[aimee]

Hi USA Dog Treats,

To clarify, I have no idea which foods do and do not meet AAFCO’s profile. Additionally, in no way did I mean for my inquiry to denigrate all of Hound Dog Mom’s work in any way.

I am questioning the nutritional information that companies pass on to the consumer. In conversation with several companies Customer Service departments I find their response to show lack of understanding of basic math in regards to nutrition.

I’m not sure where the problem lies but it makes me very nervous and I don’t feel comfortable feeding foods from companies whose information doesn’t “add up”

[Kriste M]

Please help (and I apologize if this has already been addressed)!
I have a 12 week old Golden Retriever puppy and he had been on BB Wilderness Grain Free puppy dry food. After about a week his stools got very runny, took him to vet, no problems in fecal analysis. Gave him plain white rice for a few days, stool got better, but started getting runny again. Vet wants him on Science Diet, which I have never been a fan of. Can you please give me some options on great puppy food? I know calcium content is a big factor, because of dysplasia. Any advise would be greatly appreciated!

[spaniel39]

Hi, Kriste
I had such problems with my baby Komondor and runny/loose stools
(she’s 1 1/2 years now) and have posted before.
Anyway, I strongly suggest grain free and the one food I had great success with
(and not too expensive) is Nutrisource Large Breed Lamb, great food and perfect
calcium/phosphorous levels

Michael

[cajungurl]

Hi Kriste M,
My dog also had this problem on blue wilderness grain free…. she even had slight blood in her stool. After much reading I found that some puppies can’t handle high protein in kibble and if stool was runny w/blood then she was being over fed(way too much protein) so I cut back her portion of kibble, but started adding toppers like eggs, sardines, cooked chicken, etc. And her stool problem went away. Since then, I learned Blue wilderness was too high in calcium so we have started her on Earthborn Meadow Feast(grain free) and she is doing well on that, it has a lower protein so I am still doing toppers. Also, adding plain canned pumpkin helps with loose stool.

[Genevieve K]

Hi there, HDM. Have you updated the list you compiled? The Google Doc you’ve linked to before was created in February 2013. [Edit: I see elsewhere that the list has not been updated because of the amount of time required. Thank you for putting it together in the first place!]

I have a Boerbel and suspect he’s got a food allergy. We’ve been feeding him Precise Large Breed Puppy but he’s been scratching non-stop. Vet says he’s negative for mange and is otherwise a healthy puppy. In addition to an antibiotic and prednisone, we got a medicated shampoo (chlorhexidine + something else I don’t recall) that helped clear up the secondary infections from scratching.

As soon as he stopped taking the prednisone, he began scratching again. This is very frustrating because he’s 12-14 weeks old (try age unknown as he was dumped) and this is a crucial time for socialization but right now he’s either doped up on benadryl or is so distracted by scratching that training is going nowhere and it’s hard to take him places.

It’s possible he has an environmental allergy but, because food is easier to control, I’m going to see what other options I have. The list you compiled was great but I’m hoping there’s one that’s more up to date. (As he’s scratching and chewing on himself in the corner – it’s driving us all crazy.)

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by Genevieve K.

[lmnordrum]

Poor pup. Have you gone totally grain free? I fed my Giant Schnauzer dog Wellness Core Puppy and added in Fromm Surf and Turf (both on the list) at about seven months. I’ve also been feeding organic coconut oil since she came home at 8 weeks. Its very unusual for my dog to itch anything at all.

As she got larger she receives more coconut oil and we’re up to the equivalent of about a tablespoon now (its totally unmeasured: I just throw a glop of it into the food and add warm water to melt it.)

Breeder had the pup on Royal Canin and i tried to do the responsible thing and mix it, but once I added in the Wellness Core Puppy, the animal would have nothing to do with Royal Canin.

I order my food from Chewy.com as the pet stores do not carry these.

Hope a good grain-free food solves your problems.

