# Sticky  Most Highly Recommended Puppy Food(s)?



## Rachel_K

What is the most highly recommended dry puppy food?


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## angelaw

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

That's like asking what's the best car out there, lol.

Seriously though, there are many recommended foods out there for dogs. You might want to go to the diet and nutrition forum, there are a bunch of sticky topics at the top of the forum that discusses other foods as well as if there is a brand you're interested in, you can see if anyone has asked about it before.

Good luck!


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## Rachel_K

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

Lol - okay, thanks for the advice.


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## caligirl07

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I like Royal Canin.


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## Kasey06

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

<span style="color: #6600CC"> </span> 
I have worked at a few small high end pet stores and everyone comes in asking which food is the best to feed. I am not an expert but I have spent a lot of time researching (I actually enjoy it!). Anyways. What I always tell people is:
1) Avoid Corn-cheap filler/involved in past recalls
2) Avoid Wheat-Common allergen
3) Avoid meat by products
4) At least the 1st ingredient should be meat based, higher end foods will have 3-5 of the first ingredients meat protein sources. 
5) In terms of rice. Brown is the most nutricious, white rice is second and brewers rice is a byproduct of another market.
6) Dogs are not designed by nature to digest grains, grain free foods are one of the best choices for ADULT dogs. 
7) Newer research has shown that having animal fat as one of the first 3 ingredients could and I say 'could' increase the chances of bloat. There are differing opinons on this but it is a possibility. 
8) With all the recalls as of late it is even more important to pay attention to what you are feeding brand/ingredient wise. wheat/corn have been part of the culprits in recent recalls.
There are so many good choices out there and what works for one dog may not work for another. I personally fed my shepherd innova large breed puppy for the first 1 1/2 years. I liked the ingredients and the protein/fat/calcium%. One of the easiest ways to research is to go to a website like petfooddirect and just click on all the different brands and read through ingredients and prices and then go to dog food review sites and read what experts have said and read through forums like this one.


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## tracyc

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

A large-breed puppy like a GSD should not be feed any brand of regular "puppy" kibble--unless it's marked specifically for "large breed puppies." 

Better still, choose a high-quality adult formula kibble and feed the pup that. Adult dog foods have all the nutrition a puppy needs. 

The problem with most puppy kibbles is they are fortified with extra calcium and calories to make a puppy grow fast. Which is bad for a big-breed dog. It can cause bone and joint problems later in life.


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## Kasey06

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

And along those same lines, most adult foods do not list calcium%. But you can usually find it on the company websites or by emailing them and requesting. When getting my puppy, who was started raw, my contract required me to feed a high quality large breed puppy food. Innova Large Breed Puppy Food seemed to be the only large breed puppy food that had apporpriate %. This food actually has less fat/protein than a lot of adult foods, not by much though. And the calcium level was acceptable. On this same note: be a little cautious with the Orijen large breed puppy food. We sold it at the store I worked at recently and I didn't feel comfortable. It is a grain free food with VERY high fat/protein levels. It goes against every bit of research out there on % for a growing large breed puppy. It is labled as a large breed puppy food but I wouldn't feed it, at least not until there is legit research showing it is truly safe to feed to a large puppy.


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## Lynnemd

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

Great information - thanks so much!


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## mikaK9

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

This site also has a lot of good info and good reads about dog food:

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=grading_kibble


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## BWMinis

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I am a new user of Nutro and am feeding the holistic puppy food. Anyone have any comments or personal stories on the food?


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## VKristallaugen4

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I happen to stick with Purina Pro Plan LB puppy.


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## Enzo

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

After trying many different foods for my puppy, I have finally settled to raw meat. If some one on this site lives in N. California I can suggest where to get it.


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## SusiQ

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I feed Nutro as well - but I use the Natural Choice Small Bites Chicken, Rice, & Oatmeal for Sensitive Stomachs since my pup started out with digestive issues. He is doing very well on it, but I am now switching to the adult formula (Jager is 5 months).
My adult is on Eagle Pack Holistic Select, and b/c she doesn't have digestive issues or allergies, I rotate the flavors (Chicken, Duck, Lamb & Fish) so she gets a variety. I also add Evangers hand packed whole chicken thighs and some brown rice to their kibble.


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## lars0997

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I really like the Eagle Pack Holistic Large Breed Puppy.

Mandy


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## KodisMom

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I'll be picking up my puppy next week. I talked to my homeopathic vet about puppy food. I feed my adult dog Blue Buffalo. She told me to just put the puppy on the Blue Buffalo and not to worry about "puppy food".


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## RAZZEL

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I use Nutro and all of my pups are doing well. I switched to Nutro when I first got Skye which was almost a year ago. I fed her the Large Breed puppy food until she was about 5mo-then took her off and fed her the adult lamb and rice and she is beautiful !!!!!!


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## VALIUM

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

sorry guys, Royal Canin rules


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## selzer

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I was using Nutro. Will do Canidae all through next time and forget puppy food altogether.


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## arycrest

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I use the puppy diet recommended by the breeder until the pup is about 3 months old, then I slowly switch him/her to a good adult food.


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## caligirl07

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I noticed lots of people use Nutro. What do you think about Royal Canin??


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## VKristallaugen4

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

Royal Canin is a good food.


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## Kayla's Dad

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I've used both Nutro and Royal Canin. Started with Nutro as that was what her breeder was using. Switched to Royal Canin when Kayla was 6 months mixed with Nutro canned when she seemed to be having soem skin irritation issues. Switched out the canned food and started using Nupro supplement when she turned 2 last Feb.

And a couple of months ago went back to Nutro with Nupro joint supplement.


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## Timber1

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

My personal story is my son dropped Nutro, which has sponsored his competitive labs for two years. The Nutro Rep would not answer his questions about where their food is produced and where their ingredients come from. 

He was able to find another sponsor, and their kibble is fresh, produced daily, and in the USA.

If you have any interest send me a personal reply.


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## AlbemarleGSD

We're getting our GSD puppy soon and I was wondering if any of you have strong opinions of Nutro Max (for large breed puppies) vs Nutro Ultra (for large breed puppies). The local Petsmart sells the Max, but not Ultra, so the Max would be a lot more convenient for us to purchase. But if it's significantly inferior (for GSDs) to Ultra, we'll shop for the Ultra elsewhere.

Btw, here's a website for a freebie 5 lb bag of "any" Nutro Natural Choice Dog Food (expires March 31st):

http://www.nutroproducts.com/yourfamily/


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## AlbemarleGSD

Oops. I should have specified that it's the *large breed puppy* version of Nutro Ultra that Petsmart doesn't sell (for whatever reason).


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## onyx'girl

I fed Onyx Nutro Natural Large breed puppy til she was almost 7 months, she had a bout of pano at six months and again two times until she turned a year. I now feed RAW and so far so good. I think the protein level of the Nutro was more than she needed.


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## SusiQ

I switched my puppy off of Nutro and onto Eagle Pack Holistic and he's doing great on it!


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## MikeB06

I have fed CANIDAE for over 10 years to all my dogs. I recommend it to all my training clients no matter what age the pup or dog. That is what ALL LIFE STAGE is all about. It just works. http://wwww.canidae.com


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## jinj

Should you really use puppy food? As there is no puppy food in the wild.
It could make the puppy grow too fast and create joint problems.

Just another thing a breeder told me.


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## pinkanml

Nope, really no need. Most people on here feed their puppies a high quality adult food, or RAW.


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## rocky30

I buy royal canin. I like it but its a little pricey is there anything better.


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## StGeorgeK9

better is pretty subjective on here, but Canidae is less expensive for me than Royal Canin is, and I prefer it.


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## rocky30

where could I get it. Has anyone heard of welness puppy food.


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## StGeorgeK9

you can go to their website and search for a local dealer, actually my local feed store sells it.


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## larrydee33

As far as I am concerened Orijen large breed puppy formula is the best on the market right now.


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## TWeitzeKC

My GSD started off eating Nature's Variety Prairie. She now eats Canidae. Its a little cheaper.... Anyhow, she is doing great at 17 months and 62lbs respectively. Perfect. My Dobe eats EP Holistic LBP. He did not do well on Canidae. It constipated him, made his belly bloated (took him over 3 hours to poop). There are so many good options now. Just try one for awhile and see what works for you and your dog the best. I fed Nutro NC with previous dogs but wont go there again....


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## RubyTuesday

My breeder likes a high quality puppy food for the 1st 6mos. I trust her judgment (& experience!) but that goes against everything I've heard from large/giant breed people.

Is there anything in puppy feeding that can either increase or decrease tendencies to food allergies? Serious food allergies seem to be rampant (& increasing!) in recent years.


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## KCandMace

I think the best way to get rid of the allergies is to not expose the dogs to them. Which is a reason why I am going with a grain free diet and something more like a natural canine diet. 
I am kinda up in the air over Evo red meat or Orijen once the pups are older. For now I settled on Solid Gold and will see how they do on that. It is only a 4 star dog food and I want to get them on a 6 star and or completely switch over to a RAW diet.


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## will_and_jamie

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I feed Fromm now.


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## GSDog

Maybe you should have a look at this webpage which I found interested.
It gives you all dog food out there and cans too.

Most people out there already knows I had to take my GS pup off of puppy food cause he was growing too fast and still is but a bit less now. Thank god. He's only 6 1/2 months old and weighs 85lbs. He's not fat either just very husky and muscular. Been to the vet and he's healthy. Now he's on Orijen for adult (wildfish). Brought him down from 4 cups a day to 2 a day (aside from his treats). Instead of taking 3-5lbs a week in weight, he takes 1-3 a week and somethings 2 weeks. He's very healthy and he loves his food. 


http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/


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## Solo'smom

I am currently feeding my German Shepherd puppy CANIDAE. My Breeder fed her dogs that so I wanted to stick with that. Plus it is good quality food for cheaper price...


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## heidis_parents

Another vote for Canidae here. We feed all our dogs Canidae and they do very well on it. Our pup was fed Science Diet by the breeder. We have since switched her over to Canidae and no more itching and is growing very well. Use to use Nutro until we were educated on dog foods and switched. Never looked back. Canidae works well for us and cost about the same as the Nutro Max. Our vet tried to get us to feed Science Diet, but we know better. Plus I bet they get some sort of incentive from selling it in the offices.


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## Shugmort

Falken came home from the breeder with a small bag of Wellness for Puppies so that's what we started with. They just came out with a Large Breed Puppy formula so I switched to that. I thought the large breed puppy formulas were developed for slow growth, is that not the case?

Roxie, 2 years old, is on Nutro Natural Lamb and is doing great on it.


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## babyjake

They make a Nurto Natural Choice for large breed puppies. I recommend that. Its a bit spendy, $27 for a 20lb bag. But definitely worth it.


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## rjvamp

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*



> Originally Posted By: Kasey06 <span style="color: #6600CC"> </span>
> 1) Avoid Corn-cheap filler/involved in past recalls


I don't mean to be disrespectful, but have you seen corn prices lately? I don't think it can be considered a cheap filler. If it was, then it would be replaced with something else by now. 

As well, when meat is listed as "chicken" or "lamb" and not "chicken meal" or "lamb meal" as first ingredient...it is generally a marketing gimmick to make folks think that since "chicken" or "lamb" is #1 ingredient then that is what is mostly in the food. After non-meals are cooked you have very little chicken or lamb left due to the water content. I kind of laugh at the bags of food that say Venison and Potato for example and I see Venison, lamb, lamb meal, etc... there is more lamb in that food that Venison - labels can be very misleading!

Here is an interesting article about "Cornphobia "


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## tracyc

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

Even with elevated corn prices, it's a cheap ingredient in a dog's diet. At $8 a bushel (sky high for corn), we're talking 14-cents a pound. 

I do a happy dance if I can find chicken leg quarters for 69-cents a pound to feed my dogs. 

So, "cheap" is all relative, I guess. My next guess is that if corn prices stay high, kibble makers who use it will either turn to a different ingredient, or raise the prices--just like the manufacturers of human food do. 

Many dogs do okay with corn as a partial-protein source in their diet. And many don't. I have no studies; only the reports of members here who see an improvement in their dogs when they eliminate corn as an ingredient. Obviously, those whose dogs are doing well on corn aren't posting that success, but I'm sure they are out there. 

You are correct that ingredient labels on kibble can be misleading. The article you posted (and the website it came from http://www.kumpi.com) seem on the up and up. But the information IS coming from a kibble company who uses corn as a first ingredient in their product. It may be a fine product. I have no reason to think it isn't. But they do have a point of view, right?


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## rjvamp

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*



> Originally Posted By: Luca_stl But the information IS coming from a kibble company who uses corn as a first ingredient in their product. It may be a fine product. I have no reason to think it isn't. But they do have a point of view, right?


Yes I would agree you have to balance any information where it comes from. And you are right "cheap" is all relative  I've seen lots of dogs do very well on grain-free diets and non-grain free....so I would think that whatever works is an individual dog thing


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## doggiedad

never fed puppy food and neither did my breeder. started out on Natural Balance but the Shep stopped eating it. switched to WellNess kibble and WellNess can. my Shep and my Grey Hound love it. we also lace their food alot.


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## amjrchamberlain

> Originally Posted By: Gypsyrose04I happen to stick with Purina Pro Plan LB puppy.


Me too.


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## Nerrej

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*



> Originally Posted By: Gypsyrose04I happen to stick with Purina Pro Plan LB puppy.


Its funny that you mention this. I was just wondering why I haven't seen any one mention Pro Plan? I've been using it for my dogs but I haven't seen anyone using it here. I was beginning to think something was wrong with my choice.


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## BlackGSD

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*



> Originally Posted By: Nerrej[ I was just wondering why I haven't seen any one mention Pro Plan? I've been using it for my dogs but I haven't seen anyone using it here. I was beginning to think something was wrong with my choice.


A lot of people don't like the ingredients, nor do they like Purina as a whole. (Meaning even if the ingredients were better, they wouldn't feed it simply because Purina makes it.)


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## ky mylie

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I don't use purnia because after working in qa in food industry I don't want my guys eating ingredients from china. I have gone the more holistic approach. I feed PMI exclusive. I also like natural balance and a few other kinds.


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## BowWowMeow

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I'm not a Purina fan. Pro Plan's ingredients aren't great but more so I don't trust the company.


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## Nerrej

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

So i saw alot of mentions of Canidae in my search. But Then I started seeing groans about a formula change. Whats the deal there? Can you fimd Canidae in most big name pet stores?

and could someone breifly explain why purina is looked down upon? I see the post about made in china, and that does concern me


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## Nerrej

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

also the thread specifies "puppy food" but I've seen people reccommend foods such as Royal Canin which doesn't appear to have a "puppy formula" I just wanted to confirm that adult food is fine for my 4 mo old?


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## ky mylie

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

Purina has had issues with metal in food. Corn usually main ingredient. China has little regs or qa when it comes to food etc. No one watches what they put in. Like rat poison to boost protein or plastic, knives, wood etc. I've seen the last 3 in raw ingredients from china myself.


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## BlackGSD

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*



> Originally Posted By: kymylieI don't use purnia because after working in qa in food industry I don't want my guys eating ingredients from china. I have gone the more holistic approach. I feed PMI exclusive. I also like natural balance and a few other kinds.


What makes PMI so much better than any other Purina product? Are you trying to say that while most Purina prodcts have ingredients, their PMI foods don't?


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## BlackGSD

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*



> Originally Posted By: Nerrejalso the thread specifies "puppy food" but I've seen people reccommend foods such as Royal Canin which doesn't appear to have a "puppy formula" I just wanted to confirm that adult food is fine for my 4 mo old?


Royan Canin has several "puppy foods". 
But yes, as a whole, adult foor is fine for a 4 month old puppy. There are a LOT of breeders and owners that NEVER feed pupy food. The only "adult" foods that aren't necessarily recommended for puppies are most of the "grain free" kibbles because they have more cal/phos that most folks feel comfortable giving to a puppy.


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## Prince Of Persia

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

hey guys
I have a question about Eukanuba food.
my breeder is insisting me to switch to it. right now Hector is on Royal canine and doing good but breeder's saying that's much better.
I read in net that it's a crap product using corn and soybean.
what do you say?


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## James&Kaiser

My pup is a shade over 8 weeks old and weighs around 18 lbs. I am using the food recommended and used by the breeder, Taste of the Wild - Pacific Stream. I am also mixing in a little canned wet Wellness. Are these good brands/foods? How many times a day should I feed him and how much?


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## Chris Wild

> Originally Posted By: James&KaiserMy pup is a shade over 8 weeks old and weighs around 18 lbs. I am using the food recommended and used by the breeder, Taste of the Wild - Pacific Stream. I am also mixing in a little canned wet Wellness. Are these good brands/foods? How many times a day should I feed him and how much?


Excellent brands of food.









At 8 weeks old, eating 3 meals per day is ideal, but if your schedule doesn't allow for that, 2 would be fine. My personal opinion is that 2 meals a day, rather than 1, is something that should be kept up for the dog's entire life.

How much to feed is totally dependent on the puppy. Pups have different metabolisms and grow at different rates. They also grow inconsistently so what is the right amount of food one week may be too much or too little the next. Watch him and monitor his weight. He should be kept lean, but not overly skinny. If he's getting tubby, cut back on food for a while, if he's getting too thin, feed more. You'll probably have to adjust feeding amounts on a frequent basis until he's older and his growth has slowed and evened out.


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## roxy84

> Originally Posted By: James&KaiserMy pup is a shade over 8 weeks old and weighs around 18 lbs. I am using the food recommended and used by the breeder, Taste of the Wild - Pacific Stream. I am also mixing in a little canned wet Wellness. Are these good brands/foods?


i think Taste of The Wild is fine....for an adult GSD. 

however, i dont think any of the TOTW varieties are appropriate for our growing puppies. while technically falling within the AAFCO guidelines as an all life stages food, there is plenty of research indicating that it is advisable to stay on the lower end of the calcium level spectrum. im sure there are plenty of people who feed higher calcium foods with no problems, but i think we all seek to minimize potential risks as much as we possibly can. wellness themselves cautions against using wellness core for large breed puppies: (keeping in mind that the Taste Of The Wild varieties are all at 2% calcium levels as is the core). i would not normally cite a manufacturers FAQ as a legitimate source of information, but in this case there is supporting evidence and i find their stance on this to be responsible.

here is a passage from the wellness FAQ

<u>_ I have heard that some of these high protein diets can’t be fed to large breed puppies. Why? </u>

Research has shown that large breed puppies should not be fed a diet that is over 1.3 – 1.5% Calcium or they run a significant risk of developing bone abnormalities. Many of the high protein diets on the market today are well in excess of 1.5% Calcium. We do not recommend any large breed puppies be fed our CORE dog diets, or any of the other high protein diets on the market today. In fact, we would conservatively say that puppies in general should not feed higher protein diets that exceed 1.5% Calcium. Again, this is why we feature a maintenance claim and promote the diet for dogs over 1 year in age. _

[i<u>] Why is CORE Dog listed as appropriate for maintenance but CORE Cat is listed as all life-stages including cats and kittens? </u>
We feel very strongly about providing only proven nutrition to your dog. Research has shown that large breed puppies should not be fed a diet that is over 1.3 – 1.5% Calcium or they run a significant risk of developing bone abnormalities. If we listed our CORE Dog diets as suitable for all life stages, we would be irresponsible – knowing inevitably that large breed puppies may be fed these diets (by no fault of their loving owners).[/i]


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## canucme278

Here is a link to a dog food review site
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/index.php/cat/1
Look though it find your brand then see what you think of what you are feeding.


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## NitroBoy

Hello I just wanted to add my little tid bit here. I've gone through three foods since getting my pup so I can at least share what he did and didnt like so far. I started him on Wellness puppy, he liked it okay but not crazy over it, it got stuck in his teeth a lot and he was pawing at his mouth to get it out. I then switched him to Wellness Large breed figuring it would be better for him. He HATES this food, he wont eat it unless I add something to it. I got a few sample bags of Innova large breed puppy and he really likes this food which I am happy about. He will actually leave the Wellness and eat the Innova. I was curious as to why he didnt like the Wellness so I smelled both the Wellness and Innova. The Innova has a nice aroma, while the Wellness is very bland, I would compare it to cardboard. So I am going to slowly switch him over to the Innova.


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## pokey

Started with Solid Gold Large Puppy, now moving exclusively to feeding a raw diet.


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## Shadow&Bubba

to the person who asked about eukanuba. I would stay away from it. I tried it at first with Shadow and he liked it ok but it wasn't really the greatest food. I switched him to Wellness LBP and he LOVES it and has shown a significant improvement in weight gain/control, his coat is shinier, his stools are not as big *less un processed food going through* and i know it sounds crazy but it seems like he has gotten better at paying attention. lol


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## vmarie08

i am feeding my 6month old nutro natural choice adult food.my vet said that its better to feed her adult food because it slows growth and gives the bones enough time to grow which lessens the risk of hip displacia as opposed to puppy food which makes their bones grow faster


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## srfd44-2

Kai is on Timber Wolf and so is my pug. I have tried a number of foods out there and they both would stop eating it after a while, but not the Timber Wolf. The foods I have tried are: Wellness, Solid Gold, Natural Balance, Innova, and Nutro. Eukanuba is an Iams product and has too much corn as does Science Diet.


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## Syaoransbear

Chrono has been on lots of different kinds of puppy foods. The breeder had him on pro plan puppy large breed, but I took him off it shortly after because I didn't like the ingredients and he was a really, really big puppy. I had him on science diet for a while, but he got sick of it within a few days and would not eat. Then we put him on royal canin, which I really liked, but he would routinely get sick of it and not eat for a few days. We switched him to Innova Evo really recently and he's doing awesome and loves the flavor, but never overeats. His coat is beautiful and much fuller, he's building muscle, his stools are absolutely PERFECT. Seriously he pooped on our carpet and I didn't even mind cleaning it up. Was very impressive. Bad, but... impressive! He also regulates his own eating with this food. I usually fill up his bowl completely and he always eats a third of it, wanders around for a while and plays for a few hours, comes back and eats another third, etc. With all the other food he'd gobble it down right away or not eat at all.


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## TaegansMom

I posted this earlier under the Diet/Nutrition area:
I just switched my 7 month over to TOTW. He's the world's pickiest eater and it was a chore to get him to eat anything! Doesn't like anything fish related, hates lamb and isn't all that fond of chicken. He's also been on the thin side, so I've really been at my wits end with the food thing. His stool was also often very loose and he would have to go several times a day. I've read the many posts about ethoxyquin but decided to try TOTW. Taegan just LOVES this food. He can't get enough actually. No more enticing him to eat... He doesn't really like the Salmon, and while I know the Venison one is a bit higher in fat and such... he prefers it. His stool has also dramatically improved. Anyway... thanks to those who did recommend it. Has helped me and Taegan tremendously.


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## roxy84

i know i am a broken record on this, but IMO all those grain free foods are too high in calcium for a growing pup. i would always recommend orijen puppy large for someone who really feels they need to feed grain free to their pups.


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## NanHale

princess eats iams. she likes it allot.


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## KohleePiper

I've been feeding all 3 of my dogs Wellness large breed and they do well on it. Diesel LOVES it so I'm happy we're off to a great start with him.


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## hockeytown

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*



> Originally Posted By: KodisMomI'll be picking up my puppy next week. I talked to my homeopathic vet about puppy food. I feed my adult dog Blue Buffalo. She told me to just put the puppy on the Blue Buffalo and not to worry about "puppy food".


I've been feeding Tripp Blue Buffalo for 2 months now and his stools are not very solid. His coat looks nice, but the loose stools have got to go! 
I'm looking for something new...


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## Goofy

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

Same here, I have him on the lamb blue buffalo. Maybe the chicken will be different.



> Originally Posted By: hockeytown
> 
> 
> 
> Originally Posted By: KodisMom".
> 
> 
> 
> I've been feeding Tripp Blue Buffalo for 2 months now and his stools are not very solid. His coat looks nice, but the loose stools have got to go!
> I'm looking for something new...
Click to expand...


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## hockeytown

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

Goofball, I was just the opposite; I had him on the chicken and decided to try the lamb! I bought a little bag to try for the next few weeks. If the lamb doesn't work, I'll be researching a different brand again.


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## Vivian

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I didn't like the stools I was getting with Blue Buffalo either. I am now trying Orijen...


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## Smith3

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

Reading the reviews for Orijen's Large Puppy, is the concerns over the high protein content anything to be overly concerned about?


----------



## larrydee33

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I fed Orijen large breed puppy formula for the first year of my pups life without a problem.


----------



## zipfreer

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

Hi all, I truly believe in feeding holistic organic food for me and my family and my dogs as for right now, I feed my dog's high-quality food,from EVO but the more I read a feel I should go towards a raw diet for my puppy GSD and my 7-year-old GSD I've found a great product, I was researching its a great way to transfer your dog to a raw diet from kibble it is called Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Dog Food*All-Natural Raw Dog Food http://www.thehonestkitchen.com 
The great thing about this it cuts the cost feeding and all raw diet you know how expensive it can be specially if you have multiple dogs as I do but if you do the math.this product cut the cost without losing quality If you need more information on this food go to http://leerburg.com/honestkitchen.htm there is a video on the food, explaining it in more detail


----------



## zipfreer

Sorry if I'm ranting this is just my opinion.Do your homework before buying good luck.


----------



## roxy84

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*



> Originally Posted By: zipfreerfor right now, I feed my dog's high-quality food,from EVO



EVO is a good food, but IMO an absolutely awful choice for a gsd pup, even Natura themselves would advise against it.


----------



## lcht2

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

i would recomend:

blue wilderness

eagle pack

canidae (thats what i feed)

taste of the wild

solid gold

orijen

innova

thats just a short list of some good foods


----------



## zipfreer

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

Sorry, I meant Innova Puppy Dry Puppy Food mix them up my seven year old gets EVO grain-free dog food,at both of them now are going to be switched to The Honest Kitchen,mixed with RAW food


----------



## zipfreer

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

Depending on the breed of dog the food may or may not be a good choice. Many large breed and giant breeds dogs need a lower protein diet while they are growing (up to 18 months). This keeps them from growing to quickly and leading to joint and bone problems. Smaller breeds can usually handle more protein in their diet as puppies.


----------



## doggiedad

i've never fed puppy food to my Sheps.


----------



## rjvamp

I transitioned mine from Iams Large Breed Puppy (moved him off Bill Jack from kennel) to Kumpi Puppy (had to get my order in and shipped). He did go through some loose stool....combination of possible parasites (tests were negative), too many food transitions at once and stress from going to the Kennel every other weekend. He has moved beyond that now and I transitioned him from Kumpi Puppy to Kumpi Adult. He is 7 months old now. His system is in excellent shape now. We actually travel in the car now from MN to NC and back. He is my travel buddy.


----------



## foader

Hi Folks

Not worried if my food is the best or not just want to make sure that it's not bad for Chewy. Right now I've moved him from Sceince Diet LB puppy to Eukanuba LB puppy. 
I checked out Eukanuba on that dog food analysis website and it's rated as a 1 star food with poor ingredients. 
So while I search for a better food for him should I keep feeding him the Eukanuba?


----------



## BlackGSD

> Originally Posted By: foader
> So while I search for a better food for him should I keep feeding him the Eukanuba?


Yes, he has to eat SOMETHING.


----------



## aubie

I have Anna on Nature's Recipe Puppy, the same brand I have our other dog on. It has no corn, no byproducts or fillers. They seem to love it.


----------



## foader

LoL 

Of course I'm gonna keep feeding him. Was just wondering if keeping him on the eukanuba till the bag is out was a bad idea.


----------



## Barb E

You'll probably want to use that bag of Eukanuba to make the transisiton to a new food


----------



## foader

Going to use it to switch him over to Wellneess LB puppy and see how it goes. Read alot of good things about them in the posts.


