[David D]

I just bought Evo salmon for my puppy. I thought it was puppy food. It has very high ratings. Is it ok if I feed it to my puppy it has a ton of protein and I heard that is really the only difference between puppy and adult dog food.

[David D]

I just bought Evo salmon for my puppy. I thought it was puppy food. It has very high ratings. Is it ok if I feed it to my puppy it has a ton of protein and I heard that is really the only difference between puppy and adult dog food.

[Kyle H]

Taste of the Wild – High Prairie Puppy Vs. Blue Buffalo Life Protection – Puppy

Which food is better?

TotW is grain free and a few dollars cheaper, blue buffalo life protection is not grain free and slightly more expensive. I don’t necessarily care about whether the food has grain or not, I think they’re both high quality feeds. What would you use?

Is there anything better that is in the same price range or cheaper?
My puppy is a 4.5 Month old Australian Shepherd.

[Jenn H]

Wendeyzee sorry I’m just now getting a second to reply about your manufacturing question.
Let me first qualify my reasoning for feeding this brand:
*It is affordable without being full of crap.
*My puppy is satisfied after meals.
*I don’t have to feed him more than 4.5 cups/day. (As opposed to almost 7 cups of other brands.)
*It has 1.5% calcium max.
*He’s not growing too fast.
*His coat is beautiful. Not dull as w/ other foods.
*He loves it.
*They nor their sources use ethoxyquin to preserve their fish.
*I have asked a ton of probing questions and they answered promptly, honestly, with much information.
*2012 they began a “Positive Release Program” where no food is distributed until an independent third party tests a sample from the batch and results are received.
*They have their own people on site overseeing the process, etc.

Manufacturing:
•dry foods (most) are made at the Diamondd facility in MO (the recalls of the previous yrs were mainly from the SD plant)
*these dry foods are Wolf King, Wolf Cub, Hund-n-Flocken, Wee Bits, Buck Wild,
Lil Boss, Star Chaser, Sunday Sunrise
*all other dry foods are made at Crosswind Foods, KS
*canned are made by Simmons Pet Food, NJ. They bought out Menu foods in 2010. (After the major 2007 recall dibacle.)
*supplements are made by a company in CA that only makes animal supplements.

They also gave me info on treats & cat food if anyone is interested. I didn’t ask for all that as they don’t apply to me, but they shared anyway. If anyone wants that info I will post.

I understand where humans are involved there can & will be human error (and laziness and greed). Solid Gold seems to be doing their best to put out safe products at affordable prices.
For now I will keep this brand in the rotation. I haven’t yet started either of my adult girls yet. Plan on it this week.

[JeffreyT]

Hi minnie-mama, congratulations! Havanese is a great breed, very much like maltese, which I have.

Here’s some good information on the importance of a rotational diet. I changed my pups’ diet a few days after they came home and used probiotics, enzymes and pumpkin to avoid stomach issues, and still use first two for good digestion and to keep their immune systems strong.
/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/

Dr. Karen Becker’s newsletter gives excellent nutritional advice, and I use the Mercola enzymes, probiotics, krill oil and multi vitamin she recommends. Mercola also makes a natural flea and tick repellent that is the best smelling one I’ve used, and it works.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/07/21/13-pet-foods-ranked-from-great-to-disastrous.aspx

I highly recommend the book Scared Poopless to help avoid cancer and other diseases later on. The author’s website is loaded with helpful advice on avoiding vaccine overdose (especially important for small dogs), and how to do heart worm meds safely.
http://www.dogs4dogs.com/

Mine get a variety of the five star freeze dried and dehydrated foods (all you have to do is add water) with some home prepared meals using Dr. Harvey’s premix and organic meat already made from Whole Foods. Their main meal consists of these foods, and at night they get a light meal of dry and a topper like lean meat, egg yolk, yogurt, cottage cheese, goat cheese, a sprinkle of parmesan, a sardine from the can or ground salad or vegetables (never feed onion). As long as you keep toppers and treats under 20% of their daily intake, the diet will stay balanced.

I always get grain-free and gmo-free foods. Their favorite dry foods are air dried like Ziwi Peak, Real Meat Food Co, Only Natural Max Air Dried and Wellness Core Air Dried. Some of the better kibble foods that my picky ones have eaten are Petcurean Go Now, Farmina, Amicus and Wellness Trufood Baked. You can call the companies to get samples, and make sure to get the small breed puppy formula. I always buy the smallest bags, and do not keep food over one month because it starts to go rancid.

The treats they go crazy for are Stella and Chewys, Orijen, Lakse Kronch Wild Salmon, Primal and Dogs for the Earth. Dogs for the Earth also makes an organic food that they love.

Make sure to avoid synthetic shampoos and other toxic products. Earthbath puppy is a good one that is non-toxic. For face, when mine were puppies, I used Castle Bath which is a non-toxic face cleaner and powder to keep faces clean and avoid tear stains….cotton baby washcloths work best with this. Baby shampoo from the healthy food store is also good for faces. Avoid drug store brands because they’re loaded with toxic chemicals.
http://www.castlebaths.com/tear-stain-remover.html

Before I got my maltese I joined an online maltese forum where I learned a lot about food, training and grooming… you may want to consider one for Havanese.

Good luck!

[Amateria]

I’m feeding the lesser hair pieces to the puppy as treats because she loves it, but I guess since it was only $10 because of a $10 off code that maybe I should just trash it, their website is generally very interesting and they mention a lot of good things and the ingredients list looks really good but it seems their food making practises aernt up to par with what they should be, I wish I could ask some of the people buying the food if they also have hairs in it, but I can’t which is too bad.

No I’ve never tried to call them because of my general shyness over the phone but maybe I should just do the best I can and call anyways to find out from them if this is how their food is meant to look, based on a Mercola article I’m reading right now it seems hair is a bad idea to feed specially at such amounts, even if its only as a treat, because dogs tend to ingest enough hairs each day that extra could be dangerous.

[Jenn H]

Wendyz I had replied this morning, but am just noticing that I must not have hit “submit”. Therefore I apologize for the delay.

I will say that after about 20 GSDs in 35+ yrs only 1 of them had pano. That was when I was a teenager. Therefore I had no control on what the dogs were fed. I just fed them according to parents’ instruction. At that time Pedigree, Purina, Blue Seal, etc were considered great food. Canned was to be used very rarely and only to give pills or extra during very cold times.
That dog grew very big very quickly. At 2 he was heading toward 100#s. Since he died suddenly at 2.5 from torsion we’ll never know what he would’ve topped out at.

With the exception of a couple of dogs I have adopted as adults, none of the 20ish dogs I’ve had have gotten hip/elbow dysplasia, OCD, arthritis, etc. With the proper diet, exercise & supplements the arthritic dogs became noticeably better. (Supplements are a whole other conversation.)

I worry about my pup because I have no idea what his father is like. His mother was a “midnight rescue”. She is 90+ lbs. His confirmation isn’t ideal. Angulated hips, roach back. Since switching him tho he has developed more muscle tone which I think has gotten him to stop walking on his hocks and has a better coat. He is also more satisfied after meals despite being fed much less amt.

It appears that quality of the proteins is more important than the quantity. Stay away from plant based. Go for meats/fish/eggs as a source. Higher biological value. Protein is important to build muscle.

You also want to control the rate of growth. GSDs can grow until they’re 3 y/o. My boy has steadily gained 2 #s/wk his whole life. Once in a while he doesn’t gain anything, but will gain 3#s the next wk.

It’s perfectly fine to give joint supplements at 6 months. Right now he gets 1.5 tabs Cosequin DS (the kind WITHOUT vitamins & minerals).

Make sure that if fish is in the food it is NOT preserved by the supplier or manufacturer with Ethoxyquin. Solid Gold & their suppliers do not use that.

If you want to have more control over proteins The Honest Kitchen may be a good choice. Even if you only feed 1 meal/day or a few meala/wk. When I contacted them regarding the puppy they suggested this:
4-6 mon Thrive
After 6 months transition/rotate with Embark, Love, Revel, Brave (that’s a LID of fish).
They make human grade dehydrated base mixes. You add the protein yourself. They include the suggested amts, but really it’s up to you.

I like to keep my puppies on the leaner side while they grow. A roly poly puppy is cute, but not ideal. I find 22-25% protein to be a good amt. But I care more about what type and the calcium.

