[pitlove]

Hi Tyler-

It sounds like you have a large breed puppy. If so, large breed puppies have unique dietary needs and can not be fed a regular puppy food. You also need to be careful when feeding a food labeled for “all life stages” unless you are certain is it LBP appropriate. For this reason I tend to gravitate to companies that are known for producing reliably correct large breed puppy foods. My favorite one being Purina Pro Plan. Purina has spent millions of dollars on food trials and research on large breed puppy nutrition and growth. The price point may also be better for you and it is a widely available food. One other thing to note is that Pro Plan in general is highly disgestable, which will be great for his stomach given that he came from a shelter situation. Shelters are horrible places for dogs/puppies to be and it is very stressful, so GI upset is not uncommon in newly adopted dogs/puppies.

[LeighAnne W]

I am seeking experienced consumer advice for feeding my 15 week old female European Boxer. She is currently on Simply Nourish chicken & brown rice formula. She is doing very well on it but after reading so much about others’ various experiences with chicken, grains, etc with regards to Boxers, I feel like I could be doing better for her.
Thank you ahead of time, your input is very much appreciated!

[Susan]

Hi Tyler,

I got email of the latest study done in February on popular dog foods that were tested for toxins & contaminates, below are the first 12 brands that got 5 stars for product purity.
American Journey Lamb & Sweet Potatoes got 3 stars….
You will notice white meats Chicken, Turkey & Pork seem to be cleaner meats & kibbles that have fish as main protein seem to be very high in toxins & contaminates, so your best not feeding a dry kibble that’s fish/salmon etc, I go to Aldi’s & buy their tin Sardines & tin Salmon in spring water, add 2 spoons to one of her meals a day…
Aldi’s have a new kibble called “Heart To Tail” Pure Being it has pretty good ingredients, go to the “Review” section up top of page, look up “Shep dog dry food” scroll down & you’ll read peoples post about Aldi’s new brand called Pure Being, DFA hasn’t review the new Pure Being formula’s yet, there’s grain free & grain kibbles, people have put up the ingredient list, fat, protein & fiber %…. I wish I could get Pure Being in our Australian Aldi’s, my dog does really well on kibbles that have sweet potatoes….

5 Star freeze dried raw, dehydrated raw formula’s & dry kibbles.

* “Buckley Liberty” – freeze dried beef, freeze dried Chicken, G/F Lamb dry kibble & Chicken dry kibble formula.

* “Canisource Grand CRU”- ALS Turkey dehydrated raw dry food, Pork & Lamb dehydrated raw dry & red meat dehydrated raw formula.
Iwould stick wit the TOTW Victor Nutro & Diamand

* “I and love and You” – Naked Essential G/F Lamb & Bison dry kibble, Naked Esssentials G/F Chicken & Duck dry.

* “Nutro” Natural Choice, small breed Chicken & lentils recipe, Natural Choice, Chicken & Lentils dry recipe, Lamb & Lentils dry recipe, Nutro Wild Frontier Open Valley dry recipe, Nutro Wild Frontier Rolling Meadows dry recipe.

* “Diamond Natural” Chicken & Rice dry formula & small breed puppy dry formula.

* “Proffessional” – Lamb & Brown Rice dry & Chicken & Pea formula dry.

* “Dog for Dog” Lamb Meal & Brown Rice dry.

* “Purina One”- Smart Blend Chicken & Rice formula, Smart Blend Healthy puppy Dry formula,

* “Fresh Pet” Chicken recipe dry.

* “Canidae” ALS Lamb Meal & Rice Dry formula, Canidae’s “Under the Sun” Adult G/F Lamb dry, UTS adult G/F farmed raised chicken dry, UTS G/F Puppy with Chicken dry.

* “Simply Nourish” Adult Chicken & Brown Rice recipe, Chicken with peas & potatoes G/F recipe dry.

* “Eagle Pack” Large & Giant Breeds Naturally Dry formula & Small Breed Chicken Meal & Pork Meal dry formula

Yesterday I bought a bag of “Wellness Core” G/F Large Breed kibble, I got it 1/2 the price cause it’s due by date was ending of 25th March 2018, the kibble is still good, it’s when you open the bag of kibble & the air/oxygen gets to the oils in the kibble, then the kibbles starts to go rancid, so make sure if you buy large bag of kibble get out enough kibble for daily use for about 1-2 weeks & store in an air tight container & put the rest of the kibble in a dry cool place & make sure kibble bag is air tight, I sticky tape the kibble bag, if it has no seal on it, then I put the bag of kibble into another plastic bag seal, then I store the kibble bag in one of those plastic storage containers & I put it in the coolest part of the house where my air condictioner is so it stays cool…

Shop around for bargans & rotate between different brands, Victor, TOTW, Nutro, Diamond, Eagle Pack & Pure Being, this way your dog will have a healthy stomach & stronger immune system cause she’s eating a variety of ingredients & she isn’t eating the same brand ingredients 24/7 & if the kibble she is eating is high in toxins then she wont be eating it for too long to cause any health problems later on cause your rotating with other brands…….

[aimee]

Jennifer S,

In regards to your puppy diet follow this, “She told me calcium is calcium…… . She said I shouldn’t be feeding any meat that has ground up bones in it or giving bones to chew, at least until he is older”

NOT this, “the calcium from bones affects dogs differently and they poop out what they don’t need.”

Puppies can not regulate calcium absorption, therefore they will not just poop out what they don’t need. Calcium in excess of needs will be absorbed and can interfere with proper growth. Recommended Calcium level for growth is 3 grams/1000kcals

I’ve found that the myth that “calcium from bones affects dogs differently” is perpetuated by those making inappropriate diets and trying to pawn off their poorly crafted food onto unsuspecting owners. Bone is a cheap filler!

[Tyler S]

I have done research over the past few months of having our puppy and honestly I am overwhelmed with everyone’s opinion of which dog food is “best.” Our budget doesn’t allow for some of the dog foods I have seen reccomended, but I would put a TOTW price point at the high end of our budget. I like the thought of the diamond naturals price point and food, but maybe that’s not what’s best for our pup. Let me give you the info on our dog and please help us make a decision on what fits our budget and also fills our pups tummy.

We will feed this until switching to adult food unless we are told otherwise. Currently she is on American Journey Lamb and Rice

Brands we have thought about:
Diamond Naturals
Blue Buffalo
TOTW
Nutro
Victor
HiTek

She is a lab hound mix and looks like she will be 70+-10lbs. She was rescued. So far we haven’t noticed adversities to any food she has been given. Let me know if you need more info

[Ashley B]

We feed 1/3 cup twice a day. He’s 6 pounds and 16 weeks old (almost 17 weeks). He’s on grain free food due to the fact that we watch my sisters dog who is allergic (explosive diarrhea on the walls allergic). He typically doesn’t go outside of his crate, its only inside. I know he’s young but I wanted to make sure it wasn’t an issue since it’s only in the crate. We take him out frequently when we are home. Its just when we leave him in the crate its a disaster. We are going to try lower fiber. The puppy formula for merrick has more fiber than our other dogs food so we are going to try her food (its all life stages)

[Nadine H]

You could also add a little of the canned he likes to a good quality kibble, he might eat the kibble that way. ProPlan for large breed puppy is a good choice as Pitlove mentioned. My vet has told me that adding a couple of tablespoons of canned to kibble can also prevent bloat. Something about the different textures of the food. I wouldn’t think he would be getting a balanced diet feeding only the canned.

[LeighAnne W]

Looking for your advice on what’s best to feed my 14 wk Female European Boxer Puppy? She is currently eating Simply Nourish Puppy- Natural Chicken/Brown Rice Recipe. She isn’t having any issues with this dry formula, in fact her vet says “she looks great, leave it be” … I just want to ensure I am providing the very best for her that I possibly can. Thank you kindly.

[Lauren]

Hi everyone!

This is my first post here 🙂

I’d like to get your suggestions for a food plan for my new rescue pup. I need help making sure I’m balancing the proteins, fats, and nutrients, and giving a good mix of different main ingredients.

I also would love suggestions for what wet food or toppers I should add for the most beneficial diet.

My puppy is a 14 week old Dachshund, only 4 pounds, likely to get to 10 pounds, 15 max.
His energy level is low medium. He’s pretty laid back, not super high energy puppy.

Currently, I’m planning to generally follow the recommendation on this site for food rotation, which is:
-Mix 1/5 of a small can of a single-species wet food (chicken, lamb, rabbit, etc.) with his kibble.
-As each can runs out, switch to a different wet food from the same brand.
-When each bag of kibble is empty, start with a different kibble from the same brand).
– Twice a year, gradually switch brands, too.

At the end of this post I’ve listed all the brands and formulas I’m considering. I’ve laid it all out so it’s easy to compare, and ordered them by highest protein % to lowest.

