# Should I try Purina Pro Plan or not... Please help me boost her appetite



## uat1 (Jan 25, 2011)

My puppy has not been eating very well since I brought her home 10 days ago. She is 10 week today and she has been eating very little ( 1 cup total per day) since then. I took her to the vet yesterday and the vet said she looks healthy. 

However, Feeding her food is always a battle, a lot of time we have to hand-fed the kibble to her one at a time :doh: We tried to play tough and let her go hungry if she doesn't eat her food, but she is a tough gal as well.

We tried Eukanuba and then Wellness but still no good result. My breeder says dogs love Purina Pro Plan chicken and rice and it has never failed her in the past. When I look at the ingredients, it has by-products and corn in it... how bad are these ingredients? Should I at least give that a try or not?


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## bioteach (Nov 13, 2010)

Our breeder recommended taking raw (or cooked) hamburger and mixing it with about a quarter of a cup of water and then pouring it over the kibble. Our pup absolutely loved it! You could try some pieces of chicken too. 

I would stay with the food that the breeder used if possible because switching foods can cause digestive upsets. Don't worry - Golden pups seem to eat what they need.


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## uat1 (Jan 25, 2011)

I want to avoid giving her "fancy" food 'cause I don't want her to be addicted to it... I really want her to get used to dry food, that'll make feeding much easier in the future. My wife tried mixing some homemade dried liver to the bowl and it did make her more interested in her food... but I am concerned that might be a bad practice...


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## bioteach (Nov 13, 2010)

I wouldn't worry about "fancy food" addiction. As Nugget grew and thrived we slowly withdrew special treats and he eats like the models in dog food commercials now that he is larger and more active.


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## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

Make sure that you feed her puppy food! In addition to puppy chow, I add a heaping tbsp. of canned salmon (wild with no salt added) along with warm water. I've never had a dog turn their nose up at this. Hey my big boys get the twice daily & they have AMAZING coats!


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## oakley's mum (Apr 13, 2011)

I switched my pup to the purina pro plan chicken and rice for puppies when we got him at 8 weeks. he absolutely loves it in fact I am questioning wether or not to give him more as he is always looking for more but receives 5 cups /day and is only 4 months but healthy ,good visible waistline as well and is not over weight.I spoke with many breeders and that was my reasoning for swithching as they highly recommended it.He does get 1-1/2 hours of walking /playing/training/ball throwing every day.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Again, remember that puppies that young to not need to eat more than 1 or 1 1/2 cups of food a day. 

And you will be feeding that cup or cup and half in three meals a day. So only 1/2 a cup of softened kibble in a feeding. 

If you've had the puppy only a week and already are considering your third switch, that's probably not helpful. 

Dogs like the taste of Pro Plan. My guy tried it out and loved it. If that's what your puppy ate for the first 7 weeks of life without any problems, it would be best to put the puppy on that food and don't do any more switches. 

But even so, remember that puppies are distractive, need a lot of activity throughout the day to build up healthy appetites, and they do not need to eat as much in one meal as an adult dog. 

Oh, and I agree about adding stuff to kibble being a bad thing. We did that with our first two goldens and they outright refused to eat sometimes without lunchmeat or can food mixed in. It was a really bad habit.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

You trusted the breeder enough to get a puppy from her, trust her on what she's been feeding.

I have fed ProPlan for many, many years, with great success. And (broken record here) there is a reason that MOST of the top winning dogs in all venues are fed Pro Plan.


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## uat1 (Jan 25, 2011)

I think I will give Purina Pro Plan a tried and that will be IT. As you said, I already have 2 different bags sitting in the storage already.

Do we have other opinions about mixing other foods to puppy's dry food? As I said, my concern was getting her too spoiled if I do so, but if this is something that can be easily corrected in the future then I would not mind doing that.


