[Pitlove]

Hi Wendeyzee- I won’t speak for DogFoodie, but no I’m not a veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist. That is why I personally provided you with links to research conducted by those types of professionals in the field of nutrition that have studied growth in large breed puppies. I am aware that German Shepherd Dog’s are prone to the development of Pano (the links also support that). No where in my post or in my links I provided did it say otherwise. What was said in those research articles was that Pano is idiopathic, therefore there is no way to know that feeding your puppy a high protein diet was the cause of it. This should actually offer some piece of mind.

Over nutrition does not mean feeding high protein- it is in reference to caloric intake. This is why DogFoodie (and I) mentioned keeping the dog lean and at an ideal weight during the critical growth period (though that can not even guarentee your dog will not develop pano). A puppy that is even slightly (by just a mere few pounds) overweight is at a much higher chance of developing any one of the numerous DOD’s.

No one here critized your pet parenting or assumed you had not spent any time researching the breed. You’ve misconstrued that in your own mind. We simply offered you information that you may have missed while researching.

I’m sorry you found this information offensive. Best of luck with your pup

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Pitlove.

[Jenn H]

Wendy I’d be happy to share. Right now I’m on break at work, but when I get home I’ll have my lists.
Until then at the moment I’m feeding my 7 month old GSD 4-4.25 cups Solid Gold Wolf Cub bison. That’s split into 3 meals. He’s about 70 lbs.
He’s done really well with it. His coat looks good and he’s really been building muscle since switching him completely 1 month ago. As a result of the muscle tone I’ve noticed his confirmation improving.
My 7 y/o GSD has been having GI issues since having to be on 2 courses of antibiotics for Lyme and 2 other antibiotics for other issues and a bout with pancreatitis. For her right now I’m giving 2 meals of 1/2 can i/d and 1/2 cup Wysong Anergen. I’m about to switch the i/d to Anergen cans. She’s 67 lbs right now. It’s winter. Nomally she is much more active and eats more but her normal weight is 60-63 lbs.
I have a 10 y/o Lab/Pit mix (more Lab) that’s about the same weight as my 7 y/o. She gets Wysong adult 2 times/day. 3/4 cups. She has nothing but muscle. No fatty lumps or anything! Best looking Lab/Lab mix I have ever seen at her age.
They are all healthy & energetic (even my sick girl).
Once my pup requires more kibble I’ll probably sub it/add Solid Gold cans. I’ll have to figure out the amts on that first.
Before this food he was getting about 61/2 cups Wellness Core Grain-free Puppy. He did pretty good w/ it, but I was going thru so much food. And his coat & muscle tone wasn’t like it is now.
The reason I fed that and not the Wellness large breed puppy was because it had 1.5% calcium. The lbp has more than that surprisingly.
Solid Gold Wolf Cub (bison) has 1.3% max.
All of them also get 2 Tbsp pure canned pumpkin (Libby’s brand from the market.)
Every once in a while I give them goat milk and/or cooked & cooled whole groats oats just to fill them up a little or put a couple extra pounds on for cold weather.

So it goes like this:
Puppy: 1.25 cups Solid Gold am & pm
1 cup middle of day
2 Tbsp pumpkin in 1 of the meals.
Lab mix: 3/4 cups Wysong Adult am & pm
2 Tbsp pumpkin

I’ll get back to you later with the other foods I’ve tried/like.

[crazy4cats]

Hi AK-
While it probably isn’t crucial at this point to keep the calcium percentage that low due to the fact that your pup is 10 months old and has done a lot of her growing already, but it sure wouldn’t hurt just to be safe.
The Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost Formula that you originally wanted to use should be appropriate if you want to give it a go. Also, Fromm Gold Lg Br Puppy, Orijen Lg Br Puppy, Wellness Core, Horizon Complete Lg Br Pup and Nutrisource Lg Br Pup are also some ideas to check out.
My large breed pups are now 4 1/2 years old. LOL! I feed them mostly 4 star foods and add canned or fresh meal mixers to their meals and they are doing great! Just remember, you don’t have to stick with one food forever. It doesn’t have to be a life long decision. If it doesn’t work, try something else! Best of luck.

[crazy4cats]

Hi AK-
Here is an article that is found on the review side of this website. It explains how it is best to keep calcium under a certain percentage to help prevent joint problems such as, hip and elbow dysplasia: /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/
There is a calculator on the link helping you decipher whether a food is appropriate or not. Also states, that while not as precise, you can generally look for a food that has .9% to 1.35% calcium. I would be more concerned about that percentage than how many stars a food has at this stage of the puppies life. At least for a few more months until she is fully grown.
Pitlove and Frank have given you a few good options. Good luck with your choice. I know it is confusing, but you are on the right track!

[Pitlove]

Hi Rachel-

Couple things here that could help save money for the moment. Firstly, food is usually the easiest thing to start with (and least expensive for the most part). I find that NutriSource is an excellent food for dogs who have loose stool/digestive issues. And of course, you would want to feed their Large Breed Puppy formula since your boy might be borderlining a giant breed but most certainly is already a large breed and needs a strict diet to reduce the risk of orthopedic disorders.

