Iams Smart Puppy Large Breed

[mcclinj]

My breeder feeds the pups Iams Smart Puppy Large Breed, Which according to the website is 26/14. Id like to switch over to something like diamond or PPP or the Exceed brand, is this something I should do immediately, or is the Iam's feed sufficient to start on?

[MikeB]

Iams is an excellent food and at 26/14 it will grow your pup slowly. Depending on price many Costco's or Sams Club carry that food for less than most pet stores. You could certainly change to Diamond Naturals Adult Chicken rice formula 26/16 or CAIDAE All Life Stage 24/14. PPP will certainly cost you more money.

[mcbosco]

My breeder feeds the pups Iams Smart Puppy Large Breed, Which according to the website is 26/14. Id like to switch over to something like diamond or PPP or the Exceed brand, is this something I should do immediately, or is the Iam's feed sufficient to start on?

What breed is it? Where do you live? I can think of only one breed, maybe two, in the sporting group that is considered a large breed.

[Brittguy]

I feed Eukanuba puppy.They offer small, med. and large breed. Med. is often hard to obtain . I called Iams and they said to feed large breed when med. is not available.Small breed is formulated for fast maturing breeds as found in toy breeds.

[mcclinj]

The pup will be a female GSP. We live in western PA.

[mcbosco]

GSP is a medium breed, some are on the small side of medium. The pet food industry has created an enormous amount of paranoia about puppies growing too fast or the wrong way due to caloric intake or high calcium. I guess in order to create sales growth you have to find yet another formula to fill the "cradle to grave" business model. The link to high calcium, 3%, negatively effecting bone growth in large and giants breeds is logical and backed up by science, but the theory that calories trump genetics in growth rates is a stretch in opinion. I have never seen this in puppies but like everyone else I have seen fat puppies.

I would feed a high quality food even up to a 30/20 and keep the pup in good weight. The pup should eat as much as he or she wants 3 times a day until you notice the first signs of being full, like a long pause, a yawn, a stretch, licking the lips, etc. A pup will always stay in good weight on this method.

Since you are in PA you can probably get one of the Annamaet formulas. These are very good feeds and are a good value when you calculate the actual cost to feed. Cleanup is a breeze. I would use Ultra for a GSP due to size and activity level. That formula has been on the market for 26 years.

[ezzy333]

The pet food industry has created an enormous amount of paranoia about puppies growing too fast or the wrong way due to caloric intake or high calcium.

I would feed a high quality food even up to a 30/20 and keep the pup in good weight. The pup should eat as much as he or she wants 3 times a day until you notice the first signs of being full, like a long pause, a yawn, a stretch, licking the lips, etc. A pup will always stay in good weight on this method.

If I read this right the industry doesn't know what they are talking about but a New York stock broker on the internet is an authority that we should all believe.

Makes sense to me!!!!!!!!

Ezzy

[mcbosco]

LOL Ezzy you make me laugh, but I have to respect your faith. Apart from a few regional pet food companies I don't trust any of them. Would you trust this company?

http://products.royalcanin.us/products.aspx?Animal=Dog

You will find no real evidence that puppies will grow faster on any food. Breed type and genetics dictate that. If it were true pups wouldn't get fat or get the runs when they are overfed, they would just use all that food and grow and grow and grow like Clifford.

Even when it comes to calcium, the few studies used calcium levels of 3.3%. There isn't one commercial food that is even close to that and to this day the experts have only been able to come up with a minimum level of calcium, not a maximum.

This is the kind of nonsense that makes money for the industry.

Feed your puppy until it is just full three times a day. Take the bowl away at that point. The pup will stay in shape and learn that when it is full it is time to stop eating. Restricting or measuring out food to a growing animal is nonsense but you have to watch its weight.

And by the way I am not a stock broker.

[mcclinj]

I guess what I was asking is; is the 24/16 an acceptable food for our new puppy, or should we switch to something more like 30/20 or 30/22 ASAP. I'm not gonna argue with a breeders decision of food. They've been raising GSP's for 30 years.

[ezzy333]

And by the way I am not a stock broker.

I'm sorry. Keep studying and you will mke it some day.

Ezzy

[jlp8cornell]

is the 24/16 an acceptable food for our new puppy,

I fed a 28/17 (Wellness Puppy) until Max was 6m and then switched to an adult food. No issues. Unless you fed a grain free from 2m. old, most likely you will have no issues. The feeds you suggested are fine. Have fun with your pup!

[MikeB]

So if your not going to argue with your breeder and their 30 years of experience then why would you question their food choice. Any high quality adult food above 24/14 will work well for growing your pup.

[mcbosco]

So if your not going to argue with your breeder and their 30 years of experience then why would you question their food choice. Any high quality adult food above 24/14 will work well for growing your pup.

I am partial to the 30/20 type foods. You get more for your money. More protein and more fat means less carbohydrate. These are also rated "all life stages".

[mcclinj]

I suppose your right Mike,

It just seems after reading these forums, that a majority of people have their dogs on a "higher grade" of food than what my breeder is feeding her litter of pups. I assumed this was a cost / benefit analysis thing for her. But after reading here, it seems people think that the Iams Smart Puppy (other than a few breed size disagreements) isn't a bad food to start off on. I was just concerned I'd need to transition to a higher quality food sooner than maybe I'll have to.

[mcbosco]

I suppose your right Mike,

It just seems after reading these forums, that a majority of people have their dogs on a "higher grade" of food than what my breeder is feeding her litter of pups. I assumed this was a cost / benefit analysis thing for her. But after reading here, it seems people think that the Iams Smart Puppy (other than a few breed size disagreements) isn't a bad food to start off on. I was just concerned I'd need to transition to a higher quality food sooner than maybe I'll have to.

That is up to you. Gas is $3.25 a gallon where I live so it doesn't make sense to drive all over the place. The best deals on foods are from breeders and boarding kennels that are dealers for the smaller companies that IMO have better products. I can get certain foods 33% cheaper than typical retail from a local Husky breeder.