megan_ Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Bruce Sykes is a very well respected vet. He has a special mix for puppies. I use VAN for most of their meals, with the occasional addition of sardines. They get raw meaty bones a few times a week (my boy can't handle more than this). These are soft edible bones. Any more bones than this and he can get an upset tummy. I then give them an occasional feed of earthborn holistic for convenience or to use in one of their treat puzzles. Of your dogs are healthy they'll cope as long as you're giving them decent quality food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_ Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Minimax shy do you sat roo isn't enough? What is this based on? Sail away - there is a VAN thread somewhere here and Bruce answers questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sail_Away Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 Minimax shy do you sat roo isn't enough? What is this based on? Sail away - there is a VAN thread somewhere here and Bruce answers questions. Thank you, just found that thread, having a read now :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sail_Away Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 So is VAN meant to be a replacement for adding veg to the diet? So if I gave raw bones/meat is the VAN then meant to be my 'slop' mix? Or would you still do the veg mix + VAN... sorry confused... just finished work a bit tired Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimax Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 (edited) roo is too lean to be the primary meat source in a puppy diet, they need more fat than it has to offer. Edit: autocorrect typos Edited October 5, 2012 by minimax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inka3095 Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 So not all grains are bad??!! I wish I knew the ACTUAL best food to feed! The petshop guy said Earthborn puppy didn't have any 'bad' grains or fillers in their food, but that was compared to the Canidae which had 0% grain so that is then supposed to be superior? confused Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 IMO grains are only bad if your dog is allergic to them. The BEST food is the one that your dog does well on. My dogs have not done well at all on some of these super dooper grain free feeds and have done well on supermarket brands. Listen to your dog :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisovar Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 I dismissed VAN because he recommends roo as the main protein for a pup, which just isn't nutritional enough for a baby. It made me really question his feeding theories. Maybe you should read a bit more about his products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisovar Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Having raised pups on VAN, using a VARIETY of meats and edible bones, I have found it to be excellent. Some people make it all sounds so complicated, when is simply isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toshman Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 So not all grains are bad??!! I wish I knew the ACTUAL best food to feed! The petshop guy said Earthborn puppy didn't have any 'bad' grains or fillers in their food, but that was compared to the Canidae which had 0% grain so that is then supposed to be superior? confused There isn't one :eek: Have you been to the Dog Food Reviews & Ratings website - http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/ ? Lots of information there which may help you in your quest..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Grains are only "bad" for your dog if it has an allergy to a particular type. MOST dogs do not have allergies to grains & may benefit from having them in their diet. "Grain Free" has become a buzz word like other buzz words used in marketing & it seems it has become fashionable to seek out the most "grain free" food available. If you look at the ingredient list of most of these "grain free" foods, you will see that they still use the oil extracted from grains, which is the most potent part of the grain. Personally, I feel that a young pup should be exposed to all these things in moderation while it is still young to help it build up resistance. The best food for your pup is the food IT does best on. Before I found the food I currently feed my dogs, which is 100% Australian, free of preservatives & free of corn, wheat & soy (which seem to be the biggest "nasties")& is a premium food at a reasonable price....I raised my dogs on Bonnie & a daily meaty bone. So unless you have a particular health reason for it, don't get too carried away & stressed over trying to find the best "grain free" food. That's just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sail_Away Posted October 6, 2012 Author Share Posted October 6, 2012 Grains are only "bad" for your dog if it has an allergy to a particular type. MOST dogs do not have allergies to grains & may benefit from having them in their diet. "Grain Free" has become a buzz word like other buzz words used in marketing & it seems it has become fashionable to seek out the most "grain free" food available. If you look at the ingredient list of most of these "grain free" foods, you will see that they still use the oil extracted from grains, which is the most potent part of the grain. Personally, I feel that a young pup should be exposed to all these things in moderation while it is still young to help it build up resistance. The best food for your pup is the food IT does best on. Before I found the food I currently feed my dogs, which is 100% Australian, free of preservatives & free of corn, wheat & soy (which seem to be the biggest "nasties")& is a premium food at a reasonable price....I raised my dogs on Bonnie & a daily meaty bone. So unless you have a particular health reason for it, don't get too carried away & stressed over trying to find the best "grain free" food. That's just my opinion. Excellent comments Sheena - my breeder who is extremely knowledgable and well respected in Aus. sent me an email the other day re; the current diet of the pups... she basically said everything you have just said - "why remove grain, a staple food of the world unless the dog is allergic?" - she adds some rice to their meals occasionaly and has been feeding the pups raw chicken wings, necks, frames, brisket bones, lamp flaps, veg mix and advance or bonnie puppy dry food occassionaly. She said (and I def agree) that they should be exposed to all these different foods - eliminates picky eating later on. She will occassionaly cook up chicken or lamb mince with veg/rice too but only sometimes. She also believes in not having a strict routine but a 'round about' time for feeding (most people would agree on that) and to increase/decrease food depending on look of dog or activities eg: hunting or the season. She has told me to 'relax' and not worry too much as long as it is balanced. Sheena - may I ask what food your dogs are on that you have mentioned in that comment - sounds great! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimax Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 I dismissed VAN because he recommends roo as the main protein for a pup, which just isn't nutritional enough for a baby. It made me really question his feeding theories. Maybe you should read a bit more about his products. I did, wasn't a fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Grains are only "bad" for your dog if it has an allergy to a particular type. MOST dogs do not have allergies to grains & may benefit from having them in their diet. "Grain Free" has become a buzz word like other buzz words used in marketing & it seems it has become fashionable to seek out the most "grain free" food available. If you look at the ingredient list of most of these "grain free" foods, you will see that they still use the oil extracted from grains, which is the most potent part of the grain. Personally, I feel that a young pup should be exposed to all these things in moderation while it is still young to help it build up resistance. The best food for your pup is the food IT does best on. Before I found the food I currently feed my dogs, which is 100% Australian, free of preservatives & free of corn, wheat & soy (which seem to be the biggest "nasties")& is a premium food at a reasonable price....I raised my dogs on Bonnie & a daily meaty bone. So unless you have a particular health reason for it, don't get too carried away & stressed over trying to find the best "grain free" food. That's just my opinion. Excellent comments Sheena - my breeder who is extremely knowledgable and well respected in Aus. sent me an email the other day re; the current diet of the pups... she basically said everything you have just said - "why remove grain, a staple food of the world unless the dog is allergic?" - she adds some rice to their meals occasionaly and has been feeding the pups raw chicken wings, necks, frames, brisket bones, lamp flaps, veg mix and advance or bonnie puppy dry food occassionaly. She said (and I def agree) that they should be exposed to all these different foods - eliminates picky eating later on. She will occassionaly cook up chicken or lamb mince with veg/rice too but only sometimes. She also believes in not having a strict routine but a 'round about' time for feeding (most people would agree on that) and to increase/decrease food depending on look of dog or activities eg: hunting or the season. She has told me to 'relax' and not worry too much as long as it is balanced. Sheena - may I ask what food your dogs are on that you have mentioned in that comment - sounds great! :) I have sent you a PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inka3095 Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Thank you :) :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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