# WOW!!! There is no answer



## trouble (Oct 29, 2005)

Okay, I've spent quite a bit of time trying to find an answer to the question "What should I feed my puppy?" The only answer I have found helpful is to find a food that has high quality (meat) protein for its first few ingredients. After that, y'all can't agree on a brand. One person likes this one, somebody else says its too high in protein. He then states the he feeds a different brand which somebody else says is too high in calcium. 

My head is spinning and my puppy's poop is runny. I think I'll buy a small bag of every TOP quality food and see which he does best on...heck, I can't do that because its not good to switch their food so often.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Everyone has a different opinion. We aren't all going to agree on things. 

Some people dont feed puppy food, some do.

Some people feed "cheaper" brands, some spend lots of money.

Some people feed once a day, some feed twice and some feed three times a day.


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## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

I agree it isn't easy making that decision. There are several good brands to choose from and some dogs do well on some and not others which is why you see the disparity in responses. Pick a quality food and see how your pup does on it and go from there.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

There is no _one_ best food for all dogs. That's why you're not getting a definitive answer.


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## ahazra (Aug 20, 2010)

What does your vet say ? My vet told me bluntly that there are lots of forums like this one on the net with people of different opinions and experience levels. The folks posting on this forum are dog lovers (like myself) and not necessarily practicing vets. So, I would first and foremost follow the suggestion of a vet that I can trust and then experiment slowly based on the plethora of advice available on this forum.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

trouble said:


> One person likes this one, somebody else says its too high in protein. He then states the he feeds a different brand which somebody else says is too high in calcium..


i think there is a pretty good consensus on this board that the higher protein is not a problem. the problem lies in many of the higher protein kibbles having Ca levels that are too high....but, the high protein in itself is not a problem.

there can never be total agreement on any one food, as different foods work better for different dogs.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

ahazra said:


> What does your vet say ? My vet told me bluntly that there are lots of forums like this one on the net with people of different opinions and experience levels. The folks posting on this forum are dog lovers (like myself) and not necessarily practicing vets. So, I would first and foremost follow the suggestion of a vet that I can trust and then experiment slowly based on the plethora of advice available on this forum.


 
a vet is the very last place i would recommend anyone go for advice on dog food. contrary to what would seem logical, vets have VERY little knowledge on canine nutrition and it is not something that they spend any significant time learning about in vet school.

i cant even count the number of times people come on different forums saying their vet recommneded Science Diet or Purina, or told them that high protein is bad for their dog.....its dumbfounding how little (most of them) know about whats even in the marketplace.

medical issues-yes
food advice-no thanks


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## vat (Jul 23, 2010)

ahazra said:


> What does your vet say ? My vet told me bluntly that there are lots of forums like this one on the net with people of different opinions and experience levels. The folks posting on this forum are dog lovers (like myself) and not necessarily practicing vets. So, I would first and foremost follow the suggestion of a vet that I can trust and then experiment slowly based on the plethora of advice available on this forum.


I would not ask a vet about what to feed my dog. They learn very little on pet nutrient and what they do is sponsored by Hills or Purina. Most vets will try to get you to feed Hills which is the biggest crap. My vet wanted to kill my kidney dog with his diet.

None of us can tell you what to feed your dog, we can only give you knowledge to help you make a educated decision. You must realize that all dogs are a bit different and what works for one may not for another. However you should be able to walk into the store feeling like you at least understand how to read the label and give one a try. Allot of stores will also have samples, maybe you can grab a few. Believe me I am sure that most here learned the same way I did. Trial and error, research and reading lots of information and talking to others, just the way you are doing now.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

ahazra said:


> What does your vet say ? My vet told me bluntly that there are lots of forums like this one on the net with people of different opinions and experience levels. The folks posting on this forum are dog lovers (like myself) and not necessarily practicing vets. So, I would first and foremost follow the suggestion of a vet that I can trust and then experiment slowly based on the plethora of advice available on this forum.


Vets are the last ones I would take advice from on nutrition. They will without a doubt suggest Science diet. 
If it were a holistic vet, then I may listen to what they have to say, but make my own choice based on my own research.


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## JustMeLeslie (Sep 15, 2010)

Everyone is absolutely right about a vet's advice. Do your own research and come to your own conclusion about which food is right for your puppy. If a vet recommends Science Diet or Purina more than likely he/she is being paid to push those foods to their patients. One of our vets used to try to push Science Diet and our dogs did horrible on it. They hated that brand and so did our cats. Go to a pet store or feed store and get opinions. Read others opinions and take a fair medium. If lots are recommending the same brands then make a list and try them out and if those don't do it go to the next on the list. If you try one food and it doesn't work out then slowly mix in a new bag of something else until you find the right one.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

trouble said:


> Okay, I've spent quite a bit of time trying to find an answer to the question "What should I feed my puppy?" The only answer I have found helpful is to find a food that has high quality (meat) protein for its first few ingredients. After that, y'all can't agree on a brand. One person likes this one, somebody else says its too high in protein. He then states the he feeds a different brand which somebody else says is too high in calcium.
> 
> My head is spinning and my puppy's poop is runny. I think I'll buy a small bag of every TOP quality food and see which he does best on...heck, I can't do that because its not good to switch their food so often.


