What brand of food did you feed your puppy?

I read the great food 101 thread on here and was just curious what everyone fed their puppies and how was it. And if you had any suggestions. I'm not getting a puppy for about several months so I still have time to research
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Comments

  • edited November -1
    Both my pups started on Orijen puppy. They loved it and it worked well. We now use Ionnova EVO small red meat bites, plus some home cooking :)
  • edited November -1
    Solid Gold hundchen flocken. It's a good food, but my Shiba was having some health issues around 9 months, so I eventaully switched to grain free. Went on to Ziwi Peak 1st, but like with the lamb in Solid Gold, the venison/tripe proved too rich for this particular dog. Switched again to Orijen 6 fish adult with the most improvement in health. I think for the next pup I will do a home prepared diet with Orijen puppy or a similar grain free fish based diet.
  • edited November -1
    Joey came to me from the breeder eating Eukanuba small breed puppy (YUCK!). I immediately transitioned him to Orijen puppy, but he started having soft stool a few weeks later that we couldn't clear up with probiotics, so I finally (after trying two different Solid Gold variants that I don't recall) put him on TOTW Pacific Stream formula which he was on until around 8 month old. Then I switched him to Orijen 6 fish as his adult food.
  • edited May 2009
    I feed both of my pups Solid Gold Barking at the Moon. It has done wonders for Bella (my older Shiba) who has grain allergies. And Nola seems to enjoy it just as much.

    However, keep in mind that food that works for one pup may not work for another. So once you do get your puppy, you may have to change foods a time or two to make sure it works for him/her.
  • edited November -1
    wellness for puppies, with half a pump of Grizzlie's Salmon oil, and either a little bit of the wellness wet or some boiled chicken or ground beef.
  • edited November -1
    right now im transferring from Purina puppy chow to Blue Buffalo Puppy Lamb+Rice, later I'll probably switch again. :P
  • edited November -1
    wellness and eagle pack hollistic for now.
  • edited November -1
    Wellness puppy mixed with some nutro: natural choice (to keep them from reacting to it as this is what my family feed their dogs). Tetsu can easily get the runs from eating other kinds of dog foods, especially wet, so I periodically give him white rice as well to help with that.
  • edited November -1
    Have no idea what Ichi came with, but we transitioned him off to Orijen Puppy for 3 months (stinky farts), then Innova EVO small bites for one month (cured the stinky gas), then Orijen 6 Fresh Fish at 6-8 months old. He's currently on Before B.G. Grain Salmon this month, and we'll be trying Acana or Wellness CORE next month.

    Jesse
  • edited November -1
    while were on this topic, what are some natural and healthy ways to improve your puppies appetite?

    i was lucky that kelly didnt have any appetite problems, she used to scarf everything down within minutes. but now that shes older i do have some problems with getting her to eat.
  • edited May 2009
    I feed Mika Orijen Puppy and Canidae All-Life Stages. I routinely switch these out every couple of months and then throw in some treats and home-cooking here and there. She seems to be extremely healthy and correct weight, height, etc. Her coat is also very shiny.

    As a comparison for those new to this vast dog food universe (as I was a few months ago), my friend has a male Shiba and he doesn't "believe" that one dog food is better than the other. "It is just dog food," he says. I have tried to explain the major differences between say Orijen and Beneful (who has corn on their bag!) but he doesn't seem to care and always go for the cheapest food available. Nevertheless, he has agreed with me that there are noticeable differences between our Shibas. For one, the shininess, thickness and texture of Mika's coat simply looks better than Ezo's (friend's dog). Also, Ezo has lots of vomiting problems after eating and he frequently burps and farts, as if he isn't digesting good. Mika has experienced none of this except minor burping from eating fast and a SBD fart from time to time, haha.

    I understand some people have a price budget but I have always taken my dog ownership more seriously than most of my friends, whether it is justified or not. So, naturally I go the extra mile and sacrifice something I probably don't need each month in order to buy Mika the more expensive dog food. I just wish that everyone would at least realize that there IS a difference and they should consider that when making their decision. Luckily, you're already on this knowledgeable forum then you're already on the right track :)

    http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com is a good site that reviews and compares dog foods with an easy to use rating system as well as in-depth information on the ingredients and what they mean. Good luck on your choice of dog food and I hope I have helped at least two cents worth, haha.
  • edited November -1
    I feed Bella my boxer Wellness puppy food she loves the food and after awhile I switched dinky from beneful to wellness core and she has stoped vomiting her food.

    Once Bella is an adult I'll probably feed her wellness core ocean and do a rotation of Innova EVO Red Meat if it sits well with her if not I'll try another type of food I kinda like the idea of rotation makes sense so I'll try it.
  • edited November -1
    About Kelly's appetite, it does change as they grow older. Do you exercise her before mealtime? That would improve her appetite!
  • edited May 2009
    Exercise before meals, timed feedings (after 10 min, the food is taken away), and even some quick clicker training before the meal my dog's appetite.

    Lindsay wrote:
    "Solid Gold hundchen flocken...."

    Which, reading first thing in the morning, looks like, "Solid Gold human flocken..." Oy, what a wake-up call.

    Jesse
  • edited November -1
    Honestly, as long as she isn't losing weight I wouldn't push the issue. She knows when she's hungry a lot better than you do ;)
  • edited May 2009
    As puppies:

    Lynx - I fed her Natural balance & Bon Chien Raw Dog Diet.