----------



## DHau

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*



> Originally Posted By: Nerrej
> 
> 
> 
> Originally Posted By: Gypsyrose04I happen to stick with Purina Pro Plan LB puppy.
> 
> 
> 
> Its funny that you mention this. I was just wondering why I haven't seen any one mention Pro Plan? I've been using it for my dogs but I haven't seen anyone using it here. I was beginning to think something was wrong with my choice.
Click to expand...

Holy moley after checking out the ingredients in all of the food produced. I used to feed my dog Purina products and feel terrible now after becoming educated about dog foods. No wonder my previous dog had frequent ear infections. If I fed that stuff to my current dog, she may as well live at the vet's office. Everything she's allergic to is in all of the foods.


----------



## CarLooSHoo

My breeder recommended Royal Canin German Shepherd. I have heard it is a highly recommended food.


----------



## angelaw

Yes but NOT for puppies. 


From their own site:
Dog Food for Adult German Shepherds Over 15 Months of Age


----------



## Toffifay

I'm pretty sure that in Europe Royal Canin has a Puppy AND an Adolescent formula (Junior) specifically formulated for German Shepherds. It is only here in the states that the breed specific formula starts at 15 months.

I've seen it advertised on European websites, and always wondered why it wasn't offered to us here?


----------



## clfike

My obedience trainer recommends Flint River Ranch. I don't think I've seen anyone mention that yet. That's what we feed our 3. It's all baked, so it doesn't expand in the stomach. Has anyone tried this? You order it and it's delivered by UPS, usually the next day. It's definitely not cheap though, about $67 for 40 lbs.


----------



## MattinAustin

We did the food switch over and over because our puppy just would never eat enough of anything to put on weight. He likes the Flint River Ranch and that what we are sticking with for now. There is food rated better but sometimes it comes down to dog and owner sanity.


----------



## AnnaRiley

Yep, it does


----------



## Toffifay

I've used FRR and found that the palatability was outstanding to my dogs! I couldn't get anything less that pudding poop out of them though. I think I must have been feeding too much...they loved it like nothing else and maybe they ate too much and then they got the runs? 

I like the company and the food, it just wasn't working for me.


----------



## Nicholas

I feed Blaze Royal Canin Puppy food and he seems to like it alot, only downside I think he doesn't pick up the scent or doesn't like the scent of it until he actually tries one or two at first.


----------



## SusiQ

Has anyone tried Canine caviar Venison & Split Pea? Grain-free and the owner of my local pet Supplies Plus swears by it. My dogs have been on orijen and Instinct did well on both.


----------



## angelaw

I tried to try it a couple years ago when they had the rice issue with dog foods, even the stores that stocked it couldn't get it. I tried for months to get this food in to try it, ended up going to Evo at the time. Never tried to get ahold of it since.


----------



## onyx'girl

Ingredients look great in the canine caviar, but for a pup the protein looks way too high, 38%...

Venision And Split Pea 
Hormone, pesticide and antibiotic free Human Grade New Zealand Venison; raised free-range. 
Only cooked for 6 seconds; stimulates natural digestive enzymes (NO Probiotics Needed). 
Highest digestibility at 91 – 93%. 
NO GMO ( Geneticall Modified Ingredients) 
Grain free diet lowers the glycemic index and lowers the risk of diabetes. 
Chicory Root reduces the amount of pathogens in the intestinal tract. 
Lecithin helps with absorption of fats and proteins. 
Alfalfa and kelp for the stomach, garlic for the immune system. 
Yucca for hip and joint support and rose hips for added vitamin C. 
Ingredients
Venison Meal, Split Pea, Canola Oil, Dried Pumpkin, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Sun-Cured Alfalfa, Venison Tripe, Dried Beet Pulp, Coconut Oil, Borage Oil, Primrose Oil, Sun-Cured Kelp, Sodium Chloride, Lecithin, Whole Clove Garlic, Parsley, Peppermint, Limestone, Dried Chicory Root, Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Papaya, Rose Hips, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (a source of vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Thiamine, Methionine, Biotin, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, L-Carnitine, Beta Carotene.
Guaranteed Analysis 
Crude Protein 38.0 % min. Omega 6 4.02 % min. 
Crude Fat 20.0 % min. Omega 3 2.7 % min. 
Crude Fiber 4.4 % max. Beta- Carotene 0.01 % min. 
Moisture 8.0 % max. Taurine 0.10 % min. 
Digestibility 91 % - 93 % min.


----------



## SusiQ

If my pup is 11 months (WGSD/Wolf X), is the protein still too high? I've had him on both Orijen and Instinct. It's difficult to try to feed separate foods to mine - they eat out of each other's bowls. My female is almost 4.


----------



## honda_tuner

I use Wellness super 5 mix large breed puppy food. From the ingredient list it seemed like one of the best ones I looked at. Expensive though, $65 for a 30lb bag. Anyone else use this brand of puppy food?


----------



## shararocks

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

My vet is recommending IAMS and Eukabana from P&G.... and Royal Canine but its too expensive for now....


----------



## [email protected]

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I don't understand why vets recommend these low quality dog foods.

Our vet sells Science Diet out of their office, at a ridiculously high price. This is a 1* dog food!


----------



## Yh8t

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

Hi I'm new here have a very handsome 10 wk old pup. ? Has anyone tried Lotus dog food?


----------



## elisabeth_00117

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I have heard some wonderful things about the following kibbles; Origen, Wellness, Canine, etc. but nothing compares to feeding a raw diet.

My cats, dog as well as my new puppy are all fed a strict organic raw meat (and fish) diet.


----------



## astig

Hey all, I have a wonderful 7 month old male GSD and a gorgeous little 15 week old Rottie. When we first got our male we started him on Solid Gold wolf cub, he liked it for maybe a month or so until he started getting horrendous runs and became very picky about eating it. We now have him and our girl on Innova large breed puppy. Again, they both seemed to like it but then started getting random loose stools (not so bad with the little one), so far we have gone through quite a few of the 33lb bags with the hopes that they would get accustomed to it, no luck. Now instead of random loose stools, my male will have one slightly solid stool then a loose one and my girl will have at least one loose stool a day. They also have become very picky with eating it. They’re coats look ok (could be better imo) and are pretty active, my male weighs around 80 lbs (solid) and my girl was just weighed at 30 lbs the other day when she got her last set of shots. My vet keeps insisting that I try Science Diet’s sensitive stomach; I don’t honestly like the ingredient content but am getting a little tired of spending over $120 a month on food just to have puppies with consistently leaky rears, and she is a vet so I’m seriously thinking of trying the stuff. I’m a firm believer in quality food but both of my neighbor’s pups are on regular old Purina and look great, while I have made a trip to the vet’s office almost monthly. Anyone know of any alternatives, I’m just a little stuck on what to do since Solid Gold and Innova are both apparently very good foods. Btw we also give them some homemade chicken hotdog treats and a beef tendon on occasion but didn’t for 2 weeks with no change so I don’t believe it was from either of the two. 
Anyway, thanks in advance for any responses, sry this was a bit long.


----------



## BigArn

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*



> Originally Posted By: caligirl07I like Royal Canin.


Rocky loves that also.


----------



## Toffifay

> Originally Posted By: AstigHey all, I have a wonderful 7 month old male GSD and a gorgeous little 15 week old Rottie. When we first got our male we started him on Solid Gold wolf cub, he liked it for maybe a month or so until he started getting horrendous runs and became very picky about eating it. We now have him and our girl on Innova large breed puppy. Again, they both seemed to like it but then started getting random loose stools (not so bad with the little one), so far we have gone through quite a few of the 33lb bags with the hopes that they would get accustomed to it, no luck. Now instead of random loose stools, my male will have one slightly solid stool then a loose one and my girl will have at least one loose stool a day. They also have become very picky with eating it. They’re coats look ok (could be better imo) and are pretty active, my male weighs around 80 lbs (solid) and my girl was just weighed at 30 lbs the other day when she got her last set of shots. My vet keeps insisting that I try Science Diet’s sensitive stomach; I don’t honestly like the ingredient content but am getting a little tired of spending over $120 a month on food just to have puppies with consistently leaky rears, and she is a vet so I’m seriously thinking of trying the stuff. I’m a firm believer in quality food but both of my neighbor’s pups are on regular old Purina and look great, while I have made a trip to the vet’s office almost monthly. Anyone know of any alternatives, I’m just a little stuck on what to do since Solid Gold and Innova are both apparently very good foods. Btw we also give them some homemade chicken hotdog treats and a beef tendon on occasion but didn’t for 2 weeks with no change so I don’t believe it was from either of the two.
> Anyway, thanks in advance for any responses, sry this was a bit long.


Sometimes if you feed too much it can cause the runs. Have you tried cutting the amount back and seeing if they still get runny?
If that doesn't work, than I would try a different food. Sometimes the mid-grade foods like Purina Pro-Plan or Royal Canin (which I feed) are easier for some dogs to handle.
I've fed Science Diet in the past..but not for very long. The use way too much corn and my dog was looking pudgy and spongy from all the carbs. She also started throwing up bile in the mornings. So, although SD works for many dogs, I didn't care for it.


----------



## astig

Thanks for the responses, I have the male eating 2cups in the morning and 2 in the evening and my female eating half that. For some reason the day after I wrote this post he's been getting better...had only three pudding poos so far this week. Maybe he'll get better, I'll keep you posted.


----------



## Doggydog

Anyone familiar with BG? no grain. My breeder recommended it. It's expensive but seems good. I'm better at labels intended for human consumption tho, don't know what a puppy or dog need. I get good quality food and hope for the best. Innova, natural life, california natural, and a few others. I don't switch them out much now because I have a puppy. But I ordinarily alternate brands when feeding the grown dog. I'm off wellness since I had a 20lb bag full of maggots last summer. No more of that!
I used to "cook" for my pets. But these days I can't even cook for myself. No time for kitchen. My daughter and I would die over here if we didn't have delivery, lol.


----------



## Barb E

I think BG isn't suggested until growth is complete.


----------



## Doggydog

Barb,
about the bg... really?! Do you know why it isn't recommended for puppies? My breeder recommended it and the bag says it's for puppies & dogs. 
Is there not enough of something or too much of something?
I just bought a big bag, so this is not good news.


----------



## Barb E

I'm sorry, I was thinking of Wellness Core (I fed both around the same time to Dante)
What's the Cal and Phos on the BG?


----------



## NatashaDGTGSD78250

I am having good response from Science Diet Large Breed Puppy, I tried Royal Canin, Natasha did not like it. I think you have to use what works for your dog, and what your vet recommends.


----------



## Barb E

FYI - Ingredients for Science Diet Puppy Large Breed 
Ingredients

Ground Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Liver Flavor, Dried Beet Pulp, Flaxseed, Dried Egg Product, Soybean Oil, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Fish Oil, Potassium Citrate, Iodized Salt, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Natural Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, vitamins (L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Vitamin E Supplement, minerals (Manganese Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Tryptophan, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, L-Carnitine, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract. 

http://www.hillspet.com/hillspet/products/productDetails.hjsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441760401


----------



## Doggydog

I'm so over Wellness after the maggot bag. 
But about the BG - Don't know about the cal & phos, but here's the ingredients of the salmon:
Salmon Deboned, Chicken Meal, Potato Dehydrated, Turkey Meal, Canola Oil, Sweet Potato Dehydrated, Dried Egg, (preserved with mixed tocopherols – a source of Natural Vitamin E and Ascorbic Acid, a source of Vitamin C), Yeast Culture, Natural Dried Chicken Liver, Dicalcium Phosphate, Lysine, Guar Gum, Sea Salt, Alfalfa, Salmon Oil, Choline Chloride, Acai Berry Freeze Dried, Blueberry Dried, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Venison Broth, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Natural Venison Flavor, Chicory Root, Marigold Extract, Rosemary Extract, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Natural Celery Flavor, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Natural Color (tumeric), Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3, Niacin, Lecithin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Amino Acid Complex, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite.


----------



## Barb E

I found the ingredients online (well and I fed it for awhile so I know I liked them







), but before feeding a pup I'd want to know what the cal/phos is


----------



## Technostorm

hmm. no one has mentioned Bil-jac and I know dogs loves the sweetness of it and I must be silly to think the search function on this site broken. 

In the past, I've feed my GSD homemade with chicken, beef, and fish mixed with carrots, lettuce, celery and rice. Although expensive but well worth it. I cook it for every 3 days with the fresh unused sealed and frozen in a zip lock bag. 

these days, I can't afford the time to simmer the so-called "stews" and won't have time to brush his teeths daily so dry dog food is a way to go but reading all the reviews and researches done by others there still seems to be a huge debating ongoing as which is best for our dogs..


----------



## Technostorm

> Originally Posted By: Technostormhmm. no one has mentioned Bil-jac and I know dogs loves the sweetness of it and I must be silly to think the search function on this site broken.
> 
> In the past, I've feed my GSD homemade with chicken, beef, and fish mixed with carrots, lettuce, celery and rice. Although expensive but well worth it. I cook it for every 3 days with the fresh unused sealed and frozen in a zip lock bag.
> 
> these days, I can't afford the time to simmer the so-called "stews" and won't have time to brush his teeths daily so dry dog food is a way to go but reading all the reviews and researches done by others there still seems to be a huge debating ongoing as which is best for our dogs..


Instead of editing it, I went and did some more research and I must admit I was an idiot for cooking up the homemade.


----------



## crazyboutdogs

BG is a Merrick product. I was seriously thinking of switching from Core Low Fat to the Merrick BG Chicken, since the ingredients are similar, but the fat content is kind of high for my pack. The low fat Core is only 9 percent fat.


----------



## roxy84

wellness specifically warns against core for pups.


----------



## Velinda81

Kino is currently of the Wellness LB puppy 5mix. Was happy with the ingredient list, glad to see its 5*. I noticed right away opening the dogfood bin the fish aroma. I will see how he does with this, he done fine with Canidae which is what my 7 yr GSD is on.


----------



## boardchic1717

When we got her the breeder had her on Purina One healthy puppy formula but I heard there is a whole lot of calcium in it whichs make pups bones grow faster. We have since switched her to Science diet puppy large breed dry food. I don't know if it is linked but in the first month we had her she doubled in weight (9lbs)with PO but since SD she has only gained 7 lbs so I kind of think the calcium may not be as much? Not sure.


----------



## onyx'girl

I would try to find something better than SD.
With corn as the first ingredient, it doesn't get much better after that.
I bet you are picking up some pretty good sized poo's.
There are many threads on this subject, worth reading if you are not familiar with kibble ingredients. Though this thread alone has enough info to make an informed decision.
This is the SD puppy large breed:
_Ground Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Liver Flavor, Dried Beet Pulp, Flaxseed, Dried Egg Product, Soybean Oil, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Fish Oil, Potassium Citrate, Iodized Salt, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Natural Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, vitamins (L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Vitamin E Supplement, minerals (Manganese Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Tryptophan, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, L-Carnitine, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract._
This is the Purina one puppy:
_Lamb, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, oat meal, fish meal (source of DHA), whole grain corn, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), poultry by-product meal, animal digest, calcium phosphate, potassium chloride, salt, caramel color, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite._

I think just from the first ingredients, I would have stayed with the Purina one, if it was a choice between the two. Lucky you have many more choices than these!


----------



## jp11us

ok I'm getting my gsd in less than a week and I bought her some Iams large breed puppy dog food. Is this ok or should I take it back? We used to have a GSD and he lived till 12 feeding nothing but iams....he had no health problems what so ever and died due to a pack of dogs attacking him....Should I keep Iams or take it back and get?? price is definitely somewhat of an issue.


----------



## roxy84

> Originally Posted By: jp11usok I'm getting my gsd in less than a week and I bought her some Iams large breed puppy dog food. Is this ok or should I take it back? We used to have a GSD and he lived till 12 feeding nothing but iams....he had no health problems what so ever and died due to a pack of dogs attacking him....Should I keep Iams or take it back and get?? price is definitely somewhat of an issue.


you may want to start a separate thread with a general criteria for what you are willing to spend and im sure you will get plenty of suggestions. there are many, many kibbles that will be a better start for your dog. Kirkland is a Costco brand that would be a definite step up from Iams and alot of people who are looking to keep food costs down use it. unce upon a time, i think iams was a better food, but now there are many better options.


----------



## pupresq

> Quote: he lived till 12 feeding nothing but iams....he had no health problems


I used to feed Iams to my dogs too with great success. However two things have happened since I did that or your last dog was a pup - Iams has been sold and it seems like the quality of the product has dropped and other companies have risen up which now have vastly superior products. So while Iams was once considered a "premium" food when you and I first decided to feed it, it is now not even one of the best of the grocery store brands, none of which are really all that great. There are much better foods out there to consider. I'd return the Iams and decide which of those might be a good match for your puppy, budget, and location.


----------



## jp11us

yea just changed her to blue buffalo large breed puppy, and she eats its all, iams she wouldn't touch.


----------



## Bailey's Momma

Bailey eats Eukanuba Puppy and loves it. His previous owner fed the litter Puppy Chow. Now THAT I wouldn't recommend -- ever!!! We'll transition him in 2 months when the bag's done. lol


----------



## mwaters

Bumping this subject back up. What about Eukanuba (sp) Puppy Food for German Sheperds? We live in a very rural area, and our one grocery store doesn't carry anything without corn, so I'm feeding Panzer (5 months) canned Pedigree for now, but he's getting bigger, just very thin. I believe he also has hip displaysia (making a vet appointment tomorrow), so the thiness might be due to that as well, but I thought I would try a new food...any comments.


----------



## BowWowMeow

IAMS owns Eukanuba. 

After looking at the ingredients my opinion is a big thumbs down. By-Products are a no-no and there are too many fillers in this food. 

Ingredients: 

Chicken, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken By-Product Meal (Natural source of Chondroitin Sulfate and Glucosamine), Brewers Rice, Fish meal, Natural Chicken Flavor, Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Dried Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Flax Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of Vitamin B1), Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of Vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Fructooligosaccharides, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), DL-Methionine, Dried Chicken Cartilage (Natural source of Chondroitin Sulfate and Glucosamine), L-Carnitine, Rosemary Extract.


----------



## mwaters

Ahhh, ok Ruth, thanks. I'm having such a hard time finding something appropriate for them. The vet tech said just to feed them PurinaOne Puppy Chow for Large Breeds, any "likes or dislikes" on that one? It's available at Walmart (which is 25 miles away)...lol


----------



## BowWowMeow

I am not a big Purina fan. 

This site has some good info that might help you out: http://dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html#commercial

Lots of folks buy food from petfooddirect.com They send you coupons that pretty much cover the cost of shipping. 

If there is a feed store nearby they may have some decent choices too.


----------



## mwaters

Ok, I'll have to check out that website. Calling the vet today to get Panzer in, he's growing taller, and his paws are huge, but his spine can be felt and his rear-end is boney and weak. I've got to get this fixed ASAP...= \


----------



## larrydee33

Excellent site Thanks


----------



## headtripparade

I'll probably be chastised heavily for this, but I feed my boys Purina Pro Plan Large Breed. They love the taste, their coats are shiney and beautiful, they're full of energy, their stools are firm, they're growing properly, and they're as healthy as healthy can be. I've thought of switching them to something "better", but they're happy and healthy and having no problems. It seems like it would sort of be like fixing something that isn't broken.


----------



## Buckley28

*Re: Most Highly Recommened Dry Puppy Food?*

I'm in Nor Cal (Sacramento area) and just getting ready to pick up my 8wk old pup Saturday. Can you elaborate on the raw meat food your talking about? I was think of getting my pup the Royal Canin MAXI Canine Health Nutrition Babydog 30.


----------



## donna320

any opinions on Wellness puppy???


----------



## BlackGSD

Wellness is a good brand. There is no need to feed "puppy" food.


----------



## donna320

Tracy...Which one should I get?? Large breed??

Thanks,
Donna


----------



## TMM

Here in England i use a feed called Supadog puppy.
Your thoughts on this food would be appreciated please.
Good or bad?

http://www.petcentreonline.co.uk/ecommerce/Scripts/prodView~idproduct~996.htm


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## balakai

First ingredient is a grain. Poultry meal/fat is not specific--can be any kind of poultry and can change from batch to batch.

Higher quality foods have a specific named meat meal as the first ingredient, such as chicken meal. Some people don't like corn, but I think that it is really important that it NOT be one of the first 2 or 3 ingredients.


Ingredients Rice, poultry meal (min 14%), maize, herring meal, real chicken meat, poultry fat, sugar beet pulp, dried egg, brewers yeast. Contains natural anti-oxidants. NO ADDED COLOURS. Vitamins and minerals guaranteed until best before date.

Nutritional Analysis Protein 28%, Oil 11%, Fibre 3.5%, Ash 8%, Calcium 1.5%, Phosphorous 0.9%, Vitamin A 18,000 Iu/kg, Vitamin D3 1,800 Iu/kg, Vitamin E (alpha Tocopherol Acetate) 140 Mg/kg, Copper (as Cupric Sulphate) 20 Mg/kg.

~Kristin


----------



## gomez87

i need help its our first pup
i just rescued a pup yesterday and looking for a type of food to feed her, shes about 3 months and weighs about 25-30 lbs. i would say... wat should i feed her??? i dont need fillers... wats the choice of food for gsd???


----------



## balakai

Where do you live? Where can you buy dog food? Our recommendations may vary based on what is available to you.

First ingredient should be a specific meat meal.

~Kristin


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## RubyTuesday

Why is a 'specific meat meal' important for dogs that don't have food allergies? One of my preferred foods lost a couple of stars b/c it has poultry meal rather than a named meal. Given that my tribe doesn't have any food intolerances, I don't care if it's made with chicken, duck, turkey, pheasant, swan or buzzard.


----------



## balakai

If it's not a specific meat, it can change with every batch and you will never know exactly what you are getting. To me, it's a sign of a lower quality food.

~Kristin


----------



## RubyTuesday

> Quote:If it's not a specific meat, it can change with every batch and you will never know exactly what you are getting.


Since my guys don't have allergies or food sensitivities I don't care what mixture of meat or poultry it is. I want a meat based, high protein, low carb kibble. IF changing which meats/poultry are used helps to defray production costs I'm all for it, tbh. IF they had allergies I'd think (& buy) differently.


----------



## balakai

I don't think that there are many kibbles out there that meet your specifications of meat based, high protein, low carb, yet don't have specific named meat(s). Do you know of one/some?

~Kristin


----------



## RubyTuesday

Kristin, I'm largely indifferent to whether the meats are named or not. The only one I'm aware of is Wysong Ultimate Performance which uses poultry meal rather than a named (specific) poultry. I suspect it was b/c of this that it was given a paltry 2 or 3 stars on the site that awards 1 to 6 stars. It meets my criteria for being meat based, high protein, & low carb, so I'm not going to pass on it just b/c it uses poultry meal rather than a 'named bird'. TBH, I don't much care if it's feathered, finned or hoofed.


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## balakai

Optimal Performance?

Organic Chicken, Chicken Giblets, Poultry Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Ground Oat Groats, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols as a source of vitamin E), Eggs, Whey, Dried Yogurt, Plums, Dried Wheat Grass Powder, Dried Barley Grass Powder, Lecithin, Citric Acid, Sage Extract, Rosemary Extract, Dried Kelp, Fish Oil, Salt, Garlic, Artichoke, Dried Chicory Root, L-Carnitine, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus lactis Fermentatio n Product, Yeast Culture, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus niger Fermentation Product, Ascorbic Acid, Zinc Proteinate , Iron Proteinate , Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate , Calcium Pantothenate , Thiamine Mononitrate , Copper Proteinate , Pyridoxine Hydrochloride , Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement.

High protein, higher than I would have expected considering that the first two ingredients also include water weight. Not bad for about $1.50 per pound, but what do you pay in shipping? Or does someplace local carry it?

~Kristin


----------



## RubyTuesday

The protein content isn't surprising considering the 1st 3 sources are protein sources with essentially no carb content. While the 1st 2 include water weight the 3rd doesn't.

My last order, placed the end of July, was $226 which included ~$71 shipping & a ~$39 discount. This was for 4 cases, a total of 128lbs. I usually dig up a discount of some sort. 

Shipping is less of an issue than it would be if I lived in an area with good local choices. None of my preferred foods are available locally. I recently found a food I like that's available locally but it's ~$54 for 28lbs which isn't really better than the prices I get online (& nobody carries it up the stairs for me, something my arthritic knees increasingly appreciate).


----------



## SWCC50

ok so reading this, and learning about H O D in large breed puppies, calcium going to teeth more than the bones, I have been feeding 1/2 Wellness Core, and 1/2 Stella and Chewies Raw. any recommendations? Feel free to PM me as well. I work at a store called Centinela feed. and we carry a wide variety of foods. 

We sadly dont carry ToTW or Orijin which i am trying to get them to carry. but we carry all merrick, wellness, lotus, organix, innova, natural balance. 

any input would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## Inziladun

Hey guys, I'm not sure what to feed my puppy which I will be getting in a couple weeks.

I just recently convinced my mom to switch our 6 year old golden to Wellness Senior and was thinking about getting my puppy started on Wellness Super5mix Large breed puppy. But the general consensus seems that puppy food will lead to dangerous growth spurts. So what should I feed him that should be sold at the local petco? I recall seeing a few blue buffalo bags last time we went, should I consider that?

Keep in mind i'm only 19 and working a part time job trying to get through college.


----------



## roxy84

> Originally Posted By: Inziladun was thinking about getting my puppy started on Wellness Super5mix Large breed puppy. But the general consensus seems that puppy food will lead to dangerous growth spurts.


Wellness Super 5 mix Large Breed Puppy is designed for large breed pups and has the correct profile to control growth in our gsd's.

there are some kibbles labeled as "puppy" food that are not designed to control growth in large breed puppies. in fact they may be designed to encourage growth in sasmaller breeds. most foods labelled "large breed puppy" are designed to control this growth via appropriate level of nutrients and minerals (especially calcium).

some adult foods may have too much calcium (but some are fine even for a puppy) and virtually all grain free foods are also too high in Ca for a gsd pup (Orijen Puppy Large being an exception)


----------



## Inziladun

So you're saying wellness puppy would be alright to feed em? That dog food review site not to feed to pups I'm pretty sure. I dunno


----------



## Inziladun

Nevermind about the wellness pup, I must of got confused with another review of a different dog food. Sorry was using my phone to browse the internet at work so I got mixed up, lol.


----------



## ch3ckpo1nt

The only kibble I noticed that recommends to not feed to pups is the Orijen due to its high protein content, but I think that is old research, and since then that study has changed.


----------



## roxy84

> Originally Posted By: ch3ckpo1ntThe only kibble I noticed that recommends to not feed to pups is the Orijen due to its high protein content, but I think that is old research, and since then that study has changed.


yes, very old research (done on rodents using very low quality protein sources) and long ago debunked. dogfoodanalysis inexplicably continues to warn against the high protein for large breed pups but ignores modern research that suggests higher protein from quality sources is fine for a large breed pup, but high levels of Calcium are not.

i encourage people to use that site only to get an idea of what foods are out there and what the profiles of each food are. however, there are parts of the reviews that are not based on any current, valid science. 

ironically, Orijen is just about the only high protein, grainless foods that CAN be fed to a large breed pup. foods like TOTW Wellness Core, Instinct, EVO, and others are not well designed for large breed pups, but that has little to do with their high protein content


----------



## RockyBoy

*GSD Puppy eats Almonds*

For some reason my Puppy very much likes to eat Almond. I just feed him 2 almonds in the morning but he just loves that time. I can see him just running around me & matter of snap he eats almond. I know Almond are good for human but not sure eat is good for Dog puppy.

He eats mix of Eukuneba & IAMS for puppies though he doesn't eat lot. We mix these while feeding him.

