# Puppy Food or Not..........



## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

I thought was doing rt putting pup (10 wks) rt on a good quality dog food, totw lamb at 10 wks, but now reading on other threads not a good choice. My thing is, we so need a sticky about this... I have read in past post on here, NOT to feed puppy food & if so, NOT for long b/c causes the pup to grow too fast. Then also read to feed GSD pups only lg breed. Ok, if you feed puppy food, which to go with, reg or lg breed? How long should they be kept on? If you feed adult foods, will the pup lack something missing in the puppy foods? This is why I worried feeding raw, they would lack getting something.v Thanks


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Bump, come on.... give your opinions.


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## Grimsin (Jun 15, 2011)

I switched from puppy to adult recently, i think the puppy food maybe too rich for some puppies, but im no expert. also i think my pup wasnt doing doing good on chicken so switched from puppy food that had chicken, to adult food that was lamb, all kirklands food.


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

everyday their is a post on food and they all say no TOTW for puppies. After that, no science diet, no purina, eukanuba and lots of other foods. 

Than you will get thoughts on food they like and work for their dogs. 

Grain free are high in calcium, natues balance is the lowest Orijens is a little higher, borderline high but still probably good enough.

The smartest post I ever saw here was from the person who posted whatever works best for your dog is the best food, so true.

The no TOTW is good to know also for puppies. Sounds like a tasty food after visiting their website

I think the adult is to rich, puppy foods are made for puppies, still dont get why and when this no puppy food started


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## Grimsin (Jun 15, 2011)

kr16 said:


> everyday their is a post on food and they all say no TOTW for puppies. After that, no science diet, no purina, eukanuba and lots of other foods.
> 
> Than you will get thoughts on food they like and work for their dogs.
> 
> ...


i have a bag of adult kirklands and a bag of puppy from kirkalnds, everything is the same ingredients(cept i switched chicken to lamb) except for the %'s are down 5%-3%. that tells me puppy food is richer then adult food.
example

kirkland puppy protien:28%
kirkland adult protein:23%

i do agree on w/e works for your dog though.


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

My thing is.... If puppy food makes them grow too fast, why keep them on or use????? Does adult foods give them all they need? I understand calcium being no more than 1.2% now, but not sure if a bit more how this effects them? I ran out to switch from totw lamb to 4 health puppy food & not happy as her poo is mush after nice & hard with totw lamb. I understand it's been just a couple of days & trans has to happen though. Just at 4 months, hate to put on a puppy food now. I also hate if I should not feed totw....


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i've never fed puppy food to my dogs.


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

doggiedad said:


> i've never fed puppy food to my dogs.


 Ok exactly, have read this..... then what did you feed? I am really up in the air here, feed pup food or not???? A big stink on totw food to pups, I sure don't understand these food companies stating all life stages if NOT safe for pups.  I did call & question totw before putting her on the food, totw vet told me, if feeding this food, only feed the lamb up to 1 yr. Have read now, NOT to give to pups. So, if not puppy food & no totw, then what??? How to know what you choose adult wise, is gonna be safe for pups? I would love some breeders to chime in if ya would.  Thanks


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Bump, any other comments, suggestions, opinions plz...


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## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

If you want to feed TOTW then by all means feed it. Some dogs have been raised fine on it, the problem is that others get problems such as pano from the calc/phos ratio.

Feeding a dog isn't rocket science and I'm not sure why many people act like it is. Plenty of litters are being raised on Ol' Roy as we speak and the dogs aren't turning purple or killing over from it. I'm not saying go feed the cheapest thing you can find but don't -stress- yourself over it. Find a good food with a proper calc/phos ratio regardless of it being puppy, large breed puppy, adult, large breed adult or ALS and feed that. ****, I even fed Chance "small breed puppy" at one point because it was free. He didn't die from it and he grew into a happy and healthy adult dog.


