Seen a few adverts for Challenge, anybody tried it, did the dogs like it, is it good  value for money?

I tried my puppy on it, he wasn't impressed. It was a very small kibble though and he is a large breed. The smell was gorgeous, I could have eaten it myself. I know someone who reared a litter on it with great results.

I started using the 26% protein variety about three months ago and so far have been impressed with the results. The young bitches are at their ideal weights with beautiful coats, the old lady is keeping weight on well and everyone scarfs it down eagerly, and the output is nice and firm. My boy who has a corn allergy has had his pink tum clear up nicely. The orders have been despatched very quickly too, and I haven't had the supply issues that i had when feeding imported foods.

My folks use this with Shelties. Dogs love it and are looking really good on it so everyone's happy. It is a small kibble but I have no idea if it comes in different sizes.

I have been using it for all of mine since it first came out. Have weaned a litter on it and feed 10 dogs ranging from 15 weeks to 12 years. I am very impressed and  highly recommend it. I feed the Salmon and Potato Adult  and the Salmon and Rice Puppy

Diane

Hi Kenya, I think there was another thread on this not so long ago, hopefully it would come up in a search :-) (Sorry, despite excellent 'Links for Dummies' advice, I've still not mastered them!!)

I haven't personally tried Challenge but the breeder of one of my dogs swears by it - she's a very well respected show breeder as well. Mine do really well on AG but if I ever needed an alternative I would look at Challenge.

Thanks, have arranged to try some samples on my Danes, need a low protein but a high fat content.

I've been feeding it for a few months now and after a very worrying time with my post pup bitch losing a lot of condition, I am pleased to say she is once again blooming on the Challenge food as is her 9 month old daughter.
Sharon Pinkerton, who developed it is very approachable and will give good advice.

Hi i am wondering if the garlic and herb one would be ok for a 13 wk old dane puppy the protein is 22% i have been told to get her a lower protein food due to her knees buckling i think that is what the person called it

so if anyone knows could they tell me

Thanks

Feeding large breed puppies is such a specialist subject I would be asking the breeder for advise.  Is there any reason why you want to change from what they have advised you to do so far?

> Hi i am wondering if the garlic and herb one would be ok for a 13 wk old dane puppy the protein is 22% i have been told to get her a lower protein food due to her knees buckling i think that is what the person called it

Personaly I would NOT go against the breeders diet advice (I've done that and was very lucky not to have caused permenant damage), the breeder should know what diet suits thier lines best and should be the first port of call if you notice any unusual growth problems (turning in/out of the feet/elbows, going down on pasterns etc.. if not caused by trauma/injury - if in doubt see a vet) as they will be able to offer advice to rectify the problem (that's assuming they are experienced & knowledgable with the breed).
If your pups knees are buckling allready (if the breeder hasn't allready advised you) please see a vet, who I'm sure will recomend an adult food combined with weight monitoring of the pup after ruling out any physical reason for it.

> Hi i am wondering if the garlic and herb one would be ok for a 13 wk old dane puppy the protein is 22% i have been told to get her a lower protein food due to her knees buckling i think that is what the person called it

as said earlier if you are concerned contact your breeder, or your vet if they have experience in giant breeds.
who told you that your puppies knees were buckling? was it someone who knows about danes?
Firstly yes they need to be on a low protein diet, excessive growth in a dane can cause problems, however just because your puppy seems gangley and out of proportion at the moment does not mean
his knees are buckling.
What you need to remember to get to where your puppy is now he has done a LOT of growing and still has a long way to go to where he will end up.
One day your dane will be the right weight the next he will look skinny this is due to natural growth spurts.
If you are concerned go to your vet, its not usually much for a check up, also i would reccommend joining a breed club and go for a nose around some open shows, there will be dane people there
who will be only too happy to have a nosey around a new pup and give you sound advice

Hi everyone thanks for the advice
the breeder was feeding wagg and rc giant breed puppy so we decided to continue with the rc food

we took her to the vets last monday to get her last vaccination and to get her mirco chipped and we wanted to ask the vet (the vet who has dealt with this litter our girl is from the breeder told us to continue with him so we did ) about her legs because she had been leaning on them on her tippe toes and they shook when she was sitting as if she was leaning on them heavy

he told us that her leg bones where growing at different rates and to keep an eye on her because if its still like this by 6 mths she will need an operation (he explained the type that he would prefer to do at around 6 mths and if we left it longer after she was 6 mths she will have a different type which he didnt want to do because the success rate for that type wasn't great

i was told that the rc had to much protein and that is why this is happening to her ??
i will speak to the breeder today and i will explain it all to him also and i have spoke to other breeders about this too!!

Her parents are both in the ring and i go to show all the time to show my other breed so i will also ask other breeder/showers of danes there advice too

Thank you everyone

the r.c will be fine for him as long as its for puppy. just let your vet keep an eye out if he does actually think its a problem.

