[Susan]

Hi Jaskirat,
Go to pet shop & buy a Large Breed Puppy dry kibble, this way your puppy will get all the nutritents he/she needs for growing & bones while she/he’s a pup..
google “Diet for Large Breed Puppy”

* “Royal Canine” wrote-
The growth rate of a puppy is influenced by the nutrient density of the food and the amount of food fed. Regardless of whether puppies grow slow or fast, they will still reach a similar adult weight. It is critical that puppies are fed for optimal growth and bone development, rather than maximal growth to avoid skeletal abnormalities.

Three dietary components have been implicated as factors that increase the incidence of skeletal disease in large and giant breed puppies; protein, calcium and energy.

* “Hills” Wrote-
Large and giant breed dogs — Great Danes, German shepherds, Labrador retrievers and the like — have different nutritional needs than smaller breeds. All puppies are born with their bones still developing, but large breed puppies are more susceptible to developmental bone and joint disease during their rapid growth phase to 1 year of age. In fact, large breeds reach 50 percent of their body weight at around 5 months of age. Smaller breeds reach 50 percent of their body weight at around 4 months of age.
The growth rates of all puppies are dependent on the food that they eat. Puppies should be fed to grow at an average, rather than a maximum, growth rate. Compared to smaller-sized puppies, large breed puppies need restricted levels of fat and calcium to moderate their rate of growth. They’ll still reach their full-grown size, just over a longer period of time, which will result in healthy development of bones and joints for these breeds.
Two key nutrients that should be decreased for large breed puppies are fat (and total calories) and calcium:
*Fat: High fat/calorie intake causes rapid weight gain, and bones/muscles aren’t developed enough to support the excessive body weight. Controlling the fat level and total calories in the food for these puppies may help reduce the risk of developmental bone and joint problems.
*Calcium: Excessive calcium intake increases the likelihood of skeletal problems. It is also recommended that calcium supplements not be fed with any commercial pet food for growth.

Kibbles to look at
“Eagle Pack” Large breed puppy dry formula for puppy
“Eagle Pack” Large Breed Adult dry formula for your adult dog
“Canidae” Large Breed, All Life Stages Turkey & Brown Rice formula can be feed to both your dogs.
“Wellness Core Large Breed Puppy…
“Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult..
“4Health” Grain Free Large Breed Puppy.
“4Health” Grain Free Large Breed Adult. Sold at Tractor Supply shop & is cheaper..

If you’re on facebook join a Canine Raw Feeding group..
“The Australian Raw Feeding Community” f/b group, is really good & help starters.
Also look at buying & adding tin sardines in spring water or Olive Oil to diet as Sardines have Vitamins, Minerals, Omega fatty oils, Calcium etc add 2 spoons sardines a day to 1 of their meals to help balance their raw diet…

*Nutrition Facts
Sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil
Amount Per 100 grams

Calories 208

Total Fat 11 g-16%
Saturated fat 1.5 g-7%
Polyunsaturated fat 5 g
Monounsaturated fat 3.9 g
Cholesterol 142 mg-47%
Sodium 505 mg-21%
Potassium 397 mg-11%
Total Carbohydrate 0 g-0%
Dietary fiber 0 g-0%
Sugar 0 g
Protein 25 g-50%
Vitamin A-2%
Vitamin C-0%
Calcium-38%
Iron-16%
Vitamin D-48%
Vitamin B-6-10%
Vitamin B-12-148%
Magnesium-9%

Just make sure you check the salt % & get the lowest salt% can of Sardines in spring water or olive Oil cans.

[pitlove]

Hi Patti-

A large breed puppy food is NOT a breed specific food. We are not talking about a Corgi diet like how Royal Canin has a Lab, Rottweiler etc diet we are talking about feeding a large breed puppy food to Corgis because they develop the way large breeds develop though they are smaller.

[haleycookie]

You’ll want a large breed foo more than anything. From Large Breed puppy, canidae large breed, or wellness core puppy are allformulated correctly for large breed puppies.
You can do canned of course but I’m not 100% sure there are canned foods for large breed puppies. So whatever you do use I would make it less than 1/3 of the dogs diet.
As far as canned food goes I like weruva, natures variety, wellness core, and merrick. And yes ziti peak is horribly expensive. You’d be better off just cooking meat and using that as a topper then buying ziwi.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 6 months ago by haleycookie.

[Susan]

Hi Jennifer,

What about if you wipe around your pups mouth with a baby wipe after he has eaten, then keep him away from your son for 30-60mins, give your dog some water so he has a drink & washes the food out of mouth down into stomach, would this make a difference if he licks your boy?

A Study found that children that grew up with a dog had a stronger immune system then children that didn’t have a dog… you can google it
Study: Why Dogs and Cats Make Babies Healthier

Here’s
“Eagle Pack” Large/Gaint breed Puppy dry formula.
Eagle Pack is made by “Wellpet” who make Holistic Select & Wellness dog & cat foods.

