[theBCnut]

FOS is a prebiotic, food for the probiotics.

[EHubbman]

Thank you so, so much for all your help with my little guy! I’ll definitely look into those probiotics! On the 15 strand +FOS one, what’s FOS?

I’m going to see how early I can get him into a different vet and get him completely checked out. (I’ll let you know how it goes!)

If I (and Dominic) could give you giant hugs and send yummy goodies to your guys, we so would! Thank you again, you’ve been amazing.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi EHubbman –

I would look into other probiotic supplements. Fortiflora isn’t very good – it’s made by Purina and the first ingredient is “animal digest.” Fortiflora also only has 1 probiotic strain. 🙁 Research has shown that 10+ strains are required for optimal GI health in dogs and the more strains present in your dogs gut, the better able he will be to respond to a variety of stressors. The probiotic formulas I recommend are Swanson’s Soil-Based Organisms (14 strains), Dr. Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 15 Strain Probiotic with FOS, Lee Swanson Signature Ultimate Probiotic Formula (13 strains + FOS), Garden of Life Primal Defense (12 strains) and Mercola (14 strains). Due to the fact that he’s on antibiotics it will be critical for him to receive a variety of strains of supplemental probiotics – antibiotics kill all the bacteria (the good and the bad!). Due to the issues he’s having and the fact that he’s on antibiotics I would also give double the recommended dose of probiotics. The Zignature would be worth a shot

[EHubbman]

Thank you so much! 🙂 I did forget to mention that he is indeed on probiotics. (Fortiflora, got it from the vet.)

So when he was still eating half bland and half kibble, his meals were:half bland, half kibble, his dose of antibiotics, probiotics, and a small amount of pumpkin to try and firm him up.

I think tomorrow we’re going to go to a different vet and get him a good once over (and a giardia test) to see what. hey have to say. I’ve been wholly unimpressed with my vet through all of this.

Thank you so much again for all of your help! I’ve been so lost with all of this that it’s so nice to have someone so well informed to talk to.

If the second vet does suggest a good change, would you think that the zignature lamb would be OK until I can research raw properly? Or would you go with something else?

(Typing this on mobile, so I apologize if there is anything that doesn’t look quite right!)

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi EHubbman –

I would try to discourage him from drinking lake water – although not highly likely it is possible for dogs to contract giardia or leptospirosis from doing this. Has he been tested for Giardia (giardia can cause yellowish diarrhea) and is he on a quality multi-strain probiotic and digestive enzyme supplement? If not, I would have him tested for giardia (you have to specifically ask for this test, it won’t show up on a regular fecal and make sure your vet sends the sample to a lab – much more accurate than in-house testing) and get him on digestive supplements. You may also want to give an herbal digestive supplement (such as The Honest Kitchen’s Perfect Form) a try – some people have had a lot of success with herbal digestive supplements.

Orange tinged stool can be a sign of small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) – meaning the intestinal flora is off balance. This is common secondary condition with dogs who have endocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). I would definitely discuss this with your veterinarian.

The Zignature Trout & Salmon formula is appropriate for large breed puppies and would be worth a shot if you want to try Zignaure – I believe the formulas are all fairly similar except for different proteins sources.

Raw would be a great option – especially for a sensitive dog. If this is something you’re willing and able to do that’s wonderful. It will be necessary to do a lot of research prior to embarking on a raw feeding regimen, however. I would recommend checking out dogaware(dot)com and picking up a copy of Steve Brown’s book “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet.” You can also check out the recommended raw menus thread in the raw food forum – I have many of my crew’s menus posted.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 9 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Is Mila eating a homemade diet or commercial diet? (Sorry I’m drawing a blank here – I know you were trying raw but I can’t remember if you switched her completely to homemade raw or are just supplementing a commercial food with raw). If you’re feeding predominantly a commercially prepared balanced food (be it raw, kibble, etc.) I personally feel Mila would benefit much more from a whole food based supplement as opposed to a supplement such as this which consists of mostly synthetic vitamins and minerals (for more details on the benefits of whole food supplementation you can read the post I just made to sharkie on the large breed puppy thread). If she’s eating homemade food and you were planning on using this as a vitamin/mineral supplement, it’s not going to supply adequate levels of vitamin e or manganese (I don’t think I see managanese?) and I still feel that a whole food based supplement should be given in conjunction with a multivitamin/mineral. Sorry if any of this is repeated information or was already discussed, my brain isn’t all here today and I’m forgetting who I’ve talked to, what was said by who, etc. lol

