Congrats on your soon-to-be new puppy!
I have not had direct experience with Large Breed Puppy nutrition, but here are a few resources that will hopefully help clear things up for you:
Here is a basic article about LBP nutrition, along with a calcium/phosphorus calculator: /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/
Here is a link to the forum topic about LBP nutrition. In the middle of page 15, there is a link to a list of acceptable LBP foods: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/
Good luck with your new puppy!
I have a 12 month old solid black pure breed GSD. He weighs about 90lbs and is gorgeous. After researching dog food I have decided I want to switch him to a high quality food – he’s currently on royal canine GSD puppy. He had trouble with diarrhea as a puppy and when I put him on the royal canin he did better. He’s been tested for the genetic disorder regarding his digestive system (name escapes me now) and doesn’t have it but I still worry about their sensitive stomachs. I’m thinking of blue buffalo grain free for large breed, merrick and wellness core – does it matter if it doesn’t specifically say large breed on the bag or are these foods so good it works for all. I was thinking the large breed formulas would have more nutrients for hips and joints. PLEASE help I’m driving myself crazy with research!
When I got my lab at 17 months, he had been fed Nutrisource Large Breed Puppy until it was time to transition to adult food, and he came to me on Nutrisource Chicken and Rice.
Hi Christine,
The soft stool could definitely be the result of a food intolerance. My dog with food intolerances gets soft stool from lots of things, especially flax.
The first thing I would do is put him on a limited ingredient with an appropriate Calcium level for a large breed puppy; ie: Nature’s Variety Instinct LID Rabbit.
Loose or even soft stool for a prolonged period is a problem that you can’t allow to resolve on its own without taking action. I would change the food and add canned pumpkin to his food to help firm the stool and ease the transition to a new food.
Thomas,
Here in the forums, go to the “Diet & Health issues” forum. On top, highlighted in yellow, is a thread about large breed puppy nutrition. Its very long but I suggest you start from the most current page (highest number) and work backword to find the list of approved foods for large breed puppies.
Also, you’re on the internet so you have access to almost any food by ordering online. Most of us do. I suggest Chewy.com because of theor awesome return policy. Other good sites are PetFlow, Wag and PetFoodDirect.
I have had 2 labs and lost both to cancer. The most recent this January at 9 1/2 yrs old. We will be getting our new puppy around September of this year and while it is early, I’ve been trying to research puppy food for a large breed. I see the reviews, check out the 4 and 5 star foods on DFA and invariably at the bottom of each review that depicts the high quality food and its contents are the horror stories by posters sharing how horrible the food is and the side effects and other health issues the “4 & 5” star foods delivers.
I have limited choices at my local Petco with really no other retailers around other than the local grocery stores.
I am totally confused on what food to even consider. and yes, i’ve read ALOT on this forum.
Are there really “ANY” good choices, it seems no matter what you look at, someone or many people say STAY AWAY from this food and this company. For every praise there is a horror story.
*sigh*
:/
Hello! I am very new to the raw dog food world, and I’m finding it to be overwhelming! But… I want what’s best for my dog child, so I need some help please 🙂 I will fill you in on the details first, since I’m not sure what you all need to know. My canine child is a 1 year 3 month old Doberman Pinscher. His health is normal. He is currently on Fromm Gold Large breed dog food. He eats 5 cups a day, 2 1/2 in the morning, 2 1/2 at night. He was previously abused, so he has some problems with eating quickly *or at least I assume the abuse was a huge factor*. I have given him raw turkey neck before as a treat *AFTER I searched to make sure it was safe*, and he loved it. I started looking more into it, and that’s when I found all these things about raw feeding and how it’s great for them. I can’t afford to feed him entirely raw, so I’m looking to supplement. I was thinking of switching him to Taste of the Wild, but I am wondering if this would be a wise switch as well. We tried the puppy pacific stream formula when he was young, (3-5 months?), but that was right after we had picked him up from a situation where he wasn’t being fed. The food was too rich for him at the time, and he had mushy poo’s. We ended up trying a few different foods, but went with Fromm, as it seemingly fixed his poo problems. I’ve been reading that Taste of the Wild is a good food, but I wasn’t sure if I should try it again.
