[gsdmommy89]

Hi Sully: That was me. Halfway through the second bag of Earthborn Coastal he wasn’t so excited anymore. Then the third bag I bought I’ve had such a hard time getting him to eat it. Sometimes he won’t even touch it. For him at 4 cups a day it takes him about 1 month (maybe a few days earlier) to finish a bag. I always put it in a Vittles Vault as soon as I open the bag.

[gsdmommy89]

Thank you RDM and Pattyvaughn. I wasn’t going to mix the grain inclusive with grain free. I’m going to try each of them separately and see which ones he likes the most. I guess I didn’t word my question the right way, haha. But I’ve decided to stick to grain free. I bought the Earthborn Meadow Feast, Canine Caviar Wilderness, Fromm Surf and Turf, and NVI Rabbit. Anyway, about the probiotics; how much do I give him? He’s about 60 lbs.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by gsdmommy89.

[gsdmommy89]

Hi 🙂

I was wondering if anyone could help me with a question I asked a few days ago. I just wanted to know if it would be too much to mix grain-inclusive with grain-free foods or kibble with commercial raw? I’m going to try a few small bags out for my GSD that seems to have become bored of his current food (Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch). Also, I do remember someone telling me about probiotics, but can’t seem to remember which one it was. All I remember is that Swanson Health Products sells it. I looked up the website and I believe the probiotic was Dr. Stephen Langer’s 15 strain with FOS? Does anyone know about that? It’s on sale right now at Buy One Get One Free so if it’s that one I want to stock up.

Thanks everyone. Sorry if I’m becoming annoying 🙁

[gsdmommy89]

Hi all. Quick question. I will be going down to the local feed store to buy a few different bags of kibble. As I previously stated, my GSD is currently on Earthborn Coastal Catch. Is it ok to mix grain inclusive with grain free? or commercial raw with kibble? Maybe this question was asked before, but I went through almost half of this topic and I probably just completely missed it because I could not find it anywhere. Thanks everyone

[gsdmommy89]

Goldenmom:

The most recent one is on page 57, the one with grain-inclusive, grain-free, and raw foods.

[gsdmommy89]

When you say toppers, do you mean wet food? I’ve thought about wet again and again, but I just really don’t want to get him used to wet and then when I want to give him something by itself he’ll turn his nose up to it completely if it isn’t mixed. The only food I can honestly say I never had a problem with at all is the Fromm Large Breed Puppy. I stopped giving it to him because I felt it was too rich for his tummy and his stools were always loose. Not runny, just loose. I guess I’ll buy a few small bags of what I have available here at my local retailer and do trial and error. He didn’t seem to mind the Meadow Feast very much, so I guess I’ll try that first. If anyone has anymore advice or opinions, please let me know! Thank you

[gsdmommy89]

Hi Rescue Dane Mom and anyone else

I haven’t tried Wellness on him. Personally for me (and this is my experience as I’ve worked in a Mom and Pops pet food store) big breed dogs don’t switch well to Wellness if not started very young. I wanted to try the Fromm Grain Free, but it is pricey in my opinion. His brother is not picky at all. He gets extremely excited when it’s feeding time no matter what he’s getting. As a matter of fact, his brother contracted Parvo at the beginning of October last year. After he recovered from it, that’s how he’s been with food. Overly excited. But my dog used to be like that, especially when he was a young puppy on Fromm. I’m not completely ruling out online ordering, but I feel better when I can physically touch the bag and read it before buying it. I feel limited also since there are so many 5 and 4 star foods that my local retailer carries but aren’t on HDM’s list. I figured I should just suck it up these 3 weeks that I still have left for him to turn 8 months so I can really expand into different foods like Merrick and other flavors of Nature’s Variety.

