[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi dhayes –

An “all life stages” food is essentially the same thing as a “puppy” food. The AAFCO only recognizes 2 nutrient profiles: growth and adult maintenance. If a food meets the more stringent requirements for growth the company can choose to label the food as “all life stages” or “growth.” Canidae ALS and all of the Taste of the Wild foods are appropriate for all life stages. I wouldn’t really consider a Basset to be a large breed (the concern is generally for dogs that will be over 60 lbs. at maturity, although Bassets are somewhat prone to hip dysplasia so it may have been a good idea to have controlled calcium levels) and at 8 months of age the critical growth phase has passed regardless so calcium levels shouldn’t be a concern at this point. I’m not sure about the calcium levels in Canidae ALS but I do know the calcium levels are high in all of the TOTW formulas. I would say any quality all life stages formula would make a good choice at this point.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 11 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 12 years, 11 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Pickles Mom]

Hi Hound Dog Mom,
I am very happy to discover this thread! I have a 13 month basset hound puppy who is currently 50 lbs. His breeder was feeding him Canidae Life Stages when we brought home our puppy at 8 weeks and stayed on the same food until he was about 8 months old. We switched to a grain free Canidae brand, and then to Taste of the Wild grain-free “Pacific Stream” because of his itchiness.
After reading many of the posts I am concerned that 1) he was never eating puppy food; 2) the calcium level is too high in the foods we have been giving him; and 3) he was switched to adult food too early. I would really appreciate hearing your thoughts about what do to. I am considering changing his food to one of the brands on your list; however, I do not know if he should be eating large breed puppy food or large breed adult food (and the food needs to be grain-free and chicken free). We love our hound and want what is best for him. Thank you in advance for your advice 🙂

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi cinner00 –

Innova Large Breed Puppy formula would be appropriate, however in light of today’s recall I don’t think that will be an option for awhile. Solid Gold WolfCub is too high in calcium and it is also one of the Solid Gold formulas manufactured by Diamond (If you aren’t familiar – Diamond is a very untrustworthy manufacturer with frequent recalls. WolfCub, WolfKing, Just A Wee Bit and Hund-n-Flocken are manufactured by Diamond.) The Wellness Super5Mix Large Breed formula is a bit high in calcium as well (~4 g./1,000 kcal.) for me to feed comfortable recommending however it’s probably the best choice out of the three you listed. Wellness’ CORE Puppy formula does have appropriate calcium levels, I believe, if you would be able to feed that.

[InkedMarie]

Starbright,
Thank you for adopting your girl. I hope she continues to blossom. My go-to food when a dog needs to lose weight is Wellness Core reduced fat, feeding her the amount of food for what she *should* weigh. A good joint supplement is needed; I use Joint Mobility plus from Swanson Vitamins. It’s human, fine for dogs. Also, salmon oil. I prefer just salmon oil, nothing else; I get mine from Vital Choice,

Good luck!

[EHubbman]

Thank you so much, HDM! Great info. 🙂
He’s on TOTW puppy currently but not liking it, so I think I’ll be switching him to Fromm 4 Star soon. 🙂

[starbright26]

Hi, I am new to this site but am loving all the information I have found so far! However, I believe I’m overloading myself with info and its all running together, confusing the heck out of me! So I would love to just give a little information and get a little in return if possible.. We recently adopted a young feral pup and have been working to socialize/rehabilitate her. She is a “lethal white” (I despise that term) Catahoula mix- who is deaf and partially blind as well… We were this sweet girl’s last chance at adoption and I am so grateful we found her because she is blossoming in our household! Anyway, at about ten months of age, when we adopted her, she tore her ACL and was recovering from that when we noticed her limping getting worse despite strict confinement. We took her for X-rays and the vet diagnosed her with severe hip dysplasia in one of her hips. Sigh.. I could not make this up if I tried.. Luckily the other hip joint looks amazingly healthy! We have no idea about her past and as she seems to be somewhat of a genetic anomaly, we just want to do whatever we can to help her have a healthy, happy, hopefully long life! This girl deserves it. She is a healthy 70lbs, but we are trying to slim her down slightly. She is curently on Blue Buffalo now, but my question is if there is a better quality food that would be better suited to her joint needs or if supplimentation would suffice. I just read the calcium levels are most important earlier on and now that she is about 15 months old am I correct to assume that it is not the main concern anymore? Should we go grain-free to help with inflamation? Suppliments? What is my ideal path here? Please advise anyway you can.. I should mention we have several other animals and actual children, with another on the way, and will hopefully send them to college one day so we are certainly on a limited budget 🙂 THANK YOU!!!
Rebecca