I am also always looking for long lasting chews for him. I made the terrible mistake of giving him a beef knuckle bone when he was young, and he ground his canine teeth down a little bit 🙁 I will feel terribly guilty for the rest of my life for that. Regular rawhide scares me, so right now he gets Digest-eeze and pork chomps. These are not enough. He FLIES through these.
SO BASICALLY, I am wondering
A. If I should supplement his kibble with raw? And if so, how should I do this? How much raw? How much of a kibble cut back? And how often should I feed raw? Is this something I should mix WITH his kibble every day? Or feed raw in the am, kibble p.m? I am so lost!
B. Is mixing a kibble while also feeding raw going to hurt him?
C. If I should switch his food to TOTW? Is this worth trying again?
D. ARE THERE ANY CHEWS OUT THERE THAT WILL LAST LONGER THAN 10 MINUTES FOR MY DOG THAT AREN’T GOING TO HURT HIM?!?!
Haha! Crazy dog mom essay over. Thank you in advance for your help, and I apologize for all of the questions! I am just totally overwhelmed!
I have calculated the following.
Calcium Content Analyzer
1.58 % Calcium
1.04 % Phosphorus
3400 kcal / kg
Calcs therefore at Calcium = 4.6 g per 1000 kcal
Ca to P ratio = 1.5 to 1
This is for Whole Earth Farms Puppy Food. Suppose to be fit for all sizes of puppys.
Is this ok? its close to recommended levels of 4.5 g per 1000 kcal and a ratio of 1.5:1
Thoughts? I have this food available locally and its reasonably priced.
Does this food work for a large breed lab puppy?
Thanks
I suggest you go to the Diet & Health Issues forum here on DFA. On top, highlighted in yellow, is a stickie on Large breed puppy food. Read it, there is a list of appropriate foods for your pup.
I am wondering what would be the most reasonably priced Large Breed Puppy food that is of good quality?
While i’d like to say that price doesn’t matter, the reality is whether its for our own well being or that of our pets, unless you are just one of the fortunate few to have a fat checkbook, price does matter.
any recommendations for good food with more recent reviews would be nice. My breeder recommends Iams Large Breed. this food will be for a Lab puppy.
Thanks!
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This topic was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by
Thomas K.
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This topic was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Thomas K.
Hi James,
Congrats on your new puppy! I don’t think you need to switch to a lower protein food. The myth of high protein causing kidney disease in dogs has been disproven, and high protein should not be a problem in puppies, with the exception of large breed puppies, who have special requirements. Wellness Core is a great food, however no food is absolutely perfect. For this reason, me and many other “regulars” on DFA support rotational feeding. Learn more about that here: /frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/
Remember to always transition slowly between foods. Adding a digestive enzyme or probiotic can help if your dog has a sensitive stomach. Also, until she is around 6 months old, make sure all of the foods you are feeding are listed as “puppy” or “all life stages.” Good luck!
Edit: Just saw the part about her not liking her food as much. Rotation could help with this, if she is getting bored of the same stuff. Also, adding a small amount of wet food, or even water with some dogs, can help make the food more palatable.
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This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by
Dog_Obsessed.
My pup has had very loose stools for a week. I’ve had him and stool samples to the vet and all is well. I changed his food from Wellness to Fromm and he was good for a couple of days now his stools are loose again. Feeding the recommended amounts. Any suggestions? The foods are large breed puppy foods too. I would be more than to try some other food.
I agree with Marie. It’s a very long thread, but there are lots of great articles in the first few pages. Definitely take a look; here’s a link: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/
Here’s a list of appropriate foods (from page 36 of the thread) for your giant breed pup: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit
It’s Calcium you need to be concerned about that contributes to skeletal disorders, not protein.
A couple of my friends (I’m in the U.S.) chose Zignature and Earthborn Holistics for their giant breed pups because it has appropriate Calcium and they’re two of the more affordable foods. Any chance you’re able to buy those where you are?
