[Nadine H]

I really wish more info would come out about Zignature. That food has been mentioned more then once regarding heart issues in dogs.
So fortunate Linda that you caught it in time.
As far as Farmina it’s the best kibble that I’ve found so far and with all the research I’ve done 1% isn’t an issue for me. I had thought about adding NL for one meal a day but
I called Natures Logic the other day and asked about ash levels. The beef was over 20% and the other flavors were also higher then I like. I’ve always tried to stay around 7%. I think they have good food and I plan on getting back with them at some point to find out what they say about the high % of ash in their food.

[Nadine H]

I called Farmina about the pea issue. It’s only 1% so it shouldn’t be a problem.

[Nadine H]

I would take your pup off of Zignature. It has been mentioned to many times as possibly having a connection . Heidi I agree with you, Nature”s Logic is one of the better foods. I talked to them last year and they were very helpful. I didn’t feed it because calcium was to high for a dane puppy.

[Nadine H]

I am so disappointed that Farmina is adding pea fiber. They are adding 1%. Can’t imagine why they are adding it. I really don’t know what to try next. My two danes go through quite a bit of food so cost can be somewhat of an issue. We went through several brands trying to stop loose poo and Farmina worked great. They didn’t do well on fromms and several others that people really like. My vet has Great Danes and he feeds Purina and recommends it.

[Nadine H]

Sorry about another post, this is the third now, 🙂 The grain free has had pea fiber but not the low grain. I’ll be emailing the co. to ask if they are adding pea fiber to the one I feed. We went though so many foods until we found Farmina, really don’t know what I’ll do if they are going to add the pea fiber. I don’t know if just one pea ingredient is also a bad thing. Some of the no grain brands are loaded with peas, chickpeas, lentils, pinto beans etc. and that isn’t good. I’ve read that that a dog lacks the necessary enzyme to efficiently absorb plant based foods.

[Nadine H]

I just page back and saw the comment about Farmina adding pea fiber. Is that to the grain free? We get three bags a month of the low grain so I sure hope they’re not changing that one.

[Nadine H]

Farmina low grain has 32% carbs. I have my two great danes on this food and they are doing very well on it. I order directly from Farmina. No legumes in this food.

[Nadine H]

Hi Tyla,

I’ve been feeding Farmina low grain to my two danes now for almost a year. I get three bags a month from the co. My two are doing great on this food. There isn’t one single thing that I don’t like about this food. Perfect weight, shiny coat and tons of energy. My daughter has just started her two on this food also.
We had started with Victor when they were younger but started having problems, runny poop, different color. Several dane people had the same issues. I know many feed this brand and like it so I don’t know what the problem was.
I just think it would be very difficult to find a food any better then Farmina.

[Nadine H]

Go to the Farmina site and read the studies that they’ve done. I have two great danes that have done excellent on the low grain. It’s difficult to find a food that’s only 32% carbs for one thing. I agree with no peas etc, seems to possibly be an issue with kibble that has legumes. (To tell you the truth I don’t have a lot of faith in the clean label project.) I have read and read for months and finally settled on Farmina and I finally am confident that I’m feeding them the best.

[Nadine H]

Hi Tyla,
I’m feeding the chicken and pom low grain. I get the medium kibble, the formula is exactly the same as the large breed kibble.Same with the mini kibble.I don’t like the large kibble. I get it directly from the company and we get three 26lb bags a month. I really like that the carb level is so low. Most that you buy has carbs at least 42% and in most cases closer to 50%

[Nadine H]

I don’t think one cup a day for a growing pup is enough. I would double and give him two cups a day. If the poop starts getting loose then back it off some. A puppy needs more food then an adult dog and if I’m not mistaken the guide on the Farmina site is for adult dogs. They usuually say double for puppy so two cups might still not be enough but i would start there and see how he does.

