Nutro Natural

I'm a first time puppy owner and my pup is 14wks. The breeder had him on Nurtro Natural and the vet said it is a good middle of the road food, his stools seem to be a little soft. Is this normal? What is everyone's thoughts on this food? I've read a lot on this board about the Kirkland food, would it be a good switch? If so how and when should I do this?

[Barb]

We've used Nutro Natural since our dogs were puppies --- they now get the Lamb & Rice formula because our shep is allergic to corn and brewer's yeast, which is contained in a lot of dog foods. Ours are doing fine on it. Give it time, the stools will firm up -- are you giving the pup treats? Milkbones have all kinds of awful stuff in them.

for treats we are giving him these little square things that smell like beef jerkey, I can't remember the name.

[Barb]

You might want to read the label and see what kind of preservatives are used -- that might be the culprit if you're giving him too many. We either make our own using boiled chicken livers and gizards which we then put in the dehydrator or oven and dry (they can be kept for weeks in the refrigerator then) or else buy the freeze-dried liver at the pet shop. Another good one are the original Charlee Bear treats -- not the egg and cheese ones. You can find them in a lot of grocery and pet shops.

[Maggie Mae]

I have been feeding my 5.5 month old puppy Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed puppy for a few months and she is doing well on it. her coat is gorgeous and she is growing at a good pace. Her stools are fine.

The problem is that she has stopped eating it. I am happy with how she is doing on it and am nervous about changing her...

[Barb]

A lab that won't eat? Does she seem to be feeling OK otherwise? Playful? Seriously ... I've never heard of a lab not eating unless they're not feeling well.

[Maggie Mae]

I know...it is strange! I am trying to figure out what is going on. She has always been somewhat of a slow eater. She won't slurp all of her food down as soon as I put it in her bowl. She will take a couple of peices and then play and go back for a nibble every now and then. Because of that I ahve been making sure that I am portion feeding her. Her breakfast often sits in her bowl until the evening, when she decides to eat. I have cut back considerably on treats and people food for the last few days thinking that this might help (i.e. thinking she expects peanut butter and bread), but still the same thing.

Last night I put half a bowl of the Nutro and half a bowl of Eukanuba (which I don't want to feed her) and she ate the Eukanuba quickly and left the Nutro. I don't have a problem changing foods if she is going to well on the new food, but I am at a total loos as to what to feed her. She tried Iams and Eukanuba and was flaky on both. Nutro has given her a beautiful smooth and shiny coat. I am thinking of switching maybe to Eagle Pack, but I am leary because of the price if she doesn't like it.

I am baffled. I don't want to feed her Iams or Eukanuba, and I am wondering if she just doesn't like the taste of the Nutro.

Otherwise, she is great. Lots of puppy energy. We play, take walks and everything else so she is not off that way. She eats a lot of grass and I have heard that it is a result of an upset tummy, but she has done this since I have gotten her. She seems fascinated by grasses, particularly if it is long.

Any suggestions? I was thinking of trying the Diamond, but I can only find the Puppy kind and not the Large Breed Puppy, which I think is important considering her size (she is tall and lean).

Help!

[Barb]

I personally don't like any of the foods you can buy at a grocery store -- too many preservatives and corn-based products. The Eagle Pack Holistic is a good food as are many of the Diamond premium products. At 5.5 months, you don't need to be feeding a puppy food any longer. We switched both our dogs to adult foods around 5 months so they grew a little slower -- easier on their joints. We also put a glucosamine/chondroitin capsule on their food daily -- we use the capsules and open it up and sprinkle it on. My GSD, who is a very picky eater, seems to love the taste of that stuff and always eats better when that's on.

How about trying some canned dog food and mixing a little in with her food? I put a little of our cat's canned food in with our dogs' food -- just a tablespoon or so -- that really entices them to eat.

[Maggie Mae]

How do you think it would go over if I started on maybe the Nutro Lamb and Rice adult food and added the glucosamine and chondroitin? I would have NO problem getting her to eat if I gave her salmon at every meal. She loves it!

What is the point of a puppy food? I guess that I am confused because I thought that it was supposed to help puppies grow slower? Am I backwards on this?

[Barb]

I don't know -- I think it's higher in calories for their quickly growing bodies and bones. Once they're 6 months old, they're close to full grown and I think the extra calories just add bulk that isn't needed. I use the Nutro Lamb & Rice because it contains no corn or brewers yeast -- my GSD is allergic to both. I wasn't happy with their coats, so I began adding an egg every other day and that has helped tremendously.

[Montana'smom]

I am very pleased with the results we have seen since switching Montana over to Nutro Natural Large Breed Puppy Formula. And he seems to love it. But I think that he would eat wood if we fed it to him. He isn't picky at all. Also on the bag is says controlled growth formula. I thought that I was susposed to keep him on it for a while and that he would grow slower?
As for loose stools, Montana hasn't had any from the dog food since the switch. I also made him the homemade treats from the recipie from Calley's family. I noticed when I gave him any other treats besides the homemade that it gave him loose stools. But it was never from the dog food itself.
Melissa