RDS Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Hi all, I'm getting a St. Bernard puppy this week.... I already started doing lot of research related to diet , puppy school etc etc. Currently it's on science diet healthy development ... After getting home I would like to change it to raw diet slowly may be in months time... After lot of research I made this decision... Still I would like get opinion from dog lovers....pls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perfect partners Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 You could get Kymythy Schultz's book 'Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats - the Ultimate Diet'. She's a Newfoundland breeder and nutritionist. Also Ian Billinghurst's 'B.A.R.F. books. Also have a look at 'The Holistic Newfoundland' facebook page. I also googled 'Newfoundlands Raw Feeding' and found a few breeders in the US who have their diets on their websites. You could try the same for St. Bernards. All the best with your puppy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Hi RDS & welcome, You are so lucky getting a saint baby. How exciting for you I just adore them. I'm not experienced with giants personally. Regarding feeding a raw diet. From what I have read & a giant breeder I have been chatting to, seems that as giants have such a fast growth rate, most breeders seem to choose Royal Canon Giant Puppy as apposed to raw as it is very difficult to do a raw balanced diet for a giant puppies needs. I guess you could supplement with some raw if you wish. I have also spoken to a Vet & that's what they recommend as well. So yes thats what I came up with. There are some very breed savvy folks on here so hopefully others will join in :) Would love to see your new addition so pic's would be very welcome :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 I gather you picked the breeder because you like there dogs,the way they have grown & there health in later age. If you trust your breeder then i wouldn't be playing around with the diet ,if you do ask them ,they now there breed,the do's/don'ts & the why's . Many also guarantee the growth of there pups by the diet sheet they supply & will void issues if you change to something they may not recommend or have discussed with them . This really is something you should have discussed with your breeder first ,they may have great info to give you on how to do it correctly because if you stuff up the dog may pay the price . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brightstar123 Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 I would personally be very very careful about raw feeding a giant breed pup. I'm a big fan of raw feeding and my dog is on a raw diet, but like others have said it's extremely difficult to properly balance a raw diet for a giant breed pup, especially the calcium:phosphorus ratio, Vit A and E, Vit D and fat. If you are determined to raw feed from a few months of age I would have a diet plan drawn up by a specialist veterinary nutritionist (board certified by the ACVN or European college). Some nutritionists will do a plan for you in consultation with your regular vet. If the diet's not balanced the consequences can be severe - rickets results all too commonly when the calcium:phosphorus ratio is incorrect. I would suggest you feed mainly a commercial food with additional raw treats/supplements e.g. chicken necks/wings, small pieces of a variety of raw meats and organs so that your pup is accustomed to raw from an early age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDS Posted August 7, 2014 Author Share Posted August 7, 2014 I want to feed my puppy the best .... After doing lot of research on net, I understood raw diet is best for long run of puppy.... Any way I won't take decision on my own without consulting vet for sure... Is there anyone in this forum could share their balanced raw diet plan for the week/day for giant breed , so that I could have secon opinion with vet with that plan pls... All this is with best intention for puppy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassie Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Hello RDS I have a Saint Bernard, he is my third, wonderful breed you've chosen! Where is your puppy coming from? For the first year of his life, I fed my boy Royal Canin Giant. This food is recommended by several highly respected Saint breeders. Others I know feed Pro Plan Large Breed and are also happy with that. During his first year I introduced lots of raw foods and meaty bones, but the majority of his diet was the RC. Now he is 16 months old, most (but not nearly all) of his growth is done, and he gets more and more varied meals. The first 12-18 months of a Saint's growth is CRITICAL to obtaining a happy and healthy adult. After that, they continue to fill out until the age of 3-4 years. I'd be inclined to follow what the breeder recommends, at least for the first year. Then if any issues arise, you can query them. I love raw feeding but in all my research, I am yet to come across a diet or menu plan designed for a giant breed puppy that I am completely happy with. Good luck with your pup and please share photos :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juice Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 I would listen to what cassie says, vets do not know about feeding , they will have an opinion, like everyone else ,but its best to go with someone who know the breed , or risk health issues later which your breeder wont back you on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 I would listen to what cassie says, vets do not know about feeding , they will have an opinion, like everyone else ,but its best to go with someone who know the breed , or risk health issues later which your breeder wont back you on. This is good advice, check with the breeder please. I'm fed up of correcting people whose vet has told them that their dog should eat a particular brand of dry food - and only that - for the rest of their lives as it is a complete meal. It's nice and easy, a quick solution but I always say to owners it's dry, it's repetitive and I think dogs deserve variety. Even if they are on a prescription diet you can always add veggies usually, to moisten the dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juice Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 (edited) Plus don't forget, vets have a hidden agenda when they stock the food. I had one vet tell me I shouldn't be feeding raw as my dog would get salmonela Edited August 7, 2014 by juice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 I have owned and bred Saints and always fed them on only raw food. Ian Billinghurst actually worked with a Saint Breeder way back when he was first writing his book. I bought his book and used it as my bible - followed everything he said and advised and this is what I advise you to do. There are lots of opinions and not all of them are good and feeding raw chicken wings or frames gives you just the right calcium and in the right ratio for all you need re calcium and phosphorous ratios. