# Canidae All Life Stages for puppy?



## Kimi's dad (Apr 3, 2007)

We're going to start feeding our new boy Quinn Canidae All Life Stages (the regular stuff, not the grain-free stuff) as he runs out of the Costco food he came home with from the breeder. Has anybody fed the Canidae ALS to their pup? It's not specifically for puppies but says instead that it is good for pups, adults, seniors, etc. I guess natural foods typically don't make puppy-only foods. Quinn is 9 weeks old & we'll transition him slowly of course. Any input? Thanks in advance...


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

I wean my litters directly onto Canidae, and the pups have always done very well on it. The amounts on the bag are not always right-my last two pups went through a period where they were eating 6 cups a day and still not gaining weight  However, they were extremely active and ran and wrestled all day long. Luckily, that period didn't last too long!

I like Canidae, have always liked it and have had very good results with it.

Be careful to wean your puppy on to the Canidae slowly, so as to not upset his tummy. I prefer to keep puppies on the breeders food for at least 3-4 weeks. This helps keep the stress on their tummy to minimum-they are already having to adjust to a new environment, a change in water, etc.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I'm glad Tahnee has lots of direct experience with the food. I'm always nervous when the food isn't specifically formulated for fast growing puppies.


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

I agree with Tahnee about keeping puppies on the same food that the breeder was feeding for a least a few weeks. The pup needs time to settle into a new environment and a brand new food can just be another stress on the pup's system. Also, don't wait until you run out of your current food before making the switch to Canidae. You'll need enough of the old food to mix in with the new food for at least a week or two. If you just make a sudden change to the new food without mixing it in with the old food, you pup will most likely develop GI upset, which isn't any fun for either you or the puppy.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

I found your old thread about canidae from last month. http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/showthread.php?t=76756&highlight=Canidae 

But for puppies, I know that some puppies here on the forum couldnt handle it and had terrible gas. So if you do go with the canidae make sure you do a very slow transition to the new food.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Tally and Tango both grew up on Canidae ALS, and I have mixed feelings about the food. I think Innova Large Breed Puppy is a great choice as well and even Eukanuba Large Breed puppy, though it has its detractors here. Thje calcium/phosphorus ratios are pretty crucial. It's best of a food has been studied in live feeding trials as safe for growing pups.


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## Kimi's dad (Apr 3, 2007)

Thanks everyone. Sorry if I've been posting very similar questions as I zero-in on the best food for our new boy Quinn. We've just transitioned our 2-year old female Gracie over to Canidae All Life Stages Grain-Free from Blue Buffalo Large Breed food. We're also giving Gracie Cosequin as she continues to recover from her TPLO surgery 5 months ago. We've got a few weeks worth of the Costco food that the breeder sent home with Quinn so we can slowly transition him over to new stuff. He's 9-weeks old today. We like the idea of the all life stages stuff from Canidae & think it might be easier to transition Quinn over from the normal stuff to the grain-free stuff (of the same brand, Canidae) when he grows up. We've read that the grain free food is too high in protein for puppies. I used to like the idea of large breed food until I learned that the amount of supplements that are added to large breed food are just barely enough to call it "large breed food" & a supplement is typically much better to add to regular food. True? Is a supplement (vitamin/joint formula) a good idea for a pup? Any supplements for pups that anybody could recommend? Does it sound like we're on the right track? Thanks in advance...


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Kimi's dad said:


> I used to like the idea of large breed food until I learned that the amount of supplements that are added to large breed food are just barely enough to call it "large breed food" & a supplement is typically much better to add to regular food. True? Is a supplement (vitamin/joint formula) a good idea for a pup? Any supplements for pups that anybody could recommend? Does it sound like we're on the right track? Thanks in advance...


What makes it a large breed puppy food is that it's usually less calorie-dense than regular puppy food and has a different balance of calcium and phosphorus to encourage slower growth. 

I don't think you can hurt a pup with a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement. The biggest issue with a Golden pup is to keep the growth slow and appropriate so you don't get problems with bone curvature or panosteitis.


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## Kimi's dad (Apr 3, 2007)

tippykayak said:


> What makes it a large breed puppy food is that it's usually less calorie-dense than regular puppy food and has a different balance of calcium and phosphorus to encourage slower growth.
> 
> I don't think you can hurt a pup with a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement. The biggest issue with a Golden pup is to keep the growth slow and appropriate so you don't get problems with bone curvature or panosteitis.


Then what about a food that says it's good for puppies, adults & seniors? Not specific enough for a large breed pup like a golden? Do goldens always need a large breed formula- as a pup & as an adult? Thank you...


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

I feed the Canidae ALS to my pups, with no supplementation. Heck, I haven't even been supplementing my adults who are shown. I find that the Canidae works as a "slow grow" program for me-I rarely have to worry about chubby puppies, and they certainly have enough energy (and sometimes too much!)

The only supplement I give is to my (hopefully) pregnant girl, and she gets a Theragran M Multi-Vitamin during pregnancy and care of her litter.