Other LBP foods on my short list are:
*Orijen LBP/Acana
*Fromm LBP Gold although I’m hesitant to try it since a lot of people are complaining their dogs are getting sick from their gold line.
*Solid Gold Hundchen Flocken Lamb & Rice. I used it when I couldn’t find Wolf Cub

Just an aside…I appreciate that you asked for my advice and am very happy to help. I am not a vet or a nutritionist. All I have is experience. Dogfoodie, Pitlove, Houndmom (I’m pretty sure that’s her name) are about the only 3 people who seem to be as conscientious as I and have offered some valuable & helpful advice. They are very good sources to reach out to also. I know there are some significant differences between GSDs and other large breeds, but there’s more similarities when it come to prevention of musculoskeleton problems.

Another aside is that I think I may switch my Lab mix to Solid Gold Barking at the Moon. I can let you know how that goes.

Good luck with the pup. I’m sure he’ll be just fine. I doubt that bout of pano will be a problem. You understand that calcium should not exceed 1.5% and the calcium/ phosphorus ratio should be around 1:1-2:1.

If I think of anything I may have forgotten I’ll let you know.

[Pitlove]

Hi Wendeyzee- I won’t speak for DogFoodie, but no I’m not a veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist. That is why I personally provided you with links to research conducted by those types of professionals in the field of nutrition that have studied growth in large breed puppies. I am aware that German Shepherd Dog’s are prone to the development of Pano (the links also support that). No where in my post or in my links I provided did it say otherwise. What was said in those research articles was that Pano is idiopathic, therefore there is no way to know that feeding your puppy a high protein diet was the cause of it. This should actually offer some piece of mind.

Over nutrition does not mean feeding high protein- it is in reference to caloric intake. This is why DogFoodie (and I) mentioned keeping the dog lean and at an ideal weight during the critical growth period (though that can not even guarentee your dog will not develop pano). A puppy that is even slightly (by just a mere few pounds) overweight is at a much higher chance of developing any one of the numerous DOD’s.

No one here critized your pet parenting or assumed you had not spent any time researching the breed. You’ve misconstrued that in your own mind. We simply offered you information that you may have missed while researching.

I’m sorry you found this information offensive. Best of luck with your pup

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Pitlove.

[InkedMarie]

Ed,
No one claimed to be an expert. Most of us are just pet owners doing the best for our dogs. I can say the bulk of us don’t feed any of the foods you mentioned. I can say, for me, they are not good enough for my dogs. I know what ingredients/nutritional analysis/companies make a good food. You’re free to disagree.
Regarding breeders, handlers, trainers….one of my dogs breeders fed Eukanuba when he was a puppy, 10yrs ago. I have no idea what she feeds now, she isn’t a breeder. Another breeder of my dogs sent me home with either Canidae or California Natural. Been five years so I am not positive. We just got a puppy in November. Between my breeder & her partner, there are alot of dogs in the home. They feed 4Health grainfree.
I don’t know any “professional anything” who feeds the foods you mentioned, except for some vets. The vets I’ve had in the last 10yrs feed Science Diet, Purina & RC. I disagree with what Anony,ously said aout a food the vet approves of. I personally don’t care what my vet thinks about what I feed which is raw only to two & my brittany eats a mix of raw and kibble (currently going from Annamaet Aqualuk to Open Farm turkey; Dr Tim’s RPM is next).
If you don’t agree with what is posted her or on the review side, feel free to find another place to read & post. If you choose to stay here, be aware that you won’t be changing the minds of us “experts”.

[Jenn H]

Wendy I’d be happy to share. Right now I’m on break at work, but when I get home I’ll have my lists.
Until then at the moment I’m feeding my 7 month old GSD 4-4.25 cups Solid Gold Wolf Cub bison. That’s split into 3 meals. He’s about 70 lbs.
He’s done really well with it. His coat looks good and he’s really been building muscle since switching him completely 1 month ago. As a result of the muscle tone I’ve noticed his confirmation improving.
My 7 y/o GSD has been having GI issues since having to be on 2 courses of antibiotics for Lyme and 2 other antibiotics for other issues and a bout with pancreatitis. For her right now I’m giving 2 meals of 1/2 can i/d and 1/2 cup Wysong Anergen. I’m about to switch the i/d to Anergen cans. She’s 67 lbs right now. It’s winter. Nomally she is much more active and eats more but her normal weight is 60-63 lbs.
I have a 10 y/o Lab/Pit mix (more Lab) that’s about the same weight as my 7 y/o. She gets Wysong adult 2 times/day. 3/4 cups. She has nothing but muscle. No fatty lumps or anything! Best looking Lab/Lab mix I have ever seen at her age.
They are all healthy & energetic (even my sick girl).
Once my pup requires more kibble I’ll probably sub it/add Solid Gold cans. I’ll have to figure out the amts on that first.
Before this food he was getting about 61/2 cups Wellness Core Grain-free Puppy. He did pretty good w/ it, but I was going thru so much food. And his coat & muscle tone wasn’t like it is now.
The reason I fed that and not the Wellness large breed puppy was because it had 1.5% calcium. The lbp has more than that surprisingly.
Solid Gold Wolf Cub (bison) has 1.3% max.
All of them also get 2 Tbsp pure canned pumpkin (Libby’s brand from the market.)
Every once in a while I give them goat milk and/or cooked & cooled whole groats oats just to fill them up a little or put a couple extra pounds on for cold weather.

So it goes like this:
Puppy: 1.25 cups Solid Gold am & pm
1 cup middle of day
2 Tbsp pumpkin in 1 of the meals.
Lab mix: 3/4 cups Wysong Adult am & pm
2 Tbsp pumpkin

I’ll get back to you later with the other foods I’ve tried/like.

[Leslie C]

I know a little bit about seizures as I have had two dogs, a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Golden Retriever that did not live together and both had seizures. The Golden we bought as a puppy after the first Berner female died. I did a lot of research on the breeds and the issue of seizures. Bernese Mountain Dogs are prone to seizures as they age, Goldens are not. And no one knows what that means, prone to, or why. We believe that initially, the Berner had a brain tumor or cancer that travelled to her brain. I was using a regular vet who just put her on anti seizure meds that really didn’t help. No seizures, no personality, she only lived a month after we put her on the meds. As a puppy she never had seizure, therefor, we knew that she was not epileptic. Epilepsy is diagnosed before or around two years of age. The Golden was having seizures that were probably unrelated to his diagnosis, osteo-carcenoma (bone cancer) which he got at nine. He actually lived another year after he was diagnosed- usually the diagnoses is six months. Since he lived way beyond his prescribed “end”, probably because I was cooking human grade food, and because of the attention he got from his family, at his last visit to the vet they believed that perhaps tumors form elsewhere in his body may have metastasized to his brain. He got real bad real fast only in his last ten days. So I think the food was a big part of lengthening his life, making him happy and giving him the best quality nutrition, and sometimes there is just nothing else you can do. Heavy meds do not make a happy dog. He died Spring of 2015. My current Bernese Mountain Dog (unrelated, but from the same breeder as the other dog) has had four unpredictable seizures in the last year and a half. I thought at first that it might have been from the dry food because of the Golden’s seizures. I got rid of the enormous cookies (Pro-Pet) we got from Agway with our grain and hay deliveries. The dogs liked coming to the barn and chowing down on big bones. Its very odd though, his blood work was good, especially for a 9 year old Berner. My vet is a holistic vet, who gives our dogs (we have a Wheaten too) supplements to help them maintain an effective system. (Like vitamins). They are also regular vets that give shots and operate, and they absolutely believe that foods can be toxic to pets. Especially poor brands of pet food. (Look at what the first ingredient is on the label). HOWEVER, more toxic are the many unnecessary shots that they give. Really. The puppy shots and rabies (every several years depending on the dogs age) are necessary, but there are many other shots that you can ask your vet to omit. In addition, you are worried about cleaning products? If you’re okay, your dog should be okay, but you never know. I think that lawn products, stuff on the sidewalk, stuff that your dog can lick off his paws and get sick from are real problems. I am trying to find out if any of the dry foods I feed them have caused seizures or something else. The now get Merrick and Blue, and Blue Dog Bakery biscuits. Has anyone said anything about Milk Bone? (I think the UPS delivery guys give them Milk Bone when the drop boxes off). But really, I find it easy to cook for them, making chicken or fish for the family, I just make extra. We also have chickens so they get a lot of eggs, those small carrots, peas, cooked yams, apples, and even plain yogurt. If you know where it came from and if your eating it yourself its safe. Allergies are another story. I hope this helped a little bit… And please, if anyone discovered more about this bizarre and mysterious seizure conundrum, or about the dog foods and treats I listed above, please post!!

