Puppy Food

[hunterdobie]

Hello,

I have a 9 week old pup and I've been looking to change his food.
Unfortunately, I don't have access to a few brands I'd be interested in as I live in Australia and they aren't available for shipping.

I think I might give Canidae a go though, seeing as it doesn't have corn/wheat/soy which I'm avoiding.
I'm not sure if I should buy the all life stages or the all life stages large breed food and was wondering if any of you had a preference? Neither are grain-free.

Also, do you think Canidae is a decent food to change to? Any concerns or recommendations?

I'm not very familiar with dog foods and its been quite overwhelming as theres a lot of controversy around many brands (which I'm sure you all know)! My vet recommended Hill's science diet for large breed puppies but this contains wheat and corn and he tends to scratch/lick his paws and I think its dietary related so I'm hoping using a food without those might fix it - otherwise I'll try using a food that doesn't contain chicken.


Anyway, thank you in advance! If I've said anything that doesn't make sense/is wrong let me know lol :')

 

[strykerdobe]

Well as always the first thing I would recommend is a Raw Diet. But can you list the brands you can get there?

 

[JanS]

But can you list the brands you can get there?

That's what I was going to suggest too since it's easier to give recommendations for what we know you have available.

My vet recommended Hill's science diet for large breed puppies but this contains wheat and corn and he tends to scratch/lick his paws and I think its dietary related so I'm hoping using a food without those might fix it

Many vets are terrible about recommending Science Diet but it's not a good food at all.

I think I might give Canidae a go though, seeing as it doesn't have corn/wheat/soy which I'm avoiding.
I'm not sure if I should buy the all life stages or the all life stages large breed food and was wondering if any of you had a preference? Neither are grain-free.

Also, do you think Canidae is a decent food to change to? Any concerns or recommendations?

I've never actually fed Canidae but I do know a few people who have so maybe they'll chime in. I don't think it's the worst food out there but again, I don't have any experience with it.

Usually the all life stages is the best for most dogs and you don't need the large breed.

 

[Viemarangelrock]

A good quality 4-5 star ALS kibble is sufficient. The ingredients list is your window into the true nature of your dog's diet. Manufacturers cannot lie on the ingredients list, and although there are ways in which the truth can be obscured or embellished, this is usually easy to spot which makes it possible to separate the good foods from the bad or the possibly bad.

 

[hunterdobie]

Well as always the first thing I would recommend is a Raw Diet. But can you list the brands you can get there?

That's what I was going to suggest too since it's easier to give recommendations for what we know you have available.

These are most of the brands available here:
Instinctive Bite
Black Hawk
Pro Plan
Hill's science diet
Advance
Eukanuba
Royal Canin
Canidae
Ivory Coat
TOTW (bought this and then read the law suit stuff on it and now I'm too scared to use it..)
Supercoat
Holistic Select
Nutro
K9 Natural
Orijen
SavourLife
Leaps&Bounds
Wellness (he doesn't seem to like this brand - will only eat a few from a handful and then leaves it)
Applaws
Balanced Life
Cherish
Earthborn
Billy and Margot
Vets all natural


Thank you for the help

 

[Antman408]

These are most of the brands available here:
Instinctive Bite
Black Hawk
Pro Plan
Hill's science diet
Advance
Eukanuba
Royal Canin
Canidae
Ivory Coat
TOTW (bought this and then read the law suit stuff on it and now I'm too scared to use it..)
Supercoat
Holistic Select
Nutro
K9 Natural
Orijen
SavourLife
Leaps&Bounds
Wellness (he doesn't seem to like this brand - will only eat a few from a handful and then leaves it)
Applaws
Balanced Life
Cherish
Earthborn
Billy and Margot
Vets all natural


Thank you for the help

If I fed kibble full time, I’d do Orijen.

 

[Viemarangelrock]

Some of the brands I’ve heard of, others are foreign to me.
I agree, if I were to feed kibble I’d stick with Orijen (out of that list!)
They may seem a little ‘pricey’ compared to some other brands BUT this really doesn't tell the whole story. Due to the abundance of high quality nutrients in the food, you don't have to feed that much - in fact the recommended feeding amounts for most dogs are amongst the lowest around. This makes a bag last much longer and gives a surprisingly reasonable price per day. Before raw, I fed Eden 80/20 (5 star quality kibble) just like Orijen it seemed heavier on the price tag BUT due to the feeding amounts per day, it saved me

Orijen rates 97/100 in the UK on our independent dog food advisor site

It looks like Australia has its own site, too.