[gsdmommy89]

Hi everyone. I’m not new to this forum, but I do need some advice. I have a 7 month old GSD and I’ve only fed him from HDM’s list. I first started him on Fromm Large Breed Puppy from the age of 2 months til about 4.5 months. He ate all of it from his bowl but had very loose stools even with pumpkin mixed in and bad gas. I then switched him to Nature’s Variety LID Turkey thinking maybe since it was a bland ingredient list his stomach and stools would settle but he didn’t even touch it. Too bland I guess. I went back and exchanged it for the Nature’s Variety Large Breed Puppy which he ate willingly but when I went to pour the bag into my Vittles Vault I noticed it was expired so I went and took it back to get a new bag but was told that food doesn’t really move so the only bag on the shelf was expired, too. Bummer. I settled for NutriSource Large Breed Puppy and the first few bowls he ate ok, but then began turning his nose up to it. I tried a different approach and went for the Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch. Success! He ate it willingly and his stools firmed up nicely. The first bag went by and he ate it all up with no problem. Half way through the second bag I noticed he wasn’t going for it as excitedly as he used to. I bought a third bag anyway. Now I’m struggling to get him to eat it. I have to mix it with gravy for him to even touch it. My boyfriend has his brother and he feeds him Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast and I grabbed two cups from his to try with my dog. I gave it to him replacing his regular morning meal without gravy and although he ate it, it wasn’t as happily as I’d hoped for. I’m at a loss now. Has anyone had this problem? What solution did you find? I’m sorry I’ve made this long. I don’t want to keep mixing gravy and wouldn’t like to introduce wet. Don’t want to make him pickier than what he already seems to be. I was looking at Annamaet but I live in Los Angeles and no retailers carry it here. I’m not a fan of ordering online, I’d much prefer to drive and get my food. I’m also hesitating on switching back to grain inclusive as his poop is firm on grain free. My head just doesn’t function right at this point. Any pointers? I don’t even know if I’m asking this question in the right place

[gsdmommy89]

Imnordrum:

Merrick’s food (grain free and grain inclusive) are too high in calcium. Both are over 2%. Also, the Earthborn you’d want to go for is Coastal Catch, not Ocean Fusion

• This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by gsdmommy89.

[gsdmommy89]

Hi everyone. So a few days ago I asked some questions about NutriSource and Earthborn Holistic for my 4 mo. old GSD. I ended up choosing the Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch. I couldn’t decide between the Meadow Feast and Coastal Catch (I figured fish is easier to digest than lamb). So far, stools have become firmer and they don’t stink like before. I’m waiting on Dr. Langer’s 15 strain probiotic to arrive, so I can start him on that too. I wonder why the other foods didn’t settle well with him. They were all poultry based. I tried the Fromm LBP (I think it was too rich, his stools were always loose), Nature’s Variety Instinct LID Turkey (he would barely nibble on it, and stools smelled even worse), then Nature’s Variety Prairie LBP (her would eat it, but only cause he had too), then Nutrisource LBP (he would not touch that either). Never would have imagined the grain free fish would do the trick.

Anyway, just thought I’d share that he’s doing better and wanted to thank everyone for their advice.

[gsdmommy89]

Mfulton

Most definitely. The brand isn’t really important. I know a baker’s warehouse near my city that carries huge cans of plain pumpkin for about $8.50. So when I go there I stock up. If I don’t have any and I go to the grocery store, I usually buy what’s on sale. Also, I have left over uncarved pumpkins from Halloween. Those will not go to waste. Like InkedMarie said though, make sure it’s absolutely plain

• This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by gsdmommy89.

[gsdmommy89]

RescueDaneMom:

Since adding the NV Turkey, his stools turned soft again. Also, it smells much stronger. Maybe grain free isn’t for him, although I don’t want to give up yet. I’m gonna try the NutriSource because of your earlier comment, that it seems to settle well with tummies. And I’m also going to try the supplement you recommend. He really likes the pumpkin, alone and with kibble, so I’ll keep giving it to him. I agree with you on the corn gluten, but I’m going to try the NutriSource first. After that I’ll try the NV Prairie. Thank you so much for your help. If there’s anything else you’d like to tell me, please do so

[gsdmommy89]

I was reading the comments underneath the DFA review for NutriSource and there are comments about it being good on the tummy. I’ll try that first and see how it goes. The only thing that makes it a teenie bit iffy for me is that it says it contains corn gluten meal, but I remember someone on here saying it doesn’t contain corn anymore?

[gsdmommy89]

RescueDaneMom:

You’re right. I completely forgot about the NV Large Breed. I didn’t know that about NutriSource. I know I’d have to try different foods to see which one he does best with, but in your opinion should I go with something grain inclusive then? He seems like the type with a sensitive stomach. Although with treats he does very well, no matter what type they are.