[cinner00]

I have narrowed down the food to 3 based on availability and pricing for our needs. The following are the ones I’m looking at. The appear on the 4 star food list and also a top 10 list. I was wondering if anyone has a strong opinion or experience to help me narrow done my list for my large breed pup.
Innova Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food
Wellness Super5Mix Large Breed Puppy Health Puppy Food
Solid Gold Wolf Cub Large Breed Puppy Dog Food

[cinner00]

I have narrowed down the food to 3 based on availability and pricing for our needs. The following are the ones I’m looking at. The appear on the 4 star food list and also a top 10 list. I was wondering if anyone has a strong opinion or experience to help me narrow done my list for my large breed pup.

Innova Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food
Wellness Super5Mix Large Breed Puppy Health Puppy Food
Solid Gold Wolf Cub Large Breed Puppy Dog Food

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi EHubbman –

Yes the calcium to phosphorus ratio is very important for all dogs and should be no less than 1:1 and no more than 2:1, with around 1.2:1 being considered ideal. However when it comes to large and giant breed puppies, the overall amount of calcium consumed is still very important. Even if a food had an appropriate ratio but the calcium levels were very high – say 2.2% calcium and 2% phosphorus (1.1:1) – I wouldn’t feel comfortable feeding the food to a large or giant breed puppy. All three of my dogs eat a raw diet and my most recent pup (now 11 months old) was weaned onto raw at 8 weeks old. To keep the calcium levels controlled while still keeping the calcium to phosphorus ratio balanced, fed her green tripe for around 25% of her diet. Green tripe has a naturally balanced calcium to phosphorus ratio (roughly 1:1) but has very low levels of each mineral (only about 0.3%).

[Angie]

Hello,

I am looking for advice for my friend’s dog. He has a one and a half year old male German Sheppard name Ranger. Ranger was on Acana Large Puppy Breed when he was younger then moved on Acana Large Breed Adult. My friend noticed Rangers breath was really bad so when he went in for his yearly exam so the vet did a urine test. They found that Ranger has Triple phosphates and 10-50 HPF.

I am not sure what that means but they moved him to Canadia dog food with cranberry juice in his water. He has been on Canidae dog food for the past 10 days and there is no improvement on his breath. He went in to get a B12 test and he was advised to wait 30 days to do a test for Phosphate levels.

Any advice on supplements, food or course of action would be really appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

• This topic was modified 12 years, 11 months ago by Angie.

[EHubbman]

What are your thoughts RE Phosphorus x Calcium Levels (as phosphorous is used in Calcium absorption, right?)?

I was looking into foods for my Presa (spanish mastiff, essentially), and a good friend (some vet training, very into the raw diet) noted that while protein isn’t so much of a concern aside from the fact that too much might cause loose stools, said that the Cal/Phos Ratio is what was really important. From my lookings, it seems like 1:1.2-1.4 Cal/Phos is what people aim for in larger breeds.

Your thoughts?

[marty0203]

Wow, what a wealth of information! Pattyvaughn & InkedMarie, I really appreciate your suggestion of getting the food shipped. The idea of no S&H costs makes the idea much more appealable and opens up my options. Now I have the possibility of integrating Orijen into their dietary routine.

HDM – I had the benefit or viewing both posts – thank you! I appreciate you investing the time and going above and beyond with your post regarding my two pups’ nutritional needs. It appears that they are doing well on the Wellness Core and I will take your suggestion to rotate between a few different brands and adding toppers to their dishes.

