# Dog food



## JLP

My lab pup is 9 weeks old. He has lots of dandruff. The breaded told me to just feed him puppy chow. Should I be feeding him something else? Also I'm feeding him about a cup and a half. But he acts like he is starving. Should it be more then that? Thanks


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## BigMac

my lab had dandruff & I started giving her salmon omega treats & it helped a bunch.


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## Airborne

I think any quality puppy chow would probably work. I have used the Costco brand of puppy food and it is good quality. You need to follow the directions on the bag with the amount that you feed. Step on the bathroom scale with your pup and get a weight and then follow the instructions and graph on the bag for cups per pound of dog weight. Do this often as they are growing and change accordingly. Some dogs do well with some brands of dog food better than others, sometimes you need to switch things up to see what works for your dog. Look at how the dog fills out (skinny vs fat), look at the coat and if it looks healthy, look at the poops, if the dog has constant diarrhea then change up. For my adult dogs I have liked the Costco Kirkland chicken and rice as an off season food and the diamond extreme athlete food during hunting season. Good luck


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## Steve Shaver

JLP said:


> My lab pup is 9 weeks old. He has lots of dandruff. The breaded told me to just feed him puppy chow. Should I be feeding him something else? Also I'm feeding him about a cup and a half. But he acts like he is starving. Should it be more then that? Thanks


 Dude first of all feed the poor thing. a cup and a half aint even close to enough. At 9 weeks I'd feed him that much 3 times a day. Feed him a good quality food, there are tons of different opinions on what that is, but feed him!!!!!!!!!! Puppy Chow sucks.


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## Fowlmouth

Here's my opinion.
http://www.blackgolddogfood.com/best_puppy_dog_food_without_corn_gluten_free.htm


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## Steve Shaver

Fowlmouth said:


> Here's my opinion.
> http://www.blackgolddogfood.com/best_puppy_dog_food_without_corn_gluten_free.htm


 Havent looked at Black Gold for a long time but that doesn't look too bad except I'd rather see Chicken as the first ingredient rather than Chicken meal with chicken meal being 2nd or 3rd. Looked at the website and was really surprised. Blackgold used to be a little on the cheaper side but this stuff is pricey!!!!! I think you can do better for less. I have a client that feeds Ol Roy and the dog looks great but I wouldn't feed it to my dogs.


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## bamacpl

I feed mine the purine pro plan sport & it seems to be good


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## JLP

Ok I'll feed him more. And look for something better. Should I be feeding puppy food or does it make a difference? Thanks


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## rlpenn

Feed puppy food, or an "all life stage" food. Either will meet the nutritional needs of your puppy.

Good call noticing the dandruff. I'd upgrade to a meat based sporting dog puppy or all-life stage food, at the minimum, and feed several small meals of during the day. Until your pup is mature enough to chew the kibble, you should soften it by soaking it in water.

Meanwhile ask your veterinarian what to do about the dandruff.


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## Jrdnmoore3

I decided to try blue buffalo with mine he is 5 months now and has the best coat of any dog I have had and is by far the best food I have used really high protein I do 4 cups a day and he is growing like a weed. This is what I use http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-...wilderness-rocky-mountain-recipe-puppy-bison/


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## robiland

I feed my lab Science Diet. They have food for under 1 year, then 1-6 and then 6+. I feed my lab 4-6 cups a day. Depends on time of the year/hunting or off season. Hes 85 pounds and his coat looks great. Ive like Science diet so far.


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## Jedidiah

Adult dogs generally eat 2 servings a day, puppies eat three of the same size. Growing dogs eat more food, simple fact. Especially in the case of a lab, if you raise that dog undernourished it could easily grow up with hip displasia, in addition to joint and teeth problems.

Edit: It's more economical to feed food formulated for puppies to puppies because of the calorie content. Check the amounts you would feed the dog to meet the calorie requirement, then compare the volume you would need to feed of adult dog food to puppy food and you'll find that the puppy food is either the same or better in the long run.


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## Buckfinder

Try Hi Standard. They sell it at sportsmans warehouse and at harmons. It has a high fat and protein percentage.


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## APD

robiland said:


> I feed my lab Science Diet. They have food for under 1 year, then 1-6 and then 6+. I feed my lab 4-6 cups a day. Depends on time of the year/hunting or off season. Hes 85 pounds and his coat looks great. Ive like Science diet so far.


