[Weber hunde]

Sullys mom:

Thanks for the info. Newest development, he has broken out in a rash allover his undersides. I haven’t seen you mention Nutrisource or Wellness core. Any thoughts?

[Sully’sMom]

Weber hunde: I’m really not familiar with either of those. Months ago, with much help from this forum (!), I finally made a list of what I wanted to rotate among. Those included: Fromm (he was fed Fromm for the bulk of his 1st year, but it is too cost prohibitive for us to continue), Merrick (mixed review so far, but probably an allergy – not a knock against the food), Earthborn and Dr Tim’s. And in the back of my mind: Zignature.

Most of the choices had to do with DFA reviews, sourcing/producing in the US, ownership of company (for example Diamond brands have lots of recalls), and price point.

Long and short of it is, I really don’t know why I never included the two you ask about – I would just check on the ownership and manufacturing plants and read the reviews!

[mfulton7]

Nutrisource is a good food and reasonably priced. It is a family owned company similar to Fromm with no recalls and I believe they’ve been in business for 50+ years. I was going to fees my dogs the nutrisource seafood select, I belive that’s the name, however my large breed dog is only 9 weeks and the calcium content was 1.9 which was way to high for her. I definitely wouldn’t rule that food out for the future though.

[Sully’sMom]

2 Questions to anyone:

1.) opinions on the Pure Vita line by Nutri Source? Was just looking at the Duck & Oatmeal, thinking it may help my itchy guy….

2.) anyone know what page of this forum I can find HDM’s list on? I’ve lost track!

Thanks all

[Sully’sMom]

PS to Weber hunde: another thing I usually do for general itchiness (not necessarily rashes) I add Salmon Oil to his dinner every night. I haven’t done it in about a month or maybe longer as I was out of it and it is expensive, but I just got a LARGE bottle from Amazon (Iceland Pure), so will be starting back up tonight –

[lilyh]

Regarding Nutrisource Large Breed Puppy, the trainer I work with told me that it was now corn free. The packaging still lists corn gluten so I called the company and they said that they HAVE REMOVED the corn/corn gluten, they just legally have 6 months for the packaging to be updated to reflect the change.

So, according to them, any package of Nutrisource Large Breed Puppy with and expiration date labeled November 2014 or later does not have the corn gluten. It is not a grain-free food as it does contain rice, but this is the next food I am planning on giving my English Setter, Annie. It is on HoundDogMom’s approved large breed puppy food list.

[Duke The Boxer]

I know my vet gave me some samples of the nutri source large feed chicken and fce to help firm my puppies stools and his stools were very good after I started mixing in the nutri source with the nv rabbit. Nutri source is definitely on my list to try again as it is very reasonably priced.

[Duke The Boxer]

I don’t mean to derail this thread so I started another topic in the dog treats section. Can some of you who are more knowledgable than me in canine nutrition comment. Here is the thread.
/forums/topic/biostareq-k9-dog-star-fish-treats/
I have emailed the company and their formulator was very friendly and responded very quickly. He said that the ratio of phos to calcium was one to one and also the fish meal they use is free of any mercury. Any thoughts? They also has a liver meal treat.

[sippmanjr]

Hi Hound Dog Mom ( or other who know what to do )

I have decided to wean the wean the litter onto wellness core puppy. It was one of your 5 recommendations and they have been great to send puppy packs with samples for everyone. I will be rotating my dog with the NV instinct as well as Earthborn. My question is… How do I safely add sardines and eggs into their diet and my girls diet without changing the amount of calcium they will be getting. I have looked at nutritionals on sardines and it seems they do have a solid amount of calcium. Also what other raw natural foods do you think I should be adding into her diet and how do I go out about that. Obviously the base of the diet will consist of dry but I definitely want to add natural raw in as well as often as I can and as early as I can. I want to be able to have recommendations for all the new owner so they can continue these puppies on a healthy lifestyle. Thank you all for the info. This has been a great forum!

