[spaniel39]

Mimi, thanks
My Sophie is so sweet too; I knew the importance of socialization given the protectiveness
factor as an adult and I think I went too far.
If she sees anyone walking towards her or across the street, she will sit and “smile”
and wait to greet them. Impossible to take her/walk her anywhere lol
but I don’t mind, She is just starting to form her “cords”
I didn’t read your post carefully. Sorry, didn’t realize you had been on raw.
I found it much too expensive and kibble has come a long way (Acana, Orijen, etc)
and you can always supplement it with a tablespoon of a good canned lamb/duck/etc.
or in Sophie’s case last night, a big extra lean, Hamburger!
I forgot to mention Evangers!
They’ve done research for decades on large breeds
They have a meat lovers with Rabbit, not real expensive, my dogs loved!

[Saig]

Hi Hound Dog Mom,
I’m curious about the calcium calculations. The requirement for 3.5g of calcium for growing LB pups, is that on an “As fed” or on dry matter basis? The reason I asked was that Wellness Core puppy is 1.23% as fed and 1.34% DM.

Also, would you keep the dog on limited calcium longer if the pup was a giant breed ie. around 65-70kg as an adult?

Thank you.

[justin k]

Hi HDM,

I reviewed your list posted at the beginning of the thread was curious as to why the Acana or Orijen brands were not listed? I’m particularly interested Orijen LBP for a Rottie pup that we’ll be picking up at the end of this month. The analysis specifies a calcium min/max of 1.2/1.5% which seems to fall within the recommended intake. I’m looking to feed a high protein, low calcium dry kibble without supplementation throughout the rapid growth stage (as recommended in Dr. Lauten’s paper).

Any thoughts/recommendations?

Forgive me if it was already answered, as this thread has grown quite large. I admit that I did not read the entire thread front to back.

Thanks!

[justin k]

Also looking at the Fromm’s Gold LBP food, though it appears quite a bit lower in protein, but the calcium levels are at 1.08%…

[aquariangt]

I’m not a large/giant breed person (done a bit of research as my sister has a dane mix) but as far as fromm’s, her list has 4 star on there too, and while Gold is ok, 4 star has higher protein. If I used gold I would certainly add extra protein in the diet

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Justin K –

None of Acana’s formulas are appropriate for large breed puppies. Orijen’s Large Breed puppy formula was reformulated recently and the the new formulation is only slightly above the recommended calcium guidelines (the old formula was much too high in calcium). In my opinion, with an all meat topper as 20% or less of the meal Orijen’s Large Breed Puppy formula would probably be acceptable.

[justin k]

Thanks for the advice… I live in a relatively small town, so i don’t have the best selection to choose from… the ‘high end’ pet food store (singular) typically only stocks acana, orijen and Fromm’s gold, which is why i was particularly interested in those brands. I live in Canada, so shipping rates are astronomical and some companies, like Chewy’s, won’t even ship to Canada. And I’m not about to go and buy Ol’ Roy or something from Walmart.

[justin k]

Another question i had regarding calcium intake: the breeder said that she routinely gives her dogs yogurt as a topper… Obviously her dogs are both over the age of one and their calcium absorption systems have matured. But seeing as how I’m looking to reduce the amount of calcium the in the puppy’s diet, I imagine this would not be recommended… correct?

[Sukh K]

Hi,

Mine is an year old, 100 pounds, not neutered, male Presa Canario we call BUGGA. I got him when he was 8 weeks and he has been on a raw based diet ever since. I was feeding him Healthy Paws (Canada) chicken, turkey, beef on a regular basis with bison and venison every two months (since those were more expensive). Within four months, he and my cats would not eat anything except beef. (Note: They had all rejected Salmon since day one) Later a different brand supplier told me that Healthy Paws adds some beef related fillers in almost all of their products and that could be one of the reasons that they had become addicted to beef and my cats still are to this day (they really haven’t had anything except beef for 7 months now, I’m not sure how healthy this is for them).

After two months of continuous beef, Bugga got sick and I still have no clue what had happened (my vet couldn’t determine exactly). He had gas issues and would throw up every three days, along with this constant smell which I suspect was the anal glands. He wouldn’t eat properly but was otherwise his usual self. The vet, although, a raw diet enthusiast, suggested that some dogs don’t do well on Raw and that I change his diet for a few weeks. I started feeding him Royal Canine wet food cans and his stomach/intestinal issues seemed to be curbed. After two weeks of this, I gradually put him back on Raw and to my relief he wasn’t just a beef addict anymore. He was more than happy to gobble up whatever came his way.

