Hi all

Having read various posts on here, I understand that the protein content of alot of complete puppy food is too high. I have noticed that the protein is lower in the junior food ( I feed JWB), so would it be suitable to give the junior food to pups under 6 months instead or would this cause problems?

Rach

Hi,

I have Golden Retrievers and always fed JWB(until recently) I reduce protein between 14-16 wks I don't bother with Junior and put them on to Adult maintenance.
My latest puppy is on JWB puppy and when reaches approx 14-16 wks again Ill put on maintenance jwb.

I've never had a problem and I careful to watch weight as the puppies are on resticted exercise ie they don't go out on long organised walks til after 9-12 months of age and limited free running or climg stairs or join in rough play with the other dogs.

Briony :-)

Alot of the "experienced" breeders of large breed dogs i know do exactly what briony suggests :)

I had to do that with my Tibetan Mastiff puppy as puppy food was giving him diahorrea and scurfy skin. I put him on a 21% protein adult food at about 5 months old and he's done wonderfully on it.

I wouldn't wean puppies onto a junior food as they're growing so fast at that stage they need the high protein puppy food. But as for when/if to change over to junior/adult would depend on the breed. I think a lot of toy breeds have a higher need for nutrients pound for pound than large breeds, so some people even feed them puppy food into adulthood.

"I understand that the protein content of alot of complete puppy food is too high"

This isn't backed up by evidence. In 1993 Hazewinkel from Utrecht found no detrimental effects from protein levels up to 32 percent of the diet. However, puppies fed a diet of only 15 percent protein showed evidence of inadequate protein intake. More research into the growth of Great Danes (Nap RC, The Netherlands,) showed that the protein level of a diet has no significant influence on skeletal development. According to Nap high protein intake does not result in increased risk for OCD or HD, and there is no effect on the development in the longitudinal growth of the bone.

Too much protein in the diet is broken down and used to provide energy. A problem only arises if the diet contains too much overall energy and the puppy becomes fat and the best way to know if the puppy is fat is to look at and feel him.

Pet food companies spend loads and loads of money on research.  In fact, some of them (Iams, Eukanuba) use disgusting methods, keeping dogs and cats in small cages, attaching permanent tubes to them to test their stomach contents after meals, breaking their legs, allowing them to heal and then killing them to examine the effect of feeding X foods.

Anyway, that's a bit off topic but my point is that they do research what goes into their foods in great detail and with a reason - to provide the best nutrition for a dog at each stage of its lifecycle.

Unless and until it's proven otherwise, I'll always feed mine what is recommended by the manufacturer.

Hi,

That might be so,but i'm happy with my Goldens to reduce the protein content at around this age to allow the muscles to catch up to support bone structure if I think it necessary I can increase the protein after 6 months ,so far never found I needed to and I know quite alot of breeders do this to good effect.

Adult  jwb  maintenance is more than 15% I think its around 26 % certainly Royal Canin is which is what I've swapped the older ones on to.
Its this 14 -20 -24 wk period that causes rapid growth so by reducing protein around this time is helpful this doesnt mean they have to be kept at reduced levels after this time ;-)
I'm sure different breeds do different things but this is a common time to reduce protein in Goldens

I watch the weight of my dogs by looking and feeling at them I would n't go by their weight alone to tell me whether they were overweight

Briony :-)

Hi,

Pet manufaturers might do alot of research I use their feeding instructions as a *guide only* which they tell you to each dog is an individual so long as a dog is fit and healthy at appropiate stages and is growing and thriving I'm more than sure my dogs have adequate protein levels feeding as above and all are in fit hard working condition.

Briony

spot on,whats recomended can not allow for  how much a dog is excercised .-jo 

When "Breize" one of our dogs was around the 6-7 months old we were getting a lot of problems with loose motions and she was so skinny and ribby. Worried us a lot.  A locum vet told us to take her off the "puppy" food [complete] and put her onto JWB "Junior".  I have to admit that we have never looked back.  She has gained weight and lost that half starved look, she looks just right now. We will probably keep her on the Junior until she is about 15 months or so and then onto the adult diet.

Similarly "Mocha" our oldest dog was on a senior/light diet but never seemed to have much energy or stamina. After the amazing difference Breize had on the JWB we changed Mocha onto JWB Senior diet and it has really transformed Mocha as well.

