[smitty81]

I took my dog to the vet yesterday for her shots. She is a 37 lb lab (not quite a puppy, not yet an adult.) I asked her if she should be on large breed dog food and she told me that a lab was not really considered a large breed dog. I got to comparing the ingrediants of large breed with just a maintaince formula of the same making and brand (diamond naturals.) It appears to me that large breed has a lot more vitamins and nutrients than just the maintaince formula. I emailed diamond and the vet there told me to put her on large breed food.

Is large breed food really better? Will it hurt anything giving it to her?

Then I was in the supermarket and the wife wanted to get her the moist food in the cans as a treat now and then. I started looking at the ingrediants and it seemed to me that there is better ingrediants in the moist food than kibble. (Real meat, eggs, liver.............ect, ect.

SO................Is moist better than kibble?

 

[Kathyy]

Canned food is usually better quality than kibble but many dogs cannot handle the lower fiber! Not just the less processed protein but there are no preservatives as canning sterilizes the contents just fine. Usually people mix a bit into the kibble. Seems to me it is a great way to improve the dog's diet.

With the premium type kibbles regular adult kibble is often too high in calcium for large breed pups. Too much calcium can cause bones to grow too fast which can cause problems. That is why large puppy kibble formulas came out.

Labs are a large breed but not a giant breed. Medium is more a Springer Spaniel size.

 

[smitty81]

So i should stay away from the large breed dog food untill she is older?

 

[lmwsport7]

It depends on what brand of food your feeding your pup now. My golden just turned a year - we fed her Wellness Large Breed Puppy up until last week. She's about 68 lbs now and having already had 1 dog from this breeder, I'm reasonably sure she's close to full grown. Sounds like your pup still has a lot of growing to do if she's a pure bred lab and only 37 lbs.

You need to look at the label on the food and check the protein and calcium levels of the regular vs. large breed puppy food. For example, some might tell you that Orijen, while a great food for full grown adult dogs, has way too much calcium and protein for a large breed puppy.

 

[smitty81]

shes a mix of lab and boxer, but you are right, she should grow a bit more.....
Thanks for your help.