# Pro Plan Question



## Miranda Gallegos (Aug 18, 2019)

I went to petsmart and was looking at the vast selection of pro plan varieties. I’ve been told to buy the large breed puppy variety. But I saw this kind that has a golden puppy on it and the advertising makes me think that this food goes with this kind of dog. Can anyone clear up what the differences are please?

My breeder will have started him on the pro plan sport for all life stages.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

I think look for the one without the shreds in it. 
When they first introduced shreds, they took away the regular formulas and lots of Goldens had issue w the new formula (shred). It wasn't a month before it was back and people went to the old formula. DK if it is still the same but the shreds were the differing piece of it. I think there is a weim puppy on the bag of the regular formula.


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## Lincgold (May 11, 2018)

I had Bear, 17 mos, on Purina Pro Savor for puppies until he was 1. Then, I switched him to PP Savor Adult. They also have Savor for 7 years and older. Bears done really well with it. I like the natural probiotics it contains. I think any of their foods are good. Good luck


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

I have found that all the dogs on the version with the shreds is they pick out the shreds and don't much like the kibble. To ensure the slow growth aspect have always preferred the large breed puppy foods. 

All that aside, it's always best to stay with whatever the breeder has been feeding when they send him home. Puppies are babies and leaving the only surroundings they know. They are adjusting to a new home, new family, new smells and routine. Changing food should not be added to the list of changes. Stay with whatever the breeder is feeding for a couple of months anyway.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

All good advice above. Just want to add, the picture on the bag has nothing to do with what kind of dog should eat it. Dog foods are made for all breeds - they just want cute or athletic or majestic looking dogs on the bags to help them sell.


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## Emmdenn (Jun 5, 2018)

We fed PPP focus large breed puppy formula. The one with the weimeraner puppy on it. The large breed formula is good for the slow growth aspect. My breeder for some reason cautioned against large breed puppy formulas, but Denver did amazing on it and grew nice and gradually. Now he’s on the PPP Focus adult version.


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Eevee started out on Pro Plan Sport 30/20 all life stages, then I gradually switched her over to PPP large breed puppy, then she had some tummy issues from something she ate and was switched back to 30/20 All Stages, but the salmon formula this time. She gained 1-2 lb per week for the first few months regardless of what food she was eating - and even with the tummy issues. She did eventually kick the bug she had, and has been fine since then. She's 10 months now and is still on 30/20 sport and doing fine. I'm with the others on not feeding the savor version because of the reasons mentioned. 

All of that was to say that as long as you feed a high quality food and don't overfeed, your pup will probably grow up fine. I think how fast they grow has a strong genetic component anyway and slow growth feeding plans just help mitigate fast growing genes - meaning that you can only control how fast they grow up to a certain point and then genetics takes over.


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## Goldenbrody (Oct 23, 2019)

We just purchased the PPP Focus for Puppies with the Chicken and Rice. We too were told to stay away from the Large Breed kind. I think mainly because our puppy was on it when we got him.


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## Miranda Gallegos (Aug 18, 2019)

Thank you all for your responses. I think I confused myself by the advertising and for some reason I thought if I fed my puppy the large breed formula that he would grow too fast. I’m still learning about dog nutrition. I love to know the details and science behind nutrition.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

Interesting article on nutrition and how to choose a food.









Pet Food Decisions: How Do You Pick Your Pet’s Food?


Owners are passionate about their pets’ nutrition, but often make mistakes because of the confusing and often conflicting information. Find out how to use your passion responsibly to make the best decisions about your pet’s diet.




vetnutrition.tufts.edu


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## 206076 (Oct 30, 2019)

ArkansasGold said:


> Eevee started out on Pro Plan Sport 30/20 all life stages, then I gradually switched her over to PPP large breed puppy, then she had some tummy issues from something she ate and was switched back to 30/20 All Stages, but the salmon formula this time. She gained 1-2 lb per week for the first few months regardless of what food she was eating - and even with the tummy issues. She did eventually kick the bug she had, and has been fine since then. She's 10 months now and is still on 30/20 sport and doing fine. I'm with the others on not feeding the savor version because of the reasons mentioned.
> 
> All of that was to say that as long as you feed a high quality food and don't overfeed, your pup will probably grow up fine. I think how fast they grow has a strong genetic component anyway and slow growth feeding plans just help mitigate fast growing genes - meaning that you can only control how fast they grow up to a certain point and then genetics takes over.