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## uat1 (Jan 25, 2011)

Pointgold said:


> You trusted the breeder enough to get a puppy from her, trust her on what she's been feeding.
> 
> I have fed ProPlan for many, many years, with great success. And (broken record here) there is a reason that MOST of the top winning dogs in all venues are fed Pro Plan.


 I read the thread about "most top winning dogs eat Pro Plan"  , That is why I stated in my first thread that it's not my intention to start another debate 

Should I be concerned about the by-products and corn in ProPlan... What do people don't like about these ingredients?


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## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

i think people claim dogs cannot digest corn and by products are all the leftovers of lets say a chicken meaning beaks,feet etc. i dont know if this is all true or not but either way dogs do so well on ProPlan, my pup came to me on ProPlan large breed puppy and i switched his food to Fromm's, honestly i wish i never did as i didnt give ProPlan a chance i jumped because "everyone" says its not a good choice of food, yet most breeders and show dogs are fed ProPlan and Eukanuba...


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## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

and if i were guarenteed my puppy wouldnt poop 8 times a day on ProPlan as he is now on the Fromm's i would switch back to ProPlan right now!!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

About the corn... it could cause allergies in some dogs. I suspect my breeder knew it happened with their dogs, because when I went to pick up Jacks and fidgetted about the big bag of puppy food they were also giving me, they made a huge deal about waiting until the puppy was older to switch foods and then to only buy dog food without corn, wheat, soy, etc. 

The puppy food he was on for the first couple months came from the breeder and did not have corn or any junk in it. I didn't stick with it because as far as I know I would be stuck ordering food and either picking it up from the breeder or having it sent to my home. I didn't care for that. 

Jacks was on large breed puppy food (which has corn in it for filler) for a couple months before I started noticing a lot of ear infections. It was like that until I switched him to the regular adult food (does NOT have corn). Within a month of switching all of the ear infections stopped. He's gone swimming plenty of times and gets a few baths a month, and his ears are fine. 

That said, I would go with whatever kibble the puppy came with for the first 5 months again, even if it did have what I consider to be junk. <- The reason why is because I really loved having a puppy who did not have any colitis or coccidia or anything when he was a puppy. He was extremely healthy and well adjusted through it all. 

Reading stuff here on GRF and comparing it to my experience with previous dogs, I do think that people do cause a lot of the puppy health issues by switching foods too early.


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## Hali's Mom (Oct 5, 2006)

I was having a hard time finding a food Mollie would eat, coming from a shelter, who knows what she had been fed. Anyway TOTW must have been too rich as she threw that up (Hali's leftover food), next food I tried was a lamb and rice food which she turned her nose up at. I consulted a friend of mine that has a Great Pyrenees rescue and she advised that I try Blue Buffalo large breed puppy and that I could add some low sodium chicken broth to it if need be. Mollie ate it dry. This is also a chicken based food and since she is less than a year it is best that she still have a puppy food. Just my experience.


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## iansgran (May 29, 2010)

If he ate well on the food the breeder was giving him, he should continue to eat it, but switching back and forth no so good for babies. He is still very much a baby and getting used to all the new surrounds, that may be the problem.


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## GinnyinPA (Oct 31, 2010)

We had Ben on Purina Pro Plan and he liked it and was doing well. After reading the forum for a while, I switched to Blue Buffalo chicken and rice in order to get rid of the corn etc. in his food. Big mistake. His hair fell out and became dry and brittle. I switched back to Purina and he is doing well again. The fur is back and shiny and soft again. I think if you don't have a reason to believe your dog is allergic to corn (e.g. the ear infections) it's not necessary to switch away from corn. IOW, if it ain't broke . . .


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

If she's eating 1 cup/day, that sounds like enough and the *vet says she's healthy*, I wouldn't stress about it. I'd stop the hand feeding, switching foods etc. Pick the food brand you plan to use, put it in the bowl, walk away and forget it. If she eats, she eats, if she doesn't, she doesn't. No healthy puppy will starve itself.


