Medium breed puppy or large breed puppy food?

I'm not familiar with either choice but I don't think feeding a "puppy" formula is absolutely necessary.  Neither of my GSDs ever got puppy food (both weaned to NV Prairie) and they are a medium-large breed.  To me it seems most of the puppy formulas are just to rope people into thinking the food is awesome.  Many people start feeding their pups raw diets when they get them at 8 weeks. 

 then maybe I should get the EP: chicken meal one..

  Ingredients:  Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Ground White Rice, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Pork Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon Meals, Flaxseed, Dried Egg Product, Tomato Pomace, Menhaden Fish Oil, Carrots, Peas, Sun-Cured Alfalfa, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Quinoa (Organic), Blueberries, Apples, Inulin, Beta-Carotene, Cranberries, Dehydrated Kelp, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Yucca Schidigera Extract, DL-Methionine, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, d-Pantothenic Acid, Niacin Supplement, Choline Chloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, Inositol, Polysaccharide Complexes of Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Copper and Cobalt, Potassium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Lactobacillus acidophilus Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus faecium, B. subtillus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus coagulins, Aspergillus oryzae, and Aspergillus niger.

• Ideal for all adult dogs and small and medium breed puppies.

• Prebiotics, Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes eases transition from mother's milk to kibble, aids nutrient absorption, eliminates diarrhea.

• SQM® Enhanced Vitamin-Mineral System.

• Protein and fat levels are ideal for normally active adults.

• Received rave review from "Good Dog" magazine.  Our holistic formulas have been listed in the Top 10 of "The Whole Dog Journal" for six years.

The pet food industry defines large breed as any pup who will be over 50 lbs as an adult.  You need to keep that in mind when you are choosing.

If you are feeding a food designed specifically for all life stages, then, no, you dont' absolutely have to feed a puppy food, but you do need to get the conversion chart from the company so that you know the correct amounts to feed.  When I was still feeding Innova, they sent me a chart so I knew the correct amounts to feed the pups.

Some of the super premiums have gotten so pricey that yes, it's dificult to feed them  Blue is still in the low 40's, and if you watch for the sales at Petsmart, right now it's $5 off a large bag so the large breed is selling for 37.99.  Typically, if you have a Tractor Supply around, you'll find that they are cheaper on all lines than Petsmart when they don't have the pet perks sales.

I guess the best suggestion I could offer is to compare ingredients, price shop, and look at the differences in puppy and adult food before you make a decision.

Eaglepack is a very reputable company that has actually done long-term feeding studies with their large-breed puppy formulas. Far superior to Bil-jac in general. I would consider a siberian husky a large breed and would avoid any kind of puppy food that was not labeled as "large breed" puppy food.

TysonSS

And how good is Eagle Pack?

Eagle Pack is a good food all-around and is specifically good for large to giant breeds. The Great Dane Lady, Linda Arndt, was part of a long-term, extensive feeding trial and study involving Great Danes. She offered the study prospectus to a number of companies and Eagle Pack was the one to man-up and respond. The dogs did better than just survive. They did quite well. Anyway, a significant factor in large breed feed and medium is the amount of calcium. In Great Danes, calcium overdose was found to interfere with the parathryroid, causing skeletal problems. And controlling weight gain in puppies was important to keep their growing skeletons from getting too much of a strain.

If your dog is purebred Siberian or close enough to it, He may not get over 24 inches to the shoulder and not more than 50 to 55 lbs. Most foods consider a dog over 50 lbs in adulthood to be large breed, even though the Siberian is listed as a medium breed. Siberian Husky bones are less dense than other breeds, such as Great Dane or Lab. It is this lesser bone density that also contributes to the limit of weight. So the breed dictates the limit of bone growth. You should be able to feed Eagle Pack to your Siberian just fine without problems. Actually, there is already precedence in successfully feeding this brand to Siberians.  Eagle Pack has a working dog formula (high protein, high fat) called Power. A dog sled team that won the Iditarod fed Power and seal meat.

As to what to feed, I would suggest the Lamb formula, which is high in linoleic acid, a necessity for this breed. My dog is a mix of Sibe and Lab and I have treated him as large breed for a number of reasons. He is 65 lbs. over standard for sibe and average to under for Lab. He is 26 inches tall to the shoulder, a few inches over AKC standard for either breed. Labs are prone to Hip Dysplasia. He has never shown signs and he is a little over 5 years old, now. His bones are less dense than a Labs and are closer to that of a Sibe. So, having his weight stabilize was a good thing. One thing I like about the Eagle Pack is that it is maintaining his weight and cut better, I think, than the Nutro Senior I tried him on and the regular Nutro Lamb that I had him on before.

Sibes should be a little lean. Stick your hands down in fur and you should be able to make out ribs, slightly padded. You should have a narrow waist just before the rear legs. Here's Shadow, stylin' and profilin'.

Shadow will actually look a little leaner than this after spring, when he blows his undercoat.