I agree 100% with you on the genetic part of what you said here. My Boy is just about 11 months old and is 80lbs now. He is lean and had a very gradual growth curve since he was 8 weeks with 2.2lbs per week and now he is slowing down. I have had him on Large Breed Puppy foods since he was young and we had a lot of issues until we switched to Purina Focus Large Breed. Now he is great and all his stools are solid. Genetics play such a big part in their makeup that under feeding due to not taking into consideration what the genetic makeup and activity level of the dog is can also be an issue so I think finding the balance is important. I had a fair number of people tell me that they thought my guy was too skinny but he is starting to fill now. The picture is from Dec 7th. IMO Purina is good food.


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

The vetnutrition.tufts.edu that Puddles sited looks like a good scientific/current research based source of information without any financial agendas


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

Both of my boys were raised on PPP Large Breed Puppy until between six to nine months. They both are on PPP Sport 30/20 now. The breeder of my puppy's sire encouraged switching away from the puppy formula to the Sport 30/20 and the puppy's bitch encouraged keeping on LPB. Both are well respected breeders and I figured I wouldn't go wrong with either plan, and I decided to keep him on LPB for the first six/seven-ish months. Incidentally - they are close friends and respect each other's advice to their puppy buyers.


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## AllThatGlittersIsGolden (Sep 2, 2019)

rabernet said:


> Both of my boys were raised on PPP Large Breed Puppy until between six to nine months. They both are on PPP Sport 30/20 now. The breeder of my puppy's sire encouraged switching away from the puppy formula to the Sport 30/20 and the puppy's bitch encouraged keeping on LPB. Both are well respected breeders and I figured I wouldn't go wrong with either plan, and I decided to keep him on LPB for the first six/seven-ish months. Incidentally - they are close friends and respect each other's advice to their puppy buyers.


Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I saw you switched from Large Breed Puppy to Sport 30/20. I am about to begin that same transition, but am confused about the feeding guidelines. How much did you feed your puppy when you switched to Sport?


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

WildfireHeart said:


> Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I saw you switched from Large Breed Puppy to Sport 30/20. I am about to begin that same transition, but am confused about the feeding guidelines. How much did you feed your puppy when you switched to Sport?


I know you didn't reply to my comment, but I did the same thing as @rabernet by switching from LBP to 30/20. I basically ignored the feeding guidelines and did an equivalent cup conversion using the calories per cup for Large Breed puppy and calories per cup for 30/20 so that I would be feeding roughly the same amount of calories per day on the Sport. Calculate the total calories per day of Large Breed Puppy that you are currently feeding then divide by the calories/cup for 30/20 Sport and you will get the equivalent number of cups per day to feed for the 30/20. I rounded to the nearest 0.25 cup for the sake of easy measurement. My girl is a year old now and still eats 3 cup/day of 30/20 Sport.


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## AllThatGlittersIsGolden (Sep 2, 2019)

ArkansasGold said:


> I know you didn't reply to my comment, but I did the same thing as @rabernet by switching from LBP to 30/20. I basically ignored the feeding guidelines and did an equivalent cup conversion using the calories per cup for Large Breed puppy and calories per cup for 30/20 so that I would be feeding roughly the same amount of calories per day on the Sport. Calculate the total calories per day of Large Breed Puppy that you are currently feeding then divide by the calories/cup for 30/20 Sport and you will get the equivalent number of cups per day to feed for the 30/20. I rounded to the nearest 0.25 cup for the sake of easy measurement. My girl is a year old now and still eats 3 cup/day of 30/20 Sport.


