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  1. #1
    Puppy
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    New puppy food diet.

    We will be purchasing a yellow lab in the next month and wanted to gather some information on the best food and diet for the first 6-12 months. We have had labs in the past on science diet as they get older but was wondering best food as a puppy.

  2. #2
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    there is no "best for puppies" just "best for that particular dog".

    if you are getting your puppy from a responsible knowlegable breeder talk to them about what they feed and why. most breeders keep a puppy (maybe not every litter but once in awhile) and thus have seen their puppies grow on a food - so they know what works best for their dogs. At a minimum i would keep the puppy on the food the breeder is feeding for a few weeks/month and if you are unhappy with results, you can research and change at that point. I wouldn't be in a hurry to change the food unless it's a crappy breeder feeding whatever is cheapest.

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  4. #3
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    Feed what the breeder feeds. And if that's not possible, don't get caught in the hype of the boutique foods. Feed something with a good reputation like Pro Plan. I've raised all my dogs on it except my first two.

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  6. #4
    Best Friend Retriever
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    I beg to disagree; my breeder said to give him the same adult food mom was eating, the vet said to give him puppy food, after looking into it that made more sense, the brand is up to you.

  7. #5
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    Feed what the breeder is feeding for at least the first year. I raised my two on Pro Plan Sport (as per the breeder) as pups but changed their food when they became adults (around a year old). I think ProPlan has what a dog needs, but I personally didn't like the empty calories (corn, etc.), my dogs are sensitive to something in it (grains, chicken, not sure...but it went away when we got away from ProPlan) and I have found that it's hard to manage weight on that food, much like it is when a person is eating a lot of sugar (corn) and carbs. I still feed the same fat/protein as in ProPlan Sport, but it comes from meat and veggies, no fillers, and they are both lean. Every dog it different though and my boys are conformation bred and it can be difficult to manage their weight. I want them kept lean, especially the younger one who is doing field, agility and obedience and has a 24" jump height. If your dog is more field bred, your needs may differ.

    Don't get on the dog food rollercoaster, whatever you do. It is a nightmare!
    Last edited by Labradorks; 07-12-2016 at 02:09 PM.

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  9. #6
    Senior Dog dxboon's Avatar
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    If you go to a reputable breeder, that you've screened thoroughly, whose dogs are successful competing in whichever venue(s) they are active in, and you presumably like the look of their dogs, why would you NOT follow your breeder's advice? A veterinarian, unless they have a particular interest or focus on nutrition, and/or breed and compete successfully with Labs themselves, is unlikely to be a better source for food info for a Lab puppy versus the breeder of that puppy (assuming you got your puppy from a reputable breeder). None of my Labradors came home at 8 weeks on puppy food. My current 3 month old was sent home on Pro Plan 30/20 and that's what he continues to eat. If you trust your breeder enough to get a puppy from them, then use them as a resource, and listen to them about how they feed their dogs. They know what has historically worked best for their lines. I love my vet, but I don't go to him for advice on feeding my puppy.

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  11. #7
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bernie View Post
    I beg to disagree; my breeder said to give him the same adult food mom was eating, the vet said to give him puppy food, after looking into it that made more sense, the brand is up to you.
    Some adult foods do not control the amount of calcium and phosphorus to the degree that puppy food does which can potentially cause some skeletal growth issues. To avoid that problem, the food should be made specifically for puppies or be an All Life Stages (ALS) food, which also has calcium and phosphorus levels suitable for puppies.

    Puppies can run into some GI issues when they first come home so if the pup is doing well on the food the breeder is feeding, no diarrhea, growing and thriving, sticking to the same food can help avoid these issues, although it's no guarantee of a diarrhea free existence. (I speak from experience there )

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  13. #8
    Best Friend Retriever
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    "Some adult foods do not control the amount of calcium and phosphorus to the degree that puppy food does which can potentially cause some skeletal growth issues. To avoid that problem, the food should be made specifically for puppies or be an All Life Stages (ALS) food, which also has calcium and phosphorus levels suitable for puppies."

    Amen.

  14. #9
    Senior Dog
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bernie View Post
    I beg to disagree; my breeder said to give him the same adult food mom was eating, the vet said to give him puppy food, after looking into it that made more sense, the brand is up to you.
    It depends on what food you are feeding. One of the Pro-Plan adult formulas (30-20 Sport I believe) is almost identical to the puppy formula. Plus, it’s not good for Labs to grow too fast, which puppy food encourages. There are some adult formulas that are not appropriate, but the ones that are labeled “all-life stages” are fine for most lab pups. Many are weaned right on to it from the beginning. All of my guys switched to adult by around 4 months.
    Annette

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    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

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  16. #10
    Senior Dog Shelley's Avatar
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    I agree that you need to keep the new puppy on whatever the breeder is feeding for at least a few months, if not through teething, which is around 7-8 months minimum. Like others said, if you trust your breeder, trust what food they feed to their dogs. Changing foods with an 8 week old puppy can lead to chronic diarrhea, refusal to eat, and the not-so-fun food roller coaster.

    To the person that decided to feed puppy food after speaking to their vet, this is not always the best advice. An all life stages food that has appropriate levels of calcium/phosphorus ratio, is just fine for puppies, especially if their dam eats it, and they were weaned on to it. Trust your breeders people. :-)

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