[Eric C]

Bringing a Bouvier home. I raised my Lab on Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy. I see similar high ratings on other foods of similar price points – Science Diet, Eukanuba, Royal Canin. Diamond, etc.

Thoughts from anyone on what they have done used with me also realizing the Bouvier, though female, will be a bit bigger than my Lab boy and she will grow slower. Thanks In advance.

[GSDsForever]

Wow, so no one has posted about feeding a large breed puppy in 2 year, 5 mos?

Are these forums still active? But just no one has had a question or comment about a large breed puppy’s diet?

OK, well then. Here goes:

I’m bringing home a large breed young puppy. Has the recommended calcium–phosphorous ratio changed recently??

I’m used to the recommended ratio of 1:1 to 1.3:1 calcium to phosphorous.

I’m looking at the FEDIAF (Europe pet food) guidelines and it appears to show a ratio minimum and maximum of 1:1 to 1.6:1 for early growth (under 6 mos).

p.s. In case anyone refers me to the DFA best foods for large breed puppies, thank you, but I am employing different overall criteria for selecting best foods.

[aimee]

Hi Mattunderwater,

It is understandable to be confused. Before there were specific diets for large breed puppies it was a common recommendation to switch them to an adult food before fully grown.

Now that large breed puppy foods are available, veterinary nutritionists recommended that a puppy food appropriate for large breed growth food be fed until 80% mature, ~18 months-2 years depending on the breed.

https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=5985068

I don’t know anything about the brand you are using to know how their foods are made, some “adult” foods meet requirements for growth, but the information given to you by pet shop and trainer is not current.

If the food you are using is not made for growth/ juniors than I’d consider switching to one that is appropriately formulated for the growth of large breed puppies (not all diets labeled for large breed puppies are appropriately formulated) and feeding it in amounts to maintain good body score.

[Patricia A]

Hi M & C,
I’m sorry to hear of the passing of your pup from cancer. I know a neighbor also had a dog who passed from bone cancer. Her vet assured her that genetics played the role, absolutely nothing contributed in her care, and that most likely others from the litter would most likely succumb to osteosarcoma as well. I believe most common in large breeds.
The ONLY thing my dogs have in common are they are from breeders with the exception of my one Chloe who passed at 13. I didn’t know any better and purchased from a pet store. She was a Chihuahua. VERY sick when we bought her home. Did not eat and very weak to stand. That store closed down within a few weeks of purchase. Pups’ dying with all kinds of health issues. Yes, I knew nothing at the time of puppy mills where ALL these poor pups came from. Chloe gained her strength and remained healthy. She wasn’t acting herself one day. Just no energy. Tried to take her for short walk in the warmer weather and she just didn’t move. Called vet to bring her in next day appointment. Cough started with breathing difficulties. I just took her right in to vet without begging for appointment. Our usual vet gave chest X-ray and said pneumonia. “just take her home with these antibiotics . Take her in warm shower and tap chest.” “Antibiotics will start working and she’ll be fine.” I TRUSTED him. Woke up early to find her gums blue and gasping. Sped to vets’ who said hurry to the emergency hospital. They did all surgeries etc. She passed on my lap in car. It’s hard for me to write this and still after all these years I’m in mental anguish . Had several calls from head of my vets and my doctor apologizing for his error in judgement that a 13 year old with pneumonia, if it was even that I don’t trust now, should not have been let home. They were so worried about being sued I imagine that just all day long calls of “so sorry’s”. I’ve had many bad experiences at vets’. My Hannah needed knee surgery. Luxating patella common in small breeds. Doc insisted on all the shots before. They took her blood again at the large hospital who does the surgery. Came back extremely low white count. Did a bone marrow test. Diagnosis autoimmune from most likely shots. She went on thought to live 17 1/2 years and blood work eventually came back to normal. I stopped ALL shots for them . Loli who is eight only had her puppy shots and boosters. I don’t give ANY heart worm meds. I give checkups and blood work yearly.
Sorry rambling. Trying to get my mom to give me a minute. Uhhh. Migraine today so hope all makes sense. I believe your pup with seizures has nothing to do with food or your care. Just genetics M&C. Wondering if possible anyway you can find out if others have same in litter??? As for Thixton, I’m lost with rhyme or reason for which companies make her list. Certainly not ALL human grade or without synthetics I believe. Not ALL that are organic or humanity resourced. Would LOVE to know for instance why Primal was on one year and then not. That would at least give me an example of what she’s looking for. Uhhh Be well M&C. Glad to hear your pup’s anxiety has calmed which is a plus when it comes to seizures.

[Patricia A]

Hi M & C,
I’m sorry to hear of the passing of your pup from cancer. I know a neighbor also had a dog who passed from bone cancer. Her vet assured her that genetics played the role, absolutely nothing contributed in her care, and that most likely others from the litter would most likely succumb to osteosarcoma as well. I believe most common in large breeds.
The ONLY thing my dogs have in common are they are from breeders with the exception of my one Chloe who passed at 13. I didn’t know any better and purchased from a pet store. She was a Chihuahua. VERY sick when we bought her home. Did not eat and very weak to stand. That store closed down within a few weeks of purchase. Pups’ dying with all kinds of health issues. Yes, I knew nothing at the time of puppy mills where ALL these poor pups came from. Chloe gained her strength and remained healthy. She wasn’t acting herself one day. Just no energy. Tried to take her for short walk in the warmer weather and she just didn’t move. Called vet to bring her in next day appointment. Cough started with breathing difficulties. I just took her right in to vet without begging for appointment. Our usual vet gave chest X-ray and said pneumonia. “just take her home with these antibiotics . Take her in warm shower and tap chest.” “Antibiotics will start working and she’ll be fine.” I TRUSTED him. Woke up early to find her gums blue and gasping. Sped to vets’ who said hurry to the emergency hospital. They did all surgeries etc. She passed on my lap in car. It’s hard for me to write this and still after all these years I’m in mental anguish . Had several calls from head of my vets and my doctor apologizing for his error in judgement that a 13 year old with pneumonia, if it was even that I don’t trust now, should not have been let home. They were so worried about being sued I imagine that just all day long calls of “so sorry’s”. I’ve had many bad experiences at vets’. My Hannah needed knee surgery. Luxating patella common in small breeds. Doc insisted on all the shots before. They took her blood again at the large hospital who does the surgery. Came back extremely low white count. Did a bone marrow test. Diagnosis autoimmune from most likely shots. She went on thought to live 17 1/2 years and blood work eventually came back to normal. I stopped ALL shots for them . Loli who is eight only had her puppy shots and boosters. I don’t give ANY heart worm meds. I give checkups and blood work yearly.
Sorry rambling. Trying to get my mom to give me a minute. Uhhh. Migraine today so hope all makes sense. I believe your pup with seizures has nothing to do with food or your care. Just genetics M&C. Wondering if possible anyway you can find out if others have same in litter??? As for Thixton, I’m lost with rhyme or reason for which companies make her list. Certainly not ALL human grade or without synthetics I believe. Not ALL that are organic or humanity resourced. Would LOVE to know for instance why Primal was on one year and then not. That would at least give me an example of what she’s looking for. Uhhh Be well M&C. Glad to hear your pup’s anxiety has calmed which is a plus when it comes to seizures.

[aimee]

Hi M & C

I’ve gone down many a rabbit hole over the years. Hunting down accurate information can be a frustrating endeavor. Here is my take on NRC. NRC numbers are based on high bioavailability, something that in the real word doesn’t necessarily occur. AAFCO takes the info from NRC and pads the numbers to account for bioavailability.

AAFCO tables are by kg DM, assuming 4000 kcals/kg and they also report nutrients/ 1000 kcals . NRC does this too, but NRC also provides amounts based on body size. For example, NRC rec 3.28 grams of protein/ kg bw to the .75 power.

AAFCO tables are in Mins and Maxs. NRC has 4 columns: min, adequate, rec and safe upper limit. For many nutrients a SUL is not given because there is not sufficient research as to where to draw that line. For adult dogs there is no reported SUL for CA or Phos. For growth the SUL is 1.8% with a 4000/kcal/kg DM diet. This was based upon large breed puppy growth.

Currently I believe AAFCO table for MAX Calcium is 2.5 % EXCEPT in the case of growth of large breed puppies in which case it is 1.8%. This is why an AAFCO statement may say formulated to meet all life stages except growth of large breed puppies.

The point I was trying to make, and didn’t explain well, is that when AAFCO sets its tables it assumes that the dog is eating an average amount of calories but doesn’t define what this amount is. They leave it up to the manufacturer to determine feeding recommendations. This is a huge weak link.

It is known that when calories are calculated, any individual dog can vary by 50% from this number. So, for example, if calculated calories are 500, one individual may need 250 and another 1000.