Here are some questions I have:
— Should I try to rotate foods with different protein and fat percentages AND also with different protein and veg ingredients?
OR
Should I try to determine which protein percentage is best for my pup and stick to that, then focus just on rotating main ingredients and formulas that contain that protein %?
— Do you have suggestions for a good rotation using these foods for a nicely balanced diet?
— Wet food toppers – suggestions to best balance these brands/formulas??
— Do you advise on switching brands more rapidly than 2x a year? What about switching formulas faster than one bag of kibbel at a time?

Thank you everyone!!!

———————-

FULL LIST
Kibbles I considered, with nutritional breakdowns, for easy comparison:

HOLISTIC SELECT
— Holistic Select Small & Mini Breed Puppy Health Anchovy, Sardine & Chicken
PROTEIN 30.0% min / FAT 20.0% min / FIBER 3.4% max
— Holistic Select Adult & Puppy Health Salmon, Anchovy & Sardine Grain-Free
PROTEIN 29.0% min / FAT 14.0% min / FIBER 5.5% max

CANIDAE
— CANIDAE All Life Stages Chicken Meal & Rice
Main ingred: Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Rice Bran, Cracked Pearled Barley,
Peas, Chicken Fat, Millet, Flaxseed Meal
PROTEIN 26.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 3.7% / O3 0.5%
— CANIDAE All Life Stages Multi-Protein (chicken, turkey, lamb and fish)
Main ingred: Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Rice Bran,
Peas, Potatoes, Oatmeal, Cracked Pearled Barley, Chicken Fat, Millet, Flaxseed Meal,
Ocean Fish Meal
PROTEIN 24.0% / FAT 14.5% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 3.7% / O3 0.5%
— CANIDAE All Life Stages Lamb Meal & Rice
Main ingred: Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Cracked Pearled Barley, Rice Bran, Peas, Millet,
Lamb, Flaxseed Meal
PROTEIN 21.0% / FAT 12.5% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 3.55% / O3 0.5%

TASTE OF THE WILD
— Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Grain-Free
Main ingred: Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Egg Product, Pea Protein, Peas,
Potatoes, Canola Oil, Tomato Pomace, Bison, Roasted Venison, Beef, Flaxseed,
Potato Fiber, Ocean Fish Meal, Salmon Oil
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 17.0% / FIBER 5.0% / O6: 3.8% O3: .3%
***Looks like a good option
— Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Puppy Grain-Free
Main ingred: Salmon, Ocean Fish Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas, Pea Protein
PROTEIN 27.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 5.0% max / O6: 2.4% O3: .3%

MERRICK
— Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Real Texas Beef + Sweet Potato Recipe Small Breed
Main ingred: Deboned Beef, Lamb Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Potatoes, Natural Flavor,
Potato Protein, Salmon Meal, Pork Fat, Pea Protein, Salmon
PROTEIN 38.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 3.5% / O3 0.35%
— Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Real Chicken + Sweet Potato Recipe Small Breed
Main ingred: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes,
Peas, Natural Flavor, Chicken Fat, Salmon Meal, Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 38.0% / FAT 17.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 4.8% / O3 0.4%
— Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Puppy Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas,
Natural Flavor, Turkey Meal, Chicken Fat, Potato Protein, Deboned Salmon,
Chicken Liver, Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 30.0% / FAT 12.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 3.0% / O3 .3%
— Merrick Real Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Puppy Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Deboned Beef, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Lamb Meal, Potatoes, Pork Fat,
Pea Protein, Potato Protein, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil, Deboned Salmon, Flaxseed Oil,
Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 12.0% / FIBER 4.5% max O6 2.0% / O3 .3%
— Merrick Grain-Free Puppy Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Sweet Potatoes,
Natural Pork Flavor, Potato Protein, Chicken Fat, Natural Chicken Flavor,
Deboned Salmon, Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 12.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O6 2.2% / O3 .3% min

ZIGNATURE
— Zignature Zssential Multi-Protein Formula Grain-Free
Main ingred: Turkey, Turkey Meal, Lamb Meal, Chickpeas, Duck Meal, Pea Flour, Peas,
Salmon, Flaxseeds, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal
PROTEIN 32.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 5.5% / O6 4.5% / O3 2.0%
— Zignature Turkey Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Turkey, Turkey Meal, Chickpeas, Peas, Pea Protein, Sunflower Oil, Flaxseed,
PROTEIN 31.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 6.0% / O6 4.0% / O3 1.0%
— Zignature Trout & Salmon Meal Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Trout, Salmon Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flour, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal
PROTEIN 30.0% / FAT 14.0% / FIBER 6.0% / O6 1.8% / O3 0.5%
— Zignature Lamb Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Lamb, Lamb Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flour, Sunflower Oil, Pea Protein,
Flaxseed
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 6.5% / O3 0.9% / O6 5.0%
— Zignature Kangaroo Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Kangaroo, Kangaroo Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flour, Sunflower Oil,
Flaxseed, Red Lentils, Green Lentils, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Pea Protein
PROTEIN 26.0% / FAT 14.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O6 3.0% / O3 0.6%

VICTOR
— Victor Select Nutra Pro Active Dog & Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Chicken Meal, Beef Meal, Whole Grain Millet, Blood Meal, Chicken Fat,
Menhaden Fish Meal, Pork Meal, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed, Feeding Oat Meal
PROTEIN 38.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 2.5% / O3 0.4%
— Victor Yukon River Salmon & Sweet Potato Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Sweet Potato, Peas, Canola Oil,
Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed
PROTEIN 33.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 3.8% / O6 2.4% / O3 0.4%
— Victor Active Dog & Puppy Formula Grain-Free
Main ingred: Beef Meal, Sweet Potato, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chicken Fat, Pork Meal,
Menhaden Fish Meal, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Dried Egg Product, Flax Seed
PROTEIN 33.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 3.8% / O6 2.8% / O3 0.4%
— Victor Professional Formula Dry Dog Food
Beef Meal, Grain Sorghum, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat, Whole Grain Millet, Pork Meal,
Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed, Feeding Oat Meal
PROTEIN 26.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 3.8% / O6 2.6% / O3 none?
— Victor Select Beef Meal & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Beef Meal, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Whole Grain Millet, Grain Sorghum,
Pork Meal, Chicken Fat, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed, Feeding Oat Meal
PROTEIN 23.0% / FAT 11.0% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 2.0% / O3 .4%

NATURE’S VARIETY
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Salmon
Main ingred: Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Herring Meal, Peas, Canola Oil, Salmon Meal,
Tapioca, Dried Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil, Montmorillonite Clay,
Carrots, Apples, Cranberries
PROTEIN 37.5% / FAT 20.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 1.8% / O6 2.7%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Duck
Main ingred: Duck, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chicken Eggs, Canola Oil, Duck Meal,
Tapioca, Dried Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Chickpeas, Montmorillonite Clay
PROTEIN 37.5% / FAT 19.5% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 0.5% / O6 3.0%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe with Real Lamb
Main ingred: Lamb, Salmon Meal, White Fish Meal (Pacific Whiting, Pacific Sole,
Pacific Rockfish), Peas, Canola Oil, Tapioca, Menhaden Fish Meal, Lamb Meal,
Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Freeze Dried Lamb, Chickpeas, Pumpkinseeds,
Freeze Dried Lamb Liver, Freeze Dried Lamb Spleen, Montmorillonite Clay,
Freeze Dried Lamb Heart, Freeze Dried Lamb Kidney, Carrots, Apples, Cranberries
PROTEIN 37.5% / FAT 19.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O3 1.5% / O6 2.5%
***Note: Seems like a good option
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Fat,
Salmon Meal, Chicken Eggs
PROTEIN 37.0% / FAT 20.0% / FIBER 3.0% / O3 0.3% / O6 2.6%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Fat,
Salmon Meal, Chicken Eggs
PROTEIN 37.0% / FAT 20.5% / FIBER 4.0% / O3 0.35% / O6 3.2%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Small Breed Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chickpeas, Turkey Meal, Tapioca, Herring Meal,
Chicken Fat, Peas, Freeze Dried Chicken, Dried Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor,
Freeze Dried Chicken Liver, Coconut Oil, Pumpkinseeds, Montmorillonite Clay,
Freeze Dried Chicken Heart
PROTEIN 37.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 0.3% / O6 2.5%
***Note: Seems like a good option
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Rabbit
Main ingred: Rabbit, Salmon Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Chickpeas, Canola Oil, Tapioca,
Rabbit Meal, White Fish Meal
PROTEIN 36.5% / FAT 20.5% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 1.5% / O6 3.4%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Small Breed Grain-Free Recipe with Real Duck
Main ingred: Duck, Duck Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Tapioca, Herring Meal, Chicken Eggs,
Chicken Fat, Freeze Dried Duck, Freeze Dried Turkey, Freeze Dried Turkey Liver,
Coconut Oil, Pumpkinseeds
PROTEIN 36.5% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O3 0.4% / O6 2.5%
***Note: Seems like a good option
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Puppy Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Eggs,
Chicken Fat, Menhaden Fish Meal, Tapioca, Freeze Dried Chicken, Lamb Meal,
Dried Tomato Pomace, Freeze Dried Chicken Liver
PROTEIN 34.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 0.4% / 3.8% min

——–
——–

[AmCa]

Thank you both for the feedback! Much appreciated!
Bloodwork at my vet today showed she is anemic and her temperature is a little low. 🙁
The vet put her on a 3 day wide spectrum dewormer and sent fecal sample to lab. She recommended puppy food so I got simply nourish puppy, but I will slowly introduce it mixed with the food I am feeding my other dogs because she seems to b be tolerating that one well enough and her stool is a little firmer today. My petsmart is kinda small so not a lot of choices for puppy food and I was rushed for time having to get myself to a dr appt so I didn’t have a chance to browse brands and nutrients too closely. Hopefully she’ll do ok on the one I got.
Completely exhausted from it all and worried. I sure hope she can recover. So sad. The good news is she is heartworm negative!