But in a month again, he had become picky and seemed bored with his food. He would eat some days and then not at all. He ate people food nonetheless, rice/cottage cheese/yogurt/cheese slices/loves flat-bread. I alternate between brands (Bold Raw and Naturaw) to keep him interested, even switched to hormones and antibiotics free products, added green tripe and raw eggs, used probiotics, digestive enzymes, omega 3-6-9 oils, vit E oil, diatomaceous earth, organic pumpkin and sweet potato, coconut oil, kelp mix.

Now, I have had to mix in Kibble (Nature’s Variety Grain free)! He ate the raw food with kibble for a week or two, I haven’t bought more kibble. He can go hungry for a day but not eat any more raw and then reluctantly eat it to satisfy the hunger. I really want to help him and give him what his body wants, but I am so lost now. I don’t know how to get him excited about some good raw food again. I want to know if I feed him kibble or other canned food for a while, is it possible that he doesn’t go back to raw at all. Has anyone else faced something similar with their dog?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Saig –

Sorry I missed your question from a few days ago. Whether the percent calcium is on a dry-matter or as-fed basis isn’t relevant because it’s being reported on a per unit of energy basis. The moisture doesn’t contribute to the caloric content of the food, therefore a food will have the same amount of calcium per unit of energy regardless of whether the calculation uses the as-fed or dry-matter calcium level. Remember – if using the dry-matter calcium percentage caloric content would need to be corrected (for example, if a food reports 3,500 kcal. per kg this is as fed, if the moisture were removed the food would be more energy dense). I hope that makes sense!

[Liz O]

My 4 month old female lab puppy developed a bladder infection. The vet said to feed her their Royal canin SO for urinary problems. I looked at the list of ingredients and can’t feed her that. Two of the ingredients are corn based and pork meat by products. The first antibiotic didn’t seem to work so yesterday she was put on a different one. She has crystals in her urine but not stones. There’s still blood in her urine after 2 doses of the new antibiotic and she’s still straining to urinate. Any ideas of what would be a reccomended food with 4 or 5 stars for this kind of issue? She is currently eating Kirkland Nature’s Domain Salmon, she was on Wellness Puppy at first but it didn’t really work for her. Thanks.

[Lemdem]

What about calcium levels in antlers? Would that not be a good chew for lb puppies?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Lemdem –

Antlers are very hard and I doubt that a dog would be able to consume enough to make any sort of difference. What I would be concerned about, however (and why I don’t recommend antlers as chews), is the dog breaking a tooth.

[SaintsDontCarryBrandy]

Lemdem-
One other concern on antlers is their relatively high salt content. One of the reasons antlers disappear when on the ground is their quick erosion due to both calcium and salt content. While calcium is present, remember that unlike most bones, antlers have a very high sodium content, and should not be used as dog chews for any breed.

[Bethany D]

Hi HDM,

Thank you so much for your research and insight regarding large breed dog foods. I have a couple of questions regarding food choices for my golden retriever puppy who will be coming home with me in a little over a week. I currently feed my other two dogs (an adult lab and golden) Taste of the Wild but it appears the TOTW puppy food is too high in calcium. I am investigating other large breed puppy options. I haven’t seen much written on here about Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Puppy. I don’t necessarily like that chicken meal is the top ingredient but do you have any other thoughts on that option?

Also what do you think would be the most cost effective food that would be appropriate for a large breed puppy? The Fromm Gold LBP is intriguing. I am on a bit of a budget for dog food, but I also don’t want to compromise my puppy’s health with cheap or inappropriate dog food. Thanks for the advice!

[D. M]

Hi HDM,

Thank you for all your work on this topic.

I have been having a nutrition dilemma with our (now) 7 month old English Lab. Our breeder recommended Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch – she uses it with all her Show Dog Labs. We started our pup on it, but at about 5 months she developed loose stools that eventually became liquid stools. Our vet put her on Metro, and that didn’t work. We tried boiled chicken, beef, rice, sweet potato, Nature’s Balance, Earthborn Great Plains – nothing seemed to help until the vet put her on Purina DCO and Tylan. She is thriving, her weight is at 60 lbs., her coat is beautiful, she is lively, happy, calm – but I am worried about having her on the DCO. Our vet thinks/hopes this is developmental, and that she will grow out of the digestive issues. We don’t intend to keep her on the DCO forever! But I am worried that she in not eating a high quality food during her first year. I have tried mixing in the Coastal Catch, and her stools are softer than with just DCO, but still acceptable. What are your thoughts?