Dog & Cat food reviews in Australia

It would be worth you while spending some time looking through the site.

 

[hunterdobie]

Some of the brands I’ve heard of, others are foreign to me.
I agree, if I were to feed kibble I’d stick with Orijen (out of that list!)
They may seem a little ‘pricey’ compared to some other brands BUT this really doesn't tell the whole story. Due to the abundance of high quality nutrients in the food, you don't have to feed that much - in fact the recommended feeding amounts for most dogs are amongst the lowest around. This makes a bag last much longer and gives a surprisingly reasonable price per day. Before raw, I fed Eden 80/20 (5 star quality kibble) just like Orijen it seemed heavier on the price tag BUT due to the feeding amounts per day, it saved me

Orijen rates 97/100 in the UK on our independent dog food advisor site

It looks like Australia has its own site, too.

Dog & Cat food reviews in Australia

It would be worth you while spending some time looking through the site.

Ahh thank you for the advice! I also had no idea about that site and I'll be looking through it now

 

[luckybeemer]

Does anyone feed Darwin's anymore? I have been trying to transition over to raw. I started with Primal chicken freeze dried (thank you @strykerdobe). She seems to like it. Honestly I must be stupid tho, trying to figure out how much to feed. I have been feeding 1 cup Victor Nutra pro ALS with 3 cubes for the 1st and 3rd meal, 2 cubes and 1 cup victor for lunch. She eats all that is in the bowl with the exception of last night and today. We are camping and she got carsick (my mistake she was fed just before loading up in her crate in the truck for the 2hour ride) yesterday otw to Carolina pines rv resort. Last night and this am when she didn't eat the victor/primal fd mixure, for lunch I feed just 3 cubes of rehydrated primal chicken freeze dried. She ate all of it, seemed to want more so I feed 2 more rehydrated cubes. By her weight and the directions on the package I should be feeding 8 cubes per day. But boy, by the looks of it that doesn't seem like enough. Not to mention she is only around 35 pounds at almost 5 months. Saw on another thread.....the 10 pounds per the month. She should be closer to 50 pounds. Will I ever get this right?
My apologies to everyone.....I'm a first time Dobie owner, ocd and a worry wart......seems I always write a book to ask a simple question. Lol

 

[ChuckE]

The breeder had her on Iams large breed smart puppy.
I have switched her over to Blue Buffalo Carnivora because we want to switch her to a raw diet.
She keeps getting loose stools from even adding just a little raw food to her kibble. Usually some ground beef or some chicken. Sometimes raw egg.

 

[Antman408]

The breeder had her on Iams large breed smart puppy.
I have switched her over to Blue Buffalo Carnivora because we want to switch her to a raw diet.
She keeps getting loose stools from even adding just a little raw food to her kibble. Usually some ground beef or some chicken. Sometimes raw egg.

You don’t mix kibble and raw. There’s no “transition time” with switching to a raw diet. You do a 24 hour fast. Then begin feeding raw meals. However, if their not balanced you will have bad results.

 

[Antman408]

Does anyone feed Darwin's anymore? I have been trying to transition over to raw. I started with Primal chicken freeze dried (thank you @strykerdobe). She seems to like it. Honestly I must be stupid tho, trying to figure out how much to feed. I have been feeding 1 cup Victor Nutra pro ALS with 3 cubes for the 1st and 3rd meal, 2 cubes and 1 cup victor for lunch. She eats all that is in the bowl with the exception of last night and today. We are camping and she got carsick (my mistake she was fed just before loading up in her crate in the truck for the 2hour ride) yesterday otw to Carolina pines rv resort. Last night and this am when she didn't eat the victor/primal fd mixure, for lunch I feed just 3 cubes of rehydrated primal chicken freeze dried. She ate all of it, seemed to want more so I feed 2 more rehydrated cubes. By her weight and the directions on the package I should be feeding 8 cubes per day. But boy, by the looks of it that doesn't seem like enough. Not to mention she is only around 35 pounds at almost 5 months. Saw on another thread.....the 10 pounds per the month. She should be closer to 50 pounds. Will I ever get this right?
My apologies to everyone.....I'm a first time Dobie owner, ocd and a worry wart......seems I always write a book to ask a simple question. Lol

feeding instructions are a guideline. Every dog is different so their needs are different. I feed 3-5 pounds of food a day now. It used to be less, but as physical activity increases food demand increases. On some days I feed 6 pounds. You will have to determine what works for your dog.