[Jennifer S]

Hi everyone,

I am getting a puppy in a month (large breed) who is currently on a raw food/kibble diet. I am clueless about feeding anything other than kibble and I feel like I have a lot to learn in 4 weeks. Here is what the breeder has the pups on right now:
1 part Honest Kitchen freeze dried veggies
4 parts organic Menhaden fish meal
4 parts slightly cooked or raw chicken/liver/pork/turkey. (Rotating between these and what is available)
4-8 parts N&D Farmina grain free kibble from Italy. Chicken or Boar.

i would like to keep some kibble in the mix so that my newbie fears of the dog not getting all his nutrients is put to ease, but I would like to continue the basic diet that she has them on. My question is about replacing the menhaden meal. I researched it for awhile and found that it is unsustainable, is vastly overfished, and it’s use in pet food is having huge negative ripples in the ocean food chain. So I need to find something else to take the place of the fish meal. The breeder says she uses the fish to provide iodine, vit. D, and good fats. Wondering if I can use some Thorvin kelp for the iodine? How much? and some fish oil squirted on top for the fats?

What are your thoughts about what I could add to the recipe to replace the fish meal? Keep in mind that this is a large breed so I’m also trying to keep the calcium content low.

Thank you!

[Jude B]

My new puppy is 2 pounds, 10 week old tiny poodle and I don’t know a good food to feed him. Dry? Grain free? Any suggestions will be so appreciated! Thank you.
Judy

[CockalierMom]

Hi Christian,

Not Susan here, but I do have prior experience with this behavior also. It does sound like the food is giving your puppy acid reflux, and apparently the vets do also, since they are telling you to change food and use Pepcid. You said that it increased after changing from puppy to adult so it would appear there is more of what is causing the problem in the adult food. I do not think the problem is adult food, but the ingredients in Merrick. My girl that is grain intolerant was throwing up in the mornings when I fed her Blue Buffalo grain free, but she quit immediately when I changed her food to Natural Balance limited ingredient. I now feed her Wellness limited ingredient and Natural Balance plus she gets a topper on it.

I agree with the vets that you need to try changing foods first because that will give the vets a wealth of information. If changing food makes it worse or improves then you know the cause is food, and not something else. This is easier and cheaper to do than running tests.

Also, the last thing you should do is add more water to the food at this point. Additional water will make them throw up more when they have acid reflux due to food. As Susan will tell you, when the acid reflux is really bad, the dog will not want to drink at all because it makes them sicker.

I would recommend the NB Potato and Duck or Sweet Potato and Fish since they are both very limited ingredients and it is best to start simple when trying to determine if there is a food issue.

[Janis D]

My 11 mon. old Golden Retriever lacks interest in her kibble. (Currently feeding Nutro Ultra puppy). Wondering… do I switch food? Try wet? Assume she will eat when she is hungry? She use to gobble down her kibble, now hardly touches it. She is 65 lbs. seems healthy. I’m a first time dog mom and I want her to enjoy her food.

[Susan]

Adriana,
dont be fooled if it’s cheap it’s not good, Purina Chow got those 5 star cause it didnt have all the toxins & contaminates some of these high end more expensive foods cut corners & fly under the radar they have a good name & people think their ingredients are good cause its ” blare blare” brand but they’re NOT, people think cause they’re paying more money the dog food has to be really good, if you seen a cheaper food on the Clean label toxin site & your dogs do well on it & its cheaper then feed it. Don’t be fooled cause its grain free its better cause its not its just more expensive…. if you can cook & make a batch of cooked meals then cook & freeze them, cooked meals are healthier for your dogs then dry processed kibble, if your dog does well on cooked chicken & rice then why not feed a lower fat chicken & rice kibble?? especially if she is vomiting the fat may be too high in the food she is eating & causing her acid reflux like my boy gets, alot of dogs as they age suffer in silence with bad acid reflux & their owners dont even know, Canidae has their All Life Stages Platinum for all ages & seniors formula, you could feed all your dogs the Platinum dry formula & rotate & feed another brand as well for their other meals thats what I do for Patch, breakfast Patch picks which kibble he wants to eat then for lunch he gets a scramble egg, then dinner he gets either the same kibble he had for breakfast or he gets another brand kibble it all depends if he has been well thru the day, a few dogs with Pancreatitis & stomach problems do really good on Canidae ALS Platinium formula, some Puppy formula’s are higher in fat & protein, maybe you girl cant handle the higher fat & higher Kcals ?? the higher the Kcals the harder the kibble is to digest cause its more dense…if your trying to keep weight on a dog (this is something my boy with IBD has had a a problem with his weight) I feed 5 smaller meals a day 7am, 9am, 12pm, 5pm & 8pm, you work out how many cups of dry food she should be eating a day & add another 1/4 to 1/2 a cup extra of the dry kibble then you divide up her meals over 4-5 meals a day….
Have a look at Hills Science Diet Youth Vitality 7+ small breed & toy breeds wet & dry formula, it has all the supplements she needs for an aging dog & its easy to digest & she should gain weight the fat is 15% & the Kcals are 363Kcals per cup feed her more then the recommended amount & make sure she is eating her food by herself & the other dogs can’t take any of her meal or look at Hills Science Diet adult 7+ small breed & toy breed formula its for small breeds with special needs, stick around 350-370Kcals per cup this will be easier for her to digest & is not as dense as a kibble thats over 380Kcals per cup, you never see a vet diet over 370 Kcals for cup when it for Intestinal digestive problems the vet diets are around 350-360kcals per cup she probably need to be put on the Hills I/d Low Fat Restore wet stew canned food & teh dry kibble look at the Hills Science Diet Sensitive Stomach its often on special its very easy to digest, how you know if its easy to digest get a glass of warm water & put about 2 kibbles in teh glass of warm water the kibble should float to the top & the kibble should go soft within 15-40mins, the Hills Sensitive Stomach goes soft & swells up within 20mins, I was minding a rescue dog a few months ago for a few days & the rescue group put him on the Hills SD Sensitive stomach Egg & Rice & he was doing really well & Patch kept wanting his Hills Kibble & the dog kept wanting Patches kibble, so I ended up buying Patch a small bag of the Sensitive Stomach Egg & Rice it was on special its always on special either online or at teh Pet shop & its money back guaranteed so you cant lose if after your girl doesnt get better orgain weight take it back & get a refund I email Hills & they end up giving me vochours + I got my refund at the pet shop this was for another hills vet diet formula, while Patch was eating the Hills Sensitive skin he gained weight & now after eating teh Nutro essential he finally weighs 18.6kg he was weight yesterday at the vets I’ve never had him at 18.6kgs in the whole 5yrs Ive had him 18kg is the highest in weight I have gotten too but he was active & went on daily walks etc also he has been sleeping alot lately & seems very unwell & is going into vet hospital Tuesday & have an Endoscope & biopsies on his throat & stomach, I’m praying he doesnt have esophageal or stomach cancer but something is defentley wrong with him, he’s not the happy go lucky Patchy everyone knows, instead he’s following me around all day whinging & crying today he has been a bit better, he just turned 9yrs old Novemeber & looks really good, his teeth are white, there’s no blue in his pupil of his eyes, not much grey fur, some dogs are grey all over but not him he runs & acts like a puppy people who first met him think he is a young teenager dog, I thought cause we have just moved he’s a bit depressed then I went into hospital & when I came out Patch was so unwell my daughter said there’s something wrong with Patch he’s not listening he just stands there with his head hung low he looks like he’s drug up…This is what happens when we have pets they break our heart & get sick & I wish they could talk & tell us where hurts & what is wrong. Patch normally shows me where’s sore or hurts but this time he’s not showing me soo its internally something inside is very sore…
Good luck with your dogs & finding a few foods that agrees with them. I’ll post the info about the lawsuit that has been filed against Wellpet who make Wellness foods, this lawsuit is cause of the finding in the CLP toxin test/study so if these toxic test/study were Baloney like anon says it would not make it court, Anon does NOT know anything when it comes to dogs foods & diet especially when they are ill with stomach/bowel problems.

[pitlove]

Hi Ally-

Lets back up here for a second before we start assuming an 18 week old puppy has food allergies or a food intolerance. I see a very clear reason for why he is likely having stool issues. You brought him home at 8 weeks old and changed his food instantly and then have subsequently changed his food several more times since then.

