# Considering switching food to save $$$



## Taylorsmum (Sep 30, 2014)

Why would you even consider changing him to adult food at 5 months??? He IS a puppy and needs the proper nutrition a decent puppy food will give him. If you change now you are storing up problems for later life. Surely you researched cost before you got him and therefore realised this would not be cheap. My dog has problems some of which caused by poor nutrition ie being fed adult food when a young puppy.


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## wbarnwell (Apr 15, 2014)

I was under the assumption that it is common practice to switch after 4-6 months. Maybe I am wrong, but you would be the first to say otherwise.


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## wbarnwell (Apr 15, 2014)

And obviously I realize that this would not be cheap, but I'm also not going to throw dollars away if something is unnecessary, like spending $2.00/lb on dog food that is no better than $1.00/lb.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

I would stay with a LBP formula. Take a look at Pro Plan's Large breed puppy formula or Eukanuba's. You'll likely be feeding less with either of them.


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## wbarnwell (Apr 15, 2014)

Swampcollie said:


> I would stay with a LBP formula. Take a look at Pro Plan's Large breed puppy formula or Eukanuba's. You'll likely be feeding less with either of them.


Thanks. When is it advisable to switch to adult food if not now? Everywhere I have read suggests now is the time.


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

If you want to switch to a less expensive food, consider switching to something like Purina Pro Plan Focus Puppy food. There are several formulas available on Amazon. The chicken/rice formula in a 35 pound bag goes for about $35.00. Plus it is higher in calories than the Wellness, which means you can feed less.

I think it is important to stay with a puppy formula to make sure the puppy gets the proper nutrients. We fed Max Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy food until he was about 15 months old.


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## wbarnwell (Apr 15, 2014)

Max's Dad said:


> If you want to switch to a less expensive food, consider switching to something like Purina Pro Plan Focus Puppy food. There are several formulas available on Amazon. The chicken/rice formula in a 35 pound bag goes for about $35.00. Plus it is higher in calories than the Wellness, which means you can feed less.
> 
> I think it is important to stay with a puppy formula to make sure the puppy gets the proper nutrients. We fed Max Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy food until he was about 15 months old.


Thanks. I'm glad I started this thread. There is a thread on this forum dedicated to the specific topic of when to switch and everyone in it switched near 6 months, so this is good information.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

wbarnwell said:


> Alright my little guy is just over 5 months (45-50 lbs), and I'm about to transition him to an adult dog food. Currently we are feeding him about 5.5 cups of Wellness Large Breed Puppy a day, as well as probiotic supplements and salmon oil, although I'll probably be backing off the 5.5 cups to 4.5 soon.


You might want to send a message over to Sally's Mom. I think she feeds her dogs (she has like 9) Wellness and has been very happy with the food.

Me personally, I don't see why you would have to feed that much food - but it depends on your dog's actual weight and what he looks like. Sometimes they start getting quite stout when fed more than necessary for their metabolism and for the amount of exercise they receive on a daily basis. My dogs would be downright obese if I fed them 4 cups a day. They only get 2 cups. And per my vet - this is a good or ideal measurement for most golden retrievers who are primarily family pets and are probably getting treats and special handouts throughout the day. 

Switching to adult food - I switched at 4 months from puppy (regular) to adult with Bertie. This was per the example/advice from his breeder who switches about that time. 

I also know a lot of people who think puppy food is a waste of money and don't bother feeding at all. I'm probably not in that group, but maybe I'd feel differently if I purchased a puppy from one of those breeders.

My thing is Bertie was and is lean and in shape. His coat quality has actually been the envy of a lot of people even from the time he was a puppy. I'm knocking on wood here, but he's also never had any infections (stomach, urinary, ear, etc), any diarrhea, any vomiting, etc. He's never been sick. And of course now he's 2, he has all his clearances. Everything cleared without any negatives. <- Now, I'm not going to tell you that feeding the exact food I fed him was the sole reason why he's been such an easy puppy.  I will tell you that feeding him regular puppy food (not the large breed stuff), switching to adult food at 4 months, and measuring out what my specific dog needs (not what the bag say) did not cause any "dire" effects.

More specifics on food.... I like Pro Plan. Bertie ate PP Puppy food. When he was 4 months old, I switched him to partially PP Performance and Nutrisource (which I feed my other boy). I gradually switched to completely Nutrisource - though I will probably add either PP Performance or Nutrisource Performance back into his diet at some point. My Jacks is temporarily eating Merrick Healthy Weight while I work to get his weight down again. I actually liked having him on Merrick, but it gets way to expensive feeding 2 dogs Merrick, as is more expensive by the pound than other brands.


