# Nutro young adult



## ckshin05 (May 6, 2012)

When I was thinking about getting Darla(that's my golden gal) I was thinking Nutro. Cause I didn't know better and I thought all food is the same. Honestly I went with the high protein count cause I worked with my breeder on what food to feed her. I would just see how much proteins are in there.


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## Rob S. (Feb 2, 2014)

I think this type of food is just marketing. It is also very expensive for a very average food. It doesn't have much chicken in the food but it does have peas and chickpeas and something called 'pea protein' which is a vegetable protein concentrate.

I also see no fish or egg, so this is food is very average but expensive. 

Protein levels should be around 30% minimum without legumes like peas, chickpeas and lentils.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Our vet was very happy she was on nutro. I guess my question is there a benefit to putting her on this young adult or going straight to adult food.


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

Adult food has different mineral levels and calories per kg. Growing puppies need puppy food because it has the protein, vitamins, minerals and calories at the levels they need. They are not adults. They are growing. Let them become adults, then feed as adults.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Yes she will be on puppy food yet for awhile. But usually about six months they say to switch to regular adult food. My question is this young adult food a good place to go after puppy food instead of adult food.


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

It's good that it limits minerals. The glucosamine content probably isn't enough to matter; I would give a separate supplement, to keep her joints in the best condition. 

What bothers me the most is the amount of carbohydrate. She doesn't need any, and she's getting a whole lot, everything in the food that isn't either protein or fat. If the protein and fat were higher, then you'd know the carbohydrate was reasonable, since the three always add up to 100, but they're not.

Excess carbohydrates are stored as fat. That's why eating bread makes people gain weight so fast. If there's only as much as you're burning, fine, but it doesn't usually work that way. 

Carbohydrates don't build muscle, protein does. Protein is also fuel for the muscles; that's why dogs don't need carbs. Excess protein isn't stored as fat nearly as readily as carbohydrates are.

It's probably better than some of the alternatives out there.

At least, this is the way I understand it. I'm not any kind of nutrition expert.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

That kind of makes sense. I had no clue they made a young adult food. I thought you always just went to large breed adult food. She will be staying on nutro but was just wondering if there was any benefit to the young adult. 

I think when she is spayed we are going to ask about any supplements. There is some in her puppy food but probably not enough.


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## ckshin05 (May 6, 2012)

I went with an all stages dog food. Mostly the protein count is pretty high on my end, but stick with the food you feel comfortable with. Lucky for you that your pup doesn't have food allergies. Mine does and it is to chicken.


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

The benefit of young adult formula: 

It keeps the mineral levels where they should be for a growing dog (aka puppy). The mineral levels really do make a difference in how the dog develops, how the hips and elbows develop. It also has DHA which is essential for her brain. More protein would be better, but you could give her meat treats. 

The mineral content alone makes it worth using. Also, the controlled calorie content. This is a good food.



My Summit is 1 and he's still growing, that means he's not an adult and should not have adult food yet due to the mineral content. He's still partly on large-breed puppy (a rotation diet) because our brand doesn't have young adult food.


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

ckshin05 said:


> I went with an all stages dog food. Mostly the protein count is pretty high on my end, but stick with the food you feel comfortable with. Lucky for you that your pup doesn't have food allergies. Mine does and it is to chicken.


Every puppy food on this planet has chicken in it. I think that's why chicken is the number 1 dog food allergy. There's no way to eat puppy food and not eat chicken.

With people, if you eat a food you're allergic to, you run a risk of becoming allergic to the other foods you're eating at the same time. It really happens.

That's why I'm rotating foods for my 1-year-old. The best food has chicken, but he only eats it for 1 day. The next day he eats lamb, then fish, turkey, pork, all on different days.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Susan: w/ Summit we climb said:


> The benefit of young adult formula:
> 
> It keeps the mineral levels where they should be for a growing dog (aka puppy). The mineral levels really do make a difference in how the dog develops, how the hips and elbows develop. It also has DHA which is essential for her brain. More protein would be better, but you could give her meat treats.
> 
> ...



Thanks that makes sense.


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## kwhit (Apr 7, 2008)

Susan: w/ Summit we climb said:


> Every puppy food on this planet has chicken in it.


That's not true...I can think of two off the top of my head that don't have chicken.

Both TOW puppy formulas have no chicken in them. I'm sure there are others, also.

_Edited to add:_ Blue Buffalo and Fromm both have puppy formulas without any chicken in them, too.


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## Rob S. (Feb 2, 2014)

I find it ironic that Nutro would market a food for older puppies or young adults that IS NOT compliant with the current rules on the level of calcium and phosphorous.

The current rules state that for foods labelled for Growth or All Life Stages Calcium must be a minimum of 1.20% and a maximum of 1.80%. Both of these levels are the risk areas for all puppies including large and giant breed puppies.

At 1% this Nutro food is not sufficient for Growth or All Life Stages.


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## ckshin05 (May 6, 2012)

Susan: w/ Summit we climb said:


> Every puppy food on this planet has chicken in it. I think that's why chicken is the number 1 dog food allergy. There's no way to eat puppy food and not eat chicken.
> 
> With people, if you eat a food you're allergic to, you run a risk of becoming allergic to the other foods you're eating at the same time. It really happens.
> 
> That's why I'm rotating foods for my 1-year-old. The best food has chicken, but he only eats it for 1 day. The next day he eats lamb, then fish, turkey, pork, all on different days.


Hey Susan,

Not all dog food has chicken. The Fromm's I feed my girl has no chicken in it. Of course I spend 70 dollars a bag and check the ingredients. 

Four-Star Dry Recipes for Dogs - Fromm Family Foods

Here is a link of what she is on.

But puppy wise this is what she was on when she was a puppy.
http://frommfamily.com/products/gold/dog/dry/#prairie-gold-large-breed-puppy


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

My pups are fed the Fromm's Lamb & Lentil as part of their rotation, and they do very well on it. They are not allergic to anything yet, but I like to limit their chicken intake if I can.

But, I really do like the Fromm Lamb & Lentil dog food. It's good stuff and I like the lamb shaped kibbles too


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## ckshin05 (May 6, 2012)

Lamb shaped. I'm going to have to look at that tonight. I just found the shape different then their other five stars which look cylinder like.


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## Rob S. (Feb 2, 2014)

Susan: w/ Summit we climb said:


> Every puppy food on this planet has chicken in it. I think that's why chicken is the number 1 dog food allergy. There's no way to eat puppy food and not eat chicken.
> 
> With people, if you eat a food you're allergic to, you run a risk of becoming allergic to the other foods you're eating at the same time. It really happens.
> 
> That's why I'm rotating foods for my 1-year-old. The best food has chicken, but he only eats it for 1 day. The next day he eats lamb, then fish, turkey, pork, all on different days.


Please provide some evidence for these statements and this feed "one food per day" program...


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