[Susan]

Hi,
How many pounds should Minnie be when she is fully grown, what breed is she??
My boy is an English Staffordshire Bull Terrier he is 18kgs = 40lbs, I only feed him around 2 & 1/2 cups when its his “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult formula – 346Kcals per cup kibble a day + cooked lunch + 1-2 Freeze dried Mussels or when he eats “Canidae Pure Wild” 454Kcals per cup I feed 1 & 1/2 cups kibble a day + cooked lunch or “Canidae Pure Meadow” – 409Kcals per cup, he gets around 1 & 1/2 – 2 cups kibble a day + something different for lunch + Green Lipped Mussels 1-2 a day.

Read the Kcals per cupthe kibble formula you’re feeding it’s probably on bag of kibble or online on the 4Health site or email 4Health for any information & work out how many Kcals a day she should be eating & add cooked food on top, I know Patch should be eating around 1000Kcals a day but I feed a bit under now cause he’s a senior & yes add fresh ingredents to her kibble or separate as a meal, this will help put on weight..
kibble swells up in the stomach makes you feel fuller so best to feed 3-4 smaller meals a day 7am, 12pm, 5pm 8pm so if you have a large breed dog best to feed a large breed kibble, they are formulated for large breed puppy or Adult large dog intestinal tract, (Bloat)
My dog has IBD & does really well on a large breed kibble, the Kcals are lower 346kcals, the higher the Kcals the more dense is the kibble & they dont need to eat as much kibble…

So maybe look for a higher Kcal per cup kibble? “Canidae” is higher in Kcals over 400Kcals so she only needs about 3-4 cups a day depending on formula?.
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

The “Canidae All Life Stages Multi-protein” Formula is 468Kcals per cup your dog would only need 2-4 cups a day when a Puppy then when she’s a Adult she’s needs less around 2 cups per day depending on her breed??
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-dry-formula/

Cook – boiled potato or boil sweet potato pieces cool then freeze Sweet Potato freezes really well & thaws good & quickly or I put in micro wave 15sec to thaw, today for lunch I feed Patch 2 pieces of Sweet Potato mixed/mashed with cooked 2 scrambled eggs, I cooked egg in a non stick frying pan, I buy tin Salmon in spring water drain the water & add sweet potato, I feed 4-5 smaller meals a day you can buy a kibble machine that lets out the kibble amount you want thru the day, I give 1/2 a cup at certain times thru the day…
Raw meaty bone would be excellent & gives her something to do all day chewing on a meaty bone from a butcher…
Here’s 2 different Canine Calculator links it gives you a ruff idea how much dry kibble you should be feeding..

https://petsci.co.uk/canine-calorie-calculator/ or

http://www.german-shepherd-lore.com/dog-food-calculator.html

[Susan]

Hi Kyle,
I’ll bump up yor post.

What did you end up feeding your pup?
I just had a looked at the Farmina N&D Ancestral Grain Canine, Lamb & Blueberry Puppy medium & maxi formula, the Calcium -1.30%; Phosphorus-0.90%…
https://www.farmina.com/us/eshop/dog-food/n&d-ancestral-grain-canine/401-lamb-&-blueberry-puppy-medium-&-maxi.html

The N&D Pumpkin Grain-Free Canine Lamb & Blueberry Puppy Medium & Maxi formula you post about has had the guaranteed analysis for Calcium & Phosphorus taken down, I cant find it… Maybe your right the calcium is too high.
Pit love knows more about growing large breed puppies..

[Kyle D]

I contacted Farmina and or their Pumpkin Puppy dog food that are stating calcium of 1.8% and phosphorus of 1.4% at maximum. This seems awfully out of line for a large breed puppy. Which they said this meets guidelines and is suitable for a large breed. Can I get some more insight into this? Im concerned about the calcium.

[Susan]

Hi Kyle,

Send Farmina an email & ask Farmina all your questions they would have vet nutritionist who would know which formula is best for your dog growing bones….
I think your better off sticking with the Medium Maxi formula’s for Large Breed, click on Puppy & see which medium maxi formula’s come up in the different Farmina range.

This Farmina Chicken & Pomegranate Puppy Maxi Large Breed Formula looks good
https://www.farmina.com/us/eshop/dog-food/n&d-grain-free-canine/92-chicken-&-pomegranate-puppy-maxi.html

The complexity is illustrated by the fact that not all of the grain free diet DCM dogs reported, are taurine deficient,
it’s only been a few grain free foods that were diet related “Zignature & Acana” it seems to be the Grain Free foods that are high legumes that are blocking Taurine for ‘Some Dogs’ NOT all dogs??

Vet diets have been using Potatoes for many years & very high amounts of potato, more potato then meat proteins in their vet diets & there hasnt been any dogs suffering with diet related heart problems who are eating these Grain Free Potato Vet Diets??

[Kyle D]

I have a 6 month Alaskan malamute and I’m looking at the Farmina n and d pumpkin food And whether it’s maxi or mini or medium and maxi it seems the calcium content all seems to be adequate for large breed puppy. Would I be ok to go with any of these? More specifically I was looking and cod fish and pumpkin medium and maxi and lamb pumpkin and blueberry medium and maxi. Thoughts? Seems like a very high quality product my local pet store started to sell it here in the USA

[Susan]

Hi Jennifer,

great what you’re doing….has she been wormed? If she’s coming thru rescue they may have wormed her already?? this would be the first thing I’d be doing, make sure you give all wormer with her Dinner (a meal), Dinner is best time to give tablet then she goes to sleep..
puppies should be wormed at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks of age, and then every 4months for life with an all-wormer” or you can have poo tested for worms by vet…

I would avoid these new flea/tick chews – “Nexgard & Bravecto” as they are Neurotoxins, attack the fleas nervous systems also causing side effects to the poor dog.
Do your research first…especially if she is malnourished..

Frontline Plus Spot On & Frontline Spray is the only flea/tick product that only penetrates the first 2 layers of the dogs skin & doesnt go into their blood, so less side effect for the dog…

I’d say her mum was also very malnourished, she’ll be right you’ve adopted her at a good age & the rescue people know the age of these rescue dogs that’s their job..
if rescue has said she’s 4months old, then she is 4months old..
I rescued a 18mth old Boxer she was a skeleton, it took a while for her to gain some weight, we had to feed 3-4 smaller meals a day, she had NO health problems except arthritis when she was older…

Look for a large breed puppy formula, then after she is fully grown start rotating her foods so she isnt eating the same brand of dry food…
start feeding raw meaty bones as a treat…

also make sure you start puppy classes & socialize her
The first 2 years are very important for socializing a puppy..
I’d join a GSP f/b group….

[anonymous]

@ Jennifer N

You may find this site helpful
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=large+breed+puppy+food

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

Nothing is being sold at that site, no membership fees, nothing.

Good luck with your puppy!

[Mike Sagman]

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for making the decision to adopt this deserving dog. Please keep in mind, a 4-month old German Shepherd is considered a large breed puppy. To decrease her risk of hip dysplasia, she should be fed as a puppy (no adult dog foods) until she reaches adulthood (12 to 18 months).