INGREDIENTS
Lamb Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Brown Rice, Dehulled Barley, Rice, Chicken Meal, Brewers Dried Yeast, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tomato Pomace, Flaxseed, Salmon Oil, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Inulin, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid], Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate], Taurine, Calcium Carbonate, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Trichoderma reesei Fermentation Product, Dried Rhizopus oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract.
This is a naturally preserved product.

Here’s “Eagle Pack” Large & Giant Breed Adult kibble

INGREDIENTS
Chicken Meal, Pork Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Rice, Dehulled Barley, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tomato Pomace, Flaxseed, Brewers Dried Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid], Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate], Taurine, Calcium Carbonate, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Inulin, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Trichoderma reesei Fermentation Product, Dried Rhizopus oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract.
This is a naturally preserved product.

[pitlove]

Hi Jennifer-

What about Royal Canin are you not liking besides how much you are feeding? They make some great large breed puppy foods. If you can tell me more about your dog I can help with why you are feeding so much. There is also a possibility that you are over feeding him.

My favorite large breed puppy food is Pro Plan personally and it does not contain any of the ingredients your son is allergic to.

[pitlove]

Hi Ami-

I am unaware of Annamaet having a formula that would meet the needs of a growing large breed puppy. I would also not trust the representatives from the company to tell me that those formulas do meet the requirements. I would be emailing them back and asking for a “typical analysis” of each of the formulas you were told were appropriate. If they do not know what you are asking for or refuse to give it to you, do NOT use that company. If they DO give the typical analysis for those formulas you can then go to this thread /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/ and copy&paste the calcium, phos, and calories into the calculator to see if it is acceptable. I would also recommend reading the article as well.

Typically, the foods that are going to have truly correct large breed puppy formulas are from larger companies like Purina, Hill’s and Royal Canin. This is because they employ veterinary nutritionists who have higher education in the field of pet nutrition. They formulate the diets and keep up on all new studies and research being done on these subjects.

[Ami B]

Hello all, I’m getting a Doberman puppy in just a few short weeks and I’ve been absolutely obsessing over what to feed the little guy to ensure proper growth and development and lessen the chances of any issues from too much calcium. I’m torn between a few different brands but always seem to come back to Annamaet even though they don’t have a food that branded for large breed pups. After some correspondence with a rep I was told that the Salcha, Sustain, and Manitok formulas were the grain free options that fell within the nutritional ranges for LBP. Does anyone have any experience feeding this or any insight/advice to offer me? Would any of those be a good choice for my pup?

[pitlove]

Hi Chris-

A raw diet is actually one of the most innappropriate diets for a growing large breed puppy. Calcium and phosphorus ratios are difficult to balance in a homemade raw diet which can most certainly lead to developmental orthopedic disorders. If you intend on feeding a raw diet to a large breed puppy it would be best to wait until he/she is fully grown or if you have a breeder that feeds raw and can prove that they have successfully transitioned their pups onto a raw food diet and had them grow optimally with no developmental issues, get that exact recipe from them and follow it to a T. Otherwise, it’s best to use a commercial dry food from a larger company that staffs nutritionists who formulate foods specifically for large breed puppies.

[Chris F]

Ah, this is great topic of conversation and quite a good bit of debate surrounding the issue.

The various studies that have been done imply that nutrition is an important aspect to a growing large breed puppy and can have signifcant impact the quality of his health later on.

The evidence (http://ivcjournal.com/feeding-large-breed-puppies/) suggests that we should not restrict protein from their diet since this play a huge role in lowering the risk of developing joint and arthritis including hip dysplasia later on in their life.

The second suggestion (http://ipupster.com/best-puppy-food-reviews/) as also purported by DFA is that excess calcium can now be linked to skeletal disease.

So the key-takeaway is to find commercial dog foods that are low in calories, are low in fats and have limited calcium.

With that mind, I think the best way to control these is to choose a raw food diet for our large breed puppies.

Dr. Becker at Mercola Pets has a great and detailed video (https://youtu.be/u9gbxLiKaJU) I also found helpful. A tad long but well worth the watch!

[pitlove]

Hi puppypiles-

Yes Corgis are technically suppose to be a fed a large breed puppy formula because they are often plagued with the same growth disorders large breeds get.

For puppies the best thing to do is use a commercially available dry food that is suited for the growth of large breed puppies and then once he/she is an adult switch to a raw diet. You also can talk to the breeder or multiple breeders and see what they recommend. Make sure you are talking to breeders that know what they are doing though.

[Jennifer W]

Hi there. My son is allergic to some foods that are commonly found in dog foods. Meaning that if our puppy eats any of those allergens and there is any pet licking then my son has a reaction.

I am trying to find a healthy large breed PUPPY food that does not contain peas, chickpeas, lentils.

