Which Is Better For Large Breed Puppy?

[Malakita]

Hi everyone,

I have an almost 4 month old Akita. He started off on Advance as that was what his breeder fed him on. I switched to Blackhawk large breed puppy as I also have an Alaskan Malamute ( 13 months) , who is also on Blackhawk puppy.

But the vet almost ear bashed me about how poor a quality Blackhawk large breed puppy is and that Advance puppy is far superior a product in comparison. I felt like a school kid in the principal 's office.

So I would appreciate feedback about what people think about either large breed puppy products.

He said Supercoat is noted as a premium food. I thought this is the opposite?

Thanks

Jill

[kelpiecuddles]

Sounds to me like you vet is getting perks

[OSoSwift]

He said Supercoat is noted as a premium food. I thought this is the opposite?

Really. Wonder were he heard that from!!

What does his clinic sell?

Personally I think BH is better than Advance, however as in most cases, I am sure some will disagree.

[kelpiecuddles]

Personally I think Advance is pretty much middle of the range, it's not super premium but it's not crud either. I don't have much experience with Black Hawk to comment but had understood it to be probably higher up than advance in terms of quality. I wouldn't touch supercoat with a ten foot pole, gives my dogs the runs and makes them stink. As far as easily available brands(Black hawk is non existant here) I like Royal Canin.

Is it maybe a case of he doesn't know much about it so it must be bad?

Edited May 9, 2013 by kelpiecuddles

[OSoSwift]

Is it maybe a case of he doesn't know much about it so it must be bad?

Yes I wondered that and yes I feel the same about Advance, better than Supercoat, not as good as many others :)

[tlc]

I would feed your pup what he does well on? If you happy with the BH go with it, if he is on it for a couple of months and is looking shabby then change.

Just curious what is black Hawk large breed puppy food? Have they released another variety? I thought it was a one size fits all breed puppy food that Black Hawk makes?

BH puppy food here.

Edited May 9, 2013 by tlc

[Gertrude139]

I fed my sibe pup advance to begin with as thats what the breeder was feeding, she had ongoing dandruff issues which we could never resolve, tried all different types of oils, nothing would do it.

When we switched her to adult advance she didn't like it and wouldn't really eat it so I bought her a bay of TOTW, which she goes nuts for, and her dandruff issue cleared up within 2 weeks of the switch.

So sometimes a good food just doesn't agree with a dog anyway.

My two fosters are getting Blackhawk at the moment and seem to be doing well on it.

If he is doing well on the Blackhawk then I would stick with it, what he does best on matters most.

[Malakita]

Yes, sorry there only is one puppy, the lamb and rice. I just have it stamped in my head as large breed puppy.

He was really full on and said Blackhawk puppy is poor quality and got do the pup damage with him growing. I also got a earful from his wife when I took the puppy in for his first checkup. I said he was on Advance but now BH. So for the next checkup, I fibbed and said 'oh yes he is on Advance' and I got a pleased smile. And yesterday I got the husband for the first time and yikes! He made it sound worrisome if I didn't feed the pup Advance. And he says he is not supporting a specific company or has any fixed interest but knows BH is rubbish. When he said Supercoat is better than BH, my antenna went up.

We did start out my older pup on Canidae but she was too gassy. So BH sounds fine and is being chowed down fine. But the vet just came across all heavy and that my growing pup might just morph into a stunted mutant if I don 't stop feeding BH.

In our receipt, they usually write comments. Yesterday it felt like I was reading a teacher' report card. He had written that owner has been advised about the poor quality of BH and should change to a premium food.

Thanks all,

Jill

[tlc]

Do you have another vet you can go too. One that is not so hung up on food. Yes food is important but that's ridiculous. Be guided by your puppy, watch his weight, his coat and his energy levels. You will know if the food is not working out. Even then there is better food out there than advance!

I've just recently had three friends change their dogs food to Black Hawk, two were feeding advance and one feeding supercoat. Stafford, GSD and Great Dane. All are doing beautifully on the BH.

[BCNut]

Hate to play devils advocate here but my vet bagged BH too. Said something along the same lines - too high in protein and potash for a growing puppy and can cause damage. I think its a debate that could go on forever but, indeed, agree that whats best for your dog is what you see them to be doing best on. For me thats canin.

[cassie]

I really dislike vets that so avidly push a certain food. I know you said he said he's not affiliated with any company, but come on. Does his clinic sell Advance? I'd be willing to bet money that they do. I also dislike vets that say "This is the best dog food and every single dog should eat it, end of story." Any vet worth their weight would know that not all dogs do well on a particular food, and some have very specific requirements.

I fed BH to my adults for a while and was very happy with it. I looked into feeding my Bernese puppy the puppy formula, but in the end decided against it and went with a specific large breed puppy formula, Pro Plan, as directed by his breeder. Now I have a Saint pup on the way and will be feeding him Royal Canin Giant, again as directed by his breeder.

