High Protein Foods for Puppies?

It has looooong been the accepted wisdom to feed Border Collies no puppy food after about four months. This was before special foods for fast-growing dogs at high risk for joint problems. The vet told me Lynn was, when I got her in Feb of this year (almost a year ago, wow!), that she was about eight or nine months old and was done growing, pretty much. At the time she was about 18 pounds and about 15 inches tall. My faith in the ability of vets to judge these things was already a little uneasy. So it was no real surprise when Lynn added 40 more pounds and another 8 inches over the next few months. My feeling on seeing her was that her shelter owner turnin paperwork was right and that she was about three and a half months old. I saw some signs that she might be at risk for CHD, and indeed she's turned out to be two breeds at particular risk. So I'm glad I turned to Mordanna (Better Dog Care) for help with her nutrition. In a year I'll get her hips scanned and it will be interesting to see what has resulted.

The funny thing is that large breed puppy foods are a waste of money when you can just buy a regular adult food with acceptable nutrient values--they are essentially the same thing.  Ah I love the pet food industry and their marketing ploys.  

But, what difference does it make?  Unless, of course, the puppy formula is scads more money?

Pappillion806....agree with Glenmar, what difference does it make in reality?

 

Wow everyone take a deep breath....no need to get defensive!  I'm not personally criticizing anyone, just making general statements.

My main point is (and has always been) that knowing appropriate nutrient values necessary for your particular dog is most important--way more important than how something is labeled.   There are too many "large breed puppy" foods that actually have higher amounts of calcium than their "adult" counterparts (of the same brand), therefore in those cases it is more beneficial to feed the adult version---not to mention that half the time the LB lines are more $$ for no particular reason. 

Just shop smart and don't swear by the general "large breed puppy" labeling---it goes beyond that and I think that's important for people to remember.    

Ok...now I see what you're saying.

I'm not at all being defensive, I was just trying to figure out what your bottom line was, and I thought you were asking me or telling me specifically....me bad. No harm feelings.

Orijen and Innova, specifically these 2 companies actually do have less calcium in their large breed formulas...but I do agree that people need to shop smart, as not all large breed diets are beneficial.

Unfortunately, however, kibble is in no way formulated for each particular *breed* and it never will be, in a healthy manner. I know Royal Canin makes formula's supposedly suitable for certain breeds, but their ingredients are not at all healthy.

No, I wasn't being defensive either.  I raised a whole lot of gsd pups on Innova all life stages.  Unfortunately, most people DON'T know what their dogs or pups really need so I conceed that point....the label could be misleading.

I was just saying, if all things are equal, does it matter?  And, yeah, of course it does for people who are just buying by brand name or price.

Just shop smart and don't swear by the general "large breed puppy" labeling---it goes beyond that and I think that's important for people to remember. 

oh yeah, a lot of them should never be fed to large breed puppies despite the labeling.