[Frenchie]

I was wondering how long ya'll feed puppy food to your babies? I was told by the Vet 2 years. And, is that because he's considered a large breed or standard for all dogs?

[ioreks_mom]

i don't know the answer for sure but i just had to say, your doggie is SO CUTE!!!

my vet told me to feed puppy food until iorek was 1 year old, but he is a samoyed so he is not that big, about 50 lbs right now and he is 9 months old.

[Spicy1_VV]

You don't have to feed puppy food at all, but it is your choice how long you feed it. Whether it be a few months or a couple years.

[Frenchie]

I didn't know and was wondering what everyone did, thanks for your reply's. Thank you Loreks Mom for saying he's cute, is it cold where you are already?

[Shalva]

I think it dependso n what you are feeding
most high quality adult foods are best for puppies and puppy food should not be fed at all if you are feeding a good quality adult food like Canidae, California Natural, Wellness, Timberwolf, Eagle or Solid Gold to name a few.....

The key is that you want escecially your large breed dog to grow slowly and oftentimes puppy food is too rich and too high in protein for the babies.

I dont recommend my families feed puppy food at all. I would suggest finishing one bag of what your pup came with and switching to a high quality adult food to keep your pup growing slowly.

AND these are perfect questions for your breeder who will know her lines and her pups better than anyone and for questions regarding husbandry.... ie. everyday care and maintenance of your pup, the breeder would be the preferable person to ask over your vet or an internet forum
s


s

[ioreks_mom]

my vet had suggested that i feed iorek large breed puppy food, even though he is going to be about 50-60 lbs, because she said she didn't want him to grow too fast. i am not feeding puppy food at all now, actually i only feed puppy food for about a month. he is eating eagle pack holistic select duck and oatmeal now.

[Purplex15]

Originally Posted by Shalva

AND these are perfect questions for your breeder who will know her lines and her pups better than anyone and for questions regarding husbandry.... ie. everyday care and maintenance of your pup, the breeder would be the preferable person to ask over your vet or an internet forum
s


s

EXACTLY. your breeder should have told you all of this before adopting your dog.

i also agree with the other things shalva said. i wouldnt feed a puppy food at all, all life stages are a better choice. you also dont have to go through switching.

[2Catahoulas]

Originally Posted by Frenchie

I was wondering how long ya'll feed puppy food to your babies? I was told by the Vet 2 years. And, is that because he's considered a large breed or standard for all dogs?

I think we went about 5 months with our Catahoula Leopard and Catahoula Bulldog which are both large breed dogs.

[Frenchie]

Hammer has been on Wellness Large Breed Adult dog food for about 1 month now, he's 8.5 months old. I want to do what is best for him and asking questions from a group of people instead of relying on one person such as vet or breeder because they each have their preferences. Like the vet would recommend Science Diet and the breeder recommends a food I CAN'T get. So, I thought that was what the forum was for to throw out ideas and questions and learn. I am sticking with the Wellness Large Breed Adult food. He's doing good on it and he likes it.

[starrlamia]

Large breed dogs take longer to mature then smaller dogs, it can take up to 2 years for them to be fully mature, most people recommend feeding puppy to large breeds for 1-1/2 years. You have to be careful to look at the calcium and phosphate levels in foods, as too much calcium can cause growth problems. Just make sure that you feed a food with 1.5% or less calcium and the pup should be fine.
high protein diets are not bad for puppies at all, protein helps build muscle and repair tissues which is good. My pup gets Orijen and he is doing great on it.

[Frenchie]

Thank you Starrlamia for your explanation, it was so great and I really appreciate your input. I didn't know the percent of calcium that he needed, I knew it was a lower one than smaller dogs but I didn't know the amount to look for. Thank you so much.

[starrlamia]

Originally Posted by Frenchie

Thank you Starrlamia for your explanation, it was so great and I really appreciate your input. I didn't know the percent of calcium that he needed, I knew it was a lower one than smaller dogs but I didn't know the amount to look for. Thank you so much.

NP What kind of dog is it, is it the one in your avatar?

[DogsforMe]

As everyone has said a giant breed puppy needs to be grown slowly. Have you considered a natural diet of raw meaty bones. No quess work needed bones have the right amount of calcium etc needed. http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html
http://www.rawfeddogs.net/ & http://www.rawmeatybones.com/

[Frenchie]

He's a Dog De Bordeaux, like in the movie Turner and Hooch. I had to take him to the vet yesterday because he has a skin thing going on and they put him on some meds. The vet said if it doesn't clear up or comes back we may have to try some special food, so we'll see how that goes, and we may end up on the raw diet, not quite sure right now.

[mosbysmom]

I've always just fed all-stages food instead

[tippi]

frenchie, your fur baby is toooooooo cute!!!
i agree with one year, then i do 50/50 for 6 months and then.......adult, as long as he does well on it. good luck!!!