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

Willow52 said:


> If she's eating 1 cup/day, that sounds like enough and the *vet says she's healthy*, I wouldn't stress about it. I'd stop the hand feeding, switching foods etc. Pick the food brand you plan to use, put it in the bowl, walk away and forget it. If she eats, she eats, if she doesn't, she doesn't. No healthy puppy will starve itself.



The only thing I would add to that, is I would put the uneaten food up after 20 minutes, till the next mealtime. Do this for a few days and you'll find her eating much better.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

uat1 said:


> I read the thread about "most top winning dogs eat Pro Plan"  , That is why I stated in my first thread that it's not my intention to start another debate
> 
> Should I be concerned about the by-products and corn in ProPlan... What do people don't like about these ingredients?


 
No, you shouldn't be concerned, in my opinion. What people don't like about these ingredients is mainly driven by marketing - done by smaller companies that tout "holistic" or "natural" foods, and that have not got the proven records and comprehensive testing behind them as does Purina.
Top winning dogs are not going to be fed junk. Trust me.


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

Our town was out of Pro Plan when I wanted to start weaning my puppies. My JRT is on Blue Buffalo as that is all he can tolerate (tried PP first, way too many GI issues for him, he's delicate) so I got a bag of BB puppy. The pups had runny stool but were healthy and happy. Once the vet got in the PP, I _gradually_ switched them over. Almost immediately their stool firmed up and we have never looked back.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

The key is finding a food YOUR dog thrives on.

My puppy came home on an ultra high end, holistic food. She threw up all the time, and frankly, the smell of the rosemary and other herbs in it regurgitated first thing in the morning was making ME sick, too. It was also unbelievably expensive and hard to find. I consulted another breeder who recommended a far lower quality food to me (I didn't know at the time) and my dog thrived on it for 10 years. I only switched five months ago because I ran out and the store ran out, and I needed to buy her something. I went with a high end food that is made in Canada from Canadian sourced chicken and fish. I thought, she's 10, maybe she needs better food now.

But honestly, I see no change in her at all. 

One suggestion, have you tried adding luke warm water to the kibble and allowing it to soften? Maybe that will tempt your pup.


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## tye (Apr 26, 2011)

When I brought my pup home he didn't care to much for his food. We added plain yogurt to the dry food and mixed it in, he started to eat better. Our breeder actually wanted him on it anyway since its good for them. When he was a few months older he started eating like a pig. The first few months were rough, he never ate as much as the puppy growth chart on the bag said. I know she's a growing pup and she does need a good amount of food but the bag sometimes over states what is actually needed. I would just keep up with her vet visits to make sure she's doing well and have the vet check a few stool samples to make sure she doesnt have any parasites. I would be afraid to change her diet to anything that would spoil her. Good luck, I hope everything works out.


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## desi.n.nutro (Mar 18, 2011)

uat1 said:


> I read the thread about "most top winning dogs eat Pro Plan"  , That is why I stated in my first thread that it's not my intention to start another debate
> 
> Should I be concerned about the by-products and corn in ProPlan... What do people don't like about these ingredients?


 
AAFCO defines Chicken-by-products as chicken head, feet, or intestines. Chicken meal is a high quality protein that _excludes_ chicken heads, feet and intestines.

Corn is the same for dogs and cats as it is for people. Rice, wheat, oatmeal are more digestible grains. A lot of foods use corn but Grain Free foods are becoming popular for a reason. 

All natural, whole foods are not a gimmick or marketing ploy. As a Pet Nutrition Specialist for a specific company I would love to talk to you about “our” food but either way I believe natural foods are fresher, healthier, safer, and tastier!


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## Mavrk (Mar 11, 2011)

We feed Pro Plan Puppy Chicken and Rice (not large breed). Sunshine eats it up really fast. Our breeder is a Pro Plan user and has some of the best dogs around with long healthy lives. At 10 weeks we were feeding 3 times per day using 3/4 cup per meal. So she was getting 2 1/4 cup per day. We haver increased her food by 1/4 cup per day each week. She is now 14 weeks and weighs 22.3 lbs. She has gained a steady 10% each week.