Did you look at the “Diet & Health” forum here? On top, highlighted in yellow, is a stickie for large breed puppy foods. It’s a very long thread but since you have a very large breed puppy, its important to read, there is a list of appropriate foods to feed. Someone here can chime in on what page to find the most current list.
Kristin-every time I research that question, I find so many answers. I think it depends on the size of your dog, how large they will be as an adult. Smaller dog breeds mature quicker and can be on puppy food for shorter periods of time. I have heard Giant breeds should stay on puppy up to 18 mos. Since I feed the smaller end of “Large Breeds”-Golden Retrievers, I think about switching around a year. Oliver was a little over 1 when I transitioned to adult food.
I know that puppy food has different nutrients and is usually more calorie dense so weight gain and more can be a concern. One source said when they reach their adult height, (about a year for my Goldies, and then they fill out) is a good time to transition.
There are many more knowledgeable folks on this forum, so I know they will have more input! What kind of pup are you feeding?
Hi William,
It’s important to feed a large breed puppy a food with an appropriate level of Calcium. Here’s a list, which includes grain inclusive, grain free and raw, acceptable foods: https://docs.google.com/a/dogfoodadvisor.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit?pli=1
If you haven’t already, take a look at this thread, especially the first few pages and read the articles that Hound Dog Mom shared: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/
In addition to appropriate Calicum levels, you should keep your pup lean during growth and avoid over-exercising him, which can stress growing joints.
How old is your pup and what breed?
If you aren’t worry about budget, go with Orijen or Wellness Core. We choose a cheaper route with Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food and we like it.
https://www.petflow.com/product/fromm/fromm-gold-holistic-large-breed-puppy-dry-dog-food
I am looking for a high quality grain free Large Breed Puppy food. Any suggestions?
Read everything you can find regarding calcium content for large breed puppy. Not all large breed puppy foods are appropriate.
I have a Saint Bernard puppy she is 8.5months and weighs 81.5lbs she is healthy for the most part however I would really like to get a food that she likes and is not alergic too Science diet is off the table I have tried the following foods and the only one she likes is Beniful (not the best choice) Blue Buffalo giant breed puppy, large breed puppy from science diet (she had a bunch of respiratory stuff), eukanuba large breed puppy(she did not like this food at all), wellness puppy formula (not the large breed the fish one she does not like it much) and Beniful puppy(this food is not the best for her but she likes to eat it and will eat about 4cups a day). She is a picky eater I have thought about cooking her diet but I dont really have that kind of time and would like to keep food out for her. She will only eat when she wants I have tried the daily feeding twice a day and she starved herself. I love her bunches but I am at a loss for what kind of food to give her that wont be not eaten or that will make her sick. Thank you, RebaSaintMom
Hi Tammy:
Large and giant breed dogs have special nutritional needs. Keep your puppy lean and avoid over exercising because his bones and joints are still developing. Check out this article:
/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/
Here’s a link to the large and giant breed puppy forum. Read at least the first three or four pages (it’s a huge thread now) and the links to the articles posted on the first page.
/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/
On this page you will find a link to a document of recommended foods. If you choose a food from this list I suggest calling the manufacturer to confirm the calcium % is still within the recommended parameters; the list has not been updated recently. Look for a post dated July 23, 2013 at 1:51 pm:
/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/page/15/
For a current list of approved foods for large and giant breed puppies you can also join the Dog Food Advisors Editors Choice.
Good luck with your lucky puppy!
Hi Cecile:
Did you check out the links to all the articles on the first page of this thread? Here’s an article with more info on feeding large and giant breed puppies with references posted at the end that could help with your research.
/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/
Keep in mind the commercial foods you have access to are more than likely different from those available in the U.S. Looks like the Eukanuba is a better choice out of those two kibbles.
I can’t comment on the milk powder and chic liver mix other than maybe the milk powder would throw the calcium ratio off; IDK if it’s beneficial to feed or not. Hopefully someone else will pop in with more knowledge. Any extra foods should be kept at no more than 10% of his daily caloric intake to avoid nutritional imbalance.