Thanks again everyone!

[theBCnut]

This is a great place for info and Hound Dog Mom has made a google doc that lists great foods for large and giant breed puppies.

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

[cinner00]

Any suggestions on nutrition for my Bernese Mt./Lab/Shepherd mix pup? I just brought home a new pup. I would love to hear recommendations on a high quality large breed puppy food for this little guy to help keep him as healthy as possible. I know there are various health issues with all the breeds and I am looking for advice on food to help nutritionally as much as possible. He has been checked out and is very healthy.

[cinner00]

I just brought home a new pup. I would love to hear recommendations on a high quality large breed puppy food for this little guy to help keep him as healthy as possible. I know there are various health issues with all the breeds and I am looking for advice on food to help nutritionally as much as possible. He has been checked out and is very healthy.

[stitchwitch]

I have a 5.5m old shiloh shepherd. I switched her from the breeder’s food, taste of the wild, to fromm’s large breed puppy – seemingly no problems – she was on it for approx. 2 months. About 3 weeks ago I started feeding her 1 meal a day of raw – which was my plan from the start (and I know not to mix the two in the same meal). Over the past 3 weeks, perhaps a coincidence, she is vomiting frequently – but only after eating the kibble.

The first time she did it, it was a few hours after eating – I thought perhaps she wasn’t feeling good or had had too much excitement. Since then, it has happened a few times a week – usually right after eating the kibble.

If she vomits up her kibble meal (like she did at lunch today) and I give her raw for the meal – no problems.

It is almost as if, once her body experienced the raw, it doesn’t “like” the kibble. Could that be possible? Could it be that the problem is this specific kibble (fromm’s) and I should try another?

I would prefer to keep her on a partial kibble diet, not only because of the cost, but because there will be times she must be boarded and I’m not sure the kennel would be willing to handle a raw diet.

Suggestions? Advice?

[Sully’sMom]

Oh, so if my pup is 12+ months, the calcium guidelines of under 3.5 per 1000 kcal are less important? That’s helpful!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Betsy –

I do enjoy the great dane lady’s website and think there is some good information on there, however I don’t agree with her feeding advice for puppies. If her aversion to grain-free and raw foods for large breed puppies was based on some sort of factual research or organized feeding trial I would have more respect for it, but it seems to me it’s solely based on the fact that she’s never tried feeding those foods to her puppies?? I’ve had great lucking feeding high protein grain-free foods to my bloodhound puppies, I’ve just kept calcium levels controlled for the first 8 months.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi arlenem –

Feeding a food with appropriate calcium levels is most crucial during the first 8 months or so. When puppies are young they can’t regulate their calcium absorption which is why high levels of calcium during the rapid growth phase can cause developmental orthopedic disease in large and giant breed puppies. Around 6 – 8 months puppies gain the ability to regulate calcium absorption. Once a large breed puppy is an adult their nutritional needs are no different than any other dog. I actually would avoid most “large breed adult” foods as they tend to be way too low in protein and loaded with fillers.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Idarlin –

I feel that the ideal diet is grain-free/starch free, high in animal-based protein and low in carbohydrates. This is why I personally feed my dogs a raw diet with free of grains and starches (potatoes, legumes, etc.). When it comes to kibble, a starch in some form or another (be it grains, potato, legumes, tapioca, etc.) is necessary to act as a binder. There are many that feel grain-free foods are superior to grain-inclusive foods because grains aren’t a natural part of the canine diet. However, neither are the starches used in grain-free foods – potato, legumes, tapioca, etc. Due to the fact that starch is a necessary evil when it comes to kibble I think the most important thing is to look for a food high in protein with a relatively large percentage of the protein being derived from animal sources. I think people get too caught up in grain-inclusive vs. grain-free and the industry is really playing into this – there are many new grain-free foods hitting the market that are horrible (low protein, loaded with vegetable based protein, etc. etc.) and people are paying big bucks for these foods just because the bag has the new buzzword “grain-free”. There are great grain-free foods and horrible grain-free foods and there are great grain-inclusive foods and horrible grain-inclusive foods. Concerning Innova Large Breed Puppy, it’s not a bad food by any means but it’s lower in protein than anything I’d use or recommend. It has only 24% protein, I wouldn’t use or recommend a kibble with less than 30% protein. I personally feed my crew protein levels in the 45% – 55% range.

