[Sarah]

Hello Dog Experts!

I would love to get your suggestions on what would be the best food to get for our new puppy Pearl who is 3/4 Golden Retriever and 1/4 Border Collie mix that the breeder refers to as a Coltriever. We have had her since she was 10 weeks old and is now 13 weeks and weighs 12 lbs and is a very active and happy pup. She is currently on Taste of the Wild Puppy which was what the breeder was feeding and we have switched between the Wild Prairie and Wild Pacific Salmon formulas and she has done well on both but seems to like the Wild Pacific Salmon formula more. She has a long and very fluffy puppy coat still and the Vet suggested having her on a fish based puppy food for both her longer coat and to help with the cancer that is so prevalent in Goldens. My understanding is TOTW is a good food for the price point however, I am looking to find what the best food would be for her. I joined the Editors Choice but the large breed Puppy foods listed were not fish based. I don’t mind paying more $$ as it is important to me to have her on the best food possible. Our vet is not pro Raw food and we currently are not looking to go that direction except for possibly supplementing. If anyone has suggestions on supplements we should be adding I would love to hear those as well!

These are some of the suggestions we got from Mud Bay (a local high end pet store):
1. First Mate Puppy
2. Instinct Salmon (it’s not a puppy formula but they said that it has the same protein and fat ratios as a puppy formula would have)
3. Acana (they didn’t carry but said was great)
4. Orijen

I appreciate the help, the more I research the more confused I get and would love to hear from people’s personal experiences!

~Sarah

[Dori]

I agree completely with the Nut and Marie. I feed my three dogs, one of which was 15 years old last September high quality, high protein foods. All are grain free. I feed a rotational diet to all three and the proteins in the foods I feed vary. The lowest protein I feed is 38% and the highest is around 54%. I’ve been feeding this way for approx. 3 years now and all my dogs are doing really very well. As a matter of fact, since starting the high protein grain free foods my senior is more puppy like than she’d been in the previous years. She used to sleep a lot, had lost interest in most activities and had lost her spunk. As the Nut stated, seniors need more protein not less. It’s antiquated marketing that would have us believe that puppies, adults, seniors, active, less active, yada yada yada all need their own special diets. Puppies would probably do best on an all life stages food with the exception of large breed puppies which need less calcium with the correct ratio of phos. so as to slow (or not speed up) down their growth rate. I don’t have any large dogs but from all I’ve learned on this site I believe what I’m saying about large breed puppies is correct. I may not be wording it correctly. Anyway, seniors do better and need a higher protein food not less.

[Trout-lily]

Hi Everyone,
I see a lot of people in the past have had issues with diaherria and loose stools. I’m rotate my feeding my 9 month old Bernese mountain dog Dr Tim’s kinesis, innova large breed puppy, and wellness core grain free. All are on the recommended list. Has anyone had any issues with these foods? She also likes to sneak out kitten’s food so I’m wondering if that food could be the culprit. It has been going on for a month but she still seems to be eating and drinking fine.

[Akari_32]

Oh boy, this’ll be fun lol

Haley and Dweezle: Natural Balance Ultra Small Breed. Only got it because it was $1 a pound after coupons– I’m not very happy with, so after the two bags I have are gone, I’ll not buy it again. However, they like it. But they like anything, regardless of how eatable it is lol They also each get a salmon oil pill in their food. Next will be Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Senior and Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Adult, mixed 2:1. These dogs are 60 and 130 lbs, btw LOL after that will probably be Ideal Balance puppy, then Wellness Core Puppy and Small Breed mixed, then who knows. I have a good sized stash to chose from. I try to keep it interesting.

Bentley: SSLL mix, with coconut oil (won’t eat the mix plain, the little brat!) and a nice de-boned raw turkey leg. He gets a random pick of turkey or chicken (bought whole and cut up and separated into white meat, dark meat, and bone-in meat), ground pork, or beef or chicken hearts every day.

Ginger: half Wellness Small Breed Simple Salmon and Potato, and half Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Healthy Weight. She’ll be moving to Purina Veterinary Diet Joint Mobility when I have the money in my account to order it, her Wellness Simple was running out, so I’ll put it off a bit longer, so she’s not switching arounf too much. Her stomach just can’t handle it. Nothing Purina is my first choice except for a very select few of the canned cat foods due to cost, but I’m at my wits end at what I can do to help her poor old joints, and not break the bank (not that there’s much of a bank to break at this point…). I can get it less than what the same size bag of Wellness is, so it’s worth a shot. Her treats today was a half of an Amoxicillin pill in the morning and tonight. She eats it like it’s the most delicious thing she’s ever tasted, so I just let her think that LOL

Usually they all get some form of Zukes or Pet Botanics treats, but no one got any of those today, except the cat, who did high-fives, shakes, and up’s for his G-Zees treats :p He also got 3oz Wild Kitty raw cat food mix (made with chicken) for breakfast, and a 5.5 oz can of Friskies Ocean Whitefish as a very special treat. I don’t do fish or any other Friskies other than two flavors of Special Diet for him very often, but I’ll grab something fish based every now and then for something that isn’t turkey, chicken or beef. Gotta have something different when your crazy mommy limits you to very specific flavors from very specific brands lol I’ve also been giving Bentley a few pieces of Natures Variety Instinct Raw as a treat a few times a day. He loves to eat the little pieces still frozen. I think he likes the texture, and the fact that it’s red meat, something I can’t afford for his rotation very often. Innova Prime Red Meat used to be his favorite kibble before we realized he had carb allergies and before Innova got bought out.

Just a side note on the Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health forumlas: I’m extremely happy with all of them. Typically, even in the rest of the Wellness line, senior and diet foods are just complete crap, but these are comparable to other puppy and adult grain inclusive foods. They have good protein (close to 30%), and low fat (which is what my three old farts need), and are still high calorie (high 400’s!). Would definitely recommend either of these to anyone with a dog that needs a low fat diet, or to any owner who likes to feed lower fat diet food, small or large breed. It’s pretty decently priced, too, especially if you have coupons 😉

[aimee]

Hi Michelle R.

My experience with Natures Logic was /is very different. I considered using the brand as my dog is on a diet of venison. I went to the website and was very concerned by what I found. The company inserted words into quotes which changed the meaning of the quotes, and it appeared that they only had one product analyzed and then posted those results for all the products.