[Genevieve K]

I want to go completely grain-free. I have a few specialty stores around that carry the higher-end foods. Petsmart now carries Wellness but does Wellness make a grain-free puppy food? I hesitate to deviate from the Large Breed Puppy foods because I know, as a puppy, he has different needs than an adult. Yes, there are All Life Stages formulas but I’m not confident those would meet his nutritional needs.

We’ve been giving him coconut oil this week. He LOVES it. I’m also hitting the butcher today and hoping they have some rabbit – have them grind one up, bones and all. I’ve not fed him raw before but, at this point, I”m desperate. I know I shouldn’t change everything at once because that makes it harder to identify the allergen but if he’s getting mainly meat and veggies with some supplements like coconut oil and maybe some calcium (unsure about that), I’d like to think he’d do ok with more limited ingredients. (OMG, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower are the best treats on earth for my dogs.)

Again, he’s a large breed and I want to make sure he gets what he needs to be healthy and strong as an adult. This makes me so sad, especially when there is so little, yet so much, information (all conflicting) out there on large breed foods and puppy needs.

[lmnordrum]

Wellness Core Puppy is entirely grain free and suitable for all life stages and is on HDMs list as suitable. My dog loves it and does very well on it. I only added in the Fromm later because its good to have them eat more than one thing should your food be recalled. (Although Wellness has never had a recall and is made in the USA in small batches.)

My dog also receives cooked meat as a topper. I buy inexpensive beef (chuck, round or even something on clearance) and cook it, and I also give her chicken. She’s had leftover pork too. The meat I add is just used as a topper–and a way for me to clean out the fridge. I’ll also boil eggs and give them to her if I have some older eggs. So basically my dog gets about 90% kibble and 10% of leftover meat from the fridge. Last week she had chicken parmigiana without stuff on the meat: I just scraped it off and rinsed the meat, and chopped it in the food processor. I’ll grind up my leftover meat, put it in plastic bags, and place in the freezer. Makes it easy to dump on the kibble and she’ll eat her entire meal.

I can’t bear to deal with the thought of raw food in my house or her bowl and am terrified by the thought of salmonella or listeria. When we were trying to find a second kibble I got some Instinct Rabbit which gave her loose stool. So it doesn’t seem like rabbit was a good protein for this particular animal. Plenty of people feed that Instinct Rabbit with no problems. The loose stool was why I settled on the Fromm as a backup food and part of her dinner mix.

We had a brief time around 4 months when the dog has some diarrhea but I traced that back to cranberry supplements I was giving her for a UTI. It wasn’t the food because once I eliminated that cranberry extract she was perfectly fine.

I’ve been very happy with the Wellness Core, and the Fromm. Her stool is a bit more firm when she has more Wellness. I will share that too much coconut oil, like when I decided to tip the jar over her food, gave her loose stool, but I figured that would happen with too much fat.

Hopefully you just have a systemic problem due to grain. I don’t even feed corn to my family (unless it is organic) and I sure as heck am not giving it to my dog.

[Genevieve K]

After wandering around for a few hours, comparing infredients/nutrition info, I grabbed a bag of the Instinct Grain Free Rabbit. It has an extremely high fat content of 20% so it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s why some dogs experience loose stool. The protein and calcium content were in line and carbs were low. I’ll add pumpkin if he poops out soft-serve.

He had the rabbit kibble for dinner tonight with no toppers. (I do add water to any kibble I feed.) This food has enough fat without coconut oil. I’m probably imagining this but, since dinner, he hasn’t been scratching – at all. He chewed at his front legs for a few minutes but…no frenzied scratching.

I refuse to believe this is actually the solution because it’s (1) the first test run and (2) it’d be too good to be true. However, he’s not scratching and is now sleeping belly up – a position dogs sleep in only when they feel comfortable and safe. I’ve never seen him sleep like this.

I look forward to seeing the changes over the next few days. Thanks so much for your input!!

[OnyxMom]

I have had very good experience with preventing runny/soft serve stool by adding a digestive enzyme to my newfypoo’s food. It honestly has solved all my poop related problems. I feed grain free too.