Secondly, if you’d like to forgo the neuter and do the testing for other parasites I think that would be a fine choice. It’s recommended not to neuter large breeds until they have fully grown so that their growth plates have a chance to fully close and he will not be fully grown at only 10 months old. This also helps reduce the risk of orthopedic disorders. Also, this could allow you to invest more in figuring out the cause of his stomach trouble, which is much more the pressing issue at this time.

[Pitlove]

Star rating is not important at this juncture, but proper growth is. I’d highly recommend looking into NutriSource Large Breed Puppy. It is a great food for dogs with digestive problems.

Edit: I completely agree with Crazy4Cats. I’ve used NV Rawboost and was always dissapointed about the inconsistancy of how many raw pieces I got. Better to supplement your own with meal mixers like Stella & Chewy’s or add fresh foods like C4C said. Always being careful not to tip the calcium scale too far off.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Hi A K-

Nature’s Variety is a good food, my only concern is that when I look at the link you provided the calcium and phosphorus does not say if that is the MIN or MAX levels. That is something you need to email and find out about. If those are the MIN levels of calcium and phosphorus then that food is far too high in calcium for a growing large breed puppy- however if it’s the MAX it’s on the high side, but you could still feed it.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Pitlove.

[aimee]

Hi Kelly,

You can find veterinary nutritionists through their website acvn dot org. But most won’t do raw diets and even fewer a raw diet for a puppy. If you want to go that route I’d suggest trying Dr Bartges

The reason most won’t, I think, is two fold.. one the pathogen exposure and two the availability of nutrients contained in raw meaty bones isn’t quantified. Providing calcium at just the right range for a large breed pup becomes an unknown if calcium absorption from these sources isn’t known.

Some time ago I read an article on a pup that had severe calcium depletion on a home made raw diet yet there was plenty of bone in the gut.. In other words the calcium from the bone that was being fed wasn’t being absorbed.

So I wonder if a vet nutritionist who would formulate for a pup would skip the bone and use a Ca source whose availability is known.

The commercial raw foods you mention may be all life stage formula’s meaning they meet the criteria for puppies and then by default for adults.

The only company I know of that made a raw that went through feeding trials and is HPP and consults with a vet nutritionist is Natures Variety. The current formula haven’t been through feeding trials but carry a feeding trial statement by way of AAFCO’s family rule.

Like pitlove, I too have seen horrible results from a raw food diet on the growth of a puppy. The owner was an experienced raw food feeder for her past adult dogs and this was the first pup she raised on raw. The dog was anemic, small for its breed and had to have orthopedic surgery at a young age. So sad….After having seen this first hand it is why I’m uneasy with your plan.

[InkedMarie]

I highly suggest feeding wet food: raw, canned, dehyrated. If you can’t feed all wet, use a kibble of your choosing (if your puppy is large breed, they have special nutritional needs; other than that, you can use an all life stages food), add cann & warm water.

It’s very important that your pup be able to urinate often.

[Shawna]

Hi Pittiemama,

Hopefully I can help you here. My puppy had kidney disease right from birth. It is believed her kidneys just weren’t able to develop (she was the sixth puppy, the runt, for a 12 pound Chihuahua / Boston Terrier mix). The breeder had to had feed her, due to a collapsing trachea, raw goats milk and egg whites to keep her alive. She had symptoms (excessive drinking and urine) at just six weeks of age. She was officially diagnosed at one year and given a year to live. She lived to eight years and seven months old and then passed for reasons not directly related to kd.

A little background on me, my father is a naturopath. I did consult with him when I got Audrey’s diagnosis but being raised by him, I was able to mostly formulate the plan of attack myself.

Audrey’s numbers, when she was diagnosed, were right around the same as your babies — and she lived almost seven more very very healthy and happy years. It could happen for your baby too.

The first thing I would suggest is to keep up on his dental health. You won’t want to use anesthesia for dental cleanings so RIGHT now start doing anything and everything you need to keep his teeth clean. It was actually bacteria likely from a dental infection that got into Audrey’s kidneys and ultimately took her life. Use fresh garlic in his meals. Use an enzyme supplement in his water, Dr. Melissa Shelton’s essential oil called Dog Breath is very effective and a drop can be added to his water dish or you can mix with water in a spray bottle and spray right on teeth. http://www.animaleo.info/dog-breath.html I would also recommend a product made by Green Pasture’s called Infused Coconut Oil. It’s high in vitamin K2 (which has been shown to have great benefit for teeth) and has other wonderful nutrients. All of my dogs get it but I found it when Audrey’s teeth were already needing some extra support. 🙁 http://www.greenpasture.org/public/Products/InfusedCoconutOil/index.cfm

I HIGHLY recommend Standard Process Canine Renal Support. It is a food based supplement that “feeds” the kidneys but also has a product called a protomorphogen (which is the RNA/DNA of the kidney cell) that helps prevent inflammation to the kidneys. It is the one supplement she never went without. I also used their SP Canine Hepatic Support when I thought she needed a little liver support — helps with allergies too. I also used their Cataplex B and C as water soluble vitamins may need to be added due to the large amounts being urinated out.