Recently we started adding Royal Canin but those are so small he gulps them. 

I am not sure it is right but he keeps on searching in kitchen floor & he eats small stuff found in kitchen like small pieces vegetables or some time bread crump.
We cleaned kitchen every day but still he finds something to eat. 

Yesterday observed eating grass. That I have seen in grown up dogs too so guess it may be common. 

Not sure how to make him eat his dog food. He does finish it but not eating lot. We feed him three times.

Any suggestions is appreciable


----------



## LaRen616

I used Solid Gold Wolf Cub and they recommend that you keep them on it until they are a year old. We absolutely loved it and recommended it to everyone we know and alot of those people are using it for their Pitbull, Pomeranian, Yorkie, Doberman and GSD.


----------



## 3ToesTonyismydog

This is my top 10 puppy foods and I would feed nothing else. Now my dog is almost 10 months so in my case I would consider All-life-stages food.

1. Orijen large breed puppy
2. Horizon Legacy puppy
3. Innova puppy, for some reason L.B cost more.
4. Artemis Med/large breed puppy
5. Merrick Puppy Plate
6. California Natural puppy
7. Acana L.B. puppy,*hard to find or it would be #3*...
8. Solid Gold Hundchen puppy
9. Wellness super5mix L.B. puppy
10. Chicken soup for puppy


----------



## roxy84

3ToesTonyismydog said:


> This is my top 10 puppy foods and I would feed nothing else. Now my dog is almost 10 months so in my case I would consider All-life-stages food.
> 
> 1. Orijen large breed puppy


 
this would be my number 1 choice (if cost is no factor) as well for a gsd pup. this is one of my quibbles with dogfoodanalysis.com. if people took some of their reviews seriously, they would be steered away from this great food:

_"the only caution we would make on this food is that the high protein content makes it suitable for adult dogs only, particularly in the case of large breeds"_

they are correct in warning people off other grainless foods for large breed puppies, but for the wrong reasons.

id also be careful about some labeled "puppy" as they may be designed more for small/medium breed pup (and thus arent as concerned abpout Ca levels). Solid Gold Hundchen, for example, has about 2% Ca maximum, which is why SG recommends it for small and medium breed pups.


----------



## 3ToesTonyismydog

roxy84 said:


> this would be my number 1 choice (if cost is no factor) as well for a gsd pup. this is one of my quibbles with dogfoodanalysis.com. if people took some of their reviews seriously, they would be steered away from this great food:
> 
> _"the only caution we would make on this food is that the high protein content makes it suitable for adult dogs only, particularly in the case of large breeds"_
> 
> they are correct in warning people off other grainless foods for large breed puppies, but for the wrong reasons.
> 
> id also be careful about some labeled "puppy" as they may be designed more for small/medium breed pup (and thus arent as concerned abpout Ca levels). Solid Gold Hundchen, for example, has about 2% Ca maximum, which is why SG recommends it for small and medium breed pups.


So many people do not understand protein, if the protein comes from a meat source it is very very good for a puppy. Now if it comes from grain, plant matter or something else it isn't good for a dog. But guess what, the protein in Orijen comes from MEAT!!! What are dogs now, yes they are carnivores which means they need lots of meat which is high in protein. Orijen is the best puppy food made today.


----------



## brew1985

Is Canidae ALS ok for a young puppy? (7 weeks)? I may have bought on to the ALS tag too much, I've been considering the BARF diet but it's so expensive, any recommendations?


----------



## Samba

I can't find good analysis on this food. I am sure someone will weigh in. But, several times I have heard that Canidae ALS is not particularly recommended for growing large breed puppy. 

I personally would stay away from all life stages foods with my pup.

Maybe someone will have more specifics though.


----------



## roxy84

Samba said:


> I can't find good analysis on this food. I am sure someone will weigh in. But, several times I have heard that Canidae ALS is not particularly recommended for growing large breed puppy.
> 
> I personally would stay away from all life stages foods with my pup.
> 
> Maybe someone will have more specifics though.


yes, there are way too many foods that qualify as "all life stages" under AAFCO guidelines. then again, all the grocery store foods meet the AAFCO nutritional guidelines, so what does that tell you about AAFCO standards?

these foods are usually fine for smaller breed pups, seniors and adults. large breed pups like gsd's have special requirements that some of these all life stages do not take into consideration.


----------



## brew1985

it's hard to come to a decision when half the owners say that's all they'll feed their gsd and some say they wouldn't until they're older and some say no to it altogether. also, i've heard people mention that canidae went through a formula change, when was that? because the bag of canidae als i got is a hand me down cuz my mom's english mastiff didn't like it


----------



## Tarheel

check out Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble


----------



## HarperGirl

Only one person mentioned Chicken Soup For the Pet Lover's Soul Large Breed Puppy (which is what we use). Harper likes it, haven't had any trouble, any reason people aren't using it? (other than petsmart and petco don't carry it?) Nutrition:

Protein: 27% Fat: 13%
Calories: 3,601 kcal/kg (337 kcal/cup) Calculated ME

IngredientsChicken, turkey, chicken meal, ocean fish meal, cracked pearled barley, whole grain brown rice, white rice, oatmeal, millet, potatoes, egg product, tomato pomace, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), duck, salmon, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, salmon oil (source of DHA), potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, kelp, carrots, peas, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, yucca schidigera extract, L-carnitine, dried fermentation products of Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E Supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.


----------



## LaRen616

Sinister is a year old now and he is eating Solid Gold Wolf King but we are going to switch him over to Solid Gold Barking At The Moon it has:

*Ingredients
*_Ocean Fish Meal | Beef | Potatoes | Potato Protein | Canola Oil | Tomato Pomace | Natural Flavoring | Salmon Oil (source of DHA) | Choline Chloride | Taurine | Dried Chicory Root | Parsley Flakes | Pumpkin Meal | Almond Oil | Sesame Oil | Yucca Schidigera Extract | Thyme | Blueberries | Cranberries | Carrots | Broccoli | Vitamin E Supplement | Iron Proteinate | Zinc Proteinate | Ferrous Sulfate | Zinc Sulfate | Copper Sulfate | Potassium Iodide | Thiamine Mononitrate | Manganese Proteinate | Manganous Oxide | Ascorbic Acid | Vitamin A Supplement | Biotin | Calcium Panthothenate | Manganese Sulfate | Sodium Selenite | Pyridoxine Hydrochloride | Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) | Riboflavin | Vitamin D Supplement | Folic Acid_ 

*Guaranteed Analysis*
Crude Protein, Min 41%
Crude Fat, Min 20%*
Crude Fiber, Max 4%
Moisture, Max 10%
Calories 465 kcal/cup

_*The Pet Food Guaranteed Analyses "Fat" Category also covers Oil (for which there is no separate category). There is no animal fat added to our foods; we use only flax seed, canola and olive oils._


----------



## GSDSunshine

When I got Dakota he was eating Chicken soup. I think over all its a pretty good food, but its not great. Its a bit cheaper than the other mid grade kibbles but you have to feed more since it is lower in calories. And some people have become quite wary of any food manufactured by Diamond since the recalls came out.


----------



## 3ToesTonyismydog

I see alot of people who feed Nutro, you might what to do a little more reseach on that food because you are going to be surprised. Here are a couple of links for you. Actually Sunshine, Nutro has recalls all the time.

Pet Food Recall Products List

Dog Food Reviews - Message - Powered by ReviewPost


----------



## xkellyx

Has anyone heard of James Wellbeloved puppy food? We got a bag of it from out vet in the puppy pack but I haven't heard of it before. Is it a good food?


----------



## xkellyx

Sorry for the double post but I looked on their site and this is the ingredients:

*Lamb & Rice Kibble*

*Puppy*

*Ingredients and analysis*

*Ingredients:* Lamb meat meal, rice, ground whole barley, potato protein, lamb fat, whole linseed, lamb gravy, sugar beet pulp, alfalfa, sodium chloride, natural seaweed, chicory extract, omega 3 and omega 6 supplement, lysine, calcium carbonate, D,L-methionine, yucca extract, threonine, JWB special ingredients.
*Contains:* Min 26% lamb, min 26% rice, min 14% barley.
*Typical analysis:* Protein 30%, oil 15%, fibre 3%, ash 8.5%, omega-3 fatty acids 1.2%, omega 6 fatty acids 1.1%.

??


----------



## golfingirl

We use Orijen. It is consistently rated the best on the market. It is expensive though. We also use Wellness canned food mixed into the Orijen kibble.

I also hear Eagle Pack, Solid Gold, Wellness, Innova EVO and others with a similar ingredient list are top notch. Look at the ingredient list to determine which is best for your dog. Don't get too caught up in 'for puppies' and 'for large breeds'. The ingredients vary so minimally. It's more a marketing thing with all those differences.

Royal Canine uses corn. Not ideal. That's the first thing to avoid to ensure you're getting a high quality food.

http://www.consumersearch.com/dog-food

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/

http://www.dogfoodscoop.com/


----------



## LaRen616

LaRen616 said:


> Sinister is a year old now and he is eating Solid Gold Wolf King but we are going to switch him over to Solid Gold Barking At The Moon it has:
> 
> *Ingredients*
> _Ocean Fish Meal | Beef | Potatoes | Potato Protein | Canola Oil | Tomato Pomace | Natural Flavoring | Salmon Oil (source of DHA) | Choline Chloride | Taurine | Dried Chicory Root | Parsley Flakes | Pumpkin Meal | Almond Oil | Sesame Oil | Yucca Schidigera Extract | Thyme | Blueberries | Cranberries | Carrots | Broccoli | Vitamin E Supplement | Iron Proteinate | Zinc Proteinate | Ferrous Sulfate | Zinc Sulfate | Copper Sulfate | Potassium Iodide | Thiamine Mononitrate | Manganese Proteinate | Manganous Oxide | Ascorbic Acid | Vitamin A Supplement | Biotin | Calcium Panthothenate | Manganese Sulfate | Sodium Selenite | Pyridoxine Hydrochloride | Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) | Riboflavin | Vitamin D Supplement | Folic Acid_
> 
> *Guaranteed Analysis*
> Crude Protein, Min 41%
> Crude Fat, Min 20%*
> Crude Fiber, Max 4%
> Moisture, Max 10%
> Calories 465 kcal/cup
> 
> _*The Pet Food Guaranteed Analyses "Fat" Category also covers Oil (for which there is no separate category). There is no animal fat added to our foods; we use only flax seed, canola and olive oils._


 
*I ended up switching him over to Blue Buffalo Blue Wilderness Chicken Recipe.*

*I still highly recommend Solid Gold Wolf Cub for puppies*


----------



## roxy84

golfingirl said:


> I also hear Eagle Pack, Solid Gold, Wellness, Innova EVO and others with a similar ingredient list are top notch. /


EVO is to be avoided for large breed pups--Ca is way too high.


----------



## Tyson722

What about Iams large breed puppy? That is what I am feeding my GSD and he gets 2 cups of that a day. I have done my research on it and it seems to be a good food and he seems to like it. I would get Royal Canine but I cant afford that right this moment. What do you guys think about Iams?


----------



## Lucy Dog

Tyson722 said:


> What about Iams large breed puppy? That is what I am feeding my GSD and he gets 2 cups of that a day. I have done my research on it and it seems to be a good food and he seems to like it. I would get Royal Canine but I cant afford that right this moment. What do you guys think about Iams?


Exactly how much research did you do on iams? You could do much better than both iams and royal canin. Both are mediocre foods at best.

Normally I'd recommend trying innova, but all bets are off on that junk now too.


----------



## Tyson722

I did research on Iams, Eukanuba, Royal Canine, and pretty much everything else. Due to money issues we cant go with the most expensive right now. Some of these dog foods you all are talking about I have never heard of and I do not even know if they are in Georgia. I will be doing more research because like everybody else, I want the best for my GS puppy.


----------



## Lucy Dog

No i understand what you're saying. We all want the best for our puppies.

Now one thing with the more expensive brands is you don't have to feed as much of it. The premium brands or more caloric dense, so you don't have to feed as much. While you may be paying more for the actual bag - it's going to last you much longer than a bag of iams or something along those lines.

Here's a good website that explains the actual ingredients in foods that you might want to take a look at. It talks about the good ingrediends, the bad ingredients, and everything in between.

Dog Foods - How to Choose?

Also, are you able to have the food shipped? I always order my food from petfooddirect.com and they have everything. Plus they always have 20% off coupons available, so that usually covers the shipping costs plus a little extra. I suggest you check it out.


----------



## Tyson722

I am glad you gave me that article to read because I never knew that kind of information about dog food. I never really was that concerned with dog food when I have had dogs. I was young for one and two I do not think I cared that much then. I care now though because I know I want the best feed I can possibly get for my horse and I do know I also want the best for my puppy. 

Now, I am looking at Innova and I think this is the food to go with for my puupy. I looked at the list on the website you put and I like this one the best. 

One thing I do want to ask is that will it really last me longer buying this more pricey food then grocery store food? I read the article and know that they put certain ingredients in the food to make them feel fuller for the cheaper one but how does the more pricey one last longer?

I know I may sound like huge dummy asking these questions but I am basically new to the whole dog food nutrition and to me if I want to know to know something then just ask so I am asking away. Hope everybody does not mind.:blush:


----------



## Tyson722

Also for some reason if I do decide to go with the Innova, would I want to get the puppy dry food or go with the large breed puppy food? What is the difference between the two? I have a 3 month old GSD and want to know if which one I should feed him.


----------



## onyx'girl

I would feed Wellness super5mix large breed puppy. It has the proper ratio of calcium and phosphorus for a growing GSD pup.
Large breed puppy foods help to keep the growth slow, which is best.


----------



## Lucy Dog

Tyson722 said:


> Also for some reason if I do decide to go with the Innova, would I want to get the puppy dry food or go with the large breed puppy food? What is the difference between the two? I have a 3 month old GSD and want to know if which one I should feed him.


Innova is the food i'm currently feeding. Right now, as is, it's a vert good quality food. Innova's company, Natura, was just bought out by Proctor & Gamble this past week, so i'm not as big of a fan of Innova as I was a week ago. Innova is a much better food than what you're feeding right now, but I would not be surprised at all to see the quality of the ingredients drop within the upcoming months under new ownership.

If you do decide to feed innova, there's no need to feed their large breed puppy formula. I've basically fed Lucy their adult formula since i got her at 9 weeks and she's done great on it, but the LBP formula is fine too. 

One 30 pound bag usually lasts her about 5-6 weeks. I've never actually timed it, but thats how long they seem to last. She eats a total of 3 cups per day. I think the bag costs around $48 for the adult formula, so that means about 5.5 weeks of food costs about $50 and i know she's eating the right stuff.

Now because of Innova's new ownership, i will no longer be feeding innova, but that's a whole other discussion. There are plenty of foods just like innova that you could be feeding. Just read around the nutrition section of the forum. This stuff has been discussed pretty much on a daily basis so there's plenty of info.

Here's another website that you might want to check out if you find a particular food that you want to check out...

Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost


----------



## Tyson722

I have been doing research up on research, I have decided to start feeding Tyson the Blue Buffalo Puppy food. There are others out there that I have looked at and that I liked but I feel pretty good about Blue Buffalo. Plus it is a food I can get at my local Petsmart.


----------



## LaRen616

Tyson722 said:


> I have been doing research up on research, I have decided to start feeding Tyson the Blue Buffalo Puppy food. There are others out there that I have looked at and that I liked but I feel pretty good about Blue Buffalo. Plus it is a food I can get at my local Petsmart.


I think that is a great choice!  You did choose the Large Breed Puppy food right?


----------



## Tyson722

sure did


----------



## LaRen616

Tyson722 said:


> sure did


I hope you get great results with it  good luck to you


----------



## audie32

I've spent an afternoon reading through this thread, and researching different brands. I found *Diamond Naturals Large Breed Lamb & Rice Formula *which seems very similar to Wellness and Blue Buffalo brands. What are your opinions?

Lamb meal, ground rice, cracked pearled barley, millet, egg product, rice bran, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), beet pulp, flaxseed, natural flavor, fish meal, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, L-Carnitine, vitamin E supplement, chondroitin sulfate, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Crude Protein22.0%MinimumCrude Fat12.0%MinimumCrude Fiber5.0%MaximumMoisture10.0%MaximumCalcium1.2%MinimumPhosphorus0.9%MinimumZinc150 mg/kgMinimumSelenium0.4 mg/kgMinimumVitamin E150 IU/kgMinimumL-Carnitine *30 mg/kgMinimumOmega-6 Fatty Acids *2.0%MinimumOmega-3 Fatty Acids *0.3%MinimumGlucosamine Hydrochloride *750 mg/kgMinimumChondroitin Sulfate *250 mg/kgMinimum
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profile.
Calorie Content: 3, 400 kcal/kg (335 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy


----------



## frankdbx

I am using Castor & Pollux Ultramix Puppy for my 10 week old puppy and Adult Ultramix for the rest of my dogs. They are all doing great. Probably switching the pup to adult food at 3 months...


----------



## koda00

My Ryker (12 wks) is on Blue Buffalo large breed puppy, he does very well on it. HIs breeder uses it so i continued. Will start to mix with adult Blue Buffalo shortly.


----------



## The Judge

I never had any issues with innova. But sometimes The Judge would wait to eat. I changed over to Orijen and he loves that too. I just need him to slow down when eating.


----------



## Atejadavhs

I am going to get a new puppy but have been reading alot about kibble vs. a fresh food diet and I can't find a fresh food puppy diet. Im not sure what to add to the meat or even if I should give meat to a puppy. need help please!1


----------



## Afrancis

I think I have decided to feed my puppy Blue Buffalo large breed when I get him on the 5th.


----------



## Blitz Burgh Steeler

Wellness Large Breed Puppy here


----------



## ruger

I ended up going with Bil-Jac before reading through this thread. The sales person showed me pics of her dogs on it and they were both beautiful show dog labs. I kindve feel a little sheepish about being so ignorant and now that I'm more educated I'll be transitioning over to the Blue Buffalo LBP here in the next week. 

What I don't understand is that the person I got the pup from (not the breeder) was feeding him Canidae and his coat didn't look that great. After the past week or so on the Bil Jac his coat is getting shinier. 

I had no idea how hard it would be to pick a good food. :wild:


----------



## Andrew

Lucy Dog said:


> Innova is the food i'm currently feeding. Right now, as is, it's a vert good quality food. Innova's company, Natura, was just bought out by Proctor & Gamble this past week, so i'm not as big of a fan of Innova as I was a week ago. Innova is a much better food than what you're feeding right now, but I would not be surprised at all to see the quality of the ingredients drop within the upcoming months under new ownership.
> 
> If you do decide to feed innova, there's no need to feed their large breed puppy formula. I've basically fed Lucy their adult formula since i got her at 9 weeks and she's done great on it, but the LBP formula is fine too.
> 
> One 30 pound bag usually lasts her about 5-6 weeks. I've never actually timed it, but thats how long they seem to last. She eats a total of 3 cups per day. I think the bag costs around $48 for the adult formula, so that means about 5.5 weeks of food costs about $50 and i know she's eating the right stuff.
> 
> Now because of Innova's new ownership, i will no longer be feeding innova, but that's a whole other discussion. There are plenty of foods just like innova that you could be feeding. Just read around the nutrition section of the forum. This stuff has been discussed pretty much on a daily basis so there's plenty of info.
> 
> Here's another website that you might want to check out if you find a particular food that you want to check out...
> 
> Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost


Purchased Innova Puppy formula for my 6month'er, and now regret it. I transitioned her from Wellness Puppy, to Innova, and she still has loose stools. I'm wondering if it's the food, or is it still too soon for the transition? 

I'm looking to alternatives, some I have taken note on are:
1. Solid Gold Hundchen Flocken Puppy (Lamb)

Should I try the "simple" formulas Natural Balance offers to see what works well with her or not? :/ 

Never knew dog food can be so complicated.. But I'm willing to learn, research, and help my dog find something her stomach approves..


----------



## roxy84

Andrew said:


> Purchased Innova Puppy formula for my 6month'er, and now regret it. I transitioned her from Wellness Puppy, to Innova, and she still has loose stools. I'm wondering if it's the food, or is it still too soon for the transition?
> 
> I'm looking to alternatives, some I have taken note on are:
> 1. Solid Gold Hundchen Flocken Puppy (Lamb)
> 
> Should I try the "simple" formulas Natural Balance offers to see what works well with her or not? :/
> 
> Never knew dog food can be so complicated.. But I'm willing to learn, research, and help my dog find something her stomach approves..


are those just puppy foods or large breed puppy foods (which innova and wellness also make, and are formulated a bit different)? some feel its just marketing, but there are some differences between puppy and large breed puppy foods (one sometimes being the Ca levels).

solid gold makes wolf cub which is for larger breed pups.

my gsd pup always had loose stools until i switched her to orijen. she simply could not handle grains at all. not saying that is the case for you, but id try that before any of those limited ingredient diets which are usually devoid of much meat.

btw, most grainless foods are not well designed for gsd pups. orijen is the safest option, imo.


----------



## Andrew

roxy84 said:


> are those just puppy foods or large breed puppy foods (which innova and wellness also make, and are formulated a bit different)? some feel its just marketing, but there are some differences between puppy and large breed puppy foods (one sometimes being the Ca levels).
> 
> solid gold makes wolf cub which is for larger breed pups.
> 
> my gsd pup always had loose stools until i switched her to orijen. she simply could not handle grains at all. not saying that is the case for you, but id try that before any of those limited ingredient diets which are usually devoid of much meat.
> 
> btw, most grainless foods are not well designed for gsd pups. orijen is the safest option, imo.


Thanks for the fast reply.
Am I supposed to feed my puppy regular puppy formula, or large breed formula, or does it depend on the Ca level? I've been told so many different things by different people, I'm not sure what anymore.

May I ask how you buy your Orijen formula? I checked the store locator, and unfortunately most of the stores carrying Orijen are quite far away for me. I'm not saying I'm not willing to make the drive to help my puppy, but I want to try to explore alternatives near me?

How could I test to see if my puppy is allergic to grains or not?

If I DO use the Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets, can I substitute in some meat? Or would that defeat the purpose?


----------



## roxy84

Andrew said:


> Thanks for the fast reply.
> Am I supposed to feed my puppy regular puppy formula, or large breed formula, or does it depend on the Ca level? I've been told so many different things by different people, I'm not sure what anymore.
> 
> May I ask how you buy your Orijen formula? I checked the store locator, and unfortunately most of the stores carrying Orijen are quite far away for me. I'm not saying I'm not willing to make the drive to help my puppy, but I want to try to explore alternatives near me?
> 
> How could I test to see if my puppy is allergic to grains or not?
> 
> If I DO use the Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets, can I substitute in some meat? Or would that defeat the purpose?


some of the regular puppy formulas are too high in Ca. id stick with foods labeled large breed puppy or adult foods with maiximum calcium levels around 1.7% or lower. for smaller breed dogs, Ca is not such an issue as with our dogs.

i would assume you could have your dog tested for grain allergy. i never did. i just wanted to try a grainless food, and within a day her stools were firm. any time i tried her back on anything with grains, loose stools, so it was an easy conclusion in my case.

it sounds like your dog was ok on the wellness til you switched to the innova?? if that is the case, you could just try wellness super 5 large breed puppy.

overfeeding can always cause loose stools, as can too rapid a transition. still, if a dog is having loose stools after being changed over for a week or more, its either the wrong food or overfeeding.

i consider the limited ingredient diets a last resort for someone who has a dog that really needs a particular protein source and has known issues with particualr ingredients.

id say you will get more responses to your issues if you post new threads in the feeding our puppy section, as i dont think people look much at this particular thread.


----------



## ShowGSD

*I feed Taste of the Wild. Rotate between the Pacific Stream and the High Prairie one. I would use the Wetlands one but the store I buy from never seems to have it!

I am about to switch my cats over the TOTW feline!

I tried a few different kinds of food and I find this one works the best for us.
*


----------



## Andrew

roxy84 said:


> some of the regular puppy formulas are too high in Ca. id stick with foods labeled large breed puppy or adult foods with maiximum calcium levels around 1.7% or lower. for smaller breed dogs, Ca is not such an issue as with our dogs.
> 
> i would assume you could have your dog tested for grain allergy. i never did. i just wanted to try a grainless food, and within a day her stools were firm. any time i tried her back on anything with grains, loose stools, so it was an easy conclusion in my case.
> 
> it sounds like your dog was ok on the wellness til you switched to the innova?? if that is the case, you could just try wellness super 5 large breed puppy.
> 
> overfeeding can always cause loose stools, as can too rapid a transition. still, if a dog is having loose stools after being changed over for a week or more, its either the wrong food or overfeeding.
> 
> i consider the limited ingredient diets a last resort for someone who has a dog that really needs a particular protein source and has known issues with particualr ingredients.
> 
> id say you will get more responses to your issues if you post new threads in the feeding our puppy section, as i dont think people look much at this particular thread.


Learned more from you than sales associates at my local petstores when I asked them about PuppyVSLargeBreedPuppy food. Didn't know about the calcium levels... so lower levels of calcium can help with growth rate, and probably prevent things like hip dysplasia?

She WAS okay on the Wellness, but she never seemed to eat it, and gives me this "do I have to?" look when at the bowl. She would then watch me put 1 spoon of HALO Beef canned wet formula, and mix it into her Wellness with some water, and she would eat it. I now learned that a lot of dogs don't usually eat unless mixed in with water, or some canned formula, or added in some fresh foods like. So I decided to slowly transition her from Wellness, to Innova, which hasn't really been working since. I will take note on the Wellness Large breed puppy formula..

I can't say for sure if I'm overfeeding her or not; Following the "suggested feeding guidelines", I feed her 2 1/2 - 3cups/day if it's a super active playful day, but 2 cups max if we only had time for a 1 hour walk and some soccer.

As for the L.I.D., I guess I'll resort to this only if I found out if she has a certain allergy to something..

I'm actually going to take a stool sample to my vet to get it tested today just in case, then I'll go from there.

She has been having watery stools ever since she's been on Innova, but she's not showing any signs of lethargy (runs around, wags her tail, and still chases birds in the front yard), dehydration, lack of appetite (she'll come running over people if she's in a crowd if she sees some treats, and she'll eat the Innova when I add in some Halo Beef wet food). Thank goodness for that though.

THAnks for all your help and input Roxy!

@ShowGSD: I've seen that brand at my Petstore, but have never really looked into it.. Thanks!


----------



## ShowGSD

Andrew said:


> @ShowGSD: I've seen that brand at my Petstore, but have never really looked into it.. Thanks!


*There are so many different kinds and brand names of dog food. 

Even if you only look at the 6 star not everyone will work for every dog.

I started with Kirkland Signatures {mid grade food} and Mitic scratched all the time. I swore she had fleas and after two vets visits and the vet telling me she had no fleas...well went to Orijen!

Orijen stopped the scratching, gave her runny poo and she started messing in her crate because she could not hold it just over night.

Tried Wellness Core; started scratching again but firm poo.

Tried Taste of the Wild; no scratching, firm poo, happy dog.

Find what works for you and your dog.
*


----------



## onyx'girl

> Learned more from you than sales associates at my local petstores when I asked them about PuppyVSLargeBreedPuppy food. Didn't know about the calcium levels... so lower levels of calcium can help with growth rate, and probably prevent things like hip dysplasia


 I agree, Derek is a treasure in the nutrition area!
The calcium : pospherous balance are for proper growth and bone development, HD won't be avoided as it is usually present despite the nutrition, but it can help to ensure good joints and development. 
Agree with ShowGSD, what works best using quality appropriate kibble, not the crap that can do harm down the road. I don't even feed kibble, but still take interest in the subject.