[koa’smom]

Hound Dog mom, I just had xrays done on my 5 month old German Shepherd puppy beccause she was favoring her left hind leg on occasion. She has panosteitis. I have been feeding Wellness Core Puppy. The vet said I need to feed her a lower protein food, something 25% or less. What do you suggest for possible options. I prefer grain free and raw is ok too.

[sippmanjr]

KOA,

How long was she on Wellness? What was she eating before? If you look back in this thread Wellness should be a fine food for her and should not be the culprit. After reading this and many other studies I decided to wean my 11 newborn puppies onto Wellness CORE puppy.

[koa’smom]

She has been on Wellness Core Puppy for over a month. She also gets some tripe.

[vanyax]

Hi all,
Need some help with picking a puppy food brand… my 5-month old boxer has trouble digesting (loose stool+occasional diarrhea). At 6 weeks of age I put him on Fromm Large Breed Puppy. After a month, decided to switch to Orijen brand, no change. I tried mixing in pumpkin, and recently did white rice diet for a few days, now re-introducing kibble. He is otherwise great, healthy weight of 40lbs at 5 months of age, full of energy, dewormed regularly. I am considering trying Wellness brand next, and Now Fresh. Also thought of doing a limited ingredient feed. It is hard to try different feeds, takes a while to introduce it, then to see if it works, then switch again… what a pain.

I feed him abt 3.5 cups of dry food daily (feeding 3x), which feels right and agrees with the feeding guidelines.

I previously had my dogs on Trader Joe’s feed, Iams etc. and they did great – lived very long and healthy lives. With this puppy I am trying to stick with the best quality, grain-free food everyone is talking about, and doesn’t seem to be working for me!

Any words of wisdom, anyone?
Thank you!!!

[sippmanjr]

Hey Koa,

We should probably wait for Hound Dog Mom or someone else with more knowledge on the subject. There are a lot of people on this forum who seem to know nutrition more than Vets. I could be wrong but to me it seems like a month would be a little soon for the Wellness to be the cause. What was she weened on from the breeder?

[GSDGuy]

Canidae large breed puppy food all life stages is there anything else like that with the title (large breed puppy food all life stages) but that I can get at petco or petsmart we don’t have almost no local pet stores here

[koa’smom]

Jumping back to my post, Koa was on Taste of the Wild puppy kibble prior to switching to Wellness Core Puppy.

[Sully’sMom]

GSDGuy: you can get almost any dog food you can think of delivered to your doorstep from either Chewy.com or PetFlow.com. Free shippiing at $49, I think. Chewy tends to have the better prices, PetFlow seems to have more specials.

[sippmanjr]

Koa, that is hound dog moms spread sheet on what is safe for large breed puppies. It was very helpful to me!

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit

[karink]

Hello everyone, and Hound Dog Mom in particular (I’ve heard you seem to be the expert):

I was just given the link to this forum and I am thrilled to have found it. November 2nd I will be bringing home a purebreed English Labrador Retriever (8 weeks old). In the past, I have been very concious about what food I give to my dogs and have stayed away from any products having anything to do with Diamond, or any that have been recalled for one thing or another. Little by little I came across companies like Orijen, Acana and Nature Variety Limitied Ingredient (for my older dogs). I thought I’d have no problem with my new little guy with any of these foods, until I started reading more about the long term effects of calcium/phosphorus to large breed puppies. The more I read, the more confused I got. Also, I find that the really good quality foods are VERY high in calcium 38%+. At this point I am at a loss as to what to buy. I want a a natural, holistic food, grain-free that kibble that I can feed my little guy without worrying of any long-term negative effects on his health/bones…or kidneys (due to high protein).

Can someone please give me a list of 3-4 different ones (I’ve been reading that a rotating diet is best) that would be available in the Miami area or at least through Amazon.

Thanks in advance for your help!!

[karink]

To my previous post…I meant to say “VERY high in PROTEIN 38%, NOT calcium”…sorry.