Thank you! This is very helpful. That's what I'm going to do; it looks like the 30/20 has a few more calories than the LB Puppy, but not significantly, so rounding to the nearest 0.25 like you did should work out pretty well. Now I've been on a kick, trying to figure out if I'm feeding the right amount of calories. But I think my girl is lean but not skinny so she's probably getting enough. She's only 5 months but I'd probably be feeding 3 cups per day once I fully convert to the 30/20. Does that sound about right? It sounds like a lot, considering adults are on ~3 cups per day, but I know her nutrient needs are a lot higher while she's growing!


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

@WildfireHeart yes 3 cups is pretty normal for that age. Eevee got up to 4 for a little while around the 6 month mark. She’s been at 3 for several months now that’s done growing.


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## AllThatGlittersIsGolden (Sep 2, 2019)

ArkansasGold said:


> @WildfireHeart yes 3 cups is pretty normal for that age. Eevee got up to 4 for a little while around the 6 month mark. She’s been at 3 for several months now that’s done growing.


Good to know! My girl is on 3.5 cups of large breed puppy currently, so 3 cups of the Sport would probably be a similar calorie content. But of course, she's still growing, and we may just get up to 4 before too long!

I had done a live chat with a Purina rep on their website and the guy I talked to said to use the full grown weight as a guideline. I also emailed them and a different rep said to feed at the guidelines for the current weight. It was very confusing. It's much easier getting information here, I think!


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

WildfireHeart said:


> Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I saw you switched from Large Breed Puppy to Sport 30/20. I am about to begin that same transition, but am confused about the feeding guidelines. How much did you feed your puppy when you switched to Sport?


I haven't logged on in awhile, my apologies. I don't ever follow bag guidelines, I follow body condition on my boys. I'm a bit obsessive with keeping them lean and athletic.

Currently - both boys get 1 cup of food, 2 x a day. They also get a frozen raw marrow bone from the butcher each morning (our "sanity" bones as we "lovingly" refer to them - LOL).

I follow the "rule" of easily felt ribs (rubbing their side should feel similar to rubbing over the back of your fingers when your hand is open), visible waist and a nice tummy tuck.

If they've been inside for days on end because of weather (other than potty breaks - and we've had tons of rain here in Georgia the last few weeks - even the ducks are wearing rain coats these days), they may get cut back by a 1/4 cup a day, and if they've had a particularly athletic day of dog sports, then they'll get an extra 1/4 cup that day.

Even with that amount of food (2 cups a day), Noah could still stand to lose about 5 or 6 lbs - he was 81 lbs his last visit. But, and not to make excuses, he is hypothyroid, on medication, and hypothyroidism can cause them to gain weight. He's also taller than breed standard (BYB boy).


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

Prism Goldens said:


> I think look for the one without the shreds in it.
> When they first introduced shreds, they took away the regular formulas and lots of Goldens had issue w the new formula (shred). It wasn't a month before it was back and people went to the old formula. DK if it is still the same but the shreds were the differing piece of it. I think there is a weim puppy on the bag of the regular formula.


The shreds is a different formula adding soy and something else. The shreds were just pieces that were not dried as much as the other kibble. Dry food is usually 10% moisture and the shreds formula is 12%. Those pieces are I think about 18% moisture. I think the shreds make up about 1/3 of the whole bag.

The reason the dogs didn't do as well is the formula changed, and is still different then the regular food, so it was like switching foods cold turkey.

That breed they put on the bag really doesn't matter that much they are just marketing things. It's still best to put a dog on the large breed puppy for controlled growth.


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## Goldenbrody (Oct 23, 2019)

I was told to stay away from anything that isnt grain free. I thought the PPP Sport 30/20 chicken had grain in it? Am I thinking wrong? Thanks.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Goldenbrody said:


> I was told to stay away from anything that isnt grain free. I thought the PPP Sport 30/20 chicken had grain in it? Am I thinking wrong? Thanks.


You *don't *want to feed a "Grain Free" food. 

The PPP Sport 30/20 comes in Beef, chicken and salmon, each has rice also.