[EHubbman]

Should note he’s 4.5 months now, this whole fiasco has been going on for the better half of a month.
Finishing up the tylen powder antibiotic today after 10 days of being on it, he started it when he got his full dose of wormer.

[EHubbman]

Also have a little guy with possible sensitivities? Needing some advice here, because I’m at a complete loss.

The whole timeline: 8 weeks, brought Dom home, had him on TOTW Puppy, which he stopped eating. We then switched to NV Rabbit, which he liked but got a smidge bored with, so I started adding different canned toppers. This whole time, his stools were normal and he was doing great.
After the small back of NV Rabbit, we switched to NV LID Turkey, which he did fine with for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, though, he started getting diarrhea. In those 2 weeks, though, he also went swimming (and drinking) in a lake. He also go to play with his sister who, while she didn’t have fleas biting her, she had fleas on her (owner was in process of getting rid of them, I didn’t know this till later.). With how they were rough housing, I’m sure Dom ate a few fleas along the way.

So he has this diarrhea, and it’s not really going away. His stools softened then loosened. Took him to the vet and she gave him metronidazole (his stools were just soft, no mucus or blood) which did nothing for him. I took out the canned toppers, which also did nothing. I talked to a vet friend, and we talked about a few different things, including getting him on a bland diet to help sort him out. I went out to clean up the dog yard before this, though, and found a rice-sized white …thing? In his stool. Talked to the vet friend again, she said it was tapeworm. We ran into the vet, got Droncit and tylen powder (wormer and antibiotic.) So he was on a bland diet, took the dewormer. Had a solid stool full of odd white stuff (shed worms), Kept him on bland for a week with the antibiotics, and he did great. As soon as I started slowly mixing the NV LID Turkey back in, though, his stools got soft again. He also, though, went swimming in a different lake and probably drank some of that water, too. So I kept with the half and half (bland and kibble) to make sure it wasn’t the lake water upsetting his tummy. It wasn’t, so I went to find different food for him.

The gal I talked to at the local food store is suggesting Zignatture LI Lanb for him, but it’s not on the list of approved foods. What, in your opinion, should I do now? He’s currently back to bland, which I’m really not fond of because he’s not getting the nutrients he needs. This morning’s stool was firm, but slightly orange, and had two odd white things in it. Not sure what they were.

Should I take him to a different vet to get him a full work up, switch foods (and what to?), or…? This is my first time as an adult having a pup, and I’m really just lost now, because nothing seems to be working. I want to make sure and get him the best nutrition I possibly can.
Another friend and I spoke about just taking him full raw which, at this point, if it’s going to work for him, I’m not opposed to doing it but have no idea where to start and how to balance it for him.

Thanks for listening, all, and for any help or advice you have.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Jessica –

I’m so glad that I was able to help you 🙂

If you’re using the canned food as only a topper (as in it’s going to be less then 20% of the puppy’s diet) it’s fine to feed a canned food that’s not designed for puppies or that may be a bit too high in calcium. If the canned food was going to be comprising a significant portion of the pup’s diet, then you would want to be sure that the food is either approved for growth or all life stages and that the calcium levels are within the appropriate range. I’ve personally never used Kirkland Cuts and Gravy (I live in the middle of nowhere I’ve never even seen a Costco! lol) but it seems to get good feedback on DFA and it has a 5 star rating. From what I hear it’s very budget friendly so it would definitely be worth a try. Another suggestion I would make if the puppy is being picky is Tripett. Tripett is wonderful for picky eaters (it’s very rare that a do will turn their nose up to tripe) and it’s great for large breed puppies due to tripe’s naturally balanced but low ratio of calcium to phosphorus. It’s not a balanced food, it’s just plain canned green tripe and designed to be a topper only. It’s on the pricey side (I believe around $2.70 per can last time I checked) so a trick I recommend to entice picky eaters and to stretch out the can it to just take a couple spoonfuls (trust me, that’s all it will take) and mash it in up in some warm water to create a “gravy.” Pour this over the kibble and mix it well making sure all the kibble is coated.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Sharfie –