[karink]

On your list provided of dog food, (unsure if it applies to Large Breed Puppies), I found
Blackwood, Grain Free Salmon (Puppy to Adult Formula) as well as Annamaet Salcha. Are either of these good for large breed puppies? Also, don’t see the calcium/phosphorus/protein listed on the Blackwood food. If they work, would prefer the Blackwood because of the lower protein level 28%. Please help!!!

[InkedMarie]

KarinK: look at the post above yours, that link is for the foods for large breed puppies. You will have to look through the list and see what is available on amazon and locally. Any reason you can’t order from one of the great online sites?

[koa’smom]

Sippmanir, Thank you for the link, but I already have seen it and that is what prompted me to switch to Wellness Core Puppy, but now I’m faced with an issue that, according to the vet, is requiring me to feed a low calcium AND low protein food. I’m just not sure what to feed because most foods have protein content of 30% or more, even the all life stages food. Earthborn Meadow Feast states no less than 26% protein , but what does that really mean? To me it means that it it is likely higher than 26%.

Another thing I find confusing is the protein content in the raw foods. For example, under the food analyisis of Primal Raw frozen, it gives a dried protein content of 47% and a protein content of 15%. What do I go by? I don’t know how to interpret that.

Sorry for all the questions, but I just want to get my dog kn the best food possible ASAP.

[sippmanjr]

I know, it is very difficult. I have been going back and forth for weeks trying to decide what to ween a litter of puppies on and decided to go with Wellness Core( which I’m hoping is the right decision based on your experience). I would find a food that is close percentage wise and then call or email the company for the actual average protein content. They all have that information.

[apriliamille]

koa’s mom,
i had that turmoil when i first got my doberman pup in march and was advised to go low protein low calcium for the first few months of her life. dfa reviews do tend to favor high protein foods and i dont recall a grain free 5 star kibble that is sub 30 percent. there are real good 3 and 4 star foods. they just dont have the protein content to make it a higher star but they have outstanding real ingredients just like the higher star foods.
i used redmoon chicken and potato (23% protein, 1% calcium, 4.5% ash, 0.9% phosphorous). its 3.5 stars. their lamb and potato is 4.5 stars and their chicken and yellow pea is 5 stars. i seriously dont think they put junk in their lower star rated food to earn that star rating.
have you looked at drtims kinesis als? its 26 percent protein. or did i miss something about mandatory grain free?

edit. when she hit 7 months i started transitioning in earthborn meadowfeast, drtims pursuit and drtims kinesis als. in her 9th month i do a rotation of meadowfeast and kinesis als but still use a redmoon chicken and potato base cuz i like it and they do good on it (the boxer adult is on the redmoon as well)

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by apriliamille.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by apriliamille.

[GSDGuy]

Sounds good thanks

[koa’smom]

April, Redmoom is not available in my area, unfortunately . I know I can order it online, but I want to get a small bag to start with, to see how she does. I think I’m going to go with a grain inclusive kibble, only because the protein content tends to be lower, in general. I just hate the thought of feeding rice due to the aresenic found in it, brown and white alike, so I’m hoping to find a kibble with another grain, such as quinoa or barley. Is Hound Dog Mom still here?

[apriliamille]

i dont think they sell retail. its through them direct to order it. their prices have ship included so what you see is price to the door via ups. they have a 5 pound test bag and i dont recall being charged for that one to ship either. i shipped in one for my aunt’s little poodle (amazing how far 5 pounds can go for a small dog)

[GSDGuy]

Good canned food for large breed or helps for large breed I will use it as a mix

[Duke The Boxer]

http://imageshack.us/a/img855/2258/htq3.jpg
my baby boy next to his friend. Duke is on the right with the tan body

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Duke The Boxer.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Duke The Boxer.