It is ALWAYS recommended when getting a puppy to keep them on the same food the breeder had them on for 3-4 weeks. This gives your puppy time to adjust to his new home and environment without the stress of also having his food changed. Find out what they were feeding him at the kennel (NO it does not matter what food it is or if you approve of it or not) and put him back on that. Then slowly after 3-4 weeks or normal stool switch him to an appropriate large breed puppy food. Regular Purina Pro Plan large breed puppy would be my suggestion.

[Ally W]

Hello everyone,

Thank you for your input. We have been feeding him chicken-based kibble; however, started mixing in a little bit of Natural Balance Puppy Food (duck and sweet potato flavor), and it seems as though it’s calming his belly down a bit. We’ve tried Fromm, Hill’s Science, Purina ProPlan but all were chicken based, which we figured was the cause of his upset stomach. I’ve also cooked for him (chicken, rice, pumpkin) and that didn’t seem to work.
I’ll see how he does on Natural Balance but my next step is an allergy test.
I really appreciate your advice and input. It’s helpful to hear from the parents of large breed dog owners about your experience.

[Tyla M]

While awaiting your response I’ll just throw out my favorite food at this point. My lab mix does really well on Fromm’s. She started on their large breed puppy food. Now she is on their 4 star line, which is more expensive, but working well for her. If you go to the Fromm’s website you’ll be able to see all of their different flavors in all of their lines (classic, gold, and 4 star). They differ by classic being mostly chicken based, gold being different proteins, and 4 star has food for all life stages. They have grain and grain free options. I suggest checking them out. Luna is now on the 4 star food called Hasen Duckenpfeffer. It is more expensive than the other 2 lines but she is allergic to chicken and I love that it has 3 meat proteins as the first 3 Ingredients. I prefer to stay away from corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, by products, and the like, which your previous food had. I know it works fine for some dogs so I’m not steering you from it, I’m just stating I personally choose not to feed my dog all of that stuff. Grain free does have carbs for fillers, such as peas and potatoes, but that’s why I like a 3 meat protein as the first 3 Ingredients, because it pushes other ingredients farther down the list. Fromm’s is just one of many great brands. I can help more when I know specifically what you’re looking for.

[pitlove]

Unfortunetly, being a breeder doesn’t mean you understand how to feed the pups you are producing correctly, no matter how many years you’ve been doing it. And not many pet store workers are truly knowledgable about nutrition. They mainly learn about what the trends are in pet foods and learn the marketing claims and roll with that to sell a product.

The ingredient list as it reads out on the back of the bag, tells you next to nothing about the quality of the food. It tells you what should be in the food, but not the quality of the raw materials used to make the food. Focus on the company is far more important.

When I choose a pet food for a large breed puppy, several things are important to me. I want a company that conducts their own research, I want a company that staffs vet nutritionists, I want a company with strict manufacturing protocols, and I want a company that does feeding trials. Those companies are going to be the companies most people think are “terrible”. My number one choice for a large breed puppy food will always be Purina Pro Plan. Purina dedicates millions of dollars every year researching large and giant breed puppy growth and nutrition.

After that would be Hill’s or Royal Canin, but if someone were to be truly against one of those companies, I would say Fromm, NutriSource or Precise.

[Nacho K]

Hi guys,
I have had my golden retriever puppy for 2 weeks now, and after reading all the comments in this forum, i decided to feed him with Wellness puppy food. I just realized I have been feeding him with the normal puppy food and not the large breed one. And also, he lost almost a pound in last week. From 16lbs to 15.2lbs. He is 10 weeks old. I am going to buy him the wellness for large breed puppy today. Do you know if the reason was the type of puppy food? Do you recommend any other type of Food?
After spending hours of reading the forums, here is my list but I can’t decide which one:
1. Wellness Dry Large Breed Puppy Food (~$62/30lbs)
2. Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Puppy Lamb and Rice (~$44/$34lbs)
3. Nutri Source Large Breed Puppy (~$55/30lbs)
4. Holistic Complete Large/Giant Breed ($45/15lbs)
5. FROMM Large Breed Puppy (~$60/30lbs)
6. Orijen Large Breed Puppy ($89/25lbs)

I would eliminate #6 just because it’s expensive. Any comment on the rest? Or any additional option I need to consider? Are these all AAFCO approved!?

Thanks

[cynthia w]

hi,
im new to the forums and accidentally found y’all yesterday researching.

let me give you some history regarding my dogs. i have malinois (yes the high energy dogs) i have a young puppy who has had on and off troubles since i have been trying to ween him off of the science diet low-fat gastro food. he just wasnt gaining weight on it. he is very high energy and have realized i will have to feed him more than the other two mals who are just normally “spun out” ))) soooooo, i started with nature’s instinct duck, (i now know that was not a good decision) to mix with the sdlfg food. he just never had a consistent poop. never a blow out poop, just soft and sometimes cow patty looking. then i tried him on the natures variety venison. no one did well on that one. so recently i tried the orijen tundra. i knew this was high protein and fat ratio but i thought i’ll just introduce really slowly, like turtle slow. first off i noticed that his scratching he had had since very young and attributed to detergents, bully sticks and dust mites started to subside. (so definitely wrong on all my guesses) but i also noticed his poop was starting to get softer. i am still not convinced it is not because of the amount i increased his food too from three cups a day fed am/pm to 4.5-5 cups a day fed 4x per day. slowly i started increasing the orijen and weening off the sd. however, i started to see more softer poops. it would be good in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon, but it would be softer (sometimes cow patty) in the evening. i also increased the feed for the other two (both full sisters). everyone started to get softer poops. sometimes very loose. so ok, i’m feeding too much of the rich stuff. but the male actually started straining the more of the orijen i would add to the feed. so i did a 10 day course of metronidazole. somewhere in the 3rd day he stopped straining, so i was pretty sure he had a bacteria overload the rx was helping. he was off the rx for about a week and i’m still feeding the increased orijen and he slowly but sure starts to strain again, no where like it was a few weeks ago, but still i didn’t want to go there again. so i found your knowledge regarding sibo and went out and bought the totw sm food. i also put him on the rx again last night. i’m not feeding the orijen. i went cold turkey, (i know that is bad, but what is worse, the high fat content or starting w the rx)? so his poop this am was really good. he actually didnt poop at 3 am when my husband takes them all out or when i took him out at 7am. he pooped around 9:30am and it was good looking poop. however comma……… i did put my other two females on it and the litter mate had very loose stool this morning. (litter mate food increase fed 3x daily) last night i gave her a propectalin (love that stuff) and no poop at 3am but at about 12pm today, it started good and went soft, really soft. (she had an increase of food about 2 weeks ago) i also gave her the rx as well after soft poop. the older sibling has been on straight orijen for a couple weeks with food increase (fed 2x daily) she would sometimes have half loose stools at night. i first thought this was all due to all the action in the kennels. they are constantly barking at each other. (did i mention they are high drive 😀 😀 😀 ) plus i work them each a few times a day.
i just ordered the tylan powder as well. just wondering if there is anything im missing.

susan, you seem to have so much experience with sibo do you have any suggestions?????

please….. anyone who has advice, it is truly appreciated.

thanks,
cynthia

[cynthia w]

hi,

im new to the forums and accidentally found y’all yesterday researching.

let me give you some history regarding my dogs.

i have malinois (yes the high energy dogs) i have a young puppy who has had on and off troubles since i have been trying to ween him off of the science diet low-fat gastro food. he just wasnt gaining weight on it. he is very high energy and have realized i will have to feed him more than the other two mals who are just normally “spun out” ))) soooooo, i started with nature’s instinct duck, (i now know that was not a good decision) to mix with the sdlfg food. he just never had a consistent poop. never a blow out poop, just soft and sometimes cow patty looking. then i tried him on the natures variety venison. no one did well on that one. so recently i tried the orijen tundra. i knew this was high protein and fat ratio but i thought i’ll just introduce really slowly, like turtle slow. first off i noticed that his scratching he had had since very young and attributed to detergents, bully sticks and dust mites started to subside. (so definitely wrong on all my guesses) but i also noticed his poop was starting to get softer. i am still not convinced it is not because of the amount i increased his food too from three cups a day fed am/pm to 4.5-5 cups a day fed 4x per day. slowly i started increasing the orijen and weening off the sd. however, i started to see more softer poops. it would be good in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon, but it would be softer (sometimes cow patty) in the evening. i also increased the feed for the other two (both full sisters). everyone started to get softer poops. sometimes very loose. so ok, i’m feeding too much of the rich stuff. but the male actually started straining the more of the orijen i would add to the feed. so i did a 10 day course of metronidazole. somewhere in the 3rd day he stopped straining, so i was pretty sure he had a bacteria overload the rx was helping. he was off the rx for about a week and i’m still feeding the increased orijen and he slowly but sure starts to strain again, no where like it was a few weeks ago, but still i didn’t want to go there again. so i found your knowledge regarding sibo and went out and bought the totw sm food. i also put him on the rx again last night. i’m not feeding the orijen. i went cold turkey, (i know that is bad, but what is worse, the high fat content or starting w the rx)? so his poop this am was really good. he actually didnt poop at 3 am when my husband takes them all out or when i took him out at 7am. he pooped around 9:30am and it was good looking poop. however comma……… i did put my other two females on it and the litter mate had very loose stool this morning. (litter mate food increase fed 3x daily) last night i gave her a propectalin (love that stuff) and no poop at 3am but at about 12pm today, it started good and went soft, really soft. (she had an increase of food about 2 weeks ago) i also gave her the rx as well after soft poop. the older sibling has been on straight orijen for a couple weeks with food increase (fed 2x daily) she would sometimes have half loose stools at night. i first thought this was all due to all the action in the kennels. they are constantly barking at each other. (did i mention they are high drive 😀 😀 😀 ) plus i work them each a few times a day.