[Nadine H]

Hi Josh,
I switched my two Great Danes to Farmina low grain three months ago. Leah weighs 113 and Logan 133.Both are still growing. I feed three times a day, 5 and a half cups split into three meals. This food is low carb at 32% so they’re not getting the fillers that might have them feeling fuller. If you go to the farmina website there is a link to feeding amounts. Poop is perfect, they go once in the morning and once at night. Coats are so shiny and the energy level is great. You’ve made a good choice for your pup. What does your pup weight ? many people add steamed green beans to the kibble if they are still acting hungery. I also give sardines as a treat every night along with sliced raw apple.

[Nadine H]

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

[Nadine H]

Also wanted to add that Annamaet is another excellent choice. Their cs is the best that I’ve found and would recommend what would be best for your pup.

[Nadine H]

Send an email to daniela.machado@farmina.com . I usually talk to Josh but he’s on vacation. I’ve had good luck with her getting back with me.

[Nadine H]

We went thought he same same with Logan, did find out quick that grain free was not going to work for him, it was to rich. I also think lentils and peas were causing some of the problem.
I do know that when I would try a new food and the loose stools would start I would take him off the food. I wasn’t giving it enough time. We had the best luck with Purina proplan focus but I’m taking them off of it and slowly adding Annamaet Encore. I have a lot of trust in the company. I do know that overfeeding can cause issues. Have to tried adding pumpkin to the kibble? The plain not the one with spices that is used for pie. You may need to go with a home cooked diet for awhile to get his tubby to settle down. There are several excellent fb sites telling you how to do it. Have you added probiotics? natures farmacy has a good one. For now I would add probiotics, a tlb of pumpkin to each feeding and make sure you aren’t overfeeding.

[Nadine H]

Thanks so much Tyla, I’m going over there to check it out. This will be very helpful.

[Nadine H]

Tyla I’m on Facebook alot, more then I should be I guess. Anyway if you could let me know which groups you’re in I would really appreciate it! I would love to see how others are doing it and I think even just feeding one home cooked meal a day along with kibble would be a really good thing if I didn’t go totally all kibble free.

[Nadine H]

The more dog I read about what’s in dog food and how misleading a label can be the more I understand why people go to raw or home cooked. I won’t do raw but I have considered home cooked. The only thing is I have two great danes and concerned about the amount of food they would need. Also getting the right balance of vitamins, monerals etc.

[Nadine H]

Started reading about the copper that is added to dog food. There is evidence that copper is stored in the liver and can cause issues Copper Sulfate is the worst form of copper and the cheapest to use. Copper proteinate is the best form and the most expensive for a vendor to use in the dog food that they produce. I’m now looking for a kibble that uses only the copper proteinate. Some will split between the two forms to save money. So far the only food I’ve found with the proteinate is Annamaet. Fromms uses the two forms and Purina uses the sulfate. Just wondered if others have looked into this and what your thought were. Trying to find the perfect food for my danes isn’t possible but the least I can do is find one that doesn’t have the ingredients that I know are bad for them.

[Nadine H]

You might try one of the Victor formula’s. Many feed the Beef and Brown rice. Calcium and phos levels are good for a dane puppy.if you decide to look for another food.

[Nadine H]

How long did it take for him to do better on the Fromms? I would ask the vet how long to keep him on it. Is he on the Large breed Puppy?
Anytime we tried a new food I would take them right off if I saw loose poop. I wonder if I took them off quicker then I should have.

[Nadine H]

I would back off on the amount of Eagle Pack. More Pro Plan . If you feed a total of 2and 1/2 each feeding I would do 2 and 1/4 cup of Pro Plan to 1/4 cup of Eagle pack and see how that goes. If stool doesnt firm up with that small amount of Eagle Pack I would stop that food. To tell you the truth there are some ingredients in Pro Plan that I don’t like but my danes seem to do better on it then anything else I’ve tried.

