# Is high protein & grain free really the way to go?



## Laura Hazelwood (Mar 28, 2013)

Ive been wanting to swap my soon to be 5 month old gsd food and I've read high protein and grain free diets were the way to go (other than raw) I researched and come across Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy grain free and on Dog Food Advisor it's rated a 5 star food. I wanted to know some thoughts on it, as far as if it would be a good choice or if the high protein and grain free diet is not the way for my gsd puppy? I just want whats best for my boy and his development but I also don't want to over pay if is not necessary.
Thanks!


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## BAN-ONE (Feb 26, 2013)

Tough to knock a food on their 5 star list. 

What are you feeding him now?


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I'm kinda playing with my dogs food and I find that higher protein is working better for them.


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## GoSailGo (Sep 15, 2012)

Its great food but not for everyone. I had my puppy on it for the first two months I had him with nothing but loose stools. I got frustrated and switched to Wellness LBP (a non-grain free food), which seems to be a good match for us. Both Wellness and BB have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so if you're not happy with the food you can return it. 

From BB's website: There is a 100% satisfaction guarantee that comes with any purchase of a Blue Buffalo product. If for some reason you are not satisfied, you can return the unused portion with your receipt to get a full refund.


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## Ken Clean-Air System (Feb 27, 2012)

Grain-free and/or high protein are ways to go (I say and/or because there are grain inclusive foods that are quite high in protein, and there are some grain-free foods that are quite low in protein), though I don't think they are 'the' way to go. Some dogs, especially puppies, don't do well on a high protein food (some don't do well on grain-free for that matter). My girl has been on a high protein, grain-free food most of her life and has done great, but there are others though that, for whatever reason, haven't had the same experience. 

I am, personally, not a fan of Blue Buffalo. Their foods, by ingredients alone, seem to be quite good, but I don't care for, or trust, the company. If your dog does well on it though then it is a good food for you and your pup.


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## argo daisynina dvora (Oct 22, 2011)

One of my dogs does great on BB wilderness but the other didn't do so well (soft stool) . I moved to Wysong op performance, cheeper and they like it better.


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## argo daisynina dvora (Oct 22, 2011)

Also, Honest Kitchen is a wonderful pet food. I feed it also but not exclusively due to the cost.


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## Laura Hazelwood (Mar 28, 2013)

Thanks everyone that responed. Right now I'm feeding him 2x a day 3 cups of Eukanuba large breed puppy, that's what he was on when I got him and I just left him on it. He does good on it, as far as regularity and gobbling it down, his stool is always formed, but a couple times it's been to hard. (Thanks to this gsd forum tho I've become aware of what to look for in ingredients and want to upgrade him to something more benifitial for his health) I've done more comparisons and I'm second guessing the wilderness puppy since it doesnt specify if its got the healthy levels of calcium and phosphorus suposedly needed for large breed puppys? Like suggested I'm just going to have to do trial and error. Pick one and if it doesn't agree with him on to the next one... I am thinking way to much into picking a dog food lol.


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## AngVi (Dec 22, 2012)

I give my puppies "taste of the wild". They love it. There coats are soft and silky and the don't shed to much..beautiful white teeth.
Tried others but nothing was this good. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Ken Clean-Air System (Feb 27, 2012)

The calcium and phosphorus levels of the Blue Wilderness Puppy formula are on my spreadsheet ... It's in a sticky post here. Can't remember off the top of my head what they are, but I believe they are reasonably low.


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## Jackie1GSD (Apr 17, 2013)

I have an 11 week old gsd puppy and I Started feeding her taste of the wild puppy formula at 9 weeks. I had started researching foods prior to bringing her home with us and almost everything I Read was leaning towards grain free foods. This particular brand was on the list recommended by our vet, and it had a puppy formula that was grain free, yet affordable which was hard to find at our pet store. she seems to love it, and i also receive many comments about how shiny and soft she is. 







AngVi said:


> I give my puppies "taste of the wild". They love it. There coats are soft and silky and the don't shed to much..beautiful white teeth.
> Tried others but nothing was this good.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Dukerz (Apr 22, 2013)

Ok, first time posting.. Any opinions on Vital by fresh pet? Kibble seems to give our pup diarrhea and in the 2 days he's been eating the vital I've noticed a big difference. Not as hungry all the time, solid poop and higher energy.. I've been researching for the last few hours and plan on speaking to my vet as well but hoping to nix it quickly if not healthy?


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## Laura Hazelwood (Mar 28, 2013)

Dog food advisor was a helpful for me in reviewing dog foods to choose. I'd recommend checking the website out. To answer your question though, I've never fed Vital to my dogs but based on dog food advisor the rolls are rated a five star food. 
Vital Dog Food | Review and Rating


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## Diesel and Lace (Apr 15, 2013)

I also vote for Taste of the Wild, I like it because not only is it grain free but it uses different protein sources than domestic livestock (IE: Duck, Bison, Venice) My dogs do really well on it and I think the food is fantastic.


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## marbury (Apr 3, 2012)

The vets at my practice debate this no end. One appointment vet only recommends food whose primary ingredient is a grain, which I find singularly odd. I've never heard that recommended before. But his reasoning is that the majority of pet owners don't have active dogs; they have couch potatoes, and feeding Blue Buffalo to a dog whose largest expenditure of energy is the trip from the water bowl to the window is a great way to mess up their systems. Same with EVO and other super high protein diets.

I personally have better results feeding half grain free, high protein food and half 'bulk' food, like Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete & Pro Plan Sport. I have trouble keeping weight on my dogs because we are very active, and the best way I've found to keep from having to bring skeletons in the ring is to have some type of grain in the diet. Personally, raw feeding gives mine occasional loose stool which is a pain if I can't come home at lunch to let the crew out for a potty break. The last thing I want to deal with when I get home from working in a vet clinic cleaning up vomit and diarrhea and blood and pee and anal glands and pus and everything else is to clean three crates, four dogs, and my carpet.

I have a girl with flea allergies that we thought might have a food component. I used to be fanatical about high protein and grain free, raw too... but when I started feeding less expensive foods and my dogs actually looked and performed *better* I jumped off that bandwagon real fast. My pocket book is happier, my dogs are happier and have better stool quality, and I've found other ways to get them the spare stuff I was looking for. I'm big into Apple Cider Vinegar in the drinking water and coconut oil by mouth for a few weeks before a show.

I also used to abhor rawhides because of all the CHOKING HAZARD stuff you read online. Well, guess what... I jumped off that bandwagon too. Now my dogs get rawhides and hooves and their teeth are always beautiful. Raw isn't necessarily the answer, nor is $40 a bag product. I was sucked in and then sucked back out, and I couldn't be happier.


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