If I go stick with grain inclusive, should I try the NutriSource or NV Large Breed?

[gsdmommy89]

Yes, I printed her list out before I brought my puppy home.

[gsdmommy89]

Hi everyone. I have a 4.5 month old GSD. I was feeding him Fromm Large Breed since 8 weeks up until 1 week ago. His stool would always be soft. Not runny, but not easy to pick up stools. I thought maybe the Fromm was too rich for him since it contains about three different types meat. I added pumpkin to his food and have been using OptaGest. His stools firmed up with that, but he’s always had gas. I decided to switch to Nature’s Variety LID Turkey thinking maybe something bland will help. Well his stools are back to soft, even though I’m transitioning slowly. And he doesn’t really seem to like the NV. Maybe it’s too bland? I was thinking of returning it and going with Earthborn instead. I just don’t know if to go for the Coastal Catch or Meadow Feast. Don’t know which would be easier on his tummy. I know I went to grain inclusive to grain free, that’s why I’m still weaning him to Nature’s Variety. But should I stick to grain inclusive then? If not the Earthborn formulas, I was thinking NutriSource Large Breed. It is grain inclusive, but only has chicken as a meat source.

Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.

[gsdmommy89]

To Sully and Duke:

I used to work at a pet supply store that only carries super premium and premium brand foods (i.e: Fromm, Orijen, Merrick, Nature’s Variety, ZiwiPeak, etc). I did alot of research on every brand we carried because customers have a lot of questions about food, especially people that are switching from grocery brands like Pedigree and Purina since they want to know exactly why they should spend that extra money. I use Nature’s Variety, and I too am very wary of where things come from. As for their rabbit formula, I have used it and I love it. I know it’s sourced from China, but feel confident in it because of the testing they’ve done and also because for a while they did not carry the rabbit formula in the cans or raw. I called, emailed, asked many different representatives in many different ways, and researched as to why this was. I was satisfied to know that they didn’t want to source their rabbit from just anywhere. They’d rather not have any rabbit than to have questionable suppliers. Yes, there are U.S rabbits, but if what they use now is already pricey, could you imagine the price of it if it was U.S supplied? OUCH!! This is my opinion on NV Rabbit ( I’ve used all three varieties: kibble, raw, cans) and I am a huge fan of them. Of course everyone has their own reservations, I just thought it’d be nice to share my experience.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by gsdmommy89.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by gsdmommy89.

[gsdmommy89]

hi Duncan2012. since your puppy is over 8 months, I believe you don’t really have to worry about calcium levels anymore. I don’t know many foods that don’t have potatoes, but on HDM’s list she does have Nature’s Variety Instinct. they are grain, potato and sweet potato free and they use tapioca as their starch source. I believe the least expensive formula is the chicken meal formula. so if your puppy doesn’t have sensitivities to chicken that could be your best bet. I absolutely love Nature’s Variety

[gsdmommy89]

sippmanjr:
I feed my GSD puppy Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy. he does very well on it. I don’t know where you live, but here in Los Angeles I go to a store that has the 33 lb bag for $49.99

[gsdmommy89]

Oh! that makes alot of sense now. I’ll definitely keep an eye out fortthose sales

[gsdmommy89]

Duke:

where on earth did you find the NV Rabbit for $53? the cheapest place I found was petflow.com. for $64.99

[gsdmommy89]

jewels:

in my own personal opinion, I would completely avoid Innova. it used to be a very good brand. excellent even. but this past year it was recalled numerous times. it was bought out by Proctor and Gamble. I also think the same way as you do: is it worth driving further for a certain food? depending on how much further. if what I’m saving on the kibble, I’ll be spending in gas, I don’t think it is. but that’s just me. gas here in Los Angeles isn’t so cheap anymore. my choices would be NV Prairie, Wellness Core, Pinnacle, then Halo. I prefer my food to have some kind of meal in it. some people don’t, but to each his own. I don’t really know much about Avoderm. never really caught my attention enough to make me want to research or try it. I personally feed my GSD puppy Fromm Large Breed Puppy, but will be rotating to Earthborn once it’s time to get a new bag. Luckily I can get Earthborn pretty much anywhere here, and I think it’s an excellent brand.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by gsdmommy89.