When diets just meet AAFCO min there is an underlying assumption that the dog will be eating 500 kcals. But for those dogs that only need 250 kcals that AAFCO min may not meet the dog’s nutrient needs on a weight basis as given by NRC.

I think FEDIAF addresses this by having two data sets with one being for “inactive ” pets, but I haven’t checked to verify this. I believe this is what Susan Thixton is trying to petition the FDA to address.

That may be the easier way to address this because actually determining caloric needs is fraught with a lot of variation. But I see it as imperfect as well because it still leaves it up to the manufacturer and I’ve found considerable errors with this approach. I’ve found multiple instances in which when using the nutritional information provided by the manufacturer and using the manufacturer’s feeding recommendations the dog would not consume enough nutrients to meet NRC rec. or sometimes even min. values.

I have only found this in high cost, small company products. IMO feeding amounts are set low to make the food look more affordable. IMO, one of the most egregious examples I’ve come across was in a freeze-dried product made by a company that apparently did have by a PhD in animal nutrition on staff. So apparently even having someone with an appropriate background in nutrition in the company doesn’t insulate the consumer from errors of this type.

On the other end of the spectrum, I’ve seen companies who boost all nutrients to well above AAFCO min to better cover these “easy keepers” AND have feeding recommendations that will meet the animal’s nutrient need.

I’ve seen as a rule of thumb that if your dog needs to eat 80% or less of the recommended amount you need to switch foods to something with a higher nutrient density. The problem is that assumes the original feeding recommendations are accurate and unfortunately, they in many cases, are not.

[Patricia A]

Hello M&C,
I was agonizing about switching my three to a grain inclusive food. I believe grain free recipes came about after all those deaths of dogs’ from the contaminated mold of corn.

(December 2005, a string of pet deaths and illnesses were linked to dog and cat food produced in Diamond’s South Carolina plant. A few different brands of pet food manufactured in the plant, including Diamond, were recalled, but not before the products were shipped out nationally as well as to more than 2 dozen other countries.

The pet food was thought to be contaminated with aflatoxin, a toxic byproduct of a mold that attacks corn under certain temperature and moisture conditions. Drought, insect damage to crops, and improper storage and handling can all increase the risk of contamination.

Unfortunately, more than 100 dogs were thought to have died in 2005–2006 as a result of the tainted Diamond pet food. It remains one of the worst pet food recall events in U.S. history. Diamond vowed to reimburse customers for veterinary bills and other costs.

I discovered a dog food nutrition forum few months ago. Well, I just became so overwhelmed with those advocating that ONLY PPP should be fed if I care about my dogs’ heart health. Then there are those who hate vitamin packs in dog food. So brands such as Carna4 and Natures Logic, has no necessity for added vitamins since their claim is nutritional needs all come about naturally from their quality of ingredients..

I definitely started to doubt my choice in Stella n Chewy’s when I read a statement on their website that they add Taurine because dogs’ can’t synthesize their own taurine. After writing to them about this huge error they corrected on their site. They also had an error with stating their kibble for large breed puppies would not be appropriate since contains not ENOUGH calcium.Even though I never had a large breed puppy, I THOUGHT they needed LESS calcium in a puppy food? The DFA board has been much less active then in years past. However, a member on the board that does frequent and has always given researched, detailed replies when I post questions assured me I was correct in my understand regarding the calcium needs. I was only looking at their recipes and guaranteed analysis for their grain inclusive recipes when I came across these errors.
Well after much agonizing I made decision to stick with what all three are doing well with. Probably not very scientific but I feel the kibble with the ADDED vitamin pack gives them proper nuitrion while I add the freeze dried with only the meat and organs . Like I wrote I rotate brands in this. However, I am now transition to their Wholesome Grains baked kibble and it is agreeing with all of them.
If you read my other posts you then know I am caregiver to my mom who now lives with us. I had my two Tia and Loli Chihuahuas’ but now have her Sophie Chihuahua also. She suffers from dementia so I am always rushing my posts so I hope what I write makes sense . I enjoy the time I have reading up on new brands of freeze dried to see if I should add in rotation. But I just can’t do the big change to a new brand of kibble . it’s a small part of their diet along with home cooked when appropriate. So I’m just not looking at the dog nutrition forum anymore to further confuse me and make me doubt my choice. I don’t know if correct but someone wrote this on reddit forum.
“Anyone have any experience feeding this to their dog? Legume-free, potato-free, corn-free, higher protein, and contains wholesome grains.
It fits all of the WSAVA guidelines from an ingredient and nutrition standpoint but does not comply with their staffing requirements. I called Stella & Chewy’s to ask about that and the sales rep I spoke to said the only thing keeping them from being considered “compliant” is that they don’t have their own ACVN-certified nutritionist on payroll full time, however, she did say they outsource testing regularly to a third party ACVN-certified lab (which she also added means it’s tested more thoroughly).
Just a thought for anyone looking to feed WSAVA compliant food but wants to avoid the filler ingredients in the big 4 corporate brands. Brands with grains but without legumes or corn seem tough to come by these days.
Between boutique brands telling you to feed your dog like a wolf to corporate brands telling you they’re “backed by science”, it’s hard to cut through the marketing BS in the dog food world.”
Anyways, I do believe our dogs’/cats for you also are eating better then us. At least me since I REALLY do need that Ben n Jerry’s Cookie Dough Icecream to relax me at night. While “the girls” get their string bean and Bixbi treat and when I’m not looking a piece of cheddar from my hubby. lol

[Jack L]

Raw Food Diet For Dogs Cost

Raw food diet for dogs cost varies depending on the source and quality of ingredients. There are also many freeze-dried raw options available at different price points. Commercial raw food costs between $12 per day and $353 per month. This cost can vary depending on the supplier. If you feed your homemade dog meals, the price will vary depending on what veterinary advice they need for their diet plan! These can be more expensive than traditional home-prepared meals but require less preparation time and effort. The cost could also depend on the pet’s size. Smaller breeds may require smaller portions, while larger breeds may need more food to meet their nutritional needs. Additionally, some raw diets are nutritionally balanced and contain all of the necessary vitamins and minerals that a dog needs for optimal health. This can result in higher costs than homemade meals or other diets that may include only some of the necessary nutrients. Regardless, a raw food diet is an excellent choice for many pet owners looking to give their furry friends the healthiest and most natural nutrition possible.

Overall, a raw food diet for dogs cost is worth it if you are looking for optimal nutrition and health benefits for your pet. The cost may vary depending on the source, quality of ingredients, and size of your pet, but it is still a great choice for many dog owners. With careful research and understanding of your pet’s specific nutritional needs, you can find the best raw food diet that will benefit your pup at an affordable price.

The Top 5 Raw Food Diets For Dogs

1. Instinct Raw Boost Mixers Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food Topper
Instinct Raw Boost Mixers Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food Topper is great food for kibble and dry food lovers. It is made with real meat, fruits, and vegetables and contains real nutrition of raw. Raw is natural, made from real meat & whole food ingredients, protein-packed & minimally processed high protein, plus real freeze-dried raw meat pieces with natural ingredients to support healthy digestion and skin & coat. . A great way to make sure your pup gets all of their necessary vitamins, minerals, and proteins in the meal. Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of the cost of a raw food diet for dogs cost. However, with careful research and understanding of your pet’s nutritional needs, you can select a high-quality option that will provide them with optimal nutrition at an affordable price.

Pros:
Grain-free, potato-free, corn-free, wheat-free, and soy free
Made in the USA with the finest ingredients from around the world.
Rich in antioxidants
High protein content to support muscle growth and weight management
Cons
May require more preparation time than traditional dog food.
Some dogs may not take to the new diet as easily as others.
Raw diets may contain bacteria that could make your pet sick if not properly handled.
Raw food diets for dogs cost can be expensive to feed on a regular basis.
May require more research and understanding of pet nutrition than traditional dog food.
Overall, a raw food diet for dogs is an investment that can be worth it if you are looking for optimal nutrition and health benefits for your pet. With careful research, selecting a quality product, and understanding your pet’s specific needs, you can provide them with the most natural nutrition possible at an affordable cost.

2. Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food Dinner Patties
Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food Dinner Patties is best for raw food diet for dogs because it is made with 95% beef, organs, and bone, such as beef tripe. Our grass-fed Beef recipe will delight your pup. It also includes organic fruits and vegetables and added live probiotics to support your pup’s immune system. Stella & Chewy’s freeze-dried raw dinner patties provide complete & balanced nutrition for all life stages without any fillers. All Stella & Chewy’s products are made in the USA and sourced from responsible farmers, ranchers, and suppliers.