[theBCnut]

Not HDM, but my thoughts are why not go with a different brand all together? Maybe there is something in Earthborn that your dog can’t handle.

[D. M]

Hi TheBCnut,

Thanks for the feedback. I thought that too, which is why I tried Natural Balance LI, both dry and canned, and home made food, but she still had either very loose stools or diarrhea. At the point where we were trying different foods, we were 2 months with those digestive issues and I was concerned about her health during that crucial stage of development, so I was willing to put her on the DCO just to control her. I’m wondering what it is about the DCO which controls her diarrhea? If I could figure that out, I would look for a high quality food that has those properties. In searching the internet, it looks like it might be the high fiber in DCO that might be balancing out her stools. Has anyone had luck with adding psyllium to their dog’s food, or knows of another high fiber food for large breed dogs?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi D.M. –

Purina DCO has higher levels of fiber and lower levels of fat than most foods. DCO contains 10% fiber and 10% fat while (in general) the 4-5 star foods tend to contain <5% fiber and between 15% and 20% fat. Because the DCO seems to be helping her stool, I would suggest searching for a food with fiber and fat levels closer to that of DCO. Your best bet would probably be looking to formulas designed for weight loss. Earthborn Weight Control is 7% fat/9% fiber, Wellness CORE Reduced Fat is 10% fat/8.5% fiber, Holistic Select Weight Management is 7.5% fat/9% fiber – I’m sure there are quite a few more if you look, these are just a few that initially came to mind. You could also just pick a food that’s lower in fat and add a fiber supplement if you were unable to find a food you liked that was both low in fat and high in fiber – you could use something like fruitables (canned high fiber digestive supplement) or psyllium.

At 7 months old, I honestly wouldn’t be too concerned about calcium levels or whether or not the food was appropriate for puppies. She’s already through her rapid growth phase so I’d suggest just focusing on finding a food she can tolerate. I also,would suggest that with whichever food you switch her to, you begin supplementing with a high quality multi-strain probiotic to begin strengthening her gut.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[D. M]

Thanks again for sharing your research and knowledge. Those suggestions will give me a place to start. In your experience, would you gradually add the new food to the DCO, or change completely?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Since she’s so sensitive I would definitely recommend transitioning very gradually over the course of 7 – 10 days.

[Jazz Lover]

I’m trying to do the best I can to feed our 89lb lab the healthiest I’m able.

Currently he has been on Orijen LB Adult. Jazz is now 1 yr old (Apr). Generally, I give him 3 cups daily, w/ Grizzly Salmon Oil. I substitute out 1/2 cup dry for 1/2 can Merrick, raw vegs or a couple sardines packed in water. I plan to give him Fromm for a change and switch back & forth for variety. For training snacks, I use apple, or died unsulferated, unsweetend fruit.

I don’t feel going raw entirely is something I can afford, however I’m open to toppers & suggestions, even the possibility of one meal per day other then dry.

Thank you

[lmnordrum]

Jazz Lover: If its working and your animal is healthy and thriving, why change? I give my dog good kibble (Wellness Core and Fromm) moistened with hot water and some coconut oil, and she’ll get cooked food from our meal, like meat and some plain rice. When I have some older eggs they get boiled and put on top of the kibble in lieu of meat. Dog gets small bits of cheese for treats and has no interest in fruit, veggies, peanut butter or bread. I do not feed my dog grains and she doesn’t seem to be missing them.

I have no guilt about not doing raw because frankly I can’t deal with it in my house. Plus the thought of raw meat and bacteria just freaks me out. As a cook I get grossed out by things such as bone-in chickens and large hunks of raw anything, and forget about anything that looks like it would on the animal itself (tongue, liver, etc.) If I didn’t function so much better on a higher protein diet I would probably be vegetarian. I would cook for my dog if she didn’t do well on the kibble. We are in a rural area and I could buy a cow or hog, but this is not something I have any interest to do. My dog does well on what she’s being fed and there’s no reason for us to change it. Plus she can be boarded on a kibble mixture. I can’t send her off to the kennel when I travel with 20 pounds of meat. lol

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by lmnordrum.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Jazz Lover –

Sounds like your dog is eating pretty well already! 🙂

Incorporating a little raw is definitely a great idea though if it’s something you’re able to do. You could check out the book “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown – there’s a chapter on how to prepare a simple raw meal that you can feed once per week. The day you feed raw is called an “ABC Day.” Some other options would be to top the kibble with a balanced commercial raw or just keep some commercial raw in the freezer and feed a few meals of week of entirely raw. Or you could look at incorporating some raw meaty bones into the diet as a treat a few times a week – turkey necks, pork necks and chicken quarters are great for large dogs.

