn just hasn’t done well on any grain-free food that I’ve fed her. Acana, Taste of the Wild, etc. May be too rich for her. She did fine on Adult Gold — it’s just that I wanted her stools to be a bit firmer. That’s why I decided to try and make a household swap.
Would really love your feedback as I find it valuable. Thank you very much!
Per the studies done the only heart worm preventative found to be 100% effective was Advantage Multi – it was a small study though so my guess is that if it were larger Advantage Multi would have some failures as well (just a hunch). Most vets are observing equal numbers of failures with Interceptor/Sentinel, Heartguard and Revolution. The failures are mostly seen in large breed, outdoor dogs.
http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Veterinary+news/Leading-parasitologist-reveals-heartworm-preventiv/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/703785
http://www.yourpetsbestfriend.com/your_pets_best_friend/2008/04/heartworm-preve.html
BEAUTIFUL!! And I’m with you, I have a medium breed that some individuals are large and I also would rather ere on the side of caution rather than find out too late that I missjudged the size of the puppy or the rate of growth. Good luck.
Yes, he is one of my poodles. 🙂 Thank you, he is a very special boy.
Is that your poodle in the pic? Nice!
Well that is quite frustrating that I was given incorrect information.
I am quite familiar with standard poodles and all too aware and educated on the genetic predispositions in my breed. Also, in general, those of us who are knowledgeable and involved in the breed consider them to be a “medium to large breed” and we are careful to promote slow and steady growth to avoid orthopedic issues. I have always been careful to feed foods with moderate calcium levels to my puppies. That said, because poodles are closer to the “medium” end of the spectrum (or should be, in my opinion), I am sure that my precautions are just that – precautions.
I am not going to entirely rule out the two Acana formulas, but I am pretty happy with Dr. Tim’s at the moment so I may consider the grain inclusive version of Kinesis for the puppies. If puppy owners are reluctant to order online, I can suggest they feed Fromm Chicken a la Veg. Or, heck, maybe I’ll just raise the puppies on the Fromm. 🙂 A large percentage of my of my poodles’ diet is raw, but at this point I do plan to raise the litter on kibble.
On another note, does anyone know how to add a photo above my name?
Hi Tigerlily –
Generally, dogs that are expected to be 60 lbs. or more at maturity are classified as large breeds. I’m not familiar with standard poodles or their genetic predispositions, but if you’re planning on breeding a litter these are issues you should be knowledgeable about prior to breeding. I’ve spoken with Champion’s reps several times concerning the calcium levels in their foods (Acana/Orijen) and the values on the package are not the actual calcium levels. The max calcium levels in their formulas deviate by 0.2% – 0.3% from the stated minimum. The actual would fall somewhere between the minimum and maximum values. Even if 1.3% was the “actual” calcium level (which it’s not) the food would still be too high in calcium.
I’m still in the process of sorting this out so I don’t have answers, only anecdotal info:
I have been feeding my gsd blue buffalo large breed chicken since I got her 2 years ago. First the puppy formula then adult. No problems at all til the last bag I bought in early August 2013. Explosive and persistent diarrhea the day after I started feeding her the ‘new’ food followed by vomiting.
I started feeding her real rice, chicken and carrots to ease her pain. Then while transitioning her back to the blue buffalo by sprinkling it on the ‘real’ food, the diarrhea started again. To be clear, I don’t know for sure blue buffalo is causing the problem. I am just a person with a dog, not a food testing laboratory. But she is highly monitored – we are always together and hasn’t eaten foreign or domestic poop, objects or greenery.
After reading about others with similar experiences on this forum , I thought I should add mine to the list. Blue Buffalo is denying any change in their formula. My dog gets sick when she eats it. I hope yours doesn’t.
No, 50 lbs is medium breed, even proper sized GSDs are considered medium breed at 65 lbs. I have know standard poodle breeders that had standards big enough to qualify for large breed, but that was back when they were breeding them huge. That’s kind of gone out of fashion, thankfully.
I’ve always understood that an expected mature weight of 50 lbs. or more falls under the large breed puppy category. Std. Poodles are a medium to large breed and can be prone to issues such as hip dysplasia and other orthopedic issues so avoiding excessive calcium content is important with a puppy.
Like I said, I spoke directly with an Acana representative on the phone and was specifically told, when I asked, that the “minimum” calcium actually IS the “as fed” because of the EU requirements. The values are the same. So unless she gave me incorrect information, the as fed IS 1.3%.
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This reply was modified 12 years, 9 months ago by
Tigerlily.
Hi Tigerlily –
1.3% is the minimum calcium level – the actual level is higher. I think it may be find for your purposes however, I wouldn’t consider a standard poodle to be a large breed dog.
That’s my thought process, but just the same, slow and steady growth is important to avoid orthopedic issues.
I actually called Champion Petfoods a month or so back and spoke with a representative on the phone who told me that the “minimum” was the same as the “as fed” due to the fact that the food is sold in the EU where labeling requirements are very particular, or something to the effect of that.
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This reply was modified 12 years, 9 months ago by Tigerlily.
I think the first thing to do is email the company for the actual calcium instead of the minimum. But you are probably right that you don’t have to worry for your poodles, since large breed is usually considered to be 70 lbs and greater.
What is the formula for calculating the mg. ca per 1,000 calories? I would like to see exactly how much calcium is in the food. At 1.3% calcium and a cal:phos ratio of 1.2:1 I am not sure that I need necessarily discount Acana Chicken and Burbank Potato for my future litter of poodle puppies whom I expect to mature in the 40-50 lb range (medium to large breed).
My other choices are Dr. Tim’s Kinesis (grain inclusive) or Fromm, though for a few reasons they are not my top choices.
Thanks! 🙂
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This reply was modified 12 years, 9 months ago by Tigerlily.
The criteria is outlined in the document. None of the Acana formulas meet the criteria for required level of calcium.
Well, clearly! 🙂 I am curious as to how they deviate. I know quite a few breeders who consider these to be very appropriate foods for large breed puppies so am surprised to see them not included on the list of appropriate foods.
Hi tigerlily –
Those foods aren’t on the list because they aren’t appropriate for large/giant breed puppies.
Unfortunately Bernese Mountain dogs are very prone to cancer. I read somewhere something like 80% of Bernese Mountain dogs are diagnosed with cancer prior to the age of 5? I really hope everything turns out okay!
They used to believe that mast cell tumors always came back if the dog lived long enough. That was a while back though. They have definitely learned better.
Good luck talking to your vet.
I will do that Patty, I will get together some articles and talk to them about it. It would be interesting to hear their take on it.
Thanks for the info about the mast cell tumors, I have done some research and if it’s grade 1 and they get it all the prognosis is very good!! I didn’t realize it used to be “a matter of time”. I’m hoping that’s not the case here. After losing our first Berner at 3-1/2 years, we were so heartbroken, we couldn’t get another one. Then after almost 7 years, we went ahead and got Lux. This is terribly heart breaking. But, I am HOPING for the best, so we’ll see!
Cheers,
Jules
Correction, I’m feeding Lux a rotation of Wellness and WERUVA canned food, not Kobe. Kobe is the specific type of Weruva, with Kobe beef.
4 months ago