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## wbarnwell (Apr 15, 2014)

Megora said:


> You might want to send a message over to Sally's Mom. I think she feeds her dogs (she has like 9) Wellness and has been very happy with the food.
> 
> Me personally, I don't see why you would have to feed that much food - but it depends on your dog's actual weight and what he looks like. Sometimes they start getting quite stout when fed more than necessary for their metabolism and for the amount of exercise they receive on a daily basis. My dogs would be downright obese if I fed them 4 cups a day. They only get 2 cups. And per my vet - this is a good or ideal measurement for most golden retrievers who are primarily family pets and are probably getting treats and special handouts throughout the day.
> 
> ...


Thanks, we have been feeding him progressively more since we got him, and I think the last jump up we made was probably excessive, so I'm going to back it back down. He's been getting that much for about 2 weeks. I'm going to try and get back down closer to 4 cups a day and monitor from there. He is definitely not overweight, but I measured out what we've been giving him today, and thought it seemed like too much. 

Now he is very active. We've been field training, but even still I think its probably too much.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

If field training - you probably need 3-4 cups then. 

I've seen some field bred dogs - goldens and flatcoats who when they are in full field training mode in spring and early summer - they are eating sometimes 6+ cups of food a day to keep weight on them. 

Not the case with most family pet goldens though.


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## wbarnwell (Apr 15, 2014)

Thanks, Megora.


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## Chritty (Aug 17, 2014)

Just my .02c but you tend to need to feed more with lower quality foods just to get the same amount of nutrients as you would from the highest quality feed. 

We looked at switching to cheaper brands but we would be feeding 5 cups a day instead of 2.5 cups.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

Brooks ate a lots more cups per day in his puppy time than he did after he stopped growing (same food) and he was never overweight. Anyone lived with an athletic teenaged boy in the house? They put away an enormous amount of food and stay at a perfect weight


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## Kmullen (Feb 17, 2010)

Btw... All of my guys go to adult food by 4 1/2-5 months of age!


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## wbarnwell (Apr 15, 2014)

kfayard said:


> Btw... All of my guys go to adult food by 4 1/2-5 months of age!


lol good, so I'm not a terrible person for thinking about it!


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## Brave (Oct 26, 2012)

I switched Bear to adult food around 5-6 months old. He still ate an exorbitant amount of food. The most food he was eating was nearly 6 cups a day (split into two meals). This was around 7-9 months of age, I believe, and he wasn't growing fast it just took a large quantity of food to keep weight on him. Now that he is all grown up, he is still eating the same brand and formula but only 2 cups a day.


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

Wow, that is very cheap for Wellness. I switched away from Wellness because locally it was costing me about $70 a bag after sales tax.

When your puppy reaches 7 to 8 months, his intake will be decreasing substantially. I feed my adult dogs 2 cups a day, and my 11 month old 2 1/2 cups. We were feeding Wellness Core but switched to Earthborn Grain Free. Earthborn is the same quality, but the do not advertise, keeping costs down and the sales tax is cheaper at the store that sells it.


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## Susan: w/ Summit we climb (Jun 12, 2014)

cubbysan said:


> Wow, that is very cheap for Wellness. I switched away from Wellness because locally it was costing me about $70 a bag after sales tax.
> 
> When your puppy reaches 7 to 8 months, his intake will be decreasing substantially.


Actually, my puppy has been on the slow growth plan (= lean puppy) and his intake is still increasing at 8 months. Vet keeps saying that he's perfect.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Susan: w/ Summit we climb said:


> Vet keeps saying that he's perfect.


This is not a comment on your dog or even your vet, just touched on something that had me holding my head yesterday. 

I had Jacks in to the vet because of a bladder infection.... found out he gained another couple pounds and is now over the 90# mark. 

The vet we had thought he was at a good weight for his size. If anything, she thought he could just lose a couple pounds, but she thought he looked good. 

When I told her what weight he needs to be for him to stay healthy, she was like..... "Oh.... yeah. I guess he does need to lose a few pounds." 

I think a lot of these vets are conditioned to not freak out or insult dog owners and/or they might even think that 85-95# is OK for a regular sized golden retriever..... because most that they see are about that weight. You never know. 