If you are interested in more home cooked dog food recipes for your other dogs I can post the names of some books.
Hi Doglovers and forum members,
I live in Sri Lanka and feel that it is very difficult here to get quality advise on dog nutrition (or on dogs in general). I have a 4 months old Ridgeback/Great Dane mix (Tequila) and have done some research on the internet about how I should feed her and feel like the info is very different to what the vet here has recommended me to feed my puppy, so I was hoping that somebody could give me some feeding advise? It is fairly difficult to get proper pet food here, basically the only thing that is available is Pedigree and Eukanuba dry food and this is also really expensive.
We have 4 more dogs who are all strays in different ages which I have picked up from the street and adopted and they are happy to eat almost anything and don’t like the dry food much also, so I would cook for them brown rice with pumpkin or carrott and in the mornings chicken liver and in the afternoon the same with fish filet, sprats, or meat off-cuts form the butcher.
For Tequila I’m a bit more concerned as in no case I want her to get any hip problems later (especially as I feel the vets are differently qualified to Western ones)
Our vet has given me 3 different vitamin supplements with high Calcium content, but from what I have learned can a diet with high Calcium be harmful for large breeds – alright, I just stopped giving her those.
Up to now I have been feeding her the Pedigree Puppy dry food (Calcium approx. 1.1%) but will change this now to the Eukanuba Puppy for large breeds (Calcium approx. 0.96%). So far I have been feeding her 2 smaller servings of this in the morning and always mixed this with milk powder as advised by the vet and chicken liver. In the afternoon she’s getting the same food as the adult dogs as described above. Any opinions if this makes sense?
Tequila was fairly small and skinny when we got her (32cm and 6kg at 8 weeks), but looks healthy now to my opinion. She’s approx. 55cm high now and weighs about 16kg (she’s a bit more on the Ridgeback side, so I think this is okay for her age?)
Since she’s my first large breed I’m very concerned of doing anything wrong as I just want her to grow up healthily and would appreciate any comments and advise of people who are more experienced!
Thanks a lot in advance
Riley and Molly. If she is your only dog then there is no reason why you could not afford to feed her a good quality commercial raw diet. I have a Maltese, a Maltipoo and a Yorkipoo. They have all been on a rotation of commercial raw diets for the past three years and all are doing phenomenally well. A toy or small breed dog does not need a different diet or food than a regular dog other than a large breed dog puppy that needs less calcium in its growing years.
What a pleasant way for you to join us! In general, people on DFA are a bit more pleasant than other forums, but thanks for the comment.
Sorry, but I didn’t notice I hit submit enter without the rest of the information. Fromm Gold Puppy is about 50 calories more per cup, so while the bag may be more expensive, you would be feeding less than you would Taste of the Wild, which is a crap food anyway. All of these things are figured out via basic research. Since you say it’s breaking your wallet and he eats a lot of food, I assume its a large breed, so make sure you are feeding a large breed puppy appropriate food. There is a huge thread on this forum about appropriate large and giant breed puppy foods, as well as a list on page 36 from a very informed on the subject member that has a simple list of approved foods for growth in LGP
Have a nice day
Thanks, I did call and ask about the D-mannose and was told it was fine to give. My vet did not give her the shots she was in for when we went in Feb because of her temp, however I was told at the apt she has on Friday she can get her shots because the bacteria is gone from her urine and she is fever free. I will ask about what kind of crystals she has, all the vet said on the phone was she had crystals but they expect to see that with a UTI, then last week that the bacteria was gone but the crystals had doubled. She has not been spayed yet and I don’t think she is going in heat. The issue started a couple days before she turned 4mo old and she is only 5mo now, her mother didn’t go into heat until almost a year. I am willing to try another food if that is an issue, she was on Iams large breed puppy when I got her but her stools were really soft and she was having very bad gas/licking herself a lot. Those issues all cleared up when I switched her to taste of the wild. I do feel like she drinks a lot of water, I joke that she drinks like a horse, but that is to be expected given her breed. The vet did say it is unlikely that she has stones given her age but that she wants to do the bladder xray because of the amount of crystals she has. I just feel like I am listening more then asking and I don’t want to miss anything. We have spent over $600 in vet bills since Jan, of course I will pay whatever needs to be paid for her health I just feel it is time I also start researching. Topanga is acting normal/happy and doing great but she has recently started dribbling pee again when she sleeps 🙁 Her temp is still normal though so I am hoping that means the UTI hasn’t returned. We see the vet again fri afternoon.