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## Rjan1967 (Feb 22, 2020)

Thank you for this thread! My breeder is feeding the one below I believe. I know she said it was sensitive stomach and I'm sure she mentioned fish in it. I will ask her more questions when I pick up my girl on Friday (she will be 8 weeks at that time). She said it is an all life stages food. I am concerned though about the larger kibble size. Do any of you have experience with this one? Also - do you all feed straight kibble? Or do you add any canned to it?









Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Dry Dog Food | Purina


Purina Pro Plan sensitive skin and stomach dry dog food with salmon and rice is specially formulated for adult dogs with sensitive systems.




www.purina.com


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Your breeder will likely instruct you to slightly wet your puppy's kibble. I do this for the life of the dog. 
One of the PPP large breed puppy kibbles might be a better choice but whatever you use, size of kibble isn't an issue w an 8 week old pup who has all his deciduous teeth.


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## Rjan1967 (Feb 22, 2020)

Prism Goldens said:


> Your breeder will likely instruct you to slightly wet your puppy's kibble. I do this for the life of the dog.
> One of the PPP large breed puppy kibbles might be a better choice but whatever you use, size of kibble isn't an issue w an 8 week old pup who has all his deciduous teeth.


Yes, she definitely does wet it. She will be sending me with one weeks worth of food. Thanks for your reply. Just worried about it being a choking hazard. Lol...new mom worries!


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

oh, choking is a very real thing to worry about. That's why wetting is important- don't make a soup of it, just moisten it so it can't really get airborne on the way in. I know of numerous puppies who have died from inhaling kibbles. None of them were wet kibbles.


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## AllThatGlittersIsGolden (Sep 2, 2019)

rabernet said:


> I haven't logged on in awhile, my apologies. I don't ever follow bag guidelines, I follow body condition on my boys. I'm a bit obsessive with keeping them lean and athletic.
> 
> Currently - both boys get 1 cup of food, 2 x a day. They also get a frozen raw marrow bone from the butcher each morning (our "sanity" bones as we "lovingly" refer to them - LOL).
> 
> ...


I live in GA too, so I feel your pain!! This rain is making it challenging to burn a puppy's energy. I've been taking advantage of every dry moment possible, and try to get creative with ways to exercise.

Thanks for your help! I had been giving about 1 3/4 cups twice a day of the LB puppy food and am about halfway through the transitioning phase. I'm going a little slower until I run out of the puppy food, but figured once my puppy is completely on the 30/20 food, I can adjust from there. The calorie comparison seemed fairly similar, with the 30/20 being denser, but I know my puppy is still growing and needs nutrients.

I guess I was trying to make it harder than it is. I know the best way to tell if they're getting the proper nutrition is to feel & look at their body condition, but I still always want to know roughly amounts of what they should be getting. I guess it really isn'y necessary, and there are so many other variables like age, sex, size, exercise, etc. that would affect that.


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

Rjan1967 said:


> Thank you for this thread! My breeder is feeding the one below I believe. I know she said it was sensitive stomach and I'm sure she mentioned fish in it. I will ask her more questions when I pick up my girl on Friday (she will be 8 weeks at that time). She said it is an all life stages food. I am concerned though about the larger kibble size. Do any of you have experience with this one? Also - do you all feed straight kibble? Or do you add any canned to it?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



All life stage should NOT be fed to a large breed puppy. All life stage food is technically a small breed puppy food and that usually means an incorrect ratio of calcium to phosphorus. the large breed puppy food will control your puppies growth as to not grow too fast for their joints. Growing to fast can lead to joint issues like dysplasia or pano among other things.

You should let the puppy settle for about 2 weeks if she is feeding them the food you posted, then take about 10 days to 2 weeks to transition to the large breed puppy food. It's not worth the risk of not feeding a large breed puppy food when you're setting your dog up for life with the correct puppy food. They will only need to be on it for the first 9-12 months.


