[Claire T]

Dear Mike and fellow Editor’s choice members,

I have a 9 months old Golden Retriever puppy and I am currently feeding him Canidae Pure Foundations (Grain Free). We are from Australia so our choices are much limited compared to in the USA. I have 3 questions which has caused me problems in choosing the right food for him. Your advice or findings would be greatly appreciated.

1. I have been told by a friend about recent studies shown to switch large breed puppy to adult food at 9 or 10 months of age as they have reached 80% growth.

2. Also about calcium phosphorus level, can I feed my large breed puppy higher calcium levels/calcium phosphorus ratio after he has reached 9/10 months old? Or when can I do so? Or should I only choose kibbles that are within the recommended calcium phosphorus ratio for his whole life? I am interested in feeding him Earthborn Holistic however the calcium level is a bit high.

3. Is green tea extract safe for dogs? According to this website (http://www.thedogpress.com/dogfood/ingredients_liquorman.asp), ASPCA Poison Control Center lists green tea extract on its list of things to avoid for cats and dogs. However, green tea extract is an ingredient in many brands such as Wellness, Artemis, Holistic Select etc.

Thank you.

Regards,
Claire

[Claire T]

In regards to Question 1, is that latest news/finding true?

[Pitlove]

Hi Claire- Most people consider large and giant breed dogs “adults” at the age of 1, however in relation to the calcium and phosphorus they can start eating foods with higher calcium levels between 8 and 10 months so that info is correct.

Regarding the Green Tea Extract, it is known to cause liver toxicity in dogs. Definitely look into it further to make sure you are making the right decision if you want to feed a food with it. Wellness CORE puppy is recommended for large/giant breed dogs, however it contains it, so its a trade off.

[Claire T]

Thank you so much pitlove for your reply. You have cleared my doubts and now I am not as confused in choosing the right food for my golden retriever. I might go with either Earthborn Holistic or Canidae. Australia is very limited in good quality dog food, otherwise I would prefer to feed Origen/Fromm.

Thank you once again.

[Pitlove]

Are you able to order Orijen or Fromm online? I think those would be good choices and Earthborn Holistic seems to be a good brand from what I’ve heard. Someone definitely correct me if i’m wrong but I believe some of Canidae’s lines are manufactured through Diamond and they are notorious for recalls and handling the recalls quite poorly.

[Claire T]

They brought in Orijen a few years back but because some part of the cooking process did not meet Australia quarantine requirements, Orijen products when through irradiation which caused death of number of cats that consumed Orijen. Since then we don’t get Orijen anymore. I’ve emailed Fromm however they are not planning on expanding overseas yet )): Australia has strict quarantine rules for dog food (for most things actually) so buying online from overseas and having it shipped here is not an option I think as it would not pass quarantine. The good US brands we have here are Wellness, Canidae, Artemis, Holistic Select , Earthborn Holistic, TOTW.

[Pitlove]

Wow, I did not know that. I know with Hawaii they have really strick rules about animals themselves coming to and from the island. That is really unfortunate about Orijen though! I’d say the best of those brands would be Holistic Select and Earthborn. I don’t know enough about Artemis to tell you my opinion. Wellness is good but again the Green Tea Extract issue.

[Pitlove]

Also I believe one poster here Susan is also from Australia, however I think she feeds a raw diet for her pup. Hopefully if she sees this she still might have some dry kibble suggestions for you avaiable in Australia.

[Claire T]

Really appreciate your help here! 😀 and Australia too has very strict rules about pets coming in. The recent famous one is of Johnny Depp. He failed to declare his Yorkshire Terriers to Australian customs when he came to Gold Coast to film Pirates of the Caribbean. His poor dogs had to be sent back within a certain time or they’ll be put down.

Back to the topic. I’ll most probably switch him to Earthborn Holistic then. Unless I find anything better! Hopefully we get more quality food here in Australia in the coming years. Thank you once again 😀

[Bonnie R]

Don’t know that I have much to offer except that I would avoid Canidea due to the fact that it’s under the Diamond Umbrella. Most of the serious recalls & scares have been due to Diamond products; I avoid them at all costs, it may not be fair but I’m not taking any chances with my dogs. I have a Vizsla & a Weimaraner. I spent a lot of time & money making sure they came from good breeders; it would be devastating to loose one over something like poor food; of course that would be for any dog owner! Our dogs are so very special to us.

I’ve heard good things about holistic select, especially if you don’t have a pup with a lot of allergies. Have many friends that use this food; I personally use Fromm with excellent results, but I understand that’s not an option to you.

I was taught & reinforced by several vets to keep my boys on puppy kibble until close to 12 months; they really need the added nutrition, but again that’s personal choice.

Interesting about the green tea extract? Why would dog food companies add that to their food if its a questionable ingredient? That really makes absolutely no sense. I’ll have to research that further.

Good luck! Goldens are some of the best dogs ever!

[Author]

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