Please visit our Best Large Breed Puppy Foods article for a list of our favorite large breed puppy foods.

Hope this helps.

[Jennifer N]

Hi all,

I am very excited that I am about to become the Mom of a fun 4 month old GSP. She is a rescue from TN…who unfortunately is severely undernourished (you can see her ribs and hip joints). So she needs to get her nutrition squared away ASAP so as not to cause life long issues.

I’ve been reading up on this site…but my question is, any food specific recommendations to help support a safe weight gain (along with the needs of a normal large breed pup)? Of course, this will be a topic of discussion for the first vet visit, but I want to make sure I get her off on the right foot from day 1. I live in a big city and I don’t mind spending good $$ to make sure she’s well taken care of.

Thanks!

• This topic was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by Jennifer N.

[Susan]

Hi Patty,

why they say dont feed puppies a raw diet is like Tyrionthebiscuit said, it’s hard to balance a growing dog diet, especially large breed puppy, their bones can grow too quickly & cause osteo problems later when the pup is a fully grown adult, so they say to put the large breed pup on a large breed puppy formula till the dog is 18-24months, then when dog is fully grown then start feeding the large dog a raw diet…
You have a small breed pup you should be right, there’s heaps of balanced premade raw diets & freeze dried dehydrated raw on the market…..
299 most popular dry dog foods are tested every 3 months for heavy metals & contaminates, these 3 brands came 1st, 2nd & 3rd they got 5 stars when tested for toxins, heavy metals & contaminates..

* “Buckley Liberty” Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food the Beef, Lamb & chicken formula’s
* “CaniSource Grand Cru” All Life Stages Dehydrated Raw Dry Dog Food their Turkey, Lamb & Meat formula’s
* “BIXBI Rawbble” Freeze-Dried Dry Dog foods, their LAmb, Duck Chicken & Salmon formula’s
another good brand I hear people saying is really good is “Answers” fermented raw..

Join a few raw feeding f/b groups there’s Lew Olsons “K-9 Nurition” Lews book is excellent for starting home made raw.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/371592139642185/
Monica Segal “K-9 Kitchen” https://www.facebook.com/groups/K9Kitchen/
also has a few books that are good aswell..
Why alot a vet are against raw feeding is cause they have seen the bad when a raw diet isn’t balance properly like Rickets, Rickets is caused by a lack of vitamin D, calcium or phosphorus.
Good luck you’re on the right track feeding a raw diet…

[Susan]

Hi Harry,

Listen to your brother, a raw diet is the best diet you can feed a dog or a cat..
Dogs & cats have a short digestive tract, it’s made to digest a raw diet, their intestinal tract was not made to digest a high carb, high fiber dry dog food…

Over time watch & you’ll see the difference in both your dogs as they age if your dog continues eating a dry diet, your brothers dog will have a shinner coat, more energy, less pooh, he’ll be leaner & not over weight & look healthier…

Your pup is a large breed dog, his bones are still growing till he’s 18-24months, might be better to feed him his balance “Large breed puppy” dry food until he’s 18months, still give him raw meaty bones as a treat, unless you contact a animal nutritionist who can formulate a raw diet for a growing pup…
Sky Car knows heaps about raw feeding, he can give some advice…

Are you on facebook join a few Canine Raw feeding groups,
also follow “Rodney Habib” & his “Planet Paws” page look at his Video’s https://www.facebook.com/pg/PlanetPaws.ca/videos/?ref=page_internal
Also Follow “Steve Brown” when you follow Rodney you will get to know everyone.

Have you seen all the Toxins Contaminates & Heavy Metals in dry pet foods?
Google Toxins in dogs foods, a site will come up they test the most popular dry wet treats

[pitlove]

Rose B-

Breeders are not doctors or researchers and only can do what they believe works for them. A regular puppy formula is not meant for a giant breed puppy. This is probably what was being fed to the dog with H/D. Or it was genetic. 30-40 years ago (when your breeder started breeding) there were no appropriate puppy foods designed for large and giant breeds like Mastiffs. Now there are more than enough. Even my teacher (who graduated vet school over 30 years ago) used to tell her clients to feed adult food to giant breed pups. Now she said, she absolutely does not. Too much research to prove the harm in doing so and with all the great large and giant breed puppy foods on the market, she does not agree with that anymore.

[Susan]

Hi Rose,
sorry about the long post i started it around 10am then kept adding to it then finally posted it 2pm lol
“Holistic Select” has change all their formula’s & have added lentils chickpeas, these Legumes up the protein % so the pet food companies add less meat proteins in their food, that’s why I always make sure there’s 2-3 meat proteins as 1st, 2nd & 3rd ingredient, so my boy is getting meat proteins & not a heap of plant proteins, Legumes also up the fiber % in a dry kibble, make sure if you feed a dry dog kibble there isn’t anymore then 20% in Legumes, No Lentils/Chickpeas in the first 5 ingredients..
These are the first 5 ingredients of Holistic Select® large & giant breed dry kibble..
Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Chickpeas, Lentils, Peas, Chicken Fat,
when Patch eats Lentils he gets instant diarrhea & chickpeas cause bad wind/farts for 1 week then he’s OK. He does best on Sweet Potatoes & Potatoes kibbles & chickpeas have to be 5-6 ingredient… The Wellness Core Large Puppy formula has Potatoes, it has Lentils as 6th ingredient, your boy might be OK with Lentils?
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-puppy-large-breed-puppy
you could always try it then take it back to Pet Barn if he gets diarrhea they have a money back guarantee & say he won’t eat it now cause he had diarrhea & get the Wellness Complete Health Large breed Puppy formula, it’s Monday so Wellness is on special $109 at the moment till Wednesday midnight, you click on “Click & Collect” & pick up from a Pet Barn closest to you.
https://www.petbarn.com.au/dogs/dog-food-dry/wellness-core-large-breed-dog-food
Or Wellness Complete Health Large Breed Puppy Food – 13.6kg – $99.00
https://www.petbarn.com.au/dogs/dog-food-dry/wellness-large-breed-puppy-food-13-6kg,

I’ve been thinking of getting te Wellness Complete Health Adult formula next, it has 3 meat proteins as 1st 2nd & 3rd ingredient then Oatmeal then peas so there’s less then 20% in Legumes…Pet Barn also has offers, when you join their “Friends For Life” Loyalty program, I just got a $20 free voucher free & a free bath & a free nail clip.. so I got a 2.5kg bag of dry kibble for $2..

