# Hopelessly confused....



## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

zeke11 said:


> I want to do the best for my 10 week pup as far as feeding, but admittedly I don't have the time or patience for the raw food diet.
> 
> Second to that, I would like to find a high quality kibble. I don't want to encourage fast growth because I have read that this 'could' be linked to future joint problems. So would I be looking for something that is lower in protein thenk? Or higher in protein, lower in calories?
> 
> ...


What is better/healthier is always open for debate. Below is link to one of many on the topic. This one is not necessarily related just to puppy food but it will give you some ideas. Having said that, I would probably listen to your breeder. Good luck!

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/showthread.php?t=65706&highlight=puppy+food


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

Honestly, if your puppy is doing fine on the Purina One, I see no reason at all to change. Does you puppy have firm stools, plenty of energy, clean ears, and a healthy looking and feeling coat without any skin problems? If so, I would keep feeding what you are feeding. A lot of people go through a huge trial and error process while trying to find a food that their dog does well on. There is no such thing as the "perfect" dog food since every dog is different. What may be the perfect food for one dog may not be the perfect food for another dog. One good example is that our Tucker has a corn allergy and gets ear infections if he eats any food that has corn, so we have him on California Natural now and he is doing beautifully. Our GSD, on the other hand, eats Pro Plan and does great on it, which is one of the foods that Tucker had problems with. It really is true that no two dogs are the same when it comes to nutrition.

For what it's worth, a lot of people on here feed Purina One with great success.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

From someone who felt the same way you did and stupidly switched her puppy from a food that worked (Eukanuba) to a food /I/ wanted her to eat (Solid Gold, then Blue Buffalo), which consequently resulted in MONTHS of diarrhea problems and nasty messes, I would highly recommend sticking to what works. If you want to switch, wait until your pup is older and has a more "stable" tummy.


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

Honestly, for a 10 week old Pup I think you should be feeding what the Breeder or Vet recommend. My Breeder sent us home with Purina Pro Plan for large breed. Ike was on that food for his first year. Some breeders/Vets/ recommend switching to an adult food sooner, so talk to your Vet about the what's and the when's for your pup.


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## Romeo1 (Apr 19, 2008)

zeke11 said:


> I want to do the best for my 10 week pup as far as feeding, but admittedly I don't have the time or patience for the raw food diet.
> 
> Second to that, I would like to find a high quality kibble. I don't want to encourage fast growth because I have read that this 'could' be linked to future joint problems. So would I be looking for something that is lower in protein thenk? Or higher in protein, lower in calories?
> 
> ...


If it works for you, stay with it. I fed mine Purina One as a puppy and had no problems with it, and he loved it. I don't think there's a thing wrong with it.


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## Mighty Casey and Samson's Mom (Jul 16, 2008)

I agree with the above comments. If your puppy is doing well on what he is currently eating, why change? If YOU want to change, it is easier on his system to do later on.
However, if you see a reason why you might want to get him off of what the breeder recommended to another food sooner (loose stools, vomitting, skin problems, ear infections), then you need to do your research. There are many good kibble alternatives to raw. Check many archives on this site.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

My dogs had horrible gas on Purina One. That is the main reason I switched them. I went through a lot of trial and error and ended up with California Natural. Now I feed a comparable food to California Natural, ingredient, fat and protein and calorie wise that happens to be delivered to my home.


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## Sucker For Gold (Jan 13, 2009)

Having tried a premium food with our puppy and getting less than optimal results, I would also say if you are having no problems currently, then stick with the Purina. 

You can still do a slow growth program, regardless of the food you are using. For slow growth you simply want your puppy to gain about 1 1/2 pounds per week through the first 16-20 weeks. You do this by adjusting the amount fed. For us 1/2 cup of kibble 3 times per day (1 1/2 cups total per day) worked well. Your mileage may vary, so you would simply adjust food amounts to get as close to 1 1/2 lbs. of gain per week as you can. 