I have been searching specifically for a kibble. Right now we use royal canine large breed but are not in love with it. It calls for ya to feed him nearly six cups a day which seems like a lot!
Thanks
Jennifer

[Susan]

Hi Brianne,
My boy has IBD, he gets bad acid reflux & gets Pancreas/stomach pain lifts his right paw up whinges & wants me to rub around his stomach & Pancreas area, we have done the blood test & Ultra scan for Pancreatitis & everything comes back OK his Gastro vet says its his IBD, its his stomach….
If your dog isnt really interested in his Blue Bufflo kibble change it & find a kibble or low fat wet can or Freeze Dried raw kibble to feed him, I have found I need to rotate between a few foods that agree with him, they must be low/medium fat around 10%min to 14% max in fat, Protein over 25% & Carbs under 30% & fiber under 4%..
A dogs digestive tract is short & ment to digest a raw meaty diet not these processed dry kibbles, this is why I think so many dogs are having stomach & bowel problems……

My boy loves the Hills I/d Chicken & Vegetable Stew wet can food & the Royal Canine Intestinal Low Fat wet can food I just get a paper towel & pat down & dry all the oil from the Royal Canin low fat wet food, Why I buy teh Vet Diet Wet can foods cause the fat is low where pet shop went can foods are higher in fat…
Patch gets his acid when a food has fish/salmon oils, he does well on Canola & sunflower oils…
Have you tried an ant acid reducer like Pepcid or Zantac ? you give 30mins before 2 of his main meals a day, my boy is on an ant acid blocker now he started off on Omeprazole (Prilosec) took it for 2 yrs then around December last year I moved & Patch went down hill really bad, I asked his vet can he do another Endoscope + Biopsies you must ask for the Biopsies so the vet knows what is really happening in stomach, my Patches Sphincter flap isn’t closing & the acid is coming up his esophagus into his mouth & went back down into his wind pipe this probably why he became so unwell the beginning of the year, I nilly put him to sleep he just gave up it was awful to watch, also his Helicobacter-Pylori were come back & he had Gastritis stomach…so he was put on 21 day triple therapy meds Metronidazole Amoxcillin & Prilosec given every 12 hours with a full meal, then after the 21 days I continued giving just 1 x 20 Prilosec tablet of a morning for his acid reflux & to keep his Helicotor away, it lives in their stomach walks & loves sugary carbs (kibble)
In the end I had to stop any wet foods cause they kept coming up into hois mouth causing bad acid reflux, I found Wellness Core Large Breed dry kibble & he’s doing really well now, he’s acting like a puppy, he isnt a large breed dog he’s an English Staffordshire Terrier, the Wellness Core Large Breed formula is low/med Fat-13%, Protein-35%, Carbs-31% low in Kcals per cup -345Kcals per cup & is high in Omega 3 & has Glusomine & Chondroitin helping his joints & bones he’s 9ys old & it has no chickpeas or lentils…

I’d change his diet, if you can cook 1-2 of his meals a lean white meat with boiled sweet potatoes, sweet potato freezes really well & feed his other 2 meals the Wellness Core large Breed formula, try & feed 3-4 smaller meals a day, I feed him at 7am, 9am-1/2 cup kibble both times 12pm-wet can food or cooked food or his freeze dried raw food & 5pm -1/2 cup kibble & 8pm-1/3 kibble, & try an ant acid reducer first either the Pepcid (Famotidine) or Zantac (Ranitidine) 30 mins before 2 of his main meals, if they dont really help him then ask vet about trying Omeprazole (Prilosec) 20mg best given first thing of the morning just wait about 20mins then feed him but you dont really dont have to wait before feeding him as Prilosec is a Protein Pump Inhibitor (PPI) sends a msg to the brain not to make as much Hydrochloric acid in the stomach, where the Zantac & Pepcid works differently & I found didnt really help Patch… You will see results within 2-3 days after using the Omeprazole..
Sometimes I also give Patch either 5ml liquid Mylanta or 1/2 a Quick-eze chew when he has vomited up acid these line his throat & eosphagus & make him feel better…

[Cindy M]

I used to breed Pomeranians and I fed Iams or Eukanuba. We did not have a dog for probably 20 years. Maggie showed up at work and we’ve had her three months now. Mini Dachshund mix. I sent my son in PetSmart for dry dog food with one of those names. He came out with Iams Proactive Health Toy and Small Breed. I had to throw it at her feet a piece at a time. After a week or so, she started eating a normal amount out of her dog bowl. The vet said she was 6-8 months. I had guessed 9. So, I switched her to Iams Proactive Health Puppy. I did research a little research on here and tried a 5 star dog food Merrick’s Puppy food Lil’ Plates. She would not eat a bite unless I put human food on top! I have since discovered the Iams is four star. We went back to that and I gave my grand dog the Merrick’s. I did not realize there are three versions of Iams Puppy food and accidentally bought the Smart Puppy Toy and Small Breeds. Again, it was a struggle to get her to eat. Once that bag ran out, I bought the regular kibble and she’s back to normal. They also have a large breed version. I don’t think she likes change. How could it taste different?

