diesel dog Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 (edited) Well this is my first post since joining up so here goes.... My Purebred black lab is 5months old,i currently feed him a diet of Eukanuba biscuits,fresh lamb,and chicken necks. My Q is should i need to give him calcium powder with his meat or is my boy getting his calcium reqiurments from Eukanuba?? I have been told that he should be o.k because he is not on a meat only diet... Any advice App' Cheers Andrew.. P.S if he does reqiure C.P when is a good age to start supplment?? (Sorry if posted in wrong place.. Edited April 16, 2008 by diesel dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tess32 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 No, please do not supplement with calcium, there is no need as the Euk is a 'complete' diet in that respect and you will throw his calcium/phosphorus levels out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel dog Posted April 16, 2008 Author Share Posted April 16, 2008 Just as i thought, Thx for quick reply so many ppl tell me different things he is my first pup and i dont want to stuff up.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 hi. I second what tess32 said. You realise that you now have to post pics of him, don't you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkyTansy Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 I third it, no need to add a calcium supplement... Chicken necks are also a good source. And please post some pics!! Welcome to DOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifi Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Yep, I third or fourth that ! NO calcium supplements with the diet you have him on, you may end up with growth / bone problems if you supplement. fifi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 I would suggest that if the 'fresh lamb' is meat only, that you switch this to raw meaty bones. Meat is high in phosphorus and bones are high in calcium. It is the ratio of these two minerals that is so essential in a growing dog. I agree, though - I'm not a fan of adding calcium supplements - too much hit and miss! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel dog Posted April 16, 2008 Author Share Posted April 16, 2008 YES!! i just am learning how to i want to work out how ppl post up large photos like alot of ppl do here.. Playing around with compression software i really want to post larger pics than the little ones. Any help greatly App' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Did the breeder recommend Eukanuba??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alison Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 I would suggest that if the 'fresh lamb' is meat only, that you switch this to raw meaty bones. Meat is high in phosphorus and bones are high in calcium. It is the ratio of these two minerals that is so essential in a growing dog. Exactly my thought TSD. Swap the fresh lamb for a lamb neck or ribs, beef brisket bone, chicken wings or carcuss, etc. I would also be concerned that by feeding lamb meat off the bone, that the protein levels would be too high for your puppy. I think from memory that Euk has a high protein content as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Even though I love a raw diet, I would be cautious of feeding it to a fast growing puppy who needs to maintain correct ratios of protein and phosphorous. I would stick to kibbles like Eagle Pack, Royal Canin and Eukanuba that are for medium-large puppies. I think Royal Canin actually have one specialy formulated for Labs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Many Lab breeders actually avoid Euk as it has caused major growth issues . I have no issues with the product as we use it BUT do have friends who are breeders of Labs & its the one product they do avoid especially during the growing stage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel dog Posted April 16, 2008 Author Share Posted April 16, 2008 Many Lab breeders actually avoid Euk as it has caused major growth issues .I have no issues with the product as we use it BUT do have friends who are breeders of Labs & its the one product they do avoid especially during the growing stage So your friends that avoid Euk during the growing stage,what is their preferred choice for their pups?? My boy is just over 5 months old and is 24kg... I get worried that i am giving him food that is going to harm him.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embellish Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 (edited) Hi, your boy looks gorgeous. This is just my opinion, but I would switching him to Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Junior - as this is specially formulated for growing labs, takes all the guess work out of your feeding him correctly. and again - we need pics!!!!! edited as my fingers can't spell!!! Edited April 17, 2008 by labs26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Diesel what diet did your breeder suggest?? It is very well knowm amongst the Lab folk regarding Euk & growing but many vets will sell the product or pet stockists will promote a product that whilst good isnt suitable for all breeds. The only time i have known some lab breeders to use it is if the grwoth plates are slow to open & they will feed it on a very monitored basis but otherwise they avoid . The lab breeders i now all use advance(i dont use this product as it doesnt suit my breed) . Im not aware of many that use the royal canin product. I would suggest talikng with your breeder,they should be able to assist you in all your questions if they havent covered in there puppy packs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanne76 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 I can highly recommend using the Royal Canin Labrador Retreiver Puppy. Within 2 weeks of my girl going on it her coat became super glossy and she is thriving. I fed her Eukanuba for the first 12 months and have never heard that it can cause problems in Labs. mmm thats a bit scary. Regarding the added calcium, my vet told me its a definate no no. It could cause the bones to grow too quickly and will cause major problems later in life. I think now that we have such fantastic food available we dont need to add any supplements of than fresh food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystiqview Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Nope. Support what others have said. Nope feeding calcium suppliments when the dog does not need it is dangerous. A normal puppy on a normal diet of good kibble (even average kibble) and fresh meat and bones should not need calcium suppliments unless there is an issue preventing the dog from absorbing it from its natural food. If that is the case, then it should be on vetinary advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel dog Posted April 17, 2008 Author Share Posted April 17, 2008 Diesel what diet did your breeder suggest??It is very well knowm amongst the Lab folk regarding Euk & growing but many vets will sell the product or pet stockists will promote a product that whilst good isnt suitable for all breeds. The only time i have known some lab breeders to use it is if the grwoth plates are slow to open & they will feed it on a very monitored basis but otherwise they avoid . The lab breeders i now all use advance(i dont use this product as it doesnt suit my breed) . Im not aware of many that use the royal canin product. I would suggest talikng with your breeder,they should be able to assist you in all your questions if they havent covered in there puppy packs. My Breeder initially supplied me with a Euk starter pack so thats what i have been feeding him,i assumed that Euk is a quality product,but of course their is always a "better" product than the last... Thankyou to everyone for your input it is greatly appreciated and valued as a first time Dog Owner(i waited 15 yrs to get this dog!) Settrlvr thx for your concern i will look into using Advance and R.C..I think that i might stick with feeding him a well balanced dry food and supplementing his diet once or twice a week with some raw meaty bones(lamb necks etc) i think this would be an adequate diet?? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 (edited) If your breeder feeds it & the pup is guaranteed by them on that diet then discuss any changes with them. Maybe PM Labs on this list regarding the diet they use or any dietary issues with labradors Euk is a good product BUT some breeds as with any food can have not so good results. We feed Euk to one of our breeds but not the other. We dont feed barf here & personally the dogs i do now feed dont look any better than mine.I have been suing the barf patties but mine get dry,raw mutton,necks,patties,tuna,yoghurt etc etc . Edited April 21, 2008 by settrlvr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystiqview Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 diesel dog, Perfect diet. Some here will push BARF diet.. Biggest problem with true BARF is getting the "mix" right with vitamins, minerals etc. Some who try BARF think like a human and give the dog what they think is healthy (for humans anyway), they have different needs and what is good for us, is not necessarily beneficial to a dog. But a good supply of raw meaty bones and a good dry food is good. I alternate mine with chicken necks, lamb brisket, turkey tails, chicken frames, and on older dogs, beef bones. At the moment I am feeding Advance, but have feed mid range products as well as other high end dry food. Also a tin of sardines, cat food tuna/mackerel once a month is good for skin/coat. Just go for the straight ones.. I normally just get homebrand or similar in natural oil. I would not feed beef bones to a puppy as the bone is much stronger than chicken/lamb brisket and can have a tendancy to break puppy teeth. If you feed marrow bone as an adult dog, I recommend getting the butcher to split them lengthwise so they can easily get the marrow out of the middle. And less likely to break teeth trying to break the bone to get it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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