Personally, I would stick with whatever the breeder uses for puppy food. I would continue on this until the puppy is 6 months old and then decide what you want to feed for adult food. We will be using Pro Plan Selects for our adult food. We have already transitioned our 4 year old mix-breed to that food. He is a picky eater and we no longer have to leave the food out all day for him to eat it. He comes over and eats it all up. He still is not as fast an eater as our Golden puppy, but that is typical of Goldens.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

More specifically, AAFCO defines by-products as "consists of the ground, *rendered*, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines, exclusive of feathers, _except_ in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices."

Nothing that dogs won't happily eat if left to their own devices.

ProPlan, and other commercial kibbles, are not evil. 

I HAVE fed some of the "natural, holistic" products that are so highly recommended by some, and will _never _again. Our dogs, as do so many, thrive on ProPlan, and when I did switch, it was a failed experiment.


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

As said before, if you trust the breeder trust what they feed them. Don't make a picky eater out of them switching and hand feeding. Breakfast: put the puppies food down and wait for them to eat it. Then take it up about 20 min. later even if they don't finish it. Lunch: put down a new meal. Don't add the morning meal. Take up 20 min. Dinner: new meal, take up 20 min. Make sure you don't go over the proper amount for your puppy for the day. Do not all special things to it or hand feed them. After a couple of days taking up the meals the puppy will get it and eat when feed. Trust me a healthy dog will not starve. If you want another dog food switch when the puppy needs to go to an adult dog food. Let them settle in their new home and get used to all the other new things before changing the diet. Don't let all the research make you crazy with the choices. If it works for your puppy stick with it.


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Pointgold said:


> More specifically, AAFCO defines by-products as "consists of the ground, *rendered*, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines, exclusive of feathers, _except_ in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices."
> 
> *Nothing that dogs won't happily eat if left to their own devices*.


... Or given 'chew' treats, or fed raw. 
Honestly, this is one thing I can't get my head around when it comes to the controversy over "by-products."
Aren't most raw-fed dogs given many of the same pieces/parts that are considered by-products when listed on a commercial dog food label?
Antlers, hooves, pig ears, etc.,.... all would be considered "by-products", right?
Unless I'm missing something (which is always possible) these things seem all well and good, unless they happen to be included in the ingredients of a commercial food. I don't get it.

I don't feed Pro Plan myself, but it's next on my list of potential foods, if we would have to make another switch.
I had Riley on Wellness Core for a couple months. I like the company, I love the food and I had seen it do wonders for our GSD. I thought we had found "the food." Riley had other ideas. I don't understand why, but his energy level went down fairly dramatically. We decided to give Eukanuba another try - thinking that we may have pulled the plug on it too quickly before. His energy level went right through the roof again. So (at least in Riley's case) I'll take the results I'm seeing with a "low quality" commercial food over what I saw with the grain-free, human grade food any day of the week.


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## desi.n.nutro (Mar 18, 2011)

You are getting a lot of good advice here. Here are a couple resources for you. Remember....You'll do more right by accident than you will every do wrong on purpose. Research is key and you know best. Good luck in your search.