[Jazz Lover]

Thanks for the book recommend HDM. Just what I’m looking for! I actually do have some Nature’s Valley Instinct in my freezer that I give on rare occasion. I also have a couple chicken backs in there too. I given him 1, which he wasn’t sure about initially.

Recently p/u Evanger’s (can) whole chicken thighs, and I thought “What a waste, I can do this.” Today I p/u chicken breast, family size pks .99/lb. How could I substitute that in? I struggle w/ the correct caloric intake quantity. I feel like I just about have Jazz on the right track after his post surgery ‘chubby sway’ (is how my kids referred to the few extra pounds after his elbow dysplasia surgery in January.).

He seems to be doing well, & he always get compliments on his healthy looking coat.

I’ve mentioned raw a couple times to our vet & have been told, “whatever you do… don’t feed raw.” I don’t understand how vet’s knowledge can vary so greatly.

[lmnordrum]

J-L:
Not HDM… but my vet is not a fan of raw because of bacteria and how it impacts the rest of the house and the impact of this bacteria to the humans. He’s fine with cooked food as a topper because the risk of illness to humans is eliminated.

[Jazz Lover]

Imnordrum, I have similar concerns w/ raw. I just want to ensure I’m feeding him the best I’m able, given his surgery… it’s prompted a lot of reading on food and LBDs. Which I knew nothing about prior, and thought I had been giving him great food (first 8mos) as the recommend of Eukanuba LB came from someone who raises lab guide dogs. When I actually read the label, corn was one of the first ingredients 🙁 I don’t even eat corn.

I think I would be open to trying 1 raw meal/wk, so long as he appears to be thriving and no new issues. Perhaps I could add sweet potato, I’m not game for rice unless he’s been ill. What are other vegs some of you give regularly? We do gr bean too, but he seems to get tired of that.

I also add water to every meal. I used to add warm, but we have a serious drought in CA and now he gets regular temp from faucet 🙂

Love this group. Thank you HDM!

[lmnordrum]

Jazz: Your dog sounds like he/she eats very well already. I was intrigued by the benefits of raw but can’t bring myself to feed it and I would be concerned about balancing out the nutritional needs. I am totally neurotic about kitchen sanitation and food safety and can’t bear the thought of the dog dragging around meat. Nor can I bring myself to even cut up a chicken for my own family. This is my first dog in 20 years and my housekeeping standards have dropped since I invited the animal into my life. I love my dog even though I clean more often, and am very happy that there is good kibble out there. From this list I learned about rotation diets which made sense in the event of a kibble manufacturer having a recall. But a raw diet is not something I am willing to do even though I think it would be cheaper to give the dog chicken than some of this kibble I’ve been buying.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Jazz Lover –

The bacteria present in raw meat isn’t a concern for healthy dogs. Just prepare it with the same safety precautions you would take when preparing raw meat for human dishes – wash the counter, wash your hands and wash and utensils and dishes that touched the meat. The potential for bacterial contamination is there when feeding kibble as well – there have been many recalls over the last year for kibble contaminated with salmonella. So the same safety precautions apply when feeding kibble as well.

Something I did want to mention before and forgot in my previous post is that if you do add veggies to the kibble you want to be sure to cook them. Dogs don’t produce the enzyme cellulase which is necessary to break down the cellulose in plant matter. Cooking in a sense “predigests” the veggies and starts to breakdown the cellulose. They should be mashed or pureed as well. However, imo, it’s a much better idea to top with high protein additions like canned food, raw food, cooked meats, eggs, yogurt, kefir, etc. Dogs don’t really have any need for the additional starches from fruits, veggies and grains when they’re eating kibble which is starchy to begin with.

[Jazz Lover]

I’ve read same re bacteria HDM. That is good info re veggies which I’ve not heard prior.

I have plain yogurt but have yet to try. Still a bit concerned re calcium, although he is 14mos. He’s been on nor cal honey (1T) & 2 10mg allergy rx for seasonal allergies. I want to be sure I can identify what affects him if there’s an issue, so not to get crazy w/ too many changes.

I ordered the book “Unlocking… !

