[Jessica1]

Hi H.D.M,
Thank you so much for all the information you have given me on grain vs. non grain, mixing etc. I felt lost before I came across your helpful advice. You have made this learning experience a lot less confusing.
I am now giving my boy the topper of Wellness just for puppy, which he loves, and I did start to slowly start the rotation process with Wellness Core grain free, unfortunately he will not eat it. He just does not like it. The Organix he will eat, of course he loves the topper and eats that first and only eats the dry when it’s all that’s left but he will eat it. But for some reason the Wellness Core he will actually spit out! Brat! He is as picky as my daughter! So I am going to try some other grain free brands. I would like to only give him the can but that going to get costly at $2.60 a can. (Still looking into the whole raw thing and building up my courage about that, ha ha) Takoda is now 10 to 11 weeks and at 18.4 lbs, the vet is happy with his weight and growth, I was wondering if you could tell me what you know about Kirkland Cuts. I see that it has 5 stars on this site but one I wasn’t sure it was suitable for large breed puppies and the protein level seemed a little low compared to Wellness puppy but I was hoping you could give me your advice on this. I have been looking for another can food to use as a topper (I don’t want to be locked into just one) do you have a suggestion for me, I’ve been looking at all the 5 stars on this site but I know that puppies requirements are different and they really are not laid out for these big guys. Thank you so much.

[Jessica1]

Hi H.D.M,
Thank you so much for all the information, it has really helped me. It’s great to know that rotating grain & non grain is acceptable and won’t cause problems. Thank you also for the information on the teeth and kibble, what you are saying makes perfect sense. I just never thought much to question the vet.
I just took our “little” rescue, Takoda in for his 2nd DHLPP & Bord. and the vet thinks they were wrong about his age and may only be 8 – 9 weeks and is already 16lbs, he is not overweight but he is solid. This leads me to my next two questions. (which I see Londoncalling is asking too) When you use the can food as a topper I don’t want to overfeed him or underfeed, how do I determine the amount to use as the topper and the amount of dry? The package on the Organix for his age & weight reads 2 ¾ – 4 cups (which I think is a big difference) I’m not currently at this point yet as I am still transitioning him over from the Pedigree, he should be on full Organix in the next day or so. (yesterday his stool was soft, today I was at ¾ mix and he got the runs).
If you’re adding a can topper is there a good guideline to use on how much kibble and how much topper. I just don’t want to over or under do it.
Even with the guidelines on the bag, I am not quite sure what would be the correct amount for him, and his size.
He has never gulped his food and sometimes doesn’t seem very interested in it until “he” is ready to eat. When I first gave him the Organix he seemed to love it, and tried to pick out just those pieces, now I’m not sure. Now he seems to only eat it because he is hungry not because he is enjoying it. (But, he never gulped the pedigree either).
The 2nd part of my question; should I only use a grain inclusive topper when using grain inclusive foods? Rotating from grain to non grain I know you said would be okay but I wasn’t sure if actually mixing grain with non grain topper would cause a problem. My main reason for asking, Organix doesn’t have a puppy formula and I’ve heard good things about the Wellness puppy can food, but it’s a non grain, and I am not sure what would be a good “grain” large breed puppy can food.
Thanks again!

[Jessica1]

Hello H.D.M, Thank you so much for all your insight. My puppy is between 9-10 wks and a mix between GSD and Bernese Mountain Dog (they think, he is a rescue). He currently weighs 15lbs, so I know he will be a big boy. He was being feed Pedigree so I wanted to start to transition him right away to a better quality food, for health and developmental reasons. I was getting confused with all the info that is out there but finding you has been great, informative and easy to understand.
I really wanted to do the non grain. But, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to start a non grain food since the costs are high I didn’t want to switch if I couldn’t keep it up. So I put him on Organix Puppy (dry), due to the ingredients the higher standards of organics. Would this be listed on your new list as a good choice?
My second question, you state rotational feeding, would a rotation with non grain and grain inclusive be a good idea? Lastly, I was always told (by my vet) kibble was better for their teeth than canned food, but you state canned food is better for their health, so until now I never gave can food much thought. In the Organix brand I didn’t see a can puppy formula, are their big differences that I should be looking for if I want to start giving him canned? Thank you.

[Jessica1]

I just adopted a puppy from a rescue, his mom and her puppies were dumped. The mom is a smaller German Shepherd and the vet thinks he has Burmese Mountain Dog. He is the cutest and sweetest “little” guy. I can guess this is going to be a big boy. Ever since I considered adopting him I started doing research on dog foods, they have changed a lot since my last dog.
I feel like I’m studying for an exam and failing. I am so confused at this point. I looked into brands like ; Wellness, Blue Buffalo, Blue Wilderness, Canine Caviar, Innova, Natures Variety, etc etc … After speaking to many people they stated that the higher end brands were to rich for their dogs and or created loose bowls. I’ve looked at the med end, but not all that happy with some of the ingredients. I loved the information on the, “Large Breed Puppy Food List” with the calcium percentages, and the food with rabbit as the main ingredient sounded to be like one of the best meats to use. But I just don’t know which might work out best for him. I was able to bring him home today and they have him on Pedigree so I want to wean him off this as soon as possible. Also, I would like to find a good food that won’t break me. I don’t mind paying a little more for better quality but some of the pricing is way out there.
I really want something that is good for him but it has to be something he enjoys. Oh and I’m looking for a dry food.
If anyone has any suggestions or recommendations for me I would greatly appreciate it.

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