I am reading alot about Large breed puppy formula vs regular puppy food... Hazel is 7 month old and is on Science Diet Large Breed Puppy... should I be doing something different??
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I am reading alot about Large breed puppy formula vs regular puppy food... Hazel is 7 month old and is on Science Diet Large Breed Puppy... should I be doing something different??
What does your breeder recommend? I personally fed Eukanuba Lg breed puppy to mine and have for years w/ great success (15 yrs plus w/o any hip or elbow failures). I sold a pup recently to a vet who sells both brands plus others, and chose to keep his pup on Euk LBP as well as we both feel it's a better food than SD... but you know, you really should feed what has worked for your breeder. With my first lab, she wasn't interested in SD but would eat Euk (this was before LBP formulations came out).
Thank you for your response! The breeder had her on Euk LBP as well. She has been kind of a picky eater for a lab. I switched her from EUK to Bill Jac because I was told that all dogs love it! My vet then recommended I feed science diet, so she has been on that ever since (about 3 months). She is not a good eater, which is crazy to me, never met a lab like her before! However, she does eat enough to be 69 pounds already! I am just used to labs that eat the food as fast as they can... she waits alittle while, then eats a little, then walks away and comes back... She sometimes finishes it, but often she doesn't... I pick it up after about 15 minutes and don't offer again until next meal.... thoughts?
"All dogs love it" isn't a reason to switch. I would have left the dog on Euk LBP. Some labs don't gobble their food. Our first didn't. I won't tell you the games we had to do to make him eat, I wouldn't recommend it. If the dog misses a meal because it's farting around, let it go hungry. Also how much are you feeding each meal? Many feed too much and wonder why their dogs aren't hungry.
I'd go back to what the breeder was feeding.
I am feeding 2 cups in the morning and 2 cups in the evening. Glad to hear there are other labs out there that aren't eaters! This is the only one I have ever known!!
4 cups a day for a 7 month old female may just be too much. Drop it to 3 cups and see if that changes the attitude about meals.
I'm in agreement w/ everything until Jen' s comment above. I believe in feeding (and training) the dog / pup in front of you. Just use common sense. Go by the feel of the ribs/spine. If that pup were to be compromised for a few days, how will it be?
Ok, I am just wondering after some research if Science Diet may not be the best choice. Do you think I should switch her to something else? I want to find a healthy food and keep her on it forever. Thoughts on Royal Canin Labrador Retriever? Or suggestions? My other lab (who is 10 now) was on Nutro her entire life until the last 2 years.. she is now on prescription dog food from hills because she's a fatty!! ;)
Anne, it's a 7 month old dog, it's not a 7 week old puppy. You reduce it's meals for a few days, there's nothing to compromise. Most people feed their dogs too much anyways. My 80# 8 month old male puppy eats 4 cups. My bitches never ate that much. Most pet owners aren't actively training dogs either, so they aren't burning calories.