HOMEMADE PET FOOD vs. MANUFACTURED PET 

Benefits of Manufactured Pet Food | The Nutro Company

THE ULTRA CHALLENGE

Holistic Dog Food | The ULTRA™ Challenge | NUTRO® ULTRA™ Dog Food


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Seriously, if your dog thrives on rocks, feed it. :doh:
I'm really over having perfectly fine foods (and Pro Plan, Eukanuba, etc, ARE _excellent _foods) disparaged as being "poor quality, junk, etc etc, by those with a specific agenda. Labels do not tell you everything. A company's reputation, and the research and testing behind their products are of the utmost importance, and I am confident in the many, _many _years of excellent _results, _repuation, research and testing behind ProPlan. 
Anyone who thinks that breeders, owners, and handlers of valuable top winning dogs are going to feed them "junk" are sorely mistaken, and I should think that exceptionally valuable companions deserve the same consideration. 
I have incredibly healthy, long lived dogs. Beautiful coats, excellent vigor and stamina and overall condition. ALWAYS. I lost that when I fed one of the top "holistic, natural" foods, and will never switch from ProPlan again. 
If your dog does well on one of those foods, EXCELLENT. But do not discount years of success with another, simply because some agenda driven website only gives it "one star", or some such thing.


*I'd like to add that is worth noting that ProPlan has never been included in the pet food recalls that we've seen so many of in recent times.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

For whatever it's worth since PG's post was after the pro-nutro post...  

I don't remember there being a recall of Nutro Ultra dry food. And before I began feeding our dogs Ultra, we fed them Natural Choice - even during the time when Nutro was involved with the recalls of the wet food. 

If there is or was a recall, I'd be interested in hearing about it...

ETA - And we started feeding our guys Nutro because they were not thriving on the "junk" brand they were on. They had constant collitis issues and probably would have developed a chronic problem like our collie has... all of that went away when we made the switch to Nutro. That's a big reason why I twitch every time I see people on GRF push this "junk" brand. <- This brand isn't Pro Plan.


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## desi.n.nutro (Mar 18, 2011)

Megora said:


> For whatever it's worth since PG's post was after the pro-nutro post...
> 
> I don't remember there being a recall of Nutro Ultra dry food. And before I began feeding our dogs Ultra, we fed them Natural Choice - even during the time when Nutro was involved with the recalls of the wet food.
> 
> If there is or was a recall, I'd be interested in hearing about it...


NUTRO has not been in any of the 51 industry recalls since 2010. Is that what you are asking?

They make all of their own food in their own plants. You could track any of the ingredients from “farm to shelf” and they have a “No Compromise” philosophy on safety. 

I am glad to hear NUTRO has worked well for you.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Megora said:


> For whatever it's worth since PG's post was after the pro-nutro post...
> 
> I don't remember there being a recall of Nutro Ultra dry food. And before I began feeding our dogs Ultra, we fed them Natural Choice - even during the time when Nutro was involved with the recalls of the wet food.
> 
> ...


 
I wasn't referring specifically to Nutro. I've always said FEED WHAT YOUR DOG DOES BEST ON. Period. However, I am really tired of those who insist that what I feed, and what my dogs do BEAUTIFULLY on, is "junk". It's not. Period.
I've shared before that I was actually told that I was "killing my dogs feeding them that junk." I couldn't believe it. :no: Well, sorry to disappoint some of those who have tried to shove this "holistic diet" or that "raw diet" down my (dog's) throat, but my dogs are actually healthier and live longer (in some cases, MUCH longer) than those of some of those very people. I'd be happy to share my veterinary records over the last 20 years, as well. ROUTINE CARE. Period. 

I rarely, if ever, have heard those who feed the Pro Plans, Eukanubas, Iams, etc, disparage the Nutros, Solid Golds, Canidaes, raw diets, etc etc. It's always the other way around.

Feed whatever you want, but please, DON'T accuse me of feeding my dogs a poor quality diet. I'll stand my dogs and their health records and longevity up against anyone's. The proof is in the results.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Nutro has had their "issues" in the past.

desi.n.nutro, can you please share what kind of training you undergo to be designated as a "Pet Nutrition Specialist"? I presume that it is training done by the company? I see a lot of posts in different forums but other Nutro Pet Nutrition Specialist, and all who have been asked never answer that one question.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

desi.n.nutro said:


> NUTRO has not been in any of the 51 industry recalls since 2010. Is that what you are asking?
> 
> They make all of their own food in their own plants. You could track any of the ingredients from “farm to shelf” and they have a “No Compromise” philosophy on safety.
> 
> I am glad to hear NUTRO has worked well for you.