    Shoushuu ("Kei") - While still in Japan, he ate Science Diet. However, when we came home I switched him to Evo.

    Kotomi - She was fed Science Diet while we were in Japan. Once we came home I switched her to Evo. About a month later I then switched to Wellness Core & Taste of the Wild.

    All my puppies were/are fed adult dog food. I never feed "puppy formulated" kibble.
  • edited November -1
    Why is that Corina?
  • edited November -1
    Opps, didn't mean to put that in all caps (*fixed).

    I don't feed puppies "puppy formula" because I believe that they really don't need it. My experience has been that "puppy food" is too rich in nutrients and can cause problems within certain breeds or mixes. I don't want my puppies to grow faster then should. I want them to grow slow and gradual. The adult dog food usually provides a puppy with everything he or she requires. I also feed other food sources aside from kibble and I'll supplement nutrient or give "extras" when or if needed.

    I believe the vast majority of pups don't need any "extras" of anything. Another then consuming more quanities of food then an adult dog. That's just been my experience though.

    This is what I practice. However, everyone should feed whichever formula works best for their puppy. I wouldn't worry so much as long as one is feeding a "high quality" & "grain-free" brand.
  • edited November -1
    I feed my puppy Orijen puppy kibble and yes, she does have some smelly farts but I know its good for her, her coat is shiny and has no problem eating it.
    I sometimes mix in some canned Halo Chicken Stew with the dry kibble and wow, she loves it.

    When shes older, i'll likely transition over to Orijen Adult kibble...unless, someone can convince me there is something better lol
  • edited November -1
    Ha ha, that would mean "human flakes". Gross.

    Corina, I have thought of doing that with pups-the foods are so nutritious now that I wonder if that couldn't actually cause tendon stretching, etc due to too rapid growth. "Puppy" formulas are a relatively new concept anyways, as long as the food is complete, I wouldn't see an issue with it.
  • edited November -1
    I've heard of people with dogs like Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds keeping to a regiment like that, since these does can have some major issues if grown to fast. People who want a really big Dane would feed them a lot to get them big fast, at the risk of giving the dog a small heart and a very short life span. True Dane lovers don't generally give puppy chow, doing what they can to regulate and slow the growth of the dog. They get a smaller Dane, but the dog doesn't have the lifespan of a guinea pig.
  • edited November -1
    Most times its not the nutrient issues in the puppy food, but protein/calcium/phosphorous/calorie ratios that make the difference. There are many large breed owners I know that keep their dog (like a mastiff) on puppy food for the first two years before switching to an adult formula.
  • edited November -1
    Maybe this would depend more on the breed or size of dog, if deciding to do puppy chow or feed adult food to a pup, and if working or not working? And it would depend on the food and the individual dog.
  • edited November -1
    Calcium concerns should apply to every dog.

    I'm reading more and more about how protein doesn't have the effect on developing large breeds as once believed.
    http://www.regalwise.com/health/optimal_feeding.htm

    I think in the case of smaller-medium breeds, an All Life Stages food is appropriate, or a puppy food with DHA for the first 6 or so months. Larger breeds need much more support in growth and good large breed puppy formulas are designed to support it. Yet, puppies of all sizes can't regulate how much calcium they absorb. So while it's always geared towards large and giant breeds for growth issues calcium could cause an issue for any puppy.

    Puppies need a minimum of 2,000 mg (2 g) of calicum per 1000 Kcals consumed with a maximum of 4,500 mg (4.5 g) per 1,000 Kcals consumed.
    Studies have indicated large breed puppies fed in excess of 4.5 g of calcium per 1000 calories consumed were more likely to develop orthopedic problems. The National Research Council in their book Nutrient Requirements for Dogs and Cats states that all puppies should eat a diet that is less than 4.5 grams of calcium per 1000 Calories.

    More sources:
    http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/134/8/2151S
    https://www.msu.edu/~silvar/hips.htm
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12421852
  • edited November -1
    I agree with Jen.
    Especially with large/giant breeds you need to be very careful with calcium, and protein level.
    Too much protein will lead to an over developed muscle mass and stress the growing bones. Too much calcium will consolidate bones too early.

    (off topic: this is my main issue with Orijen puppy large and with its 6 star rating)
  • edited November -1
    Is it the protein in orijen puppy?
  • edited May 2009
    Yeah, and even the calcium is a bit to much, if I remember it correctly.
  • edited November -1
    Hmm, what does Brad feed Luytiy and Masha again?
  • edited November -1
    per their site:
    Orijen Large Breed Puppy
    Calcium (min.) 1.4%
    Calcium (max.) 1.6%
    Phosphorus (min.) 1.1%
    Phosphorus (max.) 1.3%

    CALORIE CONTENT & DISTRIBUTION - 4200 kcal/kg (483 kcal per 250ml cup)


    What do you (with larger breeds) think of a food like Solid Gold Wolf Cub?
  • edited November -1
    For some reason, last night during club training...we started talking about "dog food brands".

    I guess there were 3 people who fed the cheaper stuff - "Kirkland (costco brand)", "Iams" & "Purina: ProPlan".

    The other 2 people there with German Shepherds & Rottweilers both fed "Orijin". The Rottweiler person kept her pups on "Orijin Puppy" until 8 months, then switched to the adult formula.

    The German Shepherd person feeds her 6 month old pup "1/2 Orijin Puppy" & "1/2 Orijin regular (or adult)" per meal.

    Anyways, thought that was interesting. Seeing how I'm usually a fan of "mixtures & combinations".
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