all life stage foods... split from raw for puppies

ORIGINAL: janet_rose

Super premiums are NOT adult food for puppies... its puppy food for adults.

Misskiwi67, I have read this sentence several times and I still don't understand it.  Would you please explain?

Practical Nutritional and Dietary Recommendations: Minimizing Clinical Aspects of Orthopedic Diseases

Rebecca L. Remillard, PhD, DVM
Diplomate American College of Veterinary Nutrition
Veterinary Nutritionist
Angell Memorial Animal Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts
Used here with permission from Dr. Rebecca Remillard, author An excessive intake of energy, protein, and calcium by growing dogs is incompatible with optimal skeletal development.1 Excessive energy intake, in any portion of fat, carbohydrate, and/or protein, does not directly cause skeletal disease; rather, excess gross energy fosters a rapid growth rate, which contributes to skeletal disease.2,3 Dietary protein, as a source of nitrogen and essential amino acids for bodily protein synthesis, does not cause skeletal disease. Amino acids consumed in excess of bodily requirements for protein synthesis are deaminated and the carbon structures are burned or stored for energy. Protein intakes above requirements do not directly cause skeletal disease but rather provide additional energy for a rapid growth rate, which contributes to skeletal disease.4 Excessive total calcium intake is recognized as a major contributor to skeletal disease, whereas the ratio of calcium to phosphorus appears to be less important. At this time, only these three nutrients are to be considered in the pathogenesis of skeletal diseases in growing dogs. In light of this information, what recommendations and guidelines can we give to owners for feeding large and giant breed pups to minimize the dietary effects on skeletal diseases? Our recommendations should address nutrient levels of energy, protein, and calcium and methods of feeding.

NUTRITIONAL MANAGEMENT Complete and Balanced Products Most of the pet owners in the United States already feed their dogs a commercially produced food that is determined to be "complete and balanced" for some or all stages of the dog's life. The word "balanced" does not take into consideration all the information currently known on overnutrition and skeletal diseases. Until recently, foods were labeled "complete and balanced" if the product met or exceeded the minimum dietary nutrient concentrations for the dog set by the National Research Council (NRC).7 Given that overnutrition contributes to skeletal diseases, these NRC guidelines were not helpful in that regard. Currently, the required nutritional guidelines for "complete and balanced" are established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Canine Nutrient Expert Subcommittee.8 These newer AAFCO nutrient recommendations include a maximum concentration for 12 nutrients including calcium and phosphorus but not energy, fat, or protein (Table 1). The AAFCO recommendation for calcium (1% to 2.5%) is well within a range that should not contribute to skeletal diseases as demonstrated in the Great Dane studies.3,6 Caloric density is assumed to be 3.5 kcal metabolizable energy (ME)/g dry matter for both puppy and adult formulas, and nutrient adjustments are required when 4.0 kcal/g is exceeded. Only minimal requirements for fat (the major source of energy) and protein are listed. Most puppy and some adult dog foods exceed these AAFCO energy, fat, and protein recommendations. Therefore, recommending pet food products that are judged by AAFCO to be "complete and balanced" to owners of large and giant breed puppies may only prevent the excessive intake of calcium

Guaranteed Analysis and Feeding Guidelines The pet food label is only required to report minimal crude protein and crude fat. Minimum crude protein and fat data on the label should not be taken as the actual protein or fat content of the product. The calcium content and caloric density of a pet food product are not required label information. Often, a phone number is given on the label and may be called to obtain specific data such as actual protein, fat, calcium, and caloric density. Product feeding guidelines are required on the label but should only be used as a starting point, many guidelines overestimate the amount of food required by a pet. Therefore, feeding according to the label instructions or guaranteed analysis table does not preclude excessive energy, protein, or calcium intake.

TABLE 1 AAFCO Nutrient Growth
Profiles of Dog Foods a   [align=center]% on DM Basis Nutrient Minimum Maximum Protein 22 None Fat 8 None Calcium 1.0 2.5 a Based upon an energy density of 3.5 kcal/g dry matter.