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Plus don't forget, vets have a hidden agenda when they stock the food. I had one vet tell me I shouldn't be feeding raw as my dog would get salmonela I am guessing this info came from a well known scientific journal article…..but I'll give you one guess who the author/s were employed by :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Hello RDS I have a Saint Bernard, he is my third, wonderful breed you've chosen! Where is your puppy coming from? For the first year of his life, I fed my boy Royal Canin Giant. This food is recommended by several highly respected Saint breeders. Others I know feed Pro Plan Large Breed and are also happy with that. During his first year I introduced lots of raw foods and meaty bones, but the majority of his diet was the RC. Now he is 16 months old, most (but not nearly all) of his growth is done, and he gets more and more varied meals. The first 12-18 months of a Saint's growth is CRITICAL to obtaining a happy and healthy adult. After that, they continue to fill out until the age of 3-4 years. I'd be inclined to follow what the breeder recommends, at least for the first year. Then if any issues arise, you can query them. I love raw feeding but in all my research, I am yet to come across a diet or menu plan designed for a giant breed puppy that I am completely happy with. Good luck with your pup and please share photos :) excellent post, cassie. yes- a new pup is not the time to experiment ;) Your dog will have many years to enjoy the benefits of a raw diet ..those first few months will be best served by one of the suggested ready made foods , etc. and - Vets are NOT dieticians - they are diagnosticians/surgeons ..and do very well at that :) (plus many vets will "push" you to buy the food they get with deals from certain petfood companies ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Plus don't forget, vets have a hidden agenda when they stock the food. I had one vet tell me I shouldn't be feeding raw as my dog would get salmonela I am guessing this info came from a well known scientific journal article…..but I'll give you one guess who the author/s were employed by :D in some countries , this may well be true I have had friends from teh Netherlands astounded at how we ate rare meat .. handled /ate eggs ....for that very reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Plus don't forget, vets have a hidden agenda when they stock the food. I had one vet tell me I shouldn't be feeding raw as my dog would get salmonela I am guessing this info came from a well known scientific journal article…..but I'll give you one guess who the author/s were employed by :D in some countries , this may well be true I have had friends from teh Netherlands astounded at how we ate rare meat .. handled /ate eggs ....for that very reason. Funnily enough, this article specifically referred to the rising tendency of Australian dog owners to feed raw. Yes, there is always a risk if you eat undercooked anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 specifically referred to the rising tendency of Australian dog owners to feed raw Uh Huh .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Hi all, I'm getting a St. Bernard puppy this week.... I already started doing lot of research related to diet , puppy school etc etc. Currently it's on science diet healthy development ... After getting home I would like to change it to raw diet slowly may be in months time... After lot of research I made this decision... Still I would like get opinion from dog lovers....pls Please do not feed your giant breed puppy a raw diet unless you are very experienced in raw feeding and are able to guarantee the phos:calc ratios. If you do not like Science Diet then speak to your breeder about other options such as Canidae All Life Stages which is one of the best around in terms of ingredients and has the correct phos:calc ratios for a giant breed puppy. We only get one opportunity to grow them right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDS Posted August 8, 2014 Author Share Posted August 8, 2014 It's not that I don't like science diet or any other brand.... After studying lot of blogs and saw videos ..... I came to an understanding that raw is better than commercial food. As many people mentioned here, need to be careful in calcium and phosphorous ratio mainly. At this stage im going to follow breeder advice and I'm not going to change to any other diet immediately ... I'm trying to understand and find best diet plan with various ppl experience.. I can understand many ppl comment... At last everyone are aiming to give best for their pet...with their exp and gut feeling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagittarian Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 It most certainly is possible to properly raise a Saint pup on a fully raw diet. But, it takes a lot of work, having all the right tools, and being able to evaluate the growth on a daily basis. I do mean daily, as Saints go through such incredibly fast growth spurts that they can change shape in a day. So, observation and understanding of what you are doing are key to getting it right. It is not something I would recommend though if you a) have never raw fed, b) have not raised a giant breed. There are so many excellent options available now that offer the benefits of raw, without you having to take a chance with your precious growing bub. Holistic foods such as Canidae Large Breed Puppy or Sunday Pets Large/Giant breed puppy are excellent choices if you are wanting to avoid excessive fillers and prefer to buy a food that uses as much free range as possible. Vets All Natural Complete Mix provides the basis of a meal and you add your meat source raw. Frozen Barf already includes the crushed bone, meat, organs and more, without being highly processed. Sunday Pets RAW Chow is raw meat/bone/veges etc (no grain) that is only freeze dried. So, there are lots of ways to feed a fast growing puppy that offers more than Hills or similar foods. Please feel free to PM me if you want some raw info as well, as I have successfully raised Saint pups that way. Sags :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDS Posted August 8, 2014 Author Share Posted August 8, 2014 Thanks for the info ,I will send PM to you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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