# 9 week old puppy food question????



## wilow (Jun 14, 2012)

hiya guys, bit of a long story but need help so please bare with me 

i got my gsd pup 3 weeks ago now she was 9 weeks old, and when i got her the owner was feeding her on cooked tripe 1lb a day and she was solid on it.
when i contacted my vets to arrange for her injections, they advised me to remove her from this and move her over to dry dog food as that is better for her.
so i moved her to chicken and rice and then slowly introduced wain rights over 6 days, and as soon as she was solely on ww she started having the runs.
she was moved back to chicken/rice and was wormed and had worms.
then after a few days i tried introducing bakers into her diet and she was fine while being fed rice/chicken but again as soon as the chicken/rice was out of her diet she had runs again.
she was quiet bad last weekend she was being sick and had runs very bad, so i starved her for rest of that day, and gave her chicken/rice the following day and she firmed up and hasn't bee sick again since.
i contacted the vets and they said she prob ate something in garden that didn't agree with her.
she is due in the vets on Friday for her 2nd injection, im going to speak to the vets about whats happened as Monday when i rang them i couldn't get past the receptionist.
im starting to feel like a fail dog owner now as all i try seem to upset her stomach.
she needs to put weight on as when she was weighed at 10 weeks she was only 4.94kgs but chicken and rice wont give her the nutrition she need and can see she ribs now










she has 4 meals a day at the moment of chicken and rice


can anyone please advise what to feed her etc as i feel so bad for her and am at my wits end









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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

if she does well on a RAW diet then keep her on it. Or if you want to home cook her meals. However, it needs to be balanced. Only tripe or chicken/rice will not give her the proper calcium and protein she needs.

Where are you located at?


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## Rocky's mum (Apr 12, 2012)

Willow, I am inexperienced, but I switched my boy onto Royal Canin Junior at 9 weeks and he has been solid on that ever since. We had a bit of a giardia episode at 4 months and had a bit of chicken and rice and he too lost weight, even though he loved it!

He loves the RC and I'll keep him on that. It's not the cheapest, but it seems to suit. Just my input:hug:


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## Rocky's mum (Apr 12, 2012)

Oops forgot to add its specific GSD food. Royal Canin GS Junior 24


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## wilow (Jun 14, 2012)

im based in u.k in Nottingham.

i would much prefer to keep her on dried food if possible as i've been reading about raw and its so confusing.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

wilow said:


> im based in u.k in Nottingham.
> 
> i would much prefer to keep her on dried food if possible as i've been reading about raw and its so confusing.


Willow, it's a HUGE help to all of us if you go up to the User CP (in the narrow black strip along the top of the screen) and when the window opens on the left of the screen, add your GENERAL location (don't need us knocking on your front door  ). Then is will show up on every one of your posts to the left (like where my Poconos stuff is showing up).

And I'm moving this to the 'feeding my puppy' section, may get more help...


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## obelinux (Jun 19, 2012)

Getting my 9 week pup tomorrow too. How many meals per day is optimal? 

Breeder recommends 300g of Royal Canin Junior through the day over a couple of meals, as well as two small meals ( rice + yoghurt for one and baby cereal for another). What do you think about these meals?

I'm also considering getting him used to ToTW. Not sure if I should go with RC or ToTW


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## lzver (Feb 9, 2012)

Don't feel bad ... When we got our Jake at 8 weeks old, he had chronic diarrhea for over a month. He would do well on a medicated canned food from the vet, but any dry food we tried him on would set us right back. Our vet recommended trying a grain free dry food (we feed Acana Pacifica now) and its better. His poops still aren't perfect because he still picks up everything, but its better and he's growing like a weed now.

I know it can be discouraging, but don't give up. You may have to try a few different foods before you find one your pup does well on. Good luck!


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## wilow (Jun 14, 2012)

thanks for the input.
also thanks for moving to feeding section , saw it after i posted where i did.
have added location as well lol.

we have brought some food by simply, bit expensive but its pure natural stuff. the owner of the shop has a gsd and she feeds her's the same and she told us to try it out for a few weeks and if no good then to take it back and she will give us a full refund, which i thought was very nice of her.

will see how she goes on it, she is at vets tomorrow for her 2nd vacs, micro chip, check up etc so will chat with vet about whats been happening and take it from there.

if this simply food dont work then ill try Royal Canin GS Junior 24


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## 3ToesTonyismydog (Dec 27, 2009)

Royal Canin is as bad a dog food as there is. Terrible, down right awful, don't believe me? Go to any review site and check it out.

This is a huge change in your dogs diet, nothing wrong with feeding real food raw or cooked, just make sure you add some good vitamins. You can get canned pumpkin from any dog food store and that will help with any bad poo issues. Lots of good dog food out there, just make sure at least 2-3 of the ingredients before the first fat or oil contain a meat or meat meal. Here are some of the best dog foods made today, Orijen is the best dog food made today, but you can't go wrong with any of these. Some have puppy food some don't.