Feeding Maintenance Foods There are nutritional problems with feeding a maintenance food to growing puppies. Some adult maintenance formulas contain nutrients that also exceed growing puppies' requirements when expressed as either a percentage or in absolute amounts (Table 2). The majority of dogs eat at least enough food to meet a certain caloric minimum. All other nutrients in the food must be balanced to the caloric density so that when the pet stops eating, the other 35+ nutrient requirements have been met. As shown in Table 2, all nutrients in both puppy and adult products exceed the AAFCO growth minimums on a percent basis, whereas quantities of all nutrients per 1000 kcal of ME are greater in the adult formula than in the puppy formula. In other words, if a 15 lb puppy ate enough food to meet a caloric requirement of 1000 kcal, it would consume more protein, fat, calcium, and fiber when fed the adult food versus the puppy food. If the fiber content is sufficiently higher in the maintenance formula, the pup may reach physical fullness before consuming enough food to meet some of its other nutritional requirements. Increased fiber content also decreases diet total digestibility, decreasing overall nutrient availability to the puppy. Therefore, recommending that owners of large and giant breeds feed the adult formula rather than a comparable growth product before a puppy reaches 80% of its mature size does not ensure a significant decreased consumption of nutrients that contribute to skeletal diseases.

TABLE2
Puppy and Adult Dry Formulas a Compared to AAFCO Growth Profiles   As Fed Basis Nutrient AAFCO Minimum/
Maximum Puppy Adult Percentage Basis       Energy (kcal/g) b 3.2/None 5.0 4.3 Protein (%) 22/None 28 c 26 c Fat (%) 8/None 17 c 16 c Calcium (%) 1.0/2.5 1.52 1.48 Fiber (%) None 4 d 4 d   Caloric Basis       Protein (g/1000 kcal ME) 63/None 56 60 Fat (g/1000 kcal ME) 23/None 34 37 Calcium (g/1000 kcal ME) 2.9/7.1 3.03 3.42 Fiber (g/1000 kcal ME) None 8 9   a  Nutro Maxpuppy and Max (Nutro Products, Inc.).
b  Energy values are calculated estimates.
c  Minimum.
d  Maximum.

AAFCO Feeding Protocols There is an AAFCO feeding protocol for proving a growth claim on a product. In this protocol weaned puppies (6 to 8 weeks old of any breed) are fed only the test food product ad libitum for 10 weeks. The puppies are often 4.5 months old when the test is completed. Neither radiography nor palpation of joints is required in the protocol. Canine hip dysplasia, the most frequently encountered orthopedic disease in veterinary practice, appears in the growing dog between 3 to 8 months of age. Therefore, recommending owners of large and giant breeds feed only a product that has an AAFCO feeding trial approval for growth cannot preclude the development of skeletal diseases because the feeding trial is not designed to detect products that may contribute to orthopedic diseases. Given the lack of a generally acceptable benchmark, I presently use all available information in selecting a particular pet food product. To owners of large and giant breeds, I recommend products that:

• Successfully passed the AAFCO growth feeding trials
  
• Contain nutrients within the current AAFCO minimums and maximums
  
• Contain protein levels between 20% and 22% as fed dry and 6% to 8% as fed canned
  
• Contain fat levels between 8% to 10% as fed dry and 2% to 4% as fed canned
  
• Contain fiber levels below 3% as fed dry and 1 % as fed canned

The protein content is the most variable factor. The minimum protein required is dependent upon protein digestibility, amino acid profile (quantity and ratio), and bioavailability. As protein digestibility increases and the amino acid profile in the food more closely matches the pet's requirement, less total protein is required in the diet. For example, the protein content of an ultra-low protein product (Prescription Diet® Canine u/d ®-Hill's Pet Products) is 10% on a dry matter basis. but, because the protein source (egg, whey, meat) is nearly 100% digestible and has an amino acid profile very similar to canine requirements, this product can be fed to adult dogs for life. When protein levels of 13%, 21%, and 30% (as fed basis) were fed to growing Great Dane pups, there was no significant effect on skeletal development. Further examination of the diet revealed that the food contained 10% fat, 3% fiber, 1.0% calcium, and 3.6 kcal ME/g dry matter on an as fed basis. There were no significant differences among protein groups in final weight, height, or degree of skeletal disease. The low protein group did have low normal albumin levels throughout the trial, which indicates that 13% protein was the lowest limit when using those particular protein sources (bloodmeal, casein, soybean). The excess protein in the 30% group was probably catabolized to energy but apparently added insignificantly to the relatively low energy diet.4 To my knowledge, no commercial puppy food meets the above criteria. There are products available that meet the criteria, including successful completion of an AAFCO growth feeding trial, but they are marketed as adult maintenance or even inactive adult dog foods. A manufacturer may test a food according to the growth feeding protocol but market the product as suitable for adult dog maintenance. This is appropriate because if a product supports growing puppies, it will meet the minimum requirements for maintenance as well. All the information needed for the above five criteria may or may not be available on the package but should be available through informational phone numbers or technical sheets. I suggest feeding large and giant breed puppies a product marketed for growth until 4 to 5 months of age and then changing to a product that meets the five criteria discussed above.

