[LuvourGSDs]

Just wondering, How to know what is the right % of these for pups, adults, & seniors? I have know clue, sorry & haven't taken time to try to research. Some bags of dog food have all of this info on & some don't. Also, when dog foods are the exact in this dept, but are diff in cal per cup & ingreds ( still no wheat, corn, or soy) a bit, how can you say one food is way better than other? Some are even made by the same company? I also thought it was best to not feed puppies puppy food or pull puppies off this food early & not keep them on for a full yr. Thanks, just trying to do best here & ask/learn. I do offer raw also, just have not decided to fully go this way.

 

[LuvourGSDs]

Ok, if nobody wishes to comment, any good links you can share. Thanks

 

[ayoitzrimz]

I tried asking the same question. Nobody answered my question as well. Don't be discouraged, I think this is a topic most people just don't know the clear-cut answer for (or maybe there isn't a clear-cut answer at all...)

As far as food is concerned, I'm sure you know of the basics - no by-products and (IMO) no grains. Some people feed grains but I'm sure they will agree that rolled oats, for example, are not the same quality as say brewer's rice. So just go with quality dog food that your dogs do well on. I love champion pet foods (the makers of Orijen and Acana) but lots of people swear by TOTW, EVO, etc. so as long as the kibble is quality (not Purina or such) you should be fine.

Now here's what I could gather about the calcium / phosphorous ratio - generally (and I could be VERY wrong about this so take it with a grain of salt) a 1:1 to 2:1 ratio is fine, but for puppies it should be no more than that.

Ex:
Acana Pacifica - Calcium = 1.3% min, Phos = 1.1% min
Acana Ranchlands - Calcium = 1.8%, Phos = 1.4% min

Now those are just minimum, and you should try to get the maximum levels as well but I think that these ratios are all ok

Hope this helps with some of your questions...

 

[LuvourGSDs]

I thank ya for replying. I ran out changing our pup from TOTW lamb to 4 Health puppy, still made by Diamond for TSC. I don't get why the TOTW (lamb) is not good for pups? I also know I have read on hear awhile back about not keeping a pup on puppy food long. I started our pup rt on TOTW when I brought home at 10 wks. Now I only have a couple of days feeding the 4 Health puppy, but not sure a made the rt choice. I see no grain free puppy foods out there, most are all life stages foods, etc... I am not one to be paying $50 + for dog food. You take some of these other foods & compare the cal, phos, etc to say Blue & all match about 100%. I know ingred matter, but other foods are not horrible in that dept. I did notice Blue having way more cal per cup compared to most.

 

[LuvourGSDs]

I thank ya for replying. I ran out changing our pup from TOTW lamb to 4 Health puppy, still made by Diamond for TSC. I don't get why the TOTW (lamb) is not good for pups? I also know I have read on here awhile back about not keeping a pup on puppy food long. I started our pup rt on TOTW when I brought home at 10 wks. Now I only have a couple of days feeding the 4 Health puppy, but not sure a made the rt choice. I see no grain free puppy foods out there, most are all life stages foods, etc... I am not one to be paying $50 + for dog food. You take some of these other foods & compare the cal, phos, etc to say Blue & all match about 100%. I know ingred matter, but other foods are not horrible in that dept. I did notice Blue having way more cal per cup compared to most.

 

[Tihannah]

Here is a thread you might want to look at:

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/health-issues/162202-robin-carmen-deb-anyone-else-may-go-through.html


Please, please, do not feed TOTW! It is NOT an All Life Stages food when it comes to Large Breeds. I am dealing with a multitude of issues from feeding my pup this! We have an appt today to see my orthopedic vet.


This is also a great site I referenced when trying to find information on C/P levels in food.
Large Breed Puppy Diet Recommendations

 

[AxelsDad]

I currently have ~ 6 month old GSD pup who I feed Orijen Large Breed Puppy. I was talking to a rep from Champion, who also has experience working with other brands (Wysong, Vital Essentials, etc.), and he gave me the recommendation to grab other Champion foods -- 6 Fish, Regional Red, Ranchlands, etc.., and feed that every other day in combination with the LBP. He believes that a puppy isn't going to get all his/her minerals from just one source of protein, so mixing in Red Meats occasionally in conjunction with Chicken/Fish will balance out nutrition.

So what I do is buy the largest LBP, and then a smaller bag of Orijen or Acana mixes, and a couple days a week, I substitute one of my guy's cups of LBP with Orijen Regional Red or Acana Ranchlands. He doesn't have any digestion issues, and he seems to do really well with this rotation. I sometimes have to get him to back out of the pantry where I keep his food after he eats because he tries to go back for seconds. His coat is great, and his energy is thru the roof. I think he also puts on good weight through out the month, his is very athletic and agile.

The rep really didn't push me to Champion, I was already feeding it and he assumed I was comfortable with the company, but I think his rotation suggestion was broad, so any company's selection of food would work. He even opened up and said I could do Raw this way later when my pup is older - do dry in the morning and Raw patties/feed at night. But he told me a good thing also -- "If your dog has energy, is fit, and his/her metabolism and digestion is good, there is nothing to worry about."