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Thread: The Switch

  1. #1
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    The Switch

    -img_4861-jpgOk, I have asked several questions about food, now I just would like opinions on one more thing. She is 7 months old. Should I use Large Breed Puppy food or adult food?

  2. #2
    Senior Dog BaconsMom's Avatar
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    We switched to an All life stages food at 7 months.
    Julie & Jake, Bacon's Humans

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    Born: 9/02/13

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  3. #3
    Senior Dog charliebbarkin's Avatar
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    I have read your other posts on this subject, I am just going to comment here though.

    At 7 months, you could switch to an all life stages food (like mentioned above). I would still try to keep your calciumhosphorus ratio as close to 1:1 as possible while your pup is still growing. A lot of people here like the Fromm lines of food, they have a good ingredient list and have not had any recalls. They ingredient list is pretty long though. But their large breed puppy seems to be suitable for young pups and the benefit of the brand is that you can switch to Fromm adult when you are ready. Another choice would be Pro Plan Sport 30/20. It's all life stages and you can start that right now. Many breeders swear by it, my Burton was brought home on it and fed that until his adult teeth came in and we switched to raw. Both of these kibbles would be reasonable choices, but I also like NutriSource large breed puppy (which we fed to Charlie as a pup) and Nature's Logic. NL states it is an all life stages food but I do think that their calciumhosphorus is a bit hight for a growing labrador puppy. As far as kibble goes, Charlie did best on Nature's Logic. Of course my top recommendation is to feed a raw diet but that would require a lot of work and research from you. Prepackaged is easy to do, but I still recommend doing research on it before jumping in.

    I do think that it would really benefit you to do some research about dog food and canine nutrition. Not just asking people what you should feed but find out why you should feed it. Find out what type of things you do and do not want in your dog food and make your choice that way. Research first, then switch.

    Is your only reason for switching because your pup went through a phase of not wanting to eat? Sometimes pups will do that. They start teething and their mouth hurts. They get distracted by pretty much anything. They get bored. They get sassy. If the breeder's choice kibble was working for your dog (good stools, healthy pup, nice coat, clean eyes, good breath, etc) then maybe just feed that. Have you talked with your breeder about this? She may be able to help you. Does your pup have any allergies or issues you are working through?

    It might help you to find a small local shop near you and talk to the owner. A good shop is going to research the products they put on their shelves and they will only offer quality foods. They will be able to answer your questions. But don't be quick to switch, check it out online and you are welcome to ask the board for any input as well.


    Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor is a nice place to start because it gives you a list of ingredients and what they mean/what they do/their benefits. I don't put a ton of stock into the starring system, but I do like to use the site for the ingredient list, check for recalls, and read the comments. You get some knucklehead comments, but there's some decent information in there sometimes as well.


    The truth about pet food is a good site you could read up on also.


    Using the search function on this forum will bring up all kinds of threads packed with information you are looking for.


    Take a peek at windycanyons pups in her sig. Do you like the way her dogs look? From what I can remember, she uses Eukanuba. There is another member here who I think uses Royal Canine, so maybe she will chime in as well.


    You could ask around, see what others are feeding and why. If you see someone and you like the way their dog looks, don't be afraid to ask them and ask them why. Heck, people even stop their cars in the street to ask me what I feed my dogs. I think that the way a dog looks is first breeding, second diet and exercise, and third grooming habits. Obviously, you can't change how your dog was bred, but you do have control over the diet, exercise and grooming. A good brushing goes a long way. Keep the nails trim and if you feed kibble, brush the teeth. Keep the ears clean. Make sure your dog is getting good exercise, that will give you nice muscle tone and keep your dog looking and feeling healthy. A quality food will compliment these things.


    On the contrary, I suppose if you see dogs that have a brittle, dull coat, goopy eyes and tear stains, bad breath, etc you could ask what they eat and avoid those foods.


    That got long...Good luck with whatever you decide. I hope it works out for you. Keep us posted!
    Charlie and Burton


  4. #4
    Senior Dog ZoeysMommy's Avatar
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    ALS or adult would be fine. Large breed foods are mostly a gimmick and Labradors aren't a large breed anyway, they are considered medium

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    After reading several reviews and going back and fourth I truly have yet to find a food that gets all good reviews on every site! My first Lab, Harlee was on Nutro Ultra for almost her whole life, (She's 10 now and on prescription food) but she is an eater and always has been! Never had a problem with her eating habits or stools. Hazel on the other hand has never been a good eater... brought her home at 8 weeks on Eukanuba. She never wanted to eat, tried the warm water, canned food, everything. Then started adding cottage cheese to her food and she gobbled it all up, for a while.. then she wasn't interested again. Vet told me to put her on science diet, so we did the gradual switch, but she doesn't eat it good either, sometimes she does, but most of the time she plays with it, or takes a bite here and there, rarely finishing it. However, she is getting plenty of it because she is 70 pounds.... I would just like to see her eat her food when I put it down... maybe we will never get to that point, I don't know. Today I bought a bag of Pro Plan Focus Large Breed Puppy... I have been reading alot of reviews about how good their picky dogs are eating, and how good their coats look and how healthy they are. I want this to be a forever food, I have never been on a food rollercoaster with a dog before! The ingredients don't look as great as some, however, they don't look any worse than science diet. I will be taking the next couple weeks to gradually switch her over. Thank you for your response and the links!!!

  6. #6
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    I wasn't sure about the large breed food, my vet has been adamant that the regular puppy food will make her grow to fast! But I wasn't sure if I should go to ALS or regular adult food! Thank you!

 



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