METHODS OF FEEDING In addition to suggesting nutrient guidelines, recommendations on feeding management of puppies that supports growth but limits intake excesses should be made. There have been several studies in which large or giant breed puppies were fed the same diet but at two different intakes. Hedhammer and coworkers9 reported Great Dane puppies fed ad libitum had markedly more skeletal pathology than paired littermates fed the same diet at a restricted intake of 67% ad libitum. Lavelle2 also fed paired Great Dane littermates a diet at two levels of intake, ad libitum versus 60% ad libitum, but reported only more advanced skeletal development in the group fed ad libitum and no difference in long bone length at 30 weeks of age. More recently, Kealy and colleagues10 reported feeding the same diet either ad libitum or 75% ad libitum to Labrador retrievers beginning at 8 weeks of age and continuing until the animals were 2 years old; those fed the restricted intake had less femoral head subluxation and less degenerative joint disease. In another study, beagles and Labrador retriever puppies were fed either ad libitum or 80% ad libitum for 1 year.11 Dogs of both breeds fed ad libitum weighed 22% to 25% more than the dogs on restricted diets because of increased body fat. There was no difference in body length, height, bone size, or muscle mass between feeding protocol groups within each breed. Clearly, feeding breeds prone to orthopedic diseases ad libitum is conducive to the development of skeletal diseases, although the details of the mechanism are still not known. Additionally, feeding large and small breeds ad libitum during growth contributes to obesity later in life. There are three methods described for feeding puppies: free choice, amount restricted, and time-restricted feeding. Free choice feeding is easiest but not appropriate in the prevention of orthopedic diseases and obesity. Amount restricted feeding requires recalculation of food quantity as the dog grows. Recommending that an owner feed 60% to 75% of ad libitum intake is not a useful concept, particularly for new pet owners. Time-restricted feeding may be the most practical; however, the appropriate amount of time is seemingly different among puppies. Some puppies consume too much food in 5 minutes, whereas others can have access to food for 30 minutes without overeating. Labrador retriever puppies, ranging in age from 8 to 34 weeks, fed two 30 minute meals a day are reported to have consumed 15% less than paired littermates fed ad libitum,12 but final body weights were only slightly less in the time-restricted feeding group (28.3 kg versus 27.2 kg). One other useful piece of information is that growing dogs consume between 2.1% and 5% of their body weight in food dry matter when offered a palatable diet free choice.13 There are no published growth curves for a variety of canine breeds such that an individual dog's growth could be compared with the breed average. This information may be available for certain breeds from large pet nutrition centers and may be useful to practicing veterinarians if compiled and published.

FEEDING GUIDELINES FOR PUPPIES I presently recommend the following feeding guidelines to owners of large and giant breed puppies: Products

• Products marketed for growth-Offer three times a day for puppies aged 2 to 6 months.
  
• A product that meets the previously stated five criteria (which may be marketed as an adult formula)-Offer two times a day until the dog reaches 80% of its mature body size.
  
• A product marketed for adult dogs with a caloric and fiber content that maintains optimal body weight for the individual dog-Offer two times a day for life.

Methods

• Feed a puppy unlimited amounts of food for a limited time period. At mealtime, offer a large bowl of food for 5 minutes; after the time has expired, remove all food and do not offer any other foods until the next meal time.
  
• If the puppy appears to be overeating in the 5 minute period and is gaining weight rapidly, reduce the feeding period by half until the weight gain is reduced.
  
• If the puppy is not getting enough food in the 5 minute period (evidenced by no weight gain), increase the time in increments of 5 minutes until weight gain begins. Do not use appetite or appearance of hunger as the only guideline by which to justify increasing the time.

Supplements, Treats, Snacks, and Table Foods

• Strongly discourage the owner from feeding supplements, treats, snacks, and table foods. These feeding practices lead to malnourished, obese, begging, and finicky pets. Particularly important is the elimination of calcium and vitamin D supplements; vitamin C supplementation is apparently harmless.

Food Type

• Dry food formulas are preferable for large and giant breed dogs because these are usually more economical, more convenient to feed, and less palatable than canned foods.

Water

• Always have clean water available.

The canine species has a tremendously wide degree of variability in body weight and height. The species ranges from the Chihuahua (2 to 6 lb and 5 to 11 inches at the shoulder) to the mastiff (170 to 195 lb and 26 to 31 inches at the shoulder)--a 30-fold metabolic difference. We currently feed dogs according to the life stages of growth, maintenance, and reproduction, but it is inappropriate to design one feeding system or to recommend one food product or nutrient profile for all breeds within even one life stage. Therefore, frequent (monthly) reevaluation of the dog's growth rate is essential.