Orijen, Acana, Horizon Legacy, Go, Endurance Only., Fromm, Merrick, Precise Holistic, Wellness Core, Castor and Pollux Natural, Ultramix G.F., Earthborn Holistic, Primitive Natural, Evo, Go!, Fit and Free Nature’s Variety Instinct, Pinnacle, Peak Protein Formula, Solid Gold, Timberwolf, Canidea, Pure Elements, Darford Zero/G Dog Food

Best 5-Star Dry Puppy Foods

The Dog Food Project - Ingredients to avoid

The Dog Food Project - Identifying better products


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## obelinux (Jun 19, 2012)

3ToesTonyismydog said:


> Royal Canin is as bad a dog food as there is. Terrible, down right awful, don't believe me? Go to any review site and check it out.
> 
> This is a huge change in your dogs diet, nothing wrong with feeding real food raw or cooked, just make sure you add some good vitamins. You can get canned pumpkin from any dog food store and that will help with any bad poo issues. Lots of good dog food out there, just make sure at least 2-3 of the ingredients before the first fat or oil contain a meat or meat meal. Here are some of the best dog foods made today, Orijen is the best dog food made today, but you can't go wrong with any of these. Some have puppy food some don't.
> 
> ...


The problem for me is I stay in India. The best dog foods available here are Royal Canin and Taste of the Wild. Feeding raw is out of question since my parents are vegetarian and cooking meat at home is a no-no.


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## 3ToesTonyismydog (Dec 27, 2009)

Totw is waaaay better


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## obelinux (Jun 19, 2012)

3ToesTonyismydog said:


> Totw is waaaay better


What i was concerned about was the generally negative feedback about recalls as well as high calcium content in ToTW as mentioned on the forums.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Tony - Royal Canin is ALL some of these folks have available. I'd recommend they feed it rather than try to create a diet out of some of the things available to them. Even some of the worst dog foods out there - _in your opinion_ - have the correct nutritional values for growing puppies. 

Not everyone lives where there is a nice Petco or Petsmart or feed store down the street


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## Rocky's mum (Apr 12, 2012)

Tony,

Are you suggesting I feed my puppy bad food? A little harsh I feel, especially as in the UK there is nothing like the types that you guys get. I researched for MONTHS before I got him and originally special ordered Orijen, but alas...it was too rich and he was very loose with it. RC has been perfect for him. So whilst I applaud your OPINION, that is all it is.

If you see pics of my boy, I'm sure you'll agree it doesn't look like I'm feeding him bad food......


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## wilow (Jun 14, 2012)

well despite whats happened with willow she has put on 2kgs in 2 weeks, she has had her 2nd vacs and am now starting her on the simply dry dog food.

she had a very small amount yesterday and so far so good.

she is back at vets in 2 weeks to be weighed and micro chipped, she was so good in the vets


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## 3ToesTonyismydog (Dec 27, 2009)

Rocky's mum said:


> Tony,
> 
> Are you suggesting I feed my puppy bad food? A little harsh I feel, especially as in the UK there is nothing like the types that you guys get. I researched for MONTHS before I got him and originally special ordered Orijen, but alas...it was too rich and he was very loose with it. RC has been perfect for him. So whilst I applaud your OPINION, that is all it is.
> 
> If you see pics of my boy, I'm sure you'll agree it doesn't look like I'm feeding him bad food......


TOTW had a recall out of Diamonds South Carolina plant. OK, that was not a good thing, but TOTW's ingredient list is one of the best out there and 10 times better than RC. What,,, have you forgotten about all the recalls that RC has had??? You must have, so here is a reminder link.
List of recalls for Pet Food Products from Royal Canin

If I couldn't feed Orijen, and I realize most people won't spend what I do and if I had to pick between RC or TOTW no doubt, I would choose TOTW. Sorry, but RC really isn't a very good dog food. Lets take a look at RC 

Giant breed
Wheat and corn right off the bat, terrible ingredients and both can and do cause issues in dogs. Brewers rice is the whole plant to include the hull and stalk, ugh. dried beet pulp, is whats left over from using the main parts for human use, it is a filler, sometimes used for stiffing stools. rice hulls is the outer shell of the rice plant, nasty stuff and is a cheap filler. sodium silico is a cheap salt and is used in cement additives and the making of glass products. Even vegetable oil is controversial. Look at all the salt and sodium in this crap. I could keep going on, but I think you might get the picture. TOTW has NONE of this type of garbage in their product...

Chicken meal, brewers rice, chicken fat, wheat gluten, corn, natural flavors, dried beet pulp, rice hulls, fish oil, vegetable oil, sodium silico aluminate, potassium phosphate, calcium carbonate, ground psyllium husk, salt, L-lysine, potassium chloride, fructooligosaccharides, hydrolyzed yeast, choline chloride, butyrate, taurine, vitamins [dl-alpha tocopherol (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), biotin, D-calcium panthotenate, vitamin A acetate, niacin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin supplement (vitamin B2), folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], Trace minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite], L-carnitine, marigold extract (Tagetes erecta L.), betacarotene, rosemary extract, preserved with natural tocopherols and citric acid.