Hi Liz,
We have a Golden six month old puppy with ear yeast and bacteria infections. Allergy testing showed he was allergic to chicken, turkey, tuna, peanuts, corn, rice, and wheat. Chicken was mentioned to us as a common cause of ear problems among dogs with that allergy.
The recommendation was to try Nutri Source Large Breed Lamb Meal Grain Free Formula, which I supplement with lamb based grain free canned food of various brands. That formula is rated at 4.5 stars, but it is an adult formulation, so I am still not sure it is the most perfect solution for our pup. We’re only into this one week, still in the transition period, so I can’t give you any results yet.
Here’s some links that will get you there faster, it’s a long thread now. LOL Read at least the first three or four pages and the links on the first page:
/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/
Look for a post dated July 23, 2013 at 1:51 pm for a link to recommended foods. I suggest contacting any company to confirm a food falls within the recommended parameters as recipes can change without notice:
/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/page/15/
Here’s a recent article:
/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/#comment-1760246690
You can also join Dog Food Advisor’s Editors Choice for an up to date list of recommended foods for large/giant breed dogs.
We have an 8 month old Bulloxer (American Bulldog, Boxer Mix) and cannot find a food that will not give him diarrhea. He has had a couple solid poops, but then goes straight to diarrhea after that period. First we started him on Orijen Large breed puppy, we fed him 3-4 26.6 pound bags and still nothing but diarrhea and bad gas. We eventually switched him to Wellness Core Puppy food (which he is currently on). He started out fine for the first week or so, but now we are back to diarrhea and bad gas. He never has any table food and only has Milk Bones for treats. The only thing we could come up with is that he may just have a sensitive stomach, or dog food intolerance specifically to chicken since both of those food main ingredient was chicken. Any help is greatly appreciated, in order to get our pups stomach under control!
Hello Akari_32
Thanks for your response. There’s a lot of info about this issue, I’m still reading about it. Does the Afghan is considered large or giant breed in order to decide puppy food?
What’s your food brand recommended for Afghan puppy?
Here’s a picture of Dario:
Suzette,
That’s great if your pup is not genetically predisposed, as you can tell from looking at a 4-5 generation pedigree showing the dogs it was bred from have hip clearances/certifications. It is unfortunate but true that being a champion in any breed, or even a top producing champion in a given breed, does not necessarily mean the dog’s hips are good or even were evaluated.
Perhaps I have misunderstood you or we are miscommunicating, but I’m not sure I understand what genetic testing you’re referring to that would tell you at 10 weeks or earlier that a pup’s hips & elbows are fine. OFA prelims occur at 1 yr, with full certification at 2 yrs. Other countries, such as Germany with the “a” stamp & ratings or former OVC in Canada (etc.), also evaluate dogs at 1+ years. Penn Hip, which judges hip laxity, may be done at 16 weeks at the earliest.
Anyway, I am in much the same boat as you as I have been waiting for a large breed puppy for the past 2 years, going through good breeders who health and temperament test all their breeding stock and title their dogs and have had to wade through pedigrees myself. And I will be having to do the same thing, choosing a good selection of large breed appropriate foods and watch activity/exercise during growth, also decide how long to delay neuter/spay since this also affects proper structural development.