Here is some more information for you on slow growth:

http://www.jrsgoldenangels.com/slowgrow.html


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## rappwizard (May 27, 2009)

IMHO, one of the advantages of purchasing a puppy from a breeder is that you get that breeder's advice and guidance--kinda like purchasing a lap top and having customer care 24/7. Your breeder has recommended a food that your puppy is doing well on--I'm sure if your breeder is like mine, this person explained why they are recommending a certain kibble. If you don't know, why not ask your breeder why this particular food was recommended? It may be one that has worked well for your breeder's pups and adult goldens for several years.

If it's not broke, don't fix it. My thoughts.


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## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

I believe it's best to control growth by calories fed; not by skimping on protein. Protein and fat are critical sources for development of puppies. Many publications have listed a minimum protein of 25% for puppies. 

There are many good foods for puppies. My personal preference is to find formulas with named meat sources as the primary source of protein. I also avoid formulas with glutens, wheat and "animal fat" (prefer to know the source of fat and to keep it consistent for my dog).


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## zeke11 (Jul 21, 2009)

Yes, he is doing ok on the Purina One, but reading about the high rate of cancer with Goldens as well as the hip problems, I was thinking that maybe a certain quality of food would help avoid these problems? I think anti-oxidants help avoid tumors, and who knows what else. 

I also think that dogs really don't need grains and maybe the cheaper dog kibble might have more percentage of grains as opposed to meat.

So anyway, this is my line of thinking --- good quality food = healthy dog! I'm not sure where Purina falls along the lines of quality food.

Kris


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

zeke11 said:


> Yes, he is doing ok on the Purina One, but reading about the high rate of cancer with Goldens as well as the hip problems, I was thinking that maybe a certain quality of food would help avoid these problems? I think anti-oxidants help avoid tumors, and who knows what else.
> 
> I also think that dogs really don't need grains and maybe the cheaper dog kibble might have more percentage of grains as opposed to meat.
> 
> ...


Purina One is at the low end of the mid-grade foods. It's not the best food you can buy and it's not the worst. If it works for your pup, there's really no pressing need to change.

In my experience, food related orthopedic problems involve growing too fast. The large breed puppy formulas help keep puppies lean as they grow. (Some achieve a similar result by feeding adult formulas and carefully managing the food intake as the pup grows.)

Having some grains in a food is a good thing for most normal healthy dogs. There is zero evidence to demonstrate that carbs from other sources like fruits or vegetables are somehow better than those supplied from grains. 

So, If it ain't broke, don't fix it.


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## Stircrazy (Nov 30, 2009)

Swampcollie said:


> Having some grains in a food is a good thing for most normal healthy dogs. There is zero evidence to demonstrate that carbs from other sources like fruits or vegetables are somehow better than those supplied from grains.
> 
> So, If it ain't broke, don't fix it.


actually from a lot of reading I have been doing lately there is lots of evidence that cereal grains in foods are nothing more than fillers and empty calories that can't be used by the dogs and are only used to reduce the price of foods. Also from my readings I am getting the impression that elevated Ca and phosphorus levels are what is responsible for the joint problems not necessarily the protein levels, but the problem in lower quality foods is that they way they get the higher protein causes high Ca and phosphorus levels as they use a lot of ground up bones (meal products) instead of meat. 

there is actually a really good study on food evolution from the early 1900's showing the different things in food and when and why they were added. I'll see if I can find it again and link it.

here is just one thing about Ca
"
Calcium 
The absolute level of calcium in the diet, rather than an imbalance in the calcium/phosphorus ratio, influences skeletal development.2 Young, giant-breed dogs fed a food containing excess calcium (3.3% dry matter basis) with either normal phosphorus(0.9% dry matter basis) or high phosphorus(3% dry matter basis, to maintain a normal calcium/phosphorus ratio) had significantly increased incidence of developmental bone disease.2 These puppies apparently were unable to protect themselves against the negative effects of chronic calcium excess.3 Further, chronic high calcium intake increased the frequency and severity of osteochondrosis.7 