I’ve talked with Mr Freeman on the phone and in person. In person was very telling!! I asked him about inserting words into quotes and he looked up and off into the distance, stroked his chin and in with a long drawn out affect said as best I remember “Oh… did I? Gee… I’ll have to look into that” When I asked about the nutrient analysis all looking the same he looked down and started to chuckle and said well yes, he only had one product analyzed, the chicken formula and then just changed some numbers here and there for the others. I asked him about the low Vit D levels in his diets and he told me to let my dog sit at the windows when the sun came through and my dog would make all the Vit D she needed. When I reminded him that dogs only make insignificant amount of Vit D and it is a requirement of the canine he said something like “Of course they make Vit D, probably when the researchers tested them they had the dogs locked up in a room in the dark without any windows.

Pressing onward, I asked him about the calcium levels in his diets and the effect on growth for large breed pups. He said you can feed a puppy all the calcium you want they would only absorb what they needed. When I reminded him that puppies can’t regulate calcium absorption which is why they need a controlled level in their diet he told me to feed a high calcium food and measure the calcium level in the blood .. it would be fine. YIKES !!! So I tried again and reminded him that yes the calcium level in the blood would be normal despite the effect the diet had on the C- cells and calcitonin levels. He didn’t know what those were. Then he handed me a copy of Dog Naturally magazine to use as a reference instead of the NRC Nutrient requirement of dogs and cats. I found that downright scary!

I asked who formulated his diets and what that person’s education was. He formulates the diets and his degree is in marketing. Suddenly it all became very clear!!! He doesn’t know anything about nutrition because he is in the business of marketing not in the business of nutrition!!

Combing that with him telling me he doesn’t do any type of ingredient testing and he didn’t seem sure of what post production testing was done as far as quality control pretty much lowered the boom of doom onto that company for me.

He is good at what he is educated in .. marketing. Well except for promising things he never follows through on. Like posting correct nutritional information on his website. I think it was last year that he told Dr. Mike he had each individual product analyzed and the data would be posted shortly. But the information really hasn’t changed much…. except for a few numbers here and there.

After talking with Mr. Freeman and evaluating his company I can see why the company isn’t on Editors Choice. The food has a great concept but poor execution in my opinion.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Guys-
Honestly, you never really HAVE to switch. Food labeled as puppy and/or all life stages are OK to feed forever. Food labeled as Adult or Maintenance should only be fed when the pup is full grown. Large breeds between 1 and 2 years. Small breeds between 6 months to a year. Just make sure that the large breed pups stay lean and grow at a slow steady pace to avoid joint issues.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Jessica –

If you’re an Editor’s Choice member check out theEditor’s Choice Puppy Foods – there’s a list of foods appropriate for large breed puppies.

If you’re not an Editor’s Choice member, there’s a large breed puppy thread in the general forum area that can be found here.

There a few different routes you could take to try and get to the bottom of the loose stool issue. First and foremost (if you haven’t done this already) be sure to get a stool sample to the vet. Coccidia is very common in puppies and will cause loose stool. If you can rule out parasites, you can then look into switching foods and/or supplementation. You can try simply switching to a different brand, if this doesn’t work you may need to consider a food intolerance and start trying foods without ingredients that are common culprits (e.g. chicken, grains, etc.). You may also wish to try supplementing with a good quality probiotic and/or adding some additional fiber (a spoonful or two of plain canned pumpkin usually works well).

Good luck!

[Jessica B]

I have a 10 month old black Labrador. She has been eating blue buffalo Lamb & Oatmeal puppy food (based on high reviews) since she joined our family in May. Although, her stool is soft and runny more times than not. I am now contemplating changing her food to see if it helps! What are your recommendations? What do you feed your large breed puppy?

[Erica L]

I am pretty sure she is not overfed. The bag of food says for her age and weight is 3-4 cups a day. She does 2 cups in the morning and 1 cup at night. I think she was underweight coming from the shelter she was rescued from. She is a tall skinny girl (you can see her ribs)
She isn’t drinking as much water today as she usually does but I think the chicken/rice/pumpkin has helped…she hasn’t needed to go potty since this morning even though that was runny. I just ordered the Perfect Form for her. I have been looking at the large breed puppy feed. Its just very confusing to pick one food out of over 30. I just want her to have great food and for this runny poo to go away. I won’t lie I am overwhelmed right now trying to guess what is best for her.

[crazy4cats]

OooH! A Christmas puppy! Fun, fun, fun! I don’t think a border collie is considered a large breed, is it? IF not, then calcium isn’t that much of a concern. First of all, I’d try to find out what puppy is eating now and buy some. It’s best to keep them on the same food they are currently eating for a while until they get acclamated to their new home. Once things are settled, you can slowly transition to a new food. IMO, it’s not necessary to spend $100 on a bag of food. I choose to buy budget friendly kibble and add a little extra canned, fresh or frozen protein to it to make it more nutritional.

You could always print the best puppy foods list and take it with you to the store to see what is available locally. It would be great if you could post a picture of your pup when you get it. Good luck!

[William S]

New to the forums here. Looking for some advice and information.

I have a 15 week old Great Dane Male. Currently, I am feeding Innova Large Breed Puppy. I am considering a switch to Whole Earth Farms Adult recipe and wanted to know if anyone here can tell me the calcium levels of this food.

I have searched around, but have been unable to find anything definitive. Before I make the switch, I just wanted to be sure it’ll be ok for his growth.

[bob b]

Hi. Like a lot of posters I’ve read I want to provide the best nutrition for my baby boy Bentley.

Bentley is a 5 month old (at Christmas) great Dane. Mom weighed 145 and Dad was 175.

I’ve been feeding him Nutro Ultra Giant Breed Adult. My vet said it was just as good as the puppy formula. I’m not quite comfortable with that. 🙂

Question: What’s the best puppy food for Bentley? No issues with the Nutro (Chicken, Lamb, and Salmon) so far and no known health issues identified by the Vet. (Even though he has thrown up some bile the last 2 days – that could be from eating leaves I suppose).

If you have time please recommend a couple. I have looked at the list and while it helps, it’s not getting me any closer to choosing a different food.

THANK YOU for any help you can provide.

Cheers to all my fellow Large & Giant breed owners.

Bob

[Jonathan H]

My dog is shedding like crazy… I’m not sure how she still has hair but she doesn’t show any signs of balding or skin irritation.