I think there is so much variety out there it can be confusing and the Vets do seem to encourage you to buy Hills, [ours do] yet I dont think it is necessarily suitable for every dog/breed but because the vet is so enthusiastic and you want to do the best you can for your dog, you feel obligated to buy it.

Koda

Hi
Thanks for all your replies. Feeding dogs is certainly a confusing topic, there are so many different foods and opinions!
My 2 (11 and 13 weeks) definitely seem to be doing well since I changed them onto JWB, good weight and firmer poos.
I just wondered about the protein levels as being large breeds I don't want them to grow too fast. Also the 11 week old (dobermann) has got an awful lot of energy, would this be affected by the level of protein in the food?

Hi there, i feed my ten mnth old Staffi puppy Nutro choice , large breed , on advice from the manufacturers , we are lucky as we live near, so pick it up in large sacks.
It has been the perfect food ,my pup loved it staright away ( we got a few and let her taste !!! ) , it produces good firm tools , everyone mentions how fab her coat is , she glows and has never lost any hair, her body is just right , good ,strong and healthy and perfectly proportioned . We have just got a new edition ( 8weeks ) and she also thinks its fab ............so i am a huge fan and plus i don't need to worry about which one to give her .

Hope you find the perfect one .

Jo X

Hi,

Too much protein can also send *some* dogs loopy its then got all this energy its not using up through exercise .Puppies that are on careeful exercise regime for the devloping bone and muscle structure cannot use this excess energy up through loads of free running.

A golden I know ,the owner was told by a vet to be given Greyhound working food because of its high protein.The dog had be given so many different types of complete food with no proper change over times the dog had permanent loose poo and was rather thin.

What the dog actually needed was a good quality complete food and left on it long enoughfor the body to adjust and settle down on it with reduced exercise and then exercise gently increased.

What she ended up with was a totally uncontrolable Golden still loose poo that couldnt sit still for 5 mins no amount of exercise was enough for it

and the dog looked unhappy ,thin not a typical Golden.
So yes protein does need to be watched and some dogs too much protein does send them loopy.
Greys hounds need high protein when they are racing regularly and the amount of exercise they get in addition to them racing they more than burn all the high protein upusing it for muscles energy requirement to suggest a Golden be put on such a diet young dog at that was totally stupid.

The dog in question is on Adult maintenance JWB and the dog is completely different well muscled ,calm tight poo and a pleasure to be with.

Briony :-)

My two pups came (from the same breeder) on Royal Canin Junior at 8 weeks. I was told that the puppy food had given the litter the runs so she now starts them all on the junior. I also kept both of mine on this until they were 15 months before going onto the adult.
Both are happy and very healthy.

Hi,

If your happy with how your feeding thats fine :-)

I just don't think there any need for a junior food  especially with Goldens its just another product that pet manfacturers tell you need and make money out of in my opinion ;-)

I feed Royal Canin to all adult my Goldens ,the youngest puppy is still on Jwb puppy ,at 14 wks will change to JWB adult maintenance then I will gradually swap over to Royal Cannin.

My next litter I will probably raised the litter Royal Canin puppy.

The reason why I've changed from JWB to Royal Canin is over last 6 months  my adult dogs didn't have the same shine or lustre to their coats which they always had and it was with all of them.I wasn't at this stage sure whether the ingredients had been slightly altered in Adult jwb

Now the adults are on Royal Canin you can see the lovely shine again ,up to this time I was completely happy with JWB .
However I 've beem impressed with Royal Canin and the dogs have beautiful coats once again.

>The reason why I've changed from JWB to Royal Canin is over last 6 months  my adult dogs didn't have the same shine or lustre to their coats which they always had and it was with all of them.I wasn't at this stage sure whether the ingredients had been slightly altered in Adult jwb<

It's funny you should say that. I don't know what they've done to JW, but it doesn't even smell the same any more. I swore by that food for about 6 years. I had to take my old shar-pei off the Senior because at one point I thought she was on her last legs. She went really thin and her coat was dull - I honestly thought she was going into kidney failure. Changed her on to what my puppy was eating (Superdog Sensitive) and she's like a different dog. I only realized when I gave her a bit of Bakers somebody gave me along with her JW and she noticably plumped out and bloomed in a week. Went back to just the JW and she looked horrid again in a few days.