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## forgold (Feb 29, 2020)

You want to feed a large-breed puppy food and one from a co. that fully follows the best practice (WSAVA) guidelines. Purina does & has been making a puppy food for years, so use that. And because a young puppy’s grows so fast, start mixing it in right away, very gradually increasing the amt. Keep her on that until she‘s 15 mo.s old - that’s what Purina recommends. (Topic just csme in the big FB group I belong to.)


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## Goldenbrody (Oct 23, 2019)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> You *don't *want to feed a "Grain Free" food.
> 
> The PPP Sport 30/20 comes in Beef, chicken and salmon, each has rice also.


Carolina Mom - THANK YOU for your answer and clarification. Oh my goodness if I am not such a goof sometimes. I was told to stay away from anything that was grain free but apparently had a brain fart when I responded in the opposite. Thank you for correcting me and my hiccup there.....


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

'You *don't *want to feed a "Grain Free" food.'

One question: Why not?

After much discussion with my vet, who has been treating dogs for more than a couple of decades, and is very open minded, his take on the topic of nutrition was to feed what works for your dog. Some dogs do well on grain inclusive foods, and some do well on raw or grain free diets, including my own 12 1/2 yr. old golden and his housemates.. When I queried him about the DCM issue, his response was there is no proof that one food is better than another, and most certainly no one food type or brand has been proven to cause or prevent heart issues in dogs, so stick with what is working well for your dogs.


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## LJack (Aug 10, 2012)

I would perhaps encourage you to speak with a Cardiologist on the matter. There is a reason Goldens and dogs in general are having to have Echoes. It is called diet mediated DCM. No we don’t have the final research but we do no switching affected dogs away from grain free or boutique brands can and does change the outcome for affected dogs if the damage is not too extensive.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Charliethree said:


> 'You *don't *want to feed a "Grain Free" food.'
> 
> One question: Why not?
> 
> After much discussion with my vet, who has been treating dogs for more than a couple of decades, and is very open minded, his take on the topic of nutrition was to feed what works for your dog. Some dogs do well on grain inclusive foods, and some do well on raw or grain free diets, including my own 12 1/2 yr. old golden and his housemates.. When I queried him about the DCM issue, his response was there is no proof that one food is better than another, and most certainly no one food type or brand has been proven to cause or prevent heart issues in dogs, so stick with what is working well for your dogs.



You may want to read through these two threads-









Study on Low Taurine, Grain Free Foods and DCM in Goldens


If you own a Golden and are feeding a grain free formula, please read this. Please feel free to share this as well. The first stages of a study are underway with several related and unrelated goldens regarding low taurine levels and DCM. The study will be looking at any correlation between...




www.goldenretrieverforum.com













FARMINA, DCM and WSAVA Approved Foods


I'm general the presents of loose stools and gas is to much food it the system at once. For example, I used to feed Innova did food, not the Evo grain free like. That was VERY nutrient dense (540 kcals/cup). I feed 2 cups a day, almost 1100 kcals/day. The average golden or lab sized dog requires...




www.goldenretrieverforum.com





From the FDA-









FDA Investigates Potential Link Between Diet & Heart Disease in Dogs


Latest update on the FDA’s investigation into reports of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods.




www.fda.gov





There are several FB Groups also regarding it 

If anyone is feeding a Grain Free food, I would recommend seeing a Vet Cardiologist and have your dog examined as soon as possible.


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## Miranda Gallegos (Aug 18, 2019)

I fed one bag of all life stages before switching to the large breed puppy. The kibble was just too large for Oliver to handle. He swallowed the kibble whole without chewing and I didn’t know I was supposed to moisten his food. I don’t moisten it now, the large breed puppy. He is 22 pounds and gets a half cup 3 times per day.


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## Rjan1967 (Feb 22, 2020)

Miranda Gallegos said:


> I fed one bag of all life stages before switching to the large breed puppy. The kibble was just too large for Oliver to handle. He swallowed the kibble whole without chewing and I didn’t know I was supposed to moisten his food. I don’t moisten it now, the large breed puppy. He is 22 pounds and gets a half cup 3 times per day.