[Duke The Boxer]

http://imageshack.us/a/img826/4806/xfwc.jpg
hahah my boy enjoying the nice breeze and view

[karink]

HDM or anyone that can help. I found this website (which I think is great), but the more I read, the more confused I get. After reading numerous posts, I came across one in which HDM recommends Nature’s Variety Limited Ingredient Turkey and Rabbit formulas for Large Breed Puppies. I fed my 13 year old Golden (who just passed away) the LTD ingredient formula for the past 2 years of his life (when I found it). Loved it!! Would love to start my new Lab puppy on this food as well. However, their website doesn’t list the calcium and phosphorus. Are both of these recipes within the normal calcium/phosphorus ranges for large breed puppies?

Also, if ok, I have read it’s good to top food off with other things like tripe, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, canned sardines, carrots, etc. If I add these things to the diet, does that not throw off the calcium/phosophorus in the diet? How do I control this? Would love to be able to add these things to the diet but I’m no scientist and can’t be doing all kinds of calculations everytime I want to add something to my puppies food – but I also don’t want to harm him.

Also, any names/recommendations on probiotics/enzymes and where to get them? Is there are need to give these to a puppy if you give him a good quality kibble?

Any suggestions? If you could give me the name of your favorite 2 or 3 foods to feed my large breed puppy it would be a great help. That way I can rotate th food. Price is not a problem.

Thanks.

[karink]

One more thing to add, was also considering the Annamaet Salcha formula. Using your formula to calculate grams of calcium per 1,000 kcal, it has 2.83 g calcium per 1,000 kcal and 30% protein, higher than the Nature’s Variety formulas. Also read higher protein is better. I also calculated the Nature’s Variety Limited Ingredient Rabbit Formula and it comes out to 2.93g calcium per 1,000 kcal, Nature’s Variety Limited Ingredient Turkey is 3.08g calcium per 1,000 kcal but also higher protein than the rabbit. As all are below the 3.5 grams which you said we should aim for – it would seem any of the 3 would work, correct?

[Duke The Boxer]

Hey karnik I can comment on the probiotics and enzymes part. For the enzymes I use the Swanson digestive enzymes and you can find them on amazon. For the probiotics I just found this formula and so far it’s doing crazy good amounts of improvement in duke’s stools. The probiotic is Biostareq K9 terra biota.
http://biostareq.com/formulas/canine/terra-biota-k9
The probiotic has very good count of different strains and also it has some clay in the formula which even further helps absorb toxins. I emailed their owner and formulator and she was very quick and detailed in her responses. Everything she has made she said that she has personally used and tested them on her own dogs and her friends dogs. I’m really surprised how well and in how little time the probiotic has started to work.

[EHubbman]

Curious as to why the mushrooms are in the probiotics you linked to. Did she say when you emailed her?

[Duke The Boxer]

Terra Biota also contains a synergistic mushroom blend for prebiotic support, the specific earth elements kaolin clay and calcium bentonite for mineral and alkalizing pH support, as well as the additional prebiotics: MOS, and FOS, and the Soil Based Organisms, which are cultured probiotics found in healthy soils.

That’s what she said. She said that the soil has natural bacteria that is beneficial to dogs but in order for them to get a good amount of that bacteria they have to eat a lot of dirt. But for the most part it is used that a prebiotic

[InkedMarie]

Great pictures duke!

[InkedMarie]

KarinK: go back a couple pages, someone shared the link of HDM approved foods for large breed puppies.

[Sully’sMom]

I’ve got a question about toppers – after all the angst of finding the right kibble, now I keep reading articles (elsewhere) and threads (here) about toppers: sardines, eggs, yogurt, green tripe (where do you get that?)…

Anyway, is there a best way to do this? Do you rotate the different toppers each evening? I was already giving him some canned pumpkin and then started with salmon oil, so I moved the pumpkin to the morning and I squirt the salmon oil on the dinner. Would anything else be in addition, or instead of?

[InkedMarie]

I use Mercola Healthy Pets digestive enzymes and Dr Langers probiotics from Swanson.