Pros:
Raw food diets are high in protein and essential vitamins and minerals for your dog’s health.
It may be easier to digest than kibble, making it a great choice for dogs with sensitive stomachs.
Since the ingredients are more natural, there is no need to add fillers, artificial preservatives, flavours or colours.
Dogs fed raw food diets tend to have a glossy coats, brighter eyes, and healthier skin and teeth.
Cons:
Raw food diets for dogs can be more expensive than traditional kibble or canned food diets.
Raw diets may not meet all of your pup’s nutritional needs, as they lack certain vitamins and minerals found in kibble or canned diets.
Overall, Raw food diet for dogs cost is an investment, and you can provide natural nutrition possible at an affordable cost.
3. Primal Freeze Dried Dog Food Nuggets Chicken Formula
Primal Freeze Dried Dog Food Nuggets Chicken Formula is the best food for dog owners looking for a complete and balanced raw food diet. It is packed with protein and healthy fats, and this grain-free recipe is made with humanely raised chicken. The formula also contains natural source vitamins and minerals for optimal nutrition. This formula is a convenient way to provide your pet with top-quality nutrition, and the pre-portioned nuggets make it simple to tailor their diet for optimal health and happiness.

With Primal Freeze Dried Dog Food Nuggets Chicken Formula, you can give your pup all the benefits of a raw diet in an easy and cost-effective way. This grain-free formula is made with real, high-quality ingredients for optimal nutrition and flavor, and it’s crafted in the USA for added peace of mind. Feed your pup this convenient and delicious freeze-dried raw food and provide them with the best nutrition possible.

Pros:
High-quality ingredients and humanely raised chicken with no added hormones or antibiotics
Organic produce and botanicals for additional health benefits
Grain-free formula for those who need to avoid grains
Preportioned nuggets make it easy to tailor the diet to your pet’s needs
Made in the USA for added peace of mind
Cons:
May be more expensive than other types of pet food
4. Wellness CORE RawRev Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Wellness CORE RawRev Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is the best dog food. It includes natural ingredients and also freeze-dried raw meat. A grain-free diet provides protein and healthy fats to keep your pup’s energy levels up. This formula contains probiotics and prebiotics to promote digestive health. In addition, it has added omega fatty acids, flaxseed, and salmon oil to support healthy skin and coat. It does not contain by-products, corn, wheat, soy, or artificial preservatives. Whether you have a puppy or an adult dog, this recipe will give your furry friend optimal nutrition.

Pros:
Grain-free
High-quality ingredients
Contains freeze-dried raw meat for added flavour and nutrition
Probiotics and prebiotics to promote digestive health
Made in the USA without by-products, corn, wheat, soy or artificial preservatives
Cons:
May be more expensive than other types of dog food
Can be difficult to find in stores or online, so you may need to order it directly from the manufacturer.
Overall, this raw food diet for dogs cost is affordable, and this product is also best for your dog.
5. Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Freeze-Dried Raw Adult Grain-Free Dog Food
Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Freeze-Dried Raw Adult Grain-Free Dog Food is a delicious food. It includes Freeze-dried raw grain-free food with added protein and carbohydrates and is an excellent source of Omega-3 & Omega-6 fatty acids. The cost of raw food diets for dogs depends on the size and type of protein you choose. This is an affordable option for those looking for aliments your dog needs. This food is made with natural ingredients and contains no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors. Additionally, it is excellent for dogs with sensitive stomachs since it helps to reduce allergens in the diet.

Pros:
A fresh, natural, and nutritious diet for your dog.
Raw diets are generally high in protein and promote healthy digestion.
Can help reduce allergies and sensitivities to certain ingredients.
Cons:
Risk of infection from bacteria or parasites if

What Is a Raw Dog Diet?
A raw dog diet is a type of nutrition plan that includes feeding your pup fresh, uncooked ingredients such as muscle meat, organ meat, bone broth, and whole eggs. Raw diets typically eliminate grains and processed foods from the equation in favour of natural vitamins and minerals found in real food sources. The belief behind this form of nutrition centres around the idea that dogs are biologically designed to eat raw meat and other natural ingredients rather than commercially-processed foods. Raw diets have become increasingly popular over the last few years due to their ability to promote overall health, improve digestion, and reduce allergic reactions in some pets.

Raw diets also allow pet owners to control what goes into their pup’s food. By preparing meals at home, pet owners can make sure that their pup is getting all of the nutrition they need and avoid any ingredients that may be harmful to them. Additionally, raw diets are often more cost-effective than commercially available options since they require fewer additional supplements or ingredients.

Should You Feed Your Dog Raw Food?
Ultimately, the decision to feed your pup a raw food diet should be made after careful consideration and research. While raw diets can be beneficial for many pets, it’s important to ensure that you are providing them with the nutrients they need for optimal health. Additionally, some dogs may not adjust well to this kind of nutrition plan and could experience digestive issues or other adverse effects. It’s important to consult with a veterinarian before making any drastic changes to your pup’s diet.

10 Benefits of Raw food diet for dogs

1. Increased Digestibility:
The high moisture content and the lack of added fillers and preservatives in raw diets often make them easier to digest.

2. Improved Dental Health:
The chewing action required for a raw diet helps keep your pup’s teeth clean and free from plaque buildup.

3. Enhanced Nutrient Absorption:
Raw food diets are usually unprocessed and contain fewer additives and preservatives, allowing your pup to benefit from increased nutrient absorption.

4. Increased Energy:
The higher protein content in a raw diet helps keep your pup energized throughout the day.

5. Fewer Allergies:
By eliminating processed foods and fillers, you can help reduce the possibility of your pup having an allergic reaction to their food.

6. Natural Balance:
The natural balance of nutrients found in raw diets helps keep your pup healthy without the need for added supplements.

7. Better Weight Management:
Because raw diets are typically lower in carbohydrates, they can help keep your pup’s weight under control.

8. Healthier Skin And Coat:
The fatty acids found in a raw diet can help promote a healthy coat and skin for your pup.

9. Reduced Vet Costs:
By providing your pup with optimal nutrition, you can help reduce the likelihood of them having to visit the vet due to health issues.

10. More Variety:
With a raw diet, you can mix up the types of proteins your pup is eating and make mealtime more interesting for them.

10 disadvantages of Raw food diet for dogs

1. Potentially Dangerous Bacteria:
Raw diets can contain dangerous bacteria such as salmonella and e.coli, which can make your pup ill.

2. Lower Nutritional Value:
Due to the lack of processing and preservatives in raw dog food, some nutrients may not be able to be absorbed by the body due to improper cooking techniques.

Raw food diets can contain bacteria that can be harmful to your pup. It’s important to take extra precautions and practice safe food handling when preparing meals for your dog.

3. Risk Of Nutrient Deficiencies:
With raw diets, it’s important to ensure that you are providing your pup with the proper nutrients in the right amounts. If not, they may be at risk of nutrient deficiencies.

4. Time-Consuming:
Raw diets can take more time to prepare and require careful research to ensure that all nutritional needs are met.

5. Higher Cost:
Raw food diets can often be more expensive than commercially prepared dog foods.

6. Difficulty In Sourcing:
Finding the right ingredients for a raw diet can be difficult, depending on where you live.

7. Messy:
Raw diets can get quite messy and require more cleanup than other diets.

8. Intolerance To Specific Proteins:
Some pups may not be able to tolerate specific proteins in a raw diet, so it’s important to monitor your pup for any adverse reactions.

9. Difficulty Transitioning:
It can take time for pups to get used to a raw diet, and there may be issues with digestion or intolerance during the transition period.

10. Poor Palatability:
Some pups may not find raw diets as appetizing as other types of food, which can be an issue if they’re picky eaters,

Overall, a raw diet can be an excellent nutritional choice for your pup – but it comes with some risks and potential disadvantages. It’s important to research the benefits and risks associated with this type of diet before making the switch. Once you are sure that it is right for your pup, you’ll be able to enjoy the numerous benefits that a raw diet can offer.

Conclusion
A raw food diet for dogs can be an excellent nutritional choice, but it does come with some risks. It’s important to do your research and make sure you understand the potential benefits and disadvantages before making the switch. With careful planning and preparation, a raw diet can provide numerous health benefits for your pup and help them live a longer and healthier life.

[aimee]

Hi Patricia,

AAFCO only makes 2 nutrient profiles: 1.an adult maintenance profile and 2. a growth/ reproduction profile. Every single diet formulated to meet the growth/reproduction prolife is an “all life stages diet” The manufactures may choose to market a diet that meets the growth/reproduction profile as an adult food, a puppy food, an all life stages food, a food for pregnant and nursing dogs, or even a senior food. Whereas a diet formulated to the AAFCO maintenance profile can be only be marketed as an adult diet or a senior diet

BUT and it is a big BUT if the “all life stages/puppy growth/reproduction diet” has more than 4.5 grams Ca/1000kcals it must be labeled that it is not appropriate for growth of large breed puppies because while small and medium breed puppies and adult dogs can tolerate large amounts of calcium in their foods, large breed puppies can not .