ONLY give filtered or other forms of “clean” water. I would avoid tap water at all cost. Lower sodium mineral waters with good amounts of calcium and magnesium have been shown to be beneficial for dogs with kd. I like Evian water because it is high in calcium bicarbonate. I didn’t give it all the time but made sure (at least in the beginning) to give it regularly — I got lax in the later years and I truly believe Audrey would still be with me if I had not. She was doing so well though and my life got busier..

I HIGHLY recommend getting some Garden of Life Primal Defense probiotic and Garden of Life Acacia Fiber supplements as well. These are used as “nitrogen traps” and as BUN begins to build up the bacteria consuming the fiber will cause some of the nitrogen to be routed through the bowels freeing up the kidneys from having to deal with them. I gave probiotic foods (like green tripe, fermented veggies etc) frequently but when I noticed she was feeling a little lethargic, depressed, not feeling well etc I assumed nitrogen was building up and I’d give her the probiotics and prebiotic for several days. Always worked like a charm. Will be quite important as the disease progresses and he starts getting symptoms. This also allows for a higher protein diet. The protein doesn’t damage the kidneys but it does, due to BUN, add to symptoms. Oh, I forgot to mention. Audrey ate a HIGH protein raw diet up until the last six to eight weeks of her life. Audrey never had a problem with phosphorus but as your puppies disease progresses you may have to watch the amount of phosphorus in the foods you are feeding. The golden rule is to limit phosphorus but it’s obviously not always necessary. That said, phosphorus can damage the kidneys if it gets too high in the blood so either monitor it or feed the right amounts of phos for the stage your pup is at. Right now while phosphorus isn’t as big an issue, I like the Honest Kitchen Brave. To that I would add a raw egg a few times per week and give Answer’s raw goat milk regularly as well. Both raw eggs (if not whipped etc) and raw milk can easily increase the “master antioxidant” in the body called glutathione. This will obviously help out everything. Later, when phos needs to be more restricted, you may not be able to give the whole egg (as the yolk is higher in phos).

Supplements —
1. Organic Turmeric is good as it is anti-inflammatory but it also is anti-fibrotic (prevents scar tissue). Audrey didn’t tolerate turmeric well so she didn’t get it but in general it would be quite helpful for a dog with KD.
2. Spirulina, chlorella and pumpkin seed oil are all high in chlorophyll and supplies lots of other nutrients. Dogs with KD can be at risk for anemia and chlorophyll is awesome for anemia.
3. Burdock root is a prebiotic and of the herb world is considered to be the “blood cleaner”.
4. Milk thistle helps spare glutathione and is a good detoxer.
5. Distilled water (given once in a while) and food grade activated charcoal are good detoxers too.
6. Copaiba essential oil is great for pains and inflammation plus more. A therapeutic grade, like Dr. Sheltons, is the only kind to use on pets. Can be given in food or rubbed into the skin over the kidneys as an example.
7. Braggs brand apple cider vinegar can help with indigestion or tummy issues. Audrey didn’t need it often but when she did I would mix it 50/50 with water and syringe feed it. She hated it but within seconds would burp and feel better.
8. Therapeutic grade peppermint oil, ginger extract or Dr. Shelton’s GI Joe essential oil work great for tummy issues as well. I got sick to my tummy and used the GI Joe to help. Kept me from vomiting and soothed my tummy.
9. Learn about essential oils if you don’t already know. If you have a Facebook account, join AnimalEO’s page and sign up for Dr. Shelton’s Friday Fun Facts. I didn’t know about them early enough to be much use with Audrey (specifically Dr. Shelton’s oils) but I sure wish I had.

DON’T do ANY more vaccinations – not even rabies if you can at all avoid. Audrey was legally exempted from having to get the rabies vaccine for life. She wasn’t protected either as she only got her first shot (at six months) before diagnosis was made. No heartworm, flea/tick or anything like that either.

I know there’s things I’m forgetting but hopefully this is enough to give you a good jumping off point.. 🙂 Hugs to you and your baby boy!!!!

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

[Pitlove]

Hi Kelly- “Puppies need more calcium than an adult dog” Right here is where I need to stop you. Your puppy will be considered a giant breed and while you have been researching a homemade raw diet, you haven’t factored in that you have a dog that will be large. Large and giant breeds do not need more calcium, they need very very controlled levels. The ratio of calcium to phosphorus needs to fall between a 1.1:1 and a 1.5:1 ratio. Anything higher can increase the risk that they grow too quickly and develop devastating orthopedic disorders. I’ve seen the horrible effects of a large breed puppy (specifically a Great Dane) fed a raw diet that was poorly balanced.