[lmnordrum]

Genevieve K: This is great news! Hopefully the solution is food and the pup has just been having a systemic reaction to something in the old food. I looked up the Precise Large Breed Puppy and its Chicken Meal, Rice and Oatmeal. Maybe your dog has a chicken sensitivity?

At any rate I hope this is a solution for you. Would be great if its just a problem with chicken because its fairly easy to avoid it. At my house having a chicken problem would be catastrophic because of how much of it I buy and cook for us humans. Boneless chicken breasts are $1.99/pound when on sale which is cheaper than my dog food and a reason why she gets so much of it as a topper.

[InkedMarie]

Genevive, if you want to go grainfree, choose a food off of the list. Just because the list is from 2013 doesn’t mean it’s not a valid list. It’s your best list.

[Ramona F]

Hi I read a post from HDM that compared Horizon Puppy with Orijen LB Puppy and HDM preferred Orijen. I read another post that said all Orijen foods were too high in calcium. We have fed Now, Horizon and now Orijen and my lab puppy is just shy of 7 months
I have seen the list of HDM foods put not all are available in small towns all hough we have 4 retailers of upscale quality food. Dog didnt like Horizon or maybe we overfed because the instructions on the label are hard to decipher and seem much lower volume of food for age size and weight of puppy.
Whats the verdict on Orijen Large breed food? anyone?
Thanks for this awesome site

[Carlos F]

Hello everyone, i’m really glad i found this forum. Thanks to all of you i have been educating myself a lot. I am a first time owner though and just wanted to ask a couple questions. I have a huskey/pitbull mix puppy and she will be 4 months at the end of the month. I am currently feeding her 1 cup Simply Nourished large breed puppy food with a spoonful of wet food from the same brand mixed together 3 times a day. Just wondering if i have done a good choice and if mixing wet and dry food is a good idea. Thank you all in advance and i really appreciate all of your help.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Carlos –

Mixing wet food and dry food is definitely a good idea. Wet food is much healthier than dry (higher moisture content, higher protein levels, less processed) so if you’re going to feed dry it’s a great idea to at least incorporate some wet.

I’m not sure whether or not Simply Nourish is appropriate for large breed puppies as my inquiries to the company about their nutrient levels were never responded to. However, with that said, I wouldn’t consider a pit-husky mix to be a large breed so you’re probably okay.

[Andrew M]

Hello Hound Dog Mom ~
Our now 6 month old German GSD weighs in at 51 ponds plus! We have been feeding him Wellness Core Puppy Dry… He devours his twice daily feeding of approximately 2 cups per feeding. My questions… You suggest mixing wet food. What is your opinion about staying with the same family of food, Wellness, and adding the wet, as a topper, either on a regular daily basis at each feeding or periodically on different days at different feedings? Thanks in advance for your comments and response… Others are also encouraged to comment if you would like to contribute.

[Elizabeth T]

I have a great dane puppy that is about 5 months old. He has had several skins rashes in the past few months and now he is starting to loose a little hair around his forehead. Our vet suggested an allergy test, but I read that those aren’t always accurate. We have always feed him Purina Pro Plan large breed puppy, but I would like to try to switch his food before we do the test. Do any of you have any suggestions?

[LunasMommy]

@ Elizabeth T.,

I also have a Great Dane puppy that’s just turned 6 months old and I have her on Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast. She seems to be doing well on that. I know when I got her from the breeder he had her on something similar to Purina and I switched her to Wellness Core Puppy. I’ve tried that one, Avoderm Revolving Menu: Trout and Peas and now have her on Earthborn. She seems to have done well with all three of those, I’m just trying to find one that’s reasonably priced and that I can find locally. All three are grain free and meet the criteria for being low (or within range) for the calcium levels. Hope that helps you out.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Elizabeth T:
Here’s an article discussing food allergy testing in dogs:

http://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk/itchy-dogs-%E2%80%93-is-food-the-problem/#.VCW9kGddXng

[Gemino C]

My 4 month old Weimaraner is doing very well on Earthborne Hollistics Meadow Feast. He was on Earthborne Primitive Naturals and had trouble with loose stool. The protein levels are much higher in the Primitive Naturals, but I am not sure if that attributed to his problem. It is about a 10% difference. Earthborne is a cost effective 5 star kibble that is about $1.71 per pound.