I’ve switched her to partial raw, made by a local butcher who sources only grass fed and locally raised animals in the tristate area, as well as added some additional fish oil to help with her dandruff. The dandruff is gone now but the shedding remains.

We brush her once per week with a furminator and I use dog baths wipes to help keep her clean between actually baths which I don’t like to do more than once a month.

Has anyone seen Euk causing the shedding? I’ve been thinking about changing her food but the breeder / trainer we purchased her from said he has always fed this with no issues.

Thanks for the feedback

[Nelson P]

Hi everyone,
It’s the first time I post on this thread but have been learning a lot from reading it (specially from HDM). So, first of all thanks! Now, hopefully you guys don’t mind if I ask for a little more help. I have a 3 months old Golden Retriever. I have been feeding him Royal Canin Golden Retriever Junior (recommended by the vet.) but as you all know, it’s not the best choice. I want to do better. Unfortunately I don’t have the time or money to feed him a proper raw meal. Not now, maybe in the future (who knows). Good Canned is also very expensive (maybe I can add it as a topper sometimes). So I have to stick with kibble. Would like to choose from HDM list but I live in Europe (Portugal) and we don’t have those brands here (stores or online) and buy it from a international online store would also be too expensive for the shipping. I had to look for other brands and try to stick with the guidelines I learn here. As sad as it may look I couldn’t find too many brands to choose from (there are plenty but not that good). Basically I found 2 options: Orijen/Acana large breed puppy (I know it’s borderline with the calcium levels) or Naturea. Naturea is a portuguese brand but they produce there food in a UK factory tucked into a rural area (as they stated in their website). They have the same Biologically Appropriate concept that Champions have. It’s possible none of you ever heard about this brand (I too didn’t know them until yesterday). I don’t know if I can post the website here for you guys to help me analyse their food so I’ll copy/past their Technical Information:

Composition:
Chicken (includes Fresh Deboned Chicken and Chicken Meal), Sweet Potato, Egg Powder,
Chicken Fat, Potato Protein, Lucerne, Linseed, Chicken Gravy, Salmon Oil, Minerals,
Vitamins, Glucosamine, Methylsulfonylmethane, Chondroitin Sulphate, Apple, Carrot,
Tomato, Spinach, Psyllium, Rosehips, Camomile, Burdock Root, Peppermint, Marigold,
Seaweed, Cranberry, Dandelion, Fructooligosaccharides, Aniseed, Fenugreek, Yucca
Schidigera Extract, Thyme, Marjoram, Oregano, Parsley, Sage.

Animal Ingredients (63%):
Chicken Meal (low ash) 31.17%
Fresh Deboned Chicken 13.85%
Egg Powder 8.22%
Chicken Fat 7.36%
Chicken Gravy 1.73%
Salmon Oil 0.86%

Typical Analysis:
Crude Protein 32%
Crude Fat 21%
Crude Fibre 3%
Moisture 8.5%
Carbohydrates 27.5%
Crude Ash 8%
Metabolisable Energy 387 kCal/100g
Calcium 1.21%
Phosphorus 1.04%

Coat, cardio & Joints:
Linoleic Acid (Omega 6) 3.09%
Linolenic Acid (Omega 3) 1.07%
Glucosamine 889 mg/kg
Chondroitin 625 mg/kg
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) 889 mg/kg

Other Vitamins, Amnio Acids & Minerals:
Vitamin A 25730 IU/kg
Vitamin D3 1730 IU/kg
Vitamin E (as alpha-tocopherol acetate) 231 IU/kg
Vitamin B1 10 mg/kg
Vitamin B2 23 mg/kg
Vitamin B6 10 mg/kg
Vitamin B12 127 mcg/kg
Biotin 323 mcg/kg
Folic acid 1.73 mg/kg
Niacin 35 mg/kg
Choline Chloride 240 mg/kg
Pantothenate 20 mg/kg
Potassium 1.04%
Sodium 0.36%
Chloride 0.63%
Magnesium 0.1%
Zinc (as zinc sulphate monohydrate) 285 mg/kg
Zinc (as chelate of amino acids hydrate) 342 mg/kg
Copper (as cupric sulphate monohydrate) 41 mg/kg
Copper (as cupric chelate of amino acids hydrate) 51 mg/kg
Manganese (as manganous sulphate monohydrate) 112 mg/kg
Iron (as ferrous sulphate monohydrate) 309 mg/kg
Iron (as ferrous chelate of amino acids hydrate) 21 mg/kg
Iodine (as calcium iodate anhydrous) 1.58 mg/kg
Selenium (as sodium selenite) 0.51 mg/kg

Sorry for the long text. I need to decide on a food sooner than later to start the transition. In the future I would like to rotate different brands (If I can find good ones), and add toppers as suggested here. But for now I really have to decide. Origin, Naturea or other world available brand? Can you help me? So afraid to make the wrong choice. Any other advice on dog/puppy health would be great 🙂

P.S. As for the toppers, besides eggs, tinned sardines, plain yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, and veggies what can I add without throwing off the balance?

[linda h]

Have a 13 week old lab puppy. is a puppy in training for guide dogs. Hills sponsor this so he was on their large breed puppy food. after 9 weeks big problems with it so was changed over to I.D food, this went well initially. Now he is constantly hungry, wakes twice a night to go bathroom. Poos are normal but waking at night time is not. the bag also says that this I.D. food should only be given for 1 to 1 weeks. I am under the impression that he will be on it long term. I am going back to the Vet on Wednesday for his last vaccination and will check then. But just wondering did anyone have similar problems and what did they do ?

Thanks

[William S]

I have 3 dogs my most recent is a great pyrenees puppy. I use Orijen Large Breed Puppy As I really the the food and the company. The cost is quite high and I am looking to mix it 50/50 with Fromms Holistic Gold Large Breed Puppy food which will bring my cost per pound to $2.06 per lb vs. $2.65.
Is this acceptable? I will have a food that is 32% protein and 34.5 calorie weight basis.

[Jan T]

Hi,
I’m new here and need some help with all these ratios, etc. I have an 11 week old GSD who started out on Fromm Gold large breed puppy. She had some a bacterial infection in her gut that we had to treat while she was on this. The vet suggested we try Eukanuba large breed puppy, but she doesn’t like it so much. She is always scratching, so think she may have allergies. So question: should I get vitamin supplements, leave her on Eukanuba or go back to Fromm or something else? Whatever we do, it will be gradual. If supplements, any suggestions?

