[theBCnut]

Organic extra virgin and I give 1 tsp per 20 lbs of body weight.

[crazy mom]

Hi I have two Great Danes one is 1yr old and the Other is 6 months old. I also have a bloodhound. We feed TOTW. I was wondering if that was a good food for them. I saw the spreed sheet and it was overwhelming and while I love my vet they are not that helpful when I ask food questions. We live in the country so I go to tracker supply or the feed store for our food. I have been trying to read up on what to look for and heard great things about TOTW. Please and Thank you. I am new to this group and trying to understand it all and read it is overwhelming.
Thank you so much

[theBCnut]

If you look at the spreadsheet, you will notice that TOTW is not on it. All of their formulas are too high in calcium. If you are overwhelmed then just print up the spreadsheet and take it with you to the store. As you see a food on the shelf, check for it’s name on the spreadsheet. Good luck.

[crazy mom]

I was reading about food rotation is there more about that on this thread or is there another one I should go to. Thank you.

[theBCnut]

Have you seen this?
/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/

[Murphysmom]

I was here a few weeks ago asking a few questions about food for our new golden retriever puppy who came home 6 days ago. We are loving on Murphy every chance we get 🙂 So, I decided on Wellness Core Puppy. He was started on Exceed with the breeder (think that’s the name, maybe Excell, its from Sams Club). I don’t beileve this is a quality food, I might have read in this forum its made by Diamond? Anyway, we started 6 days ago giving him 25% Wellness, 75% Exceed. Did that for 3 days. Now we are at 50/50 for day 3. His stools the day we brought him home were solid and firm. Stools have progressively gotten looser and looser, to the point this morning they were diarrahea. Getting concerned about Wellness??????? I would greatly appreciate some advice if anyone has had the same thing?

[Sully’sMom]

You may need to slow down your transition and go back to 25/75 for a few more days

[theBCnut]

Definitely go back to 25/75 until stools are solid. You can add a spoonful of canned pure pumpkin to each meal to help. And adding probiotics and digestive enzymes will help his system adjust quicker. Many times new animals need time to adjust to new situations before feed changes. The new home alone would cause a certain amount of stress which will loosen stools all by itself, then adding the physical stress of a food change on top of that was probably too much for him.

[lizziegotloew]

Hi, i’ve been trying to do some of my own research but it’s proving rather difficult and frustrating. I have what i thought would be considered a large breed puppy and i’m concerned that i’m not feeding him correctly. I feel like this because he seems to be growing up very quickly but he still seems very skinny to me. I can see his ribs and other bones most of the time. He is a Timberwolf, Redwolf and Labrador mix. He is currently about 6 months pld and is lready huge. I’ve never had a large breed dog before but i fell in love with him and was advised to start him off on Beneful puppy chow when i got him at 7 weeks. My boyfriend recently started him on Ol’ Roy but i heard that he needs to be on puppy chow until hr is a year old. So now i’m trying to decide what would be best to fees him to he grows properly and healthily. However, i am a student so i’m on a budget and i need to be able to get him something that’s also cost effective. Can anybody help me?

[Whitney]

My dog kept loose stools on the Wellness and we have been changing ever since.

[apriliamille]

lizziegotloew
do you have a costco card?
can you see if you can afford kirkland brands? if budget is a problem then look for a grain food and not focus on grain free types.
but please oh please if you can do not feed him ol’roy
shopping online at petflow or chewys and hitting 49 bucks is free ship
also if they are not in your state that removes taxes. that might help a bit on budget

[Duke The Boxer]

Hello hdm and friends unfortunately duke has been having loose stools towards the end of his bag of wellness core puppy formula. This confused me because his stools had been firm but it did have an oily look to it, and then right as I was gonna receive the next bag of food which is now natures variety lamb (which he absolutely loves and devours) his stools softened up to now diarrhea. The vet said his stool sample came up fine and prescribed him something for inflammation I believe of the liver or colon? I now give him a Swanson digestive enzyme twice a day out of his 3 meals. Can someone maybe give me some advice or some type of direction as to what I should do for dookie.

[theBCnut]

Give enzymes with every kibble meal. The process for making kibble kills all the enzymes that are naturally in the food. Is he on a probiotic? If not get one or see if you can find a bottle of plain kefir(by the yogurt) and give him a tablespoon in each meal. He may be one of those that needs a little more fiber in his food, plain canned pumpkin, just a teaspoon or two added to each meal, may help. You can freeze the extra into ice cubes so it doesn’t go bad before you need it.

[Duke The Boxer]

Yeah he is on the dr langer 15 strain. I just upped the dosage after his stools loosened. I judt bought some fresh pumpkin and cut it up in big cubes and I gave him one for lunch. Im just curious as to why his stools loosened at the end of his last food. He is not a big eater of things of the ground thank god. I dont think it can be cuz the food has too much protein right? The vet isnt much help. I want to go to a new vet now that he is neutered and is done with all the things from the adoption.