[crazy4cats]

Hi AK-
While it probably isn’t crucial at this point to keep the calcium percentage that low due to the fact that your pup is 10 months old and has done a lot of her growing already, but it sure wouldn’t hurt just to be safe.
The Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost Formula that you originally wanted to use should be appropriate if you want to give it a go. Also, Fromm Gold Lg Br Puppy, Orijen Lg Br Puppy, Wellness Core, Horizon Complete Lg Br Pup and Nutrisource Lg Br Pup are also some ideas to check out.
My large breed pups are now 4 1/2 years old. LOL! I feed them mostly 4 star foods and add canned or fresh meal mixers to their meals and they are doing great! Just remember, you don’t have to stick with one food forever. It doesn’t have to be a life long decision. If it doesn’t work, try something else! Best of luck.

[Rachel S]

Hello all! This is going to be long, but thank you in advance if you get through this and for all your kind help!

My 10 month old 75 lb lab/bloodhound mix has a sensitive stomach and has since I got him at 8 weeks old. He poops a 2-3 times/walk, in the morning and around 5 each day (he eats directly follow those walks – 7:30 am and 6:30 pm). Not only does the frequency of his bowel movements alarm me but they’re HUGE poops! In the mornings, they start out formed but still soft and progressively get worse as the day goes on. His last poop of the day is always very runny. He doesn’t strain to go, doesn’t seem to be in any discomfort, and doesn’t vomit. He is still full of energy and always happy. He has continued to grow and is a good weight for his size.

When I got him, the foster was feeding him Purina Pro Plan Puppy, so I continued on with that for quite a few months. Then, when he got a bout of diarrhea and knowing his history, the vet switched him over to prescription Purina EN. That got him back to his status quo, but I wanted to find something that could really firm him up. I started feeding him a limited ingredient diet – Zignature, and that brings us to present day. He definitely does the best on the Zignature, but I feel like there is still vast room for improvement.

I have tried pumpkin, goats milk yogurt, probiotics, prebiotics, and Perfect Form (that helped a little but he decided he didn’t like it anymore). He has been on metronidazole before but that made him constipated and when he would finally go to the bathroom, it was still very runny. He has also had multiple fecal tests, so no worms.

I plan to discuss all of this with my vet at his neuter next week, but I want to go in well informed (i.e. low/high fiber, low/high fat, etc.). She also gave me an estimate for some tests – maldigestion profile, fecal O&P plus giardia antigen-antech, canine GI profile – but it comes out to be ~$550 on top of his $450 neuter and it’s just too much for me to spend all at once. Could you kind folks suggest a way for me to prioritize different foods/supplements/tests?

Thank you again for reading through all of this. I love my boy very much, and I want to make sure he is healthy and happy.

[Pitlove]

Hi A K-

Nature’s Variety is a good food, my only concern is that when I look at the link you provided the calcium and phosphorus does not say if that is the MIN or MAX levels. That is something you need to email and find out about. If those are the MIN levels of calcium and phosphorus then that food is far too high in calcium for a growing large breed puppy- however if it’s the MAX it’s on the high side, but you could still feed it.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Pitlove.

[Shawna]

Hi Pittiemama,

Hopefully I can help you here. My puppy had kidney disease right from birth. It is believed her kidneys just weren’t able to develop (she was the sixth puppy, the runt, for a 12 pound Chihuahua / Boston Terrier mix). The breeder had to had feed her, due to a collapsing trachea, raw goats milk and egg whites to keep her alive. She had symptoms (excessive drinking and urine) at just six weeks of age. She was officially diagnosed at one year and given a year to live. She lived to eight years and seven months old and then passed for reasons not directly related to kd.

A little background on me, my father is a naturopath. I did consult with him when I got Audrey’s diagnosis but being raised by him, I was able to mostly formulate the plan of attack myself.

Audrey’s numbers, when she was diagnosed, were right around the same as your babies — and she lived almost seven more very very healthy and happy years. It could happen for your baby too.

The first thing I would suggest is to keep up on his dental health. You won’t want to use anesthesia for dental cleanings so RIGHT now start doing anything and everything you need to keep his teeth clean. It was actually bacteria likely from a dental infection that got into Audrey’s kidneys and ultimately took her life. Use fresh garlic in his meals. Use an enzyme supplement in his water, Dr. Melissa Shelton’s essential oil called Dog Breath is very effective and a drop can be added to his water dish or you can mix with water in a spray bottle and spray right on teeth. http://www.animaleo.info/dog-breath.html I would also recommend a product made by Green Pasture’s called Infused Coconut Oil. It’s high in vitamin K2 (which has been shown to have great benefit for teeth) and has other wonderful nutrients. All of my dogs get it but I found it when Audrey’s teeth were already needing some extra support. 🙁 http://www.greenpasture.org/public/Products/InfusedCoconutOil/index.cfm

I HIGHLY recommend Standard Process Canine Renal Support. It is a food based supplement that “feeds” the kidneys but also has a product called a protomorphogen (which is the RNA/DNA of the kidney cell) that helps prevent inflammation to the kidneys. It is the one supplement she never went without. I also used their SP Canine Hepatic Support when I thought she needed a little liver support — helps with allergies too. I also used their Cataplex B and C as water soluble vitamins may need to be added due to the large amounts being urinated out.

ONLY give filtered or other forms of “clean” water. I would avoid tap water at all cost. Lower sodium mineral waters with good amounts of calcium and magnesium have been shown to be beneficial for dogs with kd. I like Evian water because it is high in calcium bicarbonate. I didn’t give it all the time but made sure (at least in the beginning) to give it regularly — I got lax in the later years and I truly believe Audrey would still be with me if I had not. She was doing so well though and my life got busier..

I HIGHLY recommend getting some Garden of Life Primal Defense probiotic and Garden of Life Acacia Fiber supplements as well. These are used as “nitrogen traps” and as BUN begins to build up the bacteria consuming the fiber will cause some of the nitrogen to be routed through the bowels freeing up the kidneys from having to deal with them. I gave probiotic foods (like green tripe, fermented veggies etc) frequently but when I noticed she was feeling a little lethargic, depressed, not feeling well etc I assumed nitrogen was building up and I’d give her the probiotics and prebiotic for several days. Always worked like a charm. Will be quite important as the disease progresses and he starts getting symptoms. This also allows for a higher protein diet. The protein doesn’t damage the kidneys but it does, due to BUN, add to symptoms. Oh, I forgot to mention. Audrey ate a HIGH protein raw diet up until the last six to eight weeks of her life. Audrey never had a problem with phosphorus but as your puppies disease progresses you may have to watch the amount of phosphorus in the foods you are feeding. The golden rule is to limit phosphorus but it’s obviously not always necessary. That said, phosphorus can damage the kidneys if it gets too high in the blood so either monitor it or feed the right amounts of phos for the stage your pup is at. Right now while phosphorus isn’t as big an issue, I like the Honest Kitchen Brave. To that I would add a raw egg a few times per week and give Answer’s raw goat milk regularly as well. Both raw eggs (if not whipped etc) and raw milk can easily increase the “master antioxidant” in the body called glutathione. This will obviously help out everything. Later, when phos needs to be more restricted, you may not be able to give the whole egg (as the yolk is higher in phos).

Supplements —
1. Organic Turmeric is good as it is anti-inflammatory but it also is anti-fibrotic (prevents scar tissue). Audrey didn’t tolerate turmeric well so she didn’t get it but in general it would be quite helpful for a dog with KD.
2. Spirulina, chlorella and pumpkin seed oil are all high in chlorophyll and supplies lots of other nutrients. Dogs with KD can be at risk for anemia and chlorophyll is awesome for anemia.
3. Burdock root is a prebiotic and of the herb world is considered to be the “blood cleaner”.
4. Milk thistle helps spare glutathione and is a good detoxer.
5. Distilled water (given once in a while) and food grade activated charcoal are good detoxers too.
6. Copaiba essential oil is great for pains and inflammation plus more. A therapeutic grade, like Dr. Sheltons, is the only kind to use on pets. Can be given in food or rubbed into the skin over the kidneys as an example.
7. Braggs brand apple cider vinegar can help with indigestion or tummy issues. Audrey didn’t need it often but when she did I would mix it 50/50 with water and syringe feed it. She hated it but within seconds would burp and feel better.
8. Therapeutic grade peppermint oil, ginger extract or Dr. Shelton’s GI Joe essential oil work great for tummy issues as well. I got sick to my tummy and used the GI Joe to help. Kept me from vomiting and soothed my tummy.
9. Learn about essential oils if you don’t already know. If you have a Facebook account, join AnimalEO’s page and sign up for Dr. Shelton’s Friday Fun Facts. I didn’t know about them early enough to be much use with Audrey (specifically Dr. Shelton’s oils) but I sure wish I had.