Anyway, congrats and good luck again with your puppy! 🙂
I wouldn’t recommend any of the foods you’ve listed. Canidae and Blue Buffalo are both Diamond brands, who is know for terrible quality control and equipment repair, and Innova (along with EVO and Califorina Natural), are owned by Mars, who also makes brands such as Pedigree and Iams, and of course, human candy bars.
What I do recommend is that you head over to the Diet and Health section, and check out the Large and Giant Breed Puppy Food list. These are all reputable brands that all contain the proper amounts of calcium and phosphorus for growing large breed puppies. The most up to date list is near the end of the thread.
/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/
Good luck with your new puppy! Post some pics, too! I love Afghans 🙂
Congratulations on your new puppy! Good for you in wanting to provide a good diet & care for him.
When feeding a large or giant breed, particularly one especially prone to structural development problems, I would exercise extreme caution in diet & exercise/movement restrictions during growth and make that my priority.
French Mastiffs (or Dogue de Bordeaux) have a rate of more than 50% of individuals having hip dysplasia, per the OFA. This is one of the highest of all breeds.
Most of this is genetically inherited, and so much of your risk depends upon the breeder of your puppy & the 4-5 generation pedigree behind him (& their littermates), the percentage OFA’d (or given a similar non-U.S. normal rating).
So I would look for foods like on HDM’s DFA list that have appropriate total calcium & calcium to phosphorous ratios. You also want to carefully avoid over feeding, feed to keep your pup on the skinny side & with frequent weight checks to ensure that your pup does not grow too fast. But I would also recommend to you that you get in touch with breeders of your breed who have been breeding a long time & have had an excellent track record of producing dogs with normal hips & feeding for normal hips. Beyond diet it will be important to take care with the type of exercise and amount — again following successful breeders’ recommendations and researched guidelines.
Good luck and welcome!
People also always rave about Purina, but you know….. LOL (that said, I do use some Purina products, but I don’t rave about them! I know what they are, and that’s average at best lol).
It does appear that Wellness CORE Puppy is on the large breed list, btw, in case you didn’t see it. You might want to consider picking at least three different brands, each with different types of proteins (chicken, beef, etc), and go between the three.
I don’t like to buy dog food online either, but only because I live in Florida and it’s 1,000 degrees most of the year, and I don’t want dog food sitting on my front porch baking all day while I’m at work. I also deal hunt due to budget, and I can get everything so much cheaper in store with coupons and sales than I can online lol
I have nothing to add, as I haven’t had a large breed puppy in about 13 years, but to piggyback on Akari’s link, the most recent list is page 36. I don’t know how much it changed from the earlier ones, but HDM has a lot of experience with that size dogs, and has done lots of research (the links are in the first few pages)
I’d also agree about Blue-I don’t touch them, but there are a few foods that I don’t mind from the big chain stores, though I order a lot online myself
I wouldn’t touch Blue Buffalo, or anything Diamond made (Taste of the Wild, Kirkland, Diamond Natural’s, etc) with a 10ft stick. Wellness is definitely a great food. However, I’m unsure if it’s appropriate for a large breed puppy. There’s a list somewhere around here of food that are suitable for large breed puppies. You should check it out 🙂
Acana and Orijen are not available at chain stores, unfortunately. If you’d like to buy online, you can buy them (and plenty other brands) on websites like PetFlow and Chewy.
This question gets asked a lot, I know but to be fair I think each individual breed or breed type needs different nutrition.
I fell in love with the French Mastiff the very minute I heard the fancy name, when I actually saw one? I think the entire world melted away and I completely tuned everything out for what seemed like an eternity. I’ll cut the dramatics, I love these dogs. Everything about them, the personality, the drool, the size, everything.
We all want whats best for our babies and sure I’ve done a lot of research on nutrition (what decent pet parent doesn’t?) but I want answers from real people with real experience with this breed or a similar large breed (110-140)lbs+
We’re bringing Kilo home in 8 days and I’m deadlocked as to what to feed the little big guy.
I was looking at Wellness Core for puppies and I like it but I also like BLUE Wilderness for large breed puppies I have to be able to purchase them in store like petco or petsmart. I don’t know if they sell ACANA at one of those stores because I’ve heard rainbows and unicorns nothin’ but good stuff about them.
