[FrenchieBourdeaux]

Hey,

I was wondering what are good supplements for large breed puppies that are a must I have a 6 month old Dogue De Bordeaux Mastiff and wanted to make sure he gets all the supplements he is needed especially sense his grandfather was an impressive 210 pounds. And also is it okay to start adding goats milk to his food? I currently have him on the Fromm game bird and boiled rice and chicken rotation every other day.

Thanks for any help. Just want the best for my little guy.

[aimee]

When adding supplements to a dog’s diet they shouldn’t make up more then 10% of the caloric intake. I use fresh foods whole foods as supplements: veggies, fruits ( no grapes raisins, currents, onions, garlic ) DHA,EPA ( fish oils).

I’m not sure what you mean by rotating boiled chicken and rice with Fromm. Boiled chicken and rice is missing many nutrients and as such is not a suitable to use as a meal on an ongoing basis. If using boiled chicken and rice it should not make up more than 10% of the calories fed that day unless you are balancing your homemade food.

[aquariangt]

That does seem a bit odd, Aimee. Frenchie- are you doing it because he is having stomach issues? That’s usually the only reason I’ve heard of anyone doing just chicken and rice, but it certainly isn’t healthy for every other day. If it’s because of stomach issues, I’d be worried that the Fromm is not agreeing with your pup

[FrenchieBourdeaux]

No he does good with the Fromm I just add it to his food every other day. My vet and the breeder said it helps with there digestion. But I have been reading and hearing a lot about goats milk and the great benefits for dogs and I was curious if I could use that or if it would be to much calcium right now. And I here good and bad on supplements so wasn’t sure what to do on them. And kind of off the topic question but how do you load a pic on your profile…..I feel like a idiot bc I cant figure it out.

Thanks

[aquariangt]

There is a sticky on the help section of the forums on how to load it.

That’s interesting that they told you to just add that for digestion. I wouldn’t add anymore rice if it were me, and I would only add chicken under the amount of unbalanced topper you should be doing. I don’t have giant breeds so I can’t answer the goats milk-> calcium question very thoroughly so hopefully someone with more experience will pipe up, but I like the benefits of goat’s milk in general

[theBCnut]

Raw goats milk is OK, but only add about 1/4 cup per day. You really want to be careful about unbalancing the diet of something that grows as fast as a Dogue. I would add the goats milk, fish or krill oil, and a little chicken or other lean meat or maybe a lightly cooked egg. If he isn’t having digestive issues, I wouldn’t mess up his diet to fix things that aren’t a problem.

[FrenchieBourdeaux]

Okay, thanks for all y’all s help.

[AspensMom]

I have a question about using sardines as a topper please. Today I bought some Wild Planet Sustainably caught in the pacific ocean wild sardines in water. It is a 4.375 oz can, it states the serving size is 2 oz. the calories per serving is 73, total fat 2g, saturated fat 1g, cholesterol 48mg, sodium 194mg and protein 13g. The ingredient list states sardines, water and sea salt. My questions are: how much should I feed my english setter puppy who just turned 5 months old and is currently 32 lbs, should I feed the entire can or only 1/2 the can as a topper over her kibble (once a week)? I’m not sure how many sardines are in the can as I don’t eat them and this is the first time I have bought sardines. Also, I was surprised to find sea salt added, but every other can I looked at also had sat added, and I am concerned about the amount of sodium in the can. Is this a high amount of salt for a puppy? Thanks in advance for any advice, recommendations! Aspensmom

[theBCnut]

Don’t worry about extra salt in one meal. He can easily handle it and there are good minerals and micronutrients in sea salt. You can feed him a whole can each week, but to start with you might want to feed him 1/2 the can at two different meals.

[Darren S]

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

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

[theBCnut]

Not HDM, but she always contacts the company and asks for “as fed” calcium levels rather than going by the label. Some companies don’t bother to get back to her and so don’t make the list, but I believe that Champion did get back to her and their “as fed” level was slightly higher than the label.

[Darren S]

My independent pet store is telling me that they contacted Farmina on this exact issue and they told me that they fall under the accepted ratio. Farmina does make a very good product and I probably would use it but I feel like I need better confirmation. Im curious if anyone else has been told the same thing with the Farmina brand? Thank you.

[theBCnut]

Farmina saying they fall in line is nothing like actually providing the needed information so that we can see that they do. Unfortunately, many companies claim that their calcium is low enough, but it turns out not to be.