[InkedMarie]

I admit that I get confused when people talk about feeding raw, bacteria,etc. Unless you’re a vegetarian, you handle raw meat for your family. What’s the big deal? Feed a pre made raw if you’re inclined to feed raw but don’t like the “ick” factor.

Regarding vets & raw, yep I’ve read similar writings. I just ignore it. I do my research, which includes the fact that unless a vet is a nutritionist or holistic vet, I probably know more than they do. Jmo

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hey Jazz Lover –

There should be nothing to be concerned about, as far as calcium, with adding a little yogurt to his meals. Especially if he’s 14 months – his critical growth phase is well over with and most of his growth plates should even be closed at this point.

[OnyxMom]

Hello everyone!

I have a 5.5 month old Newfoundland Standard Poodle mix puppy (Onyx) who weighed in at about 60 pounds 2 weeks ago. We were feeding him Blue Buffalo large breed but the food doesnt agree with him, he itches constantly on it. And, his poop is Never good. I hate picking up mushy mess always. gross.

So, I was thinking about switching to Taste of the Wild’s salmon stream puppy formula, He was on this food before we got him and he loved it and was doing well on it. Im picking TOTW because of the following reasons:
1. It’s actually pretty reasonably priced for a 4 star food (on DFA) and I am a grad student so money is an issue.
2. The calcium content is at 1.4% and as recommended in this article (http://www.ivcjournal.com/articles/feeding-large-breed-puppies/) since it should be around 1.5% it seems okay to me.
3. The salmon is supposed to be good for his coat, he has the poodle hair, and I would like for it to be shinier than it is now.
4. He loves salmon anything.

I’d say Onyx is quite healthy and has a BCS of 4. Other than the occasional bout of diarrhea especially if he’s been digging up dirt, he is pretty happy and healthy.

Can anybody tell me if this is a terrible idea please? Here’s the link for the TOTW nutritional information – http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/products/puppies/dry_food/pacific_stream_puppy_formula/

Thank you!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi OnyxMom –

All of TOTW’s foods are too high in calcium for a large breed puppy, including this formula.

Personally, I would recommend avoiding foods that contain fish and instead adding canned sardines or salmon, cage-free eggs or high quality fish oil to the food for omega 3’s. The processing which the meat meals undergo to be made into kibble and the storage time very likely leaves the omega 3’s in kibble rancid by the time the food is consumed.

[OnyxMom]

Thank you so much for responding Hound Dog Mom!

Really? The article I was reading said Calcium should be around 1.5%, this formula is at 1.4% – What number should the calcium content be at?

I have taken to feeding Onyx a boiled egg once a week, and some coconut oil once in a while. How often can I give him boiled eggs?

[Hound Dog Mom]

You can’t look for a certain percent of calcium, whether or not a certain percent is appropriate will vary depending on the caloric density of the food. In a food which contains more calories than TOTW 1.4% may or may not be appropriate. If the food is low in calories, the dog will need to eat more to fulfill its energy needs and vice versa. So for example, if one food has 1.4% calcium and 3,000 kcal/kg and another food has 1.4% calcium but has 5,000 kcal/kg – you can see that the dog eating the lower calorie formula would end up consuming much more calcium than if it were eating the higher calorie formula. For this reason, calcium must be looked at on energy basis – usually grams per 1,000 kcal. Most nutritionists recommend the calcium levels not exceed 3.5 g/1,000 kcal. for large breed puppies. The TOTW formula you mentioned has 3.9 g/1,000 kcal.

You can give boiled eggs as often as you want as long as they don’t exceed 20% of his balanced meals.

[Bethany D]

Does anyone have any thoughts about Hills Science Diet Large Breed Puppy?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Bethany D –

Science Diet’s Large Breed Puppy formula has calcium levels appropriate for large breed growth. However, you may wish to check out the review for the food here.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[spaniel39]

I have had great luck with Sophie my 120 pound Komondor on
Nutrisource Large Breed Lamb (she was on large breed puppy previously but now
she’s 15 months old).
It gets great reviews and reasonably priced especially compared to Orijen or Acana.

Before that, she did well on canine Caviar Lamb Puppy dinner but was very expensive
plus they had a labeling problem, where there was a misprint on the bags showing
the puppy formula calcium level over 2% and did nothing about it
(Oh, the food inside is ok, we just need to use up the bags!!!)
Another good one I used but don’t anymore is Artemis’s Osopure Duck and garbanzo beans
but the big bags are $70.