I just looked up Holistic Select Australia as some US pet brands ingredient list are changed to come into our country, so when you look up an American brand kibble look up their brand name & put Australia after the brand name, so your getting the Australian Ingredient list…. also when you look at pet foods online pet store some of their ingredients list are the old ingredient list & the new ingredients haven’t been updated yet…

The FDA in America has put out an warning as few large breed dogs in the US that were eating high legume dry kibble diet have ended up with DCM – heart disease..
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/FDAInBrief/ucm613355.htm

Some dogs have died, they were very young 1-2 yrs old, they have noticed the dry diets were high in Legumes, Legumes are blocking the Taurine & the dogs aren’t absorbing any Taurine, they still dont know 100% what has gone wrong, a healthy 30 month old Rotti just died 8th August, an 1-2yr GSH has died he was given 6-8months to live & that was 2015….Maybe your better off feeding healthy grain formula until the FDA works out what went wrong, or a grain free formula that doesn’t have no more then 20% Legumes (peas), dogs didnt have these heart problems when grain free diets first came out & had Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes & Peas……
You’ll have to do research & make your own decision….
We haven’t been warned about DCM in dogs in Australia. But then again we’ve had toxic pet foods dogs have died & we still dont have any recalls, so I dont know what to think anymore.. I’ve msg our Pet Food Review man on his f/b page & he doesnt seem to think there’s a problems until we get more info, my vet said the same thing….
Golden Retrievers & Labrodors are known to get DMC not rottweilers & German Shepherd & the other large breed who are on the list… there’s a f/b page called “Taurine-Deficient Dilated Cardiomyopathy” look in their “files” for “2018-09-07 Copy of Diet and Taurine.pdf” it has the list of foods & dogs that became sick & died….. The cases that are in a light Orange = DCM or CHF w/o low Taurine; diet related, dogs heart problems were diet related, where the cases in yellow aren’t diet related taht they know off??We dont have these brands dry formula’s in Australia that were involved.

Here’s the proper ingredient list to the “Eagle Pack” Giant/breed puppy formula, Phosphorus 1.00%min, Calcium 1.50%min,
http://www.eaglepack.com/product-orignal-dog.aspx?product=82#.W58JIPZuI5t

Here’s “Wellness Complete” Health Large Breed Puppy link,
Phosphorus is 0.90% so it’s under 100%, Calcium Not Less Than 1.30%min
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/complete-health-large-breed-puppy

“Stay Loyal” Large Breed Puppy
Phosphorus is 0.70-0.90% Calcium 1.10-1.30%
https://stayloyal.com.au/large-breed-puppy-grain-free-dog-food.html

To meet the more rigid safety guidelines for large breed puppies, a dog food must contain

1.2 to 1.8% calcium

1.0 to 1.6% phosphorus

Calcium-to-phosphorus ratio 1:1 to 1.8:1

Here’s the DFA Link info above & a list of Large Breed Puppy Brands DFA recommend Eagle Pack, Wellness Core, Science Diet, Eukanuba, Iams & Holistic Select Giant breed formula but this list was written before the DMC scare.. Maybe the Holistic Select giant pup breed is OK or NOT OK cause the formula has been changed now, I dont know
/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

They recomend to feed a large growing puppy a balanced dry large/giant breed puppy kibble till he is fully grown 18-24mnths then if you want to feed raw then start him on a raw balanced diet but there must be people who fed their large/giant breed pups a raw balanced diet, I know most Australian either feed a raw diet or they feed both raw meat, raw meaty bones & a dry kibble..

Stay Loyal is Australian if you join they send out monthly emails, they recommend to fed raw meat + raw meaty bones with their dry kibble & to fast dog 1 day a week Sunday, as it re sets the immune system, Robert & David are up to speed raising healthy large breed pups, I’ve emailed Robert Belobrajdic about Patch & his IBD & Robert emailed me back within 12hrs, Robert breeds South African Boerboels, Boerboels are very large dogs. Im pretty saw they’re raw feed aswell as their Large Breed Puppy dry food……..

[Susan]

Hi Rose,

If you want to continue feeding an Australian made pet food, then have a look at

“Stay Loyal”
Formulated For Slow… Steady… Optimal Growth, Not Maximal Growth!
https://stayloyal.com.au/large-breed-puppy-grain-free-dog-food.html

“Meals For Mutts”
https://www.mealsformutts.com.au/products/

“LifeWise”

Kangaroo

“Vetalogia”
Vetalogica Naturals Grain Free Dog Food

“Frontier Pets” Freeze Dried, Free Range, Organic, human grade dehydrated raw.
https://frontierpets.com.au/

“Proudi”
http://www.proudi.com/

[2doodlemom]

I am afraid I agree with others that you should definately try others food and definatelt use a giant breed puppy food as it’s so important for their growth, there are a lot of info on this forum about that.

My giant breed puppy has the same soft stools problems from 6 months to 10 months old. We did a stool test and did not find anything abnormal. So the Vet put him on the Hill Hills Science Diet ID prescription diet. His stools formed up right away. But I did not want to stay on this food forever.so we tried others food, and yes his stools got soft again. But slowly he is better now at 11 months old. He did not do well on Fromm Gold Large Puppy. But did ok with zholistic Select and Nulo, and Nutro with less ingredients. He also gets a probiotic, fortuflora each morning.

Hope this helps.

[chris g]

I have been looking at pro plan and Taste of the wild as they both have a puppy blend for large breeds, even found a solid review on the two, https://thewaterfowlhunter.com/best-puppy-food-for-labs/ However, my concern is if the grain-free diet would be better to start them on when we start our new lab on it as soon as he comes home.

[pitlove]

You keep saying “antibiotic on his food”. I think you mean probiotic. A probiotic is perfectly safe for long term use.

Also why are you so against using a large breed puppy food?

“– Would a diet change help (he eats BlackHawk lamb and rice ‘adult’) now no matter what anyone says im not feeding him any puppy food of any kind ‘giant/large breed’ or not.”

^This is a poor attitude to have and will only cause problems for your dog in the future.

[Susan]

Hi Rose,
you in Australia hello,

I would NOT FEED “Black Hawk” change it ASAP,
Black Hawk has been sold 4 times now & is no longer a family owned business it owned by Marster Pet Food in NZ & its made at the Dubbo Plant where “The Real Pet Food Company” makes all their bad cheap pet foods, The Real Pet food Company makes Baxters Woolworths generic brand, Baxter has been killing dogs since 2017 – 2018 last sick dog was 3 weeks ago Baxter wet can food go onto “The Australian Pet Reviews” site & his Face Book page, follow him & he tells us when Pet Food companies are getting heaps of complaints dying & sick dogs, look up Black Hawk on the “Australian Pet Food Reviews” site read all the people complaints, even Ivory Coat was sold Chinese bought 2017 Ivory Coat no longer family owned & its also made at the Dubbo Plant now…
Change his food this vet should of put your pup either on a vet diet or another brand dog food that’s the first thing you do when a dog keeps having diarrhea…

He shouldnt be on antibiotic for too long, have you tried “Protexin” yellow label probiotic Powder or I buy the “Yakult” pink Probiotic drink sold at Coles or Woolworths you get a 5 pack they’re in the fridge section, give your dog 1/2 a Yakult a day inbeween feeds, as he grows give him 1 yakult daily inbetween meals..
Probiotics are best taken on empty stomach..