So in the case of Stella and Chewy’s kibbles, most do not say “puppy” on the front panel but since the company apparently formulates them to meet the AAFCO growth/reproduction table they are essentially all puppy/all life stages foods, BUT they apparently are puppy/all life stages foods that exceed AAFCO maximum for Ca for large breed puppies, so S and C has to disclose this by saying in their nutritional adequacy statements that large breed puppies are excluded.

My concern with their statement in the FAQ is that they are saying there is not enough Ca for large breed puppies in their diets that are not specifically marketed as puppy foods, when in fact, the only reason those diets could be ok for small and medium breed puppies, but not large breed puppies, would be if they had too much Ca in them for a large breed pup.

The maintenance profile for dogs requires a min of 1.25 grams Ca/1000kcals and the growth/reproduction profile, which is what is also called all life stages, requires a min of 3 grams of Ca/1000kcals Therefore every all life stage diet has over twice the min amount of Ca needed for an adult.

[aimee]

Hi Patricia,

If there is no notation near the “2019” I’d suspect the 2019 date on your bag is not related to date of manufacturer, but certainly, call for clarification.

It has been a while since I read the all research on growth and calcium requirements, so I do not recall the exact grams of calcium on a caloric basis used in the various research studies. For the sake of discussion and to illustrate the underlying principle I’m ballparking the following numbers.

On a caloric basis, during growth, large breed puppies do require a higher calcium level than small breed puppies. So, for example, small breeds grew normally when consuming say 1 gram of Ca/1000 kcals but feeding 1 gram Ca/1000 kcals to a growing large breed leads to skeletal problems. Large breeds needed a min. of 2 grams Ca/1000 kcals to grow normally.

At the other end of the spectrum, small breeds also grew normally when consuming say 8 grams of Ca /1000 kcals while 8 grams Ca /1000 kcals resulted in growth abnormalities in large breeds. So overall, small breeds grew normally when calcium levels were between 1-8 grams Ca /1000 kcals, whereas large breed puppies required a narrower range, say between 2-4.5 grams Ca/1000 kcals to grow normally.

AAFCO set the min. Ca for their profile for growth and reproduction at 3 grams Ca/1000 kcals, a level found to result in normal skeletal growth in BOTH small and large breeds. Then they stipulated a maximum of 4.5 grams Ca/1000 kcals for large breed growth.

A diet label for growth, without an exception for large breeds, must contain between 3 and 4.5 grams of Ca/1000kcals to meet AAFCO’s growth/reproduction profile. If a diet has a min. of 3 grams Ca/1000kcals but the Ca level exceeds 4.5 grams Ca/1000 kcals the company must label the food as appropriate for growth EXCEPT for large breeds which is what is found on Stella and Chewy’s non puppy kibble diets

The statement “(calcium and DHA levels aren’t enough for large breed puppies in non-puppy formulas)” makes no sense in light of the AAFCO nutritional profile that the company claims the diets are formulated to meet.

[aimee]

Hi Patricia,

When purchasing kibble for my own pets, I want something that is no longer than 6 months post production date. My 6 month rule isn’t written in stone and that number is based on absolutely nothing other than my own personal preference. Often times what I’m buying is ~2- 3months post production date but once the bag was a mere 10 days post production date!

Natural preservatives simply are not going to have the anti oxidant potential as synthetics and since consumer demand is for natural preservatives that is the way a lot of products are produced. Storge conditions in the manufacturer warehouse and distribution center and pet store can impact how well the preservatives “hold”. I suspect under adverse storage they may not hold up for full 12-18 months so I’m hedging my bet by using shorter cut off. But this is all conjecture on my part.

Interesting that Stella and Chewy’s states an expiration of 14-18 months post production in their FAQ and the bag is dated out 5 years. Have you contacted them for an explanation? You might want to inquire if they have held the food under adverse conditions such as high heat and humidity for 5 years and then tested it to ensure excessive oxidation did not occur

While in the FAQ section, the question on feeding large breed puppies caught my eye. Their answer makes no sense to me. They write:” Things are more limited with our kibble, as you would need to stick with the puppy-specific kibble recipe (calcium and DHA levels aren’t enough for large breed puppies in non-puppy formulas)”

It seems to me they are saying there is not enough calcium or DHA in their diets that are labeled as formulated for all life stages except the growth of large breed puppies. AAFCO’s min for Ca and DHA are the same for ALL puppies. AAFCO’s profile does not require more Ca for large breed growth. The AAFCO profile places a LIMIT on how much Ca can be in a diet for large breed puppies. Diets that are labeled for growth except large breeds can only mean that the calcium level in the food EXCEEDS the maximum NOT that there is not enough calcium in the food for a large breed puppy. I’d find it very disturbing if they didn’t understand this basic nutritional concept.

[Patricia A]

I believe most of the freeze dried are grain free. Go to BEST DOG FOODS on top of this site and then BEST FREEZE DRIED. Many have veggies included in ingredient list such as Primal. Some are strictly meat such as Vital Essentials. Some come in scoop form and others nuggets. Some proteins/flavors are higher in fat . I believe the 5* proteins/flavors for various companies are lower in fat.
Only one I know that is specially puppy is Stella Chewy’s. However guidelines for the rest are on the bag of approx. how much more you would have to feed a puppy for nutritional and calorie requirements specifically for large breed.
Exclusively fed freeze dried would be VERY expensive to feed large breed puppies. Maybe as a topper with kibble which meets requirements of large breed in grain free?
Hope this helps.

[Jesse W]

We have a 5 month old Newf puppy. We had him on Fromm large breed puppy and he did okay. His stools werent consistent. Sometimes soft other times not.

Began to research other options and landed on Honest Kitchen adult Whole Grain Chicken Clusters. Calcium/phosphorus levels are at 1.3:1 according to Advisors calculator.

They also make a puppy version. Its calcium/phosphorus is at 1.4:1

The adult food is also lower fat so a little bit slower growth. Using this food are we making the correct choice?

[Jody S]

Large breed puppy food without chicken:
Sport Dog Food, Cub puppy
Holistic Select LBP; lamb & oatmeal
Solid Gold Wolf cub; bison
Taste of the Wild; bison & venison
Whole Hearted LBP, Beef. Petco brand
Fromm Gold Heartland LBP; beef & Pork
Null Freestyle LBP, salmon & turkey

There are a number of dry foods available that Are not specifically labeled ‘Large Breed Puppy’ but do have appropriate calcium/phosphorus ratios and calories. Good luck!

[Dawn K]

New-ish to the forums, so hello everyone!

I would like to request a review of the Acana & Orijen grain-free wet/canned dog foods that have recently shown up in my local PetCo. Both can be easily found by searching the PetCo site for “Acana wet” & “Orijen wet.” (I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to include hyperlinks here or not.)

I’ve been using them for a few weeks at the recommendation of PetCo staff (also known as my son’s girlfriend) & I know they’re a popular name in the industry, but I’d feel safer feeding them to my large-breed puppy (GSD/Hound mix; 13 months; 80+ pounds) & dog (Rottie/Pit/Boxer/Lab mix; 2 years; 70+ pounds) if this site gave them a good rating.

Our dogs are normally fed Wellness Complete dry (large breed puppy & large breed adult) with wet as a topper. I do not use the Acana/Orijen exclusively & offer my pups a select variety of wet toppers (usually Merrick, Canidae, Wellness, & WholeHearted), both with & without grain. I prefer with grain, but am sometimes at the mercy of what the store has in-stock.

We’ve tried most flavors & varieties of the Acana/Orijen canned offerings with mostly positive reviews from our canine taste-testers. I will say that my puppy was not a fan of either puppy option & generally refused to eat both.

Also, is it odd they they also seem to be exclusively available at PetCo? PetCo seems to be really pushing these two wet foods & they have always been in stock for the past month or so, even when other popular brands were unavailable.

Thank you in advance.

[Anthony A]

These are their other foods that they offer. Which would you guys recommend I switch my German shepherd to once he’s 12 months and no longer needs the puppy formula. From what I’ve read grain free is not a good thing so I’m skeptical of those.
Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food
Pet Wants Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for All Life Stages including growth of large breed dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein, min – 25.0%
Crude Fat, min – 14.0%
Crude Fiber, max – 4.0%
Moisture, max – 10.0%
Omega 6 Fatty Acids* (min) – 2.85%
Omega 3 Fatty Acids* (min) – 0.62%
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles.

Ingredients Panel:
Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Millet, Oat Groats, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Ground Grain Sorghum, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Menhaden Fish Meal, Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast, Natural Flavor, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Chicken Cartilage (Source of Chondroitin Sulfate), Potassium Chloride, Menhaden Fish Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Salt, Lecithin, DL-Methionine, Calcium Carbonate, L-Lysine, Alfalfa Meal, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Cranberries, Dried Blueberries, Fructooligosaccharide, Turmeric Powder, Dried Carrots, Dried Spinach, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Niacin Supplement, Dried Seaweed Meal, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate.

Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food
Pet Wants Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for All Life Stages except growth of large breed dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein, min – 25.0%
Crude Fat, min – 14.0%
Crude Fiber, max – 4.0%
Moisture, max – 10.0%
Omega 6 Fatty Acids* (min) – 2.50%
Omega 3 Fatty Acids* (min) – 0.64%
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles.

Ingredients Panel:
Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Ground Grain Sorghum, Whitefish Meal, Oat Groats, Millet, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Potato Protein, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Monosodium Phosphate, Dried Tomato Pomace, Lecithin, Potassium Chloride, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, Dried Blueberries, Dried Cranberries, Fructooligosaccharide, Turmeric Powder, Dried Carrots, Dried Spinach, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl- 2-Polyphosphate, Mixed Tocopherols, Niacin Supplement, Kelp Meal, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus reuteri fermentation product.

Salmon Meal & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food
Pet Wants Salmon Meal & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for All Life Stages including growth of large breed dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein, min – 25.0%
Crude Fat, min – 14.0%
Crude Fiber, max – 3.5%
Moisture, max – 10.0%
Omega 6 Fatty Acids* (min) – 2.5%
Omega 3 Fatty Acids* (min) – 1.43%
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles.

Ingredients Panel:
Salmon Meal, Brown Rice, Millet, Ground Grain Sorghum, Oat Groats, Whitefish Meal, Canola Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Lecithin, Monosodium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Alfalfa Meal, L-Lysine, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Dried Blueberries, Dried Cranberries, Turmeric Powder, Dried Carrots, Dried Spinach, Fructooligosaccharide, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Mixed Tocopherols, Niacin Supplement, Kelp Meal, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus reuteri fermentation product.

Whitefish Meal & Duck Meal Recipe Grain Free Dog Food
Pet Wants Whitefish Meal and Duck Meal Recipe Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for All Life Stages including growth of large breed dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein, min – 30.0%
Crude Fat, min – 16.0%
Crude Fiber, max – 4.5%
Moisture, max – 10.0%
Omega 6 Fatty Acid * (min) – 2.85%
Omega 3 Fatty Acid * (min) – 0.56%
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles.

Ingredients Panel:
Whitefish Meal, Duck Meal, Field Peas, Chickpeas, Lentils, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tapioca Starch, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Dried Seaweed Meal, DL-Methionine, Salt, Monosodium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Turmeric Powder, Dried Carrots, Dried Spinach, Fructooligosaccharide, Calcium Carbonate Vitamin E Supplement, L- Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Mixed Tocopherols, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus reuteri fermentation product

Chicken Meal & Turkey Meal Recipe Grain Free Dog Food
Pet Wants Chicken Meal & Turkey Meal Recipe Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for All Life Stages including growth of large breed dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein, min – 29.0%
Crude Fat, min – 14.0%
Crude Fiber, max – 3.5%
Moisture, max – 10.0%
Omega 6 Fatty Acid * (min) – 2.60%
Omega 3 Fatty Acid * (min) – 0.71%
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles.

Ingredient Panel:
Chicken Meal, Field Peas, Lentils, Chickpeas, Turkey Meal, Tapioca Starch, Canola Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Sweet Potato, Salmon Meal, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Tomato Pomace, Chicken Cartilage (Source of Chondroitin Sulfate) Natural Flavor, Lecithin, Salt, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Dried Cranberries, Dried Blueberries, Taurine, Turmeric Powder, Dried Carrots, Dried Spinach, Fructooligosaccharide, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2- Polyphosphate, Mixed Tocopherols, Niacin Supplement, Kelp Meal, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Potassium Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus reuteri fermentation product.

[Anthony A]

Hey I’ve been feeding my dog this food his whole life and I wanted to get some opinions on it. He’s a 11 month old working line german shepherd. It’s a freshly made slow cooked food that I get delivered to my home every 4 weeks. These are the ingredients, this is the puppy formula.

Puppy Formula Dog Food
Pet Wants Puppy Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for the Growth and Lactation/Gestation Stages including growth of large breed dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein, min – 28.0%
Crude Fat, min – 17.0%
Crude Fiber, max – 3.5%
Moisture, max – 10.0%
Omega 6 Fatty Acid * (min) – 3.25%
Omega 3 Fatty Acid * (min) – 0.68%
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles.

Ingredient Panel:
Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Ground Grain Sorghum, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Oat Groats, Whitefish Meal, Egg Product, Natural Flavor, Brewers Dried Yeast, Pea Protein, Menhaden Fish Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Whole Ground Flaxseed, Canola Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Lecithin, Chicken Cartilage (Source of Chondroitin Sulfate), Potassium Chloride, Salt, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, Dried Cranberries, Dried Blueberries, Fructooligosaccharide, Turmeric Powder, Dried Carrots, Dried Spinach, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl- 2-Polyphosphate, Mixed Tocopherols, Niacin Supplement, Kelp Meal, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus reuteri fermentation product.

[crazy4cats]

I’ve made the 180 on dog food and now feed them either Purina Pro Plan or Purina One dry food along with a spoonful of wet food.

I tried feeding Iams dry at first after switching off of the grain free food we used to feed them. But, they like the Purina with the shredded pieces better and are doing great!

I do not know anything about Rayne. Best wishes on finding the best food for your new puppy. Make sure if it is a large breed puppy that you feed a puppy food specailly formulated for growing large breed pups.

[Amanda H]

I have a 14 year old Jack Russel Terrier who eats just about anything, hhe is in good health and pretty ideal weight. We have been feeding him him small breed kibble, no specific brand, tried staying with Nutro but would switch it up cause he needed to get bored…. Now we have an 8 week old great dane, who came with Diamond naturals puppy food. She has pretty much refused to eat her kibble, but instead prefers the JRTs, cheaper less quality food. Even when topped with large breed puppy canned food. I know the great danes diet is critical for her health. can my senior JRT eat her food and still maintain a healthy life? My jrt has always been a nibbler only eating a little here and there so I can’t just take the food away out of their reach…

[Susan]

Hi
Stop feeding the Stella & Chewy raw..
Find a free range human grade raw company or make your own raw diet with human grade raw meats/green veggies.
Sounds like the raw meat might be high in Toxins, Heavy Metals & Contaminates. Toxins can cause elevated ALT levels??
This was happening with my boy 2yrs ago when he ate a certain USA kibble he kept having elevated ALT levels..Then this USA pet food company was all over the internet being sued for their kibble being very HIGH IN TOXINS.
As soon as I changed his diet to a different brand his elevated ALT levels went back to normal.
My dogs Nutritionist who formulated my dog raw diet said to only use human grade meats I eat, she would NOT let me feed any of these Pre-made raw pet foods.
It’s worth a try changing diet & see what happens, also your dog needs to be on a large breed puppy diet till 2yrs old so his growing bones don’t grow too quickly & cause joint problems later on, if you have the money find a Nutritionist to balance him a raw diet made from Human grade ingredients + blended green veggies so diet is not too high in calcium and phosphorus & hopefully toxin free…
https://todaysveterinarynurse.com/articles/giant-expectations-nutrition-for-the-large-breed-puppy/

[Caryn D]

Hi Jordan, Thank you so much for your advice. I purchased a 4lb bag of the Fromm Heartland Gold Large Breed Puppy and I am weening her on to it now and I can already see an improvement in her #2’s. If you recall how long did you do the transition onto the new food ? Thank you again

[Jordan C]

Hi Caryn!

Murphy is 2.5 years old now and finished growing and is now on Stella and Chewy’s Essentials Wholesome Grains Beef Recipe. He has been doing absolutely amazing on it! Specifically labeled poultry free.
https://www.stellaandchewys.com/dog-food/grass-fed-beef-ancient-grains-recipe/

However, if you have a younger pup, I probably wouldn’t recommend it at this stage in its life. It does not carry an AAFCO label for large breed puppies. The back of the bag states: “All life stages except for growth of large size dogs (70lbs or more as an adult”

Until he reached about 1.5 years, I had him on Fromm Heartland Gold Large Breed Puppy

https://www.frommfamily.com/products/dog/gold/dry/#heartland-gold-large-breed-puppy

It is also poultry free but is specifically labeled for LBP. He also did very well on this one.

I hope this helps! 🙂

[crazy4cats]

Hi lynx556-
Have you brought in a stool sample into your vet clinic to check for parasites, including giardia and coccidia? Worms and parasites are very common in young puppies.

Has the vet recommended adding a little fiber to the diet? I have a kitty who has suffered with chronic diarrhea for months. I recently started adding a little psyllium husk powder and a probiotic. It has helped immensely. Make sure to get direction from your vet on how much to add. Adding too much could be dangerous.