> he told us that her leg bones where growing at different rates and to keep an eye on her because if its still like this by 6 mths she will need an operation (he explained the type that he would prefer to do at around 6 mths and if we left it longer after she was 6 mths she will have a different type which he didnt want to do because the success rate for that type wasn't great
>

Please bear in mind that  great Dane puppys bones will not have finished growing by 6 months old.

When the bones of one limb grow at different rates, it makes the limb twist/turn/bend out in the wrong direction. The surgery to correct this requires a section of the longer bone cut away. My pup had this problem on 1 front leg, the vet said pup would need surgery, the breeder said do not have him opperated on untill the bones have finished growing, or if really needed not before 9 months (largest part of bone growth over with by then). In the mean time pup's diet was changed to adult food (vets & breeders recomendation) and the problem started to rectify it self, pup has not had surgery for this and will not need it.

I know I said listen to your breeder, but I'm very suprised that a breeder of Grate Danes uses puppy food in the first place. I personally would switch to the adult variety.

>> I know I said listen to your breeder, but I'm very suprised that a breeder of Grate Danes uses puppy food in the first place. I personally would switch to the adult variety.

it should be fine if its the breed specific food. i wouldnt reccommend adult food.

That is the same surgery that the vet explained he wanted to do on her at 6 mths he didn't want to do this after she was 6 mths i am getting very confused now
i did tell him we will bring her back in 6 wks as i want him to keep an eye on her

yes breeder definally said puppy food

i was told to change her too burgess supadog sensitive which we got her today i was going to slowly change her over to this food,  we were told that its low protein but very good ingredients which will suit her and that within a few wks of eating this she would be better as in alot less knuckle showing (if i have explained that properly) this was by breeders of great danes and they show there danes and said this food was great for growing puppies
so should i not do this now

> i was told to change her too burgess supadog sensitive which we got her today i was going to slowly change her over to this food,  we were told that its low protein but very good ingredients which will suit her and that within a few wks of eating this she would be better
>this was by breeders of great danes
>so should i not do this now

Yes.
I found within a matter of weeks that the problems were sorting out. :)

saoirse,
Has you pup had xrays taken & checked by a specialist to confirm that it is actually a difference in bone growth causing the knees to 'buckle'?
I'm just wondering as before my pup had xrays (then xrays checked by an orthapedic specialist) to confirm his twisted leg was caused by diferent rates of bone growth, the vet thought it could be just loose ligiments (Giant breeds can go can go through 'floppy' phases of growth where the ligaments grow before the bones catch up, thought to be contributed to by high protein intake (high protein being above mid 20's % wise)). With the loose ligaments it's a case of very gentle exercise (ie, 5 min lead walk per day) and just time - time for the growth to even out.

hi mastifflover
no the vet didnt do x-rays he just felt her legs and pulled them straight kind a thing

i will ask for x-rays if you think  i should as i am bringing her back in 5 wks time!!

we have only brought her out for 10 mins in mornings and the same at night on the lead as she has only just had her last vaccination
she has been having as much free play as she wants though!!

> i will ask for x-rays if you think  i should as i am bringing her back in 5 wks time!!
>

My pup was xrayed because he had a limp (not on the twisted leg) and he had trouble walking, he was 'floppy' all over and it looked like he had bad HD and could just about manage to walk 4 yards, so everything was xrayed and a specialist checked the xrays, that's when it was confirmed his bones were growing at different rates in the 'twisted' leg. The limp turned out to be elbow displasia in 1 leg and there was nothing wrong with his hips, his awfull walking was due to him being too 'floppy'. The new diet, gentle exrecise and time sorted everything out, he still has the ED, but it looks like we will avoid the need to have that opperated on :) Pup was just over 5 months old when he had the xrays, he's 19 months old now and you would never believe it's the same dog that was nearly crippled as a pup, in fact after a couple of months on his new diet he was a completely different pup and he's just continued improving from there :)

It's really up to you weather you have pup xrayed yet or not, but as the vet is sure it's different rates of bone growth (as opposed to an injury) then, personally, I would wait and see what happens on the new diet.

Thank you
i think i will wait as i am very careful of what she is and isn't allowed to do as we have children so no jumping and no going up steps and things like that i am very over protective lol plus she has to be good around my toy breed so no goofing about unless its play time (i hope this doesn't sound too harsh to you all)

so i definally no its not an injury as the vet asked this

hopefully the new diet works

thanks again

> (i hope this doesn't sound too harsh to you all)
>

LOL, sounds just like the rules I had for my pup, but I don't have toy breeds. I lost my old dog 6 months ago, but while he was with us 'doggy playtime' was strictly only in the garden :)

> no jumping and no going up steps and things like that i am very over protective lol plus she has to be good around my toy breed so no goofing about unless its play time (i hope this doesn't sound too harsh to you all)
>

Not at all.  Young dogs need boundaries and it's so much easier to relax the rules as they get older/more sensible/better trained than it is to give them full freedom as tiny puppies and only later find out it's a mistake.

I hope the diet you choose works out OK for you.  Once you've chosen the best food content for your breed then it's just a matter of taste - mine just don't like the flavour of Challenge but Arden Grange gets eaten at speed!!