We pick up our baby on Friday. I know our breeder feeds the all stages and wets it but I'm afraid of the large pieces. I will pick up a bag of puppy large breed and start mixing a bit in. I will still be moistening it but will feel much better. Still deciding if I will stick with pro plan or switch to Royal Canin.


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

Charliethree said:


> 'You *don't *want to feed a "Grain Free" food.'
> 
> One question: Why not?
> 
> After much discussion with my vet, who has been treating dogs for more than a couple of decades, and is very open minded, his take on the topic of nutrition was to feed what works for your dog. Some dogs do well on grain inclusive foods, and some do well on raw or grain free diets, including my own 12 1/2 yr. old golden and his housemates.. When I queried him about the DCM issue, his response was there is no proof that one food is better than another, and most certainly no one food type or brand has been proven to cause or prevent heart issues in dogs, so stick with what is working well for your dogs.


Hmmm not a vet I would choose to trust about nutrition. Definitely in light that he just completely dismissed the warnings from multiple studies and an FDA warning to be cautious of that very thing. We all know there's nothing definitive yet but why would ignore such a thing when it's simple to just stay clear of a food that's potentially damaging to your dogs health. To me that's very irresponsible. Now, that being said, IF you have a dog that having a real problem and needs to be on grain free and unique meat proteins like a rabbit, kangaroo, bison etc. Then I would do what needs to be done and feed the food that helps, but at the same time I might do an echo every 6 months or a year. To me if you love your dog, you leave nothing to chance.

It's like hearing something is a potential carcinogen but saying... Aww it's not for sure so I'll ignore that for now. Until is for sure. LoL what!? And to give advice to that?


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Actually, I do trust my vet. I trust that he has the knowledge and the experience, including the ability to read and understand the FDA report and the 'studies' and to give me an honest and professional opinion on anything I should ask him. I trust that he would recommend any testing that he felt was warranted/indicated based on the health, wellness and condition of my dogs. 
What I don't trust is that social media (Facebook groups) can or even should be considered a 'go to' resource when trying to sort facts from ancedotes and opinions. I much prefer hard facts, data backed by research and authenticated through peer reviewed studies, and at this point in time there doesn't seem to be any in regards to this issue, so will have to trust my vet and my gut, and do what I feel is in the best interests of my dogs. 

I am well aware there are far more questions than answers, and until there are answers, I will trust my vet and follow his advice.


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

Never mentioned the FB groups. But a lot of trust in that vet that he's keeping up with the DIET mediated DCM. One thing you should know is a large majority of vets don't have very much knowledge on nutrition. They get roughly 2-3 credit hours in school on nutrition and it's not on dogs and cats but usually horses, pigs, cows, in other works farm animals and not small animal nutrition.

And just so you know I don't care if you feed pro plan or not. I needed Nature's Variety be natural line. I'm just giving general information and knowledge.

All I can say is I hope your trust is well deserved and I hope you don't regret it later.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

I mentioned there are FB Groups about DCM, I was basically stating they exist.
I don't belong to any of them nor have I read any of the information in the Groups.

I have read a lot of information about _*not*_ feeding Grain Free Foods on the FDA site and also on various Vet school websites. one being NC State Vet School which is only a few hours from where I live.

From my experience, I have found that some Vets who have been in practice for a very long time, don't always stay on top of new studies or attend seminars about various topics like some of the more recent Vet grads do. A lot of the practicing Vets in my area are NC State Vet School grads and since the school is only two hours away, it's convenient for them to attend Seminars.

Until there's definite results from the studies about Nutrition and DCM, I would not take the chance of feeding a Grain free food to any dog I owned.




https://cvm.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Heart-Disease-flyer-5-29-19.pdf





> The FDA, veterinary nutritionists, and veterinary cardiologists are working to tease out what specific components of these diets might be contributing to DCM.
> In the meantime, veterinary nutritionists and cardiologists recommend switching your dog off a grain-free diet. Contact the Veterinary Clinical Nutrition service for appropriate diet alternatives.