[gsdmommy89]

hi jewels. I asked HDM about Merrick and the company said that their calcium levels are over 2.0

[gsdmommy89]

GSDguy:

I also have a shepherd puppy. he’s 3 months old. I feed him Fromm Large Breed Puppy. But HDM did include her list of appropriate foods and that’s where I picked mine out. I chose it because 1) Fromm is a family owned company 2) it’s easy to find here in L.A 3)I pay about $51 for a 33lb bag. it lasts a very long time. the only thing I didn’t like at first was that it is a bit rich, so my puppy’s stools were somewhat loose. but that was something simple canned pure pumpkin cleared right up. other than that, it’s awesome

[gsdmommy89]

sharfie:

I believe HDM said that around 8 months, we don’t have to monitor so closely anymore

[gsdmommy89]

this is a question for anyone good with math and/or numbers. if a kibble has 30% protein and 15% fat, that gives it a protein-fat ratio of 50%. so what ratio does a kibble with 26% protein and 14% fat have?

[gsdmommy89]

Mfulton: you can try online. on chewy.com I found the Coastal Catch for S47.99 with free shipping at $49. also, if the site isn’t from your state, I believe they don’t charge taxes. another kibble that is really good and I believe is around $48.99 for 30 lbs where I live is the Nature’s Variety Prairie Large Breed Puppy.

[gsdmommy89]

Hi mfulton 7! I don’t know about the other foods’ prices, but I love the Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch and Meadow Feast. They are around $41.99 for a 28lb bag here in Los Angeles where I live. I’m pretty sure they’re around the same price anywhere else

[gsdmommy89]

I haven’t actually. I didn’t know that it was a fat. I thought coconut oil was for digestion. But if you think it’ll work, I’ll definitely try it 🙂

[gsdmommy89]

I’ve read her list and have been following this thread for a while now, so I know about the calcium levels ( that’s why I’ve been feeding the puppy the Earthborn Coastal Catch formula). But my question is about my adult GSD. I’m trying to get her to put her weight back on. Should I put her on puppy food to help her recover her weight? ( of course, I’d go with one on HDM’s list).

[gsdmommy89]

I would like for both to be on the same food, so I was thinking switching my adult GSD to puppy food ( they are both currently on Earthborn Coastal Catch) such as Fromm Large Breed puppy.

[gsdmommy89]

Hi there everyone. I know this is a puppy thread, and I do have a GSD puppy ( with monstrous paws so I knew he’ll be large!), but I do have a question that maybe someone here could answer. Aside from my puppy, I also have his mom, a 3 yr old GSD. She’s been eating the Earthborn Coastal Catch, but I can’t seem to get her to put weight on. During gestation and nursing, I fed her Earthborn Puppy Vantage. She used to be around 68 lbs. I weighed her yesterday she’s down to 59 lbs. I spoke to my vet, which also monitored her during pregnancy, and she told me that maybe I need to try something with grains in it. She’s been fed a grain free diet pretty much all her life, except when I fed her the Puppy Vantage. The vet told me she’s probably just taking longer to recover from nursing, as she didn’t find anything abnormal. She also told me to try adding Missing Link, to add vitamins or something like that. My dog isn’t bony, but you can tell she is underweight. I was thinking of switching both my GSD’s to Fromm Large Breed puppy. Maybe the puppy formula has more calories and fat so she can gain her weight back? I don’t know. If anyone can give me some advice, I’d really appreciate it. Food? Supplements? Thanks a million!

[gsdmommy89]

To InkedMarie

I thought I was the only one that was thinking the same thing about the constant questions and overkill posting. Good to know I’m not the only one

[gsdmommy89]

To Kobe’s dad:
The Halo recipes that HDM recommend are already on her .docs list of appropriate kibble. And she’s recommending only the Zignature Trout abd Salmon because it’s the only one with the appropriate levels of calcium for a large breed puppy

[gsdmommy89]

Hi HDM,

I’m somewhat curious as to why you recommend Victor Select Chicken Meal/Lamb Meal and Brown Rice. I saw in one of your responses that you wouldn’t recommend a kibble with only 24% protein/12% fat. But I’ve been researching all the kibble on your new updated list, and both these Victor formulas have 24% protein and 12% fat. Is it because the calcium content is low, and that’s what makes it a good fit for large breed puppies?