[Darren S]

Here is the official email response from Farmina:

“In the product Natural & Delicious Puppy Large (Pomegranate Chicken and Grain Free) content of calcium and phosphorus per 1000 kcal is equal to 4 and 2.6 grams and their ratio is equal to 1.53. The values ​​of Ca and P are above the minimum and below the maximum recommended by the AAFCO their ratio 1.53:1 is included in the optimal ratio Ca / P of 1: 1 and 1.8: 1.” Thank you.

[theBCnut]

The optimal range for large and giant breeds is from 1:1 to 1.3:1 and the grams per 1000kcals is less than 3.5 according to some and 3.4 or less according to others, so those figures for Farmina are too high.

[Millie S]

Very helpful info…thanks all!

We have a 10 mo old, 90 lb. Irish wolf Bernard (Irish wolfhound crossed with a St. Bernard), our first giant breed. She’s fairly recently been having what seem to be growing pains or joint problems. Vet’s X-rays show no issues or concern with joints and chalk it up to bone density issues. Episodes have been completely debilitating a handful of times. Currently prescribed an anti inflammatory. Realizing, after reading, that we’ve probably not been feeding her properly. Been giving her a natural locally farmed mix of dog food. Higher in protein (26% crude protein), but no indication of calcium content. Any suggestions on what food might best suit her or how to remedy her discomfort/pain?

[theBCnut]

Here’s Hound Dog Mom’s latest list of safe foods
https://docs.google.com/viewer?srcid=0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk&pid=explorer&efh=false&a=v
You may have to join google docs, but that is an easy sign up and well worth it.

I would definitely look at calcium level as the reason for her issues. If you can get raw green tripe locally, you can add that to what you are feeding th lower the calcium level. But if the food you are feeding doesn’t have a legal AAFCO regs label, I would wonder what else it’s missing.

[jcmccallum]

HDM,

Thank you so much for compiling this list- it looks like it took an amazing effort!!! I will be a first time puppy owner in December of a wonderful bernedoodle (bernese/poodle cross) that should grow to be about 60-70 lbs. Until I pick him up he will be fed Nature’s Domain Turkey and Sweet Potato. I am thinking about transitioning him over to By Nature, however, was hoping you could clarify which By Nature product had the .80% calcium. The only By Nature Organic food I see on their website is cans. They have a “Natural” and a “Grain-Free” line that includes dry food. Where you referring to the By Nature puppy formula? Any clarity you would be willing to be provide would be greatly appreciated.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Jennifer –

I was referring to By Nature Organic (there was only one organic food, it was ALS). However upon looking at their website it appears that it may have been discontinued as I don’t see it listed anymore. The list, while still useful, is a bit outdated. We now have a recommended puppy food section in the Editor’s Choice area so I haven’t been updating this list.

[AspensMom]

HDM how to we access the new recommended puppy food section in the editors choice area? I clicked on the link you provided in your last post but it won’t load? Thank you.

[theBCnut]

Are you an EC member? If you are, you may not be signed in. If not, you have to join, which is why I still refer to HDMs old list. Newer is better, because foods can change at any time without warning and the ones on the EC list were recently rechecked to make sure they were still in range.

[Genevieve K]

Just for my information, when was the last time you updated this list? (https://docs.google.com/viewer?srcid=0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk&pid=explorer&efh=false&a=v)

The EC Recommended Puppy Foods list has very few grain-free foods and, of course, I have a Boerboel puppy who is allergic to everything but oxygen. Well, that my be an exaggeration but ww have to be incredibly careful with what he eats.

Right night, he’s eating Annamaet Aqualuk and is doing well but it’s incredibly expensive. I wanted to do some additional comparisons to see if there was something less expensive. That said, even an expensive food is cheaper than a visit to the vet!

(Thanks for all the effort you put into this. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. It’s certainly saved me from ‘torturing’ my puppy by experimenting with food and food after food. I know others feel the same way. So, rock on!)

[theBCnut]

HDM doesn’t come here very often. She is incredibly busy. In fact, when she popped in the other day it was because I emailed her. The latest update on that list was posted on page 15 of this thread if you want to go back to it and check the date. Every time it has been linked since then, it has been the same doc.

[Hound Dog Mom]

The google doc should state the last date it was updated.

[Pluto.the.St.Bernard]

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

[Celine W]

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

[BeachDogs]

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

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

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

Thanks!

[theBCnut]

For a large breed over 10 month old, you don’t have to worry about the calcium so much because they are able to regulate their calcium uptake. Being inside the 1:1-2:1 ratio is pretty much for life and all breeds of dog. It is extremely likely that all chicken based dog foods do have glucosamine and chondroitin in them, because they are extremely likely to have chicken cartilage in them. People want to think that only the finest cuts of chicken go into their dog food, and dog food companies want to let them believe that, so they don’t advertise that they just throw in the whole chicken. They only bring up the glucosamine and chondroitin when they can make a plus out of it. It is NEVER a therapeutic amount, even in joint care foods, so if your dogs actually need it, you still need to add it in.