I’m sorry, but I have to agree with Aimee on this. I’m not against feeding raw, but for a large or giant breed, optimal growth is the first and foremost important thing. I would absolutely choose a commercial food that can confirm by emailing you their as fed or MAX levels of calcium and phosphorus, that it is safe for your giant breed puppy.

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

[El]

Hi Kelly P

I would recommend these 2 books as part of your research into feeding a properly balanced raw diet to your pup.

“Ok I have not yet gotten my puppy I have about 4 weeks still. She will grow up to be around 100lbs, so I’ll probably feed her about 2lbs a day.”

Here are the feeding guidelines from Primal, I think they are pretty accurate. Puppies need more than 2% of their body weight daily.

Feeding Percentages
1.5% Weight Loss
2.0% Non-Active
2.5% Maintain Weight **
3.0% Slight Weight Gain
3.5% Significant Weight Gain
4.0% Kittens/Puppies (8 weeks-1 year)
4.5-8.0% Kittens/Puppies (4-8 weeks)
4.0-8.0% Pregnant/Lactating

“We will be training too with treats so I need to be sure they level each other out. I have done a lot of research as I’ve been preparing for the past 1-2 years. What I found so far is the following.
Feeding anti-oxidants or some sort of cooked veggies is a good idea.”

I would puree the veggies. Cauliflower, broccoli, spinach in moderation, green beans, peas in moderation…

“Feeding organic eggs, shell and all, is good at least once a week. Egg shells provide a lot of calcium.”

I would suggest free-range organic eggs. I know that people feed finely ground egg shells as a calcium source, but I don’t know about feeding whole egg shells. I would do a little more research specifically on the calcium requirements of large breed puppies if I were you. She will be getting calcium from bones, egg shells, spinach and ?

Feeding a whole fish once a week is good because of the oil it provides, be sure not to feed tuna because of the high mercury levels. Cooked Tripe is great and so is a some coconut oil. I figure I can saute the veggies in coconut oil.

In general, I would feed small fish, they usually have softer bones and less toxic buildup. I would not cook the tripe. One of the benefits of feeding “Raw Green Tripe” are the enzymes, and any processing or cooking will destroy those enzymes.

“As far as percentages I have read a few different things but my research has come up with the below.
Version 1
75% Muscle/skin (i.e chicken breast)
10% Edible Bone
5% Liver
5% Non liver organs
5% Anti-oxidants/Veggies
Version 2
50% Meaty Bones
35% Muscle/Skin (i.e chicken breast)
5% Liver
5% Non liver organs
5% Anti-oxidants/Veggies”

I feed my dogs a homemade lightly cooked diet. Version one looks pretty good. Since I lightly cook my guys food I would replace the 10% edible bone with 5% more pureed veggies and 5% supplements to balance out the diet.

“My main questions are about bones.”

This is good because I see bones as the riskiest part of your diet plan and I would carefully consider both sides of the argument so that you can make the most informed choice possible. Also, regarding Wolves and bones, research has shown that larger pieces of bones are excreted from wolves wrapped in the fur of the animal they ate, maybe as a way of protecting their insides from the bone fragments.

Good Luck with the new addition to your family 😉

[Pitlove]

Hi Danni A- It was long thought that protein affected the growth rates of large and giants breeds and could cause weight issues and rapid bone growth that lead to horrible orthopedic disorders. Since all those years ago, many nutritionists interested in large/giant breed puppy growth re-researched the subject and found that it was not protein at all in fact that was the cause, but too much or too little calcium.

That being said, so long as you not overfeeding and your dogs are maintaining an ideal weight and you are feeding a food with an as fed calcium to phosphorus ratio between 1.1:1 – 1.5:1 your pups should keep up an optimal growth pace.

If you’re ever concerned that your pups food might not be meeting these requirements, contact the company by email, ask for the MAX levels of calcium and phosphorus and use the calculator tool near the end of this article to check if the food meets your giant breeds needs for safe levels of calcium.

/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

[Pitlove]

Hi Ivan- Congratulations on your pup firstly. Malinois are absolutely stunning dogs.

Like GSD’s, Malinois’ are most often over 50lbs at max weight which means they are a large breed. Large breed puppies require a very strict diet and a food that is formulated to meet the needs of a growing LBP. This means, a food with controlled levels of calcium which will help the body grow slowly, reducing the risk of your pup developing devastating orthopedic disorders even later on in his/her life. Another thing to make sure of is that you do not overfeed too many calories. So no free feeding!

Here is a link to Dr. Susan Wynn’s site which you will find an article about Large Breed Puppy nutrition that you download to Word. Dr. Wynn is a very well respected veterinary nutritionist.

http://www.susanwynn.com/Literature.php

Also a link to the Hill’s website about LBP nutrition-

http://www.hillspet.com/en/us/dog-care/nutrition-feeding/special-diet-needs-of-large-breed-dogs

Some food suggestions to look into that are known to have safe levels of calcium are Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy, NutriSource Large Breed Puppy, and Precise Holistic Complete Large & Giant Breed Puppy. There are a lot more out their including Royal Canin, Hill’s and Purina if you want to go that route- those I listed are just my personal favorites.