I would definitely stick to a large breed puppy food. You want to make sure his joints grow and form correctly. It contains the appropriate amount of calcium and phosphorus for a growing large breed.

[Susan]

Hi Andree,
What does your vet say about 8 to 9 bouts of diarrhea a day- Grade 7.
You need to work out does she do better on a lower fiber diet -2% under fiber or a higher fiber food -7%+ fiber,
What is the fiber % what she is eating now? Is it Royal Canin Hypoallergenic vet diet?? is it a low fiber diet-1% fiber??
Also if she is a Large Breed puppy then she needs a large breed puppy kibble so her bones don’t grow to quickly causing Osteoarthritis & joint problems.
Tell vet the vet diet he/she prescribed is NOT helping your dog, you can also call/email Hills, Royal Canin they have Vet Nutritionist who can advise on what is the best vet diet for double intestine recession and introplacation of the intestine?
A vet nutritionist will probably know a bit more about diet then your vet knows about nutrition.

My boy suffers IBD I found grain free – Potato kibbles work best for Patch- NO Lentils, Lentils can cause intestinal stress.
Wellness Core L/B Wellness Complete Health Large Breed kibbles
Canidae All Life Stages, Large Breed Turkey Meal & Brown Rice kibble.

Maybe a raw diet would be best if she cant handle Fiber, or those dog rolls sold in pet fridge section.
You never put up your F/B group name.

[Andree C]

Hi guys! I was so excited to find this forum. My pup Winnie had a double intestine recession and introplacation of the intestine 6 weeks ago. We still have about 8 to 9 bouts of diarrhea a day. Grade 7. We stuggle with the food since Winnie is a large breed puppy and she is on hydrolyzed protein at the moment. I create a facebook group today maybe we can all connect because i need help. Its so hard to see her struggle to gain weight.

[Patricia A]

Melissa I don’t believe there is a difference in ingredients if a brand says small breed. It is probably just the size of the kibble and nothing should be different in the same flavor/protein of the same brand which doesn’t have small breed on the label. Large breed puppy food I believe would be an exception since large breed puppies have very different nutritional needs then non large breed puppies.
When it comes to senior foods I don’t believe it’s necessary to switch foods. It depends on you dog as stated in this article. If you have a vet check with blood work and your dogs are in good health then no reason to switch their food. Also there is nothing wrong with giving your senior dogs some REAL food at times. That being boiled white meat chicken, string beans, lean steak , watermelon . I’m sure they will enjoy this at their age. Hopes this helps.
Manufacturers “might be increasing protein, decreasing protein or keeping it the same,” Freeman said. “That emphasizes to us to look at the individual animal, and not all aging animals need a different diet. It’s much, much more important to look at individual dogs.”
Respondents tended to assume that senior dog foods were lower in calories, yet this actually varied from 246 to 408 calories a cup. Not all dogs gain weight as they age, some gain weight and some stay the same, Freeman said. Survey respondents also tended to assume that senior diets had less fat, protein and sodium. But, this was also not necessarily the case, with much variation among individual petfood brands, Freeman found.

“The study highlights the diversity among dogs and, consequently, dog food products. Each dog is unique and has distinct needs,” said Kurt Gallagher, a spokesman for the Pet Food Institute.”Attaining senior status depends on several factors, including the breed and weight of the dog. The differing nutritional needs of dogs are exemplified by the variance in the amount of protein senior dogs should consume.”

• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Patricia A.

[StinkyDog94]

Hi everyone! This is my first post and it’s kinda long…oops. I’ve been lurking around the forums and there seems to be a lot of good advise here, so I’m hoping you wonderful people can help me!

So I have a 6 month old mixed breed, medium large, last I checked she was 33lbs. I got her 2 months ago and started her on Berkeley Jensen puppy food over the first week. She went through a full bag with absolutely no problems. She’d get various natural chews, treats, some healthy people food, never had a problem with anything she ate. So about 3 weeks ago I started to introduce some canned food at dinner time (4Health). She was totally fine with it for 4 days, then I came home to an explosion in her crate after work on Friday. Okay, stopped the canned. Figured maybe I gave her too much too fast. Well she still had diarrhea and a few accidents over the weekend…decided to give just chicken and rice, and made a vet appointment. After 2 days on chicken and rice she was fine. Vet said she looked good, no poop parasites, gave her an antibiotic just in case she had something going on in there. Continued just chicken and rice for about a week, finished up the antibiotics. The next week I started adding in kibble again. After about a week and a half she was back on just kibble. No treats, no canned, just kibble. That was this past weekend…now the diarrhea is back and she’s had 2 accidents since yesterday. She’s acting totally fine, no vomiting, doesn’t appear to have any abdominal pain, and she’d still happily eat anything I’d give her. I’m not sure what to do…she was having totally normal poops again, but as soon as she was back to just kibble…runs.

If anyone has some suggestions I’d greatly appreciate it!

[Josh B]

Hi everyone first let me say I have appreciated this place hugely as a resource as I try to do right by by two pups. I signed up to ask this question because I couldn’t find anything about it anywhere. Please help.

(Two yellow Labs, one six months and the other 9 weeks)

Can anyone tell me the vitamin C content (if any) of the Purina Pro-Plan Focus, large breed puppy chow? I can’t find anything about it on the bag or the Purina website. The breeder said that the vet he’s known for 20 years tells him vitamin C is really important for the pups growth. I don’t want to think that a food that got 4.5 stars here on the best puppy foods list has NONE, but I can’t find anything about it.

Side note: I had basically decided on Hill’s Science Diet large breed puppy as a great overall food, but the calcium content of that is on the higher side of what most seem to recommend. So I’ve been mixing two parts of the pro plan focus in question and one part of the Hill’s. They seem to love it and are having healthy movements since getting used to it. The research I found makes me think this is fine but I’m open to thoughts. That sound okay?

Thank you in advance!

[Erin M]

I’ve been reading this thread for 4 years and it has been fascinating and full of so much great input. I’m wondering what y’all are doing after pea/lentil report came out last year. I’m struggling to find a good puppy food for my Labs that complies. My breeding friends and I all had been using TOTW successfully for years, but the report has puppy buyers scared for sure, so we’ve all shifted to Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy. It’s been good, but expensive and only a few distributors so not easy for new owners to purchase. Another breeder friend is using Victor Hi Pro Plus or Nutra Pro- both look like good food for adults but seems like the calcium is too high. PitLuv, is that your understanding since you use this brand? Also, another breeder is using Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy. I haven’t been able to get good info on the calcium because they state a minimum level, not max or ratios on their site. Really looking for input on what you’re doing now to be pea/legume free, if anything. Thanks!

[m3ntat]

Shelter puppies do well on Pro Plan puppy, their small breed, regular, and large breed variations, even during sudden transition when surrendered or picked up as abandoned/stray. It’s highly palatable, as they invest in veterinary nutrition r and d proving and improving palatability, safety, balance, and good growth development. It has higher DHA/EPA concentration, essential omega fatty acids contributing to formation of cardiac, bone, nervous system, eye, kidney and skin tissue during development. Purine ONE is a step down in ingredient quality, but their puppy diet is also highly palatable, with dehydrated shreds of meat amongst the kibble pieces. Royal Canin is another option, although Pro Plan is more palatable by most clinical observation of puppies’ appetites. HIll’s Science Diet puppy isn’t as palatable as competing similar puppy diets, as shelter and veterinary professionals can attest despite its good nourishment for lactating mothers as well as puppies, but if your pup’s apathy towards commercial diet persists, as long as he’s maintaining body condition aka adequate covering over bony processes such as hips and spine that you can feel these when press lightly, but not see them, he is ingesting enough to maintain during his growth and development. Mealtime training, with less treats between meal time, i.e. 2T peanut butter in kong at crate time twice daily, after meals, but not treats throughout the day, can improve appetite at meals. At his size and age, his approximate daily energy requirement is 1000-1200 kcals. It will be closer to 700kcal when growth is complete. Diarrhea on a rich, fatty diet does not necessarily imply sensitivity. If his body condition was good on Hill’s per your DVM, maintain; if he was a bit low body condition per your DVM, try the Pro Plan, or ONE, or Royal Canin. Boutique diets advertised as human grade or superior quality don’t have the r and d testing to ensure appropriate growth and development, safety, and palatability that more established manufacturers have. Adding less than 10% of the total diet as cooked egg, lean meat, whole grain such as rice, pasta, orzo, lentil, can entice appetite, but can create a dog that will not eat food without these added, may not eat the treats you have on hand for training, and lead to more restrictions due to preference down the road. This can especially make medicating or prescription diet feeding difficult. Food for thought.

