# 9 1/2 week old GSD, suggestions on food?



## MKSWEET (Mar 12, 2011)

The breeder originally had him on Iams Puppy (awful food). So I weaned him off of that over the course of a week and started feeding him Taste of the Wild. It seemed liked he really liked it, but the more & more TOTW I fed him...the looser his stool was  Because TOTW is a grain-free food I think it was just a little too rich for him, being such a young pup. I switched him to Wellness Large Breed Puppy and he is already doing better one day in. Wellness contains some grains but they are healthy whole grains. Any suggestions/comments?


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

A lot of people really like and recommend Wellness- the most important thing is that it's working for your pup!


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

TOTW (and most grain free foods) aren't appropriate for a growing puppy. The calcium levels are too high.

Wellness is a good food. Just an FYI for the future, overfeeding can cause loose stools.


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## MKSWEET (Mar 12, 2011)

I don't think I was over feeding him...I was feeding less than what the bag recommended because I know sometimes the dog food companies can over do it (they want you to buy more!)  it had to be the food itself because within the first day of feeding him Wellness he was doing a million times better.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

There's really nothing wrong with a food with some grains in it. TOTW really isn't the best for a young puppy because of the calcium levels. Wellness LBP is a great food; if he does well on it I'd stick with that.


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## unloader (Feb 16, 2010)

If I could have kept my pup on wellness I would have. The LBP formula is a good product. I felt confident feeding it for the few months I actually fed it and would have fed it long term if possible. 

If I had to do it all over again, and if wellness didn't work...I would have gone straight to Natural Balance Lamb and rice, or an equivalent LID food that has appropriate Ca/Phos levels for a large breed pup.


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

I'm glad that your puppy is doing good on Wellness.....mine did not.
The ingredients list looked very good on the Wellness, that's why I tried it......but after 3 bags...I could tell it wasn't the best choice for our 2 litters.
Best wishes to you & your puppy!
Robin


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

Luna always had loose stool on TOTW. She did good on the Wellness before we switched her to raw.

A tip for you: the Large Breed Adult is close to IDENTICAL to the Large Breed Puppy. The differences: a few ingredients switched around and smaller kibble size on the LBP. Oh... and the LBP costs about $20 more per bag (at least it does here). The calcium and phosphorus levels on both formulas are identical. Save yourself some $$$ and go straight to LBA.


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## W.Oliver (Aug 26, 2007)

I have fed my pup Orijen Large Breed Puppy, and have been very happy with the results for my dog. My 3yr old GSD is on TOTW.


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## spyla (Jul 1, 2010)

had shadow on Science Diet Puppy large breed until 8 months, then switched TOTW he is 21 months now, doing very good. Knowing what I know now, I would have choosen something other than SD


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## Witz (Feb 28, 2011)

I just made my choice as a result of other dogs in the house and looking for a high quality kibble. I was going to use Orijen large puppy, but found that the Acana "Wild Pairie" mix is a good alternative for the pup and the others. Calcium/Phospherous numbers are good and it is made by the same company that produces Orijen, just at a lower price point.


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## MKSWEET (Mar 12, 2011)

Yes, I have heard of Acana. It's a good dog food, I plan on switching Hendrix to Orijen when he is much older. He is just a baby right now and the protein levels concern me. He is already growing so fast, I wouldn't want to speed it up or make him grow at an unnatural pace.


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## Witz (Feb 28, 2011)

MKSWEET said:


> Yes, I have heard of Acana. It's a good dog food, I plan on switching Hendrix to Orijen when he is much older. He is just a baby right now and the protein levels concern me. He is already growing so fast, I wouldn't want to speed it up or make him grow at an unnatural pace.


In terms of growth issues and possible problems, the general thinking is more associated to the Calcium amounts then protein. I have been leaning more in that direction as I research the subject. Of course as with each pup's physical attributes and behaviors they need to be observed and adjustments made. There is no rubber stamp and at least those who spend the time to research the info, care to do the best.


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## Sunstreaked (Oct 26, 2010)

I'm really happy with this food:

Fromm Family Foods - Four-Star Nutritionals


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