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I'm confused about puppy food

2371 Views 10 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  tootsie, 
spoiledrottenboxers
Ok...I've looked through the Food tips and diet info section on the forums and I'm still confused.

As many of you know, I'm bringing home Jersey on the 19th or 20th of this month.  I'm not sure what kind of food she's on right now but I'm trying to research what I should feed her.  I know that everyone has their own opinions on dog/puppy food, but I'm really not sure if I shoud put her on an all stages food or puppy food.  I've always fed my Boxers large breed puppy formulas and it was usually Iams.  I've learned that Iams is not a high quality food and I don't even know where to begin on figuring out what foods are high quailty.  Price does not matter to me at all, so if anyone could please give me any advice on what to feed Jersey when I get her home I would really appreciate it.

Oh and...Roxy is currently on Nature's Variety Raw Instinct (now Nature's Variety Instinct) because she was extremely skinny and needed a food with more protein and calories.  She is doing great on it by the way and gaining weight!!!  Astro is on Eukanuba's Low Residue Puppy because he has colitis...so I don't believe I can feed Jersey either one of these foods.

Thanks for any advice and I'm sorry because I know many others have posted very similar questions and I feel like I'm making everyone go through it again and again.
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L
If Jersey will be under 4 months put her on a high grade large breed puppy food.  The large breed puppy food will slow her growth a bit, reducing the risks of joint and spinal problems from rapid growth.

If over 4 months, then you can give an all stages food.  It still needs to be high grade, but at that point an all stages food is appropriate.

hope this helps.

Liz and Lilly
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T
You are right, Iams is pretty much a low grade food. Here is a link to the Whole Dog Journal Foods:  I can't get the link to work, so here you go:

Here is the 2007 Whole Dog Journal list of foods:

--Addiction Foods (addictionfoods.com)
-- Artemis (aremiscompany.com)
-- Azmira (azmira.com)
-- Back to Basics (beowulfs.com)
-- Bench & Field Holistic Natural Canine (benchandfield.com)
-- Blue Buffalo (bluebuff.com)
-- Burns (bpn4u.com)
-- by Nature BrightLife (bynaturepetfoods.com)
-- by Nature Organics (bynaturepetfoods.com)
-- California Natural (naturapet.com)
-- Canidae (canidae.com)
-- Canine Caviar (caninecaviar.com)
-- Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul (chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com)
-- Cloud Star Kibble (cloudstar.com)
-- Drs. Foster & Smith (drsfostersmith.com)
-- Eagle Pack Holistic Select (eaglepack.com)
-- Evanger's Super Premium (evangersdogfood.com)
-- Firstmate Dog Food (firstmate.com)
-- Foundations (petcurean.com)
-- Fromm Four Star Nutritionals (frommfamily.com)
-- Go! Natural (petcurean.com)
-- Hund-N-Flocken (solidgoldhealth.com)
-- Innova (naturapet.com)
-- Innova Evo (naturapet.com)
-- Karma Organic (karmaorganic.com)
-- Lick Your Chops (healthypetfoodsinc.com)
-- Life4K9 (life4k9.com)
-- Lifespan (petguard.com)
-- Merrick Pet Care (merrickpetcare.com)
-- Mmillennia (solidgoldhealth.com)
-- Natural Balance Organic (naturalbalanceinc.com)
-- Natural Balance Ultra Premium (naturalbalanceinc.com)
-- Newman's Own Organics (newmansownorganics.com)
-- NutriSource (nutrisourcedogfood.com)
-- Organix (castorpolluxpet.com)
-- Petguard Organic (petguard.com)
-- Performatrin Ultra (performatrinultra.com)
-- PHD Viand (phdproducts.com)
-- Pinnacle (breeders-choice.com)
-- Prairie (naturesvariety.com)
-- Premium Edge (premiumedgepetfood.com)
-- Prime Life Plus (ompetproducts.com)
-- Raw Instinct (naturesvariety.com)
-- Royal Canin Natural Blend (royalcanin.us)
-- Royal Canin Veterinary Diet (royalcanin.us)
-- Showbound Naturals (healthypetfoodsinc.com)
-- Timberwolf Organics (timberwolforganics.com)
-- Ultra Holistic Nutrition (ultraholistic.com)
-- VeRUS (veruspetfoods.com)
-- Wellness (oldmotherhubbard.com)
-- Wenaewe (wenaewe.com.uy)
-- Wellness Simple Food Solutions (oldmotherhubbard.com)
-- Wysong (wysong.net)
-- Zinpro (lincolnbiotech.com)

Any of the foods listed are human grade, no by-products, no artificial preservatives, basically no crap in them at all.
You can feed an all-stages food right from the start. I wouldn't mess with the puppy formulas at all, unless it is a large breed formula.
Bottom line is, find a food that works well for your puppy. Sometimes even the best food is too rich for their tummies and you may have to feed a food that is not on the whole dog journal list. I know dogs that are on Hills p/d from the vet 8O but that's all that will agree with them.  
When you bring Jersey home I would leave her on the same food she has been eating at the breeders, just to not add any more stress on her. Then you can gradually switch over to whatever you want to try feeding her.  :wink:
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B
We use the solid Gold Wolf Cub Mix.  All natural and helps the joints and body grow at a reasonable pace.
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B
I had Kiah on Canidae, but she started losing hair behind her ears and neck.  Now I have her back on Hund-n-Flocken with Solid Gold Seameal supplement and it seems to be getting better but it has only been about 10 days since the change and she isn't completely off the Canidae yet.  It is what was recommended by the Rescue where I got her.
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S
ok question- the natures variety instict that you feed your girl, is it the grain free chicken? I was looking into the food since i also have an underweight girl i am trying to add weight to. it is time for new food so i may try a small bag for her. Looking on their website this is the only kibble natures variety instinct i can find. or do you feed a the wet or frozen raw?
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T
We have had good luck with Royal Canin. It is breed specific and great for older boxers due to the shape of the pieces. Tiki doesn't make nearly the mess she did with the other food. They have a large breed puppy food. My sister has a puppy german shepherd who is doing well with it.
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spoiledrottenboxers
Chloesmom\";p=\"15358 said:
...the natures variety instict that you feed your girl, is it the grain free chicken?...do you feed a the wet or frozen raw?
Click to expand...
Yes, it is the grain-free chicken meal, and I only feed the kibble...I didn't really look into the canned and raw frozen diets.

She's only been on it for 2 weeks now and I've noticed that she is starting to gain some weight...I am very happy with it.
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spoiledrottenboxers
lillyzmomma\";p=\"15347 said:
...under 4 months put her on a high grade large breed puppy food...over 4 months, then you can give an all stages food...
Click to expand...
When I bring her home she will be 2 days short of 8 weeks old, so should I feed her the large breed puppy and then when she turns 4 months switch her to an all stages food?  Or should I keep her on the large breed puppy until she's a year old?
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L
I do large breed puppy until 4 months and then switch to an all stages (gradually of course).  Congrats on your new baby.  I left yo a post regarding Astro.

Hop everything works out okay!!!  Kiss the new baby for us!!!

Liz and Lilly
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T
[quote="spoiledrottenboxers\";p=\"15381":24ypaejj]When I bring her home she will be 2 days short of 8 weeks old, so should I feed her the large breed puppy and then when she turns 4 months switch her to an all stages food?
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