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

ChancetheGSD said:


> If you want to feed TOTW then by all means feed it. Some dogs have been raised fine on it, the problem is that others get problems such as pano from the calc/phos ratio.
> 
> Feeding a dog isn't rocket science and I'm not sure why many people act like it is. Plenty of litters are being raised on Ol' Roy as we speak and the dogs aren't turning purple or killing over from it. I'm not saying go feed the cheapest thing you can find but don't -stress- yourself over it. Find a good food with a proper calc/phos ratio regardless of it being puppy, large breed puppy, adult, large breed adult or ALS and feed that. ****, I even fed Chance "small breed puppy" at one point because it was free. He didn't die from it and he grew into a happy and healthy adult dog.


I use small breed due to my boy doesnt chew, he swallows everything. The smaller bits digest better and have been working great.


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Yea I know, so hate to stress about it, but do want to give a pup food ok for them. The only thing I see after comparing some foods today is, TOTW lamb has 1.6% calcium. Is this that big of deal? How does calcium/phos levels affect them? I know high protein makes them grow too fast, correct? So why are cal/phos levels important? Whatever it amounts to, some foods that are supposedly great do not meet the AAFCO. So wondered about this one....


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

https://www.msu.edu/~silvar/hips.htm



> Nutrition is one of the single most important factors affecting development of the musculoskeletal system, and energy, protein, and calcium are some of the more critical nutritional components affecting skeletal development. When given in excess, they can be detrimental to normal skeletal growth.(1-7) Most pet owners in the United States feed commercially prepared diets, which are balanced and complete. The vast majority of developmental skeletal disorders diagnosed in veterinary practice occur in large and giant breeds and are associated with excess (i.e., inappropriate) intake of a commercial diet and/or supplementation.





> In the dog, OCD risk factors are associated with age, gender, breed, rapid growth, and nutrient (primarily calcium) excesses.(1,11-14)





> Excessive calcium intake resulting in a hypercalcitoninism and hypoparathyroidism(2) manifests as retarded bone maturation, inhibition of osteoclastic activity, and slowed cartilage maturation. These effects on bone and cartilage increase the incidence of osteochondral lesions in articular and physeal cartilage.





> Calcium excess is routed primarily to bone through the influence of the calciotropic hormones on target organs. Chronic, high intake of calcium in large breeds has been associated with hypercalcemia, concomitant hypophosphatemia, rise in serum alkaline phosphatase, retarded bone maturation, higher percentage of total bone volume, retarded bone remodeling, decrease in osteoclasts, and retarded maturation of cartilage. These changes cause disturbances in endochondral ossification (articular and epiphyseal).(6) When high calcium intake (calcium excess) is coupled with relatively little absorption from bone, severe pathologic changes occur in the young, growing skeleton that is unable to respond by normal remodeling and endochondral ossification. The clinical diseases associated with these changes are osteochondrosis, retained cartilage cones, radius curvus syndrome, and stunted growth.(1,6) Therefore, calcium excess is a major causative or contributing factor in the pathogenesis of skeletal disease in the growing giant-breed dog.(3-6)


And on and on and on....

Protein:


> Like excess energy, protein has been thought to be associated with skeletal disease. A study by Nap and coworkers reported on the role of protein in disturbances of skeletal development(21,22): Three groups of Great Dane puppies were fed three levels of protein (31.6%, 23.1%, and 14.6% on a dry matter basis) in an isoenergetic dry dog food from 7 weeks through 18 weeks of age. No demonstrable effects were noted on calcium metabolism or skeletal development. These levels of dietary protein are unlikely to cause a disturbing role in canine endochondral ossification.


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## Witz (Feb 28, 2011)

Have had my pup on Acana Wild Prairie and he is doing great. The calcium/Phos levels are at the higher end of what is suggested for large breed puppies. It is made by the same company that makes Orijen but at a slightly lower price point. Since I have and adult dog, being an "all lifestage food", it makes it easier then having to buy different foods.


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Our Storm will be 5 this Aug. & when he was a pup, say less than a yr, he had OCD surgery. I had him on Nutro Natural Choice lg breed puppy till 1 yr, then on lg breed adult till I switched all to TOTW. I felt that it was just an genetic thing that happened.


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