Often puppies are switched from growth to maintenance-type foods to avoid calcium excess and skeletal disease. However, because some maintenance foods have much lower energy density than growth foods, the puppy must consume more dry matter volume to meet its energy requirement. If the calcium levels are similar (dry matter basis) between the two foods, the puppy will actually consume more calcium when fed the maintenance food. This point is exemplified in the case of switching a 15-week-old, 15-kg male Rottweiler puppy from a growth food containing, on an as fed basis, 4.0 kcal/g metabolizable energy and 1.35% calcium (1.5% on a dry matter basis) to a maintenance food containing the same amount of calcium but at a lower, 3.2 kcal/g energy density. The puppy would require approximately 1,600 kcal/day. In order to meet this energy need the puppy would consume approximately 400g of the growth food (containing 5.4g of calcium) vs. 500g of the maintenance food (containing approximately 6.7g of calcium).

Feeding treats containing calcium and/or providing calcium supplements further increases daily calcium intake. Two level teaspoons of a typical calcium supplement (calcium carbonate) added to the growth food of the 15-week-old, 15-kg Rottweiler puppy would more than double its daily calcium intake. This calcium intake is well beyond the levels shown to increase the risk for developmental bone disease. A recent review article best sums up the need for calcium supplements: "Because virtually all dog foods contain more calcium than is needed to meet the requirement, the use of a calcium supplement certainly is unnecessary. Now that the deleterious effects of excess dietary calcium have been delineated, we can say that the feeding of calcium supplements not only is unnecessary, but, in fact, contraindicated!"8

Because these studies demonstrate the safety and adequacy of 1.1% calcium (dry matter basis) and the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) minimum recommendation is 1% (dry matter basis, Table 1), we recommend that calcium levels for a growth food be within this range for at risk puppies, with no supplementation. "


Steve


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## zeke11 (Jul 21, 2009)

While I realize that he is doing well on the Purina One, along the lines of the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'; my thinking is more of the preventative. Yes, he is healthy and strong now, but is what he is growing on in the present going to turn out to be bad for him in the long run? 

Kris


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Stircrazy said:


> actually from a lot of reading I have been doing lately there is lots of evidence that cereal grains in foods are nothing more than fillers and empty calories that can't be used by the dogs and are only used to reduce the price of foods.
> 
> Steve


While there is a small but VERY vocal minority that tries to push the "Grains are Filler" myth, they are none the less incorrect. 

All it takes is a look at the poorest low quality foods (Ol Roy, Sprout, Tuffies, etc) that are virtually all grain with a little non-descript animal fat added. Millions of dogs eat these low end foods their entire lives and survive (some even thrive on the crap). Those millions of dogs are absorbing the nutrients to survive from the food they're being fed or else they would have long since starved to death, so the arguement that grains are "just empty filler" is obviously invalid. 



The Calcium/Phosphous components in foods are important to developing puppies and are the basis for the Large Breed Puppy Formulas that many food manufacturers now offer.


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## Traz (Jan 19, 2009)

I did a lot of research on foods when we decided to get Kadence. Our 1st Golden had multiple health problems & I can't say whether they were hereditary or environmental or a mix of both. i knew this time I was going to try my best to do the best I could. For me that was a lot of breeder, food & product research.
For food I wanted one who has had little to no recalls. Quality ingredients & good nutrients.
I have a lot of faith in my breeder, but I didn't agree with her food choice. And I had little faith in my vet as far as food, because many of them are still pushing things like science diet. I have been told more than once vets recommend food that they can get the best deals or "kickbacks" for. Now, they will not call it that, but it basically what it is. Kind of like the drug rep who hands your doctor a bunch of samples, they do it so the doctor will order their meds.
I personally decided on Fromm. They are family owned & manufacture their food in their own US plants. The food is human grade food. 
MANY! dog food companies have their name on bags that are manufactured by the same manufacture some of the worst foods are manufactured by. This is info you can find online & can be confirmed. While they may be different "blends" for different companies, a lot of the ingredients are purchased from the same sources. That is why the recalls & deaths were widespread across different brands. The source of ingredients were the same.
While there are other foods I feel are equally as good a quality as what I chose, I am happy. I sent several emails to Fromm & never got a run around like I did from some other companies. I use less of it to get the same nutrition & cost isn't any more than some lesser quality foods.
While RAW may be the way to go, I didn't feel I had enough knowledge to feed RAW & be sure they were getting all they needed.
Be sure what ever you choose is a large breed puppy food. You do want the slow growth Sucker For Gold mentioned.
I also believe no one food is 100% the answer. Even though I feed a quality food, I still give other things now & then. An example I read was if you took a infant to a pediatrician that said, "here, feed this to the baby their whole life" & the food was 100% nutritionally sound & correct, you would probably still RUN at the thought of never giving your child other foods.
Sorry so long. I do have an excel spreadsheet with nutritional comparisons I did when I was looking if you are interested on some of the top brands & I can tell you why I ruled some out or considered them.