DON’T do ANY more vaccinations – not even rabies if you can at all avoid. Audrey was legally exempted from having to get the rabies vaccine for life. She wasn’t protected either as she only got her first shot (at six months) before diagnosis was made. No heartworm, flea/tick or anything like that either.

I know there’s things I’m forgetting but hopefully this is enough to give you a good jumping off point.. 🙂 Hugs to you and your baby boy!!!!

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Shawna.

[El]

Hi Kelly P

I would recommend these 2 books as part of your research into feeding a properly balanced raw diet to your pup.

“Ok I have not yet gotten my puppy I have about 4 weeks still. She will grow up to be around 100lbs, so I’ll probably feed her about 2lbs a day.”

Here are the feeding guidelines from Primal, I think they are pretty accurate. Puppies need more than 2% of their body weight daily.

Feeding Percentages
1.5% Weight Loss
2.0% Non-Active
2.5% Maintain Weight **
3.0% Slight Weight Gain
3.5% Significant Weight Gain
4.0% Kittens/Puppies (8 weeks-1 year)
4.5-8.0% Kittens/Puppies (4-8 weeks)
4.0-8.0% Pregnant/Lactating

“We will be training too with treats so I need to be sure they level each other out. I have done a lot of research as I’ve been preparing for the past 1-2 years. What I found so far is the following.
Feeding anti-oxidants or some sort of cooked veggies is a good idea.”

I would puree the veggies. Cauliflower, broccoli, spinach in moderation, green beans, peas in moderation…

“Feeding organic eggs, shell and all, is good at least once a week. Egg shells provide a lot of calcium.”

I would suggest free-range organic eggs. I know that people feed finely ground egg shells as a calcium source, but I don’t know about feeding whole egg shells. I would do a little more research specifically on the calcium requirements of large breed puppies if I were you. She will be getting calcium from bones, egg shells, spinach and ?

Feeding a whole fish once a week is good because of the oil it provides, be sure not to feed tuna because of the high mercury levels. Cooked Tripe is great and so is a some coconut oil. I figure I can saute the veggies in coconut oil.

In general, I would feed small fish, they usually have softer bones and less toxic buildup. I would not cook the tripe. One of the benefits of feeding “Raw Green Tripe” are the enzymes, and any processing or cooking will destroy those enzymes.

“As far as percentages I have read a few different things but my research has come up with the below.
Version 1
75% Muscle/skin (i.e chicken breast)
10% Edible Bone
5% Liver
5% Non liver organs
5% Anti-oxidants/Veggies
Version 2
50% Meaty Bones
35% Muscle/Skin (i.e chicken breast)
5% Liver
5% Non liver organs
5% Anti-oxidants/Veggies”

I feed my dogs a homemade lightly cooked diet. Version one looks pretty good. Since I lightly cook my guys food I would replace the 10% edible bone with 5% more pureed veggies and 5% supplements to balance out the diet.

“My main questions are about bones.”

This is good because I see bones as the riskiest part of your diet plan and I would carefully consider both sides of the argument so that you can make the most informed choice possible. Also, regarding Wolves and bones, research has shown that larger pieces of bones are excreted from wolves wrapped in the fur of the animal they ate, maybe as a way of protecting their insides from the bone fragments.

Good Luck with the new addition to your family 😉

[Kelly P]

@Anonymously – I do know bones can be risky, but you have to get calcium in the diet. Which is why actually most people grind the bones, meat, and other ingredients into mush. I would prefer that my puppy learn to chew.

Also I don’t really care for you bringing in articles in regards to dogs are not wolves. A dog is a carnivore not an omnivore. You can argue that the parasites living on the meat can threaten the animal’s life, but then you have the same issue with your raw Commercial food, unless they’re not telling the truth and it’s really cooked raw meat.

@Aimee – I understand your worry which is why I’ve spent time researching.
I have not talked to a Veterinary nutritionist because I don’t know of any. A Veterinary is not a nutritionist either so I can’t ask them. Here’s what I’ve learned though for puppy specific food. Puppies need more calcium than an adult dog. I’ve also read that it’s best to start raw feeding from an early age. Do you buy the same bag of food for an adult as for a puppy?

Wysong doesn’t seem to have a difference, I didn’t see any of the Dawrwin’s to have a choice between adult and puppy. Primal Raw Food doesn’t seem to have a difference either… Am I missing the Puppy formula? Nature’s Variety Raw doesn’t seem to have puppy specific formula. I know Blue Buffalo does but that’s merely grain free dog food. I’m not trying to be a jerk, but if the formula for the adult dog doesn’t change why is it an issue? I’ve also read that there’s a large margin of error when feeding raw, maybe like you suggested its only for adults because puppy nutrition is so important. Or maybe because no one expects to feed a puppy any raw food?

[Kelly P]

Ok I have not yet gotten my puppy I have about 4 weeks still. She will grow up to be around 100lbs, so I’ll probably feed her about 2lbs a day. We will be training too with treats so I need to be sure they level each other out. I have done a lot of research as I’ve been preparing for the past 1-2 years. What I found so far is the following.

Feeding anti-oxidants or some sort of cooked veggies is a good idea. Feeding organic eggs, shell and all, is good at least once a week. Egg shells provide a lot of calcium. Feeding a whole fish once a week is good because of the oil it provides, be sure not to feed tuna because of the high mercury levels. Cooked Tripe is great and so is a some coconut oil. I figure I can saute the veggies in coconut oil.

As far as percentages I have read a few different things but my research has come up with the below.

Version 1
75% Muscle/skin (i.e chicken breast)
10% Edible Bone
5% Liver
5% Non liver organs
5% Anti-oxidants/Veggies

Version 2
50% Meaty Bones
35% Muscle/Skin (i.e chicken breast)
5% Liver
5% Non liver organs
5% Anti-oxidants/Veggies

My main questions are about bones. I know you can’t just let the dog eat bones they have to get used to them so they actually chew them, else I’ll have to grind them up. But I’d prefer not to. Wolves don’t grind their bones up prior to eating.

I also am not entirely sure of what are good meaty bones, I know almost all bones in small animals are fine. Neck/tail bones of larger animals for the most part are fine. To stay away from basically legs as they’re denser. And an Edible bone should be something that is easily consumable.

What would be the best way to get my puppy acclimated to bones properly? Hand feeding is one I’ve found, but will I be able to trust my dog as she gets older and bigger? I don’t plan to leave her food out or anything but let’s say I put the food down and something comes that needs my attention for a bit. I’d like to think she’d be fine. I’m paranoid and want to do this right.

Also could I possibly be missing something at all?

Resources used
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijP_CVZUa5g&list=LLcG0oHG3mpprbGFFglrzVyg&index=2
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/raw-feeding-primer/
http://rawfeddogs.org/rawguide.html
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/04/01/raw-food-diet-part-1.aspx
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/04/01/raw-food-diet-part-2.aspx
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/04/01/raw-food-diet-part-3.aspx
http://www.dogster.com/forums/Raw_Food_Diet/thread/697247/1
And various other user forums and sites.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Kelly P.

[Pitlove]

Hi Ivan- Congratulations on your pup firstly. Malinois are absolutely stunning dogs.

Like GSD’s, Malinois’ are most often over 50lbs at max weight which means they are a large breed. Large breed puppies require a very strict diet and a food that is formulated to meet the needs of a growing LBP. This means, a food with controlled levels of calcium which will help the body grow slowly, reducing the risk of your pup developing devastating orthopedic disorders even later on in his/her life. Another thing to make sure of is that you do not overfeed too many calories. So no free feeding!

Here is a link to Dr. Susan Wynn’s site which you will find an article about Large Breed Puppy nutrition that you download to Word. Dr. Wynn is a very well respected veterinary nutritionist.

http://www.susanwynn.com/Literature.php

Also a link to the Hill’s website about LBP nutrition-

http://www.hillspet.com/en/us/dog-care/nutrition-feeding/special-diet-needs-of-large-breed-dogs

Some food suggestions to look into that are known to have safe levels of calcium are Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy, NutriSource Large Breed Puppy, and Precise Holistic Complete Large & Giant Breed Puppy. There are a lot more out their including Royal Canin, Hill’s and Purina if you want to go that route- those I listed are just my personal favorites.

Edit: Oh you mentioned Taste of the Wild. Both their puppy formulas are formulated with safe calcium levels and would be fine for a large breed puppy.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Pitlove.

