Hi,

I hope to be collecting new pup next week but am unsure of the best food for him. We fed the others on CSJ Puppy/champ but I’m unsure of the calcium content. Puppy calcium seems high (from what I’ve read here) and Little Champ doesn’t show content.

I’d be grateful for recommendations. CSJ is great value dog food but I’d rather get the right balance regarding quality/price whilst maintaining a steady growth rate.

Thanks

What is the breeder feeding the puppies? I would be really disappointed if the first thing one of my puppy buyers did was change the food that the pup has been used to. If you are buying from an experienced breeder he/she will know what suits their pups in relation to growth and bone development and you shouldn’t need to make changes.

Hi,

Thanks for your reply goldenmum. I actually don't yet know which food the breeder is using, and have no intention of changing straight away, but if its compositionally good then I will continue use.

Failing that, id still like to know what other, more experienced owners, would recommend.
My older boy suffered quite severe elbow dysplasia from a young age so i'm quite keen to get it right in terms of diet.

> I would be really disappointed if the first thing one of my puppy buyers did was change the food that the pup has been used to.

I'd be more than 'disappointed'.   Frustrated more like..... I once sold a puppy, complete with diet sheet and a small amount of the food I'd been using, as usual, to a buyer who, taking the puppy to her vet as advised, had him 'rubbish' my diet sheet and change it all.   Boy was I furious.  It wasn't as if this was my first litter by any means.

So....no recommendations as to what food you choose for your litters?

I think I already stated that I have no intention of changing food (straight away, or at all) I just asked what food others might recommend, based on personal experience, for a large/giant breed puppy.

Each breed is different. I dont like any kibble with too much protein for giant breeds. You want them to grow slowly.
I feed arden grange large breed kibble for pups. Or move onto a raw food diet.

I would take info from the breeder and if its a good food keep them on it

Thank you Cambria, that is helpful.

I fully intend to stick with the breeders choice if it is a good quality food, which I'm hopeful it will be.

I have only just started looking it in, and have come across info that suggests that calcium and vitamin D are also ingredients that need to be looked at. Like you, I was of a mind that too much protein was the key offender in puppy food with a larger breed.

Plus there is so much debate on raw food vs kibble I thought there might be a consensus of what is considered good quality. Arden Grange pops up a lot in forum threads  that I've read :)

The trouble is recommending a specific food is it's virtually impossible.   Especially given all the choice these days.   On that basis alone, I'd go with the breeder's recommendation, at least initially.    With my slow-maturing main breed, I didn't like to use anything with a protein level of much over 28%, if that.   And I certainly didn't go for any of the current breed-specific food one major brand proiduces.   The only difference in any case, is, usually, the size of the kibble pieces.   If you use something too high in protein with big breeds, you risk forcing growth which alone can lead to problems later on.   The boy of my breed I bought in had been reared on a well-known brand with a protein level of 32%.   He was huge at 4 months and lame by 8 months with growth plate problems, ulna both sides, for starters.   Lovely puppy, with so many things wrong with him it made me weep.   And what he's cost us over the almost 9 years we've had him I can't look at.    Last year he had further front to back x-ray after he was again experiencing bouts of lameness, showing he has subluxation of the hips, and other spinal problems that make me wonder how he's mobile at all.   He's on Metacam and has been since then, and will be as long as he continues to tolerate it.  Yes, he might have had these problems genetically of course, but I have no doubt in my mind that the main cause of how he is now, was incorrect food at the outset.

Be guided by whoever bred your puppy, who hopefully is experienced in the breed, would be my best advice.

ps    We have had our boy, and his companion as it's more convenient to have them both on the same food, on Arden Grange for years now.  First of all their Sensitive as, amongst all his other problems, came to us with Giardia and a 'sensitive tummy', and now their Adult Salmon and Rice

Thank You MamaBas for so much info, really sorry to hear your boy has had such terrible problems. I'm in the same sort of boat in regards feeling that food choices had an impact on the elbow dysplasia my boy suffers from, which is why I feel its so important to get it right (where possible) this time.

I really hope the breeder has provided a well balanced food that I will be able to continue with, but appreciate the advice if it transpires I shall have to make a different choice in the long run.

:)

Mrs H why not ask the breeder now so you know what the pup is on so you can get it in, normally the breeder will give you a small amount to go home with anyway but no harm in asking them.

> really sorry to hear your boy has had such terrible problems

Thanks and even more disappointing is the fact he was bought with the intention of getting back in the ring after I lost the last of my own line, even if only locally.  It was pretty soon obvious that wasn't going to happen.   He came from somebody I'd known ever since I've been in the breed too and as said, at 4 months he really was a super puppy, one she'd run on.   In truth if he hadn't been such a nice boy, plus the fact I didn't want him to go back to that breeder, he might have!!   Perhaps should have.   I think you are dead right to be concerned about feed and again, hope your breeder is experienced within the breed.

Agree with Cambria - I would ask the breeder now what food your pup is having.

Whenever I've had a new puppy (not large breed) I've always asked in advance what food he's been having.  It gives you a chance to research the food and buy some in.

I've always kept pups on what they've been reared on, certainly to start with and usually for quite a while - only changing it if there are problems or much later if I want all dogs to be on same food, once fully grown.

With my latest addition I did change the food after 2/3 weeks as I couldn't get his poo right.  Protein too high and food too rich, I think.  I discussed this with the breeder and she was in full agreement.  Turned out she wasn't that happy with the food either - it was one she was trying for the first time with this litter and she said she wouldn't use it again.  The food I changed to did the trick in 24 hours!

Good luck with your pup.

I don't have giant breeds(sheep dogs), I've only fed raw food since I got my first dog over 60 years ago. If the pup isn't fed raw then I gradually change him/her to raw over at least a month. Never had any problems

I am also a long time user of raw, up to 40 years.
I have also fed and reared puppies on raw diets. All poo's are like little torpedoes, never loose and sloppy, and with very little smell.
The last puppy that I bought was on a kibble, I changed this over to raw in 2 days without any problems at all.
In my experience puppies can change very easily to raw but not so easily to kibble/processed foods.

Thanks all for such great replies.

I took your advice and contacted the breeder, who says they are being fed Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy. I've looked at the composition and it looks ok (any thoughts welcome). I like the idea of raw feeding but worry about getting it right, and cost, of course.

The breeder has also said our boy is the smallest of the litter, so maybe not so giant after all!

Raw need not be any more expensive than a decent kibble probably no more than eukanuba
.there are lots of ways to reduce costs which can make it cheaper and imo better than kibble
.if u are interested for the future in doing some research and are on fb join barf uk .they will give you all.the information and support u might need
It's not difficult at all  but u do need to know what to do and how to do it so that u feed a balanced diet and how to tweak if needed

I will head over and look at the page now. Thanks Furriefriends :)

It's a closed group but a very big one 20 k members so.just make sure u answer the 3 questions to be approved. Then ask anything u want to find out