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## The_Artful_Dodger (Mar 26, 2009)

Choosing a dog food can be very overwhelming these days. I personally don't trust companies whose rationale for thier formulas is "just look how good our ingredient list looks". I care much more about nutrients than ingredients. I could design a dog food that looks great on the ingredient panel but has difficiencies or excesses of various nutrients. And while organ meats, for example, may look gross to me, that doesnt mean they are not nutritious, and would probably look delicious to my dog. My vet recommends products like science diet because they have a longstanding history of clinical research and producing nutritionally balanced foods - not for "kickbacks".


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## Stircrazy (Nov 30, 2009)

Swampcollie said:


> While there is a small but VERY vocal minority that tries to push the "Grains are Filler" myth, they are none the less incorrect.
> 
> All it takes is a look at the poorest low quality foods (Ol Roy, Sprout, Tuffies, etc) that are virtually all grain with a little non-descript animal fat added. Millions of dogs eat these low end foods their entire lives and survive (some even thrive on the crap). Those millions of dogs are absorbing the nutrients to survive from the food they're being fed or else they would have long since starved to death, so the arguement that grains are "just empty filler" is obviously invalid.
> 
> ...


the small group you are talking about include the forfront of vets and other profesionals that specilize in dog nutrition. 

yup dog live on crap food just like we can live on Mcdonnalds. Kinda hard to argue when wheat, corn and other grains have been showen to cause ear infections, skin iratations, ect due to alergic reactions. I am not saying you have to spend 80 bucks on a bag of food, there are several middle of the road grain free foods out there as low as 15 bucks for the same size bag. I just ended up chosing Origin regional read after a lot of reading and reviews. I figure a little more investd in food can help to save a lot of vet bills down the road.

it should also be noted that Ca and Phosphous in excess are bad, and they have to be in the right ratio or they can do more bad than good.

Steve


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## zeke11 (Jul 21, 2009)

Stircrazy said:


> I figure a little more investd in food can help to save a lot of vet bills down the road.
> 
> 
> Steve


Exactly my thinking which is what inspired the question I first brought up:

what puppy food is best for my pup? just like if I had an infant, I could feed it discount formula and it would still be alive and still grow, but there are healthier options out there and this is what I'm looking for only pertaining to my dog!

Kris


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## Stircrazy (Nov 30, 2009)

zeke11 said:


> Exactly my thinking which is what inspired the question I first brought up:
> 
> what puppy food is best for my pup? just like if I had an infant, I could feed it discount formula and it would still be alive and still grow, but there are healthier options out there and this is what I'm looking for only pertaining to my dog!
> 
> Kris


I am taking mine off puppy food and going to a high quality "all ages" food. I was going to go with Origin large breed puppy, but the breeders want me to go to an adult food at 12 weeks, so I am compromizing with the regional red which is an "all ages" food.

I find it realy confusing when every Breeder recomends different feeding plans, and quite a few even feed some of the worst puppy foods out there. but I find that there is a lot of " I have been doing it this way for 30 years" out there and a lot of people are resistant to progress especialy in the area of nutrition. 