[Kimberly R]

Thanks for the advice about reading the label each time, Denise. It would never have occurred to me to do that. And a Brittany that can’t go outside…a cruel twist of fate for sure. On the dog food hunt- we also almost went back to a cheap grocery-store brand because of the difficulty of finding pea-free food. At least corn did not make her face blow up to the size of a basketball. I was dreading it but after spending every evening researching over the past two weeks I finally found a dog food from an excellent company. Excellent in that it has never had a recall and controls all of their manufacturing – they have their own facility and they have their own labs – all USA made and still a family business. I sent them an email 2 two days ago asking if they used pea products from China and they responded almost immediately. They do not use anything from China. Sourcing comes from the US, Canada and France (the duck). They are very serious about maintaining their quality record. They also produce some well known “people” food snacks as KLN Family brands (but not in the same facility), so they are no strangers to safety and USDA monitoring. The pet food side of the company is Tuffy’s Pet Food and their web site is http://www.nutrisourcepetfoods.com. Long story short-their NutriSource Chicken and Rice is what I am now feeding my allergy prone puppy. It did not get a 5-star from DogFoodAdvisor but it is a quality dog food. It contains no potatoes, no soy, no peanuts and NO PEAS. All ingredients are identifiable – nothing generic. And it is a reasonable price for the quality. Check out http://www.chewy.com to research and purchase – it will be delivered to your door in just a few days. Chewy’s sell a bunch of Tuffy’s products, although many with peas like all the top brands now. On the 5-star rating – we used to feed a Wellness brand that was 5-star rated by DogFoodAdvisor but it was much too rich and fatty. No allergy issues but the dogs never had solid stools while they were on it. Hugs to your gal!

[Jenn H]

I have used some of their products. No issues at all.
When they came out with a dehydrated food I contacted them to get maximum amounts of calcium & phosphorus as I have a large breed puppy.
They were very quick, thorough and helpful in helping me decided which to feed him and my other dogs.
They love the treats and foods.
And I love how forthcoming and nice the company was. Didn’t seem like they were just rattling off a script, but knew what they were talking about.
Those things matter a lot to me.

[Jenn H]

I’ve fed different Wellness to my dogs. They all like it and do well. It’s not the best choice for us economically however. I find that for the puppy anyway I had to feed him twice as much than what he gets now. It wasn’t very satisfying either. Other than that I have no complaints. I like how they handled recalls and basically took back control of the company. They are in the next town from me and have actually said I was welcome to come by and see where they distribute their food.

Since I have begun rotating my dogs’ food I have learned that it’s something that should be done anyway. It helps to ensure they do in fact get balanced nutrition. Also helps their bodies make its own good bacteria. And as a bonus I have avoided recalls. Seems we have been lucky to stay a step ahead.

[Sarah H]

Thank you every one for all your advice about the puppy eating the cat food. It is a daily struggle but we are managing. She is still much more interested in the cat food than her own food and sniffs around the empty placemat looking for it after we have put it up on the counter. I have been reading about rotation feeding and I am curious as to people’s opinions. We got our puppy 2 weeks ago and weaned her gradually from the crappy food she had been used to by mixing a little bit more every day. Her poops were a bit soft and yellow at first but now they are firm and brown, so she is used to the new food. She is currently eating Wellness Puppy wet food and Wellness Small Breed Puppy dry food. I mix a little of the dry kibble into the wet food as well as providing a bowl of dry food to munch on. She eats three times a day, with sometimes a late night snack of a few bites of dry food if she is hungry. She likes it but it seems so boring to have the same food day in and day out. I have always fed my cat (formerly two cats) the “rotation” diet without actually knowing that was what it was called. My cat eats several brands and flavors and is very finicky and would stop eating if I gave her the same thing at every meal. Is it OK to mix up the foods for the puppy as well? If so, do I need to mix them gradually again? Thanks in advance.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Sarah H.

[Jenn H]

I have an almost 7 month GSD puppy. He’s already in the mid 60s in weight.
Until he was 6 months old he had been getting Wellness Core Grain Free Puppy. It was a very good food. And I chose it because it was the best food with the least amount of calcium that was available at big box stores making it easy for my husband could pick it up when I needed him to.
(The other Wellness large breed puppy/all life stages foods have more calcium than the aforementioned.)
I like to rotate my dog’s foods every few months and had a hard time looking for food that met the same criteria and hopefully wasn’t grain free. (I prefer they not be limited to ingredients unless there’s a medical need.)
After much searching & contacting of companies (since they love to only list the min amt of calcium in the GA) I settled on Solid Gold Wolf Cub.
I highly recommend it! Gronk is finally satisfied after meals and I have to feed him half as much. (I actually feed 1/4-1/2 cup less than recommended to allow aome wiggle room for other things.) I thought for sure that would piss him off. I’m saving a bundle too!!!!
The other thing that happened often with his previous food was intermittent diarrhea. Even though the dogs get pumpkin every morning he still had soft/mushy/watery stools once in a while. Hasn’t happened once since the switch!
I’m definitely keeping this puppy food in the rotation. Hope to have the same results with the adult formulas.
Anyone obsessively looking for a good food for their large breed pup and can’t spend a fortune may want to check out Solid Gold Wolf Cub.
The company itself was also very quick & helpful in response to my questions. To me that’s a huge plus.

[aimee]

Hi Lovemypuppy,

There are various ways to calculate calorie needs and none of them are particularly accurate in regards to any one dog. After arriving at the number nutritionists will say that any individual dog can deviate 50% in either direction from that number. So if I calculate 500 kcals a day that means some dogs may require only 250 kcals a day and others 750 kcals.

Feed to body condition, calculate the calories that your dog requires and then if switching between foods feed on a caloric basis.

I have found that feeding calculators for raw diets are usually on the low end. I think that is so it makes the diet look more affordable than it actually is.

I took a look at Natures Variety calculator and plugged in some info and I agree the number of ounces they recommend didn’t add up to the number of kcals recommended. You may want to contact the company about that. The calculator told me to feed 9.5 ounces and 590 calories but 9.5 ounces fell far short of 590 calories using their caloric data.

Inked Marie.. It never made sense to me to say feed 2-3% body weight as the number of calories/ kg vary greatly. For example for Primal pork they report 35 kcals/ounce. Using the 2-3% rule i would feed between 6-9 oz a day for my dog or ~210-315 kcals. But if i used 6-9 ounces of their beef formula 384-576 kcals. Nearly a 2 fold difference.

[Jeanine P]

I am interested to find out if anyone has had any liver issues with their puppies while feeding Costco Premium Puppy food. I Switched from another brand a year ago and had a litter of puppies. I had been feeding mom the Costco food. One puppy was extremely tiny compared to the rest. I was concerned it might be an issue with the dog food so I switched back to my old brand. A year later a friend who is a vet tech said it was a good food and switched back to Costco brand. I had a litter of puppies again and again had a very tiny puppy in this litter as well. ( I had never had this happen until I fed this food). Then four weeks later one pup became very ill and found to have liver issues said to be caused from poor nutrition. I of course have switched back to my old brand but feel maybe Costco needs to be looking at a recall.

[Brian L]

My dog recently had Pancreatitis and was in hospital for 4 day. He’s an 11 year old Yorkie. We think it was brought on from him eating puppy food we were giving our 6 month old yorkie.
We now feed him only Royal Canin Low Fat prescription food, wet and dry. We leave the dry food out all the time, as he’s always been good at not over eating dry food. We started giving him maybe 1/8 of a can of the Wet RC food in the morning, noon and evening. We now sometimes give him a little wet food in the AM, but feed him no more than 1/2 a can a day (he’s around 10 lbs). For snacks, he gets boiled chicken, and so does the puppy. We have to feed them apart, which isn’t easy. We also give both of them organic low fat cottage cheese occasionally for snacks.
Many people on this forum suggested i join the Canine Pancreatits group on Facebook, which has been an excellent resource.