I may rotate with ToTW or Wellness.

[Kim N]

Hound Dog Mom

I know this is off topic but I actually joined this forum to ask you this (so hopefully you get this post!). I have a wonderful little 2 year old Yorkie boy and he’s 6.4lbs of extremely picky when it comes to eating. He’s gone as long as 1.5 days without eating, then he’ll finally give in and eat. I only feed him dry dog food – Fromm. I chose not to give him anything wet as I’m scared of him having dental issues later on. Anyway, he was on Natural Balance for a few months when I first got him – right at 1 years of age. He took to the Fromm really well at first then he stopped eating as quickly. I figured maybe he just wanted soft food (I even switched flavors of Fromm), so I started crushing the food and adding water to make it more like wet dog food. That worked. On occasion I would mix with a tad bit of banana or some other healthy fruit for him. He liked that. But now he’s back to not wanting to eat. I read another article where you posted in response to someone else in a similar position as me. I just want your opinion on what you think I should do or try. I will spend whatever to make sure he’s eating healthy and also enjoying his food. What would you suggest? Do you recommend Fromm? Thanks so much.

[spaniel39]

UHMMM
Fromm is great. But I think you have the wrong Forum; not that HDM or anyone else
would not be happy to assist you, but with all due m respect, this is the
Large/Giant Breed Forum; Our dogs at birth weighed more than yours now!

[Kim N]

spaniel39

I know I have the wrong forum. After reading several forums and seeing HDM’s replies, I wanted to ask her and knew of no other way of communicating with her other than to find a forum she posted to last. Sorry if I offended you by posting here, I’m really just trying to reach her. I’m new to the site, so if you know of another way of contacting her, I’ll gladly do it. Suggestions?

Once again, I know this is the wrong forum. Look over my message please, with all due respect, it’s really just for her. Thanks.

[hmurray]

HDM – At what age can you stop being concerned about the calcium/phosphorus ratio for a mastiff?

[theBCnut]

Not HDM, but some say around 8-10 months their body should start to regulate calcium uptake, others say to wait until they are 85% of their adult weight. I would argue for being on the safe side and go for whichever of those comes last.

And since I’m not HDM, I can’t help Kim N by saying feed the dog canned and brush its teeth. Problem solved.

[aquariangt]

I thought about not helping and not saying that the kibble/teeth thing is more of a myth than anything, but I also didn’t (as I am not HDM myself)

[spaniel39]

Hi,
I have a Komondor-Hungarian sheep dog
16 months and 120 pounds
I had asked HDM (not that long ago if you want to look book a bit)
as I could not find ANYTHING about when to stop watching the calcium intake
of large/giant breeds.
Even my Vet didn’t know
She wrote back that doesnt’t matter after reaching Adult size.
I don’t go overboard and give her anything like 2.5 calcium, etc
But thankfully that stage is over!

[Ramona F]

Hello HDM
I have a 7.5 month old 71 lb lab female (spayed)
I have fed her a variety of fish/ turkey/chicken based grain free Kibble
NOW, Horizon Legacy (not suitable for large breeds) , Orijen
I saw two conflicting posts on the forum regarding Orijen foods and calcium content and just want to be clear on the calcium content in Orijen Large Breed Puppy which she likes a lot but its expensive..
We are trying to find a sensibly priced grain free with the right balance of nutrients and it seems elusive
Any tips? We live in a small town and don’t have some on the list

[Kim N]

theBCnut & aquariangt

Wow. I obviously touched I nerve with you guys. I’m sorry for aiming at HDM? She gave some really detailed breakdowns on other forums about brands and foods and just seemed to have a lot of knowledge about dogs – from experience. I’m in no way saying someone else can’t help or aren’t as knowledgeable, but seeing as I posted in the wrong forum I didn’t plan on others jumping to my topic to help. My God, I just wanted some friendly advice. Yes, I try to brush his teeth (and fail) but I still use the gel. It’s my understanding that smaller dogs have more dental issues. I don’t want to add to it if I can. If “feed the dog canned and brush its teeth. Problem solved.” is all the best advice one can give, then yes, please just leave my message for HDM. Please let’s not do this.