Steve


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

I've been searching along the forum for some time now, with basically the same question in my mind as you have. I also talked to my breeder about it. She feeds Eukanuba and can explain why and what it does for her dogs. Her reasoning is good enough for me to stick with Eukanuba for at least the 6 months puppy phase. After that I would have to switch to adult food anyway, so then I'll probably go to Fromms.


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## Traz (Jan 19, 2009)

The puppy phase may be one of the most important time to be feeding a better quality food. It is when you get the most growth & development. Of course lifelong nutrition is inportant too.
Fromm makes a large breed puppy food, but any of their Four Star nutritionals are at the nutritional levels they should be for any stages including puppy. The one I wouldn't recommend on a consistent basis for a puppy is the whitefish, because it is lower calorie & protein than their other "flavors" & a puppy should be at about 24-37 for protein. As mentioned in an earlier post you do also want to keep an eye on calcium ratios & fat content.


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## hereformaggie (Feb 27, 2010)

Wow, almost everyone here is gaga about Fromm's. From what I understand its not that great, but whatever. Makes me wonder if they got intel working on the inside (as some companies do, ie posing as members). But anyhow, in your response to "what is the perfect puppy food for my pup", the simple truth is only you can answer that. Its going to take trial and error, THAT I can tell you for certain. For example, I started my puppy out on Royal Canin because I thought that was the best (I work in the vet industry and they have an excellent reputation - and no, they dont give kickbacks to DVMs or Hospitals as far as I know, the rep at one of the hospitals I works wouldnt even give use coupons). Then I read online how Orijen was the end all and be all of pet food so I put her on it, and she did fine just her poops got black and weird looking...ewwwww. I then had to try different brands (Merricks, Innova, Calif Natural, Wellness to name a few) and I decided with Lotus, which can only be found in California I think. Anyhoo, that has grains but high quality grains are actually, dare I say?, fine. Everytime I think of this grain-free mantra going around I cant help but think of that crazy Atkins Diet, which proved to be actually harmful as it made the body canibalize itself by going into ketosis. And for all the people who are like "wolves only eat meat in the wild, therefore my bichon (or poodle or lab) should too" fail to understand 1. that a wolf would see your precious Fifi as lunch and not a fellow comrade in the wild, 2. that wolves do in fact eat botanicals and grains, 3. do you know what the expected lifespan is for a wild carnivore? A big reason as to why our domesticated animals thrive and live so long today is because they have all these great resources (such as kibble loaded with not only protein but carbohydrates (carbs = energy)) that help keep them at optimum health. Personally, Im glad I didnt stick with grain free, its crazy hard on the kidneys and the liver and there is no way around that.


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## Stircrazy (Nov 30, 2009)

hereformaggie said:


> . Everytime I think of this grain-free mantra going around I cant help but think of that crazy Atkins Diet, which proved to be actually harmful as it made the body canibalize itself by going into ketosis. .


ahh so you know less about Ketosis than you do about grain free dog food. 

grain free is exactly that no grain.. still lots of potatoes veggies and fruit and such which are a better source of carbs than grain. as for the body canabalizing its self on Atkins.. I sugest you do some reading befor you post stuff.

Steve


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Stircrazy said:


> ahh so you know less about Ketosis than you do about grain free dog food.
> 
> grain free is exactly that no grain.. still lots of potatoes veggies and fruit and such which are a better source of carbs than grain. as for the body canabalizing its self on Atkins.. I sugest you do some reading befor you post stuff.
> 
> Steve


I think the poster was just juxtaposing the Atkins diet to the grain free diet, not in that they were the exact same thing, but that they were of the same essence, i.e., remove a particular component from the diet = lose weight! or in the dog's case... be healthier, I guess.