[BeachDogs]

Good to know about the calcium and joint health. Thanks! Both dogs are coming from deboned lamb and deboned chicken formulas, and the Victor has beef meal, chicken meal and pork meal. That is where the glucosamine and chondroitin would come from I’m thinking. It’s not a deal breaker right now anyway. I’m wondering if picking Victor was a good decision. It has a decent protein amount at 33%, though, that’s a tad more than they’ve been getting. The source might not be the best in Victor. I do plan on trying a rotational diet and could switch to something else in a couple of months.

Perhaps I’ll look at NutriSource again and Earthborn. As you might have noticed, I am looking for a good food with a budget-friendly price for now.

Thanks for the reply!

[Ben H]

Hi all…new to the forum. This thread is awesome but a little overwhelming to search through 79 pages of replies…LOL. We are going to be welcoming home to Lab pups at 8-9 weeks coming up soon and want to be sure to get them started out well. I am compiling all the new puppy stuff, a trainer to help with the hurdle of bringing two dogs home, and all the other fun stuff. 2 Questions. I have checked out HDM’s list (awesome btw) but was hoping for someone to point me in the right direction. I need something that is good, while being somewhat budget conscious. Our local pet store carries Best Breed and highly recommended it. I’ve attached the link. http://www.bestbreed.com/puppy-diet.html Also, can someone give me a good idea for training dog treats? I went to the store and walked out thoroughly overwhelmed. I’ve raised pups before but it has been awhile. LOL Thanks

[theBCnut]

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

[Sandra S]

Hound Dog Mom, I noticed Royal Canin Maxi Starter & Royal Canin Giant Starter is on this list. I’m wondering if Royal Canin Labrador Puppy Dry Dog Food (which I recently purchased), is the same as the ones on the list?

[RebelRunner]

To all….

In need of some serious help and would like your assistance.

I have a 7month old doberman. He has always had loose stool and is on the lighter weight side, 42 pounds. He is a fun, happy, and loving dog.
At the time the breeder was feeding him Authority. In an effort to improve his nutrition choice and based on some of the information and reviews here I gradually switched him from Authority to Dr. Tim’s Kinesis.
In the last 4 months he really has not had solid stool; it remains mostly loose. I’ve fed him as per the packaging and sometimes less just to increase slowly in case it was too rich for him. Regardless of my efforts, he continuously has soft stool.

I’ve taken him to the vet to get checked out for worms and other things and they stated nothing was wrong with him. Additionally, my vet has little to no knowledge of any of the quality dog foods commonly discussed in this forum.

So, the ultimate question is should I continue to try to feed him Dr. Tims in some other method I am trying or should I stop and move to another food ( I was told you should not change puppy food until the dog is one year old? If so, is there any recommended one or just pick one from the list?

Any good word would be appreciated.
Ellis

[Sue’s Zoo]

I’m definitely not a vet and I don’t know if Doberman’s are prone to EPI (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) but has your vet checked for it? I know is somewhat common in GSDs (but can happen in any breed) because I had one years ago. She lived a full life but required an enzyme supplement on her food to help her digest it. We had her from 8wks old but it didn’t show up enough to cause concerns until she was maybe 9 months old. First symptom is loose stools and not gaining weight normally, though appetite is good. Large stools that look like ‘cowpies’, possibly lighter in color.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by Sue's Zoo.

[theBCnut]

Changing food is just fine at any age, just go slow since your dog is not used to changing. You might want to order some Perfect From from The Honest Kitchen. It has several good ingredients to help calm the intestines and form up stools.

[Nelson P]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[bob b]

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

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

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

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

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

THANK YOU for any help you can provide.

Cheers to all my fellow Large & Giant breed owners.

Bob

[RescueDaneMom]

Hi Bob b,

I have a rescue Great Dane that is almost 9 now. I got him when he was 2. I didn’t have to worry about the critical feeding time when their puppies, but I will give you my suggestions for brands that I have used or would use from HDM’s list.

Annamaet: I have used this brand and Max loved it and did well with it. They have 6 formulas that made HDM’s list. I would feed the grain free over grain inclusive but that is just a preference.

Earthborn Holistic: Again, I have used this brand and Max loved it and did well with it. They have 2 grain free varieties on the list.

Dr. Tim’s Kinesis: I haven’t fed this but if I were still feeding kibble I’d try Dr. Tim’s.

Nutrisource: I have fed it and Max did well. They have 2 varieties on the list.