 
Nutro is one of the Mars Incorporated's many pet food brands - including Pedigree, Cesar, Greenies, and Whiskas. It is my understanding that they also own Banfield The Pet Hospitals. They seem to support pet stores that sell puppies, as well, as I understand it, or did, by offering free puppy food with puppies sold, in exchange for purchaser info.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Pointgold said:


> *I wasn't referring specifically to Nutro.* I've always said FEED WHAT YOUR DOG DOES BEST ON. Period. However, I am really tired of those who insist that what I feed, and what my dogs do BEAUTIFULLY on, is "junk". It's not. Period.


Laura, I didn't think you were.... but as you've heard it all about Pro Plan, people do talk about Nutro brands as well. Our old men did pretty well on the food, but hearing from some other people including golden owning friends of mine, they think that feeding Nutro caused the cancer that took our guys away. And they suggest that it had to do with the food recalled back in 2007. Even though as far as I know the dry food had not been involved in the recall. :doh:

I do have my quibbles with Nutro Ultra and that's partly the reason why I've been looking around to see which foods my dogs can eat without any problems. And I do have one in mind that I really like and my dogs love. But I have been hesitant to change completely over to a different kibble though as my two previous guys (like your own) lived long and healthy lives and generally only saw the vet for spring shots. 

About Pro Plan - I feed my cat the food. Fingers crossed, he's never been sick in all of his five years. And he's a healthy, trim, and energetic cat. I was laughing earlier this evening because he was stalking around our hallway and foyer trying out all of his different noises for my mom who was ignoring him while talking to me. Finally he came up and mouthed her leg and took off running like a little imp. : 

I've never fed my dogs the food (beyond checking it out with Jacks who liked it and didn't have problems on it), partly because the collie can't stomach it. It's too much for his system. Because his prescription kibble is so expensive ($70 for a 15lb bag), we like being able to supplement it with something else to make a bag last longer. We offered him a smidgeon of the sensitive stomach kibble and he had to go back on flagyl for a couple days to recover. 

Anyway.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Pointgold said:


> Nutro is one of the Mars Incorporated's many pet food brands - including Pedigree, Cesar, Greenies, and Whiskas. It is my understanding that they also own Banfield The Pet Hospitals. They seem to support pet stores that sell puppies, as well, as I understand it, or did, by offering free puppy food with puppies sold, in exchange for purchaser info.


I don't really want to argue, but what does that have to do with the product they sell? 

If you argue the reputation of the corporation behind the dog food, is Nestle any better than Mars? 

I don't really get into or know the politics but I used to work with a woman who would go nuts when she saw me eating or drinking any Nestle products. It was something about child slavery or something.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Megora said:


> I don't really want to argue, but what does that have to do with the product they sell?
> 
> If you argue the reputation of the corporation behind the dog food, is Nestle any better than Mars?
> 
> I don't really get into or know the politics but I used to work with a woman who would go nuts when she saw me eating or drinking any Nestle products. It was something about child slavery or something.


I'm not arguing about the reputation of the corporation, although I suppose I could. A lot of folks are under the impression that Nutro is a smallish, holistic food company, made in small batches at a pristine facility. It is part of a very large pet food manufacturing business. 
If you feed Nutro, and you dog thrives on it, YEA!!!! Seriously. Like I said, if your dog thrives on rocks, feed 'em. The key word for me is THRIVES. I'm very happy with my choice of food, and the research and reputation behind it, but more importantly, the results. It _is _an excellent food for many, many dogs. There are many pet owners who've never fed it, but "bash" it simply based on some pet food rating site with its own agenda, or by reading ingredients and thinking it's bad because of certain ingredients being misrepresented/misunderstood as "bad".