[Nadine H]

To update my message, since I’ve been adding the Precise into the proplan my two danes have had a major amount of gas and very soft stool. I’ve decided to stick with the proplan focus that they’ve done so well on. They do get raw apple every day and I’m adding fresh veggies also so I feel like they’re getting a vitamin/mineral boost.

[Nadine H]

Mike at the moment I’m feeding ProPlan, the only kibble so far that has agreed with one of my danes who is 14 months old.and I’ve tried several. I am testing Precise Natural in chicken and rice added to the proplan to see if Logan can tolerate it I’ve raved about proplan because my two have done well on it but there are some ingredients that I don’t like and many dane people use Precise so we’ll see how it goes. My concern is even if they do very well on a kibble now what are the long term effects. I don’t like by products, animal digest, animal fat and the vitamins aren’t chelated just to name a few things.

[Nadine H]

I think Eagle Pack was a good choice. I would have fed it to my danes but it has lamb and I have one who has issues with lamb. I really don’t think you’ll find a better kibble and stay around the price you’re ok with.

[Nadine H]

I’ve talked to Kit in cs with Annamaet many times. Very responsive to any questions. I’m not using the food because it caused loose stool in my dane.Logan has a very sensitive stomach but the food is excellent, just didn’t work for us. I would contact them and ask which food would be best.

[Nadine H]

You might want to give them a call, they will tell you which food would be best.

[Nadine H]

Our food is fine. I really don’t understand how the food could have worms inside the kibble. It’s heated to a very high temp when processed. Someone showed pictures awhile back after finding worms in a Victor food they had.That one had worms in the bag, not inside the kibble.

[Nadine H]

I did a pretty quick transition, started with a forth of the new for a few days and then half and half for a few days and then all pro plan.
Stool firmed up very quickly. I pick up the yard at least twice a day and can’t tell you how glad I am that I can just pick it up without getting the hose etc. Let alone the the other benefits I’m seeing with my two.

[Nadine H]

I have two gerat dane pups and have tried many foods over the past year. The only one that they have done great on is Purina pro plan focus. I stayed away even though my vet recommended it. Kept reading the ingredients and thought no way. Finally gave it a shot and the first time since I’ve had them I’m not scraping poo out of the grass. The have shiny coats and tons of energy. People probably wonder why I keep raving about this food, I’m just so amazed at how well it’s working out and it’s actually affordable, we go through three 34 lbs bags a month so thats a real plus.

[Nadine H]

Many pups can’t tolerate no grain, If she continues with loose stool I would go back to the pro plan and or another with some grain.

[Nadine H]

I looked at both of those foods. I couldn’t use the large breed puppy because of the lamb. One of my pups can’t tolerate lamb. I contacted cs and they finally recommended the adult that you’re looking at. They sent me the complete vitamin, mineral etc analysis so I could compare them and there is a big different between the two products.I wasn’t comfortable putting two dane pups on the adult food. After reading some of pitloves comments I tried the purina focus large breed puppy and both of my danes are doing very well on this food. Vet did tell me that maybe only 1% might have a food allergy and so many foods include chicken.

[Nadine H]

In that case the Nutra Pro would probably b fine. You can also either call or chat with them on their website and they can tell you if that would be a good choice for a puppy. I know it’s so much easier when both can see the same food.

[Nadine H]

When you say Large breed puppy what breed is it? I used Victor for awhile and I think they have a good food. I had to switch because something changed in their formula and Logan had problems with it. If you’re talking about A dane puppy the beef and brown rice is a good option. Less calories and fat. You want slow growth and high fat and high calorie probably wouldn’t be my choice.

[Nadine H]

MY guys are doing really well on the pro plan. I have them on the large breed puppy. They’ll be on that until 18-24 months and then we’ll switch to adult.

[Nadine H]

When I used a food with very low grain, didn’t go totally gf. MY danes had no energy at all, they just slept a lot. When I put them on a food with grain again the energy level went right up. They’re 14months and 8 months so they aren’t old enough to just be laying around. Th change was almost immediate. gf is the newest tactic from the dog food companies to sell and raise the price.

