Diet change for new puppy: suggestions please!

[Jlumie55]

Hi All,

New Dane owner here and am having a hard time getting my puppy to eat her food. She wasn’t eating the food her breeder was feeding her (Purina Pro puppy), I added things like chicken broth to help with flavor but didn’t do much. I transitioned her (albeit too fast, but she wasn’t eating) to the food I intended to have her on, Wellness Complete Health Large Breed Adult, but it seems she doesn’t like the taste. I again added things like pumpkin (stools were formed but pretty soft) and chicken broth and she still didn’t eat that well.

My other (non-Dane) dogs eat and love Purina One Smartblend kibble (they love it and they’re old so not gonna switch that! Lol). My Dane puppy tries to eat their food and after feeling defeated one night from her not eating, I fed her a little bit and she loved it.

That said, I’m just not comfortable feeding this food to her. The protein content (26%), fat (16%), calcium (1.0%) and phosphorus (0.8%) seem pretty okay to me, but I just don’t like all the corn, soy, low meat content, etc. that is added and am worried about her bloating in the future if kept on this.

Any suggestions on what I should try to feed? Something that is within the suggested guidelines that seems to taste good to dogs? I’m open to grain-free but kind of nervous with the FDA study that came out earlier this year (which, from what I’ve been reading, was released too early without the proper studies done). I don’t know, I’m at a loss and want to feed my girl the best food for her and one that she also enjoys eating. Any help would be appreciated!

[kahluadanes]

Purina ONE is a low quality food..you are right.. Dogs like it because there are flavor enhancers sprayed on them. Adding broth, etc isn't helping it actually can be making things worse.. Why the adult formula of the Wellness? A good quality puppy formula is perfectly fine. The calcium/phosphorous levels are what you need to watch and make sure is in the correct levels.. Protein especially if mainly from meat sources is not an issue.

[martycurt]

Rather than just a lg breed or just a puppy food, I’d go with a high quality Large Breed Puppy Food. If she’s not eating as much as you like don’t worry about it. Thin is in especially during their fast growing phase.

[kahluadanes]

Rather than just a lg breed or just a puppy food, I’d go with a high quality Large Breed Puppy Food. If she’s not eating as much as you like don’t worry about it. Thin is in especially during their fast growing phase.

Exactly

[Jlumie55]

Purina ONE is a low quality food..you are right.. Dogs like it because there are flavor enhancers sprayed on them. Adding broth, etc isn't helping it actually can be making things worse.. Why the adult formula of the Wellness? A good quality puppy formula is perfectly fine. The calcium/phosphorous levels are what you need to watch and make sure is in the correct levels.. Protein especially if mainly from meat sources is not an issue.

I went with the adult because the calcium and phosphorus levels were a bit lower than the puppy formula. I read somewhere the lower the better so that’s pretty much the sole reason.

Do you you have any suggestions on which food? I was looking at Chicken Soup for the Soul Large Breed Puppy or Diamond Naturals Large Breed puppy. Or do you think I should stick with Wellness and just get the puppy formula?

Thank you for your help!

[Jlumie55]

Rather than just a lg breed or just a puppy food, I’d go with a high quality Large Breed Puppy Food. If she’s not eating as much as you like don’t worry about it. Thin is in especially during their fast growing phase.

Thanks for your reply. I haven’t had a 9 week old puppy in a while. I’m able to see almost all her ribs, hips, spine. Is that normal for a young puppy like that? She weighed about 19 lbs at 8 weeks. She was only eating maybe one cup a day for me and breeder told me she was eating three cups with him, so that’s why I was worried.

[martycurt]

Thanks for your reply. I haven’t had a 9 week old puppy in a while. I’m able to see almost all her ribs, hips, spine. Is that normal for a young puppy like that? She weighed about 19 lbs at 8 weeks. She was only eating maybe one cup a day for me and breeder told me she was eating three cups with him, so that’s why I was worried.

Might be not eating due to the change in home and needs to get acclimated to you and family. In any event if you want to stay with the Wellness maybe try the Lg Breed Puppy.

[kahluadanes]

I went with the adult because the calcium and phosphorus levels were a bit lower than the puppy formula. I read somewhere the lower the better so that’s pretty much the sole reason.

Do you you have any suggestions on which food? I was looking at Chicken Soup for the Soul Large Breed Puppy or Diamond Naturals Large Breed puppy. Or do you think I should stick with Wellness and just get the puppy formula?

Thank you for your help!

Lower is not better since you can go to low and create a lot more issues.. Calcium around 1.2, phosphorous around .08 is good ..don't go over 1.5 calcium, 1.0 phosphorous.. Chicken Soup is a good food and one that I have fed my own Danes... It is difficult to actually recommend a particular brand since formulas change so often in many of the brands.. You do want a food with a named meat/meat meal source as at least the first 2-4 ingredients.. be ware of high plant ingredients no matter if grain or non grain.. Become an avid label reader..