It does have some beneficial ingredients (probiotics, enzymes, EFA’s and glucosamine) but it also has a lot of synthetic vitamins and minerals. Adding additional vitamins and minerals to a balanced commercial food really isn’t necessary and probably won’t provide any benefit to the dog. You couldn’t certainly discuss the supplement with your vet though if you wish to continue with it. Personally if it were me I’d just add plain yogurt or kefir, tinned sardines and digestive enzymes a few days a week or add a digestive supplement with enzymes and probiotics and a quality human-grade fish oil. There are also a lot of whole food based supplements available such as Nature’s Logic All-Food Fortifier, Nupro, Wholistic Canine Complete, Wysong’s Wild Things, Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Daily Boost, Dogzymes Cornucopia, Dr. Harvey’s Whole Food Based Multi-Vitamin, Udo’s Choice Pet Essentials, Carnivora’s Earth Greens etc. etc. Or you could even mix your own whole food supplement which is a lot cheaper. When I make my whole food supplement I purchase bulk ingredients from Swanson’s or Starwest Botanicals and combine them in the desired proportions. My general recipe is part kelp, 1 part spirulina, 1 part alfalfa, 1 part wheatgrass and 1 part bee pollen – occasionally I’ll sub in something else (chlorella, barley grass, sprouted chia, etc. for one of the other ingredients for variety). I also give things like glandulars, colostrum, etc. It’s nearly impossible to “overdose” on whole foods, the nutrients provided by whole foods are better utilized by the body and whole “superfoods” fill the nutritional gaps by adding phytonutrients, cartenoids, etc. that aren’t found in kibble or and that aren’t provided by synthetic multivitamins.

[sharfie]

HDM-
Here is a link to the formulation of ProBalance: http://www.propetsupplements.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/ProBalance-Canine-07-125.pdf Is this the information you needed?

[Jessica1]

Hi H.D.M,
Thank you so much for all the information you have given me on grain vs. non grain, mixing etc. I felt lost before I came across your helpful advice. You have made this learning experience a lot less confusing.
I am now giving my boy the topper of Wellness just for puppy, which he loves, and I did start to slowly start the rotation process with Wellness Core grain free, unfortunately he will not eat it. He just does not like it. The Organix he will eat, of course he loves the topper and eats that first and only eats the dry when it’s all that’s left but he will eat it. But for some reason the Wellness Core he will actually spit out! Brat! He is as picky as my daughter! So I am going to try some other grain free brands. I would like to only give him the can but that going to get costly at $2.60 a can. (Still looking into the whole raw thing and building up my courage about that, ha ha) Takoda is now 10 to 11 weeks and at 18.4 lbs, the vet is happy with his weight and growth, I was wondering if you could tell me what you know about Kirkland Cuts. I see that it has 5 stars on this site but one I wasn’t sure it was suitable for large breed puppies and the protein level seemed a little low compared to Wellness puppy but I was hoping you could give me your advice on this. I have been looking for another can food to use as a topper (I don’t want to be locked into just one) do you have a suggestion for me, I’ve been looking at all the 5 stars on this site but I know that puppies requirements are different and they really are not laid out for these big guys. Thank you so much.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi sharfie –

It’s fine to supplement a dog’s diet with whole foods but I would avoid supplements that contain synthetic vitamins and minerals when feeding a balanced commercial food unless advised to do so by a veterinarian – this is especially critical for puppies because they are more sensitive to vitamin and mineral deficiencies and excesses than adult dogs. I found the website for ProBalance but I can’t locate an ingredients list. Is it a whole food based supplement or does it contain synthetic vitamins and minerals?

[sharfie]

Hi HDM-
Should a puppy, who is eating one of the foods on your list, get a vitamin supplement? My 3 year old gets ProBalance added to his food and I was wondering if my 6 month old should be getting it too.

