There are so many new dog foods out there, just wondering what would be a good food to start out with, for a Labrador Retriever puppy.........Large breed? The Mom is small, about 50 pounds, Dad is about 80 pounds..........
Puppy food???
Awilley
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Euk large breed puppy. As good as it gets...
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I feed Innova large breed puppy, WONDERFUL food and my dog likes it.
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I use the Holistic Select by Eagle pack....Large and Giant...been using it for years and love it!
EP makes good food!
I look at the ingredient list and like to see meat as the main source of protein (beef, chicken, lamb, fish, etc.) rather than "meat meal" (chicken meal, lamb meal, etc.).
I also don't like to see grain (corn, etc.) as one of the main ingredients.
I prefer to recognize most of the ingredients (all those big chemical words sorta frighten me).
Right now, I'm feeding my 1 year old Purina Pro Plan Shredded
I also don't like to see grain (corn, etc.) as one of the main ingredients.
I prefer to recognize most of the ingredients (all those big chemical words sorta frighten me).
Right now, I'm feeding my 1 year old Purina Pro Plan Shredded
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IAMS Smart Puppy, I like the idea of the DHA fish for brain development, pro plan has this also.
Pups eat it well, nice firm stools and they appear healthy.
Pups eat it well, nice firm stools and they appear healthy.
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I started my pup on this. Mostly because I had been feeding my 2 yo pro plan performance and she has always done well on it and the breeder fed the same.
My pup is with a pro for the winter and he feeds Innova large breed puppy and he's doing just as well on it.
I learned from others on here to just buy the highest quality food you can. With one pup, even $40 + a bag isn't bad since they don't go through it that fast.
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I also use this, and my pup loves it! My breeder highly recommended it, and she has been working with labs for a long time.
It's great! I can even use the kibble as treats
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It depends on how active your pup is. Our two dogs are in a FT programs. Early on they did ok with the Eagle Pack but as soon as they began serious training we were unable to keep enough weight on them with Eagle Pack Hollistic LBP or the Eukanuba LBP.
We were feeding over 4 cups to our 55 pound dog and not able to keep weight on her. There isn't enough calories per cup in the EP or the EUK. Our younger male had to eat 8 cups a day of the EP and he was barely maintaining his weight.
We have since switched to Arkat VF Complete performance and both of them look much better. Now we feed 2.5 cups a day for the female and 4 for the Male. You can tell they feel better and it shows.
The Arkat has 650 Cal per cup and it's more digestable from what we've seen so far. IMHO the Arkat is just a better all around food. I wish we would have found the Arkat sooner.
Look at the ingredients on whatever you decide.
We were feeding over 4 cups to our 55 pound dog and not able to keep weight on her. There isn't enough calories per cup in the EP or the EUK. Our younger male had to eat 8 cups a day of the EP and he was barely maintaining his weight.
We have since switched to Arkat VF Complete performance and both of them look much better. Now we feed 2.5 cups a day for the female and 4 for the Male. You can tell they feel better and it shows.
The Arkat has 650 Cal per cup and it's more digestable from what we've seen so far. IMHO the Arkat is just a better all around food. I wish we would have found the Arkat sooner.
Look at the ingredients on whatever you decide.
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I feed Euk puppy large breed to my 11 mo pup and he looks great. He's at about 4-4 1/2 cups a day. No complaints here
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Skip the puppy food and get right into Pro Plan Performance. Very similar anyhow...
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I may have to disagree with you on this one. I have had several DVM's tell me that it is very important (especially in the first year) to have your dog on a puppy formula. Now, I do not know about all dogs, I'm only referring to Labs, large breed dogs. You do not want your lab puppy growing too fast, it puts quite a bit of stress on their bones and joints. This may cause problems later in life for the dog. I have an 11 month old puppy (lab) that is about 55 lbs. I keep in touch with his breeder and he tells me that my pup is about 10-15 lbs lighter than all of his litter mates. I'd be really interested in about 7-8 years to see how all of the dogs' health are doing. You do not need to be in a hurry to have your pup grow!!
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Putting them on adult food slows their growth not the other way around.
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I do not think that is correct
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Performance is for all stages of life, not just adult
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Puppy food makes puppies grow faster than if you feed adult food. Adult food slows down there growth and is easier on their joints and can help later in life with joint problems. This is what my Irish Wolfhound breeder told me and what my Golden breeder told me. Vets around here also agree!
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I have a book on lab's in front of me now written by Joanne Howl, D.V.M. And I quote, "Some veterinarians recommend that Lab pups eat puppy food formulated for large breeds to keep their growth slow." Huh!?
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Puppy food formulated for large breed is designed for slower growth. It is not comparing puppy food to adult food, rather large breed puppy to regular puppy food.
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