[Kim N]

There’s no need to be rude, so don’t.

[spaniel39]

Hey Kim,
Not a good idea to:
And since I’m not HDM, I can’t help Kim N by saying feed the dog canned and brush its teeth. Problem solved.

I think I have another email for HDM and will try to get it for you!
I can tell you’re really concerned for your Pup and want to do the right thing.
My best friend is a top vet in chicago. Having dinner with her tomorrow and will
ask about this for you.
Also, you mentioned difficult or “failing” at brushing teeth?
Are you using a brush (tooth)
Actually, I just got some (flavorful) new toothpaste and some “finger scrubbers”
for my babies.
Will be trying it tomorrow
Again, do NOT feed your baby only wet food. Her teeth will rot
Enjoy your evening and weekend
Best
Michael (AKA Spaniel 39)

[theBCnut]

Seriously, if dogs eating dry food have to get their teeth cleaned all the time, what makes you think that canned food is worse? Kibble does not clean teeth. When a dog crunches down on kibble, it explodes. It does not scrape along the surface of the tooth all the way to the gum line, and if by some miracle it did, it would slice up the gums too. Canned food does not rot teeth. Carbs are responsible for the junk left on teeth. Kibble is carbs.

If you really want clean teeth, you let your dog gnaw on something like a meaty bone that will scrape the whole length of the tooth and work under the gum line too, or you learn how to brush.

[spaniel39]

Kibble is carbs???
Yah, I guess it is if that’s what you feed your dogs! lol
Benful, alpo, old roy
yes, dogs were not meant to have grains/carbs!
Meat!
Have you ever heard of Orijen, Wellness Core, Acana
I do brush my dog’s teeth which most people find it hard to do, but not time-consuming!
Well, keep doing what you’re doing, Grizzly Adams, and feed your wet food and throw
your dog a bone!
As KIM pointed out, no need to be rude!

[aquariangt]

Have you ever heard of wellness, acana, Orijen…. Are you kidding? Yes everyone here has heard of them, and yes, they are still high in carbs, and yes they are still considered kibble, as all dry food is kibble. Maybe less carbs than all the low quality corn and soy kibble, but still carb heavy none the less.

The thought process that wet food rots teeth is a very old wives tale. And forgive me for saying so, but you did already tell someone that this message was just for hdm so Not to respond.

Spaniel39, I recommend a bit more research before making comments like your last one

[crazy4cats]

The BCnut was hardly being rude. She is giving the exact same advise and information that HDM would give. She has just as much or more knowledge. She has already completed school and has much experience in the field. HDM would tell Kim to feed her dog variety. Do not feed the same food everyday forever. Yes, Fromm is a recommended food, but it is best to rotate with other kibble as well. She would also advise that a high quality canned food is healthier than kibble as it is less processed and has less carbs. Her first recommendation for dental health would be to brush his teeth, secondly give raw meaty bones such as turkey or pork necks, chicken backs or quarters, or chews such as bully sticks or pig ears. Third choice she has a few dental treats she recommends. A few are Zukes ZBones, Newman’s Own Organics Dental Bones and Nature’s Recipe Dental Chews. HDM is awesome, but she doesn’t participate as much in the forum anymore. I suspect she is extremely busy. I believe it is best to start a new topic under the appropriate category and get as much advise and information from as many posters as possible. Kim, I truly hope you can get your dog to eat and maintain his dental health. I feed my dogs kibble with several different types of toppers such as canned food, eggs and sardines. I give them bones, necks and dental chews. I hope HDM pops in and helps you out, but in the meantime maybe you could use some of our advise as well. As I have learned a lot of this from her and the BCnut.