[jennifer m]

We have a bulldog puppy. We got her from my mom (who is the breeder) when she was 4 months old. The litter was large and my mom did not realize she was reacting to her food until we got her. Here is a little of what we have done. I know it’s a lot of food changes. Nothing has worked. We have had up to 10 poops a day, blood in stool, and diarrhea. I just don’t know what to do.
weened-4mo old: Blue Buffalo
Way too many poops and smelly gas. She also did not like the food
Large Puppy Orijens (went through one large bag before switching)
She loved the food. Better stools but still went 5 times a day. Mom was too concerned about this being too much protein for a bulldog.
Pure Vita Salmon and Pea (went through 2 bags)
She liked it fine. Stools were very soft and she went a lot
Health Extensions
Mom switched her to this while keeping her for a few weeks. Terrible gas and by the time we got her back she had diarrhea.

At this point, we just went to our vet. He said that we have done too many food changes. No parasites or worms. Put her on 5 days of purina probiotics and metronidazole. This did nothing. She went back to vet and he put her on a high energy GI Royal Canine. This is the first time we went to having 3-4 poops a day but they were still soft and she would have blood in them. He also gave her another 7 days of antibiotics.

I decided not to give the antibiotics and immediately took her off of the food. I went back to the natural health food store. She recommended the stella and chewy lamb patties and nutrisource lamb meal and rice. Also added goat’s milk. She does not love the food but loves the patties and goat’s milk. So far the stool is back to solid which I haven’t seen in over a month. However, this morning she has gone 3 times before she even ate breakfast. Could this be just a transition period?

I like the solid stools but I don’t want to be back to a point where she’s going 7-8 times a day.

Mom said the grain free foods were using a lot of peas and this could be an issue. That’s why we are trying the rice formula. The food store also recommended Honest Kitchen raw food.

What should I do? She’s only 8 months now and I am sure she wants to feel better and stay on a good food.

[Sue S]

Hello, I need help ASAP. We currently an almost 1 year “Goldador” (Golden & Lab mix). She is 82 lbs. The vet put her on Science Diet (Pup Large Breed) since we first started taking her for shots, etc. She was okay for a while, but now I can’t think of the last time she either didn’t have diarrhea or at least super soft stools. She has been put on varies meds and nothing works for very long. A paste locks her up for awhile and then, she is back to being soft. So concerned and frustrated. Even though, her stools checked out fine with lab, she is on baby-food mixed with de-wormer crap and we switched to the adult science dog food/healthy weight. I’M SO DONE WITH SCIENCE DIET!!! It’s not working!!
Can anyone tell me what puppy/large breed dog food that they have had success with? Also, should it be grain-free? Has anyone used “Dinovite” for large breed puppy or just when they are an adult? Also, she will eat and then have to go right after. Is their IBS in dogs? HELP, HELP, HELP! She eats dry! Thank you so much for any views or recommendations please!

[Tom F]

So one have suggested Proan focus, are there any other large breed puppy food suggestions from anyone?

Also still looking for some advice on the transitional length.

Thanks for your help.

[pitlove]

If they are both or even one of them is expected to be 50lbs or more when they mature, yes. This will ensure optimal slow growth and reduce their chances of developing bone disorders from growing too quickly. This is a problem that you can see in early life or sometimes it doesn’t show up until later in life as well. Genetics will play a role in this, not just nutrition.

Something about LA clearly isn’t agreeing with them, or their food has been switched too many times at this point being so young. I’ve suggested Pro Plan to many folks asking questions in the large breed puppy thread and have heard nothing but positive feedback. Many owners having the same issues you are having. I think it would be worth a shot for your dogs as well.

[pitlove]

Hi Tom-

Something that the breeder may or may not (but should have mentioned) is that anytime you bring home a new puppy it is important that they stay on the same food the breeder had them on for 3-4 weeks before doing a slow transition to a new diet. This is to prevent the issue you are having. Moving is stressful for them and stress coupled with a food switch (even though you did it over 10 days) can cause GI distress.

It sounds like they were doing best on Iams large breed puppy. This is what I would have them on. The itching could be a coincidence or perhaps they had a couple fleas that you never saw. It is almost a slim to none chance that they BOTH are itching due to a food allergy. Not much logic there.

Merrick has no food appropriate for a large breed puppy last I knew and the only thing I know about Life’s Abundance is that their sales reps are very annoying and the main reason breeders use the food is because they make a profit off it. It’s nothing special.

If you truly do not want them back on Iams because of the dull coats, I would try Pro Plan Focus Large Breed Puppy. My dogs have beautiful coats on Pro Plan, stool is perfect and the food is highly digestable.

[pitlove]

In fact someone just asked this same question to her not too long ago. Heres the question and her answer:

“I have been told large breed puppy food can be bad for my dane puppy. People tell me to switch to adult food saying the puppy food is too high in protein.
Should I stick with diamond large breed puppy, or switch to the adult brand.
15 week’s. Male greatdane/stbernard mix.
Thank you!”