Thank you in advance.

[twinelm]

I did find in my research that the Large Puppy food really isn’t all that bad. There seems to be a lot of inconsistency with many of the others. Recalls, etc. So I guess I will just try it and see.

[twinelm]

HDM,
He is a Bullmastiff. As fast as they grow, I was surprised at the reported Pro Plan users. I am thinking there may be some disingenuity going on though since the breeder WORKS for them in marketing so she may be getting assurances that yes, they are feeding it when they are not. Thank you SOOO much for doing this research. Storm’s Mom replied to my post in the general comments on puppy food and sent me that link. I am busy cross checking what I can find and afford and how it compares to the breeder’s food (so I can talk to her about it). I don’t want it to be a deal breaker but I am having issues with feeding a puppy something for 18 months I know is pretty much a terrible product.
Lynn

[Anonymous]

THanks! I will look into those! I definitely don’t want to feed him crap! 😉 I would love to just feed raw all the time, but currently its not doable for us. We are a pretty crunchy family, and rarely buy processed foods.. Dog food being the biggest processed purchase we make. I will keep an eye on the ingredients 🙂

THanks!

[Hound Dog Mom]

I twinelm –

If you scroll back a few pages there’s a link to a pdf file with an extensive list of grain-inclusive, grain-free and raw foods appropriate for large and giant breed growth. Two of the Nature’s Variety Instinct formulas are listed, I didn’t check into the 4Health grain-free line because it’s only rated 3.5 stars but I checked into the grain inclusive line and none of the foods are appropriate for large/giant breed growth. What breed is the puppy?

[twinelm]

I am contemplating co owning a very large breed show puppy 130# at maturity with a breeder who happens to work for a very large commercial dog food company. She says all of the other puppies who went to show homes also are feeding that company’s Large Breed Puppy formula (except one who feeds raw) which happens to have a 2.5 star rating here. I feed my rescues 4-Health grain free and have fed Nature’s Variety Instinct prior to that so I have for years had a “thing” for proper nutrition and LOVE LOVE LOVE this website. I am horrified at the thought of feeding that food to the pup for the next year or 18 months. Can you help me figure out what to feed? And maybe convince her it will be okay? Puppy is 3 months old now. Thanks,

[Duke The Boxer]

Thank you very much hdm. You have been great great help! I hope your doggies are doing good! Oh by the way I asked dr Tim if the pursuit dog food was too much calories for my puppy and he said the pursuit would work just as well as his all life stages formula. I’m not too sure why he didnt label it as all life stages. Could you possibly recomend a 4 star or 4.5 star puppy food that is a little cheaper than wellness core? I want to eventually rotate his food more. I was thinking around the same price range as earthborn holistic but maybe something with a little more protein.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Certainly, if he has a sensitivity to chicken. You may want to try supplementing with a quality fish oil and coconut oil. If this doesn’t help anything I’d try a chicken-free food and see if that solves the issue. The difficult thing when it comes to sensitivities – if that is what this reaction is being caused by – is that a dog can be sensitive to any ingredient. There are some common culprits (such as chicken, soy, corn, wheat, grains in general, white potatoes, dairy and eggs) but it could also be to any other ingredient he’s eating. If the issue continues keep track of the ingredients in the foods you feed so you can compare ingredient panels and try to eliminate the culprit.

[Hound Dog Mom]

I agree with Patty – I wouldn’t consider a GSP to be a large breed so I wouldn’t worry about the calcium levels. Unless the breeder tells you differently. I wouldn’t do TOTW – it’s manufactured by Diamond. I have used Native in the past and I think it’s a great food and very reasonably priced. I would go with the level IV formula (this is what I used) – it’s rated 5 stars and great for active dogs. Fromm is great too. There’s not reason you couldn’t rotate between the two brands or even try other brands.

[Duke The Boxer]

Okay hound dog mom. Thank you for your response. I was talking to dr Tim and he said it was okay for puppies and it had a pretty low calcium %. I just got in the mail today wellness core puppy formula and I will follow up in a couple weeks to say how duke responds to the food. One question I have is that he has been kind of itchy lately even though he has no flees or ticks; I also saw some scratch marks under his arm from him scratching himself, can the dryness of his skin be because of the chicken based nutro that I have been feeding him?