[Kim N]

OK guys –

Thanks so much for all the help. I’m not trying to rile anyone up. I just wanted to be sure I’m not doing something wrong or worse torturing my little guy. This is my first dog so I’m learning everyday. I take it back, I don’t care WHO helps if it’ll stop people from taking offense to what I said, I just needed advice. He’s healthy all over per his vet, but I’m just a huge worrier because I see him not eating his recommended servings and that’s not fun to watch. I’m not completely opposed to wet food, I just heard so many mixed reviews on it and honestly didn’t know what to believe so I stayed away. Dental health was only part of my concern. BTW, I use the little finger brush but his mouth is so tiny it’s not comfortable for him so I try with the regular brush (smallest end) and that works better, but he still fights and becomes terrified – I understand it’s going to be a process – that’s why I say it’s difficult. I use the gel/foam when he’s fussy. Once again I really appreciate all the feedback guys. I will try your suggestions.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Kim-
I never thought you were trying to rile anyone up. You just wanted help for your dog. I’m curious if you have gotten your dog to eat or not yet. Please start a new thread or find one more fitting to your situation. This is a very popular thread for large breed owners, I don’t want clog this one up with more non-related issues. I’d like to hear your progress on another thread though.

[AspensMom]

Hello everyone, I am new to this site and forum and I want to thank everyone who has posted such good advice. Due to the recommendations on this forum and the recommendations for the site’s 4 and 5 star rated dog foods and HDM’s lists, I have begun to switch my puppy’s food. I have a 4 month old (will be 5 month in a few days) female English Setter named Aspen who is currently 32 lbs. I was feeding her Nutro Natural Choice kibble alone twice a day, but a few days ago started the switch to Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch and Meadow Feast. I also have gotten several samples of The Honest Kitchen and she really likes this mixed in with her food, and I see that THK LOVE is recommended for LBP.

The Nutro said for a 30 lb dog I should be feeding her 3 1/2 – 3 3/4 cups food a day, but the EH says 1 1/4 – 1 3/4 cups a day. I am currently at a 50/50 split with old/new kibble and currently giving her 1 cup mixed kibble along with 1/3 cup THK sample topper at each feeding, however she still seems hungry. She carries around her food bowl sometimes, leading me to believe she is hungry even a couple hours after feeding her, so I wind up giving her a small handful of food when she does this and she devours it. I don’t see how when I am fully transitioned to EH 100% that only 1 1/4 – 1 3/4 will be enough for her a day, even with THK as a topper. I have a couple questions that I would like all you knowledgeable people to help me with please.
1. The EH back states “You may keep EH Coastal Catch before your puppy at all times; most puppies will satisfy their nutritional needs as their appetite dictates”. Is this for puppies that are younger than 8 weeks of age, or does this apply to older puppies, and if so up to what age? (sorry if this sounds stupid) What amount do you suggest I feed her of kibble, considering she will also be getting 1/3 cup THK LOVE?
2. Do you feel that feeding her either the coastal catch or the meadow feast along with THK as a topper is a good combination? Is her feeding of 1 cup kibble with 1/3 cup THK OK or is she getting more than she needs? I am not going the raw food route and I really like the convenience of THK compared to buying cans and having to store the remaining canned food in the fridge. With THK she can get warm fresh food with her kibble and I find it really convenient for me.
3. I am considering Aspen a LBP as our vet said that she will probably get into the 60 lb. range and to feed her a LBP food, although I want to stay with the all stages food. So am I correct that I can stay with coastal catch or meadow feast and THK LOVE until she is 10 months old and after that I can start to give her any flavors of the EH and THK (or any other recommended food to rotate her)?
4. I have also at times given her organic canned pumpkin or sweet potato and she loves those as well, but I saw other suggestions on here such as tripe/sardines/cooked eggs. If I use tripe/sardines/eggs as a topper how much of those should I give with her kibble?