i just ordered the tylan powder as well. just wondering if there is anything im missing.

susan….. you seem to have so much experience with sibo do you have any suggestions????? please anyone who has advice, it is truly appreciated.

thanks,
cynthia

[Thomas K]

Never used From puppy food but have been feeding my lab Fromm Whitefish and Potato for the last 7 years and have never had any problems. Have used several different kinds of Fromm and have never had a problem

[Susan]

Hi Margaret,
my boy just turned 9 a few weeks ago & about 5-6 months ago I started using a heat wheat pack you put in microwave for 1-2 mins, he has a weird spiral thin bone with nerve endings from his spine growing out of the top of his left back leg, the vets working that day said they have never seen anything like it before, we found it by accident when he had a xray for stones blockage, he doesnt seem to have any arthritis but after he wees & poos he kicks his back legs sometimes & then that’s only when he starts his limping & walks very slowly, I’ve been telling him “No Kick” after he poo’s & he’s been better…I see a Phsiotherapist fortnightly & he puts a heat pack on my lower back & neck/shoulders for about 20mins then I have a gentle massage & what a difference this makes also stretching excerises really help as well, so I started applying a heat pack to Patches left leg lower back side after he limps home, then I give him a very gentle massage & I do streching exicises to his back legs while he’s laying on his side, he’s been doing really well since I started doing Physiotherapy on him it’s made a big diffence & he’s been doing really well lately & he hasn’t been walking home slowly anymore…
Ask your vet if he knows someone that does “dog physio” also swimming is really good for stiff bones & sore joints can you take him to a doggy heated pool, my Patch was presribed Gabapentin for his IBD pain & this weird spiral bone when vet found it, the Gabapentin made him sleep I don’t like giving him any drugs or joint supplements he has IBD/stomach & reacts to alot of things plus I don’t know if the Gabapentin helped his lower back, I think the heat pack & massage helped more….I feed him a diet high in Omega 3 foods, he gets tin salmon in spring water drained with boiled potato for lunch + 2 Green Lipped Mussels they’re “K-9 Natural” freezed dried mussels + 3 Almonds a day as a treat, he acts & runs like a puppy, you’d never know he’s 9yrs old & has a few health problems when you met him…

[GSDsForever]

I feed Zignature and agree w/both anon & haley, see the same recommended range amount for a 30 lb dog on my bag.

I would also encourage you to feed for ideal body condition scoring (and, if still a puppy, slow, controlled growth) in your individual dog, considering all the calories you provide (treats, supplements included). If you are not practiced in evaluating this (9 pt or 5 pt scale), ask your vet to assess/score your dog.

Don’t just go by food manufacturer general recommendations on a bag.

[crazy4cats]

Hi shawn b-

I have fed my two lab/golden mix dogs both of these brands with very good results. I rotated through all the WEF flavors for about six months with no issues. If she likes it more, and I believe it passes the large breed puppy calcium test, why not feed it?

Also, there are a bunch of posters on this site that highly recommend the Pro Plan food as well. I have not fed it myself, so I can’t really comment on it. But, if she was doing really well on it and liked it, you might want to consider keeping her on it as well.

Good luck. Rottweiler puppies are adorable!

[Ivy H]

Hi Susan
I can’t thank you enough for all that great info. I love my vets but they really don’t know when it comes to food plus have not been helpful with his itching. It’s not normal for a puppy to scratch like this!
I was about to switch him to the Holistic Select as well and then I read what you said about how bad it can be. I will look that up and perhaps switch my other dog. I was reading that fish might be bad anyway. She had a a mass cell several years ago and all I wanted to do is feed her a good food. She has tummy and skin issues and this worked for her. But now I’m afraid. I want the best food for her as well.
The shampoo you mentioned can you buy it in the pet store? I will change his food and try your suggestions. He does have a slight smell. I thought its a puppy smell. But maybe it’s yeast. I’m don’t know? I just want him to be better and get to the bottom of it. So thanks again. I will let you know.

[Susan H]

I didn’t leave the green beans whole. I smashed them up with my fingers and mixed them in with the dry kibble after I had moistened it with some warm water.

I started my new puppy on Stella and Chewy raw frozen. She adores it, and it has not upset her stomach at all like the dry kibble and canned food. So I’m sticking with that.

I had also fed Merrick’s Lil Plates which is small kibble, I think it’s important to feed the correct size for small breeds. But since Purina has bought them out, I decided against it.

Good luck with the Annamet lean. I hope it works for your pup.

[HEAHEA14]

MY PUPPY IS CONSTANTLY SCRATCHING AND BITING HERSELF AND IS ON A FLEA AND TICK PREVENTATIVE, BUT NOT ONLY THAT HER POOP IS NOT FIRM AND SMELLS AWFUL. I HAVE TOLD THE VET THIS AND THEY CHECKED HER FOR FLEAS AND SAID DIDN’T SEE ANY AND THAT SOME DOGS ARE MORE SENSITIVE THAN OTHERS. WHEN I GOT HER IN AUGUST SHE WAS REPEATEDLY TREATED FOR WORMS. SHE IS NOT SHOWING ANY SIGNS OF STILL HAVING THEM AND I DID LEARN YOU CAN NOT GO BY THE TEST!!!! PLEASE ANYONE IF YOU THINK YOUR DOG MAY HAVE WORMS LOOK AT THEIR POOP!!! HER POOP HAD WORMS ALL IN IT AND I TOOK IT TO THE VET AND SHE WAS TESTED AGAIN AND IT STILL CAME BACK NEGATIVE!!! SHE HAD WORMS!!! MY QUESTION IS I AM FEEDING HER NUTRO ULTRA PUPPY AND BEFORE THAT WAS ZIGNATURE AND ON BOTH FOODS HER POOP IS NOT FIRM AND SMELLS AND THE CONSTANT SCRATCHING AND BITING HERSELF AND I DON’T NOW WHAT FOOD TO PUT HER ON. I WAS LOOKING AT THE WELLNESS CORE PUPPY BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE ANYONE’S SUGGESTIONS!!!

[Susan]

Hi Ivy,
sounds like your dog could be sensitive too an ingredient in both foods he’s been eating whats the common ingredients thats in both kibbles Purina & Royal Canine? he’s been & is eating? for him to be on a Gi for tummy food for tummy issues sound like food senitivities to me, change vets, the Royal Canine Intestinal vet diet made my boy itch & smell real yeasty, does he smell yeasty & itch?? the R/C vet diet fixed Patch stomach & bowel problems but made him itch & smell bad, are you bathing in a medicated shampoo?
have a look at “Canidae” Pure Sea, Pure Wild, or Pure Sky these are very high in Omega fatty acid that will help his skin & have limited ingredients & has no chicken. https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products click on link then scroll down a bit look to your right for “View All” click on this & the pages of all Canidaes formula’s start to come up
the “Holistic Select” Salmon grain free is a Puppy/adult formula why havent you tried that??
it helped my boys IBD & itchy skin but then after 3months he started being sick vomiting then I seen the Holistic Select Puppy/Adult G/F Salmon was on the worse top 10 highest kibbles for toxins & contaiminates list google “Pet Foods high in toxins” & you’ll see a link Pet food Study 1,084 pet pruducts from 80 different brands, just be careful when feeding a fish kibbles & start rotating your dogs kibbles between a few different brands so your dogs arent eating the same pet food 24/7… Canidae did really well when tested for Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, Cadmium & other contaminates…

Change his food to a grain free Limited ingredients, high omega 3 diet & see how he goes & if his tummy issues & itchy skin goes away & get a shampoo that’s anti-fungal, anti-bacterial medicated shampoo I use “Malaseb”medictaed shampoo it stops the itchy skin, kills any bacteria & yeasts that’s on skin & puts moisture back into their skin.
I feed “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mounation Roasted Lamb G/F only has Lamb Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas, Egg & Berries its an all life stages formula excellent for stomach/bowel problems & fixed Patch skin problems then once Patch was doing really well I started to rotate & feed “Canidae” Pure Wild & a few Ausralian made kibbles & I give my boy K-9 Natural freeze Dried Green Lipped Mussels 2 mussels a day…chewy sells them I also add Tin Salmon in spring water, I add 2 spoons salmon to 1 of his meals a day I give him Omega 3 thru foods cause he gets acid reflux when he has Fish/Salmon Oil capsules…keep us posted how he’s doing .