----------



## Samba

There is evidence that hip dysplasia development can be affected by how we feed and grow our pups. It appears that the amount of calories a dog takes in and when in the dog's life those calories are consumed have the biggest impact on whether or not a dog genetically prone to hip dysplasia will develop the disease. Another factor that may increase the incidence of hip dysplasia is rapid growth in puppies during the ages from three to ten months

"At present, the strongest link to contributing factors other than genetic predisposition appears to be to rapid growth and weight gain. In a recent study done in Labrador retrievers a significant reduction in the development of clinical hip dysplasia occurred in a group of puppies fed 25% less than a control group which was allowed to eat free choice. It is likely that the laxity in the hip joints is aggravated by the rapid weight gain."
LABRADORNET - Hip dysplasia (CHD)


----------



## roxy84

ShowGSD said:


> *Tried Wellness Core; started scratching again but firm poo.*
> 
> *Tried Taste of the Wild; no scratching, firm poo, happy dog.*


it is an interesting difference between these two companies.

Wellness explicitly recommends against feeding Core to large breed pups (until after 1 yr of age) due to Ca levels in the Core.

TOTW makes no mention of it even though it has the same Ca levels as the Core. whole i would agree that TOTW is much better than most of the grocery store and pet food chain foods, i dont think it is designed well to minimize growth rates in large breed pups.


----------



## roxy84

onyx'girl said:


> I agree, Derek is a treasure in the nutrition area!
> . I don't even feed kibble, but still take interest in the subject.


 
well, thats far too kind. i barely know enough now to know what i dont know....the more i ponder the world of kibble, the closer i get to being 100% raw. (i stand at about 60% raw/40% kibble)


----------



## Andrew

ShowGSD said:


> *There are so many different kinds and brand names of dog food.
> 
> Even if you only look at the 6 star not everyone will work for every dog.
> 
> I started with Kirkland Signatures {mid grade food} and Mitic scratched all the time. I swore she had fleas and after two vets visits and the vet telling me she had no fleas...well went to Orijen!
> 
> Orijen stopped the scratching, gave her runny poo and she started messing in her crate because she could not hold it just over night.
> 
> Tried Wellness Core; started scratching again but firm poo.
> 
> Tried Taste of the Wild; no scratching, firm poo, happy dog.
> 
> Find what works for you and your dog.
> *


May I ask which TOTW formula you are using? 

So far, I'm going out tomorrow morning to go look at:
- TOTW Pacific Stream Canine Formula 
- Solid Gold for Large Breed (I called the company, and the operator told me that their Large breed puppy formula's CA is 1.5% Max)

On dogfoodanalysis, it says that the Solid Gold Large Breed's "con" is "minimum acceptable meat content". Is this factor I should worry about?

I'm very glad I found this forum. Called my vet's office for suggestions, and they told me to try Iams/Hill's Science Diet formulas. I kindly thanked them, and hung up, and came back to the computer for the forum.


----------



## roxy84

Andrew said:


> May I ask which TOTW formula you are using?
> 
> So far, I'm going out tomorrow morning to go look at:
> - TOTW Pacific Stream Canine Formula
> - Solid Gold for Large Breed (I called the company, and the operator told me that their Large breed puppy formula's CA is 1.5% Max)
> 
> On dogfoodanalysis, it says that the Solid Gold Large Breed's "con" is "minimum acceptable meat content". Is this factor I should worry about?
> 
> I'm very glad I found this forum. Called my vet's office for suggestions, and they told me to try Iams/Hill's Science Diet formulas. I kindly thanked them, and hung up, and came back to the computer for the forum.


i can tell you all the TOTW formulas are at around 2% maximum Ca or higher. if you are seeking the lower levels that most of us do for our growing pups, id cross TOTW off the list until he is mostly done growing.


----------



## LaRen616

Andrew said:


> So far, I'm going out tomorrow morning to go look at:
> - TOTW Pacific Stream Canine Formula
> - Solid Gold for Large Breed (I called the company, and the operator told me that their Large breed puppy formula's CA is 1.5% Max)
> 
> On dogfoodanalysis, it says that the Solid Gold Large Breed's "con" is "minimum acceptable meat content". Is this factor I should worry about?


 
I fed my GSD Sinister Solid Gold Wolf Cub from 11 weeks old to 1 year old. Once he turned 1 year old I switched him over to Blue Buffalo Blue Wilderness because I wanted him to be on grainless. I loved Solid Gold, he loved it and looked great on it, I recommended it to my friends and some of them put their puppies/dogs on it and they were also pleased with the results. Solid Gold Wolf Cub slows down large breed puppies growth rate so they dont grow too big too fast because that is dangerous for large breed puppies.


----------



## tanderson

so, i am about to get my GSD this friday, she is between right before 9 weeks, so i was reading and looks like the Solid gold wolf club as LaRen mentioned was popular, would that be good to start feeding my pup, or what else is a good recommendation, i read the first 5 pages, then realized it was from '08 and a lot has changed since them, im sure. so i skipped to the last page to just ask.


----------



## LaRen616

tanderson said:


> so, i am about to get my GSD this friday, she is between right before 9 weeks, so i was reading and looks like the Solid gold wolf club as LaRen mentioned was popular, would that be good to start feeding my pup, or what else is a good recommendation, i read the first 5 pages, then realized it was from '08 and a lot has changed since them, im sure. so i skipped to the last page to just ask.


 
Yes, I believe Solid Gold Wolf Cub is a good brand of large breed puppy food, I also suggest Blue Buffalo Large Breed Puppy food. They are both great.


----------



## tanderson

okay great, thanks! i believe i'll start her off on either one whichever i can find first!
and the blue buffalo large breed puppy is the chicken and rice formula, correct?

what are puppy treats to reward the god with?


----------



## Andrew

LaRen616 said:


> I fed my GSD Sinister Solid Gold Wolf Cub from 11 weeks old to 1 year old. Once he turned 1 year old I switched him over to Blue Buffalo Blue Wilderness because I wanted him to be on grainless. I loved Solid Gold, he loved it and looked great on it, I recommended it to my friends and some of them put their puppies/dogs on it and they were also pleased with the results. Solid Gold Wolf Cub slows down large breed puppies growth rate so they dont grow too big too fast because that is dangerous for large breed puppies.



The stores around me didn't have it, but I have a bag placed on special order, and won't be here for a week or so.. Thanks for the input!




tanderson said:


> what are puppy treats to reward the god with?


By "god", i'm assuming you mean your dog.. unless you're giving an offering to your divine.

For training purposes, I try to use SOFT jerky-like treats because soft treats the dog can chew, but if it's a hard treat, sometimes the dog will put it on the floor, and eat it off the floor. Soft treats can keep your dog's attention? Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the way I've been doing it..

*I currently use:*









*Wellness Just for Puppy Treats*
_Lamb, Salmon (a natural source of DHA, Docosahexaenoic Acid), Ground Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Vegetable Glycerin, Guar Gum, Cane Molasses, Carrots, Sea Salt, Natural smoke Flavor, Garlic, Blueberries, flaxseed, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Phosphoric Acid (A Natural Acidifier), Sorbic Acid (A Preservative), and Mixed Tocopherols (A Natural Preservative). Wellness uses ethoxyquin-free protein sources._









*Natural Balance Tillman's Training Tips Lamb & Vegetable Dog Treats*
_Lamb, Rice Flour, Maple Syrup, Potato Protein, Glycerin, Barley Flour, Potato Starch, Guar Gum, Cane Molasses, Carrots, Peas, Salt, Natural Smoke Flavor, Phosphoric Acid, Sorbic Acid (natural preservative), Mixed Tocopherols._

These smell REALLY GOOD, and I like how both are made with ingredients that I actually know, and do not contain dye/articial stuff..

*For treats to use in my dog's Kong toy, I like to use:*








*Potato & Duck Treats*
_Ing: Potatoes, Duck, Potato Protein, Cane Molasses, Canola Oil, Natural Flavor, Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Citric Acid._









*Sweet Potato & Fish*
_Potatoes, Duck, Potato Protein, Cane Molasses, Canola Oil, Natural Flavor, Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Citric Acid._

Both above, I bought the "Small breed" sized treats to fit in the kong.










*Canidae All Natural Snap-Bits Dog Treats (Lamb)*
_Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Dark Rye, Oatmeal, Rice Bran, Sunflower Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Rolled Oats, Apples, Carrots, Eggs, Flaxseed, Molasses, Dried Norwegian Kelp, Garlic, Parsley, Peppermint, Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Inulin (from chicory root), Lecithin, Sage Extract, Cranberries, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Trichoderma Longibrachiatum Fermentation Extract, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine mononitrate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Cobalt Proteinate, Papaya, Pineapple._










*LIV-A-LITTLES® HEALTHSOME SKIN AND COAT™ TREATS WITH DREAM COAT®(6 OZ)*
_Whole Wheat Flour, Beef, Beef Liver, Potato Flour, Pea
Flour, Chicken Liver, Rolled Oats, Chicken Fat (Preserved
with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Pumpkin, Tomatoes,
Apples, Sweet Potatoes, Cranberries, Split Peas, Carrots,
Green Beans, Green Bell Pepper, Celery, Parsley, and
Ascorbic Acid (a Preservative)_


These are just a few of my and my doggy's favorites.

For the natural balance, you can call the company, and ask them to send you coupons! They sent me coupons for treats, rolls, and dog food. I used the treats coupons  

Wellness does not send coupons via mail, but they have coupons in their monthly newsletter. Sign up on there, and get some coupons. Same with Halo.

Canidae offers coupons if you ask via website, or calling them. I suggest calling them so you can ask specifically what you want. I received a coupon for: 3 Free cans of Canidae Wet food, $2 off Canidae Snap-Bits treats. Pretty good!

Hope this helps!


----------



## LaRen616

I love the Wellness treats


----------



## Shadow's mum

Shadow gets raw meat mixed with vegies and royal canin German shepherd junior. She is one very happy girl.  For treats she gets either kangaroo stick/sausage or diced chicken hearts. She wont eat canned food at all. She is very expensive to feed, but worth every cent.


----------



## Josephine

The breeder had Elsa on Eagle Pack Large and Giant Breed Puppy Formula and that is what I'm sticking with. I switched to Science Diet but corn and chicken byproducts and other ick stuff are listed in the beginning plus it is higher in protein that I wanted, and to be honest I don't know where it is made or comes from. Eagle Pack is made in Indiana, has all natural ingredients and answered my questions honestly. Minor problem is I have to drive further to get it or have it shipped. But we got 3 30lb bags that should last for a bit. It makes for a nice trip! And it was funny, there was a sales guy there selling a different brand of food and HE even said that Eagle Pack is a top notch dog food! My boyfriend was like "you sure you don't want to try to persuade her [meaning me] to buy yours?" LOL


----------



## Abbysmom

What do you guys think about Nature's Variety? We will be getting our puppy on July 24.


----------



## selzer

For training treats I use Zukes. I use the chicken flavor. They are awesome. They are tiny. It is amazing what my dog will do for that little piece of stuff. 

They are the mini naturals.
Zukes Mini Naturals – Dog Training Treats, The Perfect Training Treat for Dogs

Ingredients:

Chicken, Ground Rice, Ground Barley, Malted Barley, Gelatin, Vegetable Glycerin, Tapioca, Brewers Yeast, Natural Flavors, Fish Oil, Lecithin, Salt, Phosphoric Acid (a natural acidifier), Sorbic Acid (a preservative), Mixed Tocopherols, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C).


----------



## Cluemanti

selzer said:


> For training treats I use Zukes. I use the chicken flavor. They are awesome. They are tiny. It is amazing what my dog will do for that little piece of stuff.
> 
> They are the mini naturals.
> Zukes Mini Naturals – Dog Training Treats, The Perfect Training Treat for Dogs


Do you have to order online or can you find these anywhere local?


----------



## Cluemanti

Disregard just saw the locator on the site!


----------



## Stosh

Abbysmom- we have only fed our dogs Nature's Variety since the day they came home and they love it! They eat the rabbit dry kibble and some frozen raw chicken on top. Both pups are gaining weight at a healthy rate, their coats are shiny with very little shedding, lovely poops. You can go to NV on facebook or to their website and get coupons. When both pups were having a big growth spurt and eating everything in sight I added some of the less expensive chicken kibble to make the rabbit go farther. I think your pup will like it. Can't wait to see what you get!


----------



## selzer

I get them at pet supplies plus.


----------



## VChurch

We went with Solid Gold Wolf Cub for the puppy and she likes it, and she's growing (not too fast) so we're happy so far with it.
I think I'm going to switch my male to the Blue Buffalo Wilderness (as he is currently on Taste of the Wild Prairie). And once the puppy is over a year I'll switch her to the Wilderness as well. Although I may just keep him on what he's on and switch them both over at the same time..might be easier on me.


----------



## shandy

Been reading all the posts on here, but we have a slight problem in the fact where we live in the Isle of Man. Its a small island and although it has a wide variety of pet stores/shop/farmers yards nearly every place sells only Purina Beta Puppy/Adult food with nearly all of the owners of these store recommending Purina but reading these posts it appears its not the best or not very good product for our new puppy. 

We did find one shop that sold Eukanuba German Sheperd Breed specific Formula, but only had it in 2kg bags at £11.99, although it seems steep I would be willing to pay it but want to make sure is it good food. 

My only other option is to order off the internet, All i really want to know is Purina Beta That bad, Or what is the best alternative to it.


----------



## Zoeys mom

A lot of sites will ship for free or you could convince a shop to carry a product you will by


----------



## tyebranshepherds

My girl, Harley is a very fussy eater. We tried 7 different diets before "stumbling" on a kibble she not only could digest properly-but one she would eat. First, let me mention the ones we tried:

BARF
RAW
Homemade(supplemented)
Science Diet (larg. breed puppy)
Chicken Soup for the Puppy Soul (lrg. breed puppy)
Medical
Blue Buffalo(chicken & rice- puppy)

While visiting my sister (who breeds pugs), Harley walked over to their food bowl, sniffed, took a few kibbles, then proceeded to eat the whole bowl (3 cups). I was astonished! This coming from a puppy who was hand fed because her mother was killed when the litter was 10 days old. Until that point, she would eat small amounts of food (and only when I sat with her), and it NEVER amounted to anything more than 1 cup/day. When I asked my sister what she fed her dog, her reply was
KIRKLAND SIGNATURE CHICKEN & RICE- from Costco. Imagine my surprise when I did some research on dog food grades, and found this information. Hope it helps you as much as it helped me

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:49 pm Post subject: Dog food grades Thought this might be of some help in deciding which food to feed. 

>DOG FOOD GRADES 
> 
>Dog Food scores: 
> 
>Alpo Prime Cuts - Score 81 C 
>Artemis Large/Medium Breed Puppy - Score 114 A+ 
>Authority Harvest Baked - Score 116 A+ 
>Authority Harvest Baked Less Active - Score 93 B 
>Beowulf Back to Basics - Score 101 A+ 
>Bil-Jac Select - Score 68 F 
>Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice - Score 83 C 
>Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice - Score 106 A+ 
>Burns Chicken and Brown Rice - Score 107 A+ 
>Canidae - Score 112A+ 
>Chicken Soup Senior - Score 115 A+ 
>Diamond Maintenance - Score 64 F 
>Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice - Score 92 B 
>Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula - Score 99 A 
>Diamond Performance - Score 85 C 
>**** Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium - Score 122 A+ 
>**** Van Patten's Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice - Score 106 A+ 
>**** Van Patten's Duck and Potato - Score 106 A+ 
>EaglePack Holistic - Score 102 A+ 
>Eukanuba Adult - Score 81 C 
>Eukanuba Puppy - Score 79 C 
>Flint River Senior - Score 101 A+ 
>Foundations - Score 106 A+ 
>Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold - Score 93 B 
>Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium - Score 73 D 
>Innova Dog - Score 114 A+ ** (This is what I use) ** Sylvia 
>Innova Evo - Score 114 A+ 
>Innova Large Breed Puppy - Score 122 A+ 
>Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, & Vegetables - Score 110 A+ 
>Member's Mark Chicken and Rice - Score 84 C 
>Merrick Wilderness Blend - Score 127 A+ 
>Nature's Recipe - Score 100 A 
>Nature's Recipe Healthy Skin Venison & Rice - Score 116 A+ 
>Nature's Variety Raw Instinct - Score 122 A+ 
>Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice - Score 81C 
>Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy - Score 101 A+ 
>Nutrisource Lamb and Rice - Score 87 B 
>Nutro Max Adult - Score 93 B 
>Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice - Score 98 A 
>Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy - Score 87B 
>Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Wheat Free - Score 86 B 
>Nutro Natural Choice Senior - Score 95 A 
>Nutro Ultra Adult - Score 104 A+ 
>Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice - Score 23 F 
>Premium Edge Chicken, Rice & Vegetables Adult dry - Score 109 A+ 
>Pro Nature Puppy - Score 80 C 
>Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach - Score 94 A 
>Purina Beniful - Score 17 F 
>Purina Dog - Score 62 F 
>Purina Come-n-Get It - Score 16 F 
>Purina One Large Breed Puppy - Score 62 F 
>Royal Canin Boxer - Score 103 A+ 
>Royal Canin Bulldog - Score 100 A+ 
>Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult - Score 106 A+ 
>Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ - Score 63 F 
>Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies - Score 69 F 
>Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice - Score 97 A 
>Solid Gold - Score 99 A 
>Summit - Score 99 A 
>Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry - Score 120 A+ 
>Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken - Score 110 A+ 
>Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold - Score 97 A 
> 
>This is how the grades were determined: 
> 
>Start with a grade of 100 
> 
>1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points 
> 
>2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or poultry", meat, 
>meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points 
> 
>3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points 
> 
>4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific rain source, subtract 5 
>points 
> 
>5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first 
five 
>ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", brewer's rice", "rice flour" 
are all 
>the 
>same grain), subtract 5 points 
> 
>6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 
>meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points 
> 
>7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points 
> 
>8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points 
> 
>9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points 
> 
>10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 
>2 points 
> 
>11) If lamb is the only animal protein source unless your dog is 
allergic 
>to 
>other protein sources), subtract 2 points 
> 
>12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points 
> 
>13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic 
to 
>wheat), subtract 2 points 
> 
>14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic 
to 
>beef), subtract 1 point 
> 
>15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point 
> 
>Extra Credit: 
> 
>1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points 
> 
>2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed goup or nutritionist, 
add 5 
>points 
> 
>3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points 
> 
>4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points 
> 
>5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points 
> 
>6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains) add 
>3 points 
> 
>7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free add 
>2 points 
> 
>8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points 
> 
>9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds) add 2 
points 
> 
>10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point 
> 
>11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point 
> 
>12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the 
>first 
>one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source, 
but 
>"chicken" and "" as 2 different sources) add 1 point 
> 
>13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point 
> 
>14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are 
pesticide 
>free, add 1 point


----------



## shandy

well having scoured the internet we can get Eukanuba delivered her from the internet at half the cost locally. Cant find anywhere that can get the Innova (other than the US) So think we going to try the Eukanuba.


----------



## Zoeys mom

Better than Purina for sure!!


----------



## shandy

It gets worse doesn't it!...was again looking around the internet and found loads of "quotes" saying Eukanuba is rubbish! and that Orijen food is better!

Cant find the Orijen on the above list though? I found the ingredients on the web though, Whats the verdict from others? looks ok to me??

*GUARANTEED ANALYSIS*
Crude Protein (min.) 40.0%
Crude Fat (min.) 16.0%
Crude Fiber (max.) 3.0%
Moisture (max.) 10.0%
Calcium (min.) 1.5%
Calcium (max.) 1.7%
Phosphorus (min.) 1.1%
Phosphorus (max.) 1.3%
Omega-6 (min.) 2.6%
Omega-3 (min.) 1.0%
DHA 0.6%
EPA 0.3%
Carbohydrate (max.) 20.0%
Glucosamine (min.) 1400 mg/kg
Chondroitin (min.) 1200 mg/kg
Microorganisms (min.) 120M cfu/kg

*BOTANICAL INCLUSIONS*
Chicory root 700 mg/kg
Licorice root 500 mg/kg
Angelica root 350 mg/kg
Fenugreek 350 mg/kg
Marigold flowers 350 mg/kg
Sweet Fennel 350 mg/kg
Peppermint leaf 300 mg/kg
Chamomile flowers 300 mg/kg
Dandelion root 150 mg/kg
Summer savory 150 mg/kg

*VITAMINS*
Vitamin A 15 kIU/kg
Vitamin D3 2000 kIU/kg
Vitamin E 200 IU/kg
Vitamin B12 0.22 mg/kg
Thiamine 50 mg/kg
Riboflavin 40 mg/kg
Niacin 200 mg/kg
Pan. Acid 32 mg/kg
Pyridoxine 26 mg/kg
Biotin 0.83 mg/kg
Folic Acid 3 mg/kg
Choline 2700 mg/kg
Ascorbic Acid 55 mg/kg
Beta carotene 0.40 mg/kg

*AMINO ACIDS*
Taurine 0.3 mg/kg
T. Lysine 2.7%
T. Threonine 1.65%
T. Methionine 0.87%
T. Isoleucine 1.60%
T. Leucine 2.9%
T. Valine 1.9%
T. Arginine 2.9%
T. Phen. 1.6%
T. Histidine 0.85%
T. Cystine 0.5%

*MINERALS*
Sodium 0.4%
Chloride 0.6%
Potassium 0.65%
Magnesium 0.10%
Sulphur 0.4%
Manganese 27 mg/kg
Cobalt 0.47 mg/kg
Iodine 3.5 mg/kg
Selenium 0.35 mg/kg
Iron 300 mg/kg
Zinc 204 mg/kg
Copper 21 mg/kg


----------



## Zoeys mom

Orijen is great food just really pricey. Solid gold, blue buffalo, and taste of the wild are also decent a little cheaper though I'm not sure how available they are to you.


----------



## shandy

yeah, thats the trouble. Only ones that are available for me to pop down to the store and buy the same day is Purina Beta and the small bag of Eukanuba Breed specific. Have found a site in UK that will deliver Orijin. So basically those are our options.


----------



## Landshark

Hi I am new to this list. I have been quite confused reading some of the posts here re: GSD puppy nutrition. The reading i have done suggests protein levels should be no more than 27% and Calcium no more than 1.2% for large breed pups. Yet many of the foods I see recommended here are foods like Orijen which have much higher levels than recommended. Am I misunderstanding something then?

I am getting ready for my first GSD puppy. Thanks for helping. 

Erin


----------



## Cluemanti

Landshark said:


> Hi I am new to this list. I have been quite confused reading some of the posts here re: GSD puppy nutrition. The reading i have done suggests protein levels should be no more than 27% and Calcium no more than 1.2% for large breed pups. Yet many of the foods I see recommended here are foods like Orijen which have much higher levels than recommended. Am I misunderstanding something then?
> 
> I am getting ready for my first GSD puppy. Thanks for helping.
> 
> Erin


Not sure where you got the protein levels from. Most of that research is very outdated. But the CA/PHO levels should not be over 1.5-1.7% max. 

Most grain frees are above those levels, Orijen LBP is as far as some owners are willing to go.


----------



## Landshark

Cluemanti said:


> Not sure where you got the protein levels from. Most of that research is very outdated. But the CA/PHO levels should not be over 1.5-1.7% max.
> 
> Most grain frees are above those levels, Orijen LBP is as far as some owners are willing to go.


That is why I am here - to learn. I read it off this site:
Large Breed Puppy Diet Recommendations

Also it is what the breeder said for protein levels. 

Can you direct me to current sites then? Vet papers are welcome.

Erin


----------



## Mike K

clfike said:


> My obedience trainer recommends Flint River Ranch. I don't think I've seen anyone mention that yet. That's what we feed our 3. It's all baked, so it doesn't expand in the stomach. Has anyone tried this? You order it and it's delivered by UPS, usually the next day. It's definitely not cheap though, about $67 for 40 lbs.


I use that for my GSD doing great so far.


----------



## Jim

Been feeding him Blue Buffalo large breed puppy formula. Considering switching him to EVO when I take him off puppy chow. The real question is when to do that. I hear so many different things.


----------



## Verivus

Jim said:


> Been feeding him Blue Buffalo large breed puppy formula. Considering switching him to EVO when I take him off puppy chow. The real question is when to do that. I hear so many different things.


Personally I would switch to an adult food at 6 months. Also you might want to reconsider the EVO since they were taken over by proctor and gamble - the same company that makes Eukanuba(sp?) and Iams. Orijen is a good one.


----------



## SouthernNdN

Verivus, that would then go for all of the Innova Brands correct? Since if memory serves, Evo is a brand of Innova.

I took my pup off Innova 1. Because she wouldn't really eat it anymore.
2. I couldn't find the LBP anywhere around here and I live in a nice size city.

I switched over to Royal Canin for now, the pup now 4.5 mons old really goes insane over it. However from what I've read as far as reviews go on the ingredients its a mid grade food and not the best out there.

I have read up on many of the Grain-Free dry kibbles out there, and many have calcium lvl way to high for a LBP. Even the Orijen LBP food from a few research sits,(one of which was posted as a link earlier in this thread) have stated that the Calcium lvls within OLBP are too high, and the kibble is recommended for 12mons and older. Now, why you would call it a LBP food and it not be recommened for anything younger than 12 months is beyond me.

From reading this entire thread and doing a bit of research, it seems as though there really is no middle ground on dry kibble, either you feed the mid-grade with by-products and fillers, or you feed the Grain-Free in which has to much Calcium. I think I'm more confused now, then when I first started reading this thread. As well as a few of the research sites I ventured too.

What I did notice from my pup is that while feeding her Innova Puppy her poos' always seemed to be a bit soft, not completely soft server, but soft enough. And then when I switched her to Royal Canin, her poos went from soft, to firm. And there are no long poos', it always comes out in almost big pebbles from like a deer or something would. However seeing that it's mid-grade I can't wait until she is old enough to be switched to something alot higher rated.

Off to do more research!


----------



## charliebarley

LGBRD puppy foods are the best bet....they are specially formulated so your GSD does not develop epiphysitis. Large breed dogs need a high quality large breed puppy food-- science diet/royal canin. To not feed your large breed puppy this is not a good idea. People think that they are jammed pack to make your dog grow quicker/larger--total opposite you will avoid lots of problems in the future if you start a good food regiment now. Other things that help prevent joint issues down the line are Omega-Fatty Acids (new research is showing the vast benefits of these for heart, liver, coat, etc.) & joint supplements


----------



## SouthernNdN

Fyi, not sure if this was posted yet or not. Royal Canin does have both a GSD kibble for 15 mons and older, and one for puppies up to 15 months. Not sure if they just came out with it or not, but I did see it at one of the local pet supplies stores and confirmed it on the Royal Canin site.


----------



## sagelfn

Royal Canin has puppy food for large breeds under 5 months, 5 months to 1.5yr and 1.5yr up

IMO it is a ripoff for the quality. Good that your dog is doing well on it but Blue Buffalo has better quality puppy food for a cheaper price (here in IL anyway)

Wellness supermix5 LBP is good, I think ACANA has a LBP food but can't remember

Orijen LBP is safe for puppies and IMO the best puppy food out there. Calcium level is 1.2 max


----------



## GSD Momma

I'm surprised no one is feeding Holistic Select giant breed puppy food. This is what my breeder recommended and it's actually a requirement to keep the health guarantee. Pup is doing great on it and it's rated very high, never had a recall.

Even switched my cat to the feline recipe and he's doing great on it. No hairballs.

My last shepherd actually had digestive issues on royal canin so we stopped feeding it to her.


----------



## Junofan

My GSD at 4 months loves Blue Buffalo puppy food. Just finishing up a small bag of BB puppy and will then be on the large breed puppy from Blue Buffalo. Only main difference I see between the two is the chicken fat content is higher with the BB puppy then the LB BB puppy...


