Puppy Food Confusion! Fromm...Large Breed? Grain Free?

[CaraDeo]

I have my boys (5 yr old male, 4 month old male) both on Pro Plan Performance as it's an All-Life stages food. Both are doing well on it.

[Georgia]

Large breed puppy food? Again the only thing I've heard is the size of the kibble, not any difference in the food, and that's not always the case, see my earlier post.

Usually the large breed formulas have less fat than the regular formulas. Pro Plan Focus puppy has a protein/fat ratio of 28/18. The large breed puppy formula is 28/13. I think the thought is less fat = slower, more steady growth. Btw the Pro Plan large breed formulas have a pretty big kibble size!

[jertom]

Usually the large breed formulas have less fat than the regular formulas. Pro Plan Focus puppy has a protein/fat ratio of 28/18. The large breed puppy formula is 28/13. I think the thought is less fat = slower, more steady growth. Btw the Pro Plan large breed formulas have a pretty big kibble size!

And today I learned something. I like that.

[FourLabsAndATri-Pawd]

I agree with JerTom…buy small bags for the first six months or so; it is a pain because it feels like one is always running out for another bag, but you never know when suddenly there is an issue and you need to change foods.

Our Dreama gets the Pro-Plan Focus Puppy Food (not large breed) and it is the same food we had Kona on until she was 6 months. At six months, we switched her to Pro-Plans All Life Stages (30 Protein) and she is doing well on it (all the older dogs are on it).

I did the Large Breed Puppy food with only one of my Labs (and have had Labs my entire life) and HE is the only one who ended up with Hip Dysplasia. I also kept him on it till 12 months when all others I've ever had were switched off to adult food at 6 months. He is the only one that grew far beyond the Lab Standard even for a Field bred Lab. THAT experience has made me believe that the Large Breed scheme is just that, a scheme. The bags cost more and in most instances, you will see that the bag states to feed more due to the lower kcal per cup. I.E. Pro-Plan regular puppy food has a lower ration (1/2 - 1 2/3 cups for adult weight up to 75lbs) and a high kcal (468 per cup) while the large breed has a higher ration (2/3 - 2 cups) and a lower kcal (417 per cup) at the same age range. Now, the other ingredients are a bit different (i.e. 500 ppm glouc) but I begin to supplement with Glouc/MSM at about 4 months anyway (on Breeder's recommendation).

That is my personal experience - others may not have experienced the same thing with Large Breed foods and may swear by it.

Go with what works for your puppy is the best advice you can hear. Our breeder recommends that you measure and weigh your puppy regularly and if you see a sudden large growth spurt, get them off puppy food immediately and agrees that they should be on adult food by 6 months when the growth rate actually slows a bit. As others have said though, Breeders know their own lines and therefore can give the best advice to you.

[jules]

my puppy came from a breeder who said Fromm was the closest food to what he was fed as a newborn.He has been on Fromm Gold sice he has been here,now 4 months old,he is doing very well,very heathy growth ,also I give him a scoop of plain greek yogurt as per my breeder,I don't know if it contributes,but he has a coat of fur on him like I have never seen,and this is my 3rd chocolate lab and neither 2 before has had a coat of fur like this one

[barry581]

Bruce was on Fromm Large Breed Puppy Gold until I switched him at 11 months to the Fromm 4 Star rotation Sophie has been on. His breeders recommend a switch at 11-12 months. I too recommend going with what the breeder recommends.

[KLR625]

We fed what our breeder suggested and what she feeds her labs. As a puppy its the Puppy Gold, bright pink bag and once he was about 10 months old we switched to Fromm's grain free. His coat is shiny and bright and he is doing great and it. I wouldn't feed anything but....

[jules]

my breeder was feeding my pup fromm so when I got packer we have continued on the fromm large breed and is doing very well on it at 5months no problems,but thats what my breeder started them on