Puppy nutrition questions

[vanillalove]

If your dog is not used to switching foods then I would do a gradual transition. I switch mine all the time so they are used to it and need no transition time.

 

Will do.

 

Thanks everyone. We picked up a bag of the Acana and he LOVES it so far. A little bit of loose stools after dinner but we lowered the new food:old food ratio this morning and things were firmer. We'll continue to transition as gradually as possible, and hopefully things stay firm. I do hope he does well on this.

 

I am so lucky to have found an independent shop where the owner is very knowledgeable and very, very kind to me. He offers to take back any bag of food from me if Indie doesn't do well on it, I hope that won't be the case this time though!

[medic09]

I notice no one considered caloric intake in this discussion. It seems to me that a growth diet (puppy) needs more calories than a maintenance diet (adult). Hence puppy foods are usually much more calorie dense. This is a factor I've always had in mind when feeding puppies in the past. Is this no longer considered the case? I would note parenthetically that my larger dogs (a sled dog cross, and a Lab) and our old BCX all did very well on Taste of the Wild as one of their food options. We alternate between that (because our feed store carries it) and Dick Van Patten's, and they've done very well on both. Our present BC puppy is on Blue Buffalo Wilderness puppy kibble, and is doing well on it as far as I can tell. My previous experience has been with the aforementioned dogs, and a large GSD. Is there any reason a BC should be different, aside from being medium sized breed rather than large?

 

Of course, I'm also looking for Made In USA or Made In Canada these days, what with the repeated problems that come out of China.

[Liz P]

We have considered calories. Pups need to be kept lean, which = feeding the right number of calories.

[medic09]

Pups need to be kept lean, which = feeding the right number of calories.

I certainly agree with that. But that is simply stating a policy and end goal; not addressing how to go about it. That can be accomplished through more than one route; but it seems that a calorie dense diet during the period of greatest growth would be more efficient. Hence my question regarding using a more calorie dense puppy food/diet vs an adult food.

[Liz P]

I don't personally advocate using adult food in pups. I prefer a balanced puppy food that won't require feeding a huge volume.

[Gideon's girl]

I prefer calorically dense foods at all different ages. I like to feed less, especially for very active dogs. And dogs that are narrow and deep chested, like GSDs, should be fed small meals to hopefully help avoid GDV, so I really liked calorically dense foods for them.

 

BTW, both of my BCs started needing more as adults. As puppies their activity was limited so as not to stress their growing joints and growth plates. As adults, both of mine get 50% more food because they are doing a lot more.

[Tommy Coyote]

The calorie difference in my Fromm food isn't that much. I think regular food is 407 cal. per cup and puppy chow was 417. I figured it would be a lot more than that. But I think they state that you can feed puppies their regular adult food, too.

[Maralynn]

I've never had a pup but the performance/adult all life stages foods I feed are in the 400-500 kcal/cup range.

[vanillalove]

Looks like we may be switching foods again.

 

Indie went from liking the Acana the first few meals to barely touching it. He's in healthy shape and everything but he doesn't seem to really like the Acana and he's not eating as much as we'd like/a tad thinner than I like (and I like my dogs thin!). We're going to try something else I think.

 

I hope I find something soon!

[GentleLake]

Looks like we may be switching foods again.

 

Indie went from liking the Acana the first few meals to barely touching it. He's in healthy shape and everything but he doesn't seem to really like the Acana and he's not eating as much as we'd like/a tad thinner than I like (and I like my dogs thin!). We're going to try something else I think.

 

I hope I find something soon!

 

Be careful . . . you could be on the way to creating a picky eater!

 

Unless one of them is sick or old, if my dogs don't eat what I give them, they don't eat.

[Sue R]

Be careful . . . you could be on the way to creating a picky eater!

 

This is so true.

[Liz P]

Agree with that. I would stop the switching. The dog is just learning to hold out a bit for different food.

[vanillalove]

Would you all suggest to keep other treats to a minimum then? And only treat with the Acana kibble? We try to do this anyways but for high distraction environments like puppy class, walks, etc, we have been using higher value treats (plain chicken breast).

 

I absolutely do NOT want to create a picky eater. I guess it's time for some tough love with the little guy and put up the food if he isn't eating at the designated meal times. My concern is that he isn't eating enough to support growth (at almost 12 weeks old) He's gained a pound a week on average which I am told is good growth for under 12 weeks but don't want to compromise his growth at all. Is this something to be concerned with?

 

Thanks everyone.

[GentleLake]

I'd keep using the high value treats in situations that warrant it. It's just that you don't want to keep switching his regular food because he's turning his nose up at it.

 

That said, I believe it's common advice these days to switch protein sources rather than feeding the same thing for the dog's entire life. But that's not what we're talking about here.

[Gideon's girl]

Gideon was a picky puppy, only eating once every 3 meals, and skinny to the point of being sickly. I have always used tough love in the past, but it wasn't working on him. When he was 8 months old, I first read about feeding a rotational diet and I decided that I would try it because my JRT had always had a ridiculously sensitive stomach, and that was one of the things that feeding a rotational diet was supposed to help with. Gideon started eating better and has never shown any signs of his former picky self since. In the last year and a half, he has never missed a meal, no matter what I have fed him. And my JRT no longer has a sensitive stomach.

[vanillalove]

Gideon was a picky puppy, only eating once every 3 meals, and skinny to the point of being sickly. I have always used tough love in the past, but it wasn't working on him. When he was 8 months old, I first read about feeding a rotational diet and I decided that I would try it because my JRT had always had a ridiculously sensitive stomach, and that was one of the things that feeding a rotational diet was supposed to help with. Gideon started eating better and has never shown any signs of his former picky self since. In the last year and a half, he has never missed a meal, no matter what I have fed him. And my JRT no longer has a sensitive stomach.

 

Interesting! I have heard opinions on both tactics - tough love vs. rotation. I guess I will see if tough love pans out for him. I would prefer for him to know that if "I feed it, you eat it". If he continues to drop weight, maybe we'll switch once this bag is through.

 

I know a dog will never starve themselves to death but it worries me that he's a growing puppy and he may not be getting all the nutrients he needs. He's likely just being a brat - he has no problem eating his meals when we train inside with kibble. We fed him all of his dinner last night while shaping behaviours for fun.