If she’s chewing herself it could definitely be a food intolerance, but it could also be something environmental. Grains and common proteins such as chicken and beef are common causes of intolerances so you could certainly try a grain-free food with a more novel protein and see if things clear up.

[Sully’sMom]

I’m confused about something; is the large breed formula only important during the 1st two years of puppy’s life? Since the point of it is controlled growth, wouldn’t it cease to be important after that, meaning ‘do you need large breed adult’?

[DogFoodie]

Hi ldarlin,

If you like Innova, it looks as though the Prime Grain Free Salmon & Herring may have an acceptable (but bordering on high) Calcium level at 1.49%. That number is from the nutrient analysis on their website.

[DogFoodie]

And, I should’ve added to my post that I’m NOT in any way meaning to sound as though I’m advocating grains for any dogs.

I was just surprised when I was reading the Great Dane Lady’s website and saw that she had written the quote in my previous post.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 11 months ago by DogFoodie.

[Anonymous]

HDM, thanks for the response. Is there anything wrong with feeding her a grain dog food like Innova?

Also she is very itchy a lot of the time. She scratches and gnaws on her fur/ skin retry often. Her skin does look a little dry but I’m worried it has something to do with a food allergy. She doesn’t strip her fur or anything but there is a spot on her head where she scratches that she is starting to lose spots of fur. It’s not too bad yet but worries me. Any advice?

[DogFoodie]

I would definitely be curious to see what grain inclusive foods you’d recommend, HDM. I still remember being surprised that the Great Dane Lady was strongly opposed to grain free foods for large breed puppies until about 80% of their adult size, due to lack of feeding trials.

Here’s a quote I took from her site:

“I do not recommend as a complete diet for your puppy, any grain free or raw diets, regardless of brand, for large breed growth. Not until they are 8-10 months old or 3/4 of their normal size, just to be on the safe side. No feed trials have been done on large/giant breeds on the grain free or raw diets to date, so I will not recommend them.

We KNOW we can raise them on a quality holistic kibble with a 10% raw component, if you wish, and have no problems, but not a totally raw or grain free diet, please!!”

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Idarlin –

Innova’s Large Breed Puppy formula has appropriate calcium levels for large and giant breed puppies and would make a good choice for your pup. The reason why it’s not included on this list is because this list is grain-free foods only – when I get some spare time I would like to compile a list of grain-inclusive foods as well.

[Anonymous]

Hi HDM,
I am new to the site (been reading through everything over the past few days) and had a couple of questions if you don’t mind. I have a 15 week old golden retriever/australian shepherd mix puppy who was 20 lbs as of Monday 6/15. I have been treating her as a large breed dog because I think she will be pretty close to 60 lbs. I too did not know any better and was feeding her Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies based on vet’s recommendation. After reading some things, I am in the process of switching her over to Innova for LBP. I did the math that you mentioned above and the Ca is 2.46. But, I didn’t see it on your list (I just found it today), and wanted to know what you thought of Innova. If you don’t think Innova will be a good choice for her, out of the ones on your list, what do you think may be best? She seems fine on both food shes had so far. She had a little bit of runny stool when I first introduced Innova, but is back to normal now. Thank you so much for your time!