At the end of the day it's your decision. Personally I'd be feeding a specific large breed formula at least for the first 12 months of your Akita's life. All the best :)

[Rebanne]

My personal opinion is Supercoat is much better the BH. My pups/dogs do well on Supercoat. Feed what your dogs do well on but I wouldn't be feeding a puppy food to a 13 month old. Then again I don't feed puppy food past 3 months max. Each to their own.

ETA check out the health forum, lots of threads there about food.

Edited May 9, 2013 by Rebanne

[sheena]

Feed what your dogs do best on & Black Hawk is a high quality food, so I wouldn't be changing it just because your vet wants to sell you something else. Really, he probably knows absolutely nothing about Black Hawk. :laugh: I raised my Border Collie pup on the Black Hawk Adult formula on recommendation from breeders. According to the polls conducted every now & then on DOL, Black Hawk is the second most popular food fed by DOL's. My dogs have been on it most of their lives & they are very happy & so am I. Before the critics jump up & down...I do have a vested interest in BH, as my daughter distributes it in our area, & she has a lot of regular customers with large breed dogs.

ETA...also, I wouldn't be feeding any dog, let alone a large breed, puppy food @13 months.

Edited May 10, 2013 by sheena

[Salukifan]

Feed what your dogs do best on & Black Hawk is a high quality food, so I wouldn't be changing it just because your vet wants to sell you something else. Really, he probably knows absolutely nothing about Black Hawk. :laugh: I raised my Border Collie pup on the Black Hawk Adult formula on recommendation from breeders. According to the polls conducted every now & then on DOL, Black Hawk is the second most popular food fed by DOL's. My dogs have been on it most of their lives & they are very happy & so am I. Before the critics jump up & down...I do have a vested interest in BH, as my daughter distributes it in our area, & she has a lot of regular customers with large breed dogs.

ETA...also, I wouldn't be feeding any dog, let alone a large breed, puppy food @13 months.

Quite a few Whippet folk keep their adult dogs on RC Junior due to its high fat content. I'm one of them. It still has far less protein than grain free products like Artemis.

Edited May 10, 2013 by Haredown Whippets

[tdierikx]

Another fan of Royan Canin Junior here... feed it to all my fosters and they thrive on it.

My own large breed (cross Dane) pup was on RC Junior up to 16 weeks, then I switched her to Nutro Adult Lamb and Rice - she's in beautiful health and has hit all her growth milestones just fine. She is now 8 months old, and I've cut down the size of her feeds as she isn't spurting (growth) much any more.

T.

[Sandra777]

Have used BH and don't like what it does to my dogs, but it's not a bad quality food and is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY higher on the foodchain than supercoat.

I feed Bonnie which is on par with Supercoat for ingredients so I'm not a food snob.

Use what's best for the dog, but for a growing large breed pup I'd be doing what the breeder said and if the pup has issues with that food I'd be going back to the breeder (or other breeders with the same breed) and seeking advice.

I'd be taking my vet budget elsewhere.

[Malakita]

Thanks for all the feedback guys!

The vet sells Royal Canin and um, Advance. I know I will stick to BH as they are fine on it. I just cringed because he came across all heavy and not that pleased. They are a good vet otherwise. I had to giggle though as I say that, as the vet nurse asked if my Mal and Akita are related. Lol!

What age should I stop feeding the pups puppy food? I will change the 13 month old to BH adult now.

Jill

[dotdashdot]

Thanks for all the feedback guys!

The vet sells Royal Canin and um, Advance. I know I will stick to BH as they are fine on it. I just cringed because he came across all heavy and not that pleased. They are a good vet otherwise. I had to giggle though as I say that, as the vet nurse asked if my Mal and Akita are related. Lol!

What age should I stop feeding the pups puppy food? I will change the 13 month old to BH adult now.

Jill

Maybe if he tries the food route again just tell him that you've made your mind up, and don't want his opinion shoved down your throat. I work in a pet store and the only time I will comment on a brand is if people actually ask me. I won't serve someone buying Supercoat and say "that's rubbish, buy this instead". Bad business. Makes the customer unhappy and feeling like you did when you asked this question. I don't think you should leave a vet clinic feeling like that - I've always left feeling happy and confident that I'm looking after my dog.

On the note of what age to stop - it depends on the breed and the food. Large breeds are considered fully grown usually between 18-24 months. Medium and small breeds 12 months. Only puppy foods that recommend feeding past 12 months should be fed past that mark. With BH I would switch at 12 months, but that said I did feed my pup on holistic brands (Holistic Select and BH) from 3 months of age and she's beautifully built and proportioned. I think Advance Lg Breed and Royal Canin are 2 that are up to 24months

[Rosetta]

I am interested in exactly why he considered the BH a "rubbish food"? I would want some explanation. My vet and I don't even discuss food - well not after the initial consultation where he recommended the Science one :D

[OSoSwift]

i had a small smile not long ago when I was discussing my cats and the food I had changed them to - VAN. He wrote it down to google it! Hmmmmmm He was oh right when I said raw meat then asked what the VAN name was so he could write it down. I would have thought lots of people would know about VAN??!!!!

Talk to your breeder and choose the food that suits them :)