# Blue Buffalo Large Breed Formula -Alternatives?



## x.WOLFiE.x (Sep 1, 2012)

We have been feeding our puppy BB Puppy food and just recently realized there is one that is JUST for large breed dogs, so we switched him over to the LBF on Sunday night (admittedly abruptly - in our defense we thought the formulas were going to be close since they were both BB). He was fine all day Monday and Tuesday morning. When I took him out last night though, he had one hard stool and the others were of a pudding consistency. Some worse than others. He even woke us up last night to go out which he has never done, not even as a tiny puppy. 

Two questions -- 
(1) Would it take that long for it to irritate his system - in other words, do you think the diarrhea is linked to the food change even though it did not start until Tuesday evening? 
(2) What is a good food for large puppies? He is 5.5 months old. 

I have read that BB LBF is tough on puppies as it is too rich and many cannot eat it so I'm hoping this is all it is and not some sort of obstruction or something crazy... 

He's still eating, drinking, SUPER hyper, etc.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i've never fed puppy food to my dogs. you may
have to switch foods a few times before you find
one that works well for your pup.


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## rumhelka (Aug 31, 2011)

I think that you can feed him Normal BB food, like Lamb and rice or Fish and Oatmeal (change gradually) and see the results. The best food for my pup (as I remember) was BB fish and oats. I tried to switch to TOTW and she had severe diarehea. I had to switch back to BB fish and oatmeal. Now my GS is 1 1/2 years old and eats BB Lamb and Rice (I add a little of BB Salmon to it but I wouldn't do it for a puppy) and she is finally fine. I realized that Shepherds have very sensitive stomachs...


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## vickip9 (Mar 28, 2012)

It definitely sounds like the quick change upset his tummy. And yes, it can happen that quickly. I've noticed my dog's stool change in as little as 12 hours after a food change. You can try a couple of things.. If you want to continue on the LBF, you can keep him on it, but add a spoonful of canned plain pumpkin (not pie filling) to the food during each meal for a week or two until you see the stool firming back up. Otherwise, you can always just switch him back to the regular formula that he had no troubles with. 

The food topic is so broad (and controversial).  What's good for one dog may not be good for another. So I would just stick with something that your dog likes and that keeps his stool firm. I've gone through the food change several, several times trying to find what I thought was "the best" food at a reasonable cost. I'm currently feeding BB, but we're in the process of switching over to Nature's Variety because I like the ingredients in it better (They put freeze dried raw, ground up bones, and other things you'd actually see in a BARF diet... Only in kibble form). But honestly, there is no one single food that is best. It all depends on the dog. 

Lots of people feed Orijen or Acana (both made by Champion). A lot of people feed Fromm. Earthborn Hollistic is similar to the ingredients in BB, but actually costs less.. And it's sold at specialitiy pet stores along with the other "premium" foods. Honestly, there are quite a few choices of more "premium" kibble, and then there are lots of choices that you'll see at PetSmart or PetCo that are still good kibbles. Stay away from anything that has by-products, fillers, wheat/soy/corn, etc. Also, it's important to stay away from anything made in China (way too many recalls). If you have questions about the ingredients in a kibble, just post it on here for opinions. 

Also, you'll find A LOT of raw feeders on this forum.  In fact, I'm considering switching over to raw as well. 

There are also lots of people who feed dehydrated, such as The Honest Kitchen or Grandma Lucy's. 

Honestly, it's all about how much you want to pay and how well your dog does on it.. Because each choice (kibble/raw/dehydrated) is going to be slightly different. 


I know that's probably more information than you were looking for, but hopefully it helps, even just a little.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

How long has he been on the new food? If the switch was fast, it may take a week or two for him to adjust.


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## x.WOLFiE.x (Sep 1, 2012)

Thanks so much for the info Vickip9! My concern was more that it didn’t happen immediately, but actually started a day or so later… why the delay? I’m HOPING it’s just the food and not that he ate part of a stuffed animal (which he did, but always does and passes just fine) and is backed up. However, like I said, I see no other signs of that… and I would imagine if he were obstructed, there wouldn’t be so much of an urgency to go, but more of a constant discomfort… But what do I know?... 

Mycobraracr: he has only been on the LB puppy formula since Sunday night. So Sunday night, Monday AM & PM and then Tues AM before this started. Another thing is that we were feeding him according to the bags his old food at 2-2.5 cups a day, and this at 5 cups a day so maybe that’s contributing too…


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

x.WOLFiE.x said:


> Thanks so much for the info Vickip9! My concern was more that it didn’t happen immediately, but actually started a day or so later… why the delay? I’m HOPING it’s just the food and not that he ate part of a stuffed animal (which he did, but always does and passes just fine) and is backed up. However, like I said, I see no other signs of that… and I would imagine if he were obstructed, there wouldn’t be so much of an urgency to go, but more of a constant discomfort… But what do I know?...
> 
> Mycobraracr: he has only been on the LB puppy formula since Sunday night. So Sunday night, Monday AM & PM and then Tues AM before this started. Another thing is that we were feeding him according to the bags his old food at 2-2.5 cups a day, and this at 5 cups a day so maybe that’s contributing too…


That could be it too. Over feeding can cause diarrhea. 

I just switched my dog from raw to kibble so I'm still playing with amounts to feed. I found that as little as 1/4 cup can affect her bowel movements.


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## briantw (Oct 1, 2012)

x.WOLFiE.x said:


> Thanks so much for the info Vickip9! My concern was more that it didn’t happen immediately, but actually started a day or so later… why the delay? I’m HOPING it’s just the food and not that he ate part of a stuffed animal (which he did, but always does and passes just fine) and is backed up. However, like I said, I see no other signs of that… and I would imagine if he were obstructed, there wouldn’t be so much of an urgency to go, but more of a constant discomfort… But what do I know?...
> 
> Mycobraracr: he has only been on the LB puppy formula since Sunday night. So Sunday night, Monday AM & PM and then Tues AM before this started. Another thing is that we were feeding him according to the bags his old food at 2-2.5 cups a day, and this at 5 cups a day so maybe that’s contributing too…


Think of it in people terms. Sometimes when you eat something you disagree with it doesn't hit you until the next day. Dogs are the same way. You may see it the next time you take them out or you may see it a day or two later.

As far as your food question goes, there really isn't a right answer. Every dog is different. You just have to experiment with various foods until you find one that your dog does the best on. I use Taste of the Wild because it works for both of my dogs, but I am sure that other people use it and don't get good results. Similarly, I've never gotten good results on Blue Buffalo, but I know several people who have.


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## x.WOLFiE.x (Sep 1, 2012)

The regular BB puppy food had been fine so I am going back to that with some pumpkin for a few days. 
Thanks all... 


Sent from my iPhone using PG Free


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## Scarlettsmom (Jul 12, 2011)

To answer just the question about how fast their systems can get upset; just one dishwasher surfing can do it to Scarlett.

I am SUPER uptight about what, when and how much she is fed. BUT, if she can sneak a 'pre-rinse' session in the dishwasher, she will and it frequently gives her issues. 

Scarlett eats BB Lamb and rice and it gives her great poops.  (Yep, only other GSD owners can discuss this stuff...) I have been extrememly happy with her "digestion" on this food. Solid stools are a good thing and make for a happy family.


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