1. Protein intake is not the problem with Developmental Bone Diseases in large breed dogs …. so these “people” are about 20 yrs out of date.
2. Yes stick with a large breed puppy food because the problem is really Calcium intake and AAFCO has set the maximum at 1.8% Ca on a dry matter basis to help protect these growing dogs.
3. Adult brands actually contain too much calcium when you do the math correctly based on calorie intake, so that is not advisable until 12-15 months of age.

https://petdiets.com/Ask-the-Nutritionist

[anonymous]

Well, maybe you should consider a large breed formula, a dog that will grow to be 50 pounds or more is considered to be a large breed.

/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/#post-114094

Maybe that is too much food? Don’t go by the amount recommended on the bag as it tends to be too much.
I am more familiar with small breeds, but I did have an adult 35 pound dog that got about 2 cups of food per day, otherwise she would gain weight.
Too much food can cause loose stools and diarrhea.

[Tom F]

So here’s the low down…. We have had Rocky(Sheepadoodle) and Sophie (Goldendoodle) for about 3 months now. They certainly home with the breeders food which is Life’s Abundance all stages. We decided due to financial reasons we were going to select another food and after researching and researching I went with what I thought was a good decision and choose Merrick grain free Texas beef and sweet potatoes. The transition went ok…… We are new at having dogs and didn’t know what to expect. We transitioned over 10 days from LA to Merrick. During the transition their poop was never consistent, sometimes normal sometimes more like the poop emoji. Once the transition was completed a few days later they started vomiting. We woke up and it was everywhere and all over both of them. It was gross. So we called the vet and brought them in. She gave them some antibiotics and we put them on chicken and rice for a few days to settle their belly’s out. The vet recommend doing a food switch again, her thoughts it was the food, so we listened due to inexperience and switched now to Iams proactive large breed puppy. Instantly their poop was great but then the itching started and their coats went from soft and fluffy to coarse and wirey. The inching continued for a week or so and we were getting concerned so we reached out to the breeder and let her know what was going on. She suggested switching back to LA. So guess what we did???? Yep we switched. We transitioned them back to LA over a 7 day period. Itching stopped within a week and everything seemed to be going good. Then the very inconsistent and smelly poop set in. Theyd go poop and it’s solid and then they take a few more steps and then the poop emojis come out. And it is really bad smelling. So we called the vet to talk to them and they said fast them for 24hr and then chicken and rice for 3-4days or until the poop becomes solid again. So it’s been 3 days poop is solid and yesterday morning 4/30 we started them back on LA. Now today 5/1 they go poop…. Fingers crossed…. Say a quick prayer… Talk to the puppies and tell them they can do it!!!! Ok here we go…. They poop. It’s solid…. They did it…. Psych…. They took a few more steps and out came the emojis… They look at us as it’s happening knowing we are disappointed……….

Ok all jokes aside now this is where we are at. We need help. We need suggestions. I do not want to switch these poor dogs again. How long should we wait on the LA before we know if it is something with this food? Do we give it a month? Have we totally screwed our dogs digestive systems up???

Anything help is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[pitlove]

The vets you have talked to are dead wrong and using our dated information. Large breed puppies MUST stay on a large breed puppy appropriate food until 18 months of age.

[mojoh]

So, who can you trust? Which products provide enough transparency on their manufacturing process? Apparently origen and acana did: https://www.championpetfoods.com/wp-content/themes/champion-petfoods/res/research/Champion-Petfoods-White-Paper-Heavy-Metals.pdf . Is anyone feeding their large or giant breeds that?

Also, I’ve spoken to a couple vets about dog foods and they tend to say keep the puppy on puppy food til about 4 months then go to an all life stages food as the puppy food tends to be too rich.

[pitlove]

Hi John-

I do truly hate to dissapoint you, but what you are focusing on in terms of finding a proper food is neither here nor there and does not impact the growth of the puppy. Also your concerns with that particular websites findings should not be at the forefront when choosing a proper large breed puppy food. This website has not been willing to release data to the public on any of their testing or the vadility of it, so until they do, I encourage you to focus on the aspect of nutrition you can control which is finding a food with appropriate calcium/phos ratios and keeping your Ridgebacks lean.

This may possibly mean when your 10 month old reachs 18 months and he is moved to an adult food that your pups are on 2 different foods. Until then, select a food labeled for growth according to the AAFCO statement and one that is labeled for Large Breed Puppies from a company of your choosing.

[Mike Sagman]

Great question. You are feeding a Type 2 dog (a large breed puppy). So, simply check out the dog foods we recommend for Type 2 dogs inside Editor’s Choice.

By the way, some of those brands and sub-brands can be found on the Budget Friendly list, too.

Hope this helps.

[mojoh]

Hi folks,

First time poster here. I have 2 Rhodesian Ridgebacks, 1 8 weeks old and 1 10 mos old and I am searching for an all life stages brand as I want to feed them as a group. I’m currently feeding them Precise Naturals Large & Giant breed puppy formula.