Here is info from UC Davis Vet Med School about DCM-





Nutritionally-mediated DCM


Nutritionally-mediated DCM Fiji is 9 years old.




ccah.vetmed.ucdavis.edu


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

From the FDA Questions and Answers

*17. What’s the safest diet for my dog?*
Different dogs have different nutritional needs based on a number of factors, so nutrition advice is not one-size-fits-all. The FDA recommends asking your veterinarian, who may consult a board-certified or veterinary nutritionist, for advice about what to feed your dog.

It’s important to note that the reports include dogs that have eaten grain-free and grain containing foods and also include vegetarian or vegan formulations. They also include all forms of diets: kibble, canned, raw and home-cooked. Therefore, we do not think these cases can be explained simply by whether or not they contain grains, or by brand or manufacturer.

To put this issue into proper context, the American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that there are 77 million pet dogs in the United States. As of April 30, 2019, the FDA has received reports about 560 dogs diagnosed with DCM suspected to be linked to diet. Tens of millions of dogs have been eating dog food without developing DCM. If you are concerned about the diet you are currently feeding your dog, FDA recommends working with your veterinarian, who may consult a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, to determine the best diet for your dog's need.


If nothing else, this whole issue has encouraged people to take a more in depth look at their dog's diet, to search out the facts and consider whether it is the right diet for their dog. 

To each their own, feed the dog in front of you.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

> To each their own, feed the dog in front of you.


Absolutely, feed your dog(s) whatever you choose. 

However you asked in post #31



> 'You *don't *want to feed a "Grain Free" food.'
> 
> One question: Why not?


Only providing information that answers "Why not"


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## Goldenbrody (Oct 23, 2019)

"the FDA has received reports about 560 dogs diagnosed with DCM suspected to be linked to diet"

To me, that is 560 dogs too many in my opinion.....just sayin. I am sticking with avoiding grain free.


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## Obedience rocks (Feb 17, 2020)

Staying on pro plan after you get him him the breeder is fine, for a while, but I would definitely switch to a higher quality dog food in the future. Pro plan is by Purina, and Purina is NOT a quality dog food. The only reason vets promote it is the kickback they receive from it. If you look at the ingredients vs the ingredients of, say, Blue Buffalo, you’ll see what I mean. I speak from experience, as I tried pro plan briefly when one of my dogs was having stomach issues. My golden, Rhode, who is a pretty robust boy, had a terrible coat as a result of it. It was dull and coarse, and thinner than normal. I switched back to Blue fish recipe when I realized the problem was chicken, and Rhode’s coat is back to its usual luster, thank goodness. I’m not necessarily promoting Blue, both Blue and Nutro are good “middle of the road” dog foods—good quality, but not budget-busting. I have heard good things about Canidae, Pure Balance, Natural Balance, Orijen, and even Rachel Ray’s Nutrish. The website Dogfoodadvisor.com is a good place to look. Just steer clear of anything grain free, esp for Goldens. Anything Purina, Science Diet, Eukanuba, Alpo, Gravy Train, and the regular Diamond is not good. Royal Canin isn’t good either, but unfortunately is used and promoted by veterinarians, and commercials just because they have different “breed formulas”. I hope this post helps you in your decisions on feeding your new puppy, and that you will give it consideration. Some might insist that pro plan doesn’t affect coat, but what really matters is what’s going INSIDE your dog. Corn, by products, meals, etc. DON’T cut it for our canine companions.


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

You're caught up in the hope machine. Blue is the very last food I would feed a dog. Not saying that pro plan is the best it not, but you can certainly do much much worse and I would feed it over Blue Buffalo


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

I tried Blue Buffalo years ago when Duke was younger. I read the ingredients and saw the commercials. He was sick by the time I started my third transition day. I ended up at the vet because he was sicker then I believed a food transition could make a dog. Needless to say we stopped it immediately. Blue Buffalo sponsors some of our dock diving events and we occasionally win items. I have a couple t-shirts but I will not take a bag of the food. They have a shelter donation program and I give it to them. 