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

I will absolutely go with what my breeder recommends for the growing stages - she knows her puppies and I will do as she instructs. I am developing a great, great deal of trust in her.
When the puppy is at an age that I can switch, then I will try Evo, which is what my dogs get now. However, my dogs engage in very intense activities and Evo may not be right for my first golden. Whatever I choose, I will go grain free. Without getting into an enormous debate as to why, I have a very simple reason - my dogs don't have neither the teeth nor the digestive tract of rodents or ruminants. I haven't tested it, but I'm 99% certain that if I lay down a piece of beef on a plate on the floor and some succotash on another plate next to it, the dog will go for the beef. And there is a reason for that - although dogs are not true obligate carnivores, their bodies do lack the enzymes and the digestive tract that is found in animals that routinely eat those foods. What they crave is meat. Of course wolves eat what they find if they're hungry, that's the reason I said a dog is not a true obligate carnivore, but it craves and is built for digesting meat, neither grass nor grain.
This is a hot topic and one in which I've already been in one squirmish, so I will go no further with it. I'm still a guest here, since I don't have a golden. Yet.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Swampcollie said:


> Purina One is at the low end of the mid-grade foods. It's not the best food you can buy and it's not the worst. If it works for your pup, there's really no pressing need to change.
> 
> In my experience, food related orthopedic problems involve growing too fast. The large breed puppy formulas help keep puppies lean as they grow. (Some achieve a similar result by feeding adult formulas and carefully managing the food intake as the pup grows.)
> 
> ...


Hooray for a sane, evidence-based approach to puppy nutrition.

Give your pup something that's designed specifically for large breed puppies. While Goldens don't end up huge, typically, they do have a very substantial growth rate for the first 6-8 months, and it's very important to help them grow slowly. An LBP food does just that.

Purina One isn't super-awesome dog food, but if your dog is healthy, then he's getting the right food. If you want to spend more, switch to Purina Pro Plan LBP.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Stircrazy said:


> actually from a lot of reading I have been doing lately there is lots of evidence that cereal grains in foods are nothing more than fillers and empty calories that can't be used by the dogs and are only used to reduce the price of foods. Also from my readings I am getting the impression that elevated Ca and phosphorus levels are what is responsible for the joint problems not necessarily the protein levels, but the problem in lower quality foods is that they way they get the higher protein causes high Ca and phosphorus levels as they use a lot of ground up bones (meal products) instead of meat.


This isn't really accurate at all. Lots of sites out there perpetuate myths about grains and dogs, so just because you read it somewhere doesn't make it true. Whenever grains in dog food are actually studied, they're no better or worse than other vegetable matter. Obviously, different veggies have different vitamins, but there's nothing about corn, wheat, soy, rice, sorghum, triticale, etc. that makes them bad for dogs. In the right proportion, they're a legitimate and healthy ingredient. It's true that a food that's mostly corn meal wouldn't be good for a dog, but that doesn't mean that corn meal itself is a bad ingredient. A food that was all chicken meat would be bad too.

Filler in dog food is material that serves no nutritional purpose. Ground cereal products are highly digestible and contain vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats that are accessed by a dog's digestive system.

You're also right that too much calcium and phosphorus are linked to some bone issues, but too much protein also causes problems. It's too sweeping a generalization to say that "lower quality foods" have more ground bone in them and therefore put puppies at risk for bone issues. By-product meal (ground bone, organ, and muscle meat) is an ideal ingredient in dog food. In some ways, it's superior to a "meat" ingredient (though meat is a great ingredient too).

An LBP food from a good manufacturer ensures the right ratios of calcium and phosphorous as well as protein, calories, etc., whether or not the first ingredient is meat, meal, or by-product meal.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

zeke11 said:


> I want to do the best for my 10 week pup as far as feeding, but admittedly I don't have the time or patience for the raw food diet.
> 
> Second to that, I would like to find a high quality kibble. I don't want to encourage fast growth because I have read that this 'could' be linked to future joint problems. So would I be looking for something that is lower in protein thenk? Or higher in protein, lower in calories?
> 
> ...