[Sully’sMom]

Wow, that’s a lot to digest (no pun intended). Do you thoughts/info on Merrick Grain Free foods? I know they’re an excellent company, but I don’t know about their numbers…

[Hound Dog Mom]

You don’t need to consider protein – protein has no effect on developmental orthopedic disease. What you want to look at is calcium per 1,000 kcal. You can use calcium percentages as a guideline but they aren’t super accurate because they don’t account for differences in caloric density – for example if Brand X is 1.3% calcium and contains 500 kcal. per cup and Brand Y is 1.3% calcium as well but contains only 350 kcal. per cup your dog will be consuming much more calcium eating brand Y to fulfill it’s energy needs than it would be eating on brand X. 1.9% calcium is very high – you can rule out a food this high in calcium without even calculating the calcium on a kcal. basis. Generally foods with over 1.2% calcium are going to be too high although I’ve seen a few very calorie-dense foods in the 1.3%-1.4% range that are okay. To calculate grams of calcium per 1,000 kcal. you would multiply 1,000 grams by the percent calcium to obtain grams of calcium per kilogram. You would then divide grams of calcium per kilogram by calories per kilogram to obtain grams of calcium per calorie. You then multiply grams of calcium per calorie by 1,000 to obtain grams of calcium per 1,000 calories – aim for no more than 3.5 g.

I’ll use TOTW’s Southwest Canyon as an example:

1.9% calcium as fed/3,600 kcal./kg.

(1,000 g.)(0.019) = 19 grams calcium per kg.
(19 g. calcium/kg.)/(3,600 kcal./kg.) = 0.00528 g. calcium per kcal.
(0.00528 g. calcium per kcal.)(1,000 kcal.) = 5.28 g. calcium per 1,000 kcal.

This food has over 1 1/2 times as much calcium as a large/giant breed puppy should have.

[Sully’sMom]

Still me – when I’m looking at food am I supposed to look at BOTH calcium g per 1,000 kcal AND protein ?

[Sully’sMom]

Hi again, the more I read the more I’m confused! I went to the TOTW web site and just to use one variety as an example the Southwest Canyon Canine Formula says the calcium is “1.9%, as fed”

Isn’t that the number to look for? Or is it something else? I’m looking to transition my Large Breed lab puppy to a grain free adult food. Currently, he’s on Fromm, which I know is excellent, but their grain-free is much more expensive that either TOTW or Merrick.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi arlenem –

Based on the actual calcium levels TOTW provided me with, all of the formulas were too high in calcium for a large or giant breed puppy.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi hmurray – The calcium levels are much too high in Eagle Pack Large/Giant Breed Puppy formula dry dog food for me to feel comfortable recommending it. Based on their stated minimum the calcium level is 4.3 grams per 1,000 kcal. and the actual level is likely a bit higher than that. You should be looking for a food with no more than 3.5 grams of calcium per 1,000 kcal. In the past I have used the Power Adult formula for my adult dog and I thought it was a great quality food for the price, I still frequently recommend Eagle Pack. I just wouldn’t feed it to a large or giant breed puppy.

[hmurray]

Hound Dog Mom – What are your thoughts on Eagle Pack’s Large/Giant breed dry puppy food
for an english mastiff puppy or any other giant breed?

[Sully’sMom]

Any thoughts on Taste of the Wild? All grain-free and DFA rates 4 and 5 star. Also recommended to me by a vet. I was surprised to not find it on your list.

[yevincent]

thanks, pattyvaughn!
I will try several food and find a perfect ratio!

By the way, Hound dog mom said “For a large breed puppy you’d want to feed a food with 3.5 g. calcium per 1,000 kcal. or less”. What does “less” mean? Can someone tell me a range?

Thank you all!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi yevincent –

Yes – calcium needs to be converted to a dry matter basis for wet foods due to the high moisture content. Calculating calcium levels on a kcal. basis (versus percent of weight basis) is the most accurate way to evaluate the appropriateness of foods as it accounts for varying caloric densities between different foods. For a large breed puppy you’d want to feed a food with 3.5 g. calcium per 1,000 kcal. or less. I’ll walk you through the calculation. Let’s say the food comes in a standard 13.2 oz. can, has 400 kcal. per can and the company tells you there is 0.3% calcium on an as-fed basis.

1) Convert 13.2 oz. to grams (easier to perform calculations using grams): (13.2 oz.)(28 grams/1 oz.) = ~397 g.

2) Calculate how many grams of calcium are in the can of food: (397 g.)(0.003) = 1.19 g. calcium per can.

