Food Dilemma for my new pup... Help Needed

[J Cosentino]

I started my pup on Purina Pro Plan Performance 30/20, the vet suggested that I should get the PPP Puppy food and mix the performance in until I get rid of it. Will the mixing of the two foods give my dog expectations to continue this in the long term? Both bags are the 37.5 lb bags... it's going to take a while to get rid of the Performance food. Another problem is that the recommended daily feeding amounts are different, I guess this is due to the calorie content. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[Bally's Gun Dogs]

Did the vet give a reason for switching to puppy food? The Pro Plan Performance (now called Sport) is an all stages of life food. Unless the vet had a good reason, I think you are okay just feeding the Performance.

[Jay-Bird]

I have allways will feed my dogs PPP regardless of age.

[ndk3819]

Please take this as just one man's opinion, i'm not a vet or an animal nutrition expert, but the 30/20 blends are designed for hard working adult dogs to help with energy levels and muscle recovery after intense work. The puppy forumlations are formulated differently to help keep the young pups from growing to fast and developing issues from this. My advice would be to mix 50/50 of the proplan and puppy food for 3-4 days, then do a 25/75 mix of pro plan and puppy food for 3 more and then switch just to puppy and bite the bullet on the remaining pro plan or maybe you know someone who would be willing to buy it from you.

[J Cosentino]

Did the vet give a reason for switching to puppy food?

He just said the puppy food was better for the pup and that the Sport is for a hard working dogs. I know the puppy food allows him to get a little more in quantity per serving, not sure if that is a reason. He said to go to an adult food at 10 months old. He is an avid lab owner and trainer, so I respect his input. Just curious about the mixing.

[J Cosentino]

Please take this as just one man's opinion, i'm not a vet or an animal nutrition expert, but the 30/20 blends are designed for hard working adult dogs to help with energy levels and muscle recovery after intense work. The puppy forumlations are formulated differently to help keep the young pups from growing to fast and developing issues from this. My advice would be to mix 50/50 of the proplan and puppy food for 3-4 days, then do a 25/75 mix of pro plan and puppy food for 3 more and then switch just to puppy and bite the bullet on the remaining pro plan or maybe you know someone who would be willing to buy it from you.

I do remember the vet mentioning that the Sport was for hard working adults. Thanks for the input...

[David Eaton]

I feed Pro Plan Performance "All Life Stages" to all of my dogs. I feed my pups starting at 4- 4.5 weeks, and I even feed it to my 14 year old. All do great on it ! If you have questions, call purina. They have a huge staff of Veternarians and Biologist. I have been a Pro Club Member for years. Don't forget to clip your weight circles!

[J Cosentino]

Don't forget to clip your weight circles!

Weight circles???

[Hunt'EmUp]

A 30/20 mix is the same or better nutrition than a pup would get in most puppies blends, the only difference in Pro 30/20 and most puppy blends is calcium content. Just go and compare the bag side by side. The vet would be correct if you fed your adult dog a lower protein/fat food say 21/10 protein/fat, to tell you to change to a puppy blend, pups need better nutrition. But performance dogs are fed superior nutrition throughout their lives. Most breeders I know start and keep pups on adult 30/20 blends, and never have any issues.

However if you feel you need to make the change, vets/breeders recommend mixing foods, to prevent several problems that may happen should you switch directly from one to another (loose stool, constipation, vomiting, upset stomach etc.) It give the dogs digestive system time to adapt to the new food, sudden changes can be smelly and bad. Switching foods can be a very big deal, even switching to different lines of the same manufacture. I'm always of the opinion if it ain't broke don't fix it. But then again dog food is it's own religion, with very few converts, so do what you feel is best for your dog and to each there own.

[Illini Coot Killr]

I asked this very question of Purina in a e-mail. Below is their reply.

"Thank you for contacting Nestlé Purina PetCare Company.

Congratulations on your soon-to-be new puppy! Based on the information you provided in your email, we would recommend that you feed your puppy our Purina(r) Pro Plan(r) brand Dog Food - Performance Formula - All Life Stages. Because this product is complete and balanced for maintenance for all life stages of dogs, you may feed it to your dog from the time it is a puppy throughout its entire life through adulthood.

Our Purina(r) Pro Plan(r) brand Dog Food - Performance Formula - All Life Stages is specially formulated for the nutritional needs of hardworking and highly active dogs. It is designed with a 30% protein: 20% fat ratio which supports increased endurance and lean muscle mass. This product also provides concentrated nutrition, which optimizes oxygen metabolism (VO2 MAX) so dogs burn fat more efficiently. Real chicken is the #1 ingredient. For additional information about our Purina(r) Pro Plan(r) brand Dog Food - Performance Formula - All Life Stages, we would recommend visiting our website, www.proplan.com.

We would recommend you utilize the feeding guidelines found on the product packaging to determine a starting point for feeding. We recommend monitoring your puppy's body condition, and adjusting the amount fed each day to ensure your puppy maintains a lean body conformation. When your puppy is not hunting or in preparation for hunting or trials, the amount fed may be less than during these times. For more information on the ideal body condition, please click on the link below.

http://www.purina.com/dog/weight-and...condition.aspx

We hope you find this information helpful.

Again, thank you for visiting our website."