That is one food i could never bring myself to feed an animal.

as to the original post:

you may want to switch to an adult food or a quality all stages food. just read the bag and feed per instructions initially. then, read the dog and see what he/she needs. puppies need controlled calcium and phosphorus levels for a while. most quality all life stages will meet the requirements but if you're overfeeding then they'll get too much. just do the math on it. here's a basic explanation, as i can't find the link i normally use. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1659&aid=652

here are a couple review sites:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/

pick something you like and make sure it works well with the dog. don't switch abruptly. it should take one or two weeks to switch food. start by mixing a quarter or less of the new food in and mix a little more in each feeding until you're at 100%. good luck.


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## Mr Muleskinner

be careful overfeeding pups. Many studies have been done on bigger breeds to protect their joints and such. Dogs will reach the same size and health as an adult almost without fail regardless of the quantity of food. They can grow too fast though and at times it can create problems with their joints. They most often will recover but it can take some time. Owners of especially large breeds have learned that underfeeding for the first year is better than overfeeding by far. They need mostly nutrients and not excess calories.


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## Jedidiah

Reviewing Muleskinner's post has me wanting to revise what I said. Feeding a pup should be based on its weight, so my blanket statement that they eat three servings of the same size as an adult dog was off. On the subject of puppy food over adult dog food, I just don't think adult food gives them the calories they need to maintain healthy weight. Young animals eating adult food are always skinny.


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## rlpenn

Dog foods that are formulated for "all life stages" are essentially puppy foods. They are foods that meet the minimum requirements of the most demanding nutritional stages of a dog's life yet do not exceed recommended ranges of any life stage. Puppyhood, lactation and gestation are all more demanding than adulthood, and so the all-life-stages dog foods are nutrient rich to meet the demands of growth and lactation.

The kcal/cup contained in a standard 30/20 sporting dog all-life-stages dog food are typically higher than the puppy food sold under the same brand name---the puppy foods are lower in fat and therefore lower in kcal/cup of food. The composition of vitamins and minerals is similar. In my comparison of labels, the 30/20 meat based sporting dog foods are better quality foods than the same brand's puppy food---they contain more protein, more fat and superior ingredients.

Not all adult dog foods are all-life-stage foods, and they may not be suitable for puppies. Read the labels.


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## Wasatch

I agree with what many have already posted. In fact I also work for a company that customizes food for dogs, based on age, weight, breed, issues, etc. It's holistic, all natural, without any corn, wheat, soy or other bi-products, and real meat is always the first ingredient. Best of all it ships right to your door. Without a doubt good health starts with what you feed your dog. I'd love to talk with you more if you're interested. PM, text or call me ...Matt-801-230-5406


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## hondodawg

My dog isn't really a sporting dog but a large breed. St Bernard. We to noticed her coat wasn't healthy looking and was loosing weight. A trip to the vet said it all. "What are you feeding her?" We switched to a premium brand with the highest protein. Supplemented with salmon fish oil. Took about a month for things to be noticed. Now if we can help her allergies...


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## Packfish

I tried a bag of Blue Buffalo a few years ago. My dogs did not adjust well to it and I had my doubts about it. It sure look likes they were pulling the wool over the eyes of the consumers and blatantly misleading consumers about the ingredients. Possibly knowingly selling defective dog food when the other companies where having recalls and advertising that they were no part of this. There are some good solid dog foods out there that have been time and lab tested that my dogs will continue to get

http://www.poisonedpets.com/blue-buffal ... consumers/
http://gundogforum.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=13613


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## Catherder

I rarely comment on threads over here, but a few comments on this particular thread may be of some value to someone. (or not) Why? I'm a vet. (22 years and counting) 

A main perspective I have as a vet is to prevent illness. With that in mind, there has been a development in puppy food that has eliminated dog disease and suffering like few things have in our field. When I first started practice, the most common orthopedic disease that we would see in large and giant breeds was a condition called hip dysplasia. Basically the simplified version of what happens in hip dysplasia, is the hip joint fails to properly develop a deep enough cup and the the hip joint is unstable, resulting in the rapid development of arthritis. In severe cases, arthritis can develop rapidly in very young dogs, with crippling results. There are very expensive surgeries that sometimes help some, but the dogs never are truly normal. The problem in at risk breeds was huge. Pre-breeding screening of breeding dogs with hip x-rays has helped some, but another development has been the real Game changer in reducing hip dysplasia incidence, and that is dietary.