3) Calculate how many grams of calcium per 1,000 kcal.: (1.19 g. calcium per can)/(400 kcal. per can) = 0.00298 g. calcium per kcal. (0.00298 g. calcium per kcal.)(1,000 kcal.) = ~2.98 g. calcium per 1,000 kcal.

————————————

If you wanted the calcium level on a percent basis:

1) 100% – % Moisture = % Dry Matter
2) [(As Fed Calcium %)/(% Dry Matter)] X 100%

BTW – I’d highly recommend Tripett as a canned topper for large breed puppies. It’s not a complete and balanced food as it’s green tripe only but it makes a great topper if you’re feeding a balanced kibble. Green tripe is high in protein and naturally has a balanced calcium to phosphorus ratio but contains very low levels of each (only about 0.3% calcium on a dry matter basis if I recall correctly). The best part is dogs go nuts for it.

[pugmomsandy]

“I have heard varying opinions in the forums about adding probiotics and enzymes. Someone said there are natural probiotics and enzymes without having to add and pay for supplements.”

There are naturally occurring probiotics in foods like kefir and yogurt and raw goat milk and tripe (which tripe also has enzymes). It really depends on how healthy or unhealthy your dog’s gut is. Has he eaten a variety of foods so that he produces a variety of natural gut flora? Or has he only eaten a few foods for a long period of time? Also yogurt usually only has a few strains of acidophilus. Some store bought probiotics have over 10 strains which I think is ideal. I have both Mercola and Dr Langers probiotics.

“How/when do I do this with a raw diet? How do I do this on his current diet while I’m transitioning to a raw diet? How do I transition to a raw diet?”

You can give probiotics and/or digestive enzymes with meals as you are transitioning and even when he is completely on a raw diet. I still feed kibble and raw so I still use these products. You can transition him to a raw diet in various ways. You can slowly introduce raw (like frozen raw medallions or raw bites like Instinct brand has) a couple times a day as treats to see how he does or you can feed one meal of old food and the next meal of raw food. Or every 3rd meal of raw food. Depends on how his stools are! Also raw foods generally have more fat so you must take that into consideration.

“Are there specific recipes for smaller breeds versus larger breeds, older versus younger dogs, etc.? Is it okay to feed him nothing but raw? Can I freeze/store what I’ve made if I’ll be on vacation?”

A homemade raw diet is good for all breeds and ages (except maybe for breeds prone to pancreatitis) and he can be fed nothing but raw. You can freeze in small batches and pull out what you need for 2 to 3 days worth. For vacation, if you’re taking your dog you might be interested in freeze dried raw as it is shelf stable. Some examples are Stella and Chewy’s, Nature’s Variety Instinct and Vital Essentials, Nutrisca and Primal. I wouldn’t give him marrow bones in the beginning as they are just fat.

Yes, he is an inactive dog. After you start feeding, be sure to weigh and/or monitor “body condition score” so that he is an ideal “shape”. My dogs are heavy but are still of good body condition for their breed. There a several “body condition score” photos you can see online.

[yevincent]

Hi, I became a new dog lover today! I have a 3 months old lab, and he is doing great on his dry food. I am also looking for good wet food as topping. Because lab is a large breed, I would like to buy wet food with low calcium, but many wet foods don’t show how much calcium is. I just e-mail some companies, and they told me the data. BUT, what I get is something like 0.3%. I guess I should do some calculation on it? Most wet food has 75% water, so I should do: 0.3%/25%=1.2%. Am I doing right?
Thanks for any help!