----------



## Hachi

right know I'm giving my dog Nutro "natural choice" for puppy he is 9 weeks old ,but some one said to me that one of the best are "Wysong all-natural pet food", "solid gold" or "orijen" .I would like to give my dog the best that I can do for him to grow healthy and strong .Wish one you guys recommend I'm pretty new in all this ...Thanks :help:


----------



## plusdoegsd

i like blue buffalo myself not many others even come close.


----------



## SouthernNdN

I feed Orijen LBP. Made a big difference in her play lvls. Now most of the time she won't leave me alone! I'd have to say she really took to it.


----------



## MKSWEET

My GSD puppy is about 9 1/2 weeks old and the breeder had him on Iams puppy (not so great of a food). I slowly switched him to Taste of the Wild over the course of a week. Although it is an "all life stages" food, he has been getting sick from it :/ He still has very loose stools and he has been on pure TOTW for at least 5 days now. He doesn't seem to be having any discomfort from it and he is still very active but I think it is best if I change his food. Any suggestions?


----------



## Junofan

Mine has been on BB LBP but has been itching and seems to look a little bloated on BB LBP. Could the chicken or grain cause this?

The last few days she has been getting a 50/50 mix of BB LBP and Orijen Red and she does not look bloated at all. Stools are a little loose though... The store did not have a grain free puppy without chicken. That is why I bought the Red.

May just try Solid Gold Wolf Cub.


----------



## deaninmn

Maximus gets NutriSource Large Breed Puppy. He likes it, and he his doing great. It's made about an hour away from here. After being a local pet food company for years... Tuffy's... then owned by a number of large corporations, with the last one shutting it down... the original founder's son bought it back. Cool story.


----------



## SamTheDog

Can anyone recommend an amount to feed my puppy daily of the Orijen LBP? He is 11 weeks and 25 to 26 lbs.


----------



## BaltimoreGSD

We are getting a GSD puppy at 8 weeks next week and are struggling on what to feed her -- any recommendations? We are considering Nature Valley's Instinct patty's (but have heard that it is too high in calcium for a puppy) and "Great Life" kibble...

She is coming from a breeder who is feeding her a high protein diet...

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## SamTheDog

My pup loves Orijen Large Breed Puppy and is doing very well on it. Grain free, correct amount of calcium


----------



## kr16

Wellness imports stuff from China for their food so that is out for me. TOTW seems not good for puppies. Anyone try Natural Balance? They test their food and also get 5 stars on most sites. Also easy to get at the local pet shops.

Pet Food, Dog and Cat Food | naturalbalanceinc.com

Natural Balance Dog Food Comparison, Reviews and Ratings


----------



## sable123

Rachel_K said:


> What is the most highly recommended dry puppy food?


Depends on where you live, what's close and what your budget is. There is virtually no difference in dog foods from say 75 cents per lb to the most expensive for 99% of the dogs. So, for someone in Iowa, Fromm, Eagle, Red Paw, National, Canidae, Pro Plan, Pro Pac, Earthborn should be easy to get for say 75 cents per lb to $1.25lb. Puppy or an "all life stage food" should be fine.

Pick one and stay with it.


----------



## sable123

The other thing is don't go by what DogFoodAnalysis.com, DogfoodAdvisor.com and DogFoodChat.com say.

Those websites are filled with errors and bias and they do not test any of the foods they profess to be experts in. DogFoodAdvisor.com is run by a human dentist and he has ZERO experience in canine nutrition.


----------



## Luxie

*Food*

My vet told me yesterday to start my 9 week old on Science diet. He said he wouldn't use any other dog food.


----------



## TashaBurr

My puppy is on 50% Blue Buffalo Wilderness for Puppies and 50% B.A.R.F. diet. I'm debating switching completly to the raw since she seems to be eating a lot better and her stool is so much more firm then I have ever seen...


----------



## jprice103

Luxie said:


> My vet told me yesterday to start my 9 week old on Science diet. He said he wouldn't use any other dog food.


Hmmm...let me guess...there is a full wall of Science Diet food in their waiting room for sale......


----------



## jprice103

TashaBurr said:


> My puppy is on 50% Blue Buffalo Wilderness for Puppies and 50% B.A.R.F. diet. I'm debating switching completly to the raw since she seems to be eating a lot better and her stool is so much more firm then I have ever seen...


I wish I could go to raw...but she just has NO interest. Plus...she is sensitive to chicken, which makes feeding raw a challenge!


----------



## MicheleMarie

jprice103 said:


> I wish I could go to raw...but she just has NO interest. Plus...she is sensitive to chicken, which makes feeding raw a challenge!


 if my puppy couldn't eat raw i would put him on orijen large puppy until 6 months (i know it's pricey) if you can afford i'd keep him on orijen but i would switch to taste of the wild


----------



## PaddyD

Is this the oldest thread in the Forum?


----------



## Jmeade

I haven't seen it mentioned but I get Blue Buffalo from my feed store. I get my dog food and horse feed at the same place.


----------



## Greek

Royal Canine is what we got


----------



## Alois

An update for our Pack

Diamond Naturals
Wellness Super mix 5 (soft stool)
Innova Large breed puppy (purple bag)
Merrick Wilderness blend
Holistic Giant and large breed puppy
Blue Buffalo chicken and rice (blue/pink bag)

They love all of these foods. We tend to mix two together so they never really get just a meal of just one type of food.


----------



## HockeyAce18

Ace turned 4 months old today and has been eating Purina and seems to love it. I have read/heard that I should slowly take him off of it. I have been reading everyones suggestions, but it seems like there is no right answer, since everyone has their own opinion. Should I start to put him on adult dog food or keep him on puppy food? I will be going to buy him a new bag today, so any suggestions will be very helpful. Thank you in advance.


----------



## La Boss

Hola!
Wow, your pup looks exactly like my new 4 month old, Ecko...How is the feeding going? Mine doesn't really eat like a puppy yet, sniffs at her bowl and only eats if I pretend to eat first, then sit with her...pretty corny stuff I'm hoping she is still adjusting, as we have only been her "people" for two weeks.
What is your pups background? Mine is originally from Poland, brought to Canada, then sold to us...


----------



## HockeyAce18

La Boss said:


> Hola!
> Wow, your pup looks exactly like my new 4 month old, Ecko...How is the feeding going? Mine doesn't really eat like a puppy yet, sniffs at her bowl and only eats if I pretend to eat first, then sit with her...pretty corny stuff I'm hoping she is still adjusting, as we have only been her "people" for two weeks.
> What is your pups background? Mine is originally from Poland, brought to Canada, then sold to us...


 
Mine inhales the food, which ive been doing reading on how to fix. lol. He's been doing a bit better lately. As far as background he is born in Los Angeles, but I was told he is a west german showline.


----------



## tjzick

purina one puppy chow for large breed dogs.


----------



## justincase

I use Native 3 Puppy


----------



## ILOVEGSD

I am getting a puppy soon and I am thinking either the blue buffalo wilderness puppy or the blue buffalo large breed puppy. I like the wilderness and use to feed my adult that. Any advice between the two?


----------



## AthenaClimbs

Is Orijen large breed puppy good for my 5 month old girl? It's a puppy food but the site says caution, it has a lot of protein that's meant for adult dogs. Why is puppy food then?

Dog Food Reviews - Orijen Puppy Large Breed - Powered by ReviewPost


----------



## Cassidy's Mom

I used Orijen Large Breed Puppy with Halo, up until she was about a year old, and then switched her to the adult formula. She did fantastic! Orijen is very pricey, but it's a quality food.


----------



## kr16

AthenaClimbs said:


> Is Orijen large breed puppy good for my 5 month old girl? It's a puppy food but the site says caution, it has a lot of protein that's meant for adult dogs. Why is puppy food then?
> 
> Dog Food Reviews - Orijen Puppy Large Breed - Powered by ReviewPost


 
This site is good but be careful, the articles are not written by anyone who is a vet or an expert by any means. The other one, dog food advisor, is written by a dentist who IMO has no clue what he is talking about.

Research protein and puppies right here with the search button on this forum. High calcium is more dangerous for large breed puppies


----------



## WascoGSD

I'm thinking about getting Kirkland Signature adult dog food Lamb, veggies and rice. I tried the puppy version of the food (and i believe it was the chicken, rice and veggies) with my 5 month and 1 week old GSD puppy and it made her sick. Maybe the adult food will work? I live in Bakersfield, CA btw.


----------



## 65Champagne

Cassidy's Mom said:


> I used Orijen Large Breed Puppy with Halo, up until she was about a year old, and then switched her to the adult formula. She did fantastic! Orijen is very pricey, but it's a quality food.


I also use Orijen, and saw a dramatic improvement on my 10 year old's coat after we moved both Dogs to Orijen's LBP. I have it delivered from Petflow, which might be an option for the OP if you can't find what you are looking for. Having a bag show up on my doorstep beats a wintery run down the mountain any day. As for the price, I don't think it is that much more as I use less of it. (and I pick up less of it).


----------



## Odin'sMom

*Trying to choose the best food...*

My pup is just 11 weeks old and I'm trying to choose the best food for him, which I've discovered is no easy task. This is our first GSD, so I have no previous experience with this and I want make the most informed decision possible. After a lot of research, I have narrowed it down to 3 choices, and was wondering if anyone was feeding any of them, or has in the past, and what their experiences were. I'm trying to decide between Orijen LBP, Nature's Variety Prairie LBP, and Solid Gold Wolf Cub LBP. Any input would be appreciated! Thanks!


----------



## luke4275

*food*

Didnt a few people post that a gsh pup should NOT be on a grain-free diet?


----------



## porky51

We feed Elvis a 50/50 mix of Orjen LBP and Nutro lamb LBP and everything is great , has a great coat ,poop is good and he is full of it


----------



## vhowell7

We had LOTS of digestive issues with Shadow and tried several brands, Royal Canin, Blue Buffalo, Innova, but we have settled in on a diet of 1/2 Raw (Stella and Chewy's beef is a favorite) with 1/2 Fromm Gold large breed puppy kibble. Solid poops, no more loose stools, nice shiny coat and pretty good health overall. She is 8 months old now and 65 pounds.


----------



## ollie_leyna

*EVO vs. Acana vs. Innova*

ok I want to switch my pup's food, and I think I have it down to 3. Innova, EVO, or Acana. EVO and Acana have really good reviews but I'm concerned because I didn't see any of their foods specified to be for Puppies. My man is 7 months now, so he's not little, but I'd appreciate any advice/experience/opinions you guys have with these brands.

Thanks!


----------



## mleun481

I have heard of people's concern with Innova and Evo after Naturapet was bought by Procter & Gamble. If you are considering Acana, have you thought about Orijen LGP? They're both from the same company - Champion Petfoods. 
Acana also has a Large Breed Puppy formula. 

Puppy Large
Champion Petfoods | ACANA | Products - Puppy Small Breed


----------



## k9momofmany

*Has anyone tried Ve'rus dog food?*

I've had my GSD pup (now 11 wks) on Wellness LBP. 
Stool will range soft form to mud pie. Been reading the forums and it seem this food does not agree with a lot of pups.

Been to the vet twice, we've added pumpkin and rice to the food, bland diets (rice and Chicken), a rx of Metronidazole but nothing seems to work. 
Stool was also tested twice and no worms. 

Someone told me her dog went throught the same thing, she purchase Verus. Her dog stools are now normal. Just wanted to see if anyone has tried this.
VéRUS All Natural Holistic Pet Foods - VéRUS Pet Foods

Thanks


----------



## Glenfiddich

Hi everybody. i was looking in amazon.co.uk and saw the Purina Bakers Complete. I have put the food's composition. Anyone can help? Is it any good? Anyone tried it? Cause is really cheap to order from amazon than to buy dog food here in Greece.. But i m not sure, because cheap doesnt mean good too.

Composition 
Cereals (25% ), Meat and animal derivatives ( 26% meat in the chunk, 4% beef in the brown kernels), Vegetable protein extracts, Oils & fats, Various sugars, Derivatives of vegetable origin, Minerals, Vegetables ( 4% vegetable in the green & yellow kernels). With Colourants, antioxidants and preservatives.

Additives: Nutritional Additives 

IU/kg:Vit A: 24 000 ; Vit D3: 1 400 ; Vit E: 110 mg/kg:Fe(E1): 100 ; I(E2): 2.5 ; Cu(E4): 11 ; 
Mn(E5): 7.5 ; Zn(E6): 180 ; Se(E8): 0.24. With colourants, antioxidants and preservatives 

Analytical Constituents 

Protein28.0% Fat content12.0% Crude ash8.0% Crude fibres2.0%


----------



## LeFevre

Blue Buffalo LBP gave my 6 mo old GSD severe diaharrea. Even though I added it grdually with the Science Diet she had been on. I
She is doing well now on mix of Science Diet and Royal Canin but I want to try something with more meat in it because I have heard it is healthier....just don't want to put up with the messy poop again!


----------



## shaybear07

Science Diet is what we feed our GSD. He seems to love it


----------



## wildrivers

I got off EVo and moved to Nutrisource large breed. Pup loves it , shes 6 months old. Family owned company, excellent food.


----------



## 1337f0x

LeFevre said:


> Blue Buffalo LBP gave my 6 mo old GSD severe diaharrea. Even though I added it grdually with the Science Diet she had been on. I
> She is doing well now on mix of Science Diet and Royal Canin but I want to try something with more meat in it because I have heard it is healthier....just don't want to put up with the messy poop again!


Blue Buffalo is very very good for your pup because it has more meat and antioxidants than the leading brand. It will give your puppy some diarrhea because of the difference in it's current food. You'll have to switch over very very slowly.

As for me, I'm going right into the Blue Buffalo because of the worms my puppy is getting rid of right now, so the diarrhea is helping to get them all out super fast.


----------



## Chevy9211

The breeder recommended diamond brand puppy food. Has anyone heard of this brand. What are your thoughts? My gsd Chevy seems to has loose stools. What could be causing it? He is up to date on all of his shots.


----------



## Maximus's PAPA

Chevy9211 said:


> The breeder recommended diamond brand puppy food. Has anyone heard of this brand. What are your thoughts? My gsd Chevy seems to has loose stools. What could be causing it? He is up to date on all of his shots.


They prob mean Diamond naturals which can be found at tractor supply


----------



## Chevy9211

Maximus's PAPA said:


> They prob mean Diamond naturals which can be found at tractor supply



Yes that is where we bought the food. Any thoughts? I don't like the fact that Chevy's stools are loose (worm free). What other brand would you all recommend?


----------



## Maximus's PAPA

Chevy9211 said:


> Yes that is where we bought the food. Any thoughts? I don't like the fact that Chevy's stools are loose (worm free). What other brand would you all recommend?


I've tried Blue Buffulo but my pups stool was loose so I tried DN and havent had a problem yet, I plan on switching him to Victor's tho when he is around * months


----------



## stoli2003

My 12 week old Zore is fine with Blue Buffalo LBP food. He also gets a bit or two of either grilled salmon or chicken breast in his bowl if I'm grilling out that night. He also love to chew on a carrot.


----------



## hoocli

Does anyone have any experience with the Holistic large breed puppy food. In their complete or legacy... Just curious as this is what I'd like to be feeding my puppy. Its suppose to be good stuff and is made in my province.


----------



## lzver

We are transitioning our 9 week old GSD to Acana large breed puppy. Being I'm from Canada and they support local Canadian farmers makes me feel good about supporting our agricultural community while feeding a good quality food.


----------



## Emoore

lzver said:


> We are transitioning our 9 week old GSD to Acana large breed puppy. Being I'm from Canada and they support local Canadian farmers makes me feel good about supporting our agricultural community while feeding a good quality food.


Agreed. Both my dogs eat foods made in Texas from Texas-owned companies. I think this is something that gets overlooked a lot in dog food-buying decisions.


----------



## Harley93

Anyone from the UK suggest any decent brands? Currently feeding my pup Pedigree Puppy Growth & Protection but want to switch as it doesn't sound too healthy. 

Thanks for any help


----------



## Oskar der Drachen

This seems to be the most updated thread for puppy food. Here is a link to the Royal Canin 30 GSD puppy food. From what I know and read here and other places, it seems to be above average in quality, but quite a bit more expensive than the one I am using now. Bear is eating a kilo (2.2lbs) of food a day now and will continue to do so I'm sure... 

This food is $117 ($95.50 USD) a 12 kilo (26.5lb) bag. New Zealand is expensive for imported items.

Bear does not seem to (after fairly extensive food trialling) have any food allergies or sensitivities.

So before I change to anything, what do you all think? Opinions seem to be divided so far. So, for this food specifically, what do people who know more than I do think of the ingredients list?

German Shepherd 30 Junior / Breed Health Nutrition / Dog Products / Products / Home - Royal Canin New Zealand, Premium Pet Food for Cats & Dogs


----------



## darlascherokee

i just switched to 4health from tsc and my dog loves it and i have heard great reviews on it. 30 dollars for a 35 pound bag


----------



## VinnysMom

*Tried BB large breed puppy - any one have opinion on BB wild grain free puppy?*

Vinny is about 16 weeks now and has occassional loose stool - he's also goning 4-5 times a day. Maybe I'll try BB Wild/grain free? It's great to have so many choices...unless you're a new puppy mom like me & feeling like every decision I make has to be just the right one


----------



## jewels04

Right now our schnauzer eats nutro natural choice not because I love it but because it's all she tolerates. Our shepherd puppy is on kirkland food at the breeders and we plan on getting a membership so we can continue him on the food when he comes home. I believe that food is similar to canidae,not sure though. However when I tried canidae/felidae in the past I always had the same results they were fine for a bag or two and than diarrhea. Don't know why.


----------



## Del's Mom

I was having the biggest trouble with my 8 month old GSD and the frequency and consistency of his poop. I tried everything from Blue Buffalo, grain free, and Rachel Ray Just 6, nothing helped. I finally switched to Royal Canin for GSD. It has already made a difference in just 3 days! I couldn't be happier and he is showing signs of energy and his eyes have stopped running! I highly recommend it to anyone having digestive issues with their GSD. 

Oh, and I priced it versus the Eukanuba, it is less expensive per ounce by a couple cents. Definitely worth the money!


----------



## Oskar der Drachen

Anyone in New Zealand, and Australia as well, this food:

Ultra Pet Food

Natural Premium Dog Food | Ultra Pet Food

Is where I have gone. It made in New Zealand of NZ products and is terrific. Less expensive and better ingredients than any including Royal Canin I have found so far.

Bear loves it, and is doing very well on it too.















* PUPPY Essential Growth Formula *
*(the perfect start for puppies up to 9 mths - 12mths (large breed puppies)*
*Available in Toy Mini size*
(Mini size the size of a pea suitable for all puppies.)

AME Kcal/Kg 3200
*Composition* *Vitamins (min) iu/kg of dog biscuit* Protein (min)% 27.5 Vitamin A 10000 Fat (min)% 10.0 Vitamin D 1000 Linoleic Acid (min)% 1.0 Vitamin E 100 Fibre (max)% 4.0 Moisture (max)% 10.0 
*Minerals* *Vitamins (min) mg/kg of dog biscuit* Calcium Phosophorus ratio 1.7:1 Vitamin K 1.9 Sodium (min)% 0.3 Vitamin C 6.25 Chloride (min)% 0.45 Vitamin B1 3.75 Potassium (min)% 0.6 Vitamin B2 7.5 Magnesium 0.2 Vitamin B6 3.75 Vitamin B12 0.038 
*Minerals (min) mg/kg of dog biscuit * Iron 125 Niacin 25 Copper 10 Pantothenic Acid 12.5 Manganese 6.25 Folic Acid 0.625 Zinc 156 Biotin 0.19 Cobalt 2.5 Choline 1500 Iodine 1.9 Biotin 0.19 Selenium 0.25 *100% WHEAT GLUTEN FREE * *100% CHICKEN FREE* *Amino Acids MG per/kg * *100% GE FREE* Taurine 500 *100% FREE of Artificial Flavours, Colours or Preservatives * 







*Ingredients: *Beef Meal (grass fed), ground corn, brown rice, fishmeal (natural source of BHD for brain development), blood meal, flax seed meal, tallow (preserved with Vit C & E, rosemary & citric acid), fish oil 
(for the correct balance of Omega 3 & Omega 6), garlic, salt, agrimoss (natural prebiotic), kelp (a natural source of chelated minerals), oregano, rosemary (a powerful antioxidant & beneficial for cardiac/vascular health), yucca schidigera, added vitamins and chelated minerals.
Lactose Free.

*Feeding Guide: 1 - 1.5* cups (100-150gm) per 10kg of dog weight per day.


----------



## tperry1982

I have a GSD puppy that is 11 weeks old today. My breeder recommended Fromm Large Puppy Gold. You get it at the holistic or health food type pet stores. I paid $45 for a 33 lb bag at a pet store named Crunchies in Crofton, MD (I live in Upper Marlboro, MD). It was cheaper there than on line.

I guess that may be considered expensive. However, my mini schnauzer, who passed away in February at 13 years old was on a prescription diet (for bladder stones) for 7 years. That food cost $35 for a 10 lb bag.

So far, so good with the food. His stools are firm unless he eats a lot of outside stuff (twigs, mulch, etc) then they may loosen up a bit. He has not had diarehha since we had him (knock on wood).


----------



## TaylerMarie21

BLUE!  Very healthy and my pups love it!


----------



## HouseofFaust

I feed Faust Blue Buffalo Puppy Formula. Natural ingredients. He absolutely loves it!! A bit expensive, but I cant seem to place a price tag on his well being.


----------



## vom Eisenherz

Everyone, please be aware of the calcium levels in the food you're feeding. Ideal is between .7 and 1.2% for a large or giant breed pup. While a GSD isn't giant, they share many of the orthopedic concerns that giants have and thus, it is wise to feed accordingly. There is also evidence to suggest that natural calcium (ie, in fresh raw food) is better assimilated and less likely to do harm in excess than synthetic calcium, found in processed feeds, due to the fact that the body isn't able to recognize it well enough to rid itself of the excess, as opposed to it's ability to simply eliminate unneeded natural calcium. This hasn't been well-documented as of yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if that changes in the near future. 

If you are going to feed kibble, make sure you are feeding an appropriate food. A common result of excess calcium is bone and joint problems, including HOD, OCD, even ED due to the improper growth rates that it causes.


----------



## Kev

Ideally, 1.2%.
Going to 1.5-1.6% like orijen lbp is fine.


----------



## vom Eisenherz

Possibly. I sure would be careful. It's not a gamble I'd be willing to take. Keep in mind, the more a dog eats, the more calcium it's getting. It's not as simple as percentages. It's total intake that matters. 

Large Breed Puppy Diet Recommendations

There are some good links embedded in this thread, too. Some are very interesting studies about serious side effects that are attributed to mineral imbalances. I'm being lazy and don't want to post all that again. 

Do you believe in precise calcium/phosporous ratio in dog food? - page 1 - German Shepherd Dog


----------



## Mack12

I did a ton of novice research on this...Calcium and protein %'s for my pup...with all these decent brands out there I picked Fromm LBP. It seemed to have all the right numbers for the most part. Ingredients were decent and was around $50.00. I looked at grain free, but so many people said its not good for a puppy, plus most had high protein levels. If anyone can shed more light on this it would be great. He LOVES Fromm and stools are solid..all the time. He just seems to be starving all the time too!lol


----------



## JimX

Glenfiddich said:


> Hi everybody. i was looking in amazon.co.uk and saw the Purina Bakers Complete. I have put the food's composition. Anyone can help? Is it any good? Anyone tried it? Cause is really cheap to order from amazon than to buy dog food here in Greece.. But i m not sure, because cheap doesnt mean good too.
> 
> Composition
> Cereals (25% ), Meat and animal derivatives ( 26% meat in the chunk, 4% beef in the brown kernels), Vegetable protein extracts, Oils & fats, Various sugars, Derivatives of vegetable origin, Minerals, Vegetables ( 4% vegetable in the green & yellow kernels). With Colourants, antioxidants and preservatives.
> 
> Additives: Nutritional Additives
> 
> IU/kg:Vit A: 24 000 ; Vit D3: 1 400 ; Vit E: 110 mg/kg:Fe(E1): 100 ; I(E2): 2.5 ; Cu(E4): 11 ;
> Mn(E5): 7.5 ; Zn(E6): 180 ; Se(E8): 0.24. With colourants, antioxidants and preservatives
> 
> Analytical Constituents
> 
> Protein28.0% Fat content12.0% Crude ash8.0% Crude fibres2.0%


Try and stay away from Purina. What are your other alternatives and price range?


----------



## peep_216

I did blue and my dogs poop was pure diarrhea I spent hundreds of dollars thinking there was something wrong with her for months, i was scared she was going to die to be honest. Changed her food, we are good  I am feeding her nutrimax for large breed puppies. Lot cheaper too.


----------



## Niko1929

*Need advice about puppy food !!*

Hi I am just wondering is beneful or purina is a good brand for a GS pup and when he is an adult ? Currently we feed him royal canine maxi puppy but its so expensive for the large bag and his stools are quite soft.

Thanks
Melissa


----------



## KelleyS

I do not do Beneful or Purina because they have wheat and corn in them. My little dog has allergies so I put him on Natural Choice which is grain free. So when I got my GSD I gave her the same food and she loves it. I know it is more expensive but to me it is worth it. The store bought dog food has a lot of extra ingredients that is used as fillers that is not good for your dogs health and that is why it is a lot cheaper to buy. To me money verus health and health wins.


----------



## Alexander23

I need help aswell because I'm getting my pup next week but I don't know what to feed em to be exact what would be most recommend


----------



## Ken Clean-Air System

Alexander23 said:


> I need help aswell because I'm getting my pup next week but I don't know what to feed em to be exact what would be most recommend


The most recommended food is the one that is the best food that you can afford, and that your dog does well on. For puppies it is advisable to make sure whatever food you choose has an acceptable (low) level of calcium and (to a lesser extent) phosphorus, and that the ratio between calcium and phosphorus is close to 1:1.

I made a fairly extensive spreadsheet that details the basic nutritional info of quite a few foods. It also includes links (where possible) to places that the foods can be ordered online, which should give at least a general idea of the cost for each food. You can check it out here if you are interested: http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...py-food-ingredient-nutrition-spreadsheet.html or this direct link to the sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AsBcSQ8_xK_ndDRkYWo3NmRSWEl4T1NuX290bG5ULVE&output=html


----------



## Alexander23

Ken Clean-Air System said:


> The most recommended food is the one that is the best food that you can afford, and that your dog does well on. For puppies it is advisable to make sure whatever food you choose has an acceptable (low) level of calcium and (to a lesser extent) phosphorus, and that the ratio between calcium and phosphorus is close to 1:1.
> 
> I made a fairly extensive spreadsheet that details the basic nutritional info of quite a few foods. It also includes links (where possible) to places that the foods can be ordered online, which should give at least a general idea of the cost for each food. You can check it out here if you are interested: http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...py-food-ingredient-nutrition-spreadsheet.html or this direct link to the sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AsBcSQ8_xK_ndDRkYWo3NmRSWEl4T1NuX290bG5ULVE&output=html


But what do I feed em the puppy food or the regular adult one. Because I was reading that blue buffalo was good and also the royal canin. Which one would you recommend tho it doesn't matter of the pricing.
My plan was to do this for six months then switch him to raw maybe.


----------



## tsfarling

Our GSD puppy is 11 weeks old and we bought Iams large breed puppy. She's not very interested in eating much unless we put water on it. Is this a bad habit to start? Should we switch to a different food?


Sent from my iPad using PG Free


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## Oskar der Drachen

tsfarling said:


> Our GSD puppy is 11 weeks old and we bought Iams large breed puppy. She's not very interested in eating much unless we put water on it. Is this a bad habit to start? Should we switch to a different food?


