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1st post, new GSD owner and food question

948 views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  MolonLabe 
#1 ·
This is my first GSD since being a child/ teenager.

Our pup is 5 weeks old and 3.6 pounds. By far the runt of the litter as his litter mates are nearly twice the weight. Aside from being bullied he has a grade 3 murmur his breeder discovered the morning we went to pick him up.

This little fella has a long road ahead of him but today he seems to have so much more energy and spunk than yesterday.

His breeder had him on Fromm puppy and gave us some to transition. It's been a couple years since our last dog but we fed her pro plan select and she did well on it. On the way back from picking him up we stopped at petco to pick up some food. It seems select is out. I looked at a bag of pro plan natural and the ingredients seemed good with no by products.

Today doing research it seems Fromm is the better food.

In the range of $50-60 per 33#, what is the "best" food for our new boy?

Fromm? Proplan natural? Something else? I'm thinking Fromm gold seems to be, on paper, a pretty good choice but I'm open to any suggestions.

Also suggestions for supplements are welcome too.

Thanks!
 
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#3 · (Edited)
did you take the pup home at 5 weeks?

grade 3 heart murmur and healthy pup usually don't go hand in hand.

I am afraid you are going to have a difficult time --- the real hard facts
of the matter .
If you want any chance of a good outcome you have to be realistic NOW
and help yourself and the pup NOW.

Discuss vaccinations.

You need to be very aware of the pup's compromised immune system.

I would feed a gruel --- thoroughly broken down in a blender --- choose your
best possible kibble and moisten with warm bone broth (home-made) not
commercial soup stock "beef broth or chicken broth" BONE broth.


Add colostrum. Not all colostrum is the same !


what was the "breeder's" hurry.
that pup should have been allowed to hang around
at home with his dam , given one on one , non-competitive , nursing time till he at least was a little more developed .
And / or they should have taken the responsibility for the life they brought into the world not passed it on to - you - .
Looks and feels callous .
 
#5 · (Edited)
what was the "breeder's" hurry.
that pup should have been allowed to hang around
at home with his dam , given one on one , non-competitive , nursing time till he at least was a little more developed .
And / or they should have taken the responsibility for the life they brought into the world not passed it on to - you - .
Looks and feels callous .
My wife has actually been talking to the breeder for awhile. I won't get into the details but the spouse was a piece of work and apparently not paying bills and walked out, no warning. Also took the dam with about a week ago.

Anyway long story short, took the pup to the vet yesterday morning and found the murmur. Breeder is alone and has no one to help and little money and is working extra shifts it looks like.

Breeder didn't charge us for the pup and explained everything we could be in for. Were hoping for the best but prepared for the worst.

Nothing to do at the moment but wait and see. 3 of 6 could resolve or may not. We'll go for an echo at 12 weeks if it's not improving and take it from there.

Nothing cold or callous about it, everything was up front. For whatever reason we happened into this. As it stands, the pup (in my avatar) is very spry today and doing well.

He's so sweet and very bright.

We'll follow the path and see where it leads. as to food, the vet said either of the two was good and to just have food available from first thing in AM to couple of hours before bed.

**typed from my phone with gsd on my chest, forgive any typeos
 
#6 ·
You can research for quality kibble on DogFoodAdvisor.com
I hope you can build a relationship with a really good vet familiar with GSDs. It looks like your going to need help with someone who can watch your little guy grow.
Our son has a sick pup as well, and we told him to make sure to find a good vet to help them work through the issues instead of going back to the pet store vet.
 
#7 ·
Hi MolonLabe and Welcome! :greet:

NOTHING from Purina is good!

Stick with the Fromm's. Family owned and manufactured.


You'd do well to follow Carmspack's instructions. She has raised many litters and knows what she is talking about.;)


Carmspack may have another brand in mind but here is a reputable product:
*Only whole, intact colostrum contains the lipids that nature designed for colostrum. Defatted colostrum does not. If you think nature knows what it is doing and that colostrum should remain whole, intact, and pure, be sure that the colostrum you buy has not been defatted and that nothing has been added to it or taken away from it.
*Synertek colostrum is taken only from mature cows and not from the first lactation. This ensures that both the cows and the colostrum are immunologically mature. Each batch of colostrum is tested both by an in-house lab and an independent lab for organic quality and to be certain it meets the parameters of six hour colostrum, and only then is it certified.
*Synertek colostrum is harvested from U.S. Midwestern family farms, carefully chosen for overall quality, with appropriate regard for the health and welfare of the cows and calves, organic practices, and grass feeding.
Synertek Certified 1st Six Hour Colostrum



We will all hope for the best for this situation! And will expect lots of pictures!!!
Moms:)
 
#10 · (Edited)
yes-- but wait --- there is still MORE --

similar to digestive enzymes and probiotics , colostrum is sensitive to heat and cold .

I guess I will spill some beans here .
I have been researching colostrum casually for a long time , and seriously
over the last 2 plus years .

It matters how the colostrum is processed !!

I have been able to secure a reliable source for colostrum which meets
and exceeds the standards that I was looking for -- including a process
which keeps all the delicate immune factors intact . Processed "raw" .
I plan to incorporate this into one of my formulas.


Saphire (forum member) has benefited from all the colostrum products that were on trial -- adding colostrum to one of her raw dog food blends -
Growth and Restore I believe.


The little pup in this thread has some real health challenges .
You may also want to check into PQQ , co-enzyme Q 10 to energize
heart cell growth , taurine supplementation (or cat food) , clean protein, anti inflammatory Vitamin E , coconut oil for glandular health and oxygen supplying phytonutrients.
 
#11 ·
This puppy I would probably purchase health insurance for. Do you have AKC paperwork for the puppy, they offer health insurance when you send the papers in.

If not, you can buy health insurance, the thing is, your pup already has pre-existing condition. I'd still probably get this little one on health insurance.

Good luck with your new puppy!

Yes, yes, the pup can still learn from the litter, but this one probably would have had to be separated anyway as it is not getting its nutritional needs met. If the wife was the one with the dog-knowledge better to have the pup out of there, as this one will need some extra care.
 
#12 ·
Thank you for the advice everyone. I've got a 33# bag of fromm gold large puppy on the way and some of the recommended colostrum as well.

I'll keep everyone updated. Our boy is hungry today, eating very well and very active (between naps).

I'm going to take the bag of proplan natural and drop it at the shelter on the way home from work one day next week.
 
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