[mah4angel]

SO. Thanks to HDM, it has come to my attention that making my own raw food for my Louie (10-pound Silky terrier) is actually more cost-effective than buying a high-quality kibble and is obviously much more healthy for my baby.
There are a lot of threads here, obviously, devoted to raw food recipes and diets. Currently my boy is on Earthborn Hollistic Primitive Natural. He’s not doing well on it. I had been feeding him a combination of that and the Earthborn Hollistic tubs (the lamb-based ones), but took those out to see if they were the cause of his upset. I think not. The tubs are expensive and I just have come to the conclusion that I’d rather he be on a raw diet. But, just like everything else, this task of changing his diet (yet again) is so daunting and I am so terrified and essentially stupid and ignorant and I really need you DFA Gods’ help!
I have heard varying opinions in the forums about adding probiotics and enzymes. Someone said there are natural probiotics and enzymes without having to add and pay for supplements. How/when do I do this with a raw diet? How do I do this on his current diet while I’m transitioning to a raw diet? How do I transition to a raw diet? Are there specific recipes for smaller breeds versus larger breeds, older versus younger dogs, etc.? Is it okay to feed him nothing but raw? Can I freeze/store what I’ve made if I’ll be on vacation?
My boy is essentially inactive. We go on walks every day and he gets very excited and runs around the house whether we’re coming home for work or from taking the trash out, but then he calms down and takes a nap. I heard 2% of his body weight for an inactive dog is what I should be feeding him. Is this correct? Does he fit the description of an inactive dog? What is the definition of an inactive dog?
There is so much misinformation out there! So many threads to read through, so much confusion! He’s my first dog and I want to do right by him, he deserves the best.
I always do these posts and I’m always very anxious about finding out how best to serve my canine baby because I know how important diet is, and I want him to have those perfect, firm stools and not feel lousy.
I guess I’m just being somewhat lazy to ask for a guide as to how to do this perfectly. I know it’s going to take some time and a lot of effort!

[InkedMarie]

For online places that usually have shipping: PetFlow.com, doggie food.com, wag.com, chewy.com

You can try petfooddirect.com as well but I’m not sure about shipping

[theBCnut]

It baaaccckk!!

[supercoop]

Marty keep in mind that diet should also be based on caloric needs. I have an eight yr. old 145 lb.
Anatolian Shep. who at this point in his life thinks rolling over is a lotta effort as compared to a 11
month old rare breed Tornjak that likes to run anywhere from a mile or two once or twice a day.
I feed the lazy old big guy a lot differently than my baby girl. Oh, oh yeah….the old guy eats alot less
than she does and I vary their diets brand wise alot. Ie : tonite he’s getting fed Horizon Pulsar with
Assorted fresh veggies and she’s getting fed human grade canned sardines, vitamin supplements fresh
veggies and venison tripe. Maybe tomorrow we’ll do Wellness Grain Free mixed with some Orijen and
Jasmine Rice. They’re stools are consistently the way they should be and both of them are in great health. Like people they need dietary diversity and with so much great stuff out there to choose from
along with free delivery, you can’t do wrong

[Hound Dog Mom]

Looks like response #2 disappeared as well. I guess I’ll have to email Dr. Mike to see if they wound up in the junk folder. Grr..only happens to responses I put a lot of time into.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Response #2:

Hi marty0203 –

Calcium and phosphorus levels really only affect the joint health of large and giant breed dogs during the growth phase. By the time a large or giant breed dog reaches two years of age it is either dysplastic or not dysplastic. For all dogs, calcium and phosphorus levels should be in balance with one another (between a 1:1 and 2:1 ratio of C:P) but this is really only a concern for those making homemade food, balanced commercial foods will have a proper ratio of calcium to phosphorus.

I strongly feel that a diet high in protein, moderate in fat and low in carbohydrates is best for most dogs. My three bloodhounds eat between 45% and 55% protein, 30% and 40% fat and <20% carbohydrates at each meal. If feeding a dry food I would search for one with no less than 30% protein.

I feel it’s important to feed a variety of foods. I no longer feed dry dog food, but when I did I switched to a new brand at the end of each bag and added a variety of canned and/or fresh food toppers daily. I would recommend finding at least 3 quality foods (preferable different brands with different protein sources) and switching every so often. If you can mix in canned or fresh food occasionally this is great too and canned and fresh foods are much more species-appropriate than dry food. Patty had a wonderful suggestion with recommending you check out online retailers. I live in a small area with a limited selection of quality pet products as well and, for this reason, do the majority of my shopping online. In addition to the sites she suggested, some others you may want to check out are wag.com, doggiefood.com and naturalk9supplies.com.

