Gun Dog Forum

How many of you use the specific puppy foods versus feeding a normal high quality food. Think Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy vs. Pro Plan Performance 30/20. If you feed puppy food how long?

I've always fed the "Puppy" formula for the first year and it's worked well for me. I'm sure you will get a variety of opinions on the subject.

Dakotazeb wrote:I've always fed the "Puppy" formula for the first year and it's worked well for me. I'm sure you will get a variety of opinions on the subject.

I have done both and have gotten much better results from not using puppy food at all. Pups get same food mom is eating.

Recently with this current pup I'll feed One 40lb bag of Diamond large breed puppy and after this bag is gone I'll switch her over to what I feed the adults. I want a slower growing and thinner puppy.

no puppy food here

Funny enough, many guys that do exceptionally well in the field trial game feed nothing but puppy food to all their dogs.

Frankly, the question isn't a question of puppy vs adult. It is which food is better, a or b, regardless of how it's being marketed.

Thanks for the replies. I usually do a bag or two then switched. But I've recently switched vets and he is a big proponent of feeding it for a full year.

AAA Gundogs wrote:Funny enough, many guys that do exceptionally well in the field trial game feed nothing but puppy food to all their dogs.

Frankly, the question isn't a question of puppy vs adult. It is which food is better, a or b, regardless of how it's being marketed.

There is nothing wrong with puppy food. I just don't like the results when fed for a period of time to a pup.

You pay a lot more for puppy food /kg and when I compared the ingredients with an adult sport brand( fat: protein) , I saw little difference.

Sharon wrote:You pay a lot more for puppy food /kg and when I compared the ingredients with an adult sport brand( fat: protein) , I saw little difference.

Their are some difference in minerals as well as carbs and vitamins but nothing major. What I don't like is too fast of growth and easy to over feed.I would prefer a good adult diet with some additives like milk and oil to soften the feed when they start eating and let them nibble and chew as they progress. I want to see the pups a little lean and my billfold fat.

LOL Me too.!

Most puppy formulas contain DHA for improved brain development. Not sure all the adult formulas contain DHA. Again, whether to feed puppy formulas or not and for how long appears to be a personal preference based on personal experience.

Mostly it is the size of the kibble

No sporting breed except for Spinone, Bracco and maybe a Chessie would be considered a "large" breed.

Just use a quality food with 30% protein. Smaller and Medium breed dogs don't have the same growth rate and growth range as the larger dogs I mentioned.

Dakotazeb wrote:Most puppy formulas contain DHA for improved brain development. Not sure all the adult formulas contain DHA. Again, whether to feed puppy formulas or not and for how long appears to be a personal preference based on personal experience.

Good point . One I use for puppies which has DHA - essential imo.

https://www.proplan.com/dogs/products/s ... 20-formula

How much of puppy feed is just marketing and how much is really beneficial?

I think that DHA which is normally only found in puppy food is essential. I did a Google read on DHA and it reminded me of just how valuable it it.

Sharon wrote:I think that DHA which is normally only found in puppy food is essential. I did a Google read on DHA and it reminded me of just how valuable it it.

''

It may be good but not essential or probably well over half of the dogs alive today would be dead.

A dog can be alive and still have sub-optimal brain development.

That goes for people too.

Bill

LOL This is true.
I didn't mean essential for life , I meant essential for optimum brain growth.


"DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) is natural omega-3 fatty acid essential in the development of the brain and nervous system in young mammals." quote

https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=ch ... A+for+dogs

Sharon wrote:LOL This is true.
I didn't mean essential for life , I meant essential for optimum brain growth.


"DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) is natural omega-3 fatty acid essential in the development of the brain and nervous system in young mammals." quote

https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=ch ... A+for+dogs

Eh, you know, some people get it, others don't. Who knows why?

Bill

Pro Pac Performance Puppy is cheaper than Pro Pac Performance. This is the only case I know of that the puppy is cheaper.

Big Dave wrote:Pro Pac Performance Puppy is cheaper than Pro Pac Performance. This is the only case I know of that the puppy is cheaper.

Purina Pro Plan puppy Chicken and rice is the same price as Purina Performance 30/20. My puppies do better on that than any other food I have tried. It is a bit lower in Protein,28/18 Which I like, 30 is a little to high.
Large breed is generally for dogs that will mature over 50 pounds so A good share of pointing breeds and most retrievers are in that range. Use good food and limit the amount and you will have healthy, happy puppies.......Cj

Big Dave wrote:Pro Pac Performance Puppy is cheaper than Pro Pac Performance. This is the only case I know of that the puppy is cheaper.

And I know a few midlands pros that feed it and are very happy with it.

All of my pups get the Orijen Puppy formula for the first 11 months. I then mix the Puppy with the Orijen Regional Red on month 12 and 13 and then switch to the Reg. Red for good.

Sharon wrote:

Dakotazeb wrote:Most puppy formulas contain DHA for improved brain development. ...........

So does a fish oil capsule. Not that I have any opinion on puppy food since I don't feed kibble. But a person could feed their favorite dog food and drop a fish oil capsule into the supper dish. All of my dogs like the fish oil capsules and there isn't any problem with feeding them.

I custom mix my kibble. I do use Both Pro Plan Puppy and Pro Plan 30/20 Sport as a base mix. Both are good foods and have used them for years. I feed puppy and Sport mixes to all my dogs regardless of age. When feeding my dogs I generally go by protein/fat and overall calories and how active my dogs are when trying to determine how often/what to feed.

My general feeding layout:

50% of my kibble is Either Eukanuba,Purina Pro Plan, or Mix of Both.
-Eukanuba- Puppy Lamb or Chicken
-Eukanuba- Adult Lamb or Chicken
-Eukanuba- Performance 30/20
-Pro Plan- Focus Puppy Lamb or Chicken
-Pro Plan 30/20 Sport

35% of my kibble is Random Quality Kibble (Meaning whatever is on sale at the time I purchase dog food. There are some brands I will not use regardless of price.)
15% is kibble high in calories. (These are foods that are higher then most performance foods and puppy kibbles. 500 + calories per cup.) *I use these as an additive to help keep a good overall healthy weight. Especially for over active dogs and/or fussy eaters. (Any dog that burns more calories than they take in.)
-Evo- Red Meat
-Royal Canin- Mini Special
-Canidae- Limited Ingredient Grain Free lamb Adult
-Bullymax 30/20
-Adirondack 30% Puppy/Dog Performance

That is my basic run down of how i feed my dogs/puppies. Every dog is different so feed what works for you and your dog for both health and cost. Hope this helped a bit and hope i did not stray to far from the topic.