I do have a number of things I’m hoping to avoid:
1. Trace contaminates from the manufacturing process. I try to vet the dog foods here: https://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product_category/dog-food/

2. Can be grain or grain free (Rice generally has arsenic but grain free blends tend to have more contaminates just as brands with fish tend to as well) Ref: https://www.cleanlabelproject.org/pet-food/ and https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/11/arsenic-in-your-food/index.htm

3. Would like to avoid high levels of pea/pea protein/legumes as they could potentially have long term health effects on dogs: Ref: https://truthaboutpetfood.com/grain-free-equals-peas-peas-and-more-peas/

4. No canola oil. It seems to have more health risks than benefits: https://draxe.com/canola-oil-gm/

With my current feed, I cannot vet it for trace contaminates as there has not been a review. Another similar one that has been reviewed is Eagle Pack Large & Giant breed (Ref: http://www.eaglepack.com/product-dog.aspx#.WubEFtKG99A ) but it is puppy and adult formulas instead of all life stages. The Great Life brand appears to have an all life stages ones but peas are in both grain and grain free formulas: http://www.greatlifedog.com/# and am waiting on a response as to their current calcium/nutritional profile. Also, the original google linked list appears to still have valid formulas except many of them have been tested to have contaminates at various stages of either manufacturing or pre-manufacturing individual product growth.

Also, reading some of the original links and posts it appears that the recommended protein for some studies is 29 to 34% yet other studies shows that 23% protein had no statistical difference on growth. So, is there a recommended range that is statistically proven?

Any thoughts?

Regards,

John

[Anabel S]

Hi! Just got a Dobie puppy and I’m searching for a good quality food for a large breed without braking the bank. I’m not sure what is the protein, calcium and phosphorus % that I should stick with. Appreciate some food recommendations and clarifications about how to feed my type 2 puppy. Thank you!!

[haleycookie]

How old is this lab? If he’s under 2 years I would get him on a large breed puppy formula ASAP. wellness core puppy, fromm large breed puppy are two good ones. If he’s already full grown looking for a food with three meat ingredients first. Merrick is good, natures variety instinct, and wellness core adult are good.
If you’re looking for a budget food, whole earth farms, under the sun, and wholehearted are two good ones.

[TranceSends]

When I type “toy breed” (no quotes) in the search engine on the main website (not the forum), no reviews for toy breed dog food are returned. However, there are actually reviews that reference toy breed dog food on dogfoodadvisor.com, such as “Nutro Ultra Toy Breed Adult”. The search function just doesn’t find it. Even worse, a search on the word “toy” returns zero results — no match at all!

Here’s what is actually returned when I type “Toy Breed”; note that “Nutro Ultra” is not included in any form:
_______________________
Search results for: toy breed

Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition (Canned)
How to Choose the Best Large Breed Puppy Food and Lower Your Dog’s Risk of Hip Dysplasia
Dr. Gary’s Best Breed Grain Free (Dry)
Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Puppy (Dry)
Dr. Gary’s Best Breed Dog Food (Dry)
Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Adult (Dry)
Eukanuba Breed Specific Formulas (Dry)

The only way to find reviews for Toy Breed dry dog food on this website is to use Google, which is itself hit-and-miss, a needle in a haystack method.

[Tracy O]

I have switched my GSD from Orijen large breed puppy food since this came out. I have to say, the stomach upset is over, the loose stool bouts are over….glad I switched over to Zignature.

[Andy M]

Just following up on this topic. I’ve been feeding my 20 month old English Mastiff (about 190 lbs) Kirkland’s Adult Dog Chicken, Rice, and Vegetable (not grain free) dry kibble since we moved off the Diamond Naturals Large Breed puppy food and he’s been fine until this past week, he seems to not be eating as much and today didn’t eat breakfast at all. I dont know if he’s sick on something else or if the food is making him sick. I dont know what to do.

[Lindsey T]

Our 11 week old Newfoundland puppy has just had a rough go with his belly. When we got him he was fine, eating a large breed puppy food. After a couple weeks home he started having really loose soft poop. Formed, but mush when I scoop it from the yard. It turned to mush, so we went to the vet. Vet said he did have some campylobacter in his fecal so he prescribed antibiotics and a probiotic and put him on a science diet r/d formula food that is high in fiber. His poop was solid within a day and stayed solid for the 3 days he was on it. We started transitioning to a grain free all stage dog food with beef and lamb. His poops have started to go soft again. Again, not diarrhea…but soft enough that when I scoop it it kind of mushes and leaves residue.
The vet says to go back to thr weight management formula but he is only 11 weeks old and lost a lb last werk on that food so im not comfortable doing that.
Should I just give this more time to transition? Or does this sound like he is not tolerating the food? I am running out of money with all the food changes. I really want something that will help keep his poop solid and help him grow as well.

Any input would be appreciated

[Mike Sagman]

As I posted in the above comment, Horizon Legacy Puppy is recommended for Feeding Type 1 animals (small/medium breed puppies). We do not recommend this dog food for Type 2 dogs (large breed puppies).