Some supplements that promote joint health are glucosmaine, chondroitin, MSM, esterified fatty acids (such as cetyl myristoleate) and hyaluronic acid. Some who foods supplements that promote joint health are sea cucumber, green lipped mussel, eggshell membrane, shark cartilage and velvet antler. Raw meaty bones (especially those high in cartilage such as trachea, gullet and chicken feet) and naturally rich in joint health promoting compounds such as chondroitin. Turmeric, tart cherry, boswellia, yucca, white willow, bromelian and high doses of omega 3 fatty acids (up to 300 mg. per 10 lbs.) all help to manage pain and inflammation. If your dogs don’t have any orthopedic issues, a basic glucosamine/chondroitin supplement would be fine for maintenance. If your dogs have any symptoms of pain and inflammation you may want to consider a combination of some of the joint health supplements listed in addition to one of the natural anti-inflammatories.

[Hound Dog Mom]

OMG I just posted this huge long detailed response and it disappeared…

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Marty –

Calcium and phosphorus levels are really only a concern for joint health during the growth phase. Once large/giant breed dogs reach two years of age their joints are fully developed and at this point they’re either dysplastic or not dysplastic. Calcium and phosphorus levels obviously need to be in balance with each other (between a 1:1 and 2:1 ratio of C:P) but this is true for all dogs, not just large/giant breeds, and isn’t a concern as long as you’re feeding a balanced commercial food (where balancing C:P ratios come into play are with homemade diets). I personally feel that a diet high in protein, moderate in fat and low in carbohydrates is healthiest and most species-appropriate for healthy dogs. My three bloodhounds eat between 45% and 55% protein, 30% and 40% fat and <15% carbohydrates at each meal. If feeding a dry food, I would search for one with no less than 30% protein. I also would not limit yourself to only one brand – variety is important. I no longer feed dry dog food, but when I did I switched brands and protein sources at the end of every bag and I added different canned and/or fresh food toppers daily. I would recommend finding a minimum of three foods your dogs can eat (preferably different brands with different protein sources). Patty had a wonderful suggestion with online ordering if selection is limited where you live – some other sites that have a big selection and offer free shipping in addition to the two she posted are Wag.com, Doggiefood.com and NaturalK9Supplies.com. There are several supplements you can give your dogs that help to promote joint health and/or have anti-inflammatory properties. If your dogs don’t have any orthopedic conditions or arthritis a basic glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM supplement would be fine to start off with. Some other supplements good for joint maintenance are hyaluronic acid and esterfied fatty acids (like cetyl myristoleate). Some whole food supplements that are beneficial for the joints are eggshell membrane, velvet elk antler, sea cucumber, green lipped mussel and shark cartilage. Raw meaty bones (especially those high in cartilage such as trachea, chicken feet and gullets) are very rich in naturally occurring chondroitin. For dogs experiencing pain/arthritis some natural anti-inflammatories include high doses of omega 3 fatty acids (up to 300 mg. per 10 lbs.), turmeric, boswellia, tart cherry, yucca, bromelian and white willow. Generally human supplements are cheaper and higher quality than supplements marketed to dogs, adjust the dosage accordingly (a good rule of thumb is a 25 lb. dog would get about 1/4 of the recommended human dose, 1/2 the human dose for a 50 lb. dog, 3/4 the human dose for a 75 lb. dog and full human dose for dogs >100 lbs.). Also – as you may already know – the most important factor to maintaining healthy joints and staving off arthritis in large and giant breed dogs is maintaining a healthy body weight, it’s very important that large/giant breeds don’t become overweight as this adds a lot of stress to the joints.

[Cyndi]

No problem! 🙂 Hope Gus is doing ok today! (& you too!)

[Hound Dog Mom]

Thanks Cyndi 🙂

[theBCnut]

There are a few places on line that you can order from and get free shipping. Look for Chewy dot com and Petflow dot com.