I would like to pay no more than like $65 for a 25-30LB bag but if one food is more “super” than the other and the difference isn’t too insane I’d go for it.
Help a parent out… pleeeeeeease (:
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This topic was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by
Suzette A.
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This topic was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Suzette A.
Should I introduce each ingredient of my supergreen mixture separately to make sure there are no allergies? I’m thinking back to when I gave my kids new food, I didn’t give them all at once. The supergreen mixture I’m going to give has alfalfa, kelp, chlorella, wheat grass, and spirulina. My newfie is 14 weeks old and is getting Fromm’s Large Breed Puppy Food, but I want to supplement some greens.
Thanks for any advice!
If a food is rated for “all life stages”, you can feed this to puppies and adults and seniors. An all life stage foods includes foods that meet “growth” and “maintenance” requirements. You can also feed a “puppy” food to puppies and adults and seniors. Is that confusing? Puppy foods tend to have controlled levels of calcium and phosphorus, a little more fat, protein and DHA. There’s nothing in a puppy food that an adult can’t have. Since your dog is going to be about 35 lbs full grown, I wouldn’t consider him a large breed so you don’t have to worry about choosing an appropriate large breed puppy food. I would feed him a puppy food or all life stage food though till at least 12 months and then try out other foods. But you don’t have to move on to just “maintenance” food. Not sure if this helped.
Hi Kevin-
Congrats on your upcoming pup! Have you checked out the large breed puppy information on the review side? It is /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/
Sounds like you are off to a good start. Already thinking about what to feed the pup before you get it. I have large dogs, but not poodles. I think they are cool dogs though. We see one almost everyday on our walks. He is a very well behaved dog.
What are the foods that you are contemplating? If I was starting over, I’d probably feed the Nutrisource large breed puppy formula.
Good luck!
Just looking at those numbers for Beams, it doesn’t appear to be a high fat item. You can also compare it to the Primal recipe you are currently feeding. How does Beams compare to that? In general, “puppy” recipes are higher in fat. Even Purina’s Focus Small Breed Puppy dry recipe has a minimum of 20% fat, and Purina is a large company that has veterinarians and nutritionists on staff. It would be interesting to know what food your vet would have recommended for your puppy to see how much fat is in that! I know that Beams are just a treat, but fat in food and treats are the same to me.
Unless he has stomach problems from frequent food changes, it shouldn’t be a problem. The more, the better in my opinion! 😀 You can also add digestive enzymes/probiotics to help with transitions or stomach upset. One thing though, if he is a large breed puppy, then all of the foods on the rotation should be suitable for LBPs. Here is some more information about that, there is a list of foods on page 15: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/
I’m not sure if he qualifies as a large breed puppy or not though. What is his expected adult weight?
Hi all,
We have a 15 week old Aussie and he’s been doing well on his rotating diet. I want to get him used to different foods but I also don’t want to upset his stomach. So far he’s been tolerating the following pretty well.
Mon-Fri – Kibble Taste of the Wild Puppy. Sometimes his kibble dinner is topped with TOTW canned food or Merrick canned food.
Sat & Sun – RAW – Either instinct raw frozen bites (turkey or beef) with Honest Kitchen Topper OR Aunt Jenni’s raw (turkey or beef)
1-2 days a week I’ll give him a lunch of canned Tripett
His 30lb bag of Taste of the Wild Kibble is almost up and I wanted to get Orijen large breed puppy. Does this seem like overkill on variety? We watch his stools. When he’s on raw his stools are dark, hard and once or twice a day. Kibble he poops up to 4 times a day. More gassy on the kibble too.
THANKS!!!!