Have a look at the Prime SKD rolls sold at Pet Barn in fridge section, there’s Crocodile & Tapioca, Kangaroo & Pumkin or Kangaroo & Potato..
Have you tried a raw or cooked diet & use “NAS Digestavite Plus Powder” to balance the dogs diet? instead of dry dog food?
https://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/product/digestavite-plus/

I DO NOT buy any Australian made pet foods NO more our Pet Food Companies are self regulated so anyone in Australia can make a pet food & do what they want, NO Recalls nothing, but when a pet food comes from Overseas, USA these Pet Food company MUST obey really strict laws, they have to prove where their meats are being sourced from etc to come into our country..but when a pet food is made in Australia these Australian Pet Food Companies do not need to do anything 🙁
We are trying to change our laws after over 100 dogs died after eating Advance Dermocare Nov 2017 – April 2018, there’s an senate inquiry about Australian pet foods at the moment..
Here’s a video, Plastic and other bits of rubbish put into pet food, insider reveals
after we had blue red pink plastic thru Applaws dog & cat food…. after you watch this you wont want to feed any dry pet foods..
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/plastic-and-other-bits-of-rubbish-put-into-pet/9887958

Look at “Wellness Core Large Breed Adult” Grain Free has potato Potato & Sweet potato firms the poo or “Wellness Complete Health Large Breed Adult” has grains only sold Pet Barn store or Pet Barn Online store, shop online its cheaper & press Click & Collect & pick up from your nearest Pet Barn store, its cheaper to shop Pet Barns online store then buy Wellness from the pet barn store, these always sales online, join Pet Barns “Friends for Life” & get $10 off first order, free bath, free vet visit etc

If you want to fed a grain dry kibble then look at
“Eagle Pack” Large/Gaint Breed formula Eagle Pack is sold online Bomarang Pet Foods http://www.boomerangpetfood.com.au/eagle-pack-large-and-giant-breed-puppy-13-6kg/

Wellness Core Large Breed Adult, is formulated for large breed “stomach & bowel”, not to cause bloat, it has easy to digest ingredients, it’s high in Protein-34%, Low/med fat-13%, low kcals 345 per cup…
Wellness also has Probiotics to help stop diarrhea then reduce antibiotics after he is eating the Wellness Core Large Breed formula for 2 weeks.

[Rose B]

Hi there!
My puppy Caesar is a English Mastiff.
He’s currently 37lbs really fit for a puppy
He’s got show dog lineage, and a healthy background.
I brought him home at 10 weeks, but he has been experiencing soft stools to diarrhoea
And He did have blood/mucus in it once (gone thankgod)

Anyways so at 10 weeks (he’s now 12)
he’s symptoms began, brought him to the vets 3 times, since then.
every single time, vitals are all good, no lethargy or temperament issues.
he acts like a completely normal healthy pup.
The vets didn’t want me changing his diet, because that might make the issue worse.
But they prescribed antibiotics; for me to sprinkle on his food.
low and behold (stools harden) soft to hard.
But the second I lower the dosage of antibiotics in his food, the runnier/softer his stools get.
But i really don’t want him staying on antibiotics because I’ve been hearing that it can further trash the dogs immune system. no thanks

– I never changed his diet (eating the same food his breeder was feeding him)
– He’s vitals are all swell
– Only thing is he was wormed, a week late; but when i went to the vet, (11 weeks) he’s stools did harden for a day or two. (Thats when the blood disappeared)
so i’m assuming its worms/or some bacteria in his gut…
– He has no other symptoms besides diarrhoea and soft stools.
– Btw we have a backyard and Ive caught him eating more sticks then I’d like to admit.

So my questions are:
– He’s being treated for worms, how long until they’d actually leave his system.
– Would a diet change help (he eats BlackHawk lamb and rice ‘adult’) now no matter what anyone says im not feeding him any puppy food of any kind ‘giant/large breed’ or not.
– whats a possible replacement for antibiotics/ and or how long should I continue on it.
– Anyone experience similar experience; please calm my anxiety.
All in All he’s a puppy, and he’s putting everything in his mouth, whether I like it on not.
I’ll keep updating my vet, and praying for it stop!

[Susan]

Hi Doodlemom,
Sounds like your doodle is suffering from Stomach/Bowel problems = IBS….
later on as he ages may turn into IBD if he isnt treated when he is young…
When you were at the vets did the vet recommend to feed one of their Digestive Health vet diet??
I have a rescued dog who I rescued age 4yrs old he suffers with IBD now, I’d say when he was a pup he suffered with similar health problems like your Doodle has, then as he aged it turned to IBD….If you have the money I’d see a vet who specializes in IBD, there’s a good f/b group called “Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support” https://www.facebook.com/groups/292537937935806/
I would change his diet, the Farmina Puppy food with lamb diet might be too rich for him or an ingredient isnt agreeing with him??
Have a look at “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult, very easy to digest, high protein-34% low/med fat-13%, low in Kcals-345per cup, formulated for large breeds digestive tract, my boy has “FINALLY” gain weight, after years of struggling to keep his weight on, he does firm poos every day, stopped his vomiting…. It’s worth a try then if your Doodle doesn’t gain weight I’d see a vet that knows alot about Intestinal problems & take it from there..
Im wondering does he suffer with food sensitivities?? My boy does this is when the Hypoallergenic vet diets are really good to work out what your dog might be sensitive too & do a food elimintion diet…
Patch did a vet diet elimination diet, then we did a raw diet elimination diet a few years later when Patch saw a Nutritionist 2015….
Patch ended up having Endoscope + Biopsies 2013 & again Jan 2018 to work out what was wrong again?? the Biopsies tell the vet so much information that cant been seen thru Ultra Scan, Xrays & blood test..

[Susan]

Hi Doodlemom,
Sounds like your doodle is suffering from Stomach/Bowel problems = IBS….
later on as he ages may turn into IBD if he isnt treated when he is young…
When you were at the vets did the vet recommend to feed one of their Digestive Health vet diet??
I have a rescued dog who I rescued age 4yrs old he suffers with IBD now, I’d say when he was a pup he suffered with similar health problems like your Doodle has, then as he aged it turned to IBD….If you have the money I’d see a vet who specializes in IBD, theer’s a good f/b group called “Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support” https://www.facebook.com/groups/292537937935806/

I would change his diet, the Farmina Puppy food with lamb diet might be too rich for him or an ingredient isnt agreeing with him??
Have a look at “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult, very easy to digest, high protein-34% low/med fat-13%, low in Kcals-345per cup, formulated for large breeds digestive tract, my boy has “FINALLY” gain weight, after years of struggling to keep his weight on, he does firm poos every day, stopped his vomiting…. It’s worth a try then if your Doodle doesn’t gain weight I’d see a vet that knows alot about Intestinal problems & take it from there..
Im wondering does he suffer with food sensitivities?? My boy does this is when the Hypoallergenic vet diets are really good to work out what your dog might be sensitive too & do a food elimintion diet…
Patch did a vet diet elimination diet, then we did a raw diet elimination diet a few years later when Patch saw a Nutritionist 2015….
Patch ended up having Endoscope + Biopsies 2013 & again Jan 2018 to work out what was wrong again?? the Biopsies tell the vet so much information that cant been seen thru Ultra Scan, Xrays & blood test..
Something is wrong with your boy..