[Linda B]

Hi!
I understand that we need to watch the calcium levels in the foods our large breed puppies are eating as well as avoiding over feeding. My concern is treats… I’ve heard that freeze dried liver is high in calcium. Should this be limited as a treat for my puppy? I would imagine cheese is a big no no. I need to use a lot of high value treats, (as well as puppy kibble) for training purposes but I am concerned about the “hidden calcium” adding up.
Thank you for any advice!
Linda

[Daniel H]

Last year on January 26th me and my wife were fortunate enough to adopt an 8 week old Cavachon puppy. When we got him the rescue group had him on diamond naturals puppy food which we continued to use until he was a year old this November. He did very well on the diamond naturals and seemed to like it although he has never been a scheduled meal eater he has been more of a grazer. A few months before he turned a year old he started getting finicky about eating the diamond naturals. We left on a vacation for a few days and he stayed with my parents. My mom was worried because he really wasn’t eating so she gave him a little of the 4health canned food that she feeds her dogs and he ate his whole bowl. When we got back I wasn’t really to happy that she started him on wet food but I know it is good for them to have some variety and my mom has always fed wet and dry food so I wasn’t going to get to bent out of shape. Ever since then we have been searching for a food that he will eat consistently. He quickly started to turn his nose up to the 4health and diamond naturals so we started searching for solutions. I went online and ordered some samples of different dry foods. I ordered fromm samples, redpaw samples, evangers samples, nutrisource samples, and solid gold samples. He turned up to every single one except the solid gold barking at the moon. So I immediately went out and picked up a 4 pound bag. He seemed to really like it he was eating it with and without wet food (nutro tubs we found he liked them). That lasted about 2 months and then he would no longer eat the barking at the moon. I figured maybe he wants a variety so I contacted solid gold. They were fantastic to deal with and were very nice they sent me some samples of other formulas that they have as well as a coupon for one free 4lb bag of whatever flavor I wanted. So we ended up going away from the barking at the moon to the sunday sunrise lamb and cold waters salmon. We paired the lamb with beef nutro wet food and salmon with chicken nutro wet food. We would also put the chicken with the lamb but he would not eat the beef with the salmon. He has been doing well for months and now we are getting back into the mode where he is turning his nose up to almost any of the combonations that we put down. I don’t want to keep switching his food, I am ok with a rotational diet and think it is good for him to get a variety of food but I kind of am at the point where I don’t really know what to do should I stick with the same stuff and he will come back around to eating it should I try to switch? I contacted Diamond pet foods and they are sending some samples I figure maybe try the diamond naturals again but I hate to buy all these bags of food and have them go bad. If I could donate them after they were open that would be fine but our local humane society wont take them if they have been open which I guess is understandable. I have also tried the Solid gold wee bits bison and there chicken formula and he will not eat either no matter what wet food we use. I did buy there duck formula but haven’t opened it yet because I don’t want to waste it. Luckily our local pet supplies store has the 4 pound bags on sale for $10 and solid gold has a coupon on their website for $7.50 off a bag if I was buying it at $16 a bag I wouldn’t be very happy right now. I am just looking for some advice I really don’t know what else to do if anyone has any options I would appreciate any help or guidance. Thank you in advance.

[Raven L]

Hi, everybody! Four-Five weeks ago I got a new puppy. She is an Anatolian Shepherd/Great Pyrenees mix. I am currently feeding her 4Health (tractor supply brand) puppy flood and would like to start to transition her to a new food since she’s almost completely out of food. The problem I am running into is the fact that I am a young college student on a very limited budget, but I still want her to have at least decent food. I live in a small farm town and the only place that sells dog food is Wal Mart and Tractor Supply, so those are my choices. I am willing to order some online as well, though.
I can only afford to pay about $1.35 a pound, which is about $40 for a 30lb bag. I have been looking into Fromm Large Breed Puppy food, but the least expensive I have found it is $48 for a 33lb bag online.
Any tips, advice, anything would be very helpful and appreciated! Thanks.

[Jenn H]

I just switched my 6 month old GSD from Wellness Grain Free Core Large Breed Puppy to Solid Gold Wolf Cub.
I chose Wellness because of its calcium content not being more than 1.5%
It took a while to find another brand to put in his rotation that doesn’t exceed the recommended maximum calcium amount for large breed pups.
He’s done well on both so far. I think I like the Solid Gold more. I feed him half the amount and it’s not grain free.
It’s difficult to find LBP food that doesn’t exceed 1.5% calcium. You may have to do the leg work and email companies asking for the maximum amount on a dry matter basis as fed. Annoyingly they often just put min amounts.

[Joanne K]

Hi Suzanne — Glad to hear Cookie appears better. Too many antibiotics was my first reaction. Your poor pup was becoming a chemical soup. Think of her as a tiny baby — they are very reactive to anything entering their systems — food, drugs, bacteria. The antibiotics have affected her gut flora so by adding a probiotic or a dollop of yogurt to her meals it will help replenish it. For a puppy that size and even at full-grown, she won’t consume that much food so if you must feed kibble, invest in the best quality — and only buy small bags so you can replace it every week or two as it does go rancid.

To keep her drinking, add tuna water or beef broth or chicken broth to her water. You can easily make your own bone broth (preferable grass-fed beef bones and chicken bones in a crockpot with 1T apple cider vinegar, dulse, mushrooms, kale, cover with water and slow cook for 24 hours. Skim off fat, refrigerate some, freeze the rest in cubes), and add a half cup to each meal to add enzyme and nutrients. You can use it in your own soups too! Google bone broth for a list of benefits.

I always advocate whole foods (not canned, bagged or processed) so the closer you can get to this, the better for a dog’s health and your own. As others have said, any changes should be made over the course of a week or 2 to avoid upsetting the system even more.

The body, theirs and ours, is an amazing thing if you allow it to do what it is supposed to do with minimal stresses of unknown foods and drugs.

[Kelly P]

I am going to be getting a Malamute/Husky/Wolf puppy in the near future, I plan on feeding raw making the portions myself. I’ve done extensive research for the past year on raw feeding as to help make sure I get the proper ratios for nutrients etc. However, I know that I’m going to run into at some point needing to go on a trip and going to need food for my puppy, obviously carrying around frozen food isn’t the most ideal because I don’t want to potentially harm my dog.

If I were to use my food dehydrator to dehydrate the food would that work? but wouldn’t I have to feed a bit more because of the lost nutrients? And what about the calcium portion? I could just buy something like Blue Buffalo for these occasions, but I’d rather try to stick to me preparing their food.

[yjesse]

Hi everyone, I was wondering whether my Golden Retriever Charlie is underweight. She is just about 9 months and weighs 41 pounds. I can feel her ribs, but it’s not visible. I can feel her hip bones as well, and she looks narrow. She has good appetite, great energy, and always finishes her food. The vet thinks she’s on the skinny side but otherwise healthy. We’ve had her checked for worms and parasites, and all came back negative. I am currently feeding Orijen Puppy Large or Kasik Pacific Fish with a bit of wet food and 1/4 C. of raw goat milk every days. Any suggestions to help her “bulk up” a bit?

Here’s a picture of Charlie from a few days ago: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B49deblV4jyoenk5NTVfOFpnLWM/view?usp=sharing

Thank you

[Crow M]

Congratulations on your new family member!

I went through the same ordeal last year with a very elderly and underweight rescue; how to put on weight safely, finding the balance between feeding him enough but not too much, so that his weight gain wasn’t too quick and his system wasn’t overwhelmed with too many fats.

I second the advice above – if at all possible, feed him 3 or 4 small meals a day instead of 1 or 2 big ones. I fed a good-quality puppy food mixed with a good-quality adult food* starting with a 3:1 ratio. As he came close to his target weight, I gradually changed the ratio to 2:2, then 1:3, and then finally all adult food.

Supplements: don’t over-do it. I’d give him probiotics and maybe a joint med, but really, good food is going to wonders all by itself.

*Earthborn Holistics Puppy Vantage, Earthborn Holistics Great Plains Feast, Earthborn Holistics Large Breed (all dry); Wellness Complete/Core Puppy, Wellness Complete Senior and Canidae Large Breed (all canned). I mix up what I feed my dogs; variety is a good thing.

[DEBBIE R]

Help!! I am currently feeding my 6 month old yellow lab, Abbey, Wellness Core Puppy. I just read on the web that they add Green Tea Extract to the formula which can cause Liver toxicity. I need to change her food but I don’t know what to change to. Abbey weighs 55 pounds now and looks healthy. She has had bad gas for the last month and her stool does not always have good form.
I got Abbey after a devastating loss of my 16 month Lab Maggie, who went into kidney failure after an undiagnosed kidney disease. I would be devastated if I have damaged
Abbey. PLEASE HELP

[Kim E]

I bought the salmon and chickpea for my 6 month old puppy. I was feeding him natural balance kangaroo and sweet potato due to his skin allergies. The NB dog food stopped his itching with in 3 days! Great right? But what’s not is the $22 for 4 lb. It lasted him about a 1 week and a half to 2 weeks if I remember correctly. The size were about half an inch in diameter for “puppies to adult”. I went to visit my parents who live town with no petco and ran out of NB. I went to heb and saw grain free heritage ranch 6lb bag for 8$ I was a little skeptical. But I thought worse case scenario I just pick up a bag of NB when I’m near a petco (which is what I was already planning on doing. Gave my pup a cup and he started eating right way. They are 1/4th the size of NB food, which I feel like is way more suitable for a puppy. It seems to be working for his allergies as he is not scratching or biting his feet constantly. So for me this is great because it’s less than half the price f NB, I get more product, and my dog loves it. I will add that I tried the HR with lamb and brown rice which is soy/wheat and corn free. This does cause my puppy to scratch against the carpet for about 1-5 minutes after eating. I believe this is because this formula does contain grain. We will be sticking to HR salmon and chickpea but if your dog isn’t alergic to grain I’m sure the lamb formula would be just fine

[Flowers]

Hello

My Dachshund is a year old now and has been on Acana Puppy and Junior dry food. He has always been skinny But if I feed him slightly extra it upsets his tummy. Lately thought he has had very runny stools. Usually his first one of the day is normal but the ones that follow are not, I can’t even pick them up. (Sorry for those who are eating whilst reading this!!!)