[theBCnut]

If you are looking for a good starting place, NutriSource Large Breed Puppy has good calcium levels for LBPs and NutriSource is known for being easy to transition to. From there you can try a few different foods and see what he does best on. Go over to the review side and do a search on rotational diets to find out about why sticking with only one food is not a good idea.

[Dog_Obsessed]

For information about large and giant breed puppy food, go here: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

You should definitely switch him off of the Puppy Chow, but make sure his is comfortable and has been in your house at least a week, because stress can make food transitions harder. Good luck, and congrats on your new puppy!

[theBCnut]

For a good food that is budget friendly and made the list, look for NutriSource Large Breed Puppy. For training treats I use freeze dried or dehydrated meats and liver. My favorites are Vital Essentials and Pure Bites.

[theBCnut]

The old large and giant breed puppy list is on page 15. I would stick to a food on that list. NutriSource has a food on the list and they are a bit cheaper.

[USA]

Hi Michael C,

Be careful of excessive calcium in foods for your puppy! Too much Calcium has been linked to serious problems in Large Breed Puppies!

All of the BROTHERS COMPLETE formulas are TOO HIGH in Calcium for a Large Breed puppy like your 10 week old “American Bandogge Mastiff”.

There are 2 places on this website to find info on foods for Large Breed Puppies. One place is in the Editors Choice section which has a paid membership and the other is in the forums under the topic: Large and Giant Breed Puppy Nutrition
/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

Good Luck and Happy Thanksgiving!

[BeachDogs]

Hey! I am new to this forum, but not DFA. Never really noticed the forum part, unfortunately. A HUGE thanks to Hound Dog Mom for compiling the list and for all the other amazing info members have given.

I have a 72 pound 11-month old Dane/Heeler rescue pup – have had her since she was 6 weeks old. Yep, foster failure right here! Got the ok from the vet to go ahead and put her on an adult formula. Went to a local pet boutique to buy NutriSource and ended up with Victor GF Active Dog and Puppy (ALS). I also have a 5-year old Yorkie. Concerned about the calcium, I called the manufacturer after I noticed it’s not on HDM’s list and the bag does not list calcium or phosphorus at all. They said it has 1.9% calcium and 1.23% phosphorus with a Ca:P ratio of 1.5:1.

My questions:
1. Since my large breed puppy is past 10 months, is this Victor food ok at 1.9% calcium and a 1.5:1 ratio? I am not sure if calcium percentage or Ca:P ratio is more important.
2. Is it ok for a pup this young and a 5-yr old not to have glucosamine and chondroitin? Maybe it’s better not to have those, yet. IDK. I realize I can give a supplement.
3. The kibble size is tiny, but I would like to have both dogs on the same food, so does kibble size matter?

Thanks!

[Celine W]

Hello, I am the owner of two Bernese Mountain dogs (3 years and 11 month). I RAW fed them exclusively. As money is tight right now I might have to switch to half RAW and half dry food. As much as I don’t like the idea, I try to figure out what might be the best choice of dry food out there for a large Breed dog (one is 95 lbs. and the puppy is 11 month old). I really want to buy a high quality dry food (4 to 5 stars). I am still confused that there are so many opinions about the low protein and big dogs. Can anybody give me some recommendations – I am overwhelmed. THANK YOU…

[Pluto.the.St.Bernard]

Hi, all this information is so helpful, but just a tad overwhelming for me (so many opinions). I am curious about your opinion on a few things, I have a male st. benard pupp just about 20wks, been feeding him Natures Variety Instinct Dry($$$), and honestly looking to switch to something with less of a price tag, but without loosing quality as I want him in the best shape inside/out. His weight is good, looking/feeling healthy. I noticed the other saint owner was inquiring about Wellness Core Puppy, I am also curious about this brand of food –>> “Orijen product line includes six dry dog foods, five claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages and one (Senior) for adult maintenance”. Noticed it wasn’t on your list of approved large/giant breed foods, would you recommend (I’ve read pretty good things)? One last question what toppings would you suggest if not homemade food recipe ?
Hope none of this confuses you, thanks.

[cdubau]

I am having some issues with my puppies and their dog foods. Bode is about 18 months large breed mix (85 pounds as of now) and so he’s not really a puppy anymore exactly. Zieke is a 9 month old Rottweiller.

I was feeding Dr. Tims Kinesis
**Zieke was constantly having diarrhea, he’s been checked by the vet and he’s 100% healthy. So we started to add some yogurt and a small amount of pumpkin. Didn’t help to much.
** Bode was pooping a TON each time he went, going around 5 times a day.

I switched to Daves Naturally Healthy Dog food
now BOTH have constant diarrhea!

Idk what to do for food for them.

Here are my choices based off being able to afford them from Hounddog moms list

4.5 Fromm Gold lg Puppy 1.52/lb 26/14
4.5 Premium Edge 1.52 29/18
4 Nutrisource lg breed puppy 1.53 26/16
4 Nature Variety Prairie on sale 1.64 26/12 lg puppy

[Akari_32]

I did find a shop near by-ish that has it, according to the website. Can’t wait to get it!

So heres a deal I’m hoping to try out soon. Naturella sent me a ton of $10 off $25 a purchase coupons for PetLand. PetCo should take these. I also have a $10 Natural Balance PetSupermarket coupon, which PetCo takes. Then I have two $3 off any size bag 4.5lbs or larger of Natural Balance Ultra manufacturer coupons (one from Naturella!). PetCo has the Small Bites formula for $29.99.

Should this work, I will have a 12.5 lb bag of Natural Balance Ultra for $9.09. Not bad! I would like to see if they’ll price match Pet Supermarket for me, since they have it for $28.99, which would make it $8.02, and me *very* happy. The sale price online for PetCo does say $26.99, but I’m not sure if thats in-store, too, since PetCo is freaking stupid and can’t just have the same sale price in-store and online. That would just be too easy.