[theBCnut]

I have no idea, unless the food is starting to go bad. How old is he now? The reason I ask is that teething can loosen stools. Loose stools can also be because of getting too warm when playing, but the probiotics should help with that. There may be some reason that food is passing through the large intestine too fast, the pumpkin helps with that. That can also be a result of getting overheated. Sorry, just thinking out loud, as it were.

[Duke The Boxer]

Wow I think that might be exactly it. He now just starting loosing the very last of his baby teeth. The enzymes are for sure working though as he has been doing less poop though. He is about to be like 5 months old

[lizziegotloew]

I forgot to mention that i am also limited on where i can go to get dog food. However, i have stopped feeding him the Ol’ Roy and have started him on Iams Smart Puppy Large Breed Puppy Food. He seems to really like it and the packaging mentioned that it is good for brain and bone development and also immune health. I didnt see it listed anywhere on the lists that mention whether or not it is good for him as far as the calcium intake goes but it seems pretty good to me. I guess we’ll see as he gets older! Thank you for the help apriliamille 🙂

[lizziegotloew]

Sorry, Iams Proactive Health Smart Puppy Large Breed Puppy Food

[InkedMarie]

Lizzie: why not order food online? You won’t be limited in the least!

[apriliamille]

lizziegotloew
that is a huge upgrade from the ol roy which had corn first on the list, the iams has meat first
remember, we feed to our means so dont sweat it if you cant purchase high dollar stuff
using a grain food will help with costs

[mfulton7]

I have a 7 week old doberman pup who is currently on zignature trout & salmon. She has been pooin a lot and she been on it for a week. No diarrhea these are normal stools, no parasites etc she just poos 6-10 times a day. Shes eating a total of 2 cups a day sometimes a little less. I feed her 3 times a day. I also have 2 other small dogs. One of them may have allergies not completely sure though. She cannot eat totw wild it makes her vomit horribly. The 2 dogs have been on natural balance lid, zig, nutrisource. Is there a dog food that would be good for all 3 of my dogs? I like fromm but the price of the grain free is on the pricey side. What about nutritionals? I know it doesn’t say grain free BUT it does say no wheat, corn, soy does this mean its similar to grain free? Other brands I’ve been looking into are merrick, wellness core, halo, castor & pollux ultramix, avoderm, natures variety prairie, whole earth. Would any of those work for a dobie, shihtzu mix and a chihuahua?

[Duke The Boxer]

I can’t comment too much on the foods as I have only tried wellness core puppy formula and the nature’s variety rabbit formula. My boxer/American bulldog absolutely loves loves the nature’s variety and it has made him poop less times a day. I would maybe try adding some enzymes to your dobbie’s food to see if his body can better absorb more of the food. I’m sure Marie or patty or hdm will further comment.

[dlopes_87]

I have a 3 months old pure bred boxer named Rocky. He is on Diamon Extreme Athlete dry food. He really likes it. I just emailed the company yesterday asking them about the amount of calcium in it as it is not listed in the package. I got an email back this morning from a rep who told me the calcium level is 1.9%.
Can anyone tell me if that’s a good thing? last Friday he got his second shot and has had diahrrea since Sunday. I called the vet and they told me it is because of the vaccine. I had bough a 40lb bag which is almost over now after 2 months we’ve had him home.
I need some advice.

Thank you 😀

[mfulton7]

Is the natures variety your referring to the instinct or prairie?

[Duke The Boxer]

Mfulton I bought the instinct based on the list from hdm. I used both wellness core and natures variety and I personally think he is doing much on the nv rabbit instinct but lately his stools have been loose but I think that is because he is teething.

[apriliamille]

mfulton7,
ive never tried those brands.
my dobe pup from 8-12 weeks was on royal canin maxi puppy, she seemed to poop a lot from memory. then she went on redmoon chicken potato (3 cups) and the poop seamed to not happen as much and the farts were non existant. in her 7th month ive transitioned some earthborn meadowfeast (financial issues as to why) but still using redmoon as a base (4 cups combined). she got some gas back but the poop is still only maybe 4 times a day

[mfulton7]

Okay maybe its a combo of her being so young and the dobie breed 🙂 Thanks for the advice everyone .

[theBCnut]

And the fiber level, Zignature really is a high fiber food.

[mfulton7]

We noticed that also. Zignature’s fiber level is double what Fromm’s is….

[theBCnut]

That can definitely affect amount and frequency of BMs.

[mfulton7]

Its at 6% fiber. I’ve noticed some foods have that much and more. I guess we may just have to stay away from the higher fiber foods.