Water is fine! I have been wetting Bear's food the whole time. One thing I found with puppy food is that the kibble is so small he had a hard time eating it. He would vacuum it up so fast he couldn't chew it and would choke. Putting water on it slowed him down and made the food easier to swallow all at the same time. I just got a terrific menu and feeding plan from a breeder, and I'll copy it in another reply. Pity I got it too late for Bear's puppyhood, but it will still make for a great feeding plan modified with Adult food.

I had followed most of the following with Bear as a pup, but sporadically. This is a much more organised process!


----------



## Oskar der Drachen

* Menu: *
*Chicken mince (raw)*
*Chicken frames/necks/hearts*
*Beef flank/fresh brisket*
*Lamb flank*
*Heart, liver, kidney.*
* Quality puppy biscuits:*
*Eggs:*
*Dog roll: your local butchers dog roll, supermarket dog roll is mostly made up of nutrition less fillers, you will have to pick most of it back up off the lawn.*
*Veggie: Wet rolled oats, cooked grated carrot, silver beet/broccoli.*
*Green lipped mussle extract powder, 2 caps.*
*Light sprinkle of Dolomite powder / 1/4 Zinc powder.*
*Sunflower oil.*
*Recipe:*
*Take 1kg of mince, add 1 cup of biscuits, 1 egg , 2 cups of diced dog roll, 1 cup of veggie , diced beef & kidney, mix together.*
*Let pup eat it’s fill 3 times a day.*
*Beef bones are a must for cleaning the teeth & exercising the jaw & ear muscles.*
*At 14wks old feed whole chicken frames +.*
*This diet grows big strong dogs, good nutrition is essential in large, fast growing breeds.*
*From 17wks to 33wks of age a union of (soft bone plates) to hard bone occurs in the joints (the Anconeal Process) extra care in nutrition is essential right through this time especially. *
*Use oil to monitor stool consistency.*
*Give pup whole carrots/apples as a nutritional chew toy.*


----------



## JakodaCD OA

just wanted to mention, some puppies don't do well with a quick food switch, it's best to keep them on whatever they are on, (even if you think it's rotten food)and gradually switch over


----------



## Oskar der Drachen

Yes, that's right. 30 days for the switch, I was told by another. I tried to draw out a switch over that time but just couldn't manage it. I mean if you have a bag of one food, and a bag of the new food, both of which last a month normally...?

You get 60 days of food, and how on earth do you section it; Play Count the Kibble? Who on Earth has the time two to three times a day? The last stretch of that time I just poured both bags into one and shook it.

What is a sane time span to make a switch in?


----------



## coulter

So my breeder had Sage on IAMS premium protection puppy, but I'm starting to think most of you will say this is bad, but i still have no idea if i should switch? And to what?


----------



## kr16

coulter said:


> So my breeder had Sage on IAMS premium protection puppy, but I'm starting to think most of you will say this is bad, but i still have no idea if i should switch? And to what?




Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Brewers Rice, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Dried Beet Pulp, Fish Meal, Chicken Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Brewers Dried Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Fructooligosaccharides, Monosodium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), Vitamin E Supplement, DL-Methionine, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamins (Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Rosemary Extract.


----------



## coulter

kr16 said:


> Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Brewers Rice, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Dried Beet Pulp, Fish Meal, Chicken Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Brewers Dried Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Fructooligosaccharides, Monosodium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), Vitamin E Supplement, DL-Methionine, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamins (Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Rosemary Extract.


Right, this is the ingredients


----------



## kr16

coulter said:


> Right, this is the ingredients



Id switch to a better quality food. 

First ingredient is chicken by-product meal, a dry rendered product of slaughterhouse waste. It’s made from what’s left of a slaughtered chicken after all the prime cuts have been removed. 


Sounds pretty bad.


Lots of choices, read up here. Also put dog food reviews in Google, and start reading up. Its the best way to get familiar with the ton of brands.


----------



## coulter

But orijen is all grain free right? Haven't you guys been saying stay away from that?


----------



## kr16

coulter said:


> But orijen is all grain free right? Haven't you guys been saying stay away from that?



What has been said is that some grain free foods have high calcium which is not good for large breed dogs.


----------



## kellie7267

Our GSD came with a large bag of the TOTW High Prarie Canine Formula with Roasted Bison and Roasted Venison. This food is a little in the pricey range for us, and I have been reviewing posts in the forums, as well as checking the external links showing the dog food star rating and analysis from various sites.

I remember at one point seeing that the Chicken Soup brand was considered a better food, so I purchased it today. Now I sit here second guessing myself wondering if it was a good choice. any thoughts?

She has a bit of trouble with diarrhea. Previous owners (uneducated in my opinion, and definitely not the "breeders" they claimed to be!) stated that she liked water too much and that caused her diarrhea, so they limited her water. I honestly do not believe that, and we have fresh water provided to her all day. Her stools can be formed one day, and extremely loose and runny the next. (Hard for kids to play in the yard - even when you clean it there is still a bunch left in the grass) I've been giving her about a quarter cup of pumpkin a day, I think this is helping, but I need to keep a record to see if there is a difference with the days she does not get it. 

I'm hoping possibly a change in food could help with the diarrhea as well as the gas (WHEW). I appreciate all thoughts, I could sit for hours reading the forums!


----------



## apenn0006

kellie7267 said:


> Our GSD came with a large bag of the TOTW High Prarie Canine Formula with Roasted Bison and Roasted Venison.


We switched ours from Purina One to TOTW Pacific Stream and have watched our dog just blossom on this food. However, his breath constantly reaks of rotten fish and he has rancid gas that can clear a room. 

I find myself drawn to Merrick. I keep coming back to this brand and think I will eventually switch him to this. My ULTIMATE goal is feeding raw but my husband has yet to see the light and we really can't afford to sustain raw feeding at this point in our financial lives. However, I really like what Merrick is promoting. Even the kibble itself looks different from the normal brown kibble you see in every food out there pretty much.


----------



## selzer

For a puppy, Chicken Soup is probably a lot better than TOTW. 

If she has a bit of diarrhea, first find out when she was last wormed, that might be an issue, next, back down on the food a little bit. Usually, the bags give you a weight range and how many cups. They want you to buy more dog food, so they make this on the high end. So back off by 1/4 cup and see if that helps. If after a day, you are still having a loosish stool -- pup is not lethargic or dehydrated, add a tablespoon of pumpkin, that can often clear it up.


----------



## kellie7267

She had two doses of dewormer already, that was the Vet's first thought. 

My first choice was to switch to the Nature's Domain, but I didn't think I had someone to go to Costco with. My mom called and asked if I wanted to go AFTER I went and bought the Chicken Soup bag. I'm thinking of returning the bag and then hitting Costco to get the Nature's Domain. 

The Vet also said to feed her at whatever the recommendation is for an 80 lb dog (she was 56 at the time) because she's going to grow. We were giving her about 4 cups. Previous owners were giving her 3 and she had diarrhea with them as well.

I need to keep a log of what days I give her the pumpkin and what her stool is the rest of that day and the next. I think the days I don't give her pumpkin she is loose, but need to keep track.


----------



## thatsrich85

So been reading a few posts in here.... Almost 12 pages and have only seen science diet mentioned like twice.... So I'm wondering if its crappy. It is what my vet recommends. But no one here seems to use it....

So the problem is we have three dogs, one 4 year old sheltie a 4 year old gsdx and a 3 month gsd. I want them all on the same brand.

Currently the 4 year olds are eating science diet ideal balance and the puppy is eating science diet puppy age breed.

Thoughts and opinions.... I want what's best for these pups and if science diet isn't at $64 a bag ill gladly switch.

Before the vet recommends SD I was using beniful for the 4 year olds.


----------



## Zookeep

You will find many different opinions here about which foods are best. However, very few people on this forum will recommend Science Diet.


----------



## thatsrich85

Well I'm willing to switch but have no idea what to... Has to be something petsmart. Canada carries.


----------



## Zookeep

I spent a lot of time researching dog foods. I never found one that I wanted at PetSmart. One thing you could do is go to www.dogfoodadvisor.com and make a list of the 5 and 4 star foods. Then see which ones are carried by PetSmart. This is at least a start.


----------



## thatsrich85

Well as far as pet food places here I have petsmart, pet valu and Costco. 

That's all I can think of.


----------



## Zookeep

Take a look at Costco's Kirkland Brand. I don't have Costcos near me, but I have heard it is a pretty good food. Some people will tell you not to buy it because it is made by Diamond, but I feed Diamond food to all four of my dogs and they are doing great on it.


----------



## thatsrich85

Ill have a look and see... I just cant imagine something costco selling is better then science diet at 64 bucks... But i guess its martketing as i havent really read ingredients.


----------



## Zookeep

Check out the link I posted for dog food adviser. Kirkland is a 4 star food. Science Diet is 2 and 1/2 stars.


----------



## Landshark

I feed all my dogs Orijen. They are all high working dogs - 3 shelties and 1 GSD. It's expensive but they get very little due to the make up of the food. I did puppy food for the first 6 months on my GSD and then switched her to this. She is VERY active and gets just 3.5 cups a day. She is 2 years old and our oldest sheltie is 9. Our GSD also gets vit C, fish oil and Vit E. Never had any problems w pano.

You will find many varied opinions on this board about what to feed... best to follow your gut. Good luck.


----------



## thatsrich85

I found a small shop here that sells orijen! But its $80. A bag.....

Acana is who orijen is made by.


----------



## thatsrich85

Ingredients in Acana pacifica grain free are almost identical as orijen. Would this be ok for my pups?


----------



## Jag

Unless your dog has an allergy, I don't see the benefit in grain free foods. I went with Innova. I was happy with the ingredients and with where it was made. Keep up with the food adviser for recalls on food. I had 2 separate vets say "feed Pro plan or Science Diet". I told them no way, and that Science Diet was total crap. I got lectures from both vets starting out "I went to vet school.. and you think that you know more than me about good dog nutrition?" I said "Yes. I can read, and I've read for hours and hours about dog foods, recalls, etc. and I picked a food that I'm comfortable with and is best for my dog". Maybe they don't have many people questioning them, which is sad. He's on the large breed puppy, and he absolutely loves it!


----------



## hoplite6

Blue Buffalo!


----------



## thatsrich85

Well we made the switch to orijen! Couldn't not its made with so many good things. sarge is now on Acana puppy large breed. And the 4 year olds are on orijen 6 fish.

Thanks for all your help!


----------



## HarleyTheGSD

Somebody has probably already posted this, but Taste Of The Wild is fantastic.


----------



## kellie7267

TOTW has given our pup diarrhea. Transitioning her to Nature's Domain and it's SOOOOOO much better!!!


----------



## newgsdmom1979

*picky eater*

I have a 18 week old gsd puppy that has suddenly become a picky eater ive tried everything from canned food to changing brands the most recent one is chicken soup for the large breed puppys soul and he still only peices we have been to the vet and everything checks out ok what can i do?


----------



## Oskar der Drachen

newgsdmom1979 said:


> I have a 18 week old gsd puppy that has suddenly become a picky eater ive tried everything from canned food to changing brands the most recent one is chicken soup for the large breed puppys soul and he still only peices we have been to the vet and everything checks out ok what can i do?
> View attachment 22337


Well, the breeder for my little man said to go back to raw if he went on a hunger strike or got picky, she had them on raw mutton for the time she had them with additions for a mixed diet. Here's a picture...










The lot of them stank of lanolin and mutton for weeks, but they loved it! Whenever Bear had a picky streak I'd get him a backstrap of mutton. I did go to a chicken & brown rice diet trying to ferret out an allergy for a month, but I did get him the occasional lump of sheep for variety. I found a wheat intolerance.

These days he went off a really good food by being picky, but I have gone to a mostly raw diet (chicken frames & livers) with the *good* kibble ground up in it. Try spitting out chicken broth soaked powder you little booger! 

Just remember he's a carnivore and give him something bloody to perk that interest in food back up again.


----------



## dbrk9

My puppy was on Large Breed Puppy Innova but then she got picky on it. So I have switched to Nutro and she loves the lamb and rice.


----------



## marshies

Orijen LBP was what I fed pup. I fed it dry, and she loved it straight until we switched to Orijen regular. I'm thinking of switching to six fish after this bag. 

Her poops are so firm that they bounce.


----------



## Occa

Hi Richard,

Three great stores in London to check out;
1) Natural Paws Bakery on Sarnia Rd 519-474-6669
2) Global pet food at Comm/ Wonderland Rd.
3) Dorchester Pet Supply 519-268-6669

All have high end foods + valuable knowledge on BARF diet


----------



## BarkVader

*Inukshuk Pro*

Has anyone tried Inukshuk Pro? They offer 3 different varieties.


----------



## blackshep

thatsrich85 said:


> Ingredients in Acana pacifica grain free are almost identical as orijen. Would this be ok for my pups?


Yes. Acana Pacifica is an 'all life stages' food. I switched my pup onto it, from Orijen LB puppy and then Orijen 6 Fish, as both were too rch and gave her the runs. She's doing much better on the Acana. The main difference is there is less meat in Acana.


----------



## PorkandBeans

Right now we have our 3 month old on Merrick Classic Puppy Food.

Should I switch her to the Merrick Classic for LB adults? I'm reading a lot about how larger breeds shouldn't bother with puppy formulas.


----------



## mandiah89

Jag said:


> Unless your dog has an allergy, I don't see the benefit in grain free foods. I went with Innova. I was happy with the ingredients and with where it was made. Keep up with the food adviser for recalls on food. I had 2 separate vets say "feed Pro plan or Science Diet". I told them no way, and that Science Diet was total crap. I got lectures from both vets starting out "I went to vet school.. and you think that you know more than me about good dog nutrition?" I said "Yes. I can read, and I've read for hours and hours about dog foods, recalls, etc. and I picked a food that I'm comfortable with and is best for my dog". Maybe they don't have many people questioning them, which is sad. He's on the large breed puppy, and he absolutely loves it!


My Vet said the same thing to me... tried to get my GSD puppy on the LB Science Diet. I told them no that I didn't like the brand and the ingredients in it. Ive done my research and have decided its not something i want to feed my dog... but i totally understand why vets do it, because they generally only sell one or two brands Science Diet always being one of them! So they want to push it as much as possible..


----------



## emy1

*Eukanuba or Royal Canin ?*

Hello guys, if u had to choose between Eukanuba or Royal canin for the puppy which one would you go for ? TY.


----------



## Szarek

What you Guys Think. Orijen or Instinct or Evo? my puppy is 9 weeks and right now he is on Eukanuba because he had diariah and the breeder recommend it so it helps with it and it actually worked but i want to switch him to high quality food.


----------



## lkellen

I've just started my 11 month old on Nutro Natural Choice Lamb & Rice for large breed puppy. I mixed it with her old food to start the switch and have her now completely on Nutro. Her stools are still very soft (and smelly!) and I've also read some not so great reviews on this choice of food. For the price of it- I think I paid a little over $50 for a 30 lb bag- is this the best I could be buying for her?


----------



## irickchad

My girl is still with the breeder, and doing really well on BB Wilderness Puppy... It has outstanding reviews, and it's grain free... so in essence I think she's eating far healthier than I do, haha.


----------



## MichelleMc

I have been doing a lot reading on dog food advisor to find the best brand in my price range. So far it looks like diamond naturals large breed puppy is the one. 4 out of 5 stars and is only 36 bucks for 40 lbs. Only diamond naturals received this rating not the regular diamond food. Its a start we'll see what he thinks about it.

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----------



## KristenMarino13

I had my 4month old on Innova but I wanted to switch but wasnt sure if I should switch to acana or orijen there both really good but I have heard so many mixed things


----------



## shawk2424

When I first checked out this forum thread for the best puppy food I about ripped my hair out because there are so many opinions. I did however do some research on my own and found a website that tells you what you should look for in dog food as far as ingredients are concerned. It helped me make my decision based on what I could afford for now. I chose Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy Food and my 13-week GSP has taken to it quite well. The link to help out is below.

The 10 Best Dog Food Choices


----------



## K9_2

I only feed my two GSDs Nutro Ultra. Has the best ingredients out of any over the counter food. Expensive but West German breeders live by it. I also feed a mix of raw diet two times a week. To keep it interesting for them. 

Stay away from any Purina, Science Diet, or any other TV brands. Too many fillers. GSDs need meat, vegetables, fruits, calcium, and oils. As long as you buy a natural food with a goodamiunt of these ingredients, your pup will grow big and strong. Hope this helps


----------



## shawk2424

K9_2 said:


> I only feed my two GSDs Nutro Ultra. Has the best ingredients out of any over the counter food. Expensive but West German breeders live by it. I also feed a mix of raw diet two times a week. To keep it interesting for them.
> 
> Stay away from any Purina, Science Diet, or any other TV brands. Too many fillers. GSDs need meat, vegetables, fruits, calcium, and oils. As long as you buy a natural food with a goodamiunt of these ingredients, your pup will grow big and strong. Hope this helps


What is the difference between Nutro and Nutro Ultra? One of my friends asked if I was using the Ultra so maybe I should look into. Is it Lamb and Rice or something different. I'm currently feeding mine the chicken, oatmeal and brown rice.


----------



## K9_2

shawk2424 said:


> What is the difference between Nutro and Nutro Ultra? One of my friends asked if I was using the Ultra so maybe I should look into. Is it Lamb and Rice or something different. I'm currently feeding mine the chicken, oatmeal and brown rice.


Ultra is a holistic food and makers top of the line food. It contains more nutrition and better ingredients. All the meats are hormone free and all natural. Everything else in it is exactly what GSD large breed puppies need! My 3mo old has been on it and loves it! She is weighing in at about 41lbs with a perfect tuck. Highly recommend this food.


----------



## skier16

I picked up my pup today and I will be feeding her Fromm LBPG. I mixed about 25% Fromm with 75% of the Eukanuba large breed lamb and rice the breeder had her on. She picked out all the Fromm so at the least it passed the taste test.


----------



## Galathiel

Dogs are obligate carnivores and don't need vegetables and fruits. They can HAVE them if they like them, but it isn't necessary. I would try to pick a food that didn't have so many grains listed high on the ingredient list. I try to look for a food that has at least the first 3 ingredients as an animal protein. More if you can find it (not always available if you are buying locally however).


----------



## Ken Clean-Air System

Actually, though they do (by far) best on a meat based diet, dogs are *not* obligate carnivores. Cats are, ferrets are, most of the other relatives in the feline and must mustelidae families are, among other animals ... the canine family are omnivores and opportunistic carnivores, not obligate.


----------



## Galathiel

*Myth: DOGS ARE OMNIVORES.*

This is false. Dogs are carnivores, not omnivores. Dogs ARE very adaptable, but just because they can survive on an omnivorous diet does not mean it is the best diet for them. The assumption that dogs are natural omnivores remains to be proven, whereas the truth about dogs being natural carnivores is very well-supported by the evidence available to us.


----------



## Ken Clean-Air System

Dogs do not need meat to survive (though they do best on it) like cats and other animals do, thus they are not obligate carnivores.


----------



## Zookeep

Galathiel said:


> *Myth: DOGS ARE OMNIVORES.*
> 
> This is false. Dogs are carnivores, not omnivores. Dogs ARE very adaptable, but just because they can survive on an omnivorous diet does not mean it is the best diet for them. The assumption that dogs are natural omnivores remains to be proven, whereas the truth about dogs being natural carnivores is very well-supported by the evidence available to us.


Have you read the recent scientific study on the genetic differences between wolves and dogs relating to digestion of carbohydrates? Through evolution, dogs have evolved a better ability to digest carbohydrates than wolves.


----------



## shawk2424

K9_2 said:


> Ultra is a holistic food and makers top of the line food. It contains more nutrition and better ingredients. All the meats are hormone free and all natural. Everything else in it is exactly what GSD large breed puppies need! My 3mo old has been on it and loves it! She is weighing in at about 41lbs with a perfect tuck. Highly recommend this food.


Do you suggest a certain kind? I might try it when he finishes the bag of Nutro he's on. How much do you feed your puppy a day? I have been giving mine 4 cups a day and he seems a little to skinny in the back end. I'm wondering if I'm feeding him enough.


----------



## eileen-b

My 4 month old puppy has been having difficulty digesting her food well. She was started out on Purina Puppy Chow by the breeder, but we have been trying to switch her over to Natures Choice Puppy Food. We had to put her on a bland diet of rice and chicken, and have been mixing in the Nature's Choice. However, the more we increase the Natures Choice, the looser her stools have become. So we still have her on the combination rice/chicken/Natures Choice (it's been 2 weeks now). I'm wondering if I should switch her dog food again, or wait to see if she improves?


----------



## shawk2424

eileen-b said:


> My 4 month old puppy has been having difficulty digesting her food well. She was started out on Purina Puppy Chow by the breeder, but we have been trying to switch her over to Natures Choice Puppy Food. We had to put her on a bland diet of rice and chicken, and have been mixing in the Nature's Choice. However, the more we increase the Natures Choice, the looser her stools have become. So we still have her on the combination rice/chicken/Natures Choice (it's been 2 weeks now). I'm wondering if I should switch her dog food again, or wait to see if she improves?


Since Shepherd pups have sensitive stomachs and are prone to having loose stool when changing food I would wait. I have changed food several times and it took about a week for my pup to have solid poops from the change. It could also be treats that you are giving her as well. I personally give it a week after you have completely changed over to the new food before looking at other possibilities. If nothing changes than I would consult your vet because other could be an underlying issue. Hopefully it's just the food.


----------



## shawk2424

I forgot to ask if your pup had these issues with the puppy chow. If not then maybe you could try giving to her again if you still have some left to see. I have had great results changing my 4 month old to Taste of The Wild puppy formula.


----------



## eileen-b

Thank you for your input. It makes perfect sense not to switch to a new food for her just yet. It's nice to be reassured. Yes, she did have the problem with the Purina Puppy Chow so I will not be feeding it to her again.


----------



## shawk2424

Well my 4 month old has loose stool from time to time and I can never figure out why. He is healthy and active so I pay no attention to it. It is cause for concern if it's happening all the time though. Has your pup ever had so solid stool or has it always been like diarrhea? You could always talk to the breeder and see what's up.


----------



## lowey2013

*Applaws Food*

Has anyone used this Applaws No Cereal Complete Dry Large Breed Puppy Food - Applaws No Cereal Complete Dry Large Breed Puppy Food 2kg Chicken. | Pets at Home

Whats your opinions on it?

Ingredients:

Chicken 67% (from Dried Chicken), Chicken Mince 8% Potato Starch 7%, Peas 6% (from Dried Peas), Poultry Oil 3% (Source of Omega 6), Beet Pulp, Poultry Gravy, Whole Egg (from Dried Egg), Cellulose Plant Fibre, Minerals, Salmon Oil (source of Omega 3 and EPA and DHA) Vitamins, Tomato (from Dried Tomato), Carrot (from Dried Carrot), Chicory Extract (F.O.S), Alfalfa Meal, Seaweed/Kelp, Yeast Extract (Purified Beta Glucan min 0.1%), Glucosamine, Methylsulfonylmethane, Chondroitin, Peppermint, Paprika Meal, Turmeric, Thyme Extract, Citrus Extract, Taurine 1000 mg/kg, Yucca Extract, Cranberry, Fennel Extract, Carob Extract, Ginger, Rosehip Extract, Dandelion Extract, Rosemary Oil Extract, Oregano, Probiotic: Contains E1705 Enterococcus faecium cernelle 68 (SF68: NCIMB 10415) 1,000,000 cfu/kg as an aid in the establishment, maintenance and restoration of a balanced gut flora in puppies.

Additives: 

Protein 38%, Crude Oils and Fats 20%, Crude Fibres 4.5%, Crude Ash 8%, Calcium 1.34%, Phosphorous 1.31%, Carbohydrates<21.5%. No added artificial colourants, flavourings or preservatives


----------



## Ruff

Has anyone found much success with Natural Choice dry, large breed puppy food?


----------



## pandactivity

We are feeding Kaiju Taste Of the wild - High prarie puppy which is Roasted Venison & Bison-

and we feed my husky Trillion, Taste Of the wild - pacsifc stream which as you may have guessed is Salmon.


----------



## AussieLady

oh man now I'm so confused....Lady is a picky eater...that is, she grazes rather than sits and eats a meal...so right now I'm just trying to find something she eats. I thought I had it with Earthborn Holistic primitive but now I'm reading that this might be too high in Calcium?! (website says 1.5% and 1.0% Phosphorus)....she does nibble a bit on Pro Plan Large Breed puppy so should I just mix the two? She seems to love Earthborn but will still only graze on it and not sit and eat...help. I live in Australia and our local shop has Earthborn puppy...should I move her to that? I want her to eat as proper a diet as possible....


----------



## Chief2

*American Naturals Premium*

American Naturals Premium. Started feeding our puppy this the other day... Made in Wisconsin.. Thoughts?


----------



## ttrelfa3

Rachel_K said:


> What is the most highly recommended dry puppy food?


From my research a better question is what is the worst rated or best ingredients. Everyone has a different opinion on food so cant say there is a best rated, just a preference on brand and ingredients. 

When I get my pup in late September, I am going to feed him(once I ween off the breeders food), Simply Nourish. Which is suppose to be Petsmart's version of blue buffalo. Its ingredients are pretty good and is $10. Cheaper then Blue. I also cant afford wellness the few other top "Name". 

That's just my opinion on all of the food questions.


----------



## bonq0430

is orijen large breed puppy a good dog food ??


----------



## Chance88

bonq0430 said:


> is orijen large breed puppy a good dog food ??


Based on my research and the obvious preference displayed by my GSD, Orijen is the absolute best food I've found. Chance is five months old and the differences I've noted in his development are far different than my last GSD, whom was on a different food.

I've made it a point to stick to completely grain free foods that are high in protein and have the correct ratio of fat, but the quality I've seen in Orijen has far surpassed other foods I've used. The bags are vacuum packed and after I first read through the ingredients, I was tempted to try it myself (just kidding, but I was impressed).

It's not by any means an inexpensive food and it's appears to have limited availability, as there's only one store locally that carries it.


----------



## Landshark

I liked Orijen until I had a dog where the protein content was too high for my dog.. Made him very sick. So no longer an Orijen user. Good luck.


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## shugarhey

My 4 month old has been on BB large breed puppy. I have just started noticing a lot of itching and soft stools.... not runny though. Other than that it seems to work fine. He's growing good and has a beautiful shiny coat... My question is would it be better to switch brands or stick to BB and try the grain free version first? 

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## dolphins.kb

My GSD is on Orijen and he loves it. I also have a lab, chihuahua and a small mix and they are all on the adult breed Orijen. I notice their coats are smoother and shinier also. They also fart less, which is great at bed time.


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## Maxx

Acana is by the same company but has less protein. 

I like grain free foods and ones made in Canada but without byproducts. After my research, I included there's few good choices. But, I would probably say that it's worth considering unless something changes.


----------



## EKSONi

Can someone tell me if Blue Buffalo is better or is Royal Canine a better choice?


----------



## KXB

I have a. 10 month old GSD named Sadie. She's 50 lbs right now and I'm a little worried about her diet. She's on BB large breed puppy right now and I'm not happy with it. She is 10lbs underweight for her frame, her hips/spine/ribs show more than if like, her stool is like cow patties, and her coat is not very shiny and she sheds a lot. I have upped her food intake to 2.5 cups twice a day which just makes a much bigger mess in the yard without any additional weight gains. Had her blood tested for EPA and SIBO-negative. No hip displaysia. She's is a very happy puppy, plays ball all day long, and not a picky eater. Anyone have experience similar to this? Advice on possible issues, food options, enzyme or supplement ideas?