One final question is that I looked and don’t see a place to upload a profile picture, could someone tell me how to do that? Thank you in advance for any help and recommendations you can provide me, I appreciate it!
AspensMom – Shelly

[theBCnut]

I believe the Earthborn recommendation is for adult weight, they often doube that for puppies, but please feed bsaed on your actual dog’s actual body condition since those recommendations are rarely accurate. I would not free feed. Feed about the same amount you were feeding before, and adjust feeding amount as needed. Don’t let her get fat, thin is important while they are still growing.

EArthborn and THK are a great combination. You will definitely have to adjust the amount.

Yes, stay with foods on HDM’s list until she is 10 months old then you can feed her other foods as you want.

Tinned sardines should be one can a week. Pasture raised eggs, either raw or lightly cooked 2 times a week, no shells for her until she is regulating calcium uptake at about 10 months, but then you can occasionally give her the whole egg. Raw green tripe can be given as often as you like, I like to give it at least once a week for the probiotics. It smells pretty strongly, just a warning. Unbalanced additions to her diet should be less than 20% of her diet, but all of those are pretty safe.

[Genevieve K]

How many times are you feeding her? Puppies need to have 3 meals a day. (I do think it’s adorable that she carries her food bowl around.) Using the caloric information on the packaging, I calculated the ideal daily feeding schedule and use that as a guide (it’s been close to the suggested servings). If you’re feeding multiple foods, I recommend doing this to ensure she’s getting what she needs. Perhaps you could do this with the different foods that you’re feeding.

In addition to a Boerboel puppy, we have two other large breed dogs. I do feed the puppy far more than I feed the adults because I know he needs the additional nutrition and the extra calories to support his quickly growing body. I keep a close eye on his body shape to ensure he’s not getting over-fed.

Having fought a weight loss battle with my Ridgeback, it’s important to keep an eye on his waist. I’m fine with him carrying a little bit more weight because I know he will use that for growth and energy but it’s important to ensure he doesn’t cross the line into “fat.”

Because of the our Boerboel puppy’s multiple allergies (arg!), we decided to use Annamaet’s Aqualuk and are now feeding it to all three dogs. It’s is appropriate for large breeds in all life stages and is listed on HDM’s list of recommended large breed dog food. The Calcium/Fat percentages are excellent and, personally, I was drawn to its EU certification which requires does not allow the 4 D’s (diseased, dying, disabled, and dead) animals.

Large dogs usually have a shorter life span and the additional cost is worth it to ensure my family is eating a very healthy food which, hopefully, will extend their life span. One wonderful side effect is that my Ridgeback’s farts, known to literally clear a room, have significantly decreased in frequency and are not nearly as foul!

No, is not an inexpensive food but we were previously feeding a different, high quality 4 star food that was only a bit less than Annamaet. There are very few retail locations that carry it so I order it online from Wag.com but there are other sites that carry it. The Annamaet website has a list of retailers – online and brick & mortar shops.

Long story short, I’d feed her as much as she wants – to a point. For training purposes (and your sanity), maintain a feeding schedule so that she doesn’t learn that she can manipulate you. The last thing you want is a dog who know that when she drops her bowl at your feet, she gets food. They’re slick little critters!

[Karen E]

My five month old Labrador puppy, Beans, spent a night in ICU this weekend due to extreme diarrhea and vomiting. The ultimate diagnosis is that he has an intolerance to chicken. He has been eating Wellness Large Breed Puppy dry kibble since I got him at eight weeks old, but suddenly he can’t digest it. We will keep him on Prescription I/d for a week, but I need recommendations of another protein dry food to substitute in for next week. My research indicates lamb or venison may be best, but would appreciate advice from others who have been through similar experiences. Thanks! Karen

[theBCnut]

Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast.