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/D60C9619-BD1A-4BC1-B22F-D2808FAD9238_zps2be9yufo.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/7D268BB6-EFA0-4965-945E-1CEF3EF6CF90_zpsnszbungi.jpg

I also scored a 4 lb bag of Wellness Simple Small Breed Salmon and Potato (didn’t even know that was a thing!!) and a 4 lb bag of Wellness CORE Puppy for $2.46 and $2.48 respectively at Pet Supermarket the other day! The Simple was on clearance for $11.97 (they say it was in the wrong spot, because it rang up at $17-something, but the tag on shelf was right– I don’t think it was in their system properly, but they gave it to me anyways), and the CORE was marked down 20% for an upcoming expiration date. Used a $5 off PetSmart coupon and $5 off Wellness Coupon for each of them. The CORE I’m using now, using it to spread out Haley and Dweezle’s other food (also Wellness, but its the Toy Breed kind lol), since the expiration date is in a few weeks. I’ve used it twice, and its half gone already, so no worries there! The Simple I’ll try out for Ginger, since its small kibbles. Yay!

*edit*

So I just looked through PetCo’s flier and the Natural Balance IS on sale for $26.99. That means I could very well get it for $5.88 a bag!!!!!!! Holy geez! I know where I’ll be going in the morning!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Akari_32.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Michael –

The reviews for Pinnacle products can be found here .

To see others’ opinions of Blue Buffalo you may wish to read through the user comments that follow the product reviews.

If you’re looking for budget friendly options here is our list of recommended budget friendly foods.

If you’re looking for a puppy food, here is our list of recommended puppy foods (it includes a list of foods appropriate for large and giant breeds).

Hope that helps.

[Michael C]

My wife and I have a 13 month old boxer pitbull mix who weighs 65 lbs and about a 10 week old American Bandogge Mastiff. We have been feeding both dogs since we got the first one Blue Buffalo life protection. We haven’t had any problems with the food and the puppy especially seems to like it. I have been on these forums and i have scoured the internet for ratings on dog food, articles on nutrition for large breed puppies, and researched pricing. Throughout all of this i have realized that every dog is different and whay may work for one dog may not work for another. I saw the list that was posted i think on page 7 of the Canine nutrition forum that was a pdf showing 4 and 5 star dog foods with appropriate nutrition for large breed dogs. The woman who posted it said blue buffalo wasnt on there because she called but they did not release the details to her. My questions are: Does anyone know the brand Pinnacle and have any information or ratings to pass off to me? How do most people feel about blue buffalo wildnerness? I will try my best to stay away from any food produced by DIAMOND and mostly try to stay away from food that has been recalled. I have checked that list and saw blue buffalo back in 2011 i believe for too much viatmin D but if there are other brands that offer the same or better health benefits as wildnerness but i dont have to fork out $70 for a 30 lb bag that would be great. Thank you very much for you input

[Michael C]

My wife and I have a 13 month old boxer pitbull mix who weighs 65 lbs and about a 10 week old American Bandogge Mastiff. We have been feeding both dogs since we got the first one Blue Buffalo life protection. We haven’t had any problems with the food and the puppy especially seems to like it. I have been on these forums and i have scoured the internet for ratings on dog food, articles on nutrition for large breed puppies, and researched pricing. Throughout all of this i have realized that every dog is different and whay may work for one dog may not work for another. I saw the list that was posted i think on page 7 of the Canine nutrition forum that was a pdf showing 4 and 5 star dog foods with appropriate nutrition for large breed dogs. The woman who posted it said blue buffalo wasnt on there because she called but they did not release the details to her. My questions are: Does anyone know the brand Pinnacle and have any information or ratings to pass off to me? How do most people feel about blue buffalo wildnerness? I will try my best to stay away from any food produced by DIAMOND and mostly try to stay away from food that has been recalled. I have checked that list and saw blue buffalo back in 2011 i believe for too much viatmin D but if there are other brands that offer the same or better health benefits as wildnerness but i dont have to fork out $70 for a 30 lb bag that would be great. Thank you very much for you input.

[theBCnut]

The 1.5 cups ber day is for a full grown adult dog. Puppies definitely need more. Guesstimate how much your pup should weigh full grown and then use that amount for the feeding guideline. I would expect it to be around 4-6 cups. Assess your pups body condition often and adjust food accordingly. Make sure to keep your pup lean so it grows slowly. This helps avoid joint issues. Have you looked at the large and giant breed puppy nutrition thread?

[Lance B]

Hello,

My Dane is 15 weeks old and is being fed this food:
http://www.doctorsfinest.com/Healthy_Chicken_dog_food_p/dr%20es-gfb.htm

I know the feeding instructions say up to 1.5 cups per day since he’s <50 lbs, but I thought he might need to be eating more given his caloric needs. For what it’s worth, I’ve been feeding 2 cups of this food per day (previously, he was on Nutrisource Large Breed Puppy and was being fed about 4 cups a day before I swapped to this food on account of diarrhea).

[Tracy S]

My 7 month old black lab is on Fromm’s Gold Large Breed puppy. I’ve been really happy with the food – and she loves it!

My question – has anyone run in to bad breath in your dog as a result of this food? I’m wondering if it’s either the ingredients or the small kibble size not cleaning off the teeth. The kibbles don’t even need to be crunched on.

The other day when I brushed her teeth, I noticed a bunch of buildup on her back teeth. I scrubbed them and it seemed to help, but wondering if there is something else I should do.

Thanks!

[Amy H]

I am adopting an epileptic lab mix rescue pup, 10 months old, and I am told about 60 lbs. I have looked over these forums and printed out a few articles from the Mercola site to bring to my first vet appt with him. Once he is settled in our home I will begin transitioning him to a higher protein, lower carb, grain free diet. The first bag I bought for that is EB Holistic Primitive Naturals. He is on KBr already, as he had multiple grand mal seizures after poison ingestion, but he has been seizure free for several months. I am looking for advice from others who have dealt with this – what worked for you, and what didn’t? I am not up to a raw diet, but herbals and supplements would be manageable within budgetary reason. I wonder whether a rotation diet is still advisable, since I need to worry about affecting his KBr blood levels with varying salt content in different foods. Most labels I’ve checked don’t list sodium content. I read through about 55 pages of the large & giant breed puppy food forum, and think he is old enough that I at least don’t need to worry about calcium content. Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

[Darren S]

HDM, I noticed that this site is rating Orijen Puppy large breed a “5” and Orijen has posted in its labeling the following:
Calcium Content Analysis
Orijen Puppy Large contains 1.29% calcium, 1.05% phosphorus and 3800 calories1 per kilogram of dog food.
This results in a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of 1.23 to 1, which confirms this particular metric meets AAFCO nutrient profiles2 for puppies.
More importantly, the data reports an energy-weighted nutrient content of 3.4 grams of calcium for every 1000 calories as fed.
So, according to current guidelines3, Orijen Puppy Large appears to be suitable for all puppies — including those of larger breeds.