Edit: Oh you mentioned Taste of the Wild. Both their puppy formulas are formulated with safe calcium levels and would be fine for a large breed puppy.

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

[Laura M]

Nutrisource is a good food that deals with the sensitive digestive track very well. I put my puppy on the large breed puppy formula and he has never had a problem – even when changing over from what the breeder had him on at 9 weeks. He is 7 months old now. I would recommend it because dealing with diarrhea is no fun. I would also eliminate the greenies until you get things under control. Good luck.

[Lane M]

I have a 15 month Great Dane Mastiff mix puppy. She is about 135lbs and has a sensitive tummy. Can anyone suggest a dry food?

[Jenn H]

DogFoodie good to know. Pitlove had me a little scared when she told me Diamond makes their food. Here I thought I finally found a great food w/ low calcium that Diamond didn’t have their grubby hands in.
After communicating with them I feel pretty confident in my decision again.
I’d still like to find another food for rotating in a few months, but it’s daunting looking for something w/ less than 1.5% calcium. Even large breed puppy foods have too much which blows my mind. Shouldn’t they know that’s too much?

[Jenn H]

I heard back from Solid Gold again today. They have been nothing less than forthcoming as far as I can tell.
After the 2012 recall they began implementing the “Positive Release” program. Which means they have an independent third party test a sample from every single batch and await for negative results before distribution.

I feel good about adding this to the rotation. Especially for the puppy. It’s almost impossible to find a large breed puppy food that doesn’t go over 1.5% calcium.

As for their supplements…they come from a company in CA that specializes in supplements. I haven’t really put a lot of effort into finding all the details on this side of the business because I don’t use a lot of their supplements and those aren’t usually recalled.

Hope this helps anyone considering Solid Gold.

[Jenn H]

I have used some of their products. No issues at all.
When they came out with a dehydrated food I contacted them to get maximum amounts of calcium & phosphorus as I have a large breed puppy.
They were very quick, thorough and helpful in helping me decided which to feed him and my other dogs.
They love the treats and foods.
And I love how forthcoming and nice the company was. Didn’t seem like they were just rattling off a script, but knew what they were talking about.
Those things matter a lot to me.

[Jenn H]

I have an almost 7 month GSD puppy. He’s already in the mid 60s in weight.
Until he was 6 months old he had been getting Wellness Core Grain Free Puppy. It was a very good food. And I chose it because it was the best food with the least amount of calcium that was available at big box stores making it easy for my husband could pick it up when I needed him to.
(The other Wellness large breed puppy/all life stages foods have more calcium than the aforementioned.)
I like to rotate my dog’s foods every few months and had a hard time looking for food that met the same criteria and hopefully wasn’t grain free. (I prefer they not be limited to ingredients unless there’s a medical need.)
After much searching & contacting of companies (since they love to only list the min amt of calcium in the GA) I settled on Solid Gold Wolf Cub.
I highly recommend it! Gronk is finally satisfied after meals and I have to feed him half as much. (I actually feed 1/4-1/2 cup less than recommended to allow aome wiggle room for other things.) I thought for sure that would piss him off. I’m saving a bundle too!!!!
The other thing that happened often with his previous food was intermittent diarrhea. Even though the dogs get pumpkin every morning he still had soft/mushy/watery stools once in a while. Hasn’t happened once since the switch!
I’m definitely keeping this puppy food in the rotation. Hope to have the same results with the adult formulas.
Anyone obsessively looking for a good food for their large breed pup and can’t spend a fortune may want to check out Solid Gold Wolf Cub.
The company itself was also very quick & helpful in response to my questions. To me that’s a huge plus.

[Linda B]

Hi!
I understand that we need to watch the calcium levels in the foods our large breed puppies are eating as well as avoiding over feeding. My concern is treats… I’ve heard that freeze dried liver is high in calcium. Should this be limited as a treat for my puppy? I would imagine cheese is a big no no. I need to use a lot of high value treats, (as well as puppy kibble) for training purposes but I am concerned about the “hidden calcium” adding up.
Thank you for any advice!
Linda

[Daniel H]

We had our puppy on diamond naturals puppy food and he loves it and did very well in it. Our dog is a small breed but you can get large breed puppy at tractor supply for $41.99 for a 40lb bag so around $1.04 per lb since you mentioned 4health it’s something I would consider. Diamond natural is good food and you would be able to get it at tractor supply as well.

[Pitlove]

http://www.chewy.com/dog/nutrisource-large-breed-puppy/dp/38141- $1.56 per/lb

http://www.chewy.com/dog/taste-wild-high-prairie-puppy/dp/34836- $1.19 per/lb

http://www.chewy.com/dog/whole-earth-farms-puppy-recipe-dry/dp/101864- $1.19 per/lb

These three foods are safe for large breed puppies and could fit within your budget. Chewy.com has great customer service and they ship fast. Many of us have used this site frequently.