That is because the Horizon Legacy website states: “Horizon Legacy Puppy Food for puppies is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth except for growth of large size dogs (70 lbs or more as an adult)”

Horizon does NOT recommend this food for large breed puppies is because its calcium content exceeds 4.5 grams per 1000 kcal required for the product to meet AAFCO guidelines.

Please be sure to read our article about “How to Choose the Best Large Breed Puppy Food“.

Hope this helps.

[Lisa T]

I don’t see this particular formula rated by Dog Food Advisor. My puppy was put on it 2 years ago after severe bowel issues. 2 years later she is healthy and energetic and doing so well on it! We are getting another puppy and to make life easier, was thinking of putting the puppy on this food as well. They are large breed dogs – Bouvier des Flandres. Would appreciate any other information, good or bad, on the Royal Canin HP formula.

[Jennifer S]

I’m confused about Horizon Legacy Puppy. It’s listed on the Editors Choice list for large breed puppies. I received the bag in the mail today and it clearly states on the bag that Horizon does not recommend feeding it to puppies who are estimated to be over 75 lbs adult weight. Why would this food be on the Editors Choice list for large breeds? The calcium ratio seems fine. Help! What other reason would Horizon have for not recommending it if the Ca is good?

[pitlove]

Hi Jeanne-

I would not recommend American Journey for a large breed puppy or any dog for that matter. It is a chewy.com owned brand and chewy.com refuses to state who manufactures the food. Red flag to me instantly.

Find a company that makes a food that actually states “large breed puppy” on the bag. It would also just be easier to feed whatever your breeder was using. That or use a food from a larger realiable company like Purina.

DO NOT EVER put your puppy on an adult food before they are done growing. This is an old practice that was done BEFORE the development of appropriate large breed puppy foods. Adult foods are not designed to support a puppy through growth and will have far too much calcium and phos for them causing rapid growth.

[haleycookie]

You usually have to ask the company directly about this. If it doesn’t qualify then wellness core puppy and Fromm large breed puppy are good foods for large breed puppies too.

[Jeanne G]

American Journey growth was recommended to me by a reputable company, but I am concerned that although a 5 star dog food, it is not specifically large breed growth, just growth. They know these pups are Great Pyrenees. Do I need to be concerned with this? The breeder is adamant about large breed growth food. Thanks.

[Tracy O]

I have to say I am worried my dog all of sudden started having diarrhea, acting odd and the change was, I thought I did great research and finally found a dog food that was made in there own facility etc….and now this… Orijen Large Breed puppy food. I am discontinuing because I am not chancing if this is a load of crap from complaints or if in fact it is true…Cya Orijen!!!

• This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by Tracy O.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by Tracy O.

[Tracy S]

Interesting. I’ve come to the conclusion that it must be the food. Because I had 2 get diarrhea at the exact same time; I can’t see what else it could be. I bought a bag of the Heartland Gold, which is a completely different formula to transition onto. They are slightly improved so far (one more so than the other). If this doesn’t work, I’m just dropping Fromm all together and going to a new brand. They started on Orijen Large Breed puppy but never had great stools and didn’t really seem to enjoy meals until I switched to Fromm.
I’m currently also using a probiotic and pumpkin. My local small quality pet store also recommended the pumpkin latte powder. I stuck with the canned pumpkin because they really enjoy it.
I’m really hoping I get some results in the next week. This is so incredibly frustrating to have 2 dogs going through this, not to mention the vet cost because I didn’t know what was wrong.
Thanks for the response!

[Rick W]

I stumbled across what some might consider a “hole in the wall” pet shop but inside that shop was a couple whose passion are your pets and solving riddles like what we were dealing with. When I described everything to her, she put our dog on a different food with different supplements. By the way, I forgot to mention above that he was dealing with bad eye drainage too which I didn’t know was relevant until she asked. Bottom line?? We think he is allergic to chicken and everything we were feeding him had chicken in it. We are now on a the large breed puppy food from NutriSource whose main proteins are turkey and whitefish. It’s grain-free as well. She also changed his probiotic from ProPlan version to a brand called Herbsmith. The specific probiotic is Microflora Plus. Last, we were giving him canned pumpkin and she suggested a more concentrated version (dehydrated) that we sprinkle on his food. The brand is Super Snouts and the product is called Pumpkin Latte. It’s a mixture of pumpkin and whole goat’s milk.

Soon after switching over, he was much better and he no longer has all that drainage in his eyes. Glad we found her!

All that said…we just had another bout of diarrhea over the past few days, but we also had a training session which required lots of treats so we need to evaluate what was in those treats because nothing else has changed. It’s always something…

[pitlove]

Hi Kathy-

The last Zignature rep I spoke too told me Zignature was in fact appropriate for large breed puppies. However, this guy was also not extremely knowledgable about pet nutrition in general, so I doubt I trust him.

