# What do you feed your puppy?



## Own Coffee (Mar 27, 2017)

We are using the Purina pro food focus now as the girl who worked at petsmart said that its good. I saw lots of deals of purina beneful too this pass weeks and theres a deal that makes it very cheAp so I grab lots of them. But reading the reviews and everything Purina doog food are on the bottom 2 of the least desirable food. Can you please share or help me on what you feed your pups thats quality but not break the bank. Btw our baby is 8 weeks old and about 15lbs ? A male gsd. Thanks


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Hi Own Coffee and WELCOME! :greet:

[FONT=&quot]Ingredients in Purina products are very low quality.

ALL products on food should be NAMED. 
Example: Poultry By-Product Meal = WHAT poultry???? chicken, goose, turkey, duck?????? Should say "Chicken Meal" or "Turkey Meal" etc.
Example: Fish Oil=WHAT fish????? Should say Salmon or Sardine or such. 

[/FONT]
 *PUPPY FORMULAS:*

*ACANA PUPPY (only available in Canada) : **http://acana.com/our-foods/heritage/puppy-large-breed/* Store Locator | Acana 


*ORIJEN *(note that this food gives some dogs very loose stool)*: **http://www.orijen.ca/products/dog-food/dry-dog-food/puppy-large/** Store Locator: *http://www.orijen.ca/where-to-buy/

*FROMM’S: **http://frommfamily.com/products/gold/dog/dry/#heartland-gold-large-breed-puppy** Store Locator: *http://frommfamily.com/retailers/usa/#progress=2 
Fromm's is family owned & Operated and manufactured. Most other companies have others manufacture their kibble.


*NATURE’S VARIETY: **http://www.instinctpetfood.com/product/instinct-raw-boost-grain-free-kibble-large-breed-puppy-food-chicken* Store locator: Find A Store | Nature's Variety


 Always transition with small amounts of new food mixed with old, taking a week or two to change. If stool get loose, go back to previous amount fed (where stool was solid) and hold at that amount for a few days until his gut gets use to it. Then increase again. This is called "bowel tolerance".

Moms


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## HannahKana716 (Mar 27, 2017)

I would definitely go to DogFoodAdvisor.com and do some research. This website has helped me so much in finding the right kind of food for my puppy. You want to pay attention to the ingredients in the dog food you get. I put my pup on Nutro Large Breed Puppy dry dog food and am currently switching him to new food because his growing has slowed down so much. The pet food that is advertised the most and sold at almost any store is not necessarily the best. I also get good prices on dog food at Chewy.com.

Also, you may know this already, you may not. You do need to make sure that your GS pup gets the right amount of Calcium and Phosphorus, because GSDs are prone to get Hip Dysplasia. Calcium and Phosphorus will be in "Large Breed Puppy" labeled dog food. I've done a TON of research as I am a new GSD owner.


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## semcat66 (Feb 24, 2017)

We're feeding Porter Tractor Supply's brand of grain-free puppy kibble. It's called 4health Grain-Free Puppy Dog Food - all the ingredients are named and though it is more expensive than your run-of-the-mill supermarket pet food, it's much cheaper than the premium brands (e.g. - Blue Buffalo, Wellness, etc.). We're adding egg and/or raw chicken (off the bone) as well as beef ribs for snacks. Once he's a bit older, I'll be switching him over to a raw diet (uncooked chicken, turkey, meat bones and organ meat - with the occasional bowl adult kibble and raw veggie puree). That's what my 9 y/o has been on for 8 years and it's MUCH cheaper than premium dog food.
*
*


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Since "not break the bank" is part of your request....here are some lower-priced options that are better than what you're looking at:

1. * Diamond Naturals (widely available), Kirkland Signature (at Costco), 4Health (Tractor Supply)* -- they're all different labels for a nearly identical food, made in the same plant. It's a solid "mid-grade" food that's very economical while still being acceptable quality for most dogs (i.e., no food allergies or health problems). A lot of dogs do quite well on it. They make a puppy formula. The one thing to watch with all of these is the manufacturer (Diamond) has had many recalls, so you MUST subscribe to a recall alert email, and keep your bag codes to be able to check for recalls (don't dump the food in a bin and throw out the bag).

2. *Fromm Gold - *For a little more money, Fromm Gold is a step up. It's the mid-grade food made by the Fromm family, which owns their own plant and is known for having good quality control (only one recall in their history, going back to the early 1900s making dog food). Their phone reps are also very, very helpful. Their Four-Star line is even better (and costlier), but you can trust their Gold line because they're not going to put out a poor-quality food--they just don't work that way. 