[Raven L]

Hi, everybody! Four-Five weeks ago I got a new puppy. She is an Anatolian Shepherd/Great Pyrenees mix. I am currently feeding her 4Health (tractor supply brand) puppy flood and would like to start to transition her to a new food since she’s almost completely out of food. The problem I am running into is the fact that I am a young college student on a very limited budget, but I still want her to have at least decent food. I live in a small farm town and the only place that sells dog food is Wal Mart and Tractor Supply, so those are my choices. I am willing to order some online as well, though.
I can only afford to pay about $1.35 a pound, which is about $40 for a 30lb bag. I have been looking into Fromm Large Breed Puppy food, but the least expensive I have found it is $48 for a 33lb bag online.
Any tips, advice, anything would be very helpful and appreciated! Thanks.

[Jenn H]

I just switched my 6 month old GSD from Wellness Grain Free Core Large Breed Puppy to Solid Gold Wolf Cub.
I chose Wellness because of its calcium content not being more than 1.5%
It took a while to find another brand to put in his rotation that doesn’t exceed the recommended maximum calcium amount for large breed pups.
He’s done well on both so far. I think I like the Solid Gold more. I feed him half the amount and it’s not grain free.
It’s difficult to find LBP food that doesn’t exceed 1.5% calcium. You may have to do the leg work and email companies asking for the maximum amount on a dry matter basis as fed. Annoyingly they often just put min amounts.

[Crow M]

Congratulations on your new family member!

I went through the same ordeal last year with a very elderly and underweight rescue; how to put on weight safely, finding the balance between feeding him enough but not too much, so that his weight gain wasn’t too quick and his system wasn’t overwhelmed with too many fats.

I second the advice above – if at all possible, feed him 3 or 4 small meals a day instead of 1 or 2 big ones. I fed a good-quality puppy food mixed with a good-quality adult food* starting with a 3:1 ratio. As he came close to his target weight, I gradually changed the ratio to 2:2, then 1:3, and then finally all adult food.

Supplements: don’t over-do it. I’d give him probiotics and maybe a joint med, but really, good food is going to wonders all by itself.

*Earthborn Holistics Puppy Vantage, Earthborn Holistics Great Plains Feast, Earthborn Holistics Large Breed (all dry); Wellness Complete/Core Puppy, Wellness Complete Senior and Canidae Large Breed (all canned). I mix up what I feed my dogs; variety is a good thing.

[Hershy]

Hi, and Merry Christmas season!
Is there an updated list for Calcium safe large breed puppy food that I may have missed? Could someone link for me the latest version?
Thank you!

[Pitlove]

Hi Anja- Wow a pitbull that’s 40lbs at 16 weeks? Sounds like you may have an American Bully. A few foods that you could look into are: Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy, NutriSource Large Breed Puppy, Precise Holistic Complete Large & Giant Breed Puppy, Orijen Puppy Large and even NutriSource Large Breed Adult Chicken and Rice which despite the name is an all life stages formula with safe calcium levels.

[InkedMarie]

Hi Eric,
Go to the Diet & Health Issues forum here. On top, in a yellow sticky, is a thread on large breed puppy food.

[Laura M]

I had a similar problem with another highly rated food. With my new puppy (now 6 months old) I transitioned to Nutrisource large breed puppy and have very good results. It is a nice easy to digest food. Good luck!

[Jenn H]

Aimee you are absolutely correct about not just looking at the ingredients, but all the other things like quality control and who designed the diets, etc.
It takes me forever to decide on new foods because of the labeling. They often have minimums listed and usually I need to the max. For instance I have a large breed puppy. I don’t need to know the min calcium nearly as much as the max.
I also want to know where the ingredients are sourced, do they use co-packers…none of these are on the bags. Most of the time they are even on the website.
This leads me to email companies directly with a list of about 15 questions and I ask whatever they have left out.
Most companies have been very forthcoming.

As for vets recommendations…ugh. I’ve been having that same problem w/ my vet. I’ve been going to them for 20+ yrs. The owner is now on the board for Science Diet. They have been pushing it a lot lately. Not only are the ingredients just fillers, but they now have a new head honcho at Hill’s that thinks chicken feathers are fine to feed and is using crap ingredients because it’s cheap.

I don’t know if OP realizes that Hills and Royal Canin are the same company now.

Just remember that what works for 1 dog doesn’t always work for another. I have 3 dogs and they have 3 different diets.

[Jeffrey D]

Hello,

My 12 week old yellow lab puppy was recently diagnosed with a UTI and crystals in his urine. The vet was worried that the crystals may form a stone in the bladder. I know the common response to such an issue is a antibiotics and a low protein diet, but this is a puppy. He cannot be on a low protein diet as it will stunt his growth. I have also seen that yogurt and apple cider vinegar are good for breaking up crystals and helping with a UTI. Are these two alright to give to a puppy? He was originally on Authority large breed puppy food (chicken) but then was switched to Diamond Large breed puppy food (lamb). Soon after Charlie switched from Authority to Diamond, this UTI presented itself. Has anyone had any similar problems with Diamond? I thought it was a quality food but realize now that I was mislead.