Does this mean that you would now accept Orijen as an appropriate “large breed” puppy food?
Thank you.

[Lance B]

Hello,

I am currently just feeding my Dane puppy Nutrisource Large Breed Puppy kibble. However, I will soon be switching him to Great Life Rx Grain-Free: Buffalo. In saying that, I was thinking about adding a wet food to his kibble on occasion.

Does anyone know of any good ones for giant breed pups?

Or perhaps I’d be better off feeding ground chuck?

[Lance B]

Hello,

I have a nearly 13-week-old Great Dane puppy who is on Nutrisource Large Breed Puppy Food (Chicken & Rice). It’s ingredients can be found here:

Large Breed Puppy

Is there an ingredient in here that is known for causing diarrhea?

For what it’s worth, my puppy is worm-free, giardia-free, and vaccinated, but the diarrhea has been on-going. His stool has solidified when I’ve fasted him a couple of times to try and give his tummy a break from digestion. However, when he begins eating again, diarrhea starts. His energy level and everything is great. He’s shown no negative signs or symptoms of anything. Therefore, I was wondering if perhaps there’s an ingredient in the food that is commonly linked to diarrhea? I assume not, but I figured I’d ask as I begin looking for another food.

I’m rather bummed because Nutrisource has a great dietary breakdown for giant breeds, is rated a 4-star food on DFA, and is relatively inexpensive compared to other brands of comparable quality.

Thanks in advance!

[cdubau]

Alright everyone I need some help. Currently feeding my dogs Dr Tims
*Last year this time I got my awesome dog Bode and in April we got another puppy Zieke. They are both larger breed dogs. Bode is weighing close to 80 pounds at just over a year and Zieke is a full blooded Rotti. But we are having issues!!

* Our Rotti always has loose stools. The first bit that comes out holds some form and the rest is to soft to hold anything. Negative for worms or anything in fecal matter
*Our older pup Bode poops TON at A time, 3-4 times a day!!
* BOTH have awful gas!

Considering changing to one of the following foods to try all from the list of Grain INCLUDED (I can’t afford any of the grain free). In order of STARS:
Pro/Fat Content
5 Daves 30/20
4.5 Fromm Gold 26/14
4.5 Premium Edge 29/18
4 Nutrisource 26/16
4 Nature Variety 26/12

Does anyone have any experience with the above listed foods?

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by cdubau.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by cdubau.

[Karen E]

My five month old Labrador puppy, Beans, spent a night in ICU this weekend due to extreme diarrhea and vomiting. The ultimate diagnosis is that he has an intolerance to chicken. He has been eating Wellness Large Breed Puppy dry kibble since I got him at eight weeks old, but suddenly he can’t digest it. We will keep him on Prescription I/d for a week, but I need recommendations of another protein dry food to substitute in for next week. My research indicates lamb or venison may be best, but would appreciate advice from others who have been through similar experiences. Thanks! Karen

[Genevieve K]

How many times are you feeding her? Puppies need to have 3 meals a day. (I do think it’s adorable that she carries her food bowl around.) Using the caloric information on the packaging, I calculated the ideal daily feeding schedule and use that as a guide (it’s been close to the suggested servings). If you’re feeding multiple foods, I recommend doing this to ensure she’s getting what she needs. Perhaps you could do this with the different foods that you’re feeding.

In addition to a Boerboel puppy, we have two other large breed dogs. I do feed the puppy far more than I feed the adults because I know he needs the additional nutrition and the extra calories to support his quickly growing body. I keep a close eye on his body shape to ensure he’s not getting over-fed.

Having fought a weight loss battle with my Ridgeback, it’s important to keep an eye on his waist. I’m fine with him carrying a little bit more weight because I know he will use that for growth and energy but it’s important to ensure he doesn’t cross the line into “fat.”

Because of the our Boerboel puppy’s multiple allergies (arg!), we decided to use Annamaet’s Aqualuk and are now feeding it to all three dogs. It’s is appropriate for large breeds in all life stages and is listed on HDM’s list of recommended large breed dog food. The Calcium/Fat percentages are excellent and, personally, I was drawn to its EU certification which requires does not allow the 4 D’s (diseased, dying, disabled, and dead) animals.

Large dogs usually have a shorter life span and the additional cost is worth it to ensure my family is eating a very healthy food which, hopefully, will extend their life span. One wonderful side effect is that my Ridgeback’s farts, known to literally clear a room, have significantly decreased in frequency and are not nearly as foul!

No, is not an inexpensive food but we were previously feeding a different, high quality 4 star food that was only a bit less than Annamaet. There are very few retail locations that carry it so I order it online from Wag.com but there are other sites that carry it. The Annamaet website has a list of retailers – online and brick & mortar shops.

Long story short, I’d feed her as much as she wants – to a point. For training purposes (and your sanity), maintain a feeding schedule so that she doesn’t learn that she can manipulate you. The last thing you want is a dog who know that when she drops her bowl at your feet, she gets food. They’re slick little critters!

[Akari_32]

So I’m transitioning Ginger on to the newest mix of food: 8 lbs of Nutro Natural Choice Wholesome Essentials Puppy, 4 lbs of Nutro Natural Choice Wholesome Essentials Young Adult, and 6 lbs of Purina Pro Plan Small Breed Puppy, all mixed together evenly and shared with Haley and Dweezle. She doesn’t like the larger, Coco Puff sized pieces of the Young Adult. Spits them out. Its not a “This hurts my mouth” for of spit, its a “what the crap is this garbage??” sort of spit LOL She only spits it out when she gets to the end of her meal and slows down to have to work at the stuff stuck to the bottom of her bowl, so at least she doesn’t pick through her whole meal (Bentley used to do that, the little brat). The Small Breed Puppy is obviously nice small pieces, and the Wholesome Essentials puppy is about the size of a dime, and flat, so both of these she eats just fine.