You can only buy this at independent stores (not Petco/Petsmart), or online -- they want to support "Main Street" and get people shopping locally, so they're structuring their distribution to support independent retailers. Love, love, love that about them! 

Many people here swear by the Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy food -- it's been posted about frequently as a top recommendation from some very experienced and breed-savvy regulars here.

3. *Victor - *Around the same price point, you'll also find some foods made by Victor, another independent company that owns their own plant and has a reputation for good quality control. I don't have experience feeding it, but it seems to have a great reputation.

There ARE better foods out there. However, you'll get a lot more bang for your buck with one of these than with the foods you mentioned. You'll also feed a lot less because there's more concentrated nutrition!

You want companies that put their money into what goes into the bag, not marketing (= coupons & ads). If you want to get great deals, the way to do it is to match an online promo code for retailers like Chewy.com with free shipping on one of these better foods.

Please DO NOT FEED that Beneful that you bought. If you cannot return it, see if there's a local food pantry that accepts pet food donations and leave it there. It's cheap for a reason: it's full of food coloring. I think of it as the Frootloops cereal of dog food--it might have pictures of produce on the package, but mere sugar and food coloring inside. Here are the Beneful puppy food ingredients per their website:

_Chicken, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, barley, whole grain wheat, rice, soybean meal, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols, poultry by-product meal, glycerin, egg and chicken flavor, fish oil, mono and dicalcium phosphate, poultry and pork digest, calcium carbonate, salt, oat meal, potassium chloride, dried peas, dried carrots, MINERALS [zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite], VITAMINS [Vitamin E supplement, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Vitamin D-3 supplement, riboflavin supplement (Vitamin B-2), menadione sodium bisulfite (Vitamin K), folic acid, biotin], choline chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, DL-Methionine, *Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2, Yellow 6,* garlic oil.
_
FWIW, I do some have experience with how Beneful feeds out, and it's not good. I have a foster dog who used to be fed Beneful. His former owner gave him a huge food portion -- more than double what my kibble-fed dogs get -- and the dog was still skinny, with a thin coat. The rescue shifted him to Kirkland Signature (Costco, see above) -- he eats about half as much food, is maintaining his weight better, and his coat is already sleeker and thicker. He's just a healthier-looking dog all around after a few months on the Kirkland.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

For the sake of comparison, here's the ingredient list for *Fromm LBP food:

*Duck, Chicken Meal, Chicken, Oatmeal, Pearled Barley, Brown Rice, Menhaden Fish Meal, Lamb, Potatoes, Dried Tomato Pomace, Dried Whole Egg, Chicken Fat, Salmon Oil, Cheese, Flaxseed, Brewers Dried Yeast,  Alfalfa Meal, Carrots, Lettuce, Celery, Chicken Cartilage, Calcium Sulfate, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Monocalcium Phosphate, DL-Methionine, L-Tryptophan, Taurine, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Sodium Selenite, Sorbic Acid (Preservative), Vitamins, Minerals, Probiotics

https://frommfamily.com/products/gold/dog/dry/large-breed-puppy-gold/

Hopefully these links still work -- on their website, you can click through each ingredient to learn more about why it's in there AND where they source it (NOT CHINA!!!!). For example, they describe how they oversee their chicken meal production here:
https://frommfamily.com/ingredients/chicken-meal/

And a promise to not use ingredients from China:
https://frommfamily.com/about/question-and-answer/ingredients/no-china-ingredients/


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## Dracovich (Feb 24, 2017)

Lets just say any brand you can find in a grocery store will be very low quality, and Purina is one of those.

Pet store people are NOT educated or trained on nutrition, their recommendations for their reptiles is just horrible most of the time. All the pets they sell are fed heavily processed food and most of the pets they sell are very underweight. Their leopard geckos look horrendous!

I buy my dog food at a local feed store because I would rather support a small scale farmers store than a large scale pet store that does things I disagree with.

The comments above mention why Purina is not good and give you some healthy options, I just had to get my pet store rant out there and advice not only against Purina but against any pet store that sells actual pets.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

I should probably add that if one is determined to feed Purina, then I would make it Purina One or Pro Plan, or their Beyond line (which used to be part of One but got re-labeled). One of those is going to be better nutritionally than Beneful or Dog Chow. I know an adopter who must buy at WM (they're older and don't shop online, and WM is the only retailer in their rural area) -- they feed One, and the dog is doing fine on it (much better than the Beneful-fed dog I told you about). I saw the dog recently, and the coat was thick and full. Again, there are much better options out there to explore, in my opinion, but if you have to make compromises or have sourcing limitations, at least recognize that within the Purina line, there's a hierarchy of quality, and feed their top stuff (and avoid the food coloring!).