[crazy4cats]

Have you seen these articles on the review side?,

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

/calcium-content-analyzer/

[crazy4cats]

Look for a label that specifically says that it is formulated to meet the needs of a large breed puppy. Try Purina Pro Plan large breed puppy food. It has been around for a long time, has a lot of successful history behind it.

[haleycookie]

Growing dogs need as much fat and protein as possible. So I wouldn’t restrict that until he’s around year and a half to two years depending on his activity levels as an adult. If he ends up being a house dog then I would suggest a lower calorie food perhaps or just better controlled feedings once he hits two years. If he has a job as malamutes sometimes have then a higher cal food is a must for his adult years.
Chewy is easy and you don’t have to drag the bag around they just drop it at your door and you bring it inside. They also have free shipping over 49$ which is nice. Otherwise I would just feed the wellness core puppy. Unless the store carries something else that appropriate.

Edit: email nv and see if the calcium ratios are right for a growing large breed. For some reason I think it’s been mentioned before that thier large breed puppy formula is way off.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by haleycookie.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by haleycookie.

[haleycookie]

Wellness core lb puppy is a quality food. What other foods does the store carry? Can you just order the wellness online? the regular wellness core puppy is also formulated for growing large breeds.

[Kyle D]

Currently, my pup is on Wellness Core large breed puppy he is 4 months old and is an Alaskan malamute. My store is no longer going to be selling large breed puppy core wellness and im not sure what to switch his food out with for large breed. Any recommendations?

[Susan]

Hi Cynthia,

Here’s a link that Lynne D posted today in the “Grain Free Diets & Heart Disease” research & studies done on Golden Retriever, Newhounds, Portuguese water dogs & Beagal adult dogs of varying genetic backgrounds.
Common findings in affected dogs are large body size, very low blood taurine concentration and diets containing whole-grain rice, rice bran or barley, and lamb meal…

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zpqq66i3w2twy7e/AADcuRPcpOOBkewPtXf7SAdSa?dl=0

If you’re feeding a dry kibble you want a dry kibble that has at least 2-3 meat proteins & meat meals as 1st, 2nd & 3rd ingredients then a carb, you want higher the meat proteins & less plant proteins less legumes, less rice, less barley & corn etc..
Best to rotate your kibble between a few different brands so your dog is getting variety of dry foods & isnt eating the same dry dog food 24/7 also start adding fresh whole natural sources of taurine to diet, raw beef heart, dark chicken meat, eggs, seaweed, krill and brewer’s yeast. Raw meat is fairly rich in taurine, comparable to fish, but cooked meat typically have only 10 milligrams of taurine per ounce, you can buy tin Sardines in spring water & add 2 spoons to 1 of your dog daily meal…

Here’s a little insert from study done on “Golden Retrievers”

The contribution of diet merits further investigation, since three of five dogs in this study were eating commercial diets that included lamb or lamb meal and rice as the primary ingredients. Historically, dietary causes of taurine-deficient
DCM in dogs have been ignored, because taurine is not recognized as an essential amino acid in dogs.
6
However, recent studies by Delaney et al, have prompted new insights into the
possible relation between taurine deficiency in dogs and diets containing whole-grain rice, rice bran or barley, and lamb meal.
38
It has been reported that dietary bran rice decreases plasma and whole-blood taurine concentrations in cats by accelerating the excretion of bile acids.
39
The role of lamb meal in taurine deficiency remains obscure, but lamb
meal may limit the bioavailability of sulfur amino acids.
40
Recently, low blood taurine concentrations have been identified in a cohort of Newfoundland dogs fed lamb meal and rice.
29
In an extensive genetic study performed by Alroyetal. on Portuguese water dogs, two litters were obtained following a breeding of presumptive carriers of DCM. Two
(29%) of seven puppies in the first litter developed DCM while they were fed a commercial growth formula that included ground corn and poultry byproduct meal as primary ingredients.
19
The second litter was fed a lamb meal and rice puppy diet, and eight (89%) of nine puppies developed signs of taurine-deficient DCM.
19
The role of diet was not investigated in that study, but it could be hypothesized that the heritable predisposition to taurine-deficient DCM in juvenile Portuguese water dogs was precipitated by feeding a lamb meal and rice diet.
Torres et al showed that feeding lamb meal and rice to young beagles for 8 months significantly decreased their plasma taurine concentrations during the first month, but no change occurred thereafter, and the depletion was insufficient to cause DCM in these dogs.
41
On the other hand, a decreased urinary taurine excretion was observed
despite a lack of change in plasma taurine concentrations, indicating a certain physiological adaptation to conserve taurine in the face of depletion.
41
The main limitation of the study reported here was its retrospective nature and the availability of echocardiographic data. Other echocardiographic measurements would have been useful to examine the systolic dysfunction and to follow the response to therapy. It has been reported that concurrent whole-blood taurine and plasma taurine deficiencies correlate better with myocardial taurine deficiency in dogs
than either whole-blood taurine or plasma taurine concen-
tration alone.
42
Nonetheless, all subjects included in this study had very low plasma taurine concentrations, which implied a clinically significant taurine deficiency.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Paul G-
Congratulations on your new bundle of joy!! How old is he?

Here is an article that may be helpful to you:
/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

If I were to get a new large breed puppy now, I would only feed it a food made by either Mars (such as Royal Canin, Iams, or Eukanuba), Hills, or Purina. They have been around for a long time and have proven to be successful.

Good luck!

[Paul G]

Hi all,
My boy is bernese great pyrenees. I just adopt him. I did some search for his nutrition.
I learned that large/giant breed puppies are known for their quick and longer growth unlike smaller dogs. The giant dog’s metabolism can change quickly in a short time during these years so its diet also needs to change as appropriate. This kind of growth and change makes the breed sensitive to different amounts of nutrient or calcium. Thus special attention is required when choosing the best large breed puppy food(https://mypuppykin.com/2018/05/26/giant-breed-puppy-food/) as any excess or less of nutrient or calcium intake may affect your puppy’s health.
I am looking for your advices and experiences.

[anonymous]

I could be wrong, but I think some of the Natural Balance contain a lot of potato.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_Balance_Pet_Foods
I’m sure it is a good food, however I prefer Fromms.
I believe they have puppy formulas https://www.gofromm.com/dog?specs=f_Life+Stage:Puppy!!-10!!

Puppy? How old is your dog? Small breed? Large breed? These are things to consider.
Also, I would put a call in to your vet to give you a call back when he has a minute.
Depending on his assessment, he may recommend a prescription food while your dog is being treated for illness.
I would not stop any prescribed medication without discussing with a veterinarian first. Unless symptoms/side effects are extreme, then of course call your vet or an emergency vet immediately.