There are a lot of good choices out there. I do tell my puppy buyers to use a large breed puppy food if they just can't handle feeding an ALS food to their puppy.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Kimi's dad said:


> Then what about a food that says it's good for puppies, adults & seniors? Not specific enough for a large breed pup like a golden? Do goldens always need a large breed formula- as a pup & as an adult? Thank you...


Most dogs are going to do OK on an ALS food, and Tahnee has a lot of experience with the Canidae, so I'd trust it. When you have somebody who's been raising Golden puppies for years on a formula, they're a darn good recommendation for the food.

Still, I generally wouldn't want to feed a Golden any old ALS food, since it runs the risk of not being specific enough for the needs of a fast growing breed. Most dogs will be OK, but if the pup is at risk for bone curvature, panosteitis, or other structural issues, those risks will be lessened with a formula that encourages slow growth. It's only been in recent years that the merits of slow growth have been really explored, but it does seem to give the dogs a significant advantage by lowering the chances of bone and structure issues.

As adults, I don't believe they need large breed formulas (though it wouldn't hurt). Goldens aren't even a large breed, really. As adults, what they need is a formula that gives them lots of fat for their special coats and lots of protein for health and energy, but not too much fat, especially for less active dogs, and not crazy amounts of protein, since it can make the food too rich. If the protein is too high, dogs with compromised kidney function can have trouble, and some dogs will not have properly formed stools. 

Despite the fact that they don't end up as terribly large dogs, Goldens do grow enormously fast between weaning and 6 months. During that time at least, I think it's really important to use an LBP formula to help keep the growth slow. Lots of breeders recommend an ALS food, which accomplishes something similar. It's regular puppy food that you really want to avoid, as well as adult foods that are not approved for all life stages.


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## Kimi's dad (Apr 3, 2007)

Tahnee GR said:


> I feed the Canidae ALS to my pups, with no supplementation. Heck, I haven't even been supplementing my adults who are shown. I find that the Canidae works as a "slow grow" program for me-I rarely have to worry about chubby puppies, and they certainly have enough energy (and sometimes too much!)
> 
> The only supplement I give is to my (hopefully) pregnant girl, and she gets a Theragran M Multi-Vitamin during pregnancy and care of her litter.
> 
> There are a lot of good choices out there. I do tell my puppy buyers to use a large breed puppy food if they just can't handle feeding an ALS food to their puppy.


Hi Tahnee, I forgot that you were the one that mentioned that you put your pups on Canidae ALS in your earlier response. Why can't people handle feeding an ALS food to their pups- are they just determined to use a large-breed and/or puppy formula food? So Canidae ALS works fine for slow growth as you mention? Seems like a high quality food like Canidae will be a good choice for Quinn for now & the next 15 years. Do you use the grain-free or the regular stuff? Our plan is to start Quinn on the normal ALS then switch to the grain-free ALS. Thanks for the advice...


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

I raise my dogs on Canidae ALS Grain Free. I really like how great they look. I just got back one of my pups (she will be 13) from a family who is sick and can not take care of her. They were feeding her Bentiful.....and to much of it. (20+ lbs overweight) Well diarrhea or not I switch her diet. It agreeded with her and she loves it. Well she now has a geourgous coat and looks fantastic. I spoke to the groomer friend of mine who used to take care of her and she could not believe the difference the diet made....new dog. She discribed it as a hard to take care of coat, matted easy and had a smelly oil to her. Well her coat feels great and doesn't stink anymore. She is soft and hugable.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Kimi's dad said:


> Hi Tahnee, I forgot that you were the one that mentioned that you put your pups on Canidae ALS in your earlier response. Why can't people handle feeding an ALS food to their pups- are they just determined to use a large-breed and/or puppy formula food? So Canidae ALS works fine for slow growth as you mention? Seems like a high quality food like Canidae will be a good choice for Quinn for now & the next 15 years. Do you use the grain-free or the regular stuff? Our plan is to start Quinn on the normal ALS then switch to the grain-free ALS. Thanks for the advice...


The Canidae works very well for me, although my pups are usually a little larger than the guidelines Rhonda uses. I use the ALS, and continue with it throughout their lives. Now that I am working again though, I may look at the grain free. Creed and Bindi could use the extra calories-they are SO active! Trouble does well on the regular, although now that she is pregnant I switched her to Native dog food, with a 30/20 ratio. Supposedly that is the ideal ratio for pregnant dogs, and maximizes litter size. Worth a shot anyway


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

My last litter's mother was on Canidae ALS Grain Free. It was the biggest litter to date and she had 10 georgous babies. Even with that many she never looked better. I guess ever since then I have been hooked on what that food does for my dogs. Last time she had a litter she was on Wellness Fish and Potato and she looked like crap when the pups were 8 weeks. Then my pups started getting diarrhea. I switched them and never looked back. I have a one year old raised on Canidae ALS Grain Free and she grew really slow. I actually was worried she wouldn't make standard but she did. Canidae is our food of choice for now until something makes us question what is best.


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