Best thing you can do is to email Zignature directly. Ask them for a full nutrient analysis of whichever Zignature formula you want to use and then take the kcals, calcium and phos levels and input them into this tool here: /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

PLEASE NOTE* You will need to be very specific with them as to what you want in the email. Tell them you do NOT want the values of calcium and phos that would be found on a guarenteed analysis as that does not tell you anything. Ask specifically for a TYPICAL or NUTRIENT analysis.

You can post your results here and I will help you determine if the food is appropriate or you can read the article and see if it is for yourself.

[Kathy B]

Like all dog parents I try and research to find the best food to feed our four legged babies. I finally landed on Zignature. Our girl got repeated UTIs and Zignature has cranberry and blueberries which I hoped would help and it has… Now we are thinking of adding another baby to our household and where Zignature says it’s for all life stages I want to make sure I’m doing what is best for our large breed puppy. Does anyone have any experience feeding Zignature to puppies? Thanks in advance!

[Dany M]

Hi,

My puppy, Chico, is a healthy 11 months old dachshund. He was on Blue Buffalo food and I switched him to Acana for puppies & juniors.

I’m not sure which Acana adult food I should give him now. I disregarded the adult small breed product because it does not come in a large size bag. This factor is important for me due to my budget. I’m torn between the singles and regionals products.

I’d like to know which one you recommend between the 2 products (regional or singles). I think singles is more suitable for dogs with sensitive digestive system.

Thank you in advance,

Danny

[crazy4cats]

I can’t help to think that he looks adorable doing that. But, it’s not my floor! 😀

Did you check out the Editor’s Choice budget friendly brands for a large breed puppy? I have fed some Authority Large Breed adult food that was big kibble. I have 85 pound lab mixes and it slows them down a bit when they are eating. Not sure about their puppy food though.

Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Yes, definitely most important to make sure it meets the calcium requirements of a large breed pup over the size of the kibble. Agreed!

Looks like the poster is looking for both qualities. That is why I recommended that he check the websites of the Editor’s Choice recommended large breed puppy foods. Many will show a size comparison on them.

[Mike Sagman]

Kibble size affects palatability only. Nothing else. Kibble size has zero effect on the nutritional value of any food.

Calcium, phosphorus and calorie ratios are critical for a large or giant breed puppy and should take precedence over the size of the kibble.

My recommendation: Use the Custom Search link and select the Type 2 – LG Br Pup option and check the “Dry” feature. This will remove canned and raw foods from the list. I found 43 individual recipes that would be suitable for your Saint Bernard puppy.

And there are many more if you’ll select a recommended brand or sub-brand you like and choose one that meets AAFCO profiles for either Growth or All Life Stages AND contains the words “includes the growth of large size dogs”.

Another suggestion: Avoid switching to an Adult Maintenance food until your puppy reaches 24 months.

Hope this helps.

[Kevin M]

I have one large Breed Dog and One Giant Breed Puppy (Junior) 11 Months. None of the editors choice foods have large/Giant Breed puppy, they are just foods for all ages. Moreover, I cannot find any of them with large kibble bites. My St Bernard can’t keep the small kibble in his mouth. Any suggestions?

[Rick W]

I forgot I didn’t provide this group an update. I wanted to let everyone know that we solved the riddle in case others are needing the same help. I stumbled across what some might consider a “hole in the wall” pet shop but inside that shop was a couple whose passion are your pets and solving riddles like what we were dealing with. When I described everything to her, she put our dog on a different food with different supplements. By the way, I forgot to mention above that he was dealing with bad eye drainage too which I didn’t know was relevant until she asked. Bottom line?? He is allergic to chicken and everything we were feeding him had chicken in it. We are now on a the large breed puppy food from NutriSource whose main proteins are turkey and whitefish. It’s grain-free as well. She also changed his probiotic from ProPlan version to a brand called Herbsmith. The specific probiotic is Microflora Plus. Last, we were giving him canned pumpkin and she suggested a more concentrated version (dehydrated) that we sprinkle on his food. The brand is Super Snouts and the product is called Pumpkin Latte. It’s a mixture of pumpkin and whole goat’s milk.

Soon after switching over, he was much better and he no longer has all that drainage in his eyes. Glad we found her!

[Suzanne S]

Hi,
I have a large breed 16-week old puppy (Beauceron) who came from the breeder on a low-quality food. I migrated him over to Acana Pork & Sweet Potato, grain-free. He had loose stool for several weeks, despite a slow transition, so I did some research and decided to try Orijen. He’s been on Orijen Puppy for almost two weeks and is still having very loose stool, and he’s recently become quite itchy. I’d like to find a high quality dry food that has some grain and does not contain chicken.

I get that grain-free is nice, but it would be good to have choices, too. There are recent studies that indicate too many legumes and other “fillers” that are taking the place of grains are not necessarily beneficial either. Can’t seem to find a good balance of non-poultry protein, healthy grain, and 4.5 or 5 star quality.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks so much for your input!