Hi Jason and Colter,
It is confusing isn’t it?
Before there were foods specifically formulated for large breed growth, a common recommendation was to feed large/giant breed puppies an adult food based on a presumption that levels of nutrients in an adult food were closer to the growing pup’s needs. Unfortunately, this wasn’t always true, some adult foods were/are absolutely terrible for growth, but sometimes it was true and hence the persistence of that bit of advice.
Also, it was at that time thought that protein played a role in the development of orthopedic conditions like hip dysplasia, so adult foods were recommended on the assumption that they would have a lower protein level in them than a puppy food. This was not always the case; some adult foods may have a higher protein level in them than a puppy food, but more importantly, research came out that ruled out the higher protein levels in food as a contributing cause of this condition.
Currently some foods have nutrient levels in them appropriate for large breed growth and are formulated for growth yet are marketed as an adult food. The front of the bag may say XYZ for adult dogs, but the nutritional adequacy statement reads “formulated for growth”. I’ve personally heard of breeders saying don’t feed XYZ’s puppy food, feed XYZ’s adult food only to find that XYZ’s adult food is formulated for growth, so even though the recommendation was for “adult” food, it is still sound.
It is a more recent phenomenon that nutrient levels have been established for and foods are specifically formulated for large/giant breed growth. AAFCO currently requires that manufacturers specify if their food is appropriate for large breed growth in their nutritional adequacy statement if the food is formulated to an AAFCO nutrient profile. The statement will look like this:
Pet Food Name] is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth/all life stages including growth of large-size dogs (70 lbs or more as an adult).
[Pet Food Name] is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth/all life stages except for growth of large-size dogs (70 lbs or more as an adult).
Unfortunately, there is a bit of a loophole. If a food meets AAFCO through a feeding trial, the manufacturer does not have to indicate if the food exceeds AAFCO’s max calcium level for large breeds. I believe AAFCO is addressing this.
The key is to look at the food before you. During growth feed a food whose nutritional adequacy statement indicates the food is appropriate for growth of large breed dogs.
Consider using a food whose calcium level is as close to 3 grams/1000 kcals as possible, a food whose energy density is around 3700 kcal/kg for a dry product and is made by a company that has fed the diet to large breed puppies and monitored them throughout the growth period.
Work with your veterinarian on the diarrhea issue. Food may be a factor but there are other causes as well. On thing that may be of interest, but I do not know if it applies to puppies as to the best of my recollection the work has been done in adult dogs. Large/giant bred dog have been found to have a longer transit time of food through the colon compared to smaller dogs. This time persistence gives more time for bacteria in the colon to break down undigested food components that may result in products that make soft stool. Talk to your vet. My understanding is that some companies address this through use of specific formulas for giant breeds.
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