I chose Acana because it was rated as a five star food but I don’t think that it is agreeing with my dog. I do wonder if it may be too high in protein. Where I live there is not a huge choice in the pet shop of dog foods so I don’t know what to change to. The choices are Blackwood dog food, Taste of the Wild, Nutri Source or one called Holistic Pro Series.

Has anyone experience of any of the above foods or suggestions as to what I can do?

Thanks

[Jenn H]

Aimee you are absolutely correct about not just looking at the ingredients, but all the other things like quality control and who designed the diets, etc.
It takes me forever to decide on new foods because of the labeling. They often have minimums listed and usually I need to the max. For instance I have a large breed puppy. I don’t need to know the min calcium nearly as much as the max.
I also want to know where the ingredients are sourced, do they use co-packers…none of these are on the bags. Most of the time they are even on the website.
This leads me to email companies directly with a list of about 15 questions and I ask whatever they have left out.
Most companies have been very forthcoming.

As for vets recommendations…ugh. I’ve been having that same problem w/ my vet. I’ve been going to them for 20+ yrs. The owner is now on the board for Science Diet. They have been pushing it a lot lately. Not only are the ingredients just fillers, but they now have a new head honcho at Hill’s that thinks chicken feathers are fine to feed and is using crap ingredients because it’s cheap.

I don’t know if OP realizes that Hills and Royal Canin are the same company now.

Just remember that what works for 1 dog doesn’t always work for another. I have 3 dogs and they have 3 different diets.

[N C]

HI,
I just joined this website and saw your post from Jan 2014 about what to feed your then-10 week old vizsla puppy. My girl is now 7 months and still on Purina Pro Choice – sport. That is what the breeder recommended. I’ve been adding ground beef, turkey, rice, pumpkin and some organic wet food to her kibble. (Not all at the same time). I notice her stools are often soft. She itches the sides of her face against the sofa after every meal, and she occasionally scratches her legs with her mouth. From what I’ve been reading, it might be the kibble. Can I ask what you ended up doing about your pup’s diet? Can’t seem to get any clear cut answer from the vet. The breeder, who kept my girl’s sister, still touts the Purina kibble. Thanks.

[Susan]

Hi Sunny,
I feed cooked chicken, broccoli, sweet potatoes, zucchini for breakfast, then for dinner I feed kibble, I change foods, I don’t feed the same food everyday… I have frozen cooked kangaroo rissoles that I made the other day, so today I added 2 small kangaroo rissole with Patches chicken & veggies & less chicken only 1/2 cup chicken instead of 1 cup chicken cause I added the Kangaroo, the next morning I add salmon with the chicken… they love sardines or salmon mixed thru a meal…

Have you tried feeding a balanced raw diet, your dog may prefer a raw diet, my dog loves raw, but he regurgitates the raw when he burps then he gets his acid reflux, he has IBD so I cant feed raw….I don’t think you need to see a vet he’s just becoming a fussy dog, maybe a bit spoilt, so be careful when he refuses to eat something put it in the fridge after 10mins of it sitting on the floor & him not eating it & bring it back out 1-2 hours later when he’s hungry & see if he will eat it…. I always warm my boy food in microwave but once you heat it they have to eat it, you cant stick it back in fridge….they know how to do the sad puppy eyes & look at you real sad, so you feel guilty & give them what they want & he’s a pup, so he’s working out what he can get away with…

What are you feeding him?? maybe its yuk or he ate it,then felt sick,I had a boxer & my old cat, they would eat something once maybe twice then if the food made them feel sick & or have diarrhea then they wouldn’t eat it again….

[Sarah H]

I am getting an 8 week old Shih Tzu Puppy in a couple weeks. I have been reading a lot of reviews and I am torn between Blue Buffalo and Wellness. Any opinions? They both make Small Breed Puppy food in dry and Puppy food (not size specific) in wet. I realize there are some super premium brands with somewhat higher ratings but if I am going to stick to one brand I prefer to go with something I know I can find at Petsmart. I feed my cat some of these super premium brands which I buy at the smaller stores, in addition to the brands I buy at Petsmart, but I understand that puppies should stick to one brand. The breeders currently feed the puppies Purina Puppy Chow (yuck) and Mighty Dog (double yuck), so I know I will have to introduce the new food gradually. Also, should I stick to a puppy food for the wet food or is a small breed adult wet food OK? Also what size portion of wet/dry food for an 8 week old puppy? I have read that before 3 months old they should free feed the dry food and have wet food at meal times. Thanks in advance!

[Laura M]

In answer to the original question posted – I don’t think you will get a quality food for under $1 a pound in my humble opinion. I agree the food does not necessarily have to be on the 4 or 5 star listing either. I started with a new puppy (6 months old as of this writing) and I switched him from Diamond to Nutrisource large breed puppy. I think Nutrisource is a fabulous, easy on the system and quality made food, which is reasonably priced. The company is family owned and I believe I read somewhere that they have never had a recall. Because I want a higher protein I will eventually get my puppy onto Acana because I am really impressed with that brand and feed it to my other dogs, but Nutrisource is affordable and very agreeable with my dog and many other people I have talked with about this subject. Good luck in finding something that suits all your needs – as someone earlier said, we need to take many things into consideration when picking a food for our pets.

[Suzanne J]

Thank you both for your very kind replies. I had a feeling that Purina was NOT the best for my puppy, & that’s why I joined here ~ to educate myself & to find better food. I would appreciate any suggestions for food, and I don’t mind paying more. I’d do anything for her health. My vet said Purina was fine.

crazy4 cats ~ The reason the vet even gave her antibiotics in the first place was she suspected an infection because I said she pees a lot without much urine coming out, and she was licking herself a lot. When I took Cookie, my puppy, back again after the first round of antibiotics she did give her a urine test and it had some protein and crystals showing up so she gave Cookie another round of the same antibiotic. A week later her second test came back even worse with even more protein and crystals. She said I had to wait a week to get the antibiotic out of her system before the “clean urine test”. She suspected a resistant infection like e-coli or something. When my vet did the clean urine test no infection showed up at all, but she still had crystals. My puppy has not been the same since that test. She was so scared they had to sedate her to do the test. Now she’s jumpy and gets scared way more easily than she did before, but that may just be typical puppy behavior. My vet was stumped and put her on Cosequin, and just from stuff I read on the Internet I also added the Solid Gold Berry Balance. I was hoping it would help.

I am going back to my vet in two weeks for yet another urinalysis. If this one is still bad I am taking her for a second opinion before I take her out of state to see that specialist. I found a vet in Gulfport that has an ultrasound machine, and I have already told them I may be coming. His machine may not be as great as the specialist in Louisiana, but at least he could give me his opinion of what I should do. I think my vet suspects a structural defect, but she admits she doesn’t know. She just keeps recommending more and more tests. The specialist told my vet his test may not show anything, but then again it might. I’m hesitant to put my puppy through too many more tests. She’s just a little puppy, & I am really hoping with good food & The Berry Balance she may get better.

Yes, I am very open to suggestions on food. I’ve been trying to get Cookie to drink more water by adding ice cubs & taking her to the water bowl several times a day. I don’t mind feeding her wet food either, even though my vet told me dry food is better. Heck, my vet hasn’t helped me or Cookie yet unless scaring us both to death counts.