Just a thing - don't always go by what your vet is telling you.


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## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

We switched Tayla at 7 months to an all stages of life freeze dried food. She has been on that plus some kibble. 7-8 months is typical.


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## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

Megora said:


> This is not a comment on your dog or even your vet, just touched on something that had me holding my head yesterday.
> 
> I had Jacks in to the vet because of a bladder infection.... found out he gained another couple pounds and is now over the 90# mark.
> 
> ...


Funny our vet is just the opposite. Tayla is 65 and he wants her no more than 62 and Lily has porked up to 65, through over use of training treats, and he wants her to be no more than 58. He has always been really picky about weight.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Tayla's Mom said:


> Funny our vet is just the opposite. Tayla is 65 and he wants her no more than 62 and Lily has porked up to 65, through over use of training treats, and he wants her to be no more than 58. He has always been really picky about weight.


Yep - at the dog training club and also the private place I take regular classes, there's a number of people who are vets in "real life" - and those especially are going to put a lot of focus on keeping the dogs as trim and lean as possible. One lady especially is a breeder/show person and it was mildly funny to hear her griping about a co-owned dog who has to go on a strict diet every few months to get her back in shape for showing. 

Those vets who are involved with dogs to the nth degree like that - they are the best ones to listen to. Not all vets are like that though unfortunately.


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## golfgal (Dec 31, 2013)

I like ProPlan and had great feedback on coat, skin and overall health of dog so no worries on that front. It's a good food. Switched to adult around 10mths when most of initial puppy growth was done. 

One was on 4cups/day, the other 5cps/day. Both very lean dogs but we're quite active. Was told to keep food qty the same until at least 2 years of age and then reduce down.


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## Susan: w/ Summit we climb (Jun 12, 2014)

Megora said:


> This is not a comment on your dog or even your vet, just touched on something that had me holding my head yesterday.
> 
> I had Jacks in to the vet because of a bladder infection.... found out he gained another couple pounds and is now over the 90# mark.
> 
> ...


That's a good point. I can imagine that some vets are like that. Not my vet, though. He doesn't want to see dogs dying early from diseases of obesity like cancer. He tells it like it is. -- Of course, cancer comes to Goldens from other causes, but obesity is related too.

Even though Summit's breeder said he'd reach 75lbs, the vet said to try to hold him at 70; to keep him lean.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

wbarnwell said:


> Thanks. When is it advisable to switch to adult food if not now? Everywhere I have read suggests now is the time.


Puppies tend to grow in spurts and you need to adjust the amounts as they grow. I would not change to an adult formula until the pup has completed the last major growth spurt. 

Since you are field training I would definately switch to LBP formulas from Pro Plan or Eukanuba.


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## Rob S. (Feb 2, 2014)

Your puppy should be eating protein and fat and not all the carbohydrates in Wellness. Most Wellness foods are about 60% carbohydrate and you pay top dollar for what amounts to breakfast cereal.

Use a better quality food like Farmina N&D, Dr. Tim's, Horizon or Fromm Gold (Pink Bag even for Adults)

Keep something in mind, foods that are sold in Petco and Petsmart are sold there because they are cheap to make and can be made in enormous quantity.

A five month old puppy at that weight shouldn't need more than 3 cups total per day of a good food, or about 100 grams of protein per day.


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

Fromm Lamb & Lentil is a new food, and the carbohydrates are not too high. A good level and my dogs love it. Also, Fromm Game Bird is good too, and I really like Farmina N&D Wild Boar and Grass-Fed Lamb. 

These are all good foods, and my pups love their meals. My main foods are Farmina, Fromm and Orijen/Acana.

Orijen and Acana are foods I add a few times a year, but not as much as Farmina and Fromm. They are my main choice, and I'm very happy with the results


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## Susan: w/ Summit we climb (Jun 12, 2014)

I like Horizon Pulsar Turkey as a single-protein food that's low enough in calcium to be safe for puppies --it doesn't increase the risk of hip dysplasia. There aren't many like that. Most are chicken, but I just noticed that Zignature Lamb is also suitable, going by the number of calories per kg and the % calcium and phosphorus.


