Would Wellness Core have too much protein for a papillon?

[nfedyk]

Hi. I just joined this forum in hopes of getting some good information on dog food. We recently got my mom a new puppy. He is a male papillon named Oliver and is currently 8 months old. When we brought him home from the pet shop we fed him what he was getting there which was Holistic Health Extentions dry mixed with Merrick wet. However the dry food was not readily available close to my mom's home so we gradually switched him to Merrick dry as well. He seemed to like the new dry but for some reason it didn't agree with him. After three weeks on the food his stool never firmed up, his poop was mushy and he was pooping 5-6 times a day.
This past week we changed him over to Wellness Super5 Mix small bite for puppies. His stool firmed up right away. He has only been pooping like 2-3 times a day and it is much smaller amount. The new food seems to agree with him and he likes it.
I have been reading alot about feeding grain free. In a few months when Oliver turns one we will be changing him to an adult food. I am debating if he should remain on the Wellness Super5 Mix for adult dogs or if we should try the Wellness Core. I am afraid of the fact that the Core has more protein and not sure if that is too much for a small dog like a papillon. He weights about 8 pounds. Would love to hear your thought on this. Also is the kibble size of the Core something a small dog like this could easily chew?

[Unosmom]

Dogs are identical on the inside, so theres no difference between feeding large breeds vs small. Its up to you if you want to switch, personally my dog has always done better on grain free, better coat, muscle tone, energy level, etc.

[Jordan S.]

Definitely not, when your trying to figure out what the best food for your dog is, size really isn't a variable, breed, maybe but size is irrelevant. CORE has about 34% protein and 14% fat., which is only moderately high compared to other grain-free foods that have 38-50% CORE was basically designed with the average dog in mind, taking into account that most pets aren't extremely active working dogs, so as a result It's a bit less dense and you don't have to worry as much about overfeeding it as you do with foods like EVO and Orijen. Not to say that he wouldn't do well on those foods, but if your still on the wary side as far as high protein is concerned(which you are) and but want to dip your toe into the grain-free pool, CORE is definitely the way to go. The kibble is sort of large but I don't think he'll have a problem with it.

[CorgiPaws]

Size DOES come into play in the case of growing giant breed puppies, but even so it's the Ca:P you have to watch, not the protein. The rules on that are unclear to me. Kibble is complicated.
But for a tiny little guy like yours, you will simply want the highest meat content possible, since all dogs are carnivores.

[westminsterthree]

At 8 months old your Papillon is essentially an adult. Don't think you have to feed something like Core to keep your pup healthy. You have to think about the dog's level of activity, whether it has been neutered or not and any special health concerns with the breed.

The statement that all dogs are "identical" is simply not true from a practical standpoint. Toy dogs can have issues such as hypoglycemia from just normal activity. Liver abnormalities are also quite common.

Personally, this dog sounds like a normal pet so I would simply feed it an "all life stage food: with 25% - 30% protein and 15 - 20% fat. Try to keep the percentage difference as close to 10% as you can, like 25/15, 30/20, etc. There is a reason nutritionists do this.

Personally, I would feed an active toy dog a food with 30% protein and 20% fat. So I would not pick Core. And, because hypoglycemia can present itself in toy dogs, I would avoid potatoes and look for a mix of brown rice, oats, barley and corn.

It would also be a good idea to feed a toy dog twice a day.

[Scarlett_O']

At 8 months old your Papillon is essentially an adult. Don't think you have to feed something like Core to keep your pup healthy. You have to think about the dog's level of activity, whether it has been neutered or not and any special health concerns with the breed.

The statement that all dogs are "identical" is simply not true from a practical standpoint. Toy dogs can have issues such as hypoglycemia from just normal activity. Liver abnormalities are also quite common.

Personally, this dog sounds like a normal pet so I would simply feed it an "all life stage food: with 25% - 30% protein and 15 - 20% fat. Try to keep the percentage difference as close to 10% as you can, like 25/15, 30/20, etc. There is a reason nutritionists do this.

Personally, I would feed an active toy dog a food with 30% protein and 20% fat. So I would not pick Core. And, because hypoglycemia can present itself in toy dogs, I would avoid potatoes and look for a mix of brown rice, oats, barley and corn.

It would also be a good idea to feed a toy dog twice a day.

HAHA, Im sorry.....

So you are suggesting that this person feed their dog grains including corn?? You need to look more into canine nutrition!

I agree with Linsey.....

And I, when I have to recommend a processed food, will suggest Wellness Core, or a few other brands...doesnt matter the breed of the dog!

[westminsterthree]

HAHA, Im sorry.....

So you are suggesting that this person feed their dog grains including corn?? You need to look more into canine nutrition!

I agree with Linsey.....

And I, when I have to recommend a processed food, will suggest Wellness Core, or a few other brands...doesnt matter the breed of the dog!

I think you do. Do some homework. Do me a favor, calculated the amount of carbohydrates in a 30/20 food by calories.

[PDXdogmom]

A good example of a grain-free without potatoes and with moderate protein and fat is NutriSource Chicken. It has 28% protein / 18% fat and uses peas instead of potato. It is reasonably-priced. Grain Free Chicken Formula Dog Food

Fromm's Surf & Turf has a moderate profile with 30% protein and 19% fat. It has small kibble size and the main carb is potatoes. It's rather expensive. Grain-Free Surf & Turf dog food - Fromm Family Foods

I have nothing against grain inclusive food in concept, but I personally wouldn't feed formulas with corn. I believe there is a higher incidence with contamination (aflatoxin) with corn than some of the other grains. I also think you may have to feed more of formulas with corn to achieve the same levels of nutrient as some of the other formulas. You never seem to see a corn ingredient listed in a more minor position; it always seems to be one of the top 3 ingredients.

[nfedyk]

Thank you for your responses. It really is hard choosing the right food. So far Oliver is doing great on Wellness Super5 Mix. He won't be one for a few more months still, so it gives me time to do more research.