PS: I like this one https://www.gofromm.com/classic-puppy-dog-food

[Susan]

Hi Jeanne,

Natural Balance LID formula’s are suppose to be really good for dogs with stomach & bowel problems, just make sure you read all the formula’s ingredients as all the Natural Balance LID formula’s vary some…
The NB Potato & Duck LID Puppy formula has the least ingredient & has NO Legumes..
If you have any question just contact Natural Balance & they will answer all your questions…
https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/dry/limited-ingredient-diets/potato-and-duck-puppy-formula

If your dog doesn’t do well on a new kibble make sure you buy from a Pet Shop or an online store that does refunds, then just take it back & get another dry LID formula or get a refund…..
https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/dry/limited-ingredient-diets/potato-and-duck-puppy-formula

Other dry foods for dogs with Stomach/Bowel problems, IBS IBD

* “Canidae” All Life Stages formula’s
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-large-breed-turkey-meal-brown-rice-dry-formula

* “4health Special Care” Sensitive Stomach Formula..
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4health-special-care-sensitive-stomach-formula-for-adult-dogs-8-lb-bag

Predisone could be making your dog unwell & lethargic, Prednisone made my boy sleep all day, feel sick, vomit & have diarrhea… if your dog isn’t running around like a pup should be ask vet can you reduce the dose….

[Laura R]

@joanne l
When I first got him in April 2017 at 9 weeks, he was on Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Lamb & Rice formula. After age 6? months Aug 2017?), I switched him to Canidae ALS. Then we started having this peeing problem in April/May 2018. So that’s when I tried the Health Extension GF Venison diet, after the vet said “change the food.” But he wasn’t on Health Extension very long (less than a month / half a bag) because we saw no improvement and the vet qualified his “change the food” statement to specify Iams or Science Diet. So he has been on Science Diet Small Breed Healthy Mobility since early July 2018. And when I looked at those ingredients plus being frustrated with lack of improvement over many months, I started doing my raw diet research and I added raw food in mid-July.

[Michelle A]

We tried this dog food for our 7 year old lab mix. Initially we bought a small bag and he loved it. Went and bought a largeR bag and after a few days began noticing some changes in his behavior and skin condition. Like the lady above, he was panting, whining (anxiety), and terrible, terrible dry itchy skin…so bad he was digging and scratching and biting himself raw. Took him for a flea dip and oatmeal bath, because living in the woods, thought maybe fleas or ticks…she saw nothing on him…husband and I tried to figure out what had changed and deduced the dog food change…took him off immediately! For the last few days, you could see a huge difference in him and that he was more energetic, almost like a puppy, happier, healthier…other than the scabs from his ordeal, he seems to be doing quite well…put him back on his regular dog food 4 Health, sensitive skin formula https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4health-grain-free-large-breed-formula-adult-dog-food-30-lb-bag-1102915?cm_mmc=feed-_-GoogleShopping-_-Product-_-1102915&gclid=CjwKCAjw-8nbBRBnEiwAqWt1zYpiRPyeGWqVuH1bL3J0tOkFzQkmiDvj9-zGASr7B-mlr42ZevhmBRoCnnUQAvD_BwE Definitely something in this food to cause such reactions to our furbabies! Thanks for hosting this blog site! Buyer beware!

[Acroyali]

I dislike free feeding personally, unless you’re out of the home 8-10 hours a day.
If you have two babes, this can make it hard to see if one is not eating as well as they should.
If you’re away for hours, I’d say free feed but keep the puppies separate but close by one another so you can see whom is eating what, and how much, and if one goes off their food, you’ll catch it immediately vs. days later when it might be approaching the “too late” category.
I have no problems feeding small dogs, kittens, young cats, young dogs 3-4 meals a day.
Do not fast a puppy. Especially a toy breed.

Fasting is a GOOD thing for grown, healthy dogs in their physical prime, but only if they’re ADULTS and in good shape (physically).
NEVER fast puppies or seniors, and never fast cats longer than 12-14 hours.
We fast ours twice monthly, but only health adults and never babies or seniors. This equals extending every other Sunday’s breakfast from 6:00AM to 9-10AM, and serving dinner a bit early if we can manage.
Again, seniors and babies (large breeds. 9-12 months and toy breeds under 12 months) are exempt from this. Our large adult working dogs do seem to benefit from a fast, but the “fast” includes a lot of water, bone broth and goats milk and recreational bones.

There’s nothing scientific about our method but when it come to feeding schedules and fasting, we err cautiously.
For your adorable Yorkies…..forget fasting for now, feed your puppies like the growing machines they are and enjoy them! If you never fast them, odds are they’ll thrive and be happy. Yorkies are super long lived.
Do the best you can, and enjoy them.

[Michele K]

I am also very concerned about this situation, as I have a older boxer (9.5 y/o) and a 4 mo old boxer puppy. I have fed Blue Buffalo almost my older boxers whole life, and she is very healthy (no health problems ever), so I have started my pup on the same brand (Wilderness for Large breed puppies). The amount of peas and potatoes in the Grain Free is concerning, especially with this new research. What is a person to do? I wanted to make my own food, but was advised by my vet not to until pup turned at least 1 year old. She was concerned with him not getting the proper nutritional values. However, I feel at a loss because if I made my own food, I would at least know what the heck was put in it!!!!! SOOOO confused and feeling extremely worried about the health of my pup.

[Susan]

Hi Ryan,
is your boy on any medications for Arthritis pain, as these can cause stomach problems, ulcers etc?
You have to be careful you do “not” want to confuse your vet….
When a dog has a seizure they don’t respond while having a seizure, their body/muscles are all tense & tight, there’s no mouth licking or gulping they do not respond….
This is awful to watch but this is a dog having a seizure
the dog does not lick or swollow like when a dog has bad acid that has come up into the dogs mouth…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzZ-IgD7HXs

Yes, all vet diets are very high in omega oils, the Hills Z/D & Royal Canine Hypoallergenic skin wet & dry vet diet formula’s are VERY high in Omega oils for skin & can upset their stomach, Patch can NOT eat any vet diets or normal premium kibbles for his skin problems, most of the vet diets give him bad acid reflux especially when he eats a fish kibble, even the Intestinal Health vet diets wet & dry give him bad acid reflux 🙁 ….
After trying nilly all the vet diets, I finally worked it out, his acid reflux was from all the omega oils & I saw Dr Judy Morgan “Pacreactitis Again” video, Judy talks about her 16-17yr old dog who suffers with Pancreatitis & other health problems, she worked out her dog can NOT have any fish oils, the same thing happens acid reflux or a Pancreas flare…
I stick with dry foods that have Canola oil, Sunflower/vegetable oil or Flaxseed, Patch ends up licking & swollowing like you said around 1hr after eating these high omega oil foods & high carb foods, especially when you see a fish oil, flaxseed, corn oil, within the first 5 ingredients….
I feed tin pink salmon in spring water drain water add 1/2 boiled sweet potatoes, salmon isn’t as oily like Sardines are..your dog would like that as a small meal, see how he goes…