Personally, not into the “raw” diet for my pups;
I do supplement their diet (have 2 springer spaniels also) with a very lean
Hamburger or turkey burger—cooked—once a week or 10 days.
They love green beans, blueberries, cooked spinach.
It’s great to supplement with veggies, etc

GLTA!

[Trout-lily]

Hi
I am a new mom of a 14 week old bener. My breeder told me the old wives tale of reducing the puppy to adult food after she is 4 months but now I’m reading that this is not the case. Luckily I’ve been feeding her Wellness puppy food since we got her at 10 weeks and I see that it’s on your approved list. I have two questions; 1.) When is the proper time to switch my giant breed to adult large breed dog food and 2.) where do I find most of the dog foods in your approved list? I tried searching for other varietys to mix it up a bit but I’m finding that petco and petsmart don’t carry most of the brands on the list. I’m starting to freak myself out from reading some of the posts of hipdisplasia in young pups but I figure this forum would be a good place to start to gain my sanity back. Thank you so much for sharing your research.

[RescueDaneMom]

Chewy.com and petflow.com are 2 great online retailers to purchase food from.

[InkedMarie]

Erin,
Pet Co & especially Pet Smart aren’t the best places to find food. Why not order online? For me it’s cheaper & with free shipping, a great deal. My first choice is Chewy.com. They have a 365 day return policy, if the product needs to be returned, they pay for the return shipping.

[lmnordrum]

I love chewy.com. order on Monday and I have it on Wednesday.

[Qi X]

Hi Hound Dog Mom
I have a 8 weeks old standard poodle puppy (she is 11 pound now,her dad mom are about 50 pound)and a 4 years old toy poodle(8 pound).Any suggestion of which brand dog dry food good for poodle? Sorry maybe you had wrote about it to somebody eles before, but I didnt read all the 70 pages, english is not my first language, It is kind of hard to read all that pages and it will take a long time to read and do translate at the same time..Thank you so much!

[SaintsDontCarryBrandy]

Have a new Saint puppy at 3 months old who’s apparently been raised on some serious junky food with questionable ingredients (it rates two stars on the DFA list…and I think they were being kind…). Two major questions:
(1) Can I switch him over to e.g. Victor Grain Free or another brand and potentially undo some of the dietary damage?
(2) What can I use as decent dog treats/chews? My parents raised great Saints, but they fed “whatever was cheap”, and I know the results of that path, so any suggestions would sure be appreciated. With the high rate of hip dysplasia in Saints, avoiding overfeeding or overcalcifying is a big focus.
Thoughts?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Qi X –

While I wouldn’t consider standard poodles to be a large breed, however I do know that they are somewhat prone to hip dysplasia so you may want to consider feeding one of the formulas in the list with appropriate calcium levels. You could feed your adult toy poodle the same food as the puppy or check out any of the 4 or 5 star rated foods. If he prefers a smaller kibble, as some small breeds do, some good options are Victor, Amicus, Nature’s Logic, Nature’s Variety and most any formula labeled for “small breeds.”

[SaintsDontCarryBrandy]

*confused* HDM- help me out here…On the original Calcium.docx file, Victor dog foods don’t actually make the list (not sure why)- yet you just recommended them to Qi X. Would they work for a Giant like my incoming Saintzilla? Considering Victor Grain Free, as I can actually find it on Amazon (although chewy’s not carrying it right now). With the limits of mountain living, finding decent food is pretty much dependent on the internet!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Jason –

Victor is a great food – just be aware that the only two formulas with calcium levels appropriate for large breed puppies are the chicken and rice formula and the lamb and rice formula. He’ll be fine if you switch him to a good food now, at only three months old a doubt there has been any dietary damage. 🙂 Raw meaty bones are – imo – the best chew. However, because he’s still growing and bones are high in calcium I’d limit to only once or twice a week. Things like turkey necks, chicken backs, etc. are all great. Raw tracheas are another wonderful chew for puppies – they’re nice and gummy and not too hard. If you aren’t comfortable feeding raw bones you could go with natural chews such as bully sticks or dried tracheas (just make sure they’re from a reputable company).

[Qi X]

Thank you for your answer, but what kind of calcium level does a standard poodle need?

[Hound Dog Mom]

If you scroll back to the beginning of the thread you’ll find a list of appropriate foods. Nutritionists recommend no more than 3.5 g. per 1,000 during growth. Once the puppy is full grown you don’t have to worry about calcium.

[Author]

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