[theBCnut]

I don’t think GSPs are a large breed.

[Hound Dog Mom]

HI k9cancer –

Most dogs will overeat if given the chance – especially when they’re being fed a highly palatable diet (such as a raw diet). It’s very important to keep large and giant breed puppies lean during the growth phase as excess weight can increase the chances that the pup will develop an orthopedic condition. If his weight looks good do not feed him more. Just adjust his portions based on his weight – feed more if he looks too thin, less if he looks to heavy and keep portions as they are if his weight is healthy. The product packages are a good starting point for determining serving size but they aren’t always accurate – this is why it’s important to be constantly evaluating body condition. If he gets diarrhea again I’d recommend adding a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin and supplementing with probiotics, if he’s fine now you could also start adding a little plain yogurt or kefir to his meals daily to start building his gut strength. If you want to provide him with food that has a “crunchy” texture for his enjoyment I’d recommend opting for raw meaty bones rather than kibble. The raw meaty bones will provide him with crunching a chewing pleasure as well as dental benefits – you may also find that he feels more satisfied after eating RMBs. You could replace a few meals a week with RMBs such as turkey necks or chicken backs. You can feed the RMBs with a bit of boneless meat or whole offal (hearts, gizzards, livers, etc.) to lower the calcium to phosphorus ratio.

[k9cancer]

theres a lot of info on what to feed a puppy here on the forum. search calcium levels in the forum. You wi get a list of recommended foods based o calcium levels

The thread PugMom suggested is a GREAT one, and helped me figure out what to feed my Presa Canario pup (mastiff).
What you’ll find in the thread is that the protein content for large breeds is not nearly as important as the calcium and phosphorous levels. Hound Dog Mom put together a great list of 4 and 5 star grain free foods for large breed pups.

[Hound Dog Mom]

HI corrielainedd –

Wow, a Saint Berdoodle. I’d never heard of such a dog but I just googled it – pretty neat! Growing large and giant breed puppies need controlled levels of calcium as excess calcium has been linked to developmental orthopedic disease. When puppies are very young they are unable to regulate calcium absorption, they gain this ability around the age of 8 months. So I would say, given the fact that your pup is already 8 months old and through the most rapid phase of growth there’s really no reason to start watching calcium levels now. I would just suggest focusing on getting him on some high quality foods that fall within your budget. Look for a food approved for growth or all life stages – there’s no reason to go with a large breed puppy specific formula. Your adult dog can eat the same food – just be sure to adjust portions accordingly because growth and all life stages foods tend to be more calorie dense. Professional is a decent food for a good price, however it’s manufactured by Diamond who has frequent recalls. Some reasonably priced grain-free foods that you may want to check out: Victor, Earthborn, Hi-Tek Naturals Grain-Free, NutriSource, 4Health (sold at Tractor Supply), Pure Balance Grain-Free (sold at Walmart), Rachel Ray Zero Grain, Authority Grain-Free (sold at Petsmart). Some foods with grains that are budget friendly: Victor, Hi-Tek Naturals, Whole Earth Farms, Pure Balance, Fromm Classics, Healthwise, NutriSource and Natural Life. The only thing I would tell you to be aware of when looking for a cheaper grain-free food is that, unfortunately, many budget friendly grain-free foods are actually worse than grain-inclusive foods at a similar price point. Grain-free doesn’t necessarily mean better and many companies just replace the grains with white potatoes, tapioca or peas which doesn’t make a superior product. Try to maximize protein. I ‘d also recommend picking a few foods and rotating rather than sticking to only one.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Duke the Boxer –

Pursuit is not listed because according to Dr. Tim’s website the Pursuit formula is approved for adult maintenance – this is a list of foods appropriate for puppies (all life stages or growth). Dr. Tim has told me that he has used this formula on puppies, but it’s not labeled for puppies so it doesn’t meet the criteria for the list. Kinesis GF is too high in calcium. I agree – Dr. Tim is great and has wonderful customer service.