[CMZ]

We have had 3 Great Pyres, 2 of which had sensitive tummies.
With one I had success with Natures Variety, not a large breed puppy food, but it helped.
My second one had an even more sensitive tummy but he did well on Duck and sweet potato, Venison and potato, Bison, etc. It could actually be the rice that’s bothering her. I think that was the culprit with ours.
I haven’t read all the grain free info out there, but I was thinking it was mostly the legumes (lentils, peas etc) that was more the issue. Try it with sweet potatoes, and other grains besides rice.

[Carter H]

I have an almost 7 month old Great Pyrenees who has proved to have a sensitivity to poultry. Our vet wants her to stay on a large breed puppy food that is grain inclusive, but poultry free. I currently have her on Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Lamb and Rice formula, but that seems to be giving her some belly issues and she really doesn’t like it. So, does anyone know of a large breed puppy food that is poultry free, but not grain free?

[Mona S]

I noticed that in the Best of for Puppies, that only wet and dry foods were listed. Stella and Chewy has a raw freeze dried food for puppies, but otherwise most raw foods seem to be formulated for all life stages. Does Dog Food Advisor have a position on feeding raw to puppies?

My vet is strongly against it as she believes their microbiomes are not developed enough to handle it. But she also recommended Purina Pro Plan as the best food, so nutrition is obviously not her strong point.

Thanks,
Mona
p.s. my particular puppy is a mini aussie, so don’t need to take large breed feeding into consideration.

[haleycookie]

So your dog is about 31 lbs at 5 months. First do you know if she’ll be over 50 lbs at full size? Is you think she will be I would switch to the large breed puppy food. If you think she’ll stay under 50 lbs follow the medium sized puppy guide on orijens bag. So for a 33 lbs dog it says 2 and 1/3 cup of food a day. Feeding guidelines will normally give u per day feedings not per meal. Some ppl only feed one meal a day so that wouldn’t help some ppl. So 2 and 1/3 cup is 266 g of food a day.
As for adult, let’s say he taps out at 20 kg or 44 lbs. for the original orijen you would feed him between 1 and 1/2 to 2 and 1/4 cups depending on his activity levels. Or somewhere between 171 g and 257g.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by haleycookie.

[anonymous]

@ Alberto A

What dog foods do you have available in Italy?

Also, when you get the pup, do not change the food! Continue to feed what the breeder has been using.

See the vet for an initial puppy exam within 2 weeks of bringing the pup home. See what he recommends.

This is the brand I like, I don’t know if you can get it where you are https://www.gofromm.com/fromm-family-large-breed-puppy-gold-food-for-dogs

[crazy4cats]

Hi Alberto!
Congratulations to you! A beautiful bloodhound, huh? How awesome.

You definitely feed a food that is formulated specifically for a large breed puppy. This will help ensure her joints to grow at a healthy pace.

In my opinion, I would feed either Purina ProPlan or One, Royal Canin, Eukanuba or Hill’s Large Breed Puppy food. Royal Canin might even have a formula specific for bloodhound puppies.

These companies all have done feeding trials on their foods.

I would not feed Acana. It has been associated with Dilated Cardiomyopathy in dogs. Especially larger dogs.

Good luck to you!

[Alberto A]

Hi, i’m Alberto from Italy.
At the end of the month i’ll become father and friend of a beautiful bloodhound (large breed) puppy.
I’m searching for a very good for her. I ordered Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain but after i read conflicting opinions.
For you what is the best food for a large breed puppy? I’m thinking also about Acana Large Bred Puppy but i can’t find a review.

Thanks

Alberto

[Suraj D]

Hi Susan.
Actually breeder told me that adult weight of my puppy will be around 30kgs. Thats why i am considering large breed food.

[GSDsForever]

Suraj,

I am unfamiliar with the breed/mix you have, from being primarily familiar with AKC (& CKC) recognized breeds. I honestly don’t know what a “Pocket Size American Bully” is.

Is this an American Bulldog? An American Staffordshire Terrier? Is this a nickname for one of these — and then a variety of it? Or is it a mixed breed of some kind? I’m not aware of there being a recognized or established variety of either of the 2 breeds I listed that is a “Pocket Size.”

To the point, and the reason I raise the question, is that I am not familiar with what health concerns or predispositions affect the kind of dog you have. That makes it difficult to answer your question.

Despite there being “large breed dog foods” w/focus on safe orthopedic development in large breeds, some small breeds have the highest rates by breed of hip dysplasia, such as Pugs, French Bulldogs (or the less common Brussels Griffons, Tibetan Spaniels). On the other hand, there are tiny breeds like Italian Greyhounds and Chinese Crested that have virtually no risk of CHD, with no concern needed in choosing a puppy diet with regard to this issue.

Pugs are actually the #1 breed with over 75% dysplastic, of those tested . . . followed by Olde English Bulldogges and American Bulldogs. Meanwhile, larger dogs such Salukis, Belgian Tervurens, Belgian Sheepdogs, Beaucerons (French Shepherds), and Flat Coated Retrievers have very low to non existent rates of CHD. There are also breed health trends, and breeds that used to not have a particular problem, now in recent years do (and vice versa).

Please talk to a knowledgeable vet and experienced, knowledgeable experts in your breed/mix. I would not choose a puppy food without consulting both, for my own puppy.

[GSDsForever]

Suraj,

I would feed any dog, large breed or otherwise, with a significant breed risk of hip or elbow dysplasia (and therefore DJD) a food with the following:

3.5g Calcium or Lower Per 1000 Calories
Actual (Typical Analysis) Calcium-Phosphorous Ratio of 1.3 :1 to 1:1

The guaranteed analysis you have provided above, which refers ONLY to minimum for calcium and phosphorus, does not tell us this. You would need to call the brand for this, unless it is posted on their website.

I would feed any *large breed* puppy prone to orthopedic structure, growth issues, and injury a food that is additionally suitable for SLOW, controlled growth and I would keep the puppy lean.

I would feed a *puppy of any breed/mix* a formula that I could verify a FULL nutrient profile and ensure it met safe and optimal levels of all nutrients, from a good and trustworthy company, preferably a formula with some longevity of safely feeding puppies (my own breed included).

I cannot recommend ANY formula of dog food (for ANY reason) based on just a guaranteed analysis from the bag. No one can (or should). It doesn’t provide enough information, about anything.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by GSDsForever.

[joanne l]

I really don’t see a problem either way. If he is doing fine on what you are feeding than leave it alone. If you are really concerned than call the vet, but I don’t see any problems on what you are feeding now. I have a German shepherd and one before this one and I have feeding both. If you want to feed large breed puppy food than feed it when he gets a little older, maybe 6 months.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.

[Patricia A]

I was looking at the k kals in freeze dried Stella and Chewy’s. I want to rotate to the lowest come the winter months when my easy to get chubby Chihuahua gets less exercise.
Primal Turkey/Sardine is the lowest actually coming in at 38.5 when I broke it down per nugget. which I do rotate with.However, Tia really loves Stella’s, so I will occasionally give the chicken at 50 kals per patty. However, when i just glanced at their puppy freeze dried the calories per patty was only 32 kkals.
Firstly, I always thought that puppies need HIGHER calories since they are growing? Can’t imagine how many patties you’d have to feed to a larger breed puppy. Why would the puppy formula be lower in calories per patty then the adult?
Anyway just would like to know is their ANY reasons why a nine year old dog cannot be fed puppy food if the calories are this low?? I asked this question in Stella’s P/M but they haven’t gotten back to me as of yet . Just thought I’d throw out the question on the board .
The freeze dried is used as a topper to kibble.

• This topic was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by Patricia A.
• This topic was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by Patricia A.
• This topic was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by Patricia A.
• This topic was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by Patricia A.
• This topic was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by Patricia A.

[Suraj D]

My puppy is 7 weeks old and i am feeding a brand which recommend one formula of food for weaning puppies and small/medium breed puppies.
They also have another formula specific for large breed puppies.
I want your opinion that after 8weeks can I continue with small/medium puppy formula or should switch to large puppy formula?

Small/medium formula nutrition information:
Crude Protein 31 %
Crude Fat 19 %
Crude Fibre 4.8 %
Calcium 1.2 %
Phosphorus 1.0 %
Total Omega-3,6 3.8 %
EPA 0.2 %
DHA 0.3 %
Energy (kcal/kg ME) 3615

Large puppy formula nutrition information:
Crude Protein 29 %
Crude Fat 17 %
Crude Fibre 3.6 %
Calcium 1.1 %
Phosphorus 0.9 %
Total Omega-3,6 3.4 %
EPA 0.3 %
DHA 0.4 %
Energy (kcal/kg ME) 3680

[anonymous]

BTW: The food you say your dog does fine on has chicken https://www.gofromm.com/fromm-family-large-breed-puppy-gold-food-for-dogs

So, wouldn’t it make sense to just go to the large breed adult formula?