Your dry coat issue could have just been your protein source in your food. A fish based protein by any good manufacture could help skin and coat issues more then it's chicken counterpart. Food is one of those topics I try to stay out of, but please be careful feeding Blue Buffalo. I am speaking from personal experience it made Duke very sick. Maybe they've changed since then but I will never try it again. I'm guessing it's been 8+ years ago.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

If you do a search here on the forum for Blue Buffalo, several threads will come up you can read through. Several members were feeding it to their pups/dogs and they were having problems with it.

A few years ago I had a discussion with my Vet, she had recently been to a Nutrition Seminar at NC State and BB was one of the foods covered. She told me many dogs have problems eating it because it has so many ingredients in it and it is too rich for most dogs.

PPP has a variety of formulas, I feed the PPP SSS-salmon. It does not contain wheat, corn or soy.
My guys have done really great on it. I started feeding it because my current boy had a sensitive stomach, he was 15-20 lbs. underweight when I adopted him. He had been turned in as a stray to the shelter I adopted him from. I tried various brands/formulas, this is the one that worked.

Some dogs will do great on a particular food while another dog will not. Find the one that works for yours.


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

Blue Buffalo had those life source bits. They contain about 1/3 of the totally vitamin package that is in the food. 3 of 10 dogs would not eat the bits and eat around them is something I read back 6 or so years ago. 

But the worst thing of all... They aren't very digestable. I know the guy that owns a 30 store pet food store (no animals) and will ship it a couple, the local store poured a bag that was broken out back of the store. 1st no wild animals ate the life source bits, only the regular kibble and over 2 years, they were still there. If will animals won't eat them.... The weather (rain, snow sun, you name it) nothing made them break down.

If there dogs don't eat the bits, that food is actually harmful to those dogs AND the ones that do, don't get much out of them as they aren't very digestable.

I wouldn't feed that food ever.


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## Obedience rocks (Feb 17, 2020)

I understand that Blue Buffalo doesn’t agree with some dogs. In fact, I have heard of people having issues with it. But it does work for my dogs, and my dogs eat every bit, I can guarantee that!  I did try Nutro, but they do not have a fish recipe, and it did NOT agree with my dogs. I think it’s not necessarily “one dog food that is the BEST” but multiple good dog foods (like ones that you guys feed) that suite different dogs’ needs. Blue seems to benefit my dogs fine. I also cannot afford anything more expensive, like Canidae or Orijen, and my area is limited in terms of available dog food selection. The Blue fish recipe also has less ingredients than the other recipes. The only dog food I take a strong stance against is Purina. I just feel its promoted to be a really great food, but some (not necessarily all, it does work for some dogs) are not the best in terms of ingredients. I hope I didn’t offend anyone. Really, just do what’s good for your dog, as they are all individuals!


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## ecaba (Aug 19, 2019)

We feed PPP Savor Salmon (though will likely be looking to switch to a different formula probably soon-ish as she doesn't seem too interested in this blend).

@Obedience rocks I'd be fairly careful with dogfoodadvisor. It's my understanding that that website is run by a human dentist who has no veterinary background, let alone canine nutrition. Not telling you what to feed your dog obviously but just want to caution you against taking information on that site as gospel when making decisions regarding your pups health.


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## Obedience rocks (Feb 17, 2020)

ecaba said:


> We feed PPP Savor Salmon (though will likely be looking to switch to a different formula probably soon-ish as she doesn't seem too interested in this blend).
> 
> @Obedience rocks I'd be fairly careful with dogfoodadvisor. It's my understanding that that website is run by a human dentist who has no veterinary background, let alone canine nutrition. Not telling you what to feed your dog obviously but just want to caution you against taking information on that site as gospel when making decisions regarding your pups health.


I’m not gung-ho dogfoodadvisor, don’t worry. I just think for a newbie, it does give a little guidance in terms of what each ingredient in your dog’s food is. However, I tend to like to know what dog food others use, and their results... A website is no exception for tried and true results 🙂


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