[Kat]

I have always had small breed dogs, no more than 20lbs, so buying a ‘large breed’ dog food was obviously never needed. I am thinking about bringing a new puppy in my home, perhaps 45-85lbs full grown. So at what weight is considered ‘large breed’, so that I can buy my dog the proper food that he/she will need?

[Laura M]

In answer to the original question posted – I don’t think you will get a quality food for under $1 a pound in my humble opinion. I agree the food does not necessarily have to be on the 4 or 5 star listing either. I started with a new puppy (6 months old as of this writing) and I switched him from Diamond to Nutrisource large breed puppy. I think Nutrisource is a fabulous, easy on the system and quality made food, which is reasonably priced. The company is family owned and I believe I read somewhere that they have never had a recall. Because I want a higher protein I will eventually get my puppy onto Acana because I am really impressed with that brand and feed it to my other dogs, but Nutrisource is affordable and very agreeable with my dog and many other people I have talked with about this subject. Good luck in finding something that suits all your needs – as someone earlier said, we need to take many things into consideration when picking a food for our pets.

[Dina Kouveliotes]

Look into NOW Fresh Large Breed puppy and adult. I believe it is free of chicken and my GSD does extremely well digesting, which is rare! Also the food contains no iffy ingredients and seems to be ethically produced.

[Jenn H]

Using formulas like the one Karen D suggested is very helpful.
You just need to find out what is required for your dog’s specific needs like breed, age/life stage, size, etc
I mix & match my dogs’ foods all the time. And because I have a large breed puppy I have to be very careful about making sure I stay within certain guidelines most importantly calcium & phosphorus, protein, fat.
Because dog food companies typically only put minimum amts in guaranteed analysis I find myself having to contact the companies for their maximum levels.
So you may have to do a little leg work.
When I have the percentages I need I subtract the lower amounts from the higher amounts of the different foods to be sure I’m within the percentages.

[A]

Good evening all,
I am going to be adopting with my husband a 16 weeks old pit puppy, she is already 40 lbs. I want to find the best large breed puppy food that will not stunt her growth but not cause her to grow faster then needed for her. Her parents are both 100lbs plus from what we were told.
We have looked at firstmate puppy and looked a tad into wellness.
Any recommendations?

Thank you!!

[Hershy]

Hello- Is there an updated version of the Calcium safe Large breed puppy foods for pups under 8 months old? The one linked has Royal Canin Maxi-Starter as a 4 star food (I used to use it, but it is different now) On the regular list of dog foods it is shown as a 3.5 star food. I recently bought some (To get it, I now have to register as a breeder who will promote their food, and it is available only through RC). It is awful now! I had used it successfully for a few years for my pregnant mom, and then for her pups up to 8wks old, but after receiving it, and just sniffing it, I can no longer use it. My girl won’t touch it now. She ate it reluctantly when first opened, and eventually spit it up. I tried putting it with her other food, but no.

I am very disappointed since I felt I was on a pretty good program specifically for moms and baby dogs (relative to processed foods -I know they aren’t the best over all-I am trying to use the best I can afford).

Because I am no longer confident that the Royal Canin is a good quality food, I would be thankful if anyone can suggest for me a good mother and baby dog food to start them on, My dam is in her final trimester! I am very concerned for the nutrition of my dogs. The health of my dogs and pups is my greatest interest. I give them raw chicken from time to time to at least give them a nutritional boost, but the adult dogs we have are generally eating the Victor dog foods: Hi-Pro Professional (aqua bag); grain free (red bag and gray bag). We have been pleased with the better quality Victor products – a great value.

Thank you in advance for any counsel anyone can offer.

[InkedMarie]

In this forum, above, highlighted in yellow, is a stickie on large breed puppy nutrition. Somewhere in that very long thread is a list of appropriate brands for large breed puppies. I’d start with the last page & work backwords to find the link to the list. Once you see the list, you can go to the website for the food & look for non-chicken ones.

[Tiffany B]

Can anyone recommend a chicken-free food for a large breed puppy?

My Dogue De Bordeaux appears to be allergic to chicken. I’ve tried several different large breed puppy foods, and she throws up all of the chicken based ones. Right now I’ve got her on Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy because it’s the only large breed puppy food I’ve found that’s based on lamb. However, she doesn’t seem to like it and will only eat it if I mix in some FreshPet roll. She also seems to scratch a lot, so I don’t think it’s agreeing with her skin. (Not to mention she’s been having a lot of gas. . . .)

All the other large breed puppy foods I’ve found are chicken based. I’m open to putting her on an adult or all life stages food since there are more chicken-free options, but most of them don’t provide the calcium and phosphorous info.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

Tiffany

[Dina Kouveliotes]

My GSD has done very well on Petcurean NOW Fresh large breed, both puppy and adult. The adult kibble is very big too so no inhaling of food!

I tried Fromm, Orijen, Halo and blue buffalo – she could not tolerate.