[Karen E]

theBCnut, is that a puppy formula?

[theBCnut]

All Life Stages, and on the approved list for large and giant breed puppies.

[adee o]

I was trying to get the list of food for a Saint puppy but it seems is not online anymore??? My saint is 8 weeks old and I need a good quality food for her ASAP!

[Bobby dog]

adee o:
Go to page 73 and look for a post from HDM dated July 3, 2014 at 5:28 pm; you will find the link posted there.

[AspensMom]

TheBCnut and Genevieve – thank you so much for your great advice, I appreciate you replying back to me! I was feeding her 3 times a day on the Nutro Natural Choice and in the beginning she would eat it when I put it down for her feeding, but there came a point when she wouldn’t eat it anymore, and I changed to only putting her food down twice thinking that she just wasn’t hungry, but now that I think about it I think she became bored with or just didn’t like the Natural Choice anymore. But that’s when I started reading this forum and decided to switch her food. The first time she had EB Coastal Catch she devoured it up in no time flat, she was getting the Nutro lamb and rice and I was hesitant on the Meadow Feast but she liked that plain too and chowed it down.
TheBCnut, when you say I will definitely have to adjust the amount, do you mean more or less? Lately I have been feeding her 1 cup EB with 1/3 cup THK in the a.m., ½-1 cup at lunch (no topper), then 1 cup EB with 1/3 cup THK in the p.m. Would this be too much (it’s about 3 ½ cups a day, what Nutro suggested on its packaging)? I called EB and left a message about a week ago and so far nobody has called me back to clarify feeding recommendations for a puppy, and the back of their packaging doesn’t say whether its for a dog or a puppy. She is however getting a pretty good walk/run in the afternoon every day, so much so that she sleeps on and off the rest of the afternoon/evening, so with that exercise I’m not too worried about her getting fat, but that might change when winter comes and I’m not inclined to bring her to our open space/dog parks every day in freezing/snowy weather. Also, is it advisable to feed sardines/tripe every week, if so I will make sure she gets at least one every week. I assume the sardines will give her a nice shiny coat? I will also check out Annamaet’s Aqualuk and see if I can get that at any of my natural food stores, this is a good recommendation for when I start rotating her food more. BTW, how often do you/should you rotate food, every other day, week, month?? Thank you all! 

[theBCnut]

Adjust the amount of food according to your dog’s body condition. Keep your pup on the thin, lean side at least until full grown.

One warning, diet and OVER exercise are both big contributors to hip dysplasia, so be careful about the amount of exercise your pup gets. It’s better to wear them out with mental work than physical work.

I rotate after every bag, which is weekly, with my dogs’ kibble. I feed half raw and I rotate that every day.

[cdubau]

Alright everyone I need some help. Currently feeding my dogs Dr Tims
*Last year this time I got my awesome dog Bode and in April we got another puppy Zieke. They are both larger breed dogs. Bode is weighing close to 80 pounds at just over a year and Zieke is a full blooded Rotti. But we are having issues!!

* Our Rotti always has loose stools. The first bit that comes out holds some form and the rest is to soft to hold anything. Negative for worms or anything in fecal matter
*Our older pup Bode poops TON at A time, 3-4 times a day!!
* BOTH have awful gas!

Considering changing to one of the following foods to try all from the list of Grain INCLUDED (I can’t afford any of the grain free). In order of STARS:
Pro/Fat Content
5 Daves 30/20
4.5 Fromm Gold 26/14
4.5 Premium Edge 29/18
4 Nutrisource 26/16
4 Nature Variety 26/12

Does anyone have any experience with the above listed foods?

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by cdubau.
• This reply was modified 10 years ago by cdubau.

[theBCnut]

Nature’s Variety just had a formula change, so for caution’s sake I wouldn’t use that. I’ve had a lot of experience with NutriSource and I really like them. Their foods are usually easy to switch to, well tolerated, and, at least in my area, economical. They are a food I often recommend for dogs that need something that their stomach can settle down on.

[Author]

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