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## rooandtree (May 13, 2012)

orijen has been recalled before too..and some puppies died..back in 2010...just a FYI Orijen Dog Food Recall in 2010 | Orijen Puppy Food


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## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

Tony has a God complex, y'all. Ignore him. Your dogs will do just fine and dandy on Royal Canin if it's what you can get in your country (Because Tony doesn't seem to believe that anything outside of the United States and Canada where his precious fish by-product filled Orijen is made, exists) and what you can afford and RC is going to be better for a growing LBP than TOTW.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

ok...This is about a 9 week old puppy that does NOT live in the US and have the variety of dog food available like the US does. Let's keep it on topic to help the OP. 

A 9 week old puppy should never, ever, eat TOTW so that should not even be brought into the conversation. there is way to much calcium in TOTW. They have come out with a puppy formula but I have not heard anything about it. 

As far as the recalls...again...these people do not live in the United States and are not even on the North or South American continents so may not have been affected.


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

Both of the Taste of the Wild puppy formulas are perfectly acceptable for large breed puppies, like GSDs. The High Prairie puppy formula has 1.4% calcium and the Pacific Stream puppy formula has 1.3% calcium, both on an 'as fed' basis. 

On an unrelated note, I'd like to remind certain participating posters of the sticky that JeanKBBMMMAAN posted in the Diet and Nutrition forum just a couple weeks ago. You can read it here if you have forgotten: http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...trition-section-info-no-tolerance-policy.html . Can we please stay on topic and conduct ourselves like adults?


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

hmmmm...I thought LBP was supposed to be no higher than 1.1%?


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

The whole issue of calcium content is very debatable. Most of the studies that I have seen recommend below 1.6% GA which can usually end up actually being higher on an 'as fed' basis. The super low numbers, 1.1% and below are usually mentioned in association with truely giant breeds like Great Danes, St. Bernard's and the like.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

that makes sense. They never define what "large" breed is. I'm also assuming there is a bit of tolerance there as well.


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## dylano (Jul 6, 2012)

Hi, my pups been on james wellbeloved fish and rice since ive got him, he eats but not as much as he should do. Ive spoken to the vet and hes said as long as hes eating and looks/seems healthy then its fine 

one thing feeding bakers or pedigree to your dog is like taaking it to mc donalds every day. Try james wellbeloved. it is more expensive but its one of the better foods


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## 4TheDawgies (Apr 2, 2011)

I wanted to chime in and say, that while I am huge on feeding dogs foods that are top quality. I will say that if all that is available to this dog is RC or an unbalanced raw diet. I would recommend the dog stay on RC. 

My dog growing up ate moist and meaty with pedigree dog food until she got lymphoma at the age of 15 years old. 

If that is all thats available, RC is a much better dog food than both pedigree and moist and meaty, and especially Ol'Roy..

Maybe the OP can feed RC until the Calcium levels and Calclium/ Phospherous ratios are less important once the dog is done growing.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Home - James WellBeloved

those foods don't look to bad


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## obelinux (Jun 19, 2012)

I talked to the ToTW distributor. 

These are the formulas he has. 

NATURAL PET

He recommends the Wetlands formula till 5 months of age. Now what confuses me is the 2.1% Calcium and 1.4% Phosphorous mentioned in the above link which also says 'As Fed'. What does it mean, and is it good/bad for the puppy. 

THanks a ton.


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## obelinux (Jun 19, 2012)

The link I posted in my previous post shows that he has only the adult formula. Is the adult formula okay for a 10 week puppy? Still confused between ToTW and RC, and more so puppy and adult formula


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

obelinux said:


> I talked to the ToTW distributor.
> 
> These are the formulas he has.
> 
> ...





obelinux said:


> The link I posted in my previous post shows that he has only the adult formula. Is the adult formula okay for a 10 week puppy? Still confused between ToTW and RC, and more so puppy and adult formula


NOOOOOO. that is way to much calcium! TOTW adult varieties are not to be fed to puppies. Many threads on there with people who have contacted the company directly and the company has said not to feed it to puppies.

they have come out with a new puppy formula but what you posted was not it.


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## obelinux (Jun 19, 2012)

Thanks Michelle, 

I called the ToTW office right now, and they recommend either Pacific Stream or just the regular large breed puppy formula I'm using right now. I'll go check with my vet too, though quality of vets in this country is not really that good.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

There have been a couple of people on here that had nice puppies from good breeders who fed TOTW (all life stages) and the puppies legs were a mess...bad, bad, mess. IMO, any of the TOTW all life stages should never be fed to a puppy. 

What is the LBP food you are feeding right now? Royal Canine? That seems to be the main food in India.


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## obelinux (Jun 19, 2012)

Jax08 said:


> There have been a couple of people on here that had nice puppies from good breeders who fed TOTW (all life stages) and the puppies legs were a mess...bad, bad, mess. IMO, any of the TOTW all life stages should never be fed to a puppy.
> 
> What is the LBP food you are feeding right now? Royal Canine? That seems to be the main food in India.


I'm on Royal Canin Maxi Starter slowly moving him to the GSD puppy food. As you say, that's the best available option right now . As much as I'd like to try out ToTW, I see no point if it'll end up being a risk for my puppy.


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