[Anonymous]

We just recently “adopted” (adopted from the people who bought him from a breeder, as life changes happened) a Saint Berdoodle puppy, Tobi. He is now about 8 months old, we’ve had him for about 6-7 weeks.
He was on Purina Puppy Chow when we got him 😛
Locally we have Feeders Supply pet store, they carry lots of brands, including lots of holistic.
I picked out Professionals Large Breed Puppy.
I have 2 main concerns for feeding Tobi.. Nutrition, I want to feed him the best quality food I can afford. Cost, we are a one income family, with 2 kids and 2 dogs. I cannot afford to pay $50-60 for 25lbs of dog food.

Tobi did great with transitioning to the Professionals, but is now having loose stool (for about a week now). He still eats fine, and acts normal.

Im thinking of trying something different. And after reading several pages on this thread, Im seeing that perhaps I don’t need to be buying “large breed puppy” specifically?

I also have a Aussie mix senior dog (11yrs old), with no age ailments so far. Currently she is on Nature’s Recipe Senior, because it was at Big Lots for $30/25lbs . She is a picky eater, and seems to like it well.

I would love to find something they can both be on eventually? Or even now? Without breaking the bank.. 40-50lb bags would be great!

Currently Tobi is eating about 5 cups a day of the Professionals LBP… that bag is emptying fast!

This fall we plan to switch them to a 50/50 raw/kibble diet (with more research first) once hubby is able to get an extra couple of deer and turkey.

Any suggestions on brands to try, that are at least corn free, but I would prefer grain free, and are not going to kill my budget! 🙂

[Duke The Boxer]

Dr Tim was extremely friendly and had no problem disclosing any information I need as far as calcium levels or anything. Which leads me to think there is another reason why she didnt put it it o her list.

[theBCnut]

I’m not HDM, but I can tell you that she emailed companies asking them for info and some didn’t return her email, so that might be why.

[ebk]

This is not spam. I had asked for help with brands and varieties, since I am actively trying to find a replacement for Evo dry dog food.

Thanks everyone for your comments, suggestions but more importantly for extending yourselves to help me. I really appreciate it.

I will look into some of the brands and varieties that you have suggested. I tried the Merrick, very small Kibble. Dogs liked it and ate it, or should I say, swallowed it. Because of the kibble size, most of it was consumed whole. I also reached out to a number of other companies asking about their kibble sizes. I guess most don’t feel the need for a large kibble. I am currently trying NOW Grain Free Large Breed Adult dry food. Very large kibble and the dogs seem to like it. I haven’t had a chance to see what out on the other end, which is really the acid test.

I will keep poking around on my replacement quest. Thanks for everyone’s help!

[Duke The Boxer]

HDM I was wondering why you did not list dr Tim’s pursuit formula in your list? I emailed dr Tim and he said Pursuit calcium is 1.06 and the Kinesis GF is 1.51%. I also asked him and he said its okay for puppies

[DogFoodie]

OK, I truly do not want to be an alarmist, but I saw that Sully’s Mom just mentioned something about adding water to prevent the possibility of bloat and I searched, without success, for the article Alexandra recently posted about not adding water to kibbles that contain citric acid (due to the increased risk of bloat) during a conversation with HDM. Does anyone else remember that?

My memory stinks.

Edit: Ah ha! Found it!

For a valuable discussion on adding water to food / bloat; go to this page: /dog-food-reviews/orijen-dog-food-adult/. The conversation begins six days ago with JohnandCristos post that begins: “PREVENTION OF BLOATAND TORSION IN DOGS
Bloat and torsion are maladies that strike seemingly without warning in dogs of any age, but most commonly in deep chested breeds. Victims usually have an increased or ravenous appetite several days before onset, and usually show decreased intestinal motility, i.e. constipation. Most animals also have one vomiting episode approximately twelve to twenty-four hours before the onset of bloat.”

[theBCnut]

Hi Hershy

I’m not HDM and I don’t know how you feel about feeding raw, but tripe(even the canned stuff) has balanced calcium:phosphorus, so it would be a good choice.