[mfulton7]

Pattyvaughn- would you happen to know the difference between the fromm nutritionals and fromm 4 star nutritionals? I know the 4 star is grain free but the the nutritionals say no wheat, no corn, no soy therefore wouldn’t that mean they are close to the same? Also are they both all life stages?

[theBCnut]

I thought Fromm Nutritionals was Fromm 4 Star Nutritionals, so I’m no help at all.

I think average fiber is about 3% in better dog foods.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by theBCnut.

[apriliamille]

hmm i had not thought about the fiber percents i was blaming it on the corn in the canin. her main base kibble is 3 percent fiber

[theBCnut]

If you are seeing food intolerance issues then it could be the corn, but if it is just a lot of poop, I would suspect fiber.

[mfulton7]

Pattyvaughn you’re right they both say fromm four star but certain flavors say grain free that’s what is confusing me. Some better brand dog foods do have higher fiber I’ve noticed it seems like the ones that have more pea ingredients are that way.

[theBCnut]

Definitely!! Peas are a high fiber food. The foods I’m thinking of are so full of meat that they don’t have a lot of room for peas, I guess. But peas are creeping in to more and more foods these days.

[lilyh]

We decided to transition our English Setter puppy from Purina Large Breed Puppy Chow to Wellness Core (Thank you, HoundDogMom, for your list!).

The animal behaviorist that we are working with on Puppy Training expressed a concern over the high protein level. I know from the research I have read that the true concern should be over excessive calcium and calories, and read the articles that were posted on page one of this topic. Are they any additional science-based articles that debunk the myth of high protein being bad for puppies?

Thank you.

[theBCnut]

Some trainers believe that high protein affects behavior adversely.

[mfulton7]

Are the foods on the list the only foods that are of good quality and nutritional value for large breed dogs? I’m driving myself crazy trying to decide on a food. I have a fawn dobie puppy as I mentioned above earlier and I’ve read this list dozens of times and still can’t decide! She is currently on the Zignature and is doing well now that she is used to it. I was hoping to find a food that is a little cheaper. Hopefully around $45 for a 30lb bag. Some I’ve looked at are Nutrisource, Rachael Rays’s and the 4health but I’ve read the 4health is made by Diamond which scares the crap out of me. I also would like to keep feeding them something that is fish base since fawn dobie’s are prone to skin issues and I think the nurish only comes in turkey or chicken. Also is it really true that dogs tend to eat less of the grain free foods? I’m trying to estimate how long a 30lb bag would last my 3 dogs. The dobie and 2 smaller breed dogs that weigh 10lbs each. Are there any articles that help with the breakdown?

[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

[mfulton7]

Well that’s a really good price. I’m going to check into that food also. I’m in Missouri so I will have to find a store that carries that brand. Thanks so much!

[mfulton7]

I can’t find a store anywhere around me that carries that food and I was going to go with Nutrisource but the calcium is way to high for my dobie. They said its a 1.9. This is so frustrating. If price didn’t matter ud have have no problem but unfortunately it is. Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks all!

[InkedMarie]

Mfulton: until other new foods come out that are appropriate, this is *the* list to choose from. If you pick other foods, they will be not good foods or not appropriate for large breed puppies. It’s up to you to choose what you want but maybe you need to pull out another $5 or $10 from your budget to feed a correct food for a large breed puppy.

[InkedMarie]

Also, there’s a very good chance that you can save money by ordering dog food online.

[Sara10010]

mfulton, can you use a service like Wag.com? I buy most all of my dog food from them. The shipping is free and they carry many high-quality brands.

[Duke The Boxer]

I use wag.com and chewy.com and it is super convenient even though I love in mii and have access to many pet stores. Online it’s cheaper always and you get free shipping on most 30 pound bags.

[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]

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?

[apriliamille]

mfulton7
look at chewy.com and petflow
i have gotten small bags to try from chewy.com they tend to have more of the smaller increments (atleast for the earthborn and the drtims) the dogs just get a lucky care package as i boost the shop cart to 50 bucks for the free ship. (yeah im like that) i tend to order from petflow the most though as they ship quicker to me. (they are in vegas and im in utah)
a couple questions: is grain free a mandatory requirement? (maybe its in an earlier posting i missed) reason im asking is due to drtims kinesis ALS comes to mind as it has ocean herring meal, catfish meal, menhaden fish oil and salmon meal in it) . (i have a small size on the way to test it) its 1.48 per pound and on the 2nd list from HDM. earthborn coastal 1.82 a pound. if your concerned about coat health and you just cant find that ideal dog food you like. you could always toss an egg into the kibble and some canned sardines in water (buck a can at walmart) every so often. our boxer and dobe pup get an egg 3 times a week tossed into their kibble and a can of the sardines once a week.

there are tons of good foods out there, hound dog mom’s list is the best of the stars system and the petfood companies that actually were willing to divulge information to her

[Author]

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