Hi Carol M, i have never had a “newfie” only a mix that the father was newfie and chow and her mother was a golden retriever. Maya was a pup the owners insisted i take 23 yrs ago when i rescued the adults from excaping their back yard because of kids leaving the gate open! and they wandered 2 miles without tags! it took 2 days to find the owners and they had thought someone had stolen them because the female was pregnant and a beauty! Maya was my only puppy since i was younger and she grew up to about 80 lbs and loved to eat! she passed at almost 16 yrs with never a food issue or diarrhea. i rotated mostly dry kibble with some canned dog food, some fresh meat and carrots (raw) and (steamed veggies) broccoli, string beans or butternut squash…yum!
sorry about that long dialogue above but i was reminiscing… i do think you need to check out the list of recommended foods for Large Breed Puppies in the forums and especially read the info hound dog mom provides about large breed puppies. i know that the 3 dogs that run my life now love castor and pollux ultramix! (check out the prices on chewy.com very reasonable.) i have been rotating or mixing both the grain free duck 38% protein and 17% fat with glucosomine and the grain free and poutry free salmon 30% protein, 15% fat and high in omega 3’s (i am a little concerned about the mercury level in the salmon which has been questioned on this site…) neither of these have ever caused diarrhea in my border collie/flat coat ret. mix 14 yrs 50 lbs or my husky/shepherd 12 yrs 80 lbs. My 80 lb lab has a very sensitive stomach and for some reason has not had a problem with these 2 kibbles in the 2-3 months she has eaten them, but as you know any changes in food always needs to be done slowly…7-10 days depending on the dog. you can add some pumpkin puree to help with initial introduction and slight problems. i assume your puppy has been checked out by a vet for any issues that would cause diarrhea …but most vets know nothing about good food recommendations!
As the “mom” to three toy dogs, I do not believe that small breeds need a special diet unless, of course, they are suffering my some sort of illness that would require omitting or adding certain ingredients. At 8 months of age a toy breed no longer needs to be on puppy food. An All Life Stages food would better meet their needs at this point in time. My dogs weigh 5 lbs, 6 lbs, and 7 lbs.
As Marie stated, large breed puppies require less calcium in their diets to avert the quick growth in a large breed that could possibly lead to bone issues once grown. Large breed puppies have specific needs that must be met. I also, like Marie, have never had a large breed dog but I know others that do. My dogs have all been toy dogs with the exception of one dog that I had many years ago (Tibetan Terrier).
I believe the talk with large breed puppies is because they require special calcium (I think…I’ve never had a large breed pup) and small breed puppies require special food. I don’t feed puppy food, I’ve always used all breed dog food. I personally wouldn’t feed anything by Blue. Other foods that are small are Farmina small bites, Nature’s Logic and something with an “A” name (Amicus?). Hopefully someonee else will chime in.
What do you think of Kinetic dog food? At my local feed store this food comes highly recommended? And what are your thought on feeding a larger breed puppy the whole earth farms grain free chicken and turkey dog food the calcium max is 1.62 and phosphorus at 1.08 ? Thanks Jenny
Hi Kathy H-
It is my understanding that puppy and all life stages foods have the same requirements. And, many on this site state that it is fine to feed a dog of any age either. However, it is not OK to feed a puppy adult food until they are full grown.
Check out this link for more information: /frequently-asked-questions/aafco-nutrient-profiles/.
Do you breed small or large dogs? There are certain calcium requirements for large breed puppies: /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/.
Good luck!
Hi Amanda-Love J-
Congrats on the new pups. Wow! Do you have your hands full or what? I’m glad that you are excited about switching foods. Here is a link with information about feeding large breed puppies: /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/
The most important factor when choosing a food for a Large Breed Pup is the calcium levels. Also important is to not over feed. There is a chart of recommended foods with appropriate calcium on this thread on about page 35 or 36. Also if you join the Editor’s Choice club, there are a few very highly recommended foods for your puppies on that list. I’ve heard Nutrisource large breed puppy and Wellness Core puppy food come up a few times from others as being good choices. After your pups are close to being full grown and their joints are done forming, you can switch to any high quality food.
Your other dogs can eat puppy or all life stages food as well, but you may have to adjust the amount fed as they are often higher in calories and fat.
Have fun with your zoo!
His name is Wrex! This is him at about 2 months.