You got it! :wild:

We will never all agree on this food thing. So you read it all and then find the best food you feel comfortable feeding at the price you can afford.

And your puppy will be just fine.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

make sure your dog is healthy. maybe your dog needs a Vet
check up. if you go to the Vet take a stool and urine sample.
you might have to switch foods a few times
before finding what works.

i'm always switching brands of kibble and can. my dog is 3 yrs. old.



trouble said:


> My head is spinning and my puppy's poop is runny. I think I'll buy a small bag of every TOP quality food and see which he does best on...heck, I can't do that because its not good to switch their food so often.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

roxy84 said:


> a vet is the very last place i would recommend anyone go for advice on dog food. contrary to what would seem logical, vets have VERY little knowledge on canine nutrition and it is not something that they spend any significant time learning about in vet school.
> 
> i cant even count the number of times people come on different forums saying their vet recommneded Science Diet or Purina, or told them that high protein is bad for their dog.....its dumbfounding how little (most of them) know about whats even in the marketplace.
> 
> ...


I agree! My Vet pushes Science Diet


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

I would also like to point out that my Vet misdiagnosed my GSD. She thought he was having an allergic reaction to his kibble, people on here were saying it was Demodex Mange and the Vet said "no it isn't, Mange doesn't start on the face." WRONG it sure as heck does! I demanded a skin scrape be done and SURPRISE he had Demodex Mange.


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## ShenzisMom (Apr 27, 2010)

Gosh, LaRen maybe its time to find a different vet... 

My vet is great. I've been with him for ages and he doesnt push food on anyone, doesnt even have it in his clinic. Told me RC was horrbile, asked him what he thought was a good food, and he told me to do my research and see what I think is best.

So, TOTW. 

I would like to add that the only reason he told me to do my own research is because he knows how devoted I am to my animals after working with him for 10+ years and trusts my judgement.(Yes, I was 11 when I started bringing my lovebirds to him for checkups/trims...)


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

Yes, there are lots of different opinions. The ONE THING you HAVE to be careful with with puppies is the Ca and P levels. This can be detrimental to the development of large breed puppies. Dont' mess around with this one. The ONLY grain free foods that will be OK for you puppy at this time is Orijen and Natural Balance. I am not aware of any others that have Ca and P levels that are OK for a large breed dog under a year.

Other than that, there are dozens and dozens of good grain free or high quality grain foods out there. You just need to find one that works for your dog. That's the great thing about these boards...you get to hear many different peoples' experience and opinions of different brands.


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## ahazra (Aug 20, 2010)

wow..I guess I can say I'm in the minority here..Our vet does not push any specific brands. He does a good job of mentioning what ingredients to look for or avoid in the label.


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## Myamom (Oct 10, 2005)

here are some good sites to help you research:







DogAware.com: Diet & Health Info for Man's Best Friend

The Dog Food Project - How does your Dog Food Brand compare?

Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble

Pet Food information, manufacturers, products, ingredients, cat, dog, pet food.


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## BluePaws (Aug 19, 2010)

I'm starting to research puppy foods for a new pup that I dont even have yet, and I have to agree with one thing - unless your vet is familiar with your breed and nutrition specifically, dont count on them for good advice. I love my vet for just about anything else, but they actually told me "It doesnt really matter" when I asked about dog food for my last GSD (before she ended up on prescription Z/D Ultra by a specialist). 
Research, trial and error, and more research is the only way I think you'll get your answer as to what's best for YOUR dog. 

What's your budget? How far are you willing to travel to buy your dog food (even if the weather is bad, or if that one store is out of stock - is there another store you can go to to buy it? Problems I've run in to ... *grin*)


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## CaseysGSD (Oct 15, 2010)

I know exactly how you felt, but fortuntly for me my puppy picked which one to go with, we switched very slowly and she was on 3 diffrent foods (one from the breeder and 2 from me) and runny poo all around. In the end we went to premade raw patties and I knew the first day this is what she chose, always excited to eat and never a runny poo in sight again!

I think if you are willing to go with a quality food, while everyone has their personal pros and cons your still doing the right thing, While I'm sure I might catch grief for this but if you are at 100% runny poo you can do the switch over a bit faster cause it can't get anyworse but do give your pup a bit of time on the new food before you rule it out because it will need to adjust. I also did 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree (I found a store that roasts their own so I buy a few pounds of it and freeze because the canned stuff never worked for me) mixed with 1 teaspoon of greek yougert once a day and it really helped her tummy while we were looking for what works...

Hope you get there (I'm sure you will!)


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## vukc (Dec 22, 2009)

Hi everyone,

If we all agree that protein content does not matter for GSD's and are more concerned about levels of Calcium and Phosphorus in the kibble. Could then somebody tell me what are the acceptable levels (from - to) of Calcium and Phosphorus in the 5-6 star rated kibble for a GSD puppy and GSD adult?


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