Also, I think I’m making head way on getting her comfortable with being picked up. Since Tuesday, I’ve picked her up several times, both awake, and just woken up, and she’s only once protested mouthily (thats a word, right? It is now! LOL), and really she didn’t even try to bite me, it was more mouth open, and head turned back a little, like she was ready if she thought she needed to. She wasn’t happy, but she wasn’t going to outright protest it. So, I’m very happy with that! She even seems to enjoy being held, at times, as well. And I’ll rub her cheeks and ears and she’ll put all her weight on my hand as I scratch– its so cute lol And she’s been in really good spirits during the day, despite being extra grumpy at night. Not sure what the night-time grumpiness is all about, but I’ll take the running through the house, and the coming over for pets when I put my hand down, and face-to-face, tail-wagging greetings with Bentley (he’s really obnoxious, but she’s learning to accept that, and even like him, even if its just a little bit! LOL)– that last one in particular makes me pretty happy lol

I’ll be leaving friday and not coming home till monday for a cruise, and leaving the dogs and creatures in the combined care of my room mate, sister, and neighbor. This is apparently how many people it takes to do what I do for my animals every day for the weekend LOL I hate to leave them, especially Ginger, but the tickets are past their fully refundable date, and its the wedding of a very close family friend, so I’m obligated to go lol It’ll be fun though! So if you guys don’t hear from me, thats where I’ll be. I’ll have my phone, though, so maybe I’ll be able to internet from my phone… :p

[theBCnut]

Since a lot of large breed puppy foods do not fit within the current guidelines for LBPs, they aren’t really an exemption either.

And even with toppers, you have to consider the calories or pretty soon your dog will be tubby. Reduce kibble to make up for what you add to their food.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by theBCnut.

[Susan]

Hi, has the vet tried him on a vet prescription diet kibble yet like the Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal low fat or the Sensitivity Control….My boy was put on the Eukanuba Intestinal vet diet, it only has 1.75%-fiber 10%-Fat, he was put on the Intestinal Plus 4%-fiber first, he was still doing very sloppy poos after 2 weeks, then I had to order another bag, the lady made a mistake & gave me the Intestinal instead of the Intestinal Plus it was a blessing making the mistake as the Intestinal is only 1.75% crude fiber, as soon as he started the Intestinal 1.75%-fiber his poos were back to normal within 2 days, thats when we realised he needed less fiber, vet said she wanted him to stay on the Eukanuba Intestinal for 1 year but around 6 months when he was doing real well, I started trying other kibbles, I stay around the same fat% protein% & I tried to find a low crude fiber% as his Intestinal Vet diet but it was hard as the vet prescription diet only had the real low crude fiber, even when I give Patch Pumkin I cant give him more then a little teaspoon, if I give more his poos are very sloppy, he cant have too much fiber or fat..
Have you ever done an elimaintion diet, thats the best way, I found that Patch was getting real bad diarrhea from potatos & itchy skin & Sweet potatos made his ears itchy when I did the elimination diet, Vet tried him on the Euknuba FP for his skin last December 1 week after just introducing 1/4cup of the FP to his Intestinal for the whole week, (I slowly introduce new kibbles I use to take about 1 month) he had real bad diarrhea as soon as he ate something he had to run outside & do water poo, so I took him straight off the FP vet thought it was from the higher fat% as it was 15% where his Intestinal was only 10% then 6 months later when I started the elimination diet, I realised it was the potatos in the Eukanuba FP as it was Fish & Potato giving him the bad diarrhea…the less you give the better, there has to be a food that stops his diarrhea, on the yahoo groups there’s a group called “IBDogs” & most of the dogs with real bad diarrhea are put on Prednidsone (Steroid) has he been put on a steroid yet, its for inflammed bowel, I never put Patch on the steriod as I got his diarrhea under control, he was put on the Metroniazole for 2 weeks & when he has had a flares, he gets put on the Metronidazole (Flagyl) for 2 weeks,
Most of the kibbles that you have tried have they been grainfree, try & get a kibble with low fat, low protein, low fiber & not a grainfree kibble as some grain free kibbles are higher in fat & protein, try a limited ingredient kibble.. after trying about 6 different kibbles, I put Patch on the Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal first then I realised it has Potato protein (he started to scratch) then I changed him to the Lamb & Oatmeal it has Oats & rice I found Patch does better on grounded rice & oats kibbles, the fiber is 4.75% I was a bit worried to try but it had been over 6months since Patch had a real bad flare, last December but I still do his Eukanuba Intestinal for dinner & the Wellness Simple for breakfast & lunch… I have to give Patch smaller meals thru the day he doesnt do well on 2 large meals a day.. Have you tried the Wellness Complete health Puppy Large breed Deboned Chicken & brown rice.. I was going to try the Large breed if the Wellness Simple didnt work, but there was too many proteins in it & it has brown rice, brown rice is higher in fiber thats what worried me.. try to get a kibble with just has 1 protein that’s why I tried the Lamb & Oatmeal & the Duck & Oatmeal cause there’s just the 1 protein but it has peas & Patch farts cause of the peas…. Less is best..
Another kibble some of the ladys are using on the IBDogs is “Natural Balance” limited ingredients…try one that has the less ingredents some have more ingredients then the other limited ingredient kibbles… here’s the link to have look at the ingredients in the LTD kibbles, the Kangaroo has just Kangaroo & Potato & the fiber is 3% fat-10% there’s Bison & Sweet Potato but it has has peas, I wouldnt try a kibble with peas just yet, there’s the Potato & Rabbit that doesnt have peas or too many ingredients, have alook at all the Limited ingredients kibbes & pick one with just 1 protein that he has never had before the Kangaroo looked the best & had the least ingredients..the other one was the potato & Rabbit also didnt have too many ingredients to irratate his bowel..
http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/product-category.aspx?&#8230;
Or start an Elimination diet & don’t start with chicken as u’ve tried the Chicken & it didnt work, another protein like Lamb, kangaroo, rabbit, fish, one lady feeds her dog horse meat, if you can find a place that sells horse meat, cook it, not raw yet & dont do the boiled rice, Patch can have grounded rice in kibbles but not boiled rice, it irritates the bowel for some dogs, maybe try potato or sweet potatos instead of the boiled rice if he goes good then add another food.. or ask vet put him on a vet prescription diet like the Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal low fat alot of dogs do real well on the Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal or the Royal Canin Sensitivity Control its just Duck & Tapioca & no other foods, no treats etc then when he’s better after 6months try & find another kibble with similar ingredients to the vet diet he’s on..
He would be so skinny as he wouldnt be getting any nutrition cause he’s pooing it back out…something is really wrong with Banes digestion, vet may need to do bi-opies to find what the problems is.
I feel for you & Bane there’s a few Great Danes on the IBDogs group if you join they also may be able to help you out as they have & are going thru the same thing, also Coconut oil at this stage is a No No when he’s going real good then maybe introduce new things but sooooooo slowely cause 1 thing can make him have a real bad flare & then you’ll have so much touble getting them back to pooing normal again like last December, it took me nilly 3 months to get Patch back to doing nice firm poos again & on the Wellness Simple he does nice firm poos, I think he did better poos on the Duck & Oatmeal it had less peas cause they used the Potato protein & not as many peas in the Duck & Oatmeal…. Good-Luck have a look at the Natural Balance LImited ingredient kibbles…