When I see Patch starting to do his swolling, licking mouth, or doing his weird mouth thing, this is when I give him 1/2 a ant acid quick eze berry chew & tell him chew chew & he chews the quick eze chew, then 20mins later he seems heaps better, they’re not that expensive at supermarket you can get the plain white quick eze lollie, there’s another ant acid chew/lollie a few people in the Pancreatis support f/b group use for their dogs when they’re having a licking swolling attack from bad acid reflux, they use Rennie tabs, I’d give one of these a try next time you see him starting to have an attack, probably will work better then the Sucarafate, the Sucarafate didn’t really help Patch, he wanted to eat grass after I gave him his Sucarafate slurry…
Something better then the Sucarafate tablets is Slippery Elm Powder, it stops nausea, acid reflux helps with stomach problems..
Get 1 teaspoon of the Slipery elm powder put in cup, boil the jug & slowley add boiling water to the slipery elm powder in a cup & stir till you have a thick slurry, put 1 teaspoon of the Slippery Elm Slurry on a plate to cool then see if your dog will lick it up, Patch licked it up once then didn’t again, so I had to get a 20ml syringe & pull up 5ml & give 20mins before he eats, then cover the cup with foil & put in fridge, it turns into a jelly slurry & need to be heated, takeout about 1 spoon put in the microwave or I just add some boiling water to about 1 spoon that you’ve taken out of the cup then when its can be pulled up into a syringe just use 5mls…

You still have to make sure what they’re eating isn’t too high in fat or omega oils & ingredients agree with your dog… Have you looked at the Rice dry formula’s?
It has taken me 5yrs to work out Patch..

His Sphincter flap from stomach to esophagus mighten be closing properly & the acid is washing back up into throat & mouth, you’ll need something stronger to settle this, if the Sucarafate isnt helping him… so he doesn’t end up with a sore throat & burnt wind pipe like Patch ended up with, he may have an Ulcer?? Ulcers happen cause of too much acid, you need ant acid blocker meds to stop the acid burning the ulcer & it can heal…

Sometimes no matter what Patch eats he just has a few bad days, sometimes it all starts again when I feed a wet can/sachet or the low fat vet diet for lunch, so I avoid the wet foods for a 3-5 days & just feed 4-5 small kibble meals…

With a dry food look for 10%-15%max-fat, sometimes a food will be 14.5% fat, that why I say 15% max fat, the lower the fat & protein & the higher the carbs, so you have to find a dry kibble that works for your dog..
Wet foods arent low enough that are sold at Pet Shops, you ned under 3%max fat in a wet foods, best to email the pet food companies ask what the fat when converted to dry matter fat & the MAX fat % you’ll have shock, some wet foods are high…

I have found the Large Breed formula’s work best for Patch, as they arent too high in carbs or fat, the protein is over 26% & seems to help reduce his acid reflux…. I stay around-13%-fat & 34%-protein.

Have you tried any of the Purina One formula’s a few people say their dog does well on Purina One formula’s here’s, but I looked & some are 16%, 17%, 18 % in fat, so way too high in fat for your boy, this Purina One formula large breed formula looks good, the fat is 13%, protein-26%, fiber is 4.5% the fiber is not too high & the carbs are about 40% carbs-
these ingredients are like the Intestinal Health vet diets minus the high Omega Oils….
https://www.purinaone.com/dogs/products/dry-dog-food/smartblend-large-breed-adult
or if you find a good brand you like just have a look at their large breed formula ingredients & fat protein %..

Most small breed dog foods are higher in fat & higher in Kcals per cup, so avoid all small dog foods.. Have you looked at Senior foods? they normally are lower in fat around 10-12% fat & higher protein…
With his skin, I know Patches skin would itch with some of those ingredients in Purina One BUT Patches vet always tells me, we fix his stomach problems first then we’ll deal with his skin problems, in the mean time continue his weekly baths to relieve his itch & use baby creams to relieve any itchy red skin….

Have you looked at the Nulo Grain Free Style Weight management formula.
MedalSeries High-Protein Kibble weight management chicken & sweet potato recipe
Just becareful with fish dog foods the Nulo Cod & Lentil formula didn’t do well & came back High in Metals & Process Contaminates in this last testings…
Most of the Nulo fish formula’s the Puppy & Small breed also came back high in metals & contaminates but they have good ingredient quality….just got a bad fish supplier 🙁

This will not go away over night, it takes time to find the right dry food, the right ant acid meds, the right routine & feed more smaller meals a day instead of just the 2 bigger meals a day..
I know your head is probably spinning with all the info, but there might be something I do for Patch that might also help your boy, all the things that have helped Patch & alot of other dogs…
By the way what is his name??

[Natasha C]

My vet advised me to switch my lab off of the grain free diet and not start my german shepherd puppy on it. The study showed higher incidents in large breed dogs, but also working breeds like labs and retrievers – those dogs apparently have a propensity to heart issues anyway. The presents a problem for me because my lab has allergies, which is why we had him on the grain free. Recently put him on lamb and brown rice – other than gas and mass quantities of poop, he seems fine. I think I am sticking to single protein kibble with a grain like rice and will see what additional studies show as time goes on. Staying away from potatoes and lentils for now. I don’t want to take any risks. Final note – once it was hard to find grain-free foods – now it is hard to find food WITH grains!

[pitlove]

Tara-

You have a two fold problem here. One the one hand you need to resolve the diarrhea, but on the other hand need to make sure the food she does well on is for large breed puppies. This is critical. Dealing with bone growth disorders on top of diarrhea is no fun.

Unfortunately, the first mistake you made was switching her food when you first got her. Although I agree that she should not have been feeding Beneful, it is always recommended to keep a new puppy on the same food the breeder uses for 3-4 weeks before slowly changing it. Puppies are usually stressed out from the transport to the new home and from being in a place they are not yet familiar with. Adding a dietary change on top of that will almost always stress the GI system more.

Also, correct me if I’m wrong, but it doesn’t sound like you switched her to each new food by mixing the old and new food for 7-10 days. Or at least you didn’t mention if you did. If you didn’t do a slow switch, that is also part of the problem.

You will likely need to put her back on Beneful for a few weeks, make sure you are not overfeeding, and see if there is improvement. If so then you can do a very very slow transition to a large breed safe puppy food of your choosing.

[Susan]

Hi,
are the foods you have tried have Potato & Sweet Potatoes? as Potato & Sweet potato normally form up stools, look for a limited ingredient single protein kibble that has Potatoes or Sweet Potatos there’s “Wellness Simple” Turkey & Potato, “Natural Balance” LID Potato & Duck… If the pumkin made it runnier then she needs Less Fiber the Natural Balance Potato & Duck is 3% fiber (I Think) I feed “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult kibble…..
You’d have to look at the Wellness Core Puppy formula as they might have Lentils or chickpeas, these ingredient make my boys IBD worse..