[Duke The Boxer]

Hdm i ended up going with wellness core puppy. The protein is pretty high and the fat is low. Can you give me tips on switching to a more ancestrial diet with higher protein and low carbs to then a more raw meat diet eventually as he uis only 3.5 months. Any tips helps. Thanks!

[Hershy]

HDM, Is there a hi protein topper that could be added to the Victor 24% protein that would make it a better choice? Thanks for all!

[Sully’sMom]

Ha, ha love it!
We do a couple of things to slow our guy down. First of all, we put 1/4 cup of the meal portion in ‘reserve.’ The balance we divide into two bowls. Add some warm water to each. We also allow it to sit at this point for 10 minutes ( I heard that allowing the kibble to absorb the water before ingesting helps prevent against bloat, which is the main concern about fast eating). So for starters, he’s getting the meal in two portions instead of one. The addition of the water helps slow things down as well. The reserved 1/4 cup we serve in a treat (Planet Dog Strawberry) over several helpings. He pushes the strawberry around and it dispenses kibble. Fun for him and it stretches the meal out. Also makes him “work” for it a bit. Lots of fun!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the help everyone. I just got back from buying Walter a special bowl for the scarfing issue and I’m going to switch him to an adult formula that is still in proper range of nutrients. I asked my wife to put a bone or a ball in his bowl today and she just got through telling me that it slowed him down, but eventually he just picked the bone up and threw it on the floor next to his bowl. I have to keep reminding myself that as crazy and at times dumb a puppy as he “seems” to be, he is actually pretty smart.

[Sue’s Zoo]

This is such a great post. Thanks so much for all the great info. Since it’s a long one I may have missed something so I apologize if this has already been asked/answered.

I don’t see any wet foods on the recommended foods list. Is there a reason those are excluded?

Also I don’t see anything on the list that specifies that it’s for puppies. I assumed it is since it’s in this post but I’d like to verify if it’s for large breed puppies or also adult large breed dogs.

Getting our Shiloh Shepherd puppy in less than 3 weeks! So excited! It’s been almost 15 years since we had a puppy in the house as most were rescues that were 3-4 years old. We lost 2 this past spring, one in February, the next in March. Time for some puppy love 🙂

[Swissy Mix]

Cengleman –

I did what Sharfie suggested, too; I put a ball in our puppy’s bowl. (The ball is a red, solid, non-treat filling Kong and a little bit bigger than a tennis ball.) Our Bernese/Greater Swiss mix, Duncan, used to wolf down his food in less than a minute when we first got him. Once we put that ball into his bowl, he got so used to it that he has actually slowed down on his own that we don’t need the ball any more.

Our Duncan, who looks more like his Bernese mom with a longer coat, just turned 8 months. We haven’t weighed him yet, but when he was 7 months, he was 70 lbs, too. I noticed that every month he gained about 10 lbs, too. So, I think your puppy is fine.

It’s been a while since I looked at TOTW kibble sizes, but Duncan is doing really well on Zignature. All the other brands we tried with him, he vomited, had inconsistent stools or ate his poop. So far, we’ve tried one bag each of Zignature’s salmon and turkey with no ill effects. Where I live, the price isn’t too bad at $45-$50 for a 27 lb. bag.

[Sully’sMom]

I had some inquiries into Victor and they just got back to me. They said that their Vitamin E is sourced from China as there is “no source in the US for E…”

Does that mean the same is likely true for all the others I’m planning on rotating: Earthborn, Merrick, Dr. Tim’s……?

Anyone have any experience with or knowledge about this?

*As an aside, the Victor person emailing me was probably the least friendly I’ve communicated with yet. Keep answering my questions so briefly that I had to keep going back to him for him to elaborate. Some of them were one word answers.

[Duke The Boxer]

Hey there hdm. First off thank you for all the information about the dog foods I currently have an american bulldog boxer puppy who is 3.5 months and he is 20 pounds. I was thinking of switching to the earthborn holistic coastal catch but am concerned with how kittle proten it has. I was looking also at the Blackwood Sensitive Diet Salmon Meal & Rice Recipe 7030 Dry Puppy & Dog Food cuz my boy has been having somewhat loose stools. Can you recomend anither brand with low calvium percentage and around the price of earthborn. The natures variety is a little out of my price range. Thank you so much to snyone who helps me. Oh btw duke is currently eating nutro natural selection lamb for large breed puppies.