[Gina H]

Hi, I have a Great Dane pup who has loose stools on Fromm as well. I am wondering what any Dane owners found to work for a firmer stool? And yes, the dog food world is overwhelming! I have read more than I ever dreamed I needed to and have lost sleep over what to feed my growing puppy.

[Susan]

Hi a c,
thank-you, yes Australia is a beautiful clean country, I haven’t been to NZ yet but my sister & my daughter have been to NZ & said it’s beautiful but smells a bit when the sulphur smell comes up out of the ground, people often say us Australian & Kiwi’s are very friendly layed back people…The other day a lady stopped Patch & I while on our walk, I live in town & near the beach, so we get a few tourist who come & stay or work & she asked me, can I please pat our dog she’s here on holidays from the UK & misses her Staffy, she said aussies are such friendly people then she said even our dogs are sooo friendly, I said, yes Patch is very friendly & has to stops & say’s hello to everyone he passes, he loves getting a pat…

Yes that’s why I like giving Patch the freeze Dried Green Lipped Mussels cause of his IBD & he also gets Pancreas & stomach pain after eating certain foods, so far he’s been OK with his freeze dried Mussels, they haven’t cause any problems, the fat is low & the fats in mussels are healthy fats, omega oils & the mussels are all natural & freezed dried in their original natural state, I prefer to feed healthy foods then give supplements especially when they have stomach, pancreas or bowel problems. I hope the mussels work for your 2 Schnauzers you will see an improvement & you have a 6month old Schnauzer puppy as well, that’s what I’m thinking of getting another dog that’s around 18-24 months old, a rescue pound dog that hasn’t been desexed yet then when she goes thru rescue she’ll get desexed & hopefully be an adult.

[a c]

anon101,

Thank you for the suggestion. I think overstimulation may be correct. Most of the time he is not willing to lay down in the car and he pants sometimes. He is a hyper puppy.

I have no idea why they are feeding him. I didn’t know that until he vomited for the first time. If I have to take up to two weeks to transition him to a new dog food, I don’t know why they think they can just feed him some random food. That’s why I packed our own food the second time. He still eat 3 meals a day.

I took him there purely for the socialization with other dogs. This is coming to an end because they don’t allowed any dogs over 6 months old not been spayed or neutered.

Btw. Thank you for your advise on adding some water to the dog food. It really help my older dog who don’t drink much water.

[Susan]

Hi ac,
tell the Doggy Day Care to PLEASE DO NOT feed him within 2 hours when he’s due to go home in car… Vomiting un-digested food either means the Doggy Day Care have just feed him before he was picked up, they’re probably feeding him 20-60 mins before you come to pick him up then with the drive home he’s getting car sick ?? This happpens with some rescue dogs when they’re have eaten then I have to take them somewhere in the car they start to drool, salivate then some vomit up food in their cage or some just vomit yellow bile & have nothing in their tummies they get car sick….
How you’ll know if he gets car sick, he’ll start mouth licking, swollowing & water starts to come out of the side of mouth they Salviate….
Does he go in the car much or just when he goes to Puppy Day Care?? cause when I first rescued Patch he wouldnt get in the car it took 2 of us to get him up into the cage in my car then I realise he feels sick & gets car sick, so I started taking him for 5min drives around the block, parks & to the Pet Shop etc to get him use to the car & show him the car is good & takes him to good places, now as soon as I say, Patch do you want to come for drive in the car, he’s at the front door waiting for me to put on his harness…but he hates going for 1-2 hr long car trips, so he has to stay home now other wise he whinges & whines the whole way, he’s like a kid saying, “are we there yet, are we there yet” lol or he feels sick then he goes real quiet & lays down…

What type of Puppy have you got & what’s his name?

[a c]

I have been dropping off my 5 mo old puppy to Camp Bow Wow doggy daycare so he can socialized with other dogs. It’s very strange that he vomited within 5-10 minutes after I picked him up in my car. This happened 3 out of 4 time he went there.

The time he didn’t vomit because I told the staffs not to feed him. The first time they feed him their dog food. I didnt realized they are feeding him so I thought maybe he is not used to their food. So I packed his food from home second time, but he still vomited. Vomits were pretty much in solid undigested form.

I told the stuffs about the vomit. I was told maybe he was so excited over there??? It doesn’t make sense to me. 3 out of 4 is too much coincidence. Any thoughts?

Btw. He never vomit at home.

[Susan]

Hi Cody,
start doing your own research so your puppy has a good start to her life, follow “Rodney Habib” on his facebook page https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib & watch his new free 5 part video’s “The Truth About Pet Cancer” scroll down Rodney’s F/B page & find Episode 2 & 3 & WATCH these episoes PLEASE so your pup has the best start to her life, also feed 4 smaller meals a day “Canidae” has their All Life Stages, Large Breed Puppy Duck Meal formula, or Turkey Meal Brown rice Wet & Dry formula’s.
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products scroll down a bit look to your right for
“View All” then click on Pages 5 & 9 for Large Breed Puppy Forumla’s & later when your pup is 6 months old start adding fresh healthy foods to her diet & rotate between different kibble brands so she isnt eating the same food 24/7, Pitbulls Staffys are prone to food sensitivities & skin allergies so get her use to a variety of foods & this strengthen her Immune System, just make sure if she is going to be fed a dry kibble her whole life you rotate kibbles but after watching Rodney Habib video’s Im pretty sure you’ll be looking for healthier food instead of feeding dry processed kibble, I only feed dry Kibble cause my boy didn’t have the best start in his life & now has IBD & cant eat a raw/cooked diet..

[Cody H]

Yesterday I noticed my blue pit puppy who is approximately 7 weeks was walking funny. I wasn’t sure it was an injury and since she was going to the vet on Wednesday I asked my wife to see if she could take the puppy in today to have her leg looked at and to do the appointment a day early.

My wife was able to take the puppy to the vet today. The vet stated our puppy was going through a growth spurt and sometimes it looks like an injury. The vet also stated our puppy is overweight. My wife told them we were feeding the puppy Blue Buffalo Chicken and Brown Rice Puppy formula. The vet told her the food wasn’t recommended and our puppy was malnourished and recommended we switch to Purina puppy chow. When my wife left their office she was given a bag of Hill’s Science Diet.

Everything I have read says Blue Buffalo is way better than the Purina Puppy Chow the vet recommended. The puppy may be being overfed by my Daughter so that will be addressed to ensure she is getting the correct amount.

Now I am wondering if I should get rid of the Blue Buffalo and switch to something else like TOTW or something along those lines. Would Blue Buffalo not be giving our puppy enough nutrition?

[Randy D]

Hi Pro is what I’m feeding my 9 mo mutt right now. It’s good stuff. He just finished a bag of active dog and puppy, which he did well on. Take note of the calories/cup-the hi pro may be higher than your old food. Hope your dogs enjoy it and do well on it. It’s much more economical than many similar brands, so it will be in my dogs diet for a long time.

[Susan H]

Hi Lew,

Thank you for your reply. Are you now feeding adult formula Orijen? I have read some of the comments about the change in location of manufacturing from Canada to the USA. You experienced no problems?

I was heading out to buy Merrick’s puppy food because I had fed my schnauzer Merricks lil plates but when I saw Purina bought them I absolutely refuse to buy it. I have a large flock of chickens and Purina has killed more chickens than not, so I never feed mine any Purina products.
Susan

[george h]

I joined to share our experiences and suggest additional OA options because we found a vet that stays on the cutting edge of treatments.

Our 14 yr old golden retriever had mild hip dysplasia when we rescued her, so our vet recommended feeding an rx diet with high fish oil and glucosamine content. After more than a decade, our golden has only mild arthritis in her lower spine and mild stiffness/weakness in her rear legs. Now Doggo’s ancient for the breed, perhaps it’s an outlier in general.

Nevertheless, when the rx food manufacturer switched to rancid fish oils, Doggo (and the others) refused to eat the rx food. While researching new dog foods, we started feeding Doggo human grade (aka “my”) fish oil and glucosamine/msm supplements daily with a primary protein grain free diet. After four months, Doggo’s mobility/cognition was better than when eating the rx food. (Btw- Rancid fish oils actually cause inflammation in the body instead of reducing inflammation.)

And because Doggo was moving better, Doggo was playing to the point of excess. The vet recommended a short course of rimadyl, but Doggo experienced a personality change on rimadyl. The obedient without fail Doggo refused to stay in the yard or come when called. It was terrifying.

Our vet found the rimadyl side effect unusual, ran bloodwork (normal liver with slightly elevated kidneys) and offered newly available pentosan injections that lubricate the joints to relieve OA pain– without affecting kidney or liver function. We were told it may not alleviate all the pain, but Pentosan has worked wonders! We learned how to inject it (subcutaneously) so Doggo doesn’t have to endure a long ride for a maintenance dose, and at $20-$30 per dose, it was worth trying.