----------



## Jd414

KXB said:


> I have a. 10 month old GSD named Sadie. She's 50 lbs right now and I'm a little worried about her diet. She's on BB large breed puppy right now and I'm not happy with it. She is 10lbs underweight for her frame, her hips/spine/ribs show more than if like, her stool is like cow patties, and her coat is not very shiny and she sheds a lot. I have upped her food intake to 2.5 cups twice a day which just makes a much bigger mess in the yard without any additional weight gains. Had her blood tested for EPA and SIBO-negative. No hip displaysia. She's is a very happy puppy, plays ball all day long, and not a picky eater. Anyone have experience similar to this? Advice on possible issues, food options, enzyme or supplement ideas?


Try earthborne puppy vantage my 4 month old female is on it and does great. She is currently 41lbs.

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----------



## RedIndae

I'm an Orijen user myself. My 7 month pup is on it and is doing amazingly (Large Puppy Breed)! Better than Royal Canin for us.


----------



## Samson0809

My pup is 5 months old, and i have been feeding him Eukanuba Large Breed dry food in the morning and a mix of chicken mince, brown rice, lentils, barley, vegetables etc - the breeder recommended this, and he seems to love it, but the more reading i do the more i am uncertain i should be feeding him this wet food? any suggestions ? would appreciate some advice, thanks !


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## artemisnhounds

My five month old pup eats taste of the wild dry food and I mix it with thrive from honest kitchen. It's a bit pricey but if you order a large order from wag.com your first order you can get 20 percent off. Right now he is almost 40lbs and eats 3 cups a day in total.


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## Eiros

We feed raw and solid gold barking at the moon, plus supplements like egg, pumpkin, kelp, probiotic, fish and vitamin e oils. 

He was on taste of the wild which was good too, but he was becoming underweight so instead of increasing his intake, I switched to higher calorie food. 


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## Cpd494

I used Royal canine since the breeder used it and my dog didn't eat it very well. I then switch to Blue Buffalo they seemed to eat it but noticed a lot of gas and runny stool. I then switched to Fromme and love it so far they do also. I was going to Orijen but with all the pets we have it's a bit pricey. I love my pets and will buy the best I can but 80 bucks a bag?


----------



## SchatzeDog

Any thoughts on Earthborn Puppy versus Earthborn Meadowfeast for my 4 month old puppy? I have been feeding her Earthborn Meadowfeast and she loves it. However, I went to the vet today and she suggested that I switch to the puppy version. From what I read, the Meadowfeast seemed to have an appropriate calcium to phosphorus level. I had opted against the puppy one because it did not specify large breed versus small breed.

Thoughts?

Thanks!


----------



## AJmom

I just got my puppy a week ago. I had his first vet check Wednesday. My vet said that she actually prefers to have large breed puppies on regular adult food if the calcium /phoshorus levels are right. I am planning on slowly changing my puppy to Victor during the coming week. He is on Purina puppy from the breeder and I don't like Purina at all.


----------



## jrod15

Jax is about 3.5 months and I've been using BB for a while now first the regular one puppy with life source bits and I noticed he itched a lot and would have runny eyes and bad gas. He also had some loose stool but not too bad . I just switched to the wilderness large breed grain free . He seems to like it so far but it's too soon to tell . Anyone else having same problem. Is orijen really good?


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----------



## Katos_Mom

jrod15 said:


> Jax is about 3.5 months and I've been using BB for a while now first the regular one puppy with life source bits and I noticed he itched a lot and would have runny eyes and bad gas. He also had some loose stool but not too bad . I just switched to the wilderness large breed grain free . He seems to like it so far but it's too soon to tell . Anyone else having same problem. Is orijen really good?


 
I'm also, well Kato is, having issues with BB it seems. He seems like he always has runny, pudding poops.  I'm thinking it's time to try something else. He is almost 4 months old and there has not been any consistently formed poops.  My vet is also going to test his stool for parasites.


----------



## owens91

i use IAMS puppy formula dry food for puppies, it seems to be doing well Ares has got a bit bigger since i got her, when i got her dewormed she was 5.3 pounds


----------



## TjsShepherds

Check out dogfoodanalysis .com they list every dog food and give them a rating one star being worst and six stars best. I think Instinct and Innova Evo are the best of best but comes with a hefty $ tag. I feed Chicken Soup for puppy lovers soul and Taste of the Wild.


----------



## timmers81

I need some input please. I am a first time dog owner. I have a black purebred german shepherd. His name is hawk. Hawk is 10 months old and weighs 85 pounds. Vet thinks he will be between 100-110 pounds. Hawk has a sensitive stomach. We were feeding him Fromm large breed puppy formula for the last 7-8 months. The daily recommended feelings on bag went from 6/day to 4/day. I called fromm and they said they put more protein in it. The problem is hawk has had diarrhea since we got this new bag. Our vet and a few other people said we should change foods. 2 questions I have are, can anyone recommend a good puppy food for sensitive stomachs? Second question is when should we should hawk to adult food. I have read numerous mixed things on this and even a couple of vets I asked gave different answers. Hawk goes to daycare and the lady there said its time to switch food brands and to adult cause the fromm large breed puppy is too rich for him. Last question is how much protein should be in his food. Fromm was 28% and daycare lady said no more than 21%. Does this sound about right. Thanks


----------



## TjsShepherds

The more Protien the better IMO. All the best dog foods out there are high in meat content. What do the vets do when a dog comes in with allergies or skin irritations, put it on a diet with higher meat content. Snow dogs in alaska fed all fish, Dogs are Carnivores evolved from wolves and thrive on meat IMO.


----------



## tatman35753

Im new to this site...my breeder was feeding premium edge...well cant get it around buffalo so i went with wellness ...and riley has loose stools one day the next solid....i never give any peopl food he dont beg so i just go with that any help would be great oh...and really gasey!!!


----------



## DellaWrangler

After doing a ton of research and trying a couple of different things, I figured I'd post our updated menu, in case anyone finds it useful. (6 month old female)

1) Main kibble -- Orijen large breed puppy; Most stores don't carry it, so you'll have to shop online. Do lots of price comparison -- different sites = different prices
2) Freshpet Select chicken or beef -- half a slice in the morning and half a slice at night -- they sell it at WallMart and Target in logs (in the refrigerator section). Good ingredients and makes the kibble more palatable
3) Wellness Core Grainfree Salmon, Whitefish and Herring Canned -- every other day -- half a can in the morning/half a can at night on top of kibble (alternate with #2 above)
4) Coconut oil -- half a teaspoon per day, mixed in with kibble -- good for coat, metabolism and anti-oxidant
5) Plain yogurt/cottage cheese -- about a tablespoon mixed in with all of the above; good natural source of calcium and probiotics
6) Egg -- cooked, mixed in with food once a week (don't want to overdo it, because of the cholesterol issue)
7) Homemade (ex. ground beef/chicken/turkey + brown rice + veggies) -- special weekend meal. Plenty of good recipies on line. Keeps the pup from getting bored with their food. Nobody likes eating the same thing all the time 
8) If stools are looking a little runny -- canned pumpkin (no additives); a table spoon or so, mixed in with kibble


----------



## cdweller98

*Orijen*

I have done a lot of research and aside from possibly raw feeding I do believe Orijen is the best. I have had my GSD on it since we brought him home at 8 weeks. He does not shed, that is right I said he does not shed. Now I do not know if this will change but he is now 6 months old and still not shedding. This is amazing to me as he is the 5th GSD we have had and I spent a lot of time chasing hair tumbleweeds. His stools are healthy not hard and not runny. It is not cheap but I am think it is worth it. I switch back between the 3 types they have... I also give him meaty bones a couple times a week. I purchase femur and knuckle bones along with other types of bones that we get where we buy our meat. It is true that it is hard to find and in some places may need to be bought online. 
Just my OP.


----------



## mcdanfam

cdweller98 said:


> I have done a lot of research and aside from possibly raw feeding I do believe Orijen is the best. I have had my GSD on it since we brought him home at 8 weeks. He does not shed, that is right I said he does not shed. Now I do not know if this will change but he is now 6 months old and still not shedding. This is amazing to me as he is the 5th GSD we have had and I spent a lot of time chasing hair tumbleweeds. His stools are healthy not hard and not runny. It is not cheap but I am think it is worth it. I switch back between the 3 types they have... I also give him meaty bones a couple times a week. I purchase femur and knuckle bones along with other types of bones that we get where we buy our meat. It is true that it is hard to find and in some places may need to be bought online.
> Just my OP.



This is what we feed our two....they barely shed...when Millie came into heat she shed a lot but from reading it seems that is hormonal not food 
We have people asking us what we put on our dogs coats...the food gives them such a deep shiny coat...we love the food...they love the food...not cheap but so worth it. 


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----------



## cdweller98

mcdanfam said:


> This is what we feed our two....they barely shed...when Millie came into heat she shed a lot but from reading it seems that is hormonal not food
> We have people asking us what we put on our dogs coats...the food gives them such a deep shiny coat...we love the food...they love the food...not cheap but so worth it.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Agreed!!


----------



## cdweller98

cdweller98 said:


> I have done a lot of research and aside from possibly raw feeding I do believe Orijen is the best. I have had my GSD on it since we brought him home at 8 weeks. He does not shed, that is right I said he does not shed. Now I do not know if this will change but he is now 6 months old and still not shedding. This is amazing to me as he is the 5th GSD we have had and I spent a lot of time chasing hair tumbleweeds. His stools are healthy not hard and not runny. It is not cheap but I am think it is worth it. I switch back between the 3 types they have... I also give him meaty bones a couple times a week. I purchase femur and knuckle bones along with other types of bones that we get where we buy our meat. It is true that it is hard to find and in some places may need to be bought online.
> Just my OP.


Please ignore my errors, I did not proof my post...


----------



## GSDAlphaMom

cdweller98 said:


> He does not shed, that is right I said he does not shed. Now I do not know if this will change but he is now 6 months old and still not shedding. This is amazing to me as he is the 5th GSD we have had and I spent a lot of time chasing hair tumbleweeds. Just my OP.


He doesn't shed because he is a puppy. He is just not getting his coat. He will start the normal 2x year coat blow next year. Enjoy this year!


----------



## kr16

GSDAlphaMom said:


> He doesn't shed because he is a puppy. He is just not getting his coat. He will start the normal 2x year coat blow next year. Enjoy this year!



So true, I was going to post the same thing. Its coming real soon, get the vacuum ready


----------



## cdweller98

kr16 said:


> So true, I was going to post the same thing. Its coming real soon, get the vacuum ready


This is the 5th GSD I have owned and I have never had any of them not shed regularly not just when blowing the coat twice a year. He is almost 7 months and is not shedding. I realize he is a pup and this may change but all my others shed once they were about 4 months on.
I would also have to say that all 5 of my GSD's shed differently. So I would have to assume that the breed lines have something to do with the amount of shedding as well.


----------



## cdweller98

GSDAlphaMom said:


> He doesn't shed because he is a puppy. He is just not getting his coat. He will start the normal 2x year coat blow next year. Enjoy this year!


I am not just speaking of the 2 times a year, this is our 5th GSD and they all shed all year round besides blowing their coat. And were already shedding at this age. Also when speaking to the breeder his siblings shed as I was curious about this I had to ask. Have you fed this food and still had shedding?


----------



## Canderson061

*Puppy Food*

I'm pretty new to the site but have already learned tons. After doing research and based off many recommendations, I switched my 4 month old from BB wilderness puppy to canidea. I was going to go with the All Life Stages but was concerned that it wasn't grain free until I found the puppy kibble. This is new and made for puppy's and comes grain free. Atlas seems to like it , (picky eater), but I still need to sometimes add a little excitement like a bit of broth or some pieces of grain free Vital soft dog food. His energy is up and stools are solid. Stick this for a while. Thanks.


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## My2shepherds

Hello,

I am new to the site also and I apologize if this goes off subject of this post but I have not figured out how to begin a new post. 

I have 2 gsd pups, Athena is 18 weeks and a piece eater that I can leave food for all day and Eden who is 12 weeks old and that empties her bowl within minutes of feeding. Both of my girls appear to be a healthy weight 54 pounds and 32 pounds respectively (they both came from rather large mothers). Any ideas on how to curb Eden's obsession for an empty bowl? They are currently fed separately so I do not believe this is due to a dominance issue.... 

I appreciate any suggestions...


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## FritskaVO

I currently have my 14week old pup on taste of the wild. She loves it but the price is a little high is there any recommendations for another brand thats good for GSD pups that might be a little bit better priced


----------



## pupperdoodle

FritskaVO said:


> I currently have my 14week old pup on taste of the wild. She loves it but the price is a little high is there any recommendations for another brand thats good for GSD pups that might be a little bit better priced


Hello! If you have any feed stores around you, Infinia is a very good brand of dog food according to the dog food advisor website. It gets a five star, while taste of the wild is a 4.5 star food. Its about $25 for a 15 lb bag where I live, while taste of the wild is around $30. Infinia doesn't carry a puppy line, but they do offer two all life stages lines, which are supposed to be fine for puppies. Turkey and sweet potatoes is what I've had my guy on, in rotation with Evo. He absolutely loves both foods! You can only find Infinia in certain stores, mostly feed stores. They are made by Purina mills, not the same Purina that makes Purina one and all those other brands. Purina mills is a completely separate company that mainly produces feeds for farm animals, which is why Infinia is not found in companion pet stores. I have also heard good things about 4health, but have never tried it. I did price it at my local TSC and it was around $20 for a 15? Lb bag. I THINK it was a 15 lb bag anyway. Good luck!


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## Lwilley

Be careful of feeding your pup Taste of the Wild as the puppy formula is not made for large breeds. We had our pup on it as it was recommended by vet but we did not notice it was not for large breeds. At 6 months she developed "growing pains" and we had to switch her to adult food. 

Whatever food choice you decide, just make sure it is for large breeds so they do not grow to fast and develop pano.


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## HappysMom

Any input on Purinas new True instincts? Looking for a good puppy food to start my new puppy On as well Happys been on Purinas lamb and rice forever but she's starting to be very picky. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## kr16

Watch the video below its great. Not to hard to become pretty good at this. Learn about the companies as well.

The food is bad as far as ingredients go. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kVgWoSlUNs

Turkey, corn gluten meal, soy flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), poultry by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), whole wheat, whole corn, soybean meal, brewers rice, corn germ meal, venison, glycerin, oat meal, animal digest, calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, salt, potassium chloride, caramel color, Vitamin E supplement, sulfur, zinc sulfate, choline chloride, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.


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## Canderson061

*Taste of the wild.*



Lwilley said:


> Be careful of feeding your pup Taste of the Wild as the puppy formula is not made for large breeds. We had our pup on it as it was recommended by vet but we did not notice it was not for large breeds. At 6 months she developed "growing pains" and we had to switch her to adult food.
> 
> Whatever food choice you decide, just make sure it is for large breeds so they do not grow to fast and develop pano.


I quite this food for two reasons. Could not locate where ingredients came from and my dog developed skin allergies.


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## Canderson061

*Update on dog food*

I originally started with taste of the wild but the pup didn't like it, developed skin allergies, and I couldn't pin down where the ingredients came from. This was at 8 weeks to about 16 weeks. I switched to canidea based off many recommendations from this site and the results are great. Here's where it gets tricky. I also thought I had a picky eater, but wonder if I created one. Because of him not likening the prior food, when I switched I also started to add a few table spoons of the canned canidea to the hard kibble. He absolutely loves it. But when it's not in there he kind of turns his nose up. Did I creat a picky eater or just spoiled? Anyways I love this food. All made in Texas. I add happy jacks tonekote for his allergies and dry skin. Things couldn't be better. My two cents. He's 6 months now. Almost 60 pounds


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## Chopper932

Research has shown that large breed puppy food is lower in calcium than large breed adult and in fact that pretty much holds true to all adult and puppy foods out on the market !


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## Debanneball

When I first got Fritz, I had planned on puppy Blue Wilderness, but it had too much protein, my vet told me Royal Canin GSD or Maxx, so that is what I did.


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## tlcdi

river song


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## rocnrobins

*puppy food*

we have a 14 month female & were feeding her royal caninin gsd puppy, that's what the breeder started her on, we then started her on royal canin adult gsd & she developed allergies (ears, etc) vet put her on prednisone & an ear ointment & she doing better. she said the problem was the pork in the GSD adult.
any hints what to feed her, she will be 18 months in January 2015
thanks


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## Rider

What does everyone think about Victor? They have been in business for many years, and have never been subject to a recall. They have several grain free options, and their foods are made from NON GMO sources in the USA. Here is what I have for my pup. Does this look ok to everyone? This food received 5 stars on the dog food advisor website. 

http://www.victordogfood.com/all_life.html


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## Drewbacca

i just started transitioning my 4 month old from science diet large breed puppy to canidae grain free pure land, based on the info and recommendations that i got from this entire thread. she has been itchy from the day i got her, had no idea why. thought it was just her growing or the cheap food (diamond) she was on. her vet appt on monday, brought to light what it could be. either a skin infection or a food allergy. put her on antibiotics and anti itch meds, but she doesn't seem to get any relief. so i switched her to a grain free food, considering it's more of a narrow base of elimination. if the itching stops, then it was either A) a skin infection, but now on a better food or B) not a skin infection, and a food allergy to a not good food, but now on a better food. regardless, she'll be on a much better food. thoughts?

btw, the canidae is an adult food, not puppy. based on what i've read on here so far, puppies don't need to be on a puppy food.


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## GSDKIMBER

Hi I'm a new puppy owner and was looking for opinions on how im feeding my 6.5 month female GSD weighing 54lbs. I feed her a cup of acana duck and pear and a couple scoops of green tripe (Tripett) in the morning. Throughout the day she usually chews on raw knuckle bones and bully sticks. Then in evening she will eat another cup of acana with scoops of tripe. Her coat is shiny, breath is fine and she is in good shape. Any opinions?


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## GSDKIMBER

Has anyone tried Acana lamb and apple?


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## ViciousXUSMC

I want to go raw but being puppies have special nutritional needs think Ill go premium kibble for the first year or so.

Right now my sites are on Orijen large breed puppy, in experience of others how long would one of the larger 28lbs pound bags last. (about how much to feed a puppy each day?)


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## GSDKIMBER

Hello. Kimber my 7 month old female is currently eating Acana duck and pear im getting to the end of the bag and im not sure what to get her next. I can tell she is getting bored with it.I have tried the lamb and apple but she didn't like it. I know they have another life stage food I believe called pacifica which is fish but sometimes she doesn't like fish . So my question is does acana only have 3 life stage foods or can i start giving her some of the other Acanas? Any recommendations?


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## SuperG

It's great to see the emphasis so many put on the diet for their pups....

SuperG


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## Titus ragnar

my 9 1/2 week old is on diamond large breed ppuppy he is almost 29lbs he as huge feet and legs and iis tall wiith abig head i hope this is a good choice of food


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## Titus ragnar

oh yeah Titus is on diamond natural .no corn .wheat or soy


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## OkieDog

After reading many comments on this thread and others, I decided to give Orijen a try. Previously, I had been feeding Royal Canin and Science Diet (as recommended by my vet.) Finn was rather "meh" about mealtimes when served either one of those.

The ingredients were questionable on the above foods, so I took the Oirjen suggestion. The ingredients list is awesome, and it even smells like real food! Finn loves it! 

It's a little pricier than the RC or SD, but not much. I would rather pay a little more for good food than a lot for stuff that isn't any better than box store brands.


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## bwell

I am trying out Petbrosia Petbrosia - Pet Food Delivery - Best Natural Dry Dog And Cat Food

They offer custom pet food which I think is so cool! I'm going to start a thread and document how it goes. I've never seen anything like it before.

I found a coupon for 75% and free shipping: BARKBARK

I'm not sure if it still works, but I got a great deal on my first box.

My pup will only be on the best, I really wanted a diet free of corn, wheat, soy and gluten.


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## Bhagyaa GSD

*Nice one*

thanks now i got the idea to how to train the GSD puppy 

Shareit for pc


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## Saphir

My breeder told me to try Pro Pac Puppy Performance. Anyone tried this puppy food yet?


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## XmikeX

Hello everyone, in a couple weeks I'll be picking up my 8 week old puppy and have been doing a lot of research on what food to get him. 

I have narrowed it down to innova large breed puppy, nutro large breed puppy, possibly blue buffalo or totw large breed puppy. It seems like a general agreement that all of those are good brands.

My question is it's going to just be me and my wife and I am in the military so our finances are going to be low until my wife finds a job at our post. What are good quality foods that don't cost an arm and a leg. I can't afford to pay $70 bucks for a bag of dog food. I want my little guy to have the best he can get so he grows up healthy. I might bite the bullet and go with innova which seems to be the least expensive of these foods. 

Also would Costco grain free dog food be a good choice for him when we switch him to adult dog food?


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## Furieus

Hello.. I have a 4.5 month old male gsd. We started him on nutro max large breed but it seems like he got bored of it. We slowly moved him to blue buffalo rocky mount recipe for puppies. The issue is its not large breed and I know after 6 months of age they can have growing issues if not on a large breed or adult formula. I also came across the whole blue buffalo lawsuit from purina about how they lied about their ingrediants and how they get some of their ingrediants from china. So I was looking for something else..

I came across this website http://www.reviews.com/dog-food/ and decided I might go with orijen LB puppy. Anyone have positive experience with this?


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## Apoolutz

Gunner did awesome on it, he ate one bag puppy then I put him on the regional red, he'll be two this October and he still eats that plus I rotate with Farmina.


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## Mappie Cleed

*Orijen Puppy Food*

I am having success with Orijen puppy formula. By no means is it cheap, but my pup loves it and he is growing, according to the vet, at the right pace.


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## kimmiann99

Has anyone tried New Fresh large breed puppy


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## jpb1972

*Blue to Fromm*

I transitioned my, now 4 mth. old, GS puppy from BB Wilderness to Fromm Large Breed Puppy Gold. I was uneasy about all the negatives floating around about Blue (recalls,lawsuits,etc.). Also was not too keen on the high protein content of the Blue. 
The puppy ate both and seems to be doing well on the Fromm.
Does anyone else Feed the Fromm Large Breed Puppy Gold? Just looking for some feedback.


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## amburger16

jpb1972 said:


> I transitioned my, now 4 mth. old, GS puppy from BB Wilderness to Fromm Large Breed Puppy Gold. I was uneasy about all the negatives floating around about Blue (recalls,lawsuits,etc.). Also was not too keen on the high protein content of the Blue.
> The puppy ate both and seems to be doing well on the Fromm.
> Does anyone else Feed the Fromm Large Breed Puppy Gold? Just looking for some feedback.


Kibble did not agree with Bear, but the closest he came to normal stool was on Fromm Prairie Gold LBP. Noticeable change in energy as well as coat when I switched him to it. 

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk


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## jpb1972

amburger16 said:


> Kibble did not agree with Bear, but the closest he came to normal stool was on Fromm Prairie Gold LBP. Noticeable change in energy as well as coat when I switched him to it.
> 
> Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk


Good to hear! That fact that Fromm makes their own food and is family owned gives me great comfort in feeding it to my dogs. Not to mention the quality of ingredients. (my adult Rottie is also fed Fromm (4 star), which is what the puppy will be fed once she matures)


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## ausdland

amburger16 said:


> Kibble did not agree with Bear, but the closest he came to normal stool was on Fromm Prairie Gold LBP. Noticeable change in energy as well as coat when I switched him to it.
> 
> Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk


jpb1972	
Blue to Fromm
I transitioned my, now 4 mth. old, GS puppy from BB Wilderness to Fromm Large Breed Puppy Gold. I was uneasy about all the negatives floating around about Blue (recalls,lawsuits,etc.). Also was not too keen on the high protein content of the Blue. 
The puppy ate both and seems to be doing well on the Fromm.
Does anyone else Feed the Fromm Large Breed Puppy Gold? Just looking for some feedback.

How were your puppies' stools after transiting to Fromm LBP? Did you stay with it?
I've been transitioning from Royal Canin medium breed puppy to Fromm LBP for the past ~2 weeks adding a little rice and pumpkin. My pup's morning stools are fine but runny and soft in the afternoon/evening; she likes to eat her soft stools but leaves the firm ones alone.  During that 2 weeks, she had diarrhea for 2 days because she ingested Eimeria cysts but that's passed. I hate to put her back on RC med puppy but she did have firm/dark stools on that food which is why the breeder feeds it.


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## BauerWhite

ausdland said:


> jpb1972
> Blue to Fromm
> I transitioned my, now 4 mth. old, GS puppy from BB Wilderness to Fromm Large Breed Puppy Gold. I was uneasy about all the negatives floating around about Blue (recalls,lawsuits,etc.). Also was not too keen on the high protein content of the Blue.
> The puppy ate both and seems to be doing well on the Fromm.
> Does anyone else Feed the Fromm Large Breed Puppy Gold? Just looking for some feedback.
> 
> How were your puppies' stools after transiting to Fromm LBP? Did you stay with it?
> I've been transitioning from Royal Canin medium breed puppy to Fromm LBP for the past ~2 weeks adding a little rice and pumpkin. My pup's morning stools are fine but runny and soft in the afternoon/evening; she likes to eat her soft stools but leaves the firm ones alone.  During that 2 weeks, she had diarrhea for 2 days because she ingested Eimeria cysts but that's passed. I hate to put her back on RC med puppy but she did have firm/dark stools on that food which is why the breeder feeds it.


I had been giving my puppy Orijin Large Breed Puppy. I would estimate that about 1 out of 6 poops was not solid. 4 out of 6 were quite solid. And 1 out of 6 was solidish.

I've been transitioning him to Fromm Large Breed Puppy and I've noticed an improvement. There is still some small diarrhea piles, but much less than before. I'm down to about 1/2 a cup of orijin and about 1.5 cups of Fromm (three times per day). I'll cut out the Orijin completely soon and hopefully then he'll have 100% solid poops. But again, I noticed an improvement right away.

The person at the pet store suggested that the Orijin might be too high in fiber (Fromm has about 1/2 the fiber). 

My puppy is growing a lot now, and he was getting too skinny with 4 cups per day (you could see like 6 or 7 ribs when he was standing... but he's a short coat white).... so now I'm up to about 6 cups per day in total which will hopefully help. He's just over 5 months old, and I think this month we're seeing a huge growth spurt.


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## alyspy

I fed Leo (13 week old GSD) Fromm LBP Gold and it was an absolute disaster. I had him on it for two weeks, then started mixing it with chicken and rice and hoping the diarrhea would stop, when it didn't, I took him off Fromm and fed him chicken and rice for a few days and his stool returned to normal, then added a few spoonfuls of Fromm just to see what would happen, when I saw his stool getting soft again I stopped it altogether...I'm now going to try Wellness Core Grain Free Puppy Food, wish me luck!


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## Mpn8jxs

*Advice and items*

Hello,

I will be getting a Gsd puppy in a few months. I have used raw food and TOTW before. I would like to use a dry food most of the time and supplement with raw food diet. Can any one recommend a dry dog food that is a reasonably price with good nutritional value,and what raw foods to fed the fog? For example, chicken Brest only no bone. 

Also, anyone have any *DVDs*, books, toys,create, or anything they want to recommend; if possible gift to me? Thank you all for you time and advice.[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE]


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## joeinca

FWIW.. I researched this topic quite a bit. In the end I decided to go with Fromm gold LBP. My pup loves it and she's doing quite well on it.


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## RZZNSTR

I did a lot of reading on food for the pup. I made the decision that I'd get him on Orijen Large Puppy. I was talking with the Breeder who is very cool I might add and she said he's eating Orijen Large Puppy and supplementing it with raw (chicken necks, beef organs with green tripe). Sounds delish! 
So Valor (at 12 weeks) is currently eating Orijen Large Puppy and I'm going to re-introduce some raw into his diet and back down his kibble intake. Currently 26 lbs and getting a cup and 1/4 twice a day and supplementing it with baby carrots for a treat!