[sharfie]

cengleman-

I just put a ball or a bone in the bowl to slow my puppy down when he eats. There are bowls you can buy made to help slow him down.

As far as weight, I will pop into my vet’s office and put him on a scale to check ( I have a 6 month old Golden right now). I usually do that about once a month until they are a year old. They never charge me for that. You can also just feel along his rib cage. You should just be able to feel the outline of his ribs. I had a Berner so I no how much fur they have.

Larger kibbles, I really don’t know. The brands that I have been rotating are all about the same size.

[Anonymous]

I have just had similar experiences as that on page 2 of the thread where Swissy Mix talks about her Bernese/Greater Swiss mix throwing up on Taste of the Wild puppy food. I have an almost 8 month old Bernese male who is right around 80 lbs. We got him at 8 weeks old and started him on Blue Buffalo and then as I researched how to feed larger breed dogs, I decided to switch him to TOTW. They have puppy formulas now that are 1.4% calcium / 1.0% phosphorus, which I thought was in line with what he needed. I’ve been alternating between the 2 varieties now for around 4 or 5 months without any issues.

As of the last 3 days though, Walter has also thrown up his food 3 separate times right after eating. I tend to think it is because the kibble is too small for him and he’s not chewing like he needs to. The end result of his vomiting makes it clear that he doesn’t need to bother chewing his food. I tried feeding him in a larger, more shallow bowl so he can’t inhale and we have stopped feeding him right after he comes in the house and is all hot. I thought the problem might be a combination of being too hot, eating too fast, not chewing enough. However, this morning right after he woke up he did it, so I guess it is either just the not chewing issue or the food itself. I don’t think it is a puppy issue, because he seems perfectly fine otherwise.

So my questions are as follows:

1. Does anyone know of a good food that has larger bites and still stays in the recommended ranges of cal/phosphorus? I guess it may have to be an all life stage or adult formula. I hate to be a stickler on price, but I feel like I’m already spending a lot on what he is on to make sure his food is higher quality, so I’d like to stay in line with TOTW, which is about $50 / 30 lb. bag.

2. How do you tell proper weight of a dog as hairy as a BMD? His weight is right in line with what he’s always averaged (about 10 lbs. / month), but he has such long, wavy hair, it struggle to tell if I’m feeding him enough or too much. I’ve been staying within the guidelines recommended on the bag, but it’s kind of hard to tell for sure. Any tips?

3. Any suggestions for getting him to slow down on his eating? He doesn’t have to compete with any other dogs, so there’s really no need for him to eat like he does.

[mommyvar]

Hello HDM. I have an 11 week old St. Bernard. I have been researching food since I brought him home at 8 weeks. He is still on the food that the breeder had him on, Royal Canin. I want to change foods, and I was told Orijen LBP was one of the best out there, but it is not on your list. What was the problem with this food? If I should not feed Orijen LBP, what would the best choice be? Would Nature’s Variety Instinct be okay? I was hoping for a food made in Canada. My puppy is also taking two supplements NuVet Plus, and Arthri-Soothe Gold. Your help is very much appreciated. Thanks.

[theBCnut]

If he is the kind of dog that is going to bite it as if he is trying to take chunks off then he could crack teeth on a bone like that. If he is the kind that can lie down with it and calmly gnaw at an edge, then as long as you supervise his chewing time, he may be fine with it.

[MarkWiz69]

Can I feed my 5 month old Rottweiler Puppy (60lbs) a RAW large (6 inch long / 2″ diameter) Beef Bone?

[theBCnut]

/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

Here’s a link.

BTW it’s a good idea to print up the list and take it with you to your local stores.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 10 months ago by theBCnut.

[poodlemom]

Go to the top of this page and there are categories listed in red. Either press HOME or REVIEWS and type Large Breed Puppy in the search engine.