[IloveJaxon]

I recently bought a book about boxers by Sheila Webster Boneham.  In the chapter about feeding a boxer puppy she states that "commerical puppy foods contain extra protein and calcium to promote faster bone growth".  In the next few sentences she states that "puppies don't need the extra nutrients....[they] may suffer serious harm if fed too rich a diet...extra protein and calcium cause faster bone growth and the soft supportive tissues can't grow as fast as bone".  She then goes on to state that if feeding a puppy food, to switch to adult food at 4 months.  This seems way too young to me.  Anyone ever hear of this?

 

[Flutterby]

Well... honestly.. I don't keep ANY of my dogs on a puppy food, but they get high quality kibble and I also get either Natural Choice puppy buscuits or a buy these  puppy nutrient treat things (forgot the name) and give them every other day or so..

If you get a large breed puppy food it will have the right amounts of protien and calcium to promote slower bone growth...

 

[Zhanna]

We had Henry on Nurto Natural Choice large breed puppy until he was 11 months old, cause that's what our vet reccommended.
Now he's on the regular adult dog food, Nutro.
I personally think switching to adult food should wait until they are a little older.

 

[AnnArtisan]

I recently bought a book about boxers by Sheila Webster Boneham.  In the chapter about feeding a boxer puppy she states that "commerical puppy foods contain extra protein and calcium to promote faster bone growth".  In the next few sentences she states that "puppies don't need the extra nutrients....[they] may suffer serious harm if fed too rich a diet...extra protein and calcium cause faster bone growth and the soft supportive tissues can't grow as fast as bone".  She then goes on to state that if feeding a puppy food, to switch to adult food at 4 months.  This seems way too young to me.  Anyone ever hear of this?

Yes, I have.  I tend to research things to death, and one thing that I have run into time and time and time again is that a too-high protein diet for puppies who are of breeds prone to hip dypslasia (as Boxers are) might hasten/exacerbate that particular problem.

That said, I've been "researching to death" the raw food diet and am about 99% convinced this could be the best answer for our Boxer puppy.

AnnA