 
I feed Purina Pro Plan. It is an excellent food (similar to, but with higher quality ingredients, Purina One). I have fed it successsfully for over 15 years. My dogs thrive on it, it is readily available, and consistent. And Purina has an excellent record of product testing, and quality control, as well.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Stircrazy said:


> the small group you are talking about include the forfront of vets and other profesionals that specilize in dog nutrition.
> 
> yup dog live on crap food just like we can live on Mcdonnalds. Kinda hard to argue when wheat, corn and other grains have been showen to cause ear infections, skin iratations, ect due to alergic reactions. I am not saying you have to spend 80 bucks on a bag of food, there are several middle of the road grain free foods out there as low as 15 bucks for the same size bag. I just ended up chosing Origin regional read after a lot of reading and reviews. I figure a little more investd in food can help to save a lot of vet bills down the road.
> 
> ...


You need to provide some source material for these claims about vets and grains. In my personal experience, the vast majority of the vets I've trusted have not pushed me to go grain free, nor do they feed it to their own dogs. The only advice I've heard consistently from multiple vets is to use LBP food for fast-growing breeds and to avoid going raw.

You're quoting a myth when you say "wheat, corn, and other grains" are the main cause of ear infections and skin irritations. First of all, only about 10% of allergy symptoms in dogs are actually related to food. Second, the most common food allergens are common protein sources because of the mechanism of allergies. Since chicken and beef are the most common proteins a dog's GI tract is exposed to, they're the most common allergens. Pork, dairy, and eggs also beat out corn, wheat, and soy on the dog food allergy list. I'm citing a few articles below because the original studies they're based on are from pay-for journals and thus can't be linked online.

http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/medical/canine-allergies.html#food-flea 

http://ezinearticles.com/?Allergies-in-Dogs&id=146968

http://www.veterinarypetcare.com/Dogallergies.html

http://www.aztecanimalclinic.com/allergy.htm


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

For a really good read on nutrition I strongly recommend Dr Marion Nestle's new book "Feed Your Pet Right" (her bio: http://www.foodpolitics.com/about/  ) There was a thread yesterday on this book. She looks in depth ( and with great citations) at the lack of regulations in the pet food industry ( and how financially huge it is). Yes, dogs can process and use protein and amino acids from quality grains, and there is no reason not to utilize them if your dogs handle them well. Personally, I want to research a company as well as the products they make. For my comfort zone I want a company who has not been involved in recalls, who has their own manufacturing plant and that does test ingredients coming in and product going out. I want a named meat as a primary ingredient, and no BHA/BHT/ ethoxyquin or menadione. For me, Fromm in one that fits the bill. I'm also having good luck with NOW for the golden girls.


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## Blondie (Oct 10, 2009)

If your dog is satisfied with the food you are providing it, then you might want to leave well enough alone. This food topic is hot and bothering. I have spent a ginormous amount of my time on the topic of food. I was feeding my puppy a two star puppy food and at 3 1/2 months when I started getting educated on dog food, switched her to Innova, who then goes and gets bought out by big corporate America. This litterally ticked me off, so now I'm changing her to Fromm, yes Fromm. Why Fromm? Because it is ethoxyquin free, has balanced nutrition, is close in comparisen to the Innova and her stools are the same, no diarrhea or other issues, she loves it, because many people here have recommended it. I take wisdom from those who have gone before, very seriously. I seriously doubt that we have Fromm insiders here promoting their product. I also think you can ask 100 people and you will get 100 different opinions, idea's, thoughts and criticisms on dogfood. It's your dog, you're providing the food, just do the best you can.


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## sifuyono (May 8, 2008)

Pointgold said:


> I feed Purina Pro Plan. It is an excellent food (similar to, but with higher quality ingredients, Purina One). I have fed it successsfully for over 15 years. My dogs thrive on it, it is readily available, and consistent. And Purina has an excellent record of product testing, and quality control, as well.


i also feed pro plan perfomance, thanks to PG....
i never had any problem with this food, except coat shedding......

i usually gave 1.5 cup twice a day, each mix with 3/4 cup warm water....


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