[Patricia A]

Let’s say you made an appointment with your vet strictly for a consultation on diet for your dog. Then ask that first off I would like you to tell me what are the necessary vitamins/minerals and percentage that needs to be in the food to keep my dog healthy. Also if I had a large breed puppy how would those percentages change if at all. How many more calories does he need when feeding then a small breed puppy? What should I look for as the first through 5th ingredient on the dog food label that should point me to the best food? What should I be on the alert for that should NOT be on their ingredient label that would suggest a low quality food? You know what the vet would say to these questions? You think any vet not trained strictly in animal nutrition would know these answers. I think not.
Take it a step further and bring in a dog food he suggests such as royal Canon, science diet etc and cut out the name and show him only the ingredient label.Also take in let’s say freeze dried also and some other brands with only the label.

So Royal Canin adult dog foods first few ingredients are:
Brewers rice, chicken by-product meal, oat groats, wheat, corn gluten meal, chicken fat, natural flavors, dried plain beet pulp, fish oil, calcium carbonate, vegetable oil, potassium chloride, salt, etc.

And here’s Science Diet recipe (website states vet recommended)
Chicken, whole grain wheat, cracked pearled barley, whole grain sorghum, whole grain corn, corn gluten meal, chicken meal, pork fat, chicken liver flavor, dried beet pulp, soybean oil,

Now I’m not trying to plug a dog food. I get my starting point from Dr. Mike and go from there. But let’s take Bixbi Rawbble whose first ingredients are this: Salmon, whitefish, chicken and ground bone, pumpkin etc.

Grain inclusive Stellas ingrediens: Chicken, chicken meal pearled barley,oatmeal, chicken fat, brown rice etc.

Primal ingredients: Turkey, turkey necks, whole sardines, turkey hearts or turkey gizzards, turkey livers, organic collard greens, organic squash, organic cranberries, organic blueberries, organic pumpkin seeds, clery, sunflower seeds etc.

So does anyone think he would know which one was Royal Canin just by looking at the label. Would he pick Royal Canin or Science Diet as being what he feels the highest quality after seeing the first few ingredients of the others? Unless I’m WAY off on what I understand to be ingredients to look for on a dog food label for the best nutrition for my dogs, then I would HOPE his pick would be the others over Royal Canin and Science diet which vets push in their practice.
What I’m attempting to put across here is that the MAJORITY of vets who sell Prescription diets as in Science Diet, Royal Canin etc at their practices and suggest that food have no idea what is even in the ingredients and wouldn’t recognize which brand are those and which are others by just looking at the ingredients. They have salesmen from these companies and correct me if I’m wrong please and get kickback each time a bag is sold.

[Patricia A]

Let’s say you made an appointment with your vet strictly for a consultation on diet for your dog. Then ask that first off I would like you to tell me what are the necessary vitamins/minerals and percentage that needs to be in the food to keep my dog healthy. Also if I had a large breed puppy how would those percentages change if at all. How many more calories does he need when feeding then a small breed puppy? What should I look for as the first through 5th ingredient on the dog food label that should point me to the best food? What should I be on the alert for that should NOT be on their ingredient label that would suggest a low quality food? You know what the vet would say to these questions? You think any vet not trained strictly in animal nutrition would know these answers. I think not.
Take it a step further and bring in a dog food he suggests such as royal Canon, science diet etc and cut out the name and show him only the ingredient label.Also take in let’s say freeze dried also and some other brands with only the label.

So Royal Canin adult dog foods first few ingredients are:
Brewers rice, chicken by-product meal, oat groats, wheat, corn gluten meal, chicken fat, natural flavors, dried plain beet pulp, fish oil, calcium carbonate, vegetable oil, potassium chloride, salt, etc.

And here’s Science Diet recipe (website states vet recommended)
Chicken, whole grain wheat, cracked pearled barley, whole grain sorghum, whole grain corn, corn gluten meal, chicken meal, pork fat, chicken liver flavor, dried beet pulp, soybean oil,

Now I’m not trying to plug a dog food. I get my starting point from Dr. Mike and go from there. But let’s take Bixbi Rawbble whose first ingredients are this: Salmon, whitefish, chicken and ground bone, pumpkin etc.

Grain inclusive Stellas ingrediens: Chicken, chicken meal pearled barley,oatmeal, chicken fat, brown rice etc.

Primal ingredients: Turkey, turkey necks, whole sardines, turkey hearts or turkey gizzards, turkey livers, organic collard greens, organic squash, organic cranberries, organic blueberries, organic pumpkin seeds, clery, sunflower seeds etc.

So does anyone think he would know which one was Royal Canin just by looking at the label. Would he pick Royal Canin or Science Diet as being what he feels the highest quality after seeing the first few ingredients of the others? Unless I’m WAY off on what I understand to be ingredients to look for on a dog food label for the best nutrition for my dogs, then I would HOPE his pick would be the others over Royal Canin and Science diet which vets push in their practice.
What I’m attempting to put across here is that the MAJORITY of vets who sell Prescription diets as in Science Diet, Royal Canin etc at their practices and suggest that food have no idea what is even in the ingredients and wouldn’t recognize which brand are those and which are others by just looking at the ingredients. They have salesmen from these companies and correct me if I’m wrong please and get kickback each time a bag is sold.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by Patricia A.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by Patricia A.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by Patricia A.

[crazy4cats]

Congratulations on your new furry family member! Large breed pups are dogs that will be over 50 or 60 pounds when they are full grown. It doesn’t look like the new puppy will be that big. But, you could always feed a large breed puppy food if you are not sure.

I only feed my pets food that are WSAVA compliant. They are Royal Canin, Eukanuba, Iams, Purina, and Hill’s. They all sell puppy food that would be great for your new addition. I feed my dogs mostly Purina ProPlan. They are doing great! Good luck!

[Alisha T]

We are going to be adopting another furry member to our family today and I am a little confused about the Large Breed issue. I have had dogs in my life all of my life and I never realized until coming to this site that getting specific food for a puppy that will be large is so important. Lola, our five year old Goldendoodle is only 10 pounds and so luckily this doesn’t apply to her. The one we will be adopting has a mother is who 35 lbs and father 25 lbs. My question is does this qualify as “Large Breed”? Lola has been so hard to feed due to her being picky and I have tried all of the high end foods and after five years of expensive dog food that had to be tossed in the end we have landed with the Fresh Pet Select that you get in the fridge. Not ideal but it is healthy and she eats. Any advice on what new puppy should be eating?

[anonymous]

Check out what Fromm has to offer (grain inclusive) puppy formulas. Example https://www.gofromm.com/fromm-family-large-breed-puppy-gold-food-for-dogs

https://www.gofromm.com/classic-puppy-dog-food

Also, see this site for science based info http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2010/01/nutrition-in-large-breed-puppies/

Also discuss your concerns when you see the vet. Remember to transition to a new food very gradually with a puppy.

Maybe mix some soft food and a little water in with the kibble.

[Susan]

Hi Whiskey D,

Please make appointment with a Holistic Vet or I contacted a Animal Nutritionist, DO NOT ADD calcium you need someone who will balance diet for your pup.
Your dog is probably getting enough calcium if he’s eating bone in diet??

“Excess Calcium Isn’t Good for Dogs. … Because of this, some owners feel their dog or puppy – particularly if he is a large breed – should be given extra calcium. But too much calcium can have the opposite effect: excess calcium can slow bone and cartilage development, even stunt growth.”

Rodney Habib is studying & doing his degree, his large breed white dog “Sammy” is nilly 18yrs old, all 3 of his dogs are all feed balance raw diets… Rodney has more brains then the negative people on DFA who always post negative post about him & other people all the time..

Do your research, join Raw feeding groups – “The Possible Canine” Catherine Lane, Dr Judy Morgan- Pup Loaf, Lew Olson – “K-9 Natural” group – Dr Laurie Coger f/b page..
Steve Brown is really good to follow, he recommends adding { 1-2 Mussels, 1 tablespoon Salmon & a pinch of Kelp} daily to balance a dogs diet…… Tin Salmon has bones, drain water, mash bones thru the salmon & put in air tight container put in fridge look for the lowest salt/sodium % on can..

Dr Karen Becker has a few good books with balanced raw recipes – msg her on her F/B page, she was releasing a new book last year.

Feed healthy whole foods, veggies, fruit, “Sardines” are VERY healthy & help balance a dogs diet, also “Mussels” very healthy both foods have natural calcium, vitamins/minerals, chicken frames are nice soft bone, chicken drumsticks, turkey legs, turkey necks… look for Wholesalers who sell to the supermarkets & Butcher shops that’s what we do in Australia we buy from the wholesalers….its fresh then you freeze in sections…