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## gsdlover88AC

*Acana*

Hey guys I am looking at getting Acana for my puppy but the only place I can buy it is Chewy.com I am not seeing on chewy for a "large breed puppy" formula. Is there a formula you guys recommend? Any help would be wonderful I need to switch her off her other food.


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## Momto2GSDs

It's "sister food" Orijen has a large breed puppy on Chewy: Orijen Puppy Large Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 28.6-lb bag

You can go to the Acana "Store Locator" Page and type in your zip code to see if a Doggie Boutique or a Pet Supply Plus near you carries it OR they show web sites that do! Store Locator | Acana



Fromms is also a good food, family owned and manufactured No recalls to date! Four-Star Gourmet Recipes for dogs - Fromm Family Foods locator: Find a store that carries Fromm

Make sure you do the switch very slowly so as not to cause gut upset.


Moms


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## Robbins5

We just adopted a GSD puppy from a family not a breeder. He is 8 weeks old today! He was eating a store brand generic puppy food when we picked him up and had to make a decision fast because we wanted to get him on a higher quality food. We started Blue Wilderness Large Breed puppy. He seems to be doing fine but we have only had him a short time. Any opinions on Blue Wilderness?


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## Rendezvous_At_Midnight

We currently feed our GSD puppy Fromm large breed puppy food and then our Corgi we also feed Fromm and once in a while when the store doesn't have it in we do TOTW for him as well. We've not had any issues ever feeding any Fromm food, and it's actually revived our Corgi's coat after an incident with our previous living conditions but overall I'm very pleased with Fromm!


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## alpharesist

Hello all, i am feeding my GSD nutrience. As a novice dog owner i searched for a good food and settled on this. What is everyone's opinion? I mix his food 1/2 cup kibble and 1/2 cup boiled hamburger and rice. He is 11 weeks.

Ingredients:
Deboned beef, deboned lamb, deboned wild boar, beef liver, lamb liver, wild boar liver, deboned bison, pork meal, lamb meal, salmon, herring, cod, cod liver, peas, pork fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), red lentils, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, whole eggs, natural pork flavor, sun-cured alfalfa meal, freeze-dried beef liver, freeze-dried pumpkin, freeze-dried green mussels, freeze-dried cod liver, freeze-dried kelp, salmon oil, herring oil, coconut oil, pumpkin, butternut squash, carrots, spinach, broccoli, apples, blueberries, cranberries, pomegranate, juniper berry extract, ginger, fennel, chamomile, peppermint leaf, licorice root, turmeric, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamin A supplement, niacin, calcium pantothenate, inositol, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid), minerals (zinc oxide, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, ferrous sulfate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, L-lysine, DL-methionine, chicory root extract, yucca schidigera extract, yeast extract, thyme extract, glucosamine hydrochloride, rosemary extract, taurine, chondroitin sulfate, L-carnitine, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus helveticus fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium longum fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product.

Crude protein min.	38.0%
Crude fat min.	18.0%
Crude fiber max.	3.5%
Moisture max.	10.0%
Calcium min.	1.2%
Phosphorus min.	1.0%
Vitamin A min.	20,000 IU/kg
Vitamin D3 min.	1,300 IU/kg
Vitamin E min.	130 IU/kg
Ascorbic acid* (vitamin C) min.	50 mg/kg
Omega-6 fatty acids* min.	3.5%
Omega-3 fatty acids* min.	0.4%
Glucosamine* min.	800 mg/kg
Chondroitin sulfate* min.	400 mg/kg
Total microorganisms* min.	225,000,000 CFU/lb
(L. plantarum, E. faecium, B. subtilis, Bi. animalis, L. casei, L. helveticus, Bi. longum, L. acidophilus in descending amounts)

*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.

Calorie Content (calculated): 3,625 kcal/kg or 470 kcal/cup ME

Nutrience Grain Free Subzero Prairie Red Formula is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.


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## woofmendez

Thanks for sharing this food for the dog. Great info.


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## InControlK9

I use Blue Buffalo Large Breed Puppy Food... Grain Free


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## selzer

I feed puppies Diamond Naturals Adult Chicken and Rice.


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## Barcagp

So... Lots of great posts but couldn't seem to find a definite answer. 
So I don't need puppy food? 

My breeder uses royal canin but it's at 2.5 stars. I personally have always done wellness core. 
I was considering Evo or blue wilderness but not sure if I should look for puppy or regular. 

If I get canned food to mix with the dry. Does the canned food need to be puppy? 

Sent from my SM-G9350 using Tapatalk


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## ausdland

Barcagp said:


> So... Lots of great posts but couldn't seem to find a definite answer.
> So I don't need puppy food?
> 
> My breeder uses royal canin but it's at 2.5 stars. I personally have always done wellness core.
> I was considering Evo or blue wilderness but not sure if I should look for puppy or regular.
> 
> If I get canned food to mix with the dry. Does the canned food need to be puppy?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G9350 using Tapatalk


I'm not a fan of Royal Canin ingredient list. Having said that, your breeder, my breeder feed RC and have great, healthy GSD's. I fed the Maxi puppy until 8 months old and wish I had transitioned to Annamaet Encore, what I feed now, at 5 months old. I've met quite a few vets since I've had Yana and the two I trust most said feed a GSD LBP food until 5 months old then transition to an all life stages around 25% protein 7% or less ash, 1.2% or less calcium, 1% or less phosphorous. Selenium yeast is healthier for the gut than sodium selenite. You want slow, controlled growth. My pup couldn't handle Fromm LBP which seems to be the choice on this forum. And I'd caution against trying different kibbles with a young pup. If the RC works, I'd stick with it until 5 months. Natural Balance Buffalo and Sweet Potato has the lowest calcium of canned foods I found. I only use it to stuff Kongs and freeze.


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## chopjaw

Robbins5 said:


> We just adopted a GSD puppy from a family not a breeder. He is 8 weeks old today! He was eating a store brand generic puppy food when we picked him up and had to make a decision fast because we wanted to get him on a higher quality food. We started Blue Wilderness Large Breed puppy. He seems to be doing fine but we have only had him a short time. Any opinions on Blue Wilderness?


Look I'm a newbe when it come to GS breed but the basic facts about dog food is the same. Look for the first ingredient and then go from there. FOR YEARS animals have been eating grains and other things that people now are shocked by.. If you like the food and the dog likes the food with no ill effects then use the food. I am one that does not get sucked into great marketing ploys with packages and what the maker is telling you. Like I said, I've had many dogs and I've feed them Alpo to Iams and everything in-between. IN the end if the dog likes it then use it!


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## David Winners

Did you want fries with that?


----------



## babybunnychrissy

We'll be using Diamon Naturals puppy Lamb and Rice


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## Barcagp

ausdland said:


> I'm not a fan of Royal Canin ingredient list. Having said that, your breeder, my breeder feed RC and have great, healthy GSD's. I fed the Maxi puppy until 8 months old and wish I had transitioned to Annamaet Encore, what I feed now, at 5 months old. I've met quite a few vets since I've had Yana and the two I trust most said feed a GSD LBP food until 5 months old then transition to an all life stages around 25% protein 7% or less ash, 1.2% or less calcium, 1% or less phosphorous. Selenium yeast is healthier for the gut than sodium selenite. You want slow, controlled growth. My pup couldn't handle Fromm LBP which seems to be the choice on this forum. And I'd caution against trying different kibbles with a young pup. If the RC works, I'd stick with it until 5 months. Natural Balance Buffalo and Sweet Potato has the lowest calcium of canned foods I found. I only use it to stuff Kongs and freeze.


I bought the royal canin food but I also will be getting the orijen puppy large breed. I'll probably mix in after a few weeks very slowly. I kind of don't want her on royal canin for. More than a bag. My last dog I gave wellness core to and she loved it and was great for her. I. Still debating whether I want to maybe do the Core instead of the orijen. 

Sent from my SM-G9350 using Tapatalk


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## Momto2GSDs

Barcagp said:


> I bought the royal canin food but I also will be getting the orijen puppy large breed. I'll probably mix in after a few weeks very slowly. I kind of don't want her on royal canin for. More than a bag. My last dog I gave wellness core to and she loved it and was great for her. I. Still debating whether I want to maybe do the Core instead of the orijen.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G9350 using Tapatalk


Note that Orijen will give *some* dogs diarrhea, so introduce it VERY slowly.

You may want to consider Orijen's sister food ACANA Large Breed Puppy: http://acana.com/our-foods/heritage/puppy-large-breed/ 

Moms


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## ausdland

Barcagp said:


> I bought the royal canin food but I also will be getting the orijen puppy large breed. I'll probably mix in after a few weeks very slowly. I kind of don't want her on royal canin for. More than a bag. My last dog I gave wellness core to and she loved it and was great for her. I. Still debating whether I want to maybe do the Core instead of the orijen.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G9350 using Tapatalk


Isn't wellness core grain free? Grain free kibble tends to be higher in protein and minerals than grained kibble which isn't ideal for a gsd pup or so two of the best vets I've met and my breeder say.


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## ausdland

babybunnychrissy said:


> We'll be using Diamon Naturals puppy Lamb and Rice


What's the percentage of ash? Lamb meal is usually high in ash. I fed victor lamb and rice for a couple months. My pup lost 2 lbs. Then I found out it has 11% ash. 7 % or less ash is recommended for a gsd puppy.


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## Jack and Jill

I have a 3 year old who has been eating Blue Wilderness mixed with raw chicken and peas and carrots. I just got Jill who is 9 weeks old and the breeder was feeding her Pure Gold Sun Dancer. She is very healthy and has solid bowel movements. In a pinch i bought Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused. Has anyone used this brand?


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## Momto2GSDs

Jack and Jill said:


> I have a 3 year old who has been eating Blue Wilderness mixed with raw chicken and peas and carrots. I just got Jill who is 9 weeks old and the breeder was feeding her Pure Gold Sun Dancer. She is very healthy and has solid bowel movements. In a pinch i bought Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused. Has anyone used this brand?


Merrick sold out to Nestle Purina last year.....I would not trust the quality of the ingredients in this food anymore. 


Moms


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## ShoopDaS

So my GSD puppy is refusing to eat most dry foods. She has been eating them when I combine them with freshly cooked chicken livers, but I am trying to get her off that and to just regular dry food (i do not have time to cook it every day and she won't eat yesterday's liver).

So I've tried few dry foods 
At first, she was eating RoyalCanine+chicken liver and she's happy with that, but just RC, she refuses to eat. 
Then I tried to give her RoyanCanine+Liver+TasteOfTheWild. - no dice.

And now I've heard of CarniLove for puppies - large % of meat and she is eating RoyalCanineCarnilove mix. I'm planning on switching her to just CarniLvoe through some time, but before I do so, can someone check for me on how good is this food?
From the online reviews the food rates good, but I would like to hear from someone's personal opinion/experience.

Thak you for the input!


edit: can't post a link for the food - you should be able to just google and hit the first link
"Carnilove Salmon & Turkey for Large Breed Puppy"

this is the composition from their website:
salmon meal (25%), turkey meal (20%), yellow peas (18%), chicken fat (preserved with tocopherols, 9%), sal – mon deboned (6%), chicken protein hydrolyzed (5%), tapioca starch (5%), apples (3%), chicken liver (3%), salmon oil (2%), carrots (1%), flaxseed (1%), chickpeas (1%), hydrolyzed crustacean shells (a source of glucosamine, 0,031%), cartilage extract (a source of chondroitin, 0,019%), brewer´s yeast (a source of mannan-oligosaccharides, 0,018%), chicory root (a source of fructo-oligosaccharides, 0,012%), yucca schidigera (0,011%), algae (0,01%), psyllium (0,01%), thyme (0,01%), rosemary (0,01%), oregano (0,01%), cranberries (0,0008%), blueberries (0,0008%), raspberries (0,0008%).

vitamins:
vitamin A (E672) 24 000 IU vitamin D 3 (E671) 1600 IU vitamin E (α-tocopherol) (3a700) 500 mg zinc (E6) 100 mg iron (E1) 85 mg manganese (E5) 40 mg iodine (E2) 0,75 mg copper (E4) 18 mg selenium (3b8.10) 0,28 mg.

Analytical ingredients in 1 kg: crude protein 38,0 % fat content 16,0 % crude ash 7,8 % crude fibre 2,5 % moisture 10,0 % calcium 1,3% phosphorus 1,0 %
Metabolic energy: 3,800 kcal/kg. Omega 3: 0,68 %, Omega 6: 2,2 %.


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## next502

I also choose this food! He likes my puppy)


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## SamsontheGSD

Rachel_K said:


> What is the most highly recommended dry puppy food?


We feed Wellness Core (puppy) to our 4 month old. Our last GSD was fed Blue Wilderness. It has brewers yeast, which some say can cause bloat. She died of bloat (but had other issues at 12 years old) so we're avoiding this time around. 

I see a lot of Royal Canin folks. Looking at the ingredients i see a lot of brewers rice and meat byproducts depending on which one you pick. No idea if it is good food or not, but the ingredient list doesn't appear to match what everyone says dogs should eat, and the ingredients certainly don't seem to justifybthe price. It also has a very low score on dogfoodadvisor.com.


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## april3

I Am feeding my 4.5 months old female TOTW and planing to switch to Orijen LBP . But i am just worried about the 38% protein, is that ok for her?


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## Momto2GSDs

april3 said:


> I Am feeding my 4.5 months old female TOTW and planing to switch to Orijen LBP . But i am just worried about the 38% protein, is that ok for her?


The worry with Orijen is that, unfortunately, it gives some dogs very loose stool. So if you do go this route introduce it in VERY small amounts mixed into her current food and work up to desired amount *slowly.* 
If stool get loose, go back to the amount fed (mixed with old food) when stool was formed and keep it at that amount for a few days until her body adjusts to it. Then you can try to increase again. This is called bowel tolerance. 

Another choice could be Fromm LBP: *FROMM’S: **http://frommfamily.com/products/gold/dog/dry/#heartland-gold-large-breed-puppy** Store Locator: *http://frommfamily.com/retailers/usa/#progress=2 



ACANA, Orijen's sister food, makes a LBP but it was only available in Canada the last time I checked.




Moms


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## april3

Momto2GSDs said:


> The worry with Orijen is that, unfortunately, it gives some dogs very loose stool. So if you do go this route introduce it in VERY small amounts mixed into her current food and work up to desired amount *slowly.*
> If stool get loose, go back to the amount fed (mixed with old food) when stool was formed and keep it at that amount for a few days until her body adjusts to it. Then you can try to increase again. This is called bowel tolerance.
> 
> Another choice could be Fromm LBP: *FROMM’S: **http://frommfamily.com/products/gold/dog/dry/#heartland-gold-large-breed-puppy** Store Locator: *http://frommfamily.com/retailers/usa/#progress=2
> 
> 
> 
> ACANA, Orijen's sister food, makes a LBP but it was only available in Canada the last time I checked.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Moms


Thank you for the advice. i know about the transition phase which i should get with at first with only 25% of the new food and then gradually increase. about the FROMM we do not have that here in our region. What is your opinion in TOTW high praire puppy? Should i stick on that.. is she gonna get everything she need from this ? Thank you


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## Momto2GSDs

Personally, I would not feed anything made by the Diamond Company, which manufactures TOTW.

If the Orijen is available to you, get a small bag and give it a try. 
I would mix much less than 25% when doing your switch, just to be on the safe side. It's a MUCH higher quality food than the TOTW so her system will go thru a big adjustment.

Fromm's is available for home delivery from Chewy: https://www.chewy.com/fromm-gold-holistic-large-breed/dp/32624

Are you in the US?

Moms


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## Ken Clean-Air System

If you decide to give Orijen a try, the Original formula is perfectly fine for a large breed puppy, so don't worry about the puppy formula. The American version of the Original formula is actually lower in both Calcium and Phosphorus than the Canadian formula. The one thing you will need to account for though when transitioning is that Orijen has much higher calories per cup than what you are currently feeding. What you may want to do is figure out how many calories a day you are feeding of the current food (the bag will list kcals/cup) and then determine how many cups of Orijen it will take to equal that number of calories, and go from there.

I think many people have trouble with loose stools with foods like Orijen (high kcals/cup, high protein, high fat) is that they overfeed. If you have fed cheaper foods you may be surprised by how much less you need to feed with a food like Orijen.


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## ghinchcl

*New Puppy switching foods from puppy ProPlan to Diamond Natural*

Hi All,

I i am in the process of switching my dog's food from Puppy ProPlan to Diamond Natural Large Breed Puppy food lamb flavor for my 11 week old GSD. Is this food good?


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## dougb

*My puppies food.*

I am feeding my 10 1/2 week old puppy EarthBorn Holistic's Coastal Catch which my well known breeder recommended. She feeds her dogs this from puppy through adulthood. Also Life Line Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil 1/2 tsp, Olewo Carrots Digestive Dog Food Supplement and also their red beets supplement. She is currently fed 3 times daily and her weight is 15 lbs. She is very active and healthy. Her breeder's dog's are IPO award winners . Her pic is at 6 1/2 weeks.


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## RZZNSTR

Valor was fed Orijen Large Puppy until 6 months of age then I switched him to Orijen Tundra. I now switch him from Tundra to Orijen Six Fish every couple of months. He's doing amazing on it. He's a high energy GSD and it works well.


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## Freud_MitziGSD

Does anyone here have any experience with "Fromm Heartland Gold Grain-Free Large Breed Puppy Dog Food" here?
With my first pup, I fed him Orijen LBP food. It was fine when it was just Freud, but now that Mitzi is coming home to live with us next week, with two dogs, Orijen will be too expensive.
I figured since this Fromm bag is also grain free like Orijen and Acana maybe it'll work. But, I'd love to hear some experiences on this particular bag of puppy food.


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## Beachlover

Hi! I really like Blue Buffalo Large Breed Grain Free......it works for my pup. He has been on it since he was 8 weeks old....and he is 16 weeks old now.


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## Ken Clean-Air System

Freud_MitziGSD said:


> Does anyone here have any experience with "Fromm Heartland Gold Grain-Free Large Breed Puppy Dog Food" here?
> With my first pup, I fed him Orijen LBP food. It was fine when it was just Freud, but now that Mitzi is coming home to live with us next week, with two dogs, Orijen will be too expensive.
> I figured since this Fromm bag is also grain free like Orijen and Acana maybe it'll work. But, I'd love to hear some experiences on this particular bag of puppy food.


Fromm is a great food. My current puppy, who is about 3 months old, is on a mix of Fromm Large Breed Puppy Gold, and Orijen Original. I prefer the regular LBP Gold formula to the grain-free one personally. It's the same kcal/cup as the grain-free, comes in a bigger bag, and I feel that as long as your dog doesn't have a problem with grains, the ingredient list is actually better in the regular LBP Gold compared to the grain-free.

Keep in mind that Fromm's foods are lower in calories per cup than Orijen and even most Acana formulas. You will need to feed more of the Fromm than you would Orijen. I considered, when bringing home a new puppy, to switch both dogs over to Fromm, but have since decided that it wouldn't really be that much more cost effective than keeping my 5 year old on Orijen, and gradually switching the puppy over as well. Not to mention, in my case at least, the puppy seems to prefer the Orijen to the Fromm anyway. Ever since he got a taste of the Orijen, from my 5 year old's plate, he has been nuts for it ... though he does like the Fromm as well, just not quite as much


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## pashana

Raw food- Definitely. it is relatively cheap when u go to barf. 

And have u tasted dog food? it is terrible, would u like same cerials everyday for food? No. Dogs are predators, and for I have read, many dogs proplems nowadays, : diabetes, epilepsia,etc are came what they eat, so as we humans. 
Yes, u can feed dog cerials, just go with proper, no added anything. Watch the document conserning animal food. jam. 

These days its easy and cheap to make it raw. buy more at the time, buy some dried meat. its handy cause on 1 kg dried meat-3kg meat.


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## jhermit

I researched this very carefully and landed on Victor Grain Free. It doesn't have potatoes and seems like a good, simple list of ingredients. My puppy really seems to like it better than anything else we tried. She is really thriving on Victor's. 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk


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## ASSHEPHERD

Guys I'm giving my 5 month puppy purina One, but I could get purina puppy chow for half of the purina one price, should I switch to puppy chow? I'm trying not to spend over $50 on a dry food, what do you recommend??


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## Magwart

Asshepherd, NO! First, you probably won't really save money because you'll have to feed A LOT more of the cheaper food (possibly twice as much). 

If you must feed Purina products, Beyond is their best, followed by One. Those are the only options I would want you to consider in their mass-market line. (I think of ProPlan and One as pretty similar too, but ProPlan costs a lot more.) 

The ingredient differences as you drop down from there to Chow or Beneful is unacceptable. Purina One has *a lot* of grain, but at least a named meat is the first ingredient. In Chow, the first 5 ingredients of their adult are not meat -- and the first meat-ingredient that appears is by-product meal in 6th place (3rd place in Puppy Chow), which means not much of it is in there. Dog chow also has dye (food coloring) in it -- which you don't want to feed. A look at the ingredients will tell you the story if you compare them!
https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/purina-dog-chow/
https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/purina-one-smartblend/
https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/purina-beyond-adventure/

I have a family member who won't order food online (elderly) and has to get food at WM (rural), so they've fed One for years and years. Their dog does all right on it. They tried saving money by getting a bag of the cheaper type of Purina, and the dog had diarrhea the whole time and got itchy. One at least has the benefit of being pretty easy to digest -- a lot of shelters feed it for that reason.

I've had dogs come into rescue who were fed their low-end foods like Chow and Beneful, and their coats were gross, their body condition terrible--one of them was fed something like 6 c. of food a day (huge amount of food because it's got so many fillers), and was still scrawny-looking. They transformed into much nicer looking, softer, firmer-bodied, better smelling dogs on better food -- it really does make a difference. 

You can get coupons easily for One online. Purina.com and Coupons.com frequently have print-at-home coupon offerings regularly -- I know because I find them for my elderly relative who complains about the cost of One. Target often runs buy 2 bags, get back a $10 Giftcard specials, which you can combine with those coupons, if you have a Target nearby (just watch their weekly ad).

However....if you're on a budget, for just a _little _more money stepping up to Diamond Naturals (= Kirkland/Costco = Tractor Supply's 4Health) is a substantially better food IMHO. One of those dogs I got into rescue who couldn't hold weight on 6 c./day of a low-end Purina food filled out beautifully on 3 c./day of Kirkland. Half the food! At around $30 per 40 pounds for adult food, it's quite inexpensive. The Kirkland puppy food at Costco is in a smaller bag but cheaper. Don't just look at the price, look at what you're getting for your money (mostly corn/filler vs. meat-based food).
https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/kirkland-signature-dog-food/

Victor's entry-level foods are the next step up -- slightly more expensive (around $40 per 40 pound online), and it's a _nice _step up. You'll get Texas-made food from an independent company with a rep for very good quality control for that extra money (no major recalls -- which Purina and Diamond cannot claim).

If you can get access to Zach's Quality Dog Food (sold in the Dallas area, and some Texas Costcos), it's the best deal going -- made in the same plant as some very, very expensive foods, and all the money goes into what's in the bag since Zach's has no marketing plan other than Costco. It's around $25/40 pounds:
https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/zachs-quality-dog-food/


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## camperbc

Am I dreaming, or does Iams make a better line of food than in the past? When I read reviews from 5+ years ago I see lots of complaints about Iams quality, and how it's best avoided. Yet in recent years people seem much happier with the quality of their lines like Proactive Health - Smart Puppy, which after reading up on the ingredients actually appears to be quite good, in my opinion. So just wondering if others have noticed that Iams is no longer so much known as a bargain basement dog food these days. (have read many positive reviews on this product recently, so I am confused as to why so many are against it... unless it _has_ improved?) Your thoughts? 

Glen
Focus On Newfoundland

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken By-Product Meal (source of Chondroitin Sulfate and Glucosamine), Ground Whole Grain Barley, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Brewers Dried Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Dicalcium Phosphate, Flax Meal, Choline Chloride, Fructooligosaccharides, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide), Calcium Carbonate, L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, DL-Methionine, L-Tryptophan, L-Carnitine, Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid. 

NUTRIENT ANALYSIS:
Crude Protein, minimum	22.5%
Crude Fat, minimum	12.5%
Crude Fiber, maximum	5.0%
Moisture, maximum	10.0%
Calcium, minimum	0.95%
Phosphorus, minimum	0.7%
Zinc, minimum	160 mg/kg
L-Carnitine, minimum	40 mg/kg*
Omega-6 Fatty Acids, minimum	1.96%*
Omega-3 Fatty Acids, minimum	0.13%*
Glucosamine, minimum	350 mg/kg
Chondroitin Sulfate minimum	35 mg/kg


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## Ken Clean-Air System

Iams is still junk (at least in my opinion). They are owned by Proctor and Gamble, which is not a company I put much trust in, which is the first strike against them. Also, not sure what formula you posted the ingredients for, but the main meat source is a by-product meal, which is a very low end source of meat. Yes, the first listed ingredient is chicken, but that is mostly water. Once processed, that chicken would move quite a ways down the list, leaving you with primarily garbage.


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## Dragon67155

Just the thread I am looking for! Today the vet recommended I put Xena on a large breed puppy food. She has been eating Pure Balance; ideal for puppies/seniors dog food. It has no large breed puppy food. Now I have a Tractor Supply and Wal-Mart; online ordering really isn't an option right now. Pure Balance was good because it was Grain Free and was Salmon. From what I have read on here Iams is not recommended by any of you. I want the best for my puppy but I can't afford expensive expensive food. So food in the price range of the the big bag of Iams. Thanks!


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## Magwart

Tractor Supply sells Diamond. Diamond Naturals makes a LB puppy food. It sells for about $45 per 40 lb. bag. It's a mid-grade food that's a pretty decent value for the price. It's the least-expensive food I would be comfortable with. You can get better food, but it will be a lot more expensive.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...ls-large-breed-puppy-dog-food-40-lb-bag?rfk=1

When you compare cost on food, you must look at how much food one feeds. Cheaper foods require you to feed more, so the bag doesn't last as long.

Note: Please save the lot codes with any food from Diamond until the food is gone, in case of a recall -- they've had several recalls over the years (but none recently).


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## Nekro

Switching back to Fromm puppy food. I recently switcher her to eagle pack but she has been having really soft/runny poop. I switched from fromm because of the price but going back to it since she had solid poop. I hope this is the problem that fixes it.


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## kpdennis

*New Here and New GS puppy.*

Hello,

I was told that Merrick was the absolute best puppy food. I really want the best for her. Does any one know what I should feed my baby? She is 7 weeks and we just got her yesterday!

I want to thank everyone. I will have more questions..
Karen:smile2:


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## veggie04

kpdennis said:


> Hello,
> 
> I was told that Merrick was the absolute best puppy food. I really want the best for her. Does any one know what I should feed my baby? She is 7 weeks and we just got her yesterday!
> 
> I want to thank everyone. I will have more questions..
> Karen:smile2:


Hi, did you end up using Merrick puppy food? If so, which one? And how did it go?


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## dkallas

Tractor supply also has Taste of the Wild High Prairie puppy food by Diamond. It doesn't say large breed puppy on the front of the bag, but it's approved by AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) for large breed puppies and is stated on the side of the bag. We have a new german shepherd puppy who is 6 weeks old and have check with his vet if this is sufficient and it meets the their standards.


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## crittersitter

FYI. Taste of the Wild and some other highly rated dog foods did not fare well on the toxic tests...Dry Dog Food Archives - Clean Label Project


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## Ken Clean-Air System

crittersitter said:


> FYI. Taste of the Wild and some other highly rated dog foods did not fare well on the toxic tests...Dry Dog Food Archives - Clean Label Project


Just putting this out there - https://www.forbes.com/sites/kavins...science-to-scare-us-about-our-childrens-food/... Just because it's on the internet doesn't make it true.


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