[theBCnut]

This is going to take time, because his intestines are so irritated they need time to heal. Get digestive enzymes and leave him on them until at least 2 weeks after his stool stays normal. The enzymes will help him to get the most out of his food so you can feed him the least amount. Get The Honest Kitchen’s Perfect Form and give it until at least 2 weeks after stools are normal, when you do decide to take him off it, taper off so if he starts to have stool changes you are ready to increase it again. THK Perfect Form has probiotics, prebiotics, fiber, slippery elm, and some other good stuff that will help to calm his intestinal wall. Get NutriSource Large Breed Puppy and slowly transition to it. NutriSource foods are usually easy to transition to, but I don’t want you to irritate his system any worse than it already is. Start giving him organic coconut oil. Start with just 1/2 teaspoon and slowly work up to 1 teaspoon per day for every 20 lbs of body weight. If you start seeing improvements within 3 days of starting THK Perfect Form, that’s great, keep going. If no improvement, he may need some psyllium or ground chia seeds for added fiber. Don’t expect this to totally clear for a while, but if it is going to help, you should start seeing improvements pretty quickly.

[theBCnut]

As growing puppies, large and giant breeds have very specific calcium requirements, which most large breed puppy foods don’t even meet, but once they are grown, you can feed them whatever. Just concentrate on feeding a correct amount of good quality food so that they don’t become overweight and more prone to joint issues. You may also want to add a joint supplement to help ward off damage to joints.

Some large breed formulas have joint supplements added in, but they are never actually at a therapeutic dose unless you over feed by quite a lot. Some restrict one nutrient or another based on old outdated research.

[Cameron P]

Hello fellow Dog Lovers!

I Have posted here a few times about the best diet for my pup, and I’ve finally found a food that he absolutely loves and is on the recommended large breed list! I have had him on Nature’s Variety Instinct: Limited Rabbit Formula for quite a while now. He loves it! He scarfs it down. I have noticed that his stools have been pretty big and usually after his initial poop, he’ll move forward a bit, and let loose a more runny stool. This has happened with every food he’s had, so I was wondering if it was common to experience this. He’s had a stool test in the past, and nothing was wrong with it, and the vet didn’t seem concerned when I mentioned it, so I turn to you guys and gals! Is there something I should do differently to make for more consistent bowl movements, or continue doing what I’m doing?

[theBCnut]

They are a bit high for a large breed puppy, but there is more to it than the ratios. You also have to look at the amount of calcium per 1000 kcals. I think they were all right there, though. Did you notice that there is no calcium info for beef?

I’ve already tried talking to them to get answers. They will answer with all kinds of things you didn’t ask about, but when you try to nail them down on what you really want to know, they start claiming it’s proprietary information. How can the calcium level on the beef formula be proprietary info.

As I’ve said, I do believe that they make a good dog food, but I wouldn’t want to feed solely it due to not feeling confident in the mineral levels. And I don’t like dealing with companies that behave that way.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by theBCnut.

[Ramona F]

Hello HDM
I have a 7.5 month old 71 lb lab female (spayed)
I have fed her a variety of fish/ turkey/chicken based grain free Kibble
NOW, Horizon Legacy (not suitable for large breeds) , Orijen
I saw two conflicting posts on the forum regarding Orijen foods and calcium content and just want to be clear on the calcium content in Orijen Large Breed Puppy which she likes a lot but its expensive..
We are trying to find a sensibly priced grain free with the right balance of nutrients and it seems elusive
Any tips? We live in a small town and don’t have some on the list

[MelSnowy]

I, too, am very afraid of using topicals for fleas and ticks, especially with bad sdx from Seresto Collar. After much research, found FOOD GRADE and FOOD GRADE only stated on package: Diatomaceous Earth, which is also edible, (again make sure stated on package) – just rub into dogs and cats fur and will prevent fleas and even deer ticks …and will kill those already attached. Very easy to use – used a 1/2 cup of this powder on my large breed puppy rubbing it into coat, avoiding eyes. Just FYI. Hope this helps! Read package diligently as some DE has chemicals in it for other purposes.

Melinda and Snowy

[Akari_32]

When I put the steps in moms room, I put them to the night stand. They are the same height, but the night stand provides Ginger and Bentley that extra room to get up on to the bed, rather than a shear drop from the bed to the stairs. Moms bed is 31 inches tall, which we couldn’t find any stairs to reach, so we decided the night stand was a good height. It is for Bentley, but just a bit too tall for old Ginger. I’ll be finding a rug and a bit of 4×4 to make an extra step on the night stand, and make the surface non-slip (again, not a problem for Bentley, but a problem for Gingers short little legs and old bones).

I actually bought the Toy Breed for my almost 12-year-old, 60 lb retriever mix, Haley, because it’s high in calories, and she doesn’t like to eat much. Got a bunch if 2 and 4 lb bags free with coupons, along with the Wellness Senior cans :p Having only $10 a week budgeted for now three dogs (12, 60 and 130 lb), a cat, and various fish and reptiles, I’m oportunistic with my pet food coupon deals (but not so much so that I’ll buy food of questionable quality– I still have standards, which works out for me with the great Wellness deals I get). I typically buy puppy foods because of Haley, but the protein and calories on this line were where I wanted them for the most part, and is figured variety is the spice of life LOL

Also, the small kibble size seems to be working well for Ginger because of her teeth. They are just so gross, and I imagine they hurt to some degree. I don’t think this dog has ever seen a bone of any kind in her life. I do plan on seeing how she does on other foods I’ve got stashed away that have larger kibble sizes though. I’ve got one 6lb bag of Pro Plan small breed puppy (only cost my 3 bucks!) and about 15 lbs of Nutro Natural Choice puppy that all have larger kibbles (and of course my bunches of Wellness Toy Breed lol). I’ve got some EVO in the freezer, but those are like as big as her eye, so I think that’s out of the question…