Another thing about Sibe metabolism. It is unique, compared to most other breeds. Sibes often regulate their own intake, as opposed to Labs that will clean the bowl. Shadow often leaves some food in the bowl. He will only eat about 1.5 cups at a time and only in my presence. Anyway, the Sibe metabolism is designed to get every bit of energy out of a small amount of food. So, simple foods are best. Historically, the breed ate fish and seal and some rice, sometimes some reindeer. So, don't be surprised, especially as he becomes an adult, that he may not eat an entire serving. And his appetite may go down in summer. The kcal's and feeding guidelines of Eagle Pack food is so darn close to what Shadow needs that I don't have to adjust it.

A little word of advice, as I once was where you are now. Don't feed him a working dog formula, even Power, unless you are going to work him, i.e., pulling a sled or cart at 20 mph for a few hours a day, if not more. With this breed, and some others, over-feeding protein and fat can lead to weight gain. And appetite and metabolism are keyed in by exercise and exertion. If you just take regular walks and play, a regular food is just fine. But if you get into hard work, then you might consider a working dog formula. I specifically got this info from a vet who raises and races sled dogs and developed a food called Momentum just for that purpose. You can also, as I do, sometimes feed a few extra bits of meat, especially in training and not upset the apple cart, so to speak.

Very good point about the feeding trials.  I had forgotten about those.

Eagle Pack Holistic is an excellent food! I would feed the large breed puppy formula. Eagle Pack is one of the few companies these days that I would feel comfortable feeding my dog. Below is information about their quality control and where the food is manufactured:

http://www.eaglepack.com/Pages/EP_Testing-QC.html

oh thanks. i haven't checked this thread in awhile. I went out and bought a small pack of EP: chicken to feed because we were getting lowon BilJac and we needed to start transitioning him. I think I'll go out this weekend when I get back and buy him the EP: large and giant breed puppy. How long should I feed him the puppy brand before I move onto adult? And do I have to buy the specific EP that says Large & Giant Adult later on or could I buy him the lamb one like as ron2 suggested when he's old enough to switch off puppy?

 and i looked up tractor supply... not an option... i do have a car but its not worth the gas to get there from where i love in relation to where the closest  one is... lol

you could feed him any of the formulas when he matures- I'd suggest switching between the different "flavors". Stick with the large breed puppy until his growth plates close. Not sure when that happens with a 50 pound dog; 15 months is probably safe.

I've seen my large breeds hit a growth spurt at the age of two!  I think as long as you are using a large breed food, you can ditch the puppy at around 12-15 months.  After you are sure that she's done growing, then any of the flavors are fine.  I switch mine, within the brand, between large breed, fish and lamb, so that they aren't getting the same old thing every morning.

I just read this thread, it was very informative.  I have been concerned about my boys lately.  Some days they eat well, some days one or the other will just not eat.  I have especially  noticed it with Rocky, which by the way, looks just like your Shadow, Ron.   Neither one of the boys are food agressive, at all.   I feed them in separate bowls, but they usually share before the food is gone.  I feed in the morning and again in the evening.   They eat inside and usually Rocky will wait until Hot leaves the kitchen although not always and Hot has never growled or pushed Rocky away.  I only feed what they will eat in one meal, I dont allow them the option of coming back to their bowl.  My way of feeding our pets has changed alot over the years in part by all the good information I have received from this wonderful group.  I am going to Tractor Supply this afternoon and will definately check on EaglePack.   Ron, I have noticed Rocky's eating habits are similar to how you described Shadow's.  Hot is 2 - 21/2, Bernese Mtn Dog. Rocky is we think, a year toward the end of this month and was thought to be Newf/mix.  He appears to be more like Lab.  I have never had either type dog so dont know how to compare breed similarities.  I was trying to feed Rocky puppy food and Hot adult food, they started out on Diamond.  I finally started feeding them both the same food, a mix of both Large breed adult and puppy,  since they tend to share.   Hot is still very puppy acting even tho he is the older of the two.  Their coats are different and their personalities are different and their activity is very different.  I would love your suggestion on one that would be suitable for both boys.  I have also started suplementing  their food with chicken  broth, veggies, and chicken occasionally.  If we have a soup or stew I will often give them a spoon full with their meal. 

I have never seen EP at Tractor Supply and I think that they pretty much carry all the same products.  They do carry Diamond and Nutro, even the Ultra, but I've not seen EP.  If you do a search you can find the EP website and go from there with the store locator.

 A pet valu about 5 minutes away sells it so that's where i'm getting the EP. so 15 months is safe to swtich from puppy to adult then.

I'm not swearing to that.

When I fed Innova, I fed the all life stages and ddn't bother with puppy forumulas.  Now, I'd not be so quick to say it isn't needed, nor would I be in a major hurry to change to food from puppy to adult.  As I said, Shadow hit a growth spurt at TWO....well after I thought he was full grown.