Feeding A Puppy

[EmiLeigh]

Been doing some research about food for a puppy and was curious as to what you lovely people on DOL recommend to feed a large breed puppy?

Do you feed your pups fresh or processed foods? Dry or canned food? Bones or homemade? Or a mix of everything? What is your preference?

Look foward to reading your responses

[minxy]

I use the kibble recommended to me by my breeder - Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy. He also gets veges, rice, yoghurt, eggs, meat/bones etc as well. (Not all at once! )

[B-Q]

I used about 20% kibble, 40% raw and 40% rice/veg/meat mix. She does well on it.

[KumaAkita]

Kuma is on Advance Puppy Growth for Large Breeds - he gets kibble and wet food morning and night. I'll also add a few treats every now and then - left overs like rice, chicken, etc.

All this as recommended by his breeder, and I suggest you speak with your dog's breeder as to what they recommend. There's a lot to consider when you've got a big dog, and it shouldn't be left to chance.

Good luck!

[aussielover]

I use half kibble, half bones as my pup doesn't do well on all kibble- it is too "rich" for her. She is actually on half advance puppy and half PAL puppy for this reason also.

She also gets sardines or other oily fish 3 times a week.

[Niques]

James is still on his breeder's recommended diet - Nutro Large Breed puppy for one meal, some form of bone for the other.

Supplemented with fish oil daily and sardines and egg twice a week.

I would chat with your breeder and see what she uses, given her experience with the breed

[boogarbooz]

Charlie gets fed 40% raw 40% veg/meat mix 20% kibble he seems to be quite happy on it.

[TsarsMum]

my pup is also on nutro large breed. he seems to be heaps better on this then he was on advance (he was a stinky farting machine)

[Remarkabull]

My Dobe is fed mostly raw - minced chicken frames, pumpkin, sweet potato, sardines, yoghurt, raw eggs (including the shells) and a couple of teaspoons of 'Supergreens' (a mix of spirulina, wheat grass etc, in a concentrated powder). He also gets beef/lamb meat and bones a couple of times a week.

I have in the past also given him Black Hawk Holistic dry food and it was great but I can no longer get it due to my location and he can't seem to stomach other dry foods that I've tried. He never gets pasta/rice etc, he doesn't need it.

He is now almost 9 months old and big, beautiful, healthy and shiny.

[poodlefan]

With such a large breed, I'd be taking the advice of experienced breeders and owners, starting with the person who bred him.

[Paul Bright]

With such a large breed, I'd be taking the advice of experienced breeders and owners, starting with the person who bred him.

I agree. Always ask your breeder regarding the type of food your new pup is used to. If you do not agree with this, then change food gradually. Do not change abruptly. I feed my dogs 30% kibble, 30% raw and 40% rice/veg/meat mix. I give treats too.

[kyliestar]

all raw with occasional scraps, mostly lamb bones and chicken necks.

many dogs are allergic to wheat which is in kibble, so if he starts itching at any point, it could be his diet :D

[Guest Pandii]

My puppy is on Cobber puppy, raw meat eggs and other stuff

When he gets here he will be weaned off the cobber as its hard to get and started on something else

[quickbrownfox]

I give my Airedale what his breeder recommended. He has homemade BARF patties (breeder's recipe), mashed sweet potato & pumpkin, salmon/tuna/sardines, eggs, yoghurt, green veggies like silverbeet, spinach, cabbage etc. His diet consists 60% of bones (why? I have no idea but he gets a variety, and he loves them.)

He has Supercoat kibble as a snack before bedtime.

Oh and once a fortnight I give him a teaspoon of cod liver oil too.

[kyliestar]

bones are a dogs natural diet.. they munch them up for the fat and mineral content, their bodies are designed to eat them. dry food is processed and takes longer to digest and can cause tummy aches, bones can too, but one your dog is used to eating them their body adjusts

[Oliversmum]

Been doing some research about food for a puppy and was curious as to what you lovely people on DOL recommend to feed a large breed puppy?

Do you feed your pups fresh or processed foods? Dry or canned food? Bones or homemade? Or a mix of everything? What is your preference?

Look foward to reading your responses

Get in touch with your breeder, they will be the best person to advise you on how to grow your giant breed puppy. Very important to do it correctly and I'd be very careful when being advised to feed RAW only.....not for a growing giant breed IMO.

[QWERTYASDFGH]

.-.-.

Edited November 30, 2010 by QWERTYASDFGH

[WreckitWhippet]

I feed my Leonberger puppy raw, and have done since getting him at nine weeks. His breeder also fed him raw since being weaned; he's never had dry food in his life!

So, I disagree with the suggestions against feeding raw to giant puppies. You don't need to be too stressed about what you feed them, just try to get in some calcium (chicken carcasses, wings etc) and red meat, like mince, and you should be fine. My fellow loves roo tails, lamb bones, chicken caracasses, green tripe (his fav). His main meal is mince with veggies and occasionally some supplements like flaxseed oil, fish oil, yoghurt, eggs etc

That slap happy advice is perhaps some of the worst I've seen handed out on DOL.

[brintey]

I feed my Leonberger puppy raw, and have done since getting him at nine weeks. His breeder also fed him raw since being weaned; he's never had dry food in his life!

So, I disagree with the suggestions against feeding raw to giant puppies. You don't need to be too stressed about what you feed them, just try to get in some calcium (chicken carcasses, wings etc) and red meat, like mince, and you should be fine. My fellow loves roo tails, lamb bones, chicken caracasses, green tripe (his fav). His main meal is mince with veggies and occasionally some supplements like flaxseed oil, fish oil, yoghurt, eggs etc

That slap happy advice is perhaps some of the worst I've seen handed out on DOL.

Hi RSG,

Not sure if I've got this quoting thing right, but this is the diet recommended by some Leonberger breeders, in particularly one from NZ who sends a lot of her puppies here, so Lionelmessi could just be following the breeders' advice.

[WreckitWhippet]

I feed my Leonberger puppy raw, and have done since getting him at nine weeks. His breeder also fed him raw since being weaned; he's never had dry food in his life!

So, I disagree with the suggestions against feeding raw to giant puppies. You don't need to be too stressed about what you feed them, just try to get in some calcium (chicken carcasses, wings etc) and red meat, like mince, and you should be fine. My fellow loves roo tails, lamb bones, chicken caracasses, green tripe (his fav). His main meal is mince with veggies and occasionally some supplements like flaxseed oil, fish oil, yoghurt, eggs etc

That slap happy advice is perhaps some of the worst I've seen handed out on DOL.

Hi RSG,

Not sure if I've got this quoting thing right, but this is the diet recommended by some Leonberger breeders, in particularly one from NZ who sends a lot of her puppies here, so Lionelmessi could just be following the breeders' advice.

Just because it might be one breeders advice, it does not mean the slap happy attitude and she'll be right approach is appropriate for anothers pups.

What does " just try and get in some calcium" really mean ? how much calcium, how much chicken, what percentage of red meat and what amount of red meat minus the bone will throw the calium/phos ratiois out of balance.

I'm all for raw feeding and there are some breeders where you can afford to be a little less scientific and specific regarding amount, but in my opinion anyone "growing" a Giant breed, should best consult their breeder when it comes to diet or those with year of experience who have successfully raised many pups on raw.

Feeding raw can come second nature to some and naturally it's not stressfull, but for those starting out and seeking advice, it should be approached with caution