I also add flaxseed and coconut daily, pumpkin about 4x a week, scrambled eggs about 3x a week and/or Stella and chewy freeze dried patties…I stay away from chicken, that protein source has had the most recalls. I use the beef, lamb or surf and turf.

Good luck!

[Dina Kouveliotes]

I feed Now Fresh Large Breed Adult – the kibble is big so my GSD has to chew her food. I fed her the puppy version too, kibble is smaller but not as small as most adult dog foods. My dog does extremely well digesting NOW Fresh. She could not digest Orijen or Fromm. Good luck!

[Julie J]

our Oes is now at the 1 year mark so many say stick with puppy food another group say dont feed large breed its a scam personally if it has the ingredients I dont care what the colour of the bag is …. NOW big question what is the ingredients .. Ive been told no to the Iams she came on vet switched to royal canine then told NO corn so put on petcurian was going good up till month ago and now she wont touch it ,,,, not sure if a bad bag or ?? she will eat other samples of From tried it as a test Im not a fan of fromm so …is there a simple answer ……. what is best to feed to an average Oes at 1 year old she is great body condition right now I dont want to mess with that she is on the smaller side but so was the parents 60-70 at full age so she is on target of that any help or suggestion would be really appreciated I need to get food into her besides the fresh raw veggies that she absolutely loves…

[C4D]

Hi Ruth Anne G,

I foster a lot of rescue dogs from kill shelters. He might be suffering from “stress diarrhea”, which is common in puppies and even adult dogs when moving to a new situation. He could also have worms or some other intestinal parasites. The vet will be able to determine those when you see him/her. Has he had any of his shots at all? Many shelters do them on intake, but I have known of many that don’t do anything and it sounds like that may be the situation in your case.

How is he doing on the chicken and rice? If it’s controlling the diarrhea, I would keep him on that for a few days and see what the vet finds as far as parasites, etc. You can slowly introduce him to a new food. It sounds like he will be a large breed so you might want to check the forums on large breed puppy foods. There is also a link on the dog other side of this that discusses large breed puppy food. Good luck with your pup! Keep us posted! 🙂

[ChewysMommy]

Alright so I have looked on the forum post already about Large breed puppy food. I am hoping not to spend a ton a month on his food. I am wanting to feed TOTW just like I do for my pit bull mix and my cat (cat food of course) I contacted the company and was able to figure out that both foods are formulated too feed large breed puppies. Has anyone else fed this to their Husky puppies and had a good outcome?

[Pitlove]

Have a look at NutriSource Large Breed Puppy. The quality very similar to Fromm, however it’s my go to recommendation at work for dogs who have loose stool or any other GI issue. Fromm is usually easy on the GI tract, but I find NutriSource is even better.

When choosing a food for a LBP, you can’t forget that overfeeding plays a huge role in orthopedic disorders, not just controlled levels of calcium/phos. Protein makes no difference in their growth and neither does grain or grain free, so really it comes down to feeding controlled levels of calcium (which Fromm has) and not overfeeding. The Hill’s website states that Boxers should not exceed 80lbs at mature weight for males while other sites say 70. Does his vet feel he’s at a good weight?

[Helen G]

We have an 8 month old boxer. He has been eating Fromm’s gold large breed puppy but he poops a lot and his stools are softer than they should be. I’d like to try a new food to see if that resolves the issues but am not sure what to look for…more/less grain, more/less calcium, more/less/different protein? At about 4 months old, the vet suspected he had hypertrophic osteodystrophy. His HOD symptoms have disappeared, as the vet said they likely would, but he is still growing. He is 75 lbs and a 4 on the body comp scale. I’d really appreciate any suggestions for new hard food to try?
P.S. We also have a 12 year old female boxer who eats the senior/reduced activity Fromm’s and does very well with it.

[Pitlove]

Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy actually gets fairly good reviews on this site, however whats a star rating if your pup won’t eat it, right?!

My vet actually likes Fromm and says it’s one of 2 natural foods he recommends to his patients. Do they know what caused the bacterial infection?

[Susan]

Hi again there’s also Pro Pac Ultimates Large Breed Puppy Chicken & Rice formula made by Earthborn Holistic, Pro Pac may be a bit cheaper & doesn’t have as many ingredients as the Holistic Select kibbles have…. also if he did well on his last kibble then find another kibble with similar ingredients & around the same fat % & fiber % if his stool were firm on the Blue Buffalo Puppy…..
http://intl.propacultimates.com/natural-dog-food/large-breed-puppy-chicken-brown-rice/

[Pitlove]

Vomitting from overfeeding is very common and doesn’t actually indicate a sensitive stomach. If he is underweight the problem is going to be getting him back to an ideal weight without causing weight gain which can lead to skeletal and growth problems. He’s a large breed, so he needs a large breed puppy food with controlled levels of calcium to promote slow growth. This will also aid in preventing skeletal and growth disorders. They will also be higher in calories, but you and your vet will need to determine his ideal weight so you know when to start feeding to maintain that weight.

Fromm and NutriSource both make excellent LBP formulas that are highly palatable.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Pitlove.