[Suzanne J]

My cocker spaniel puppy is three months old. She has struvite crystals & protein in her urine, but no infection. She had two rounds of antibiotics, and when that didn’t help the vet was afraid she had e-coli or some kind of infection that wouldn’t show up in a “dirty catch”. The next thing she did to my puppy was a clean urine test & that came back negative for infection. They had to sedate her for the procedure, and now she seems scared and fearful. The vet wants to do a $600 ultrasound, but I would have to take her to a specialist in another state for that procedure. I’ll do it if I have to, but I hate to put her through going to yet another vet for another procedure that may not even help. I asked my vet to prescribe a food for uti health, but she said she was not old enough for the Hill’s UT health prescription.
Right now she is eating Purina Puppy Chow with some wet Purina Alpo Chop House wet mixed in with it, and that’s why I joined this site. I’m so afraid I’m feeding her the wrong thing, and making things worse. I’m also using Solid Gold Berry Balance mixed with her food, and she seems to like it okay. The vet did give her a prescription for Cosequin, and I mix that in with her food too. I might add my puppy seems to feel fine & she’s playful and happy until I try to put her in the car to go to the vet.
I’ve read and read on this site, but I have not been able to find anybody else with this same problem with a puppy this young. I’m also very confused about high protein vs. low protein. Can anybody give me any advice ? Thank you. 🙂

[Susan]

Hi Natasha, how old is your pup? & have you wormed her? My boy was eating the Wellness White Fish & Sweet potatoes Complete Health kibble, about 2 months ago, he was doing OK poos when I started introducing the Wellness White fish & Sweet potatoes kibble & mixing it with vet diet kibble…. I use a vet diet kibble that he does good on, to fall back on when something goes wrong with his poos……He suffers with IBD food intolerances & skin allergies….. after 1-2 weeks eating the Wellness kibble, he started farting, having bad gas pain & doing sloppy yellow poos, so I wormed him with Milbemax an all wormer cause he was due to be wormed & I changed his kibble back to his vet diet kibble & started cooking & freezing & feeding a cooked meal for breakfast, Chicken breast, potato, broccoli, sweet potatoes & zucchini, but at first I just feed chicken & potatoes to see his poos stayed firm & they did then I added 1 new veggie per week, only if his poo was firm….
I’d worm your pup if she is due soon to be wormed & change her food, try a different brand a limited ingredient kibble like “California Natural” Lamb & Brown Rice Puppy it has only 5 ingredients, the Wellness brands have tooo many ingredients to pin point which ingredient is doing this if it is an food sensitivity, if after trying another limited ingredient food & the poos are still yellow go & see a vet, she may need some “Metronidazole” antibiotic for the stomach & bowel….
Here’s California Natural site it has better ingredients then the American Vet Diets have, its good to have a food that you know they do well on so if you have to you have a kibble or wet tin food you can feed quickly if needed… In Australia our vet diets have better ingredients, its probably our strict custom laws…. http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products
Or you could try “Daves Pet Food” if you don’t want to cook Chicken, he has Delicate Chicken & Rice that puppys can eat…. look at the ingredients to the Puppy kibble it has too many ingredient like the Wellness… http://davespetfood.com/product/daves-delicate-dinner-canned-dog-food/

[Natasha]

I’m currently feeding my dog a mixture of the Wellness Core puppy formula and their Wellness Stews. I’ve had her on the stews for about a month now, and before that she was eating a mix of the same puppy kibble mixed with the Wellness Petite Fillets.

I have all six flavors of the stews and usually what I do is open one can and feed her that flavor until it finishes, then open another can a different flavor. So usually each can lasts about a day and a half.

For the past 3-4 days her poop has been a little weird. It’s been pale yellow. I looked up what this could mean and saw that it could be a symptom of food intolerance. Her poop has had a few instances in the past where it would be strange for one potty session and then go back to normal, so I’ve been waiting to see if it goes back to its usual state. On Saturday she pooped twice and it was back to its normal brown, but today it’s been back to pale yellow and a more goopy texture.

She’s been a little less enthusiastic about the food lately, but she gets bored very easily (which is the main reason I have all these different stew flavors) so I don’t know if it’s because she has a real aversion to it.

• This topic was modified 10 years ago by Natasha.
• This topic was modified 10 years ago by Natasha.

[Dina Kouveliotes]

I feed Now Fresh Large Breed Adult – the kibble is big so my GSD has to chew her food. I fed her the puppy version too, kibble is smaller but not as small as most adult dog foods. My dog does extremely well digesting NOW Fresh. She could not digest Orijen or Fromm. Good luck!

[Dina Kouveliotes]

Hi. The investment in a dogs food pays back by not needing to feed as much per meal and improved health. Fromm is a reputable manufacturer and their Gold line is reasonably priced. Their 4 star line is mostly grain free which is better, but some varieties are more costly. The company has never had a recall.

If you have Costco in Canada, their Kirkland brand dog food is very economical and I think a well rated food.

However, overall dogs are expensive. The vet well visits, vaccines, spay/neuter, and grooming costs (depending on the dog and if you groom yourself, including nail trims) add up quickly. Then add on a crate for training, leashes, collars, toys and puppy training classes (unless you are getting a trained service dog or know how to train) is on top of the other costs and does not include food and the unexpected visits because the puppy/dog is sick, ate something it shouldn’t have (for example my sisters puppy ate a roll packing tape and that was $700 vet visit without surgery).

And if you intend to keep your dog by your side 24/7 then you won’t need daycare or a dog walker, but if you want to go someplace alone or overnight you’ll have to make arrangements.

I suggest googling the cost of owning a dog and find out the cost for the breed you are considering, average life expectancy and common health issues. A dog is hopefully a long-term commitment, so think it through and please make sure you can afford all the costs and never feed grocery store brand foods like Beneful. Good luck!

[Kristine V]

Hi all,

Thank you all for your support and suggestions. Koji’s symptoms started early September. We noticed he was looking a little skinny and suddenly he started throwing up before eating, after eating, eating grass etc. On evening of day 3 and throwing up, we took him to his vet. They gave him a shot to help with the nausea. The last time he had seen his vet was in June for his last puppy shots. From June to September he had not gained any weight. His symptoms were slowly creeping on. That night at the vets office, they did x-rays and said there was no visible foreign object but there was lots of gas and thickening of his small intestines associated with inflammation. Our vet then referred us to a specialist, Internal Medicine doctor. Ultrasound was done, which pretty much revealed the same as the x-ray. From this point on, he just got worse. He was put on so many medications, had every blood test done, and everything pointed toward Inflammartory Bowel Disease.

THE BIG PROBLEM: Koji is eating, however, due to whatever is going on in his small intstines, is NOT ALLOWING ANY NUTRIENTS to be absorbed in his body. Hence the continued weight loss. Last week alone he lost 3 pounds within 4 days. He went from 81lbs and is now down to 74lbs. So I’m sure as your reading this, you can see our desperation and dilemma. NOTHING is working. His new vet, who did the NutriScan food sensitivity test and is currently treating Koji, is as baffled as we are. No matter what we feed him, no matter waht supplements we have given him or how often he eats, his body is just not absorbing any nutrients. We tried the Holistic approach along with Western Medicine and NO SUCCESS. Trust me when I say this, we have exhausted every non surgical option to help our boy. I am his voice and his advocate and no matter the cost, we are not giving up on him. I have called so many specialist BEGGING to have a new set of eyes review his medical records and NOT ONE specialist was willing to review them without paying $180.00 and having to bring Koji in for an appointment. I work in the medical field and peer case reviews are done all the time. Why in the hell can’t a group of specialist do the same.

So this is where we are….our baby is in pain, has no life in him, no excitement, no mommy kisses or cuddles. He doesn’t want to be bothered. My husband and I knew the steriods would make him feel like this and we told ourselves we have to suck it up seeing him like this and pray for a damn miracle that the steriods kick in internally and we see progress. Sadly, nothing has changed except him getting skinnier. On the positive, we had his protein levels checkedthis past Tuesday and they are perfect. Meaning he is not in immediate life threathening danger. Meaning we have a little more time to give the steriods a good 2 weeks of waiting and see what happens. There is no worse heart ripping pain than seeing him suffer like this. So as you can imagine, as much as we truly DO NOT want him going through open abdominal surgery, we have no other choice. It’s a major surgery and not one to be taken lightly. The risks associated with this surgery are very high and we could very well loose him. But in our hearts, we feel we are slowly loosing him now. So what’s a parent to do? Risk the surgery and know we will get an exact diagnosis, or do nothing and we end up having to cross him over the rainbow bridge? It’s tuff ya’ll. A very crappy situation to be in. For all we know, and the IM doctor said herself, he could have a piece of plastic or some small object in his intestine that she wasn’t able to see on ultrasound. I can go on and on but in the end, nothing we are doing is working and he isn’t getting any better and I just want a miracle and want my baby back! 🙁

I would like to post his picture so you all can see my beautiful boy but I don’t know how to upload a picture on here as my profile picture.