Victor: I’ve never fed it but I would try it if I still fed kibble. They have 2 varieties on the list.

I would also feed The Honest Kitchen and NRG but they are dehydrated foods. I fed them both to Max and I think they are great but they are pricier than kibble. If you want to feed just kibble, my advice would be to choose several brands to rotate through.

I hope you find this helpful. Good luck with your Dane! 🙂 They’re the best.

[William S]

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

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

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

[Susan]

Hi William, your best to email or ring Whole Earth Farms & they will give the correct calcium levels….google their home page there’s normally a “Contact Us” link..

[William S]

I had emailed them, but have yet to receive a reply. Just thought I’d check here to see if anyone knew. I am finding conflicting information with google. One Giant Breed site listed their food on a list as recommended for giant breeds with concern to calcium levels, but then I found a post on another site listing it at 1.76%, which would be too high for my pup. Just checking to be sure.

Of note, the main reason for the switch would be cost savings. Innova has been fine for him to date and he eats it well, but the Whole Earth Farms is nearly $20 a bag cheaper and has equally good, if not better, reviews here on dogfoodadvisor.com. From everything I have read, I feel it is probably a better for and almost certainly a better manufacture, but the calcium level uncertainty is scaring me right now.

[DogFoodie]

Hi William,

I don’t know the Calcium level for WEF, but did you by chance see Hound Dog Mom’s list of recommended foods for large & giant breed puppies? I quickly glanced at the list and don’t believe I saw WEF on it. Look on page 15 of this thread for what I believe is the most current list of four and five star foods with Ca levels that are appropriate for large & giant breed pups.

[William S]

Page 79 has the most up to date list. That said, I was unsure how complete the list is and didn’t know if Whole Earth Farms was possibly not yet researched by the developer of the list.

Still have not yet heard back from the company.

[Erica L]

Hello All,

I rescued a 12-14 week female lab mix on November 21 from a Lab rescue here in Denver. She came to us on Kirkland Brand Puppy food and weighed 28lbs. She did well for the first 2 weeks we had her. Then she got her final parvo shot on December 6(Sat) and Monday she started having diarrhea (kinda pudding consistency) she had it for about 4 days then we went to the vet. He did a stool test and nothing was found. He gave us a weeks worth of medication to help stop the diarrhea and purina probiotic. Well the week has passed and 2 days later the diarrhea is back…AHHHHHH. She is a happy healthy dog and they vet said the only other thing is probably the food. The vet is way over priced and just has a purina food for 60 bucks for a 30 lb bag. He charged me double the price for the probiotic 44 dollars for a item I can get online for 20. I just want this diarrhea to go away as it makes her struggle to make it through the night for potty and it makes a disaster of the yard which is shared with a toddler (well not right now anyway). She now weighs 34lbs, so she is still gaining weight and being a happy healthy puppy. Its been a very long time since Ive had a dog let alone a puppy. What kind of food should I give her? I want the best but not be ripped off.

[Angie N]

This may seem like a stupid question but I was wondering how long I should feed my puppy his puppy food. I’ve seen articles that say as long as 2 years! Could anyone tell me?

[OnyxMom]

Hi Angie!

I had the same issues… I asked the vet and couldnt get a straight answer, then I asked the breeder and she said that she had switched her puppy (from the same litter) at 8 months. My husband who has had dobermans before said one year. So we discussed and decided that based on the fact that Onyx has not been growing too much, his weight has remained pretty stagnant since about month 9, that we would start switching his food mid month 11. We also decided to stay in the same pet food company because if the formula stays pretty similar it doesnt upset their stomachs as much.

Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

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

[Angie N]

OnyxMom,

That’s what I was thinking too. Thank you for your help.

Crazy4cats,

Great! I thought that was crazy but your post has reassured me. Thanks so much!

[Trout-lily]

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

[OnyxMom]

Hello Erin,

one, I’ll suspect the cat food may be playing games with your puppy’s digestive system. We went away one time with a friend to a cottage who has cats and Onyx kept stealing cat kibble and getting an upset stomach.

And, two, if you rotate the food too much it might also be affecting his tummy. When I was trying to figure out Onyx’ food, every time we switched it made his tummy problems worse. All in all, my puppy (who is now 11 months old) was having trouble with any food that had grains in it. So, finally I now give him Taste of the Wild which is a pretty high quality food which doesn’t break our bank. His stomach is perfect. I also give him pumpkin puree whenever he has anal gland or unsettled tummy issues.

He also gets a digestive enzyme sprinkled over his food which has done tremendous good for his tummmy and me (when I pick up his poop). 😀

Good Luck!

[Author]

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