# Puppy food?



## jenspup (Jan 2, 2015)

If you fed kibble, what worked the best for your golden puppy?

I'm not thrilled with the breeder's choice, and I'm looking to change our pup's food. (He's coming home next month) When we get him, would you suggest waiting a while he settles in, or start mixing in some new food right away? How slowly would you transition him?

Thanks!


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

Max was being fed Purina Puppy Chow by his breeder. He had very large stools. We switched him right away to Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Food. We took 3 or 4 days to transition to the new food. Max did great on the Eukanuba and we fed it to him until he was about 15 months old.


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## jenspup (Jan 2, 2015)

Max's Dad said:


> Max was being fed Purina Puppy Chow by his breeder. He had very large stools. We switched him right away to Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Food. We took 3 or 4 days to transition to the new food. Max did great on the Eukanuba and we fed it to him until he was about 15 months old.


Thanks! Max is one of the names on our short list for our puppy. (Our short list is actually very long, lol)


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## Rob S. (Feb 2, 2014)

The only reason to actually use a puppy food is the smaller kibble, because many companies that sell All Life Stage foods offer foods that are better and more nutritious than other companies that call foods "puppy foods" just for cradle-grave marketing.

Best dry foods I have used are Farmina, Dr. Tim's and Fromm Gold. Farmina is what I am currently using.


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## jenspup (Jan 2, 2015)

Rob S. said:


> The only reason to actually use a puppy food is the smaller kibble, because many companies that sell All Life Stage foods offer foods that are better and more nutritious than other companies that call foods "puppy foods" just for cradle-grave marketing.
> 
> Best dry foods I have used are Farmina, Dr. Tim's and Fromm Gold. Farmina is what I am currently using.


Could you share what variety of these brands you would pick for a Golden puppy? Thanks!


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## dogloverforlife (Feb 17, 2013)

jenspup said:


> Could you share what variety of these brands you would pick for a Golden puppy? Thanks!



Jen,
I know I am not the person that you are asking this question too, but I would use this formula for a puppy.

http://usa.farmina.com/?q=content/product/chicken-ancestral-grain-recipe-adult


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

Purina Pro Plan and Fromm are considered good brands.

We feed Orijen Large Breed Puppy, and our newest pup Jet transitioned to it very quickly and easily, but our previous pup, Summit, had soft stools for a while. We added fiber (a spoonful of beans) to his diet and that worked.


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

My golden was raised on Fromm Large Breed Puppy food until 12 months old. Rusty did great on it, and I really like the Fromm brand myself.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Large breed puppy formulas from ProPlan and Eukanuba work well for most puppies.


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## Christen113 (Dec 3, 2014)

We are feeding Nutri Source Large Breed Chicken and Rice at the advice of our breeder that's been doing this for 20 years but only until he's 6 months old. Then we'll switch to the adult food to keep his weight in check.


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

I fed Pro Plan Focus Large Breed Puppy formula to my pup till he was about 13 months old - I still had so much food left at 12 months and decided to finish off the bag. There was no issue with his weight and there still is not - that is what the large breed puppy formula is for. 
Checking labels on dog foods will help - some adult dog foods have more protein, fat and calories than puppy food.


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

I'd like to explain why I feed Orijen, if anyone is interested: it is because it is made from high-quality fresh food, mostly prey animals with some fruit and vegetables, and it is low in carbohydrates. That seems to me to be an appropriate diet for dogs. Carbohydrates promote cancer and they are not necessary for dogs.

I wish it was less expensive. I haven't been able to persuade myself that there is anything better for dogs, other than raw. If research has been done that shows what really matters in a dog's diet, I would like to know about it.


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

Truthfully - I really don't think there is a connection between high/low carbs and cancer. But that is just my opinion - I lost four dogs to cancer some fed dog food with high carbs, others grain free low carbs.


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## Melakat (Oct 9, 2010)

We have been asked to feed our Pup Orijen Grain Free Large Breed Puppy Food.

"Most puppy foods promote fast bone growth which we feel is not desirable in a puppy and may lead to arthritic problems later in life. The Orijen Grain Free Large Breed puppy formula is designed to promote slower growth".


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

Melakat said:


> We have been asked to feed our Pup Orijen Grain Free Large Breed Puppy Food.
> 
> "Most puppy foods promote fast bone growth which we feel is not desirable in a puppy and may lead to arthritic problems later in life. The Orijen Grain Free Large Breed puppy formula is designed to promote slower growth".


It works. Our vet was happy with Summit's slow rate of growth. Just measure how much you give and don't overfeed.


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## SunnynSey (Jan 17, 2015)

I like Royal Canin Maxi Puppy,I fed it to my two Goldens and both came back with OFA Excellent hips, their first litter did great on it as well.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

jenspup said:


> If you fed kibble, what worked the best for your golden puppy?
> 
> I'm not thrilled with the breeder's choice, and I'm looking to change our pup's food. (He's coming home next month) When we get him, would you suggest waiting a while he settles in, or start mixing in some new food right away? How slowly would you transition him?
> 
> Thanks!


I have been breeding Golden Retrievers for a very long time. In the last decade we have produced 132 puppies. ALL of them were fed Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Formula. The pups were all healthy, problem free, and exhibited appropriate growth rates for a slow growth program. (Other breeders feed the large breed puppy formulas from Pro Plan with equal success.) Be careful when selecting a food for a rapidly growing puppy. The food you select will provide the nutritional building blocks the pup needs to grow and develop properly. Resist the temptation to fall into fad diets that have not undergone actual long term feeding trials. Eukanuba and Pro Plan are two products that have been selected and fed by successful breeders and competitors for a very long time. These products are chosen because they have delivered successful results for decades. 
You can spend a lot more for a food, but it probably won't be a better food when you measure the actual results delivered. 

Be very careful when considering a home cooked or raw food diet for a puppy. How vigilant will you really be in following the designed balanced menu needed for proper growth of a rapidly developing animal. If you aren't absolutely certain you possess the self-discipline to rigidly follow the program, don't start it. Stick with the commercially prepared kibble. Home cooking can deliver great results but things can go to hell in a hurry if you don't strictly adhere to the nutritional program while the pup is growing. Screwing it up for a few days can have life long repercussions.


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