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## Dee57 (Jan 18, 2014)

wbarnwell said:


> Alright my little guy is just over 5 months (45-50 lbs), and I'm about to transition him to an adult dog food. Currently we are feeding him about 5.5 cups of Wellness Large Breed Puppy a day, as well as probiotic supplements and salmon oil, although I'll probably be backing off the 5.5 cups to 4.5 soon.
> 
> I'm considering switching to a less expensive food, like Purina Pro Plan and save some money each month, and I also assume that a 30/20 blend of the pro plan would mean feeding him less than what I am today, which I feel like is a lot. Is that correct thinking?
> 
> ...


 You should keep your dog on puppy for longer, large breeds mature slower. my vet says a year but others were saying different. since i was not sure i kept her on puppy till 14 months. i thought about trying proplan, from the reading i have done seems the protein is to high an it has extra k in it which is hard on kidneys so im still not sure,an plus the big purina scare that is going on. im trying to find something different since the adult formula of what i been feeding her has soy in it an i want to avoid things that wil effect her hormones like flax an soy. i would try to keep her on what your feeding her, not sure what that brand cost, wish you the best


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## Susan: w/ Summit we climb (Jun 12, 2014)

Goldens are still growing and need large-breed puppy food until 18 months, because they need to stay within specific levels of calories per kg and calcium and phosphorus so that their bones develop properly. Weigh the dog every 2-3 weeks to see whether he is still growing. At 1 year, my puppy is still gaining weight slowly due to his bones becoming larger. He's slowly developing his adult frame. 

Research has shown that protein is not hard on the kidneys unless the dog has kidney disease.


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## Chritty (Aug 17, 2014)

Susan: w/ Summit we climb said:


> Goldens are still growing and need large-breed puppy food until 18 months, because they need to stay within specific levels of calories per kg and calcium and phosphorus so that their bones develop properly. Weigh the dog every 2-3 weeks to see whether he is still growing. At 1 year, my puppy is still gaining weight slowly due to his bones becoming larger. He's slowly developing his adult frame.
> 
> Research has shown that protein is not hard on the kidneys unless the dog has kidney disease.



Good info to know Susan. Our breeder insisted that we step down protein as our puppy grew but I couldn't find anyone else that I spoke to that agreed with this. So we have kept Millie on Puppy food.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

just an FYI ProPlan has a rebate for $18.99 back on buying the food


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## aussi3itup (Mar 31, 2015)

I was told by my vet to keep Oakley on puppy food until he is at LEAST 14 months old, because they are still growing.


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## Carmel (Feb 9, 2015)

Chritty said:


> Good info to know Susan. Our breeder insisted that we step down protein as our puppy grew but I couldn't find anyone else that I spoke to that agreed with this. So we have kept Millie on Puppy food.


Well again, I am going to be the odd one out. But with Newfs we take them off puppy and on to adult food by 3 months. I'm sure there is lot's of debate on this, but I know a lot of breeders of large and giant breed do not like to use puppy food for too long.


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## Chritty (Aug 17, 2014)

Carmel said:


> Well again, I am going to be the odd one out. But with Newfs we take them off puppy and on to adult food by 3 months. I'm sure there is lot's of debate on this, but I know a lot of breeders of large and giant breed do not like to use puppy food for too long.



When I looked into it for myself from what I read it seemed to be an "old school thinking" vs "new school thinking". 

As you said, there's debate, but from what I remember there was more science backing the new school. It was a very hard decision to make and if we have made the wrong choice then I hope we haven't ruined our puppy. She already has a bit of pain in one hip from vet inspection but that was discovered before our breeder had recommended the step down.


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## Carmel (Feb 9, 2015)

I've always been told to keep them on the thin side if possible to prevent. A Golden is higher energy but the Newfs would lay around all day unless there was something fun to do so I jog mine a mile a day with a golf cart. My Rafe will be 10 in a few months and he still loves his daily jog. I'm watching him closely now while he jogs to check for stiffness and so far he has been a couple of times on damp cool days so I've been just letting him walk if he wants to.


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## Chritty (Aug 17, 2014)

Carmel said:


> I've always been told to keep them on the thin side if possible to prevent. A Golden is higher energy but the Newfs would lay around all day unless there was something fun to do so I jog mine a mile a day with a golf cart. My Rafe will be 10 in a few months and he still loves his daily jog. I'm watching him closely now while he jogs to check for stiffness and so far he has been a couple of times on damp cool days so I've been just letting him walk if he wants to.



Our little one is at 55lbs @ almost 10 months. I can't see her needing anymore than another 7lbs


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