But Doggo played to excess again and instead of rimadyl, the vet prescribed galliprant. At first galliprant didn’t seem to be as effective as rimadyl but it didn’t cause the personality changes rimadyl did. After a few days on galliprant though, Doggo was feeling better. The dose is just enough to provide relief without allowing Doggo to play as hard as a puppy.

Again, Doggo may be the exception not having any GI issues with either rimadyl or galliprant– btw, wrapped in American cheese slices and given before the morning meal. Glucosamine and fish oil supplements (and/or pentosan injections) may have negligible effects in other dogs. The other supplements may or may not be helping: recently, we started giving Doggo vitamin C and cholodin supplements, in addition to a human Nicotinamide Riboside with Pterostilbene supplement. Perhaps even minimal dietary supplements/changes are cumulative– our current theory. Whatever the case, we hope someone else can benefit from knowing what we’ve found effective with Doggo.

[poodaddy]

Ahhh … what a juicy topic and it seems full of emotion – perhaps a story of multiple parts which will eventually be relevant to chewing bones will help others – gotta love real life stories. Context – Not a Vet or a Licensed Dog whatever but have been training dogs from basic obedience to field trials (for about 40+ years of studying mostly working with many breeds in dog training clubs – some of the best times in my life – some of the most diverse professionals who were in those clubs – try it if you don’t do it). Was finished with years of shelties and open jumping and wanted a gun dog and to be active in a gun club in upstate PA. So studied up on it, and got an awesome yellow lab, bred for hunting, waited a year for him from a professional duck hunter, and was soooo excited when the day came for me to drive 10 hours to pick him up at 7 weeks old (1995 in Pennsylvania). Carefully trained the puppy to six months in puppy obedience (of course) with the understanding this was going to be a gun dog and of course our favorite home companion too! This big strong consistent smart yeller was amazing in the field under the tutelage of a retiring yellow lab female for upland game and an unreal black for water dog training. Yes, …. for those who do not know, gun dogs in high end clubs mostly learn from retiring master gun dogs and the owners learn from the professional handlers. That dog grew up able to chew, crush, devour anything with jaws and teeth that were bred to handle it (and snapping the neck of a really big furious goose when needed). Teeth were shiny white, never came close to breaking a tooth that I could see, no periodontal disease, healthy male lab, as loving as could be around children/people, but was a focused working dog in the field with an unbelievable level of hearing, great sight and instincts that made me a better person, hunter and handler. Fast forward, many years later, we were suffering from the loss of this companion and we get two pups (14 lb at maturity) cockapoos because I am done with hair in the house and I want a canine companion in my office with me in my 12-15 hour days as a business owner. After the poo male’s first broken adult tooth from meaty bone chewing and the female’s bowel issues from eating “stuff” not even close to bone fragments, and a couple vet visits, gone was bone chewing other than VERY careful observed knawing on some softer meaty bones that are more trouble than they are worth due to the messiness – but the poos love them nonetheless. We were driven to address the anal gland secretion issues, the normal onset of periodontal disease at the 4 year mark and scale build up, bad breath, …

* We learned something REMARKABLE after our vet informed us we must make an appointment for two dogs to be anesthetized and get their teeth cleaned (expensive situation that carried some risk). Early in this year 2017, for different reasons, I embarked on a journey of raw food self-education primarily for anal gland issues and my growing nervousness of kibble, my reading about how commercial dog food is prepared, and my ignorance of what is in it (we were feeding them Blue Buffalo Company products) which may be high quality but I did not trust any kibble and the dogs were finicky with any kibble diet. Since March 2017, their diet (100% raw) has apparently changed their body chemistry so dramatically that the scale on their teeth started “slowly dissolving” after about 6 weeks. Their breath changed in about a week or two for the better. I could rake the scale off with the slightest pressure from a fingernail after a month. The follow on vet visit since then resulted in “anal gland secretion problem resolved” – saved $60/visit/60 days gone due to firm stools from ground bone in the raw diet, “periodontal disease problem – $1600/both dogs resolved” due to (1) the change in digestive chemistry according to our vet with my research concluding the same, (2) and combined with once a week brushing to keep removing the scale, “all digestive issues of periodic loose stools or strange eating habits – resolved as they love the raw food diet we manufacture. So, what is the relevance? The risks of raw meaty bones with a dog directly correlate to the breed, size, and situation. At least this is the conclusion from our real life experience, backed up by concurrence with our vet, and it is consistent with our friends’ experiences who have smaller poo-hybrids versus those with labs. Who is learning? The human for certain … and both the human and dog are benefiting. Booya for education, trial and error, doing things for the love of the dog, and persistence!

[Jessica S]

Hi everyone!

The Basic Question: At what age does a puppy become an adult?

New to the forum, and new to raw feeding. I have really enjoyed browsing this forum – what a wealth of information! I transitioned my Pit Bull/Red Heeler/Rottweiler pup Leo to the raw diet about 3 weeks ago. He is SO into it..no surprise there, as he loves any and all food.

Leo is 11 months old. I’ve been feeding him based on the adult guidelines (2-3% of weight), but it occurred to me last week that maybe I should be feeding based on puppy guidelines (more like 10% of weight).

He looks very healthy – trim and fit. It does look as though he may have lost some weight since he made the transition to raw, but he still looks great.

What’s the consensus? Should I up his feeding amount a few percentages?

[Atlas T]

Thanks again to everyone for all the info! I hear both of you on the reasons to choose the Salmon food (continuation of the current protein) or the Turkey food (the fish one might have more toxins). I’ll have to weigh the good and the bad and make some decisiosn. A few quick responses:

-Susan, on the bones – I have some raw beef bones that I gave him about 1.5 months ago. It sort of coincided with his belly issues, so I have some hesitation whether raw bones could have contributed. What are your thoughts? Do you think it’s ok to give raw bones to a 7mo old puppy with some tummy issues? Or should I wait until we’re totally in the clear? And in regards to Rodney Habib, I’ll check him out. As to the healthy treats/toppers, shall I wait to give him those until his tummy is more sorted? I wonder if raw carrots or things like that may do more harm than good at this point.

-CockalierMom, thanks for the recommendation of calculating calories. I took some time to do that yesterday, and seems like I’ve been feeding him exactly the right amount, maybe even a bit on the high side. Given all that, he still seems super hungry. Should I give him more food? He does get quite a bit of exercise. We are on day 5 of the LID food, and he is getting 2.5 cups of that per day, as well as 1.5lbs potato, and .5lbs chicken (more info below). Great point about the LID not being All Life Stages, I hadn’t considered that.

——————————————–
General updates:

We are on day 5 of the LID food, and he is getting 2.5 cups of that per day, as well as 1.5lbs potato, and .5lbs chicken (more info below). Maybe this week, I’ll start incorporating some of the Nature’s Domain into it and seeing if his poop continues to be ok. One thing to me that seems strange about his poop is that in the morning and early afternoon, he has great solid poop. Towards the end of the day, the poop gets much softer (though never to the point that I’d call diarrhea). I’m not totally sure what to attribute this to. Maybe he processes food more quickly during the day and it doesn’t get fully processed by the time he poops it out? Also, (sorry if this is TMI) when his poop starts coming out, it’s quite solid, but towards the end of the poo, it is much more soft. Also, he is pooping very frequently still, about 5-6 times per day. It’s not like he urgently needs to go, but we take him on lots of walks, and he always takes advantage of being outside to poop.

On a different note, we’ve run into another problem. Before, his food used to be out all day, but now that it’s perishable because I’m cooking it, he gets specific feeding times and amounts. He’s become a bit possessive of his food, which he’s never been before :-/ He allows us to touch and move his bowl without a problem, but he starts growling if we pet him while he’s eating, especially if we touch his paws or tummy. I am trying to combat this by doing some handfeeding so he understands the food comes from us, as well as holding his bowl while he eats and stroking him, even if he growls. I have zero fears about him actually biting, but I welcome more feedback on whether I’m addressing this correctly, and what else I should be doing to combat this behavior. He doesn’t do this with anything else…not bones, not his favorite toys, etc.

[Susan]

Hi Atlas
Sorry I just saw your email, I’ve been very busy today it’s Thursday, it’s Kill Day at the pound, I help with the sick pound dogs & try & get them out of pounds under duty of care & get them into foster care, people dump their dogs at pounds when they are sick & dying…

Why I recommended “4Health” Sensitive Stomach is cause it is egg & potato & you wrote your dog did really well on cooked Egg & Potato & Chicken, also alot of dogs with intestinal problems do really well on the 4Health sensitive stomach formula cause it’s low in fiber 3%, low in protein & it’s a very easy to digest formula, I just looked up Nature’s Domain Puppy & it has Garbanzo beans (Chickpeas) & Lentils, please stay away from any kibbles that have Chickpeas, Garbanzo Beans or Lentils, dogs that have intestinal problems do not do well on Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) or Lentils they are high in fiber & very hard to digest alot of these grain free foods are using Chickpeas now cause it’s easy to buy cheap bags of chickpeas & lentils & it’s more expensive to buy sweet potatoes so we are seeing chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) Lentils in all these grain free foods now….
Try the Nature Domain Turkey & Sweet Potato formula first if you can get it, Kirkland Natures Domain is made by same pet food company that makes Salmon & Sweet Potato is the same as the Taste Of The Wild Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon formula, I forgot about Kirkland Signature Nature Domain formula’s, my boy did really firm poos on TOTW Pacific Stream Smoked salmon but he kept vomiting the Pacific Stream salmon back up & re eating the kibbles alarm bells went off & I changed him to the TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb instead. I stay away from any fish kibbles now they seem to have more contaminates & toxins in them, your better off sticking with Turkey & Chicken meats for now till he’s better for a good 6 months & let his bowel healed.
Just make sure you read ingredient lists..