[apriliamille]

did you all see the 2 new earthborn holistic grain free?
large breed and weight control

http://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/us/dog_formulas/large_breed/

koa’s mom this might be the thing for your dogs with the 26 protein in it

[Duke The Boxer]

Wow April very nice find. My puppy is having sensitivities to the high protein in the rabbit at 36% protein. He is having loose stools but since going on more dr Tim’s kinesis food his stools have firmed up. I may have to try that next round. I just got dr Tim’s and I will be reporting in a couple weeks.

[sippmanjr]

How do I safely add sardines and eggs into my puppies diet without changing the amount of calcium they will be getting. I have looked at nutritionals on sardines and it seems they do have a solid amount of calcium. Also what other raw natural foods do you think I should be adding into her diet and how do I go out about that. Obviously the base of the diet will consist of dry but I definitely want to add natural raw in as often as I can and as early as I can. Also , chew like Elk and Deer antlers have calcium as well. I just want to make sure they are not getting an abundance of these minerals from the toppers or treats.

[dmmal]

Hello from Canada
I am french so my writing english could be not the best so excuse my spelling/ grammar mistakes.
I have read the 43 pages and decided to register. Definitely valuable information. What I have learned and knew nothing about is rotation of food. So now I would like to start my puppy who is 7 months on this new regime of rotation. He has been on Orijen puppy food for large breed since he was 10 weeks. I have bought” Now Fresh” puppy food for large breed. Wondering which other puppy food or all life stages food I could add that are available in Canada. Questions for the ones who are experts in this:
1- how many type of food can I add?
2- how do I do the transition, is one week enough to change from one brand to another one when puppy has been on only one food for the last 5 months?
3- I would like to keep buying the biggest bags. So when there will be one week left of food in the bag can I mix it with another brand of food and when this one is almost empty start the transition again and keep doing this.

Thanks

[theBCnut]

Storm’s Mom, on the review side, is the one who will know what is available in Canada. You might just want to print up Hound Dog Mom’s list and take it with you to the pet boutiques in your area.

As far as how long you need to transition, it will depend on your dog. Give him a couple weeks the first time or 2, just to be safe, then one week should be fine. But after you have been rotating his food for a while, you will find that he no longer needs transition time at all. Buying the biggest bags is fine as long as you use them up in a timely manner so the food does not spoil, which shouldn’t be an issue with a large breed.

[Sully’sMom]

So, Pattyvaughn, a followup question:

If I switch to Earthborn Great Plains in an effort to figure out allergies, how do I handle treats, bones, chews, etc? We usually give quite a variety of treats when we’re training, sort of like a trail mix variety so he never knows what he’s getting. I only give top shelf, high quality, made in US treats, but still….there’s quite a mix!

[DogFoodie]

Hi Sully’s Mom,

That’s one of the hardest parts of an elimination diet. There are no treat, just extra love!

[theBCnut]

When doing an elimination diet, your treats have to be of the same protein/carb as the diet you are trying. For example, my Micah was very young when he started having problems and I knew he had always been on a chicken and grain food, so I started with eliminating chicken and all grains. I used a turkey and tapioca based food, gave turkey necks for chewing, and dehydrated turkey bits for treats. He had no problems with turkey, tapioca, peas, sweet potatoes, then I added beef, beef ribs, liver bits for treats, and so on. No treats that aren’t the protein you are trying or one you have already found to be safe.

It turns out that Micah really does have a problem with chicken and some grains, but not all of them.

[dmmal]

Thanks Patty for the info.

Questions for Storm Mom
I am in Ottawa can you tell me which puppy food for large breed you would recommended. I have HDM list and not too many she recommend I can find. Some brands we have here and not seeing them reviewed here. My concern is the calcium level and high protein as my puppy is large on the verge of becoming giant! I prefer grain free. I have presently Orijen and Now Fresh both puppy food for large breed.

[theBCnut]

Storm’s Mom doesn’t post on the forum, but she is frequently on the review side.

[Author]

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