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Pointgold said:


> I'm not arguing about the reputation of the corporation, although I suppose I could. A lot of folks are under the impression that Nutro is a smallish, holistic food company, made in small batches at a pristine facility. It is part of a very large pet food manufacturing business.


Ah. OK. I don't think anyone should be under that impression considering all their product lines, special sales people, as well as all of the facts that came to light back in 2007. :bowl:

Wait! 

Are you saying feeding Nutro is the same as feeding rocks? Isn't that WORSE than me saying X food is "junk" ?! 

: ^ (I'm teasing)


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Megora said:


> Ah. OK. I don't think anyone should be under that impression considering all their product lines, special sales people, as well as all of the facts that came to light back in 2007. :bowl:
> 
> Wait!
> 
> ...


Heavens, no. Rocks _are _all natural, holistic, organic, and, loaded with minerals. 

I wonder, though, if Nutro just graduated a class of "Pet Nutrition Specialists", because they are all of a suddon all over the place - seeing them pop up on lots of different forums.


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## desi.n.nutro (Mar 18, 2011)

*My thoughts*



Pointgold said:


> desi.n.nutro, can you please share what kind of training you undergo to be designated as a "Pet Nutrition Specialist"? I presume that it is training done by the company? I see a lot of posts in different forums but other Nutro Pet Nutrition Specialist, and all who have been asked never answer that one question.


Thanks for asking. I have been with NUTRO since 2004 and they have trained me on ingredient benefits and effects. Before that, I studied Nutrition for mostly selfish reasons. I switched my dogs when I also switched myself to an all natural diet a couple years prior. I was hoping to ward off an illness. Before that I was in Law Enforcement and I am sure _that_ stress made me ill, but I digress. I also work as a Certified Trainer for Nutro and have trained over 30 people to become Pet Nutrition Specialists themselves. Two of my favorite pastimes are pets and nutrition, in that order. When I have Grandkids we’ll stick them in there somewhere too. (lol) 

I want to say the same thing everyone else is. Stick with what is best for your pups tummy and happiness. (minus the rocks) If you switch, I hope you can wait for a couple months. My advise is to get your pup acclimated to the new surroundings first. Make sure to switch slowly if you do. If they don’t eat, don’t worry though. 3 of 5 of mine didn’t eat well as puppies. I think they would rather play and socialize than eat. I can relate to the hand feeding too. I still start off the 5 and 3 year olds once in a while by hand feeding.

Can I again say good luck. It sounds like there is a lot to figure out.


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## Our Treasure of Gold (Mar 20, 2011)

*feedings*

Hi!!!

Please keep in mind when feeding sunshine that as she get's older she should need less not more. She started at 3 cups and should be down to 2 cups. We are giving our 3 cups because she is longer and taller at the same age, but our puppy that is the same size as Shunshine requries less. 

Per our vet, it is better to have them grow slow and keep them thin. Thieir hips our counting on keeping that extra weight off.

Judging by the photos, Sunshine looks like she is doing well. Not too heavy or too thin. She looks just about rihgt.

Some Goldens scarf and others are slown. Sunshine somes from a line that scarfs. Add water to help her slow down. You can also put small tid bits for as a trail for her to eat then give her the rest in a bowl with water. This will help slow her down. Also you can try to her to wait then allow her to have it. Eventually she will learn to eat a slower pace. 

Our male golden scarfs and our female takes her time. Aria Scarfs, but working on slowing her down. Her sister Allura takes her time. 


Can you believe you have had Sunshine for 5 weeks. How time flies. Now the sunshine is here. Have fun playing with her out doors.


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

Ike was fed ProPlan from the Breeder and I continued to feed it when I brought him home. For the first year and a half of his life he was itchy and having recurring ear infections. After repeated trips to the Vet and multiple ear meds, it was suggested to me by one of the Vet techs that he might have a food allergy. I switched him to a food without corn, chicken, or soy and his ears cleared up and the itching was greatly reduced. I also noticed an improvement in his coat and his energy level....but these I attribute to getting away from the allergen (s) and not that the food was a better quality food. 