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## LBethO (Mar 18, 2017)

A couple of years ago, we switched from Nutro to Costco Signature brand. My adult dogs had visible improvement in their coat. Our newest GSD, whose previous owner had said was allergic to several common dog food ingredients, had fantastic response to their food. No allergies. Her coat is luxurious. A couple months ago, we had a large puppy show up. She has been on their puppy food since and has a gorgeous coat and has gained about 2# per week. I did research the brand. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst. With four large dogs, we can afford this. Oh, good dental health, too.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

We feed the Fromm large breed puppy and have been happy with it no complaints our pup Luna always ate the food and enjoyed she just recently starting to get picky and bored with the food - we do add fresh food as Toppers but I can tell she is a bit more picky then our two male dogs. She is not as much of a food slob as they are. The most thing I like about feeding Fromm is I feel comfortable feeding it to them with the right protein/ calcium/ phosphorous ratios for pups and especially with all these recalls going on- Fromm had only one voluntary recall with possible to much vitamin k in the can food. This has to be really hard to pull off and I understand things do happen to the best of company's but it does make me feel safe feeding Fromm. Acana is a good food I believe they have large breed puppy. there are some great dog foods out there we are very lucky.


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## cherub737 (May 31, 2010)

Purina Beneful had a voluntary recall in March of this year...the company, themselves, found that the product did not have the correct level of nutrients/minerals. May be why it is on sale. For more information or to request a refund, you can contact the company at 800-877-7919 (As per pet food advisor ). 

I feed a raw diet and rotate my proteins each meal. No grains. I use (coarse ground w/bone) bison, beef, duck, turkey, lamb, chicken, wild salmon, mackerel/sardine mix and sometimes venison. A different protein am to pm. I add in organic veggie mix that has been juiced and reintroduced to the pulp, organ mix, And I add Apple cider Vinegar, yogurt or kefir, olive or coconut oil and a raw egg in the am and add olive or coconut oil and a TBS pure pumpkin in the PM. I give bone broth once or twice a month and he is forever eating, daily, half of whatever fruit I am snacking on  I also add Dr Schulze's Super Food or one of the better supplements (Dr Karen Becker's) 5 times/week. It may sound expensive but when I make the large batches and freeze it actually can cost less than the premium brands...and reduced vet bills overall. I give a raw bone once or twice per month and remove within 24 hrs.

If raw is not your cup of tea, then I would recommend Acana or Orijen...again rotating the proteins only AFTER the pup has fully settled and only introducing one at a time. I do use those kibbles occasionally for training treats or tracking and they are good. I would soak first to discourage bloat and also because dogs diets need to be 70% water and dry is normally only 10%. So def. offer water freely. I should say I never mix raw and kibble...raw digests at approx. 4 hrs and it takes kibble about 15 hrs to go thru the intestine so I do not mix as raw is not designed to be in the gut that long.

If I travel I use Darwin's (premade frozen) raw as it is very easy to travel with...in 2 lb squares that are perforated with 4 1/2 lb blocks. I use the organic version but they do have a less costly version and a nice product. Or I will use Honest Kitchens dehydrated base mix (kindly or preference) to which I add my own protein. 

Good Luck!


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## Duke27 (May 29, 2017)

We were feeding him Purina - Puppy Chow Complete.

But after reading a few posts on here he is now eating Taste of the Wild - High Prairie Puppy.


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## SamsontheGSD (Dec 23, 2016)

Wellness Core. He was on the puppy food to 6 months then we gradually moved to the adult food. We switch proteins every now and the .


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## TayciBear (Mar 26, 2017)

I was feeding raw and I loved it, but I didn't have the energy or time or money to keep up with it. I get SportDogFood brand. It's $50 for 30 lbs on amazon, made in the US, and its grain free. She's doing very well on it and it has a 5 star rating on DogFoodAdvisor.


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## BlitzRomman (May 24, 2017)

Blitz gets fed raw, it's not as easy as buying kibble but guess who's a picky eater and doesn't like kibble. Also I live around several meat markets so I buy everything in bulk and it ended up being the same price as his kibble.


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## 115pounds (Aug 27, 2015)

Purnia has been busted numerous times for adding PLASTIC and sawdust to their products. Even MSN has Purnia listed as one of the worst dog foods made today.

I personally only buy dog food that is made In-house. Fromm as listed by some people, is a great dog food, but is spendy. Champions products are all very good but then again spendy. Canidae is pretty good and made In-house, but some of their products are better than others. Like others have pointed out the review sites are pretty good.


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## cheffjapman (Jun 8, 2017)

We feed all of our dogs Diamond Naturals lamb and rice.


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