Also, I’ve researched the Earthborn Holistic formulas and the Meadow Feast states a calcium content no less than 1.2%. The Puppy Vantage formula also states the same, although it is grain inclusive formula. Do you prefer the Meadow Feast over the Puppy Vantage?

[gsdmommy89]

Hey there HDM, me again!!

so I was reading up on Earthborn Holistic and you recommended the Coastal Catch or Meadow Feast formulas. I like them both, but I was wondering about the Puppy Vantage formula. Although not grain free, I like the ingredients and it seems the calcium isn’t high. What do you think?

[gsdmommy89]

Thank you HDM for all the info. Will definitely go with Orijen first. I will also definitely come back with more questions. You are so knowledgeable!!

[gsdmommy89]

Hello Hound Dog Mom!

I recently posted a question in the Orijen dog food review. One of the persons that replied to my questions recommended this forum. I will be getting a German Shepherd puppy in the next few weeks and I was interested in the Orijen Large Breed puppy formula. I went on their website and the Calcium content for this formula was min/max 1.2%/1.5%. I also liked the Earthborn Holistic Primitive Naturals formula but their website states that the Calcium content for this formula was not less than 1.5% and also, the calorie content for this formula was 717 kilo-calories per cup. That’s a very high number, I think. I’ve also taken a look at Nature’s Variety Instinct in the Duck Meal and Turkey Meal formula, but the Calcium content for that was not less than 1.92%. I looked at the Wellness Core Puppy and their website states a Calcium content of no more than 1.5%. I saw in one of your responses that you fed Nutrisca. I didn’t find the Calcium content on their website, but what did you think about this food for your dogs? The las one I wanted to mention that I’ve been looking up is Merrick Grain Free in either Duck, Pork, or Beef. Merrick did not have their Calcium content on the website either but I did email them. Haven’t gotten a response yet.

I’d like to know what you would recommend for a German Shepherd puppy? I know it will all depend on his energy level, how big he is, etc. But something to start out with, what would you recommend. I’m really interested in the Orijen, and I’d like to stay away from plant protein boosted kibble if possible. Out of the foods I mentioned above, which would you think would be better for me to try? I’m sorry if it’s alot of questions. I just want to make sure I do things right, and make the right decision. Thank you so much for your time. Also, if you’d like to recommend something else besides the kibble mentioned above, I’m all ears

[gsdmommy89]

Hello Hound Dog Mom!

I recently posted a question in the Orijen dog food review. One of the persons that replied to my questions recommended this forum. I will be getting a German Shepherd puppy in the next few weeks and I was interested in the Orijen Large Breed puppy formula. I went on their website and the Calcium content for this formula was min/max 1.2%/1.5%. I also liked the Earthborn Holistic Primitive Naturals formula but their website states that the Calcium content for this formula was not less than 1.5% and also, the calorie content for this formula was 717 kilo-calories per cup. That’s a very high number, I think. I’ve also taken a look at Nature’s Variety Instinct in the Duck Meal and Turkey Meal formula, but the Calcium content for that was not less than 1.92%. I looked at the Wellness Core Puppy and their website states a Calcium content of no more than 1.5%. I saw in one of your responses that you fed Nutrisca. I didn’t find the Calcium content on their website, but what did you think about this food for your dogs? The las one I wanted to mention that I’ve been looking up is Merrick Grain Free in either Duck, Pork, or Beef. Merrick did not have their Calcium content on the website either but I did email them. Haven’t gotten a response yet.

I’d like to know what you would recommend for a German Shepherd puppy? I know it will all depend on his energy level, how big he is, etc. But something to start out with, what would you recommend. I’m really interested in the Orijen, and I’d like to stay away from plant protein boosted kibble if possible. Out of the foods I mentioned above, which would you think would be better for me to try? I’m sorry if it’s alot of questions. I just want to make sure I do things right, and make the right decision. Thank you so much for your time. Also, if you’d like to recommend something else besides the kibble mentiones above, Im all ears

[Author]

Posts