Good luck with your decision.

Almost forgot the pups appetite. My Ike was a picky eater for the first few years but is a voracious eater now. Maybe it was his allergy or maybe he was just picky. A cup a day sounds about right for a pup her age. You can slowly increase it as she grows. Ike gets 2 cups a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. If she hasn't eaten her food after 30 minutes or so, take it up. You can offer it to her again a few hours later. At her age 3 or 4 small meals is probably easier on her tummy. I have wet Ike's food since he was a pup and I still do. He's 4 now.


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## Mavrk (Mar 11, 2011)

Our Treasure of Gold said:


> Hi!!!
> 
> Please keep in mind when feeding sunshine that as she get's older she should need less not more. She started at 3 cups and should be down to 2 cups. We are giving our 3 cups because she is longer and taller at the same age, but our puppy that is the same size as Shunshine requries less.
> 
> ...


I can't believe it has been 5 weeks. She is 22.3 lbs and has been gaining a constant 10% per week while increasing the food. My vet recommended to keep increasing the food for now. I thought they started to need less at around 6 months (which is when we will go to adult food too).

Wetting the food has helped her slow down a little. I always have her in a sit stay for food but I wonder if I should start feeding her in spurts. Like give her 1/4 cup and let her eat that, then pick up the bowl and put in another 1/4 cup, etc. Most of her breakfast is hand fed anyway as she does tricks best during this time (probably because she is the most hungry during this time too).

I would love to see pictures of your pups. I will send you a message later too before I hijack this thread


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

uat1 said:


> I read the thread about "most top winning dogs eat Pro Plan"  , That is why I stated in my first thread that it's not my intention to start another debate
> 
> Should I be concerned about the by-products and corn in ProPlan... What do people don't like about these ingredients?


I can't tell you what people don't like about those ingredients because I generally don't agree with their assessment.

I _can_ tell you that corn is a perfectly good source of vitamins and calories in moderation. I can also tell you that despite what you read on the internet in general, it's not a common allergen in dogs. A dog can be allergic to corn, but it's way down the list of common food allergens.

I can also tell you that "byproduct meal" when it's from a single animal type (i.e., "chicken byproduct meal" as opposed to "meat byproduct meal"). Is a perfectly legitimate ingredient held to the same standards as "chicken meal" or "chicken meat." The "byproduct" definition simply means that the meal can contain ground bone and ground organ meat in addition to ground muscle meat.

Because of that, byproduct meal actually has a wider range of nutrients in it, even though it would be considered an inferior ingredient in a human food product, largely because it's kind of gross to think about ground up chicken stomachs and feet.

So don't fear "byproduct" just because it sounds weird, and certainly don't fear corn and other grains just because of what stories go around the internet. When dogs are actually studied in a controlled, scientific setting, they don't show particularly common allergies to corn or negative effects from eating byproducts as opposed to muscle meats.


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## Rochester (Apr 6, 2010)

Our girl has been on ProPlan Large Puppy since we got her about a year ago, and has thrived on it. If she pooped in the house (which she doesn't), it wouldn't make much difference, because we could pick it up and throw it away with no residual. (LOL) In other words, she has firm stools. She eats it very fast. One cup three times a day. She is in great shape, but gets plenty of exercise.

My question... how long should we feed her puppy chow? I've heard one year... and I've heard two years. Is there any consensus?


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

Many change to adult food at 4-5 months.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> Many change to adult food at 4-5 months.


^ Seconds.

My guy's breeder told us to switch to adult food at 5-7 months. 

My vet usually advises waiting until the dog is at least 12 months. 

My guy was on large breed kibble which is supposed to be better for fast growing puppies so you don't have to switch so early...  So I waited until my guy was 12 months old.


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