Also the weight is also a guideline. Use the hip test. I’ll post that in a minute for you to use.

 

[Antman408]

If anyone is planning on feeding a raw diet and is not going to use premade and has no idea what their doing this site sales meal plans based on YOUR dog. You give her the information, dogs age, allergies weight activity level and age and she makes a custom made meal plan for you with instructions on how to do everything. And I mean everything including where to buy the stuff for your meals.

https://www.karmavorenutrition.com/

 

[NamVetJoe]

Just out of curiosity why not mix a little kibble with raw? Interesting read. tMixing Kibble With Raw? Here's the Problem ... Also this is from Karmavorennutrition web site
Can my dog eat half raw and half kibble?

I don’t recommend combining raw and kibble in the same meal, especially in the beginning stages of introducing raw meats. However, you can feed a balanced raw meal in the morning and kibble at night, for example.Another interesting read Stomach Confusion: Can You Mix Kibble and Raw Together For Feeding?

 

[luckybeemer]

Thank you @Antman408. I did 1 week of mixing the kibble and the Primal freeze dried raw. After her not eat the mixture any more on Friday whether it was the car ride, the camping trip or just not feeling/wanting it. I have now fed the freeze dried raw for 5 meals. She eats it up (not drinking as much water but I honestly make like a freeze dried soup for those meals lol) I was using the feeding guide on the primal package. But I realized this am on closer more thorough inspection 8 cubes per day to is maintain weight. *face palm to forehead----I need a V8* So the dilemma today is do I continue feeding the primal freeze dried or use the Darwin's that I received in the mail on Thursday. I ordered it but then realized the post I saw where @JanS or @Tropicalbri's fed it.....it was a very old post and there have been many, many recalls r/t pet's death. I am reading Dr. Becker's Real Food book, but need good food until I can DYI my own raw food for her.

 

[luckybeemer]

@Antman408 I've looked at that guide several times. During the first days, I felt she was way underweight and malnourished, vet even told me she was, but after many hurdles and dedication, she was gaining. However, we are still striving for that excellent health, beautiful skin/coat, nails and ears. I took this photo just after her evening meal. Seems she is in the okay range, does anyone else agree? She has always had a rib on the right side that sticks out funny, even the dh made a comment when he noticed it. The vet at the time said it was nothing to worry about. It is still there but just not as noticeable all the time as it was before.

 

[NamVetJoe]

IMO this is one of the best dry foods

 

[luckybeemer]

We tried that but quit using it because I thought that was causing the diarrhea. Never thought it could have been caused by the Happy Howie's cause I was so focused on training with her. And she loved the Happy Howie's to the point she didnt want the victor alone unless that was her only option. However, after advice received on dcf I stopped the Happy Howie's. Looking back, even though I know the importance of eliminating 1 thing or introducing 1 thing at a time, I guess I have just been in a constant brain fart since bringing her home. Freaking out and worrying over everything....I mean everything. I ordered the Darwin's but then saw all the recalls. So that's still sitting in the freezer. Looking into the website @Antman408 mentioned now. But also increasing her daily food amount of the primal freeze dried. I do think (Just a gut feeling) she may be allergic to the chicken in all forms. But I'm not a vet and this is my first experience with an animal and allergies. My son had allergies and stomach problems when he was young. I was pretty sure I was feeding 3 cups per day. My thinking was reverting back to the images/references we gave moms for their newborns on stomach size and how much/how often to feed. I guess 3 cups a day was clearly not enough. Now I'm worried about any long term damage I may have unintentionally caused her.

 

[NamVetJoe]

Stop beating yourself up, if you are worried about long term damage make sure your Dobie does not start chewing the furniture

 

[luckybeemer]

my husband and I don't like the furniture we have now, almost bought new furniture several months ago, but I knew it would probably be a good idea to wait until the puppy season passes. Lol