Alot of people have success with “Natural balance” Limited Ingredient dry kibble but read the ingredients as some N/B formula’s have Pea Protein, Chickpeas etc

[RottieMom]

Hey guys – new to the forums but not the site. I have a problem that i hope you can help with. My 4 month old female pupsters has had potty issues since i got her on Mothers dsy weekend. Breeder had her on beneful and when ingot her i switched her over to Victor active dog and puppy grain free beef grain free (the red bag) and her stools were the color of the food dark brown-and mixed from a good solid stool to a soft or even runny dirrhea like stool in the same go. Went to the vet and did anfecal exam it was clean so chnaged her food to a lower protein food, purina pro large breed puppy chicken. Same issues with the mixed stools actually more softer this time and the color was the same as the food once again. Stools have looked playdoh like at times or straight liquid when not solid. Took her to the vet again for her last round of shots/rabies and did another fecal test again clean. So vet gave me an antibiotic to help with the diarrhea as well as a probiotic. She is also on another antibiotic for a UTI and on pancur c.

We have finished the diarrhea meds, on day 2 of pancur (3 pack dose) and has about 5 days left on her UTI pills. She is still having soft stools where its hard to pick it all up with diarrhea drops towards the end. Vet says if she still has issues after all of this, she wants to take blood to look at her pancreas. Can anyone give more of an insight of this? Vet does not mention or think its Giardia.

Should I try to changer her food to something else? Oh and i have tried the pure pumpkin before and it didnt help. Possibly made it runnier. She is also NOT showing any other signs. Has never vomited, eats very well, drinks water, very active (too active lol), no fever, no pain or discomfort when you touch and feel around her belly or lower areas. She just has mixed stools. That’s it. Am I over feeding her maybe? I give her a total of 4-6cups a day max and that’s if someone mistakenly feeds her not knowing I did.

Any ideas would be welcomed. Thanks!

• This topic was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by RottieMom. Reason: Added more information

[pitlove]

Hi Karen-

Here is a list Dr. Mike made of large breed puppy foods. Several are all life stages and they are notated on the side as “ALS”

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

[haleycookie]

I would try canidae all life stages food. I think the brown three protein food is good for a large breed puppy. I can’t quite remember but I do recall they had a good all life stages all breeds In the right range for large breed puppy growth. However there are grains in the all life stages. They have a grain free line called pure but none of those are for large breed growth. But I like the three protein all life stages because it has three proteins as the first three ingredients. For a grain inclusive kibble it’s pretty good.

[Karen G]

I have a 14yr old Beagle , 9yr old Pomeranian and 4 month old Standard Poodle.
Is there a dog food they all can eat?
Beagle and Pom have had several brands thru the years but for the last year or two have:
Beagle (has food allergies and early stages of kidney problems) been on grain free FrestPet
Pomeranian has been on Beneful
Poodle has been on Chicken Soup for Puppy (from breeder)
I want to go grain free for all of them.
I really want an All Life Stage and all breed dog food.
Since large breed puppies and kidney isssues should be treated with less calcium can I feed all of them Large Breed puppy? I have Orijen Large Breed Puppy in mind.
Am I wrong in thinking an All Life Stage is also all Breed appropriate?

[Matt O]

Which Victor do you recommend for non-puppy large/giant breeds? Do you still use the NutraPro?

Also, in the last few months of using puppy food (ProPlan) our Presa got a little finicky, deciding he didn’t want to eat the food he typically scarfed down. He worked through it, but it kept us thinking about trying to rotate one or two different brands/types of food to keep him interested (and flexible should pricing change).

Any thoughts on introducing and using a secondary food? How would we think of transitioning (same typical 1-2 weeks of mixing)?

[Robert L]

Have a 8 month old large breed puppy that has had very loose stools, diarrhea problems for last 4-5 months. He was on Nutrena Loyall Large Breed Puppy food when we got him was Ok until he was about 5 months old, then started having loose stools. Switched to Science Diet Large Breed Puppy it helped a little, but after a month back to very loose stools and diarrhea, put on IBD meds for 1 month still loose stools, Vet switched to Science diet ID Digestive two weeks ago, not much difference. Puppy does seem to be high strung and very anxious. Is there anybody out there that has gone thru this or can help trying to find a puppy food or other suggestions that may help! Thanks for your help!!

[pitlove]

Hi Margaret-

Victor is definitely a good food, I agree with you. All of Victors products get between 3.5-5 stars according to Dr. Mike’s rating system. NutraPro gets a 4.5 star rating which is not at all bad.

For me personally, I don’t use the rating system on here to choose a dog food anymore as I’ve found other criteria that Dr. Mike does not consider in his rating system to evaluate foods. There are some great articles on this site and I enjoy the conversations with people, but the rating system is no longer useful to me.

When I was refering to a food that was not on Dr. Mike’s list of large breed puppy foods earlier to Matt O. I was speaking about Purina Pro Plan.

[pitlove]

Hi surplus-

Thank you for putting a lot of effort into this list and expanding off of HDM’s list.

For some of the values that you weren’t able to get Dr. Mike has a Best Large Breed Puppy food list as well, that has some of those listed as appropriate foods. /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/#best_lbp_food_list

Also it might be beneficial for you to contact Dr. Mike directly to work with him on your list, since it seems that you have some foods listed on your list as not appropriate, but he has listed as appropriate. For example, Origen Puppy Large and Eagle Pack Large and Giant Breed Puppy. Not saying your list is wrong and his is right, but if people decide to use your list and end up comparing it to Dr. Mike’s list the discrepancies will be confusing.

Also, I’ve contacted Purina many times for nutrient analysis values as I used to feed Pro Plan and never had a problem getting them to respond to me. In fact, I’ve had a woman spend an hour on the phone with me from Purina Pro Plan. I would recommend calling them directly again to update the information.

*Edit: I would also like to give you a brand suggestion to review as well; Victor.

[crazy4cats]

How about Fromm Gold or Wellness large breed puppy foods? Are either of them less expensive?

[Amy F]

Hi – I have 3 Large Breed Puppies and 2 Senior small mutts. My Large Breed Puppies are 1) Full Black Lab 7 Months (11/17) 2) Sisters – LabraDane Mix 4 Months (estimated age, abandoned, I adopted) 3) Senior Pups are Terriers Small 14 yrs and 6 years – Both under 20 lbs

I have been feeding the puppies a mix of 1/2 Orijen LB Puppy and 1/2 Acana All Stages Various Flavors. The Seniors get the Acana. I am following recommended feeding per the bag and vet says weight is fine all seem healthy and doing fine. Some Skin issues on the Labradanes around Collars but we live in AZ and I attributed mostly to heat. I have been leaving collars off when I can. Otherwise fine.

Here is my issue – I am spending almost 400 a month on Dog food. Its becoming a bit of a financial issue, we can manage it if there are no substitutions that are just as good but Im looking for suggestions. Comparable Foods/Quality maybe that might help reduce my month food costs.

Thanks for any input – Appreciate It

[crazy4cats]

Hi Tony-
Congrats on your new pup! I have two lab/retriever mix dogs. They are so adorable when they’re pups. But, quite a handful too!

I’d like to share this article with you because I believe your dog is probably considered a large breed puppy. This information is very important for the health of your dog’s joints.

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

Controlling their growth and watching calcium levels is crucial! There is a list on the Editor’s Choice appropriate for large breed puppies. Good luck!