He probably has food sensitivities & has been feed kibbles that have ingredients that are irritating his bowel & causing sloppy poo’s then diarrhea, check for blood when this is happening, he’ll need to be put on Metronidazole agian, food sensitivities can take anywhere from 1 day to 6 weeks for a dog to start reacting with sloppy poos/diarrhea, gas/wind pain & farts, he’s reacting to an ingredient he’s eating in a kibble..

You will work it out it would be good if you can put him back on the Metroniadzole for 14-21 days & feed him the cooked Chicken, Potato & egg again so his bowel can rest & heal or feed the Natures Domain Turkey & Sweet Potatoes kibble just make sure you read the ingredient list on the kibble bag first before you buy it & make sure there’s no garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas) or Lentils in the ingredients & he’ll probably do well.
keep me up dated what has happened..

[Susan]

Hi Croeber,
I think it is really important to rotate between diiferent brands & feed a diffferent meat protein source & different ingredients, a rotational diet allows a beter chance of providing a more complete & balanced diet, while most dog food sold has been balanced to meet nutritional guidelines there’s always a chance that one brand might be a little deficient in a nutrient compared to another brand, by rotating a variety of foods your pet is less likely to suffer any deficiencies & rotating helps strengthen the dogs immune system & may reduce the risk off allergies or sypmtoms developing later on as teh y age this is very important for young animals…
You know your girl does well on Merrick so now look for another brand with a different protein source & different ingrdients but stay around the same protein % & fat % it doesnt have to be exactly the same fat & protein 1-3% higher or lower… some people rotate with the same brand that’s not a good idea, say that brand has toxins or high contaminates in their fish formula then the other formulas may also have the fish meal or whatever is in that brands meats etc so best to look for another brand it doesn’t have to be real expessive to be really good, look at “Clean Label Project” pet food testings some of the very expensive brands had the highest toxins & Purina got 4-5 stars ause of the lean meats tehy buy, Turkey & Chicken are suppose to be very clean meats….

I can’t be too fussy with what I feed my boy, I have to feed him what agrees with him, he was a rescue I rescued at age 4, he suffers with IBD, Skin Allergies & food intolerances, vets & his nutritionist said he probably was feed the same cheap Aldis dog food & when he was reacting with diarrhea & vomiting the owner didn’t bother changing his food or the owner changed & feed another poor quality brand that had the ingredients he was sensitive too & was reacting too, he is a prime example of a dog feed a very poor diet & was never introduced to a lot of different foods…probably why he ended up at the pound cause of his IBD, when I got him he was pooing blood & weeing blood, vet said the weeing blood would have been from being used for breeding..
I’m feed “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb grain free with Lamb meal, sweet potato, potato, peas, egg, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, formula, TOTW Roasted Lamb is Patches go to kibble that he does the best on so far…
I’ve just finished introducing Hills Science Diet, Sensitive Skin formula it’s a grain formula with rice, corn, pork meal & egg formula, I’m trying this in my rotation cause it has Pork Meal & Hills gave me a free voucher-$140, my IBD boy does really well on his cooked Pork rissoles & Sweet potato, so when I saw Hills had a Pork meal formula I had to try it & see how he does on it & he’s doing really wll he gets bad acid reflux so its very hard finding foods that agrees with his stomach & he doesn’t grind his teeth & doesn’t swollow & swollow & lick his lips, I was rotating & feed “Canidae” Pure Wild Boar & I tried the Pure Meadow Senior, “Canidae has some really good grain free & grain kibbles….
I have to give treats instead of adding foods to his kibble, he gets 1-2 freeze dried, “K-9 Natural” Green Lipped Mussels, the mussel shell is high in Glucosamine & Chondroitin for his joints & bones.
“Love Em” Mini Cookies Chicken Liver & Cranberry with DHA for immune support biscuits an Australian Brand, I’ve just started these, he was getting peeled apple pieces, he gets his Yakult probiotic drink, he gets about 1/4 of the Yakult probiotic drink in between feeds when his stomach acids are low so they dont kill the live bacteria in te probiotic & I drink the rest of te Yakult drink, he gets his yogurt ice cream only about 1 teaspoon after his dinner & if I’m running late or on the computer he tells me about his ice cream yogurt he whinges & barks at me till I get it out of the freezer. I can’t remember what else he gets at teh moment, I’ve had him 5 yrs this November & he has tried heaps & different brand kibbles & foods the Australian kibble brands are really good but some are way to high in protein & fat for him, no vet diets have worked for Patch, TOTW has been the best dry kibble so far that covers all his health problems, I’ve strengthen his gut (immune system) heaps since I got him 5 yrs ago he was always very sick before, but now he has a beautiful shinny coat, he is very healthy runs, jumps acts like a puppy doesnt seem to have any arthritis yet, (fingers X) he’ll be 9 years old on the 20th Novemeber & it’s the same day I rescued him 5 years ago his “Got You Day” he was being Put To Sleep on his birthday..

Steve Brown was asked if you had to pick 1 food to add to your dogs diet to make it healthier what would you add & Steve said, “Mussels” you can buy them in the freezer section or buy freeze dried mussels, Mussels are very healthy they have Manganese, Iodine, Fats, Vitamin D he said alot of raw diets are short of Manganese, Iodine fats & Vitamin D so add about 1-2 mussels a day + 1 tablespoon salmon & a pinch of Kelp to your dogs diet….

Follow “Rodney Habib” on his face Book page, you’ll learn heaps about adding really good healthy fresh whole foods to your dogs diet…
Sounds like your doing a pretty good job already….

[Tyla M]

Okay @Pitlove and anyone else that has success not going grain free. I had been feeding my pup Fromms Large breed puppy food and her poop was great but I was wondering if she was itching and biting from chicken or something in it. I switched to zignature…her poop has been green and soft for almost the entire back so it’s time to look yet again for a new food! I’m starting to think I’ll have more options as far as with low calcium levels if I don’t just look at grain free foods. I’ve done research and have heard both sides. I know you’re a big promoter of not grain free due to your pups intolerance of peas and success not going with GF. Please convince me with reasons why so I can start looking for the best food for my pup that includes nonGF!:)

[Nadine H]

So today I decide to go to the Purina website. They have a thing you can fill out so they tell you which food is best. I’ll be darn if it didn’t come up Pro Plan Giant Breed Adult. Now I’m somewhat conflicted, do I feed the large breed puppy of the giant breed adult that has a a little lower protein, fat and calories. Ingredients look almost identical. They have online chat that is really worthless, the person I got couldn’t answer my question, I was asking about the large breed adult when a dane is still growing until at least 18 months or longer. I kept getting the message that they would be back with me shortly and after more then ten minutes I gave it up. So then I called the 800 number and i was told large breed puppy until 18/24 months for a great dane, As usual I’m overthinking this but really thought a co as big as Purina could do better then different people giving me different answers for the same question.

[Christine H]

I would like you to consider a brand sold at Tractor supply. The name of the product is 4 health puppy, with grain. We breed Standard Poodles. We use the 4 Health for puppies, as well as 4 Health adults for our big dogs. We are not a “puppy mill”, our dogs live in our home and in our beds! My partner and I did a lot of research through the years. We have changed food several times until we found one that has the protein to fat and grain ratio. We have large, healthy and beautiful pups, and I have to believe that the food we feed them has a lot to do with that. Thank you for your consideration. Christine Henderson EMERALD COAST BREEDERS.

[Nadine H]

Hi Evan,
My 13 month dane can’t tolerate grain free at all, very loose stool, With a dane who can have joint issues when older it really isn’t a concern as far as food when a puppy. The calcium phos levels are very important though.You want a nice steady slow growth and staying slim Don’t know anything about weimaraners. I do know that most vets say no to Blue Buffalo so glad you don’t feed that food.

[Jennifer]

Nadine, I feed my three Danes – ages 11 mos, 2 yrs and 13 yrs – Farmina and I couldn’t be happier with it. They are better than a fairly good company, they have an exceptional reputation. I started my pup on the puppy maxi formula and have now transitioned him to the adult grain-free maxi formula. It is expensive, but I’m willing to pay more for the higher quality ingredients. I figure if I’m not willing to eat by-products, why would I feed them to my dogs. At the end of the day, we all have to find the best food for our pups, so I hope you find one that works for you. Good luck.