[Nadine H]

Have to say it’s a weight lifted off, I’ve been so worried about the food issue. I’m so happy to find a food that they like, they have more energy compared to some of the other kibbles we’ve tried. Thanks so much pitlove you’ve been a great help.
Margaret so glad that it’s working for Keeva. My vet recommended this food and also the trainer we had for awhile.

[Nadine H]

Thanks pitlove. I’ve decided to kep them on it until 24 months. I can’t believe how good their poop is looking. I’ve been fighting loose poo for months and months, trying different foods. I still cringe a little when I read the pro plan ingredients but I’m trying to get past that. 😉

[Nadine H]

Sorry the venting in my last post. There seems to be a grey area with danes on when to go to adult food. So that pretty much explains why I get different answers on that subject.

[Nadine H]

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

[Nadine H]

When I was on petdiets.com I asked about corn gluten and I was told that it’s used to provide essential sulfur containing amino acids which are lacking in animal meats. Everyone pretty much thinks that it’s just a cheap filler so it looks like there is a purpose with using it.

[Nadine H]

Well I for one am done searching. We’re going with Purina Pro Choice Large Breed Puppy. I have spent a fortune trying different foods that I thought were the best, now I read about this. Orijon is one of the most expensive foods that you can buy and now I wouldn’t feed it along with several others that are suppose to be the best.

[Nadine H]

anon191 thanks for those links. pitlove petdiets.com is just awesome, A great site and just what I needed. I read to page 16and will read more later,( there’s over a hundred pages of people asking questions.) I did ask a question so anxious to get the answer. Everyone needs to read the petdiet info. Thank you so much, I finally see the fog lifting regarding what do I feed.

[Nadine H]

Very true pitlove, hadn’t thought of that. Trying to research has created more confusion . My vet knows how obsessive I’ve been about finding the perfect kibble. He told me to go with a company that does the research etc. So many small companies are popping up and they usually don’t have the funds to do feeding trials etc. Then you look at the big companies and some regard them as totally evil and feeding the food they produce is the worst possible thing you can do. Then the no grain got popular and I really feel there is a lot of hype regarding grain free, They have to include starch to form the kibble and many include pea fiber. Then look at the raw feeders, how many know exactly what nutrients are needed and are they feeding a balanced diet? Used to be so easy and then I started reading, 🙂

[Nadine H]

I found it, really interesting. Interesting that all the purina brands that they listed were five stars. Also the wellness complete health was five stars. Canidae didnt do very well. We just tried the turkey and it didnt work out. My concern now is you can buy one of the expensive brands thinking you’re getting a very good food and looks like thats not the case at all.

[Nadine H]

I have wondered about the wellness, cs is great and I’ve read good things about that food

[Nadine H]

The clean project report? I’ve not heard of that. I need to look it up. Curious what they say about Orijon. We don’t have luck with grain free at all.

[Nadine H]

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

[Nadine H]

I stay away from any fish based product because both of my pups have had a UTI with struvite crystals. Fish is high in purine, also beef. But that isnt what you’re asking, first of all it’s been proven that protein is not an issue but overfeeding is. Actually the Horizon Pulsar is a really good food, If he’s doing well on it I would keep him on it.So many use a salmon based product and love it.
Easy for me to say when I’m all over the place trying to figure out whats best for my danes, lol. My 13 month has loose stools from any grainfree, my younger girl could eat rocks and her poop would be ok. One of my goals has been to find a food that creates firm stools for my 13 month old guy because scraping poo out of the grass isn’t something I enjoy.
I’m still on the fence regarding the Purina ProPlan and the Farmina. Every site you go to that are into holistic type foods rate purina at the bottom and pretty much say it’s the worst food you can feed but there are hundreds and hundreds of people that have good results with it.
I’m adding a little to the Framina when I feed so we’ll see how it goes.

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