The introduction of "*Large Breed puppy*" formula foods has resulted an enormous reduction in how many cases of hip dysplasia that I and my colleagues see. Multiple manufacturers make large breed puppy food and as far as I can tell, they all seem to be helpful. What large breed puppy foods do is actually have a reduced amount of certain nutrients compared to other puppy foods or "all life stages" food. While I do have definite food brand preferences, what I tell clients is that the thing I care about most is that they feed *some* brand of large breed puppy food.

The widespread use of large breed puppy food has caused hip dysplasia diagnoses to go from about 2-3 a month to 2-3 a *year*! It has really been a welcome development.

What is an "at-risk" breed? Our waterfowling breeds like Labradors, Chessies, and Goldens definitely qualify. I've seen some dysplasia in some of the breeds popular for upland game too. If the adult weight is likely over about 50-60 lbs, I would recommend large breed puppy food. Our working breeds like German Sheps and the giant breeds are also at very high risk.

One last thing.

rlpenn wrote
"Dog foods that are formulated for "all life stages" are essentially puppy foods. They are foods that meet the minimum requirements of the most demanding nutritional stages of a dog's life yet do not exceed recommended ranges of any life stage. Puppyhood, lactation and gestation are all more demanding than adulthood, and so the all-life-stages dog foods are nutrient rich to meet the demands of growth and lactation."

The above is correct. Two implications of this are worth noting.

1. Some feed "all life stages" to pups. While this may be fine for a non "at risk" breed pup, IMO, it is *not* protective or suitable for large breed pups. It is too calorically or nutritionally dense.

2. "All life stages" foods, since they are basically a puppy food, tend to be moderately to extremely fattening to *adult * dogs, especially if they have been spayed or neutered. If your Labrador is starting to look more like a walrus than a dog, this could be a major reason why.


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## Packfish

While I agree with the above- though it doesn't matter whether I do or not- Would you not think exercise is the other key factor to all of this not matter what the food.
If your lab is a Walrus it's more because of laying around than the food . Even my wifes Shih-Tzu goes on the same hikes my upland dogs do. Her diet is controlled equally as tight as the other two but without the hikes she would certainly be a small tootsie roll.


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## Catherder

Packfish said:


> While I agree with the above- though it doesn't matter whether I do or not- Would you not think exercise is the other key factor to all of this not matter what the food.


In theory, certainly. However , as a practical matter, it is a very rare occurrence for a client to accomplish weight loss from exercise alone. Very few clients have the time to actually give their obese dog enough exercise to cause weight loss. Even if they made a decent effort, their exertions are almost always sabotaged by overly fattening food and treats. If you personally were trying to lose weight, and hit the gym diligently, yet afterwards stopped at the buffet, then knocked back a six pack of beer every night, how effectively would you lose weight?

I've had this conversation a thousand times and the percentage of clients that can truly get their dogs to lose weight by exercise alone, without a concomitant change in their diet is probably about 5% or so, maybe less.


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## Packfish

Hey- U following me around after work ??????? 
Yes- as with any athlete and my dogs are athletes- proper diet and keep the treats to an absolute minimum are they key- 
With the low snow levels this year my cross country skiing and exercise suffered- no exercise and work holiday treats made my waist line look like fat fat the water rat. I looked at my dogs and said feed yourself like U do them and start picking up the pace yourself when you run them---- 18# later I feel better.


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## bamacpl

What's yalls opinion on feeding dog wild game(deer/elk) every now & then? As far as helping hurting the dog is concerned....


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## Dunkem

bamacpl said:


> What's yalls opinion on feeding dog wild game(deer/elk) every now & then? As far as helping hurting the dog is concerned....


People are buying raw chicken beef hearts,liver,spleen,etc since this :raw:diet thing has started for their dogs.Wild game is ok alsne thing to avoid is fresh salmon as it has something in it that will make them sick(parasite?)Freeze the salmon first for a while ,3 weeks Google raw game for dogs and there is a lot of info there.


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## bamacpl

Good info thanks!!


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## Packfish

If I lived a life style that was conductive to that type of feeding I might- but I feel pretty good at what my dogs get with the dry I feed and do -not really see where doing it here and there is a benefit or a detriment . Feed em- work em- hunt em- love em


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## 30-06-hunter

We feed our dogs the premium Iams food plus a fish oil capsule every day to fight off dry skin and it works.


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