Plz suggest me a good food for mastiff puppy

[nash_try]

Hi, one of my friend had just got a 7 month old bull mastiff puppy.

Plz suggest me a good quality dog food for him.

i have shorlisted following 5-6 rated brands:
Orijen Puppy
Chicken Soup For The Puppy Lover's Soul
taste of the wild pacific stream(since it has 25% protein)
Artemis Fresh Mix Med/Large Breed Puppy
Merrick puppy plate
Wellness Super5mix Large breed puppy

1)Anyways i have read that puppies shouldn't be given very protein diet. What percentage of protein is suitable for 7 month old mastiff puppy?

2)in the above list, orijen puppy has 40% protien. Isn't it too high for puppies? plus have anyone fed orijen puppy to there pups?

3)which among the above is good bang for money?(of course not compromising the quality)

4)any other brands which are good for puppies?

5)I really don't know about diet requirements for large breeds. But wouldn't food with less than 25% protein stunt there growth?

6)till now the puppy was fed all kinds of rubbish foods.(I don't need to name them, these brands are advertised a lot as such)

[Ania's Mommy]

Do not worry about too high of protein. Protein is the building blocks for growth and it is necessary, especially for a large breed puppy.

What should be of concern is the calcium and phosphorus levels. You want a slow, controlled growth with large breed puppies. And if the Ca/Ph levels are too high, they don't get that. It's all about quality vs. quantity. You want good, strong bones. Not big, week bones.

Of the foods you listed, I highly suggest Orijen Large Breed Puppy. Make SURE it is the LBP formula. This is a great food made by a great company.

I've also heard good things about Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lover's Soul. But, again, make sure it is the LBP formula.

I applaud your interest in finding the best food for your friend's new puppy!

[SpooOwner]

I agree with everything AM said. As a guideline, Ca:Ph levels should be around 1.2:1, and Ca should not exceed 2%.

Of the brands you mentioned, we've only tried a few, and I can share my - and my LBP's - opinion.

Orijen Large Breed Puppy - She loves this food - she gets nearly as excited for Orijen as she does for a raw meal.

taste of the wild pacific stream(since it has 25% protein) - We tried the Sierra Mountain formula. She likes it a lot, but I was concerned about the Ca levels.

Wellness Super5mix Large breed puppy - Seems like a good, widely available, mid-priced option. As I read more, we jumped up significantly in quality and skipped this level.

Also tried:

Fromm Gold Star Large Breed Puppy - she did really well on this food. I think FoodAnalysis only gives it 4 stars (or maybe they rate a different line of food from Fromm), but it's a very high quality food, and my puppy had nice firm stools on it.

We have not tried:
Chicken Soup For The Puppy Lover's Soul
Artemis Fresh Mix Med/Large Breed Puppy
Merrick puppy plate

[dogcrazy]

Good job helping your friend with a food switch!!

My LBP is now 16 months old (110#) and was raised on Origen LBP--he's now on Acana. Besides feeding a special LBP formula it's important to not overfeed a large breed puppy. They should be kept very lean until they attain most of their growth. So go by your eyeballs and not the amount-to-feed listed on the bag.

I supplemented unsalted canned green beans to help my pup feel full through the major growth spurts. Once he was 7 months old and had attained most of his height I relaxed on the calorie restrictions with no problems.

All the best,
Carol

[cast71]

TOTW Sierra Mountain formula should be fine for a LBP. The max calcium is 1.6% and max phosphorous is 1.0%. The other TOTW formulas are too high. I agree with everyone else, don't worry about the higher protein. Just keep large breeds on the lean side, especially while there growing. Also keep them on a LBP formula until there around 1 year old. The only other grain free that's good for a LBP is Origen LBP. As far as grain inclusive foods: Innova LBP, Welness LBP, Chicken Soup LBP

[Khan]

I too would recommend Orijen LBP. Also will chime in on the Cal./Phos levels. As long as those are in check the protein is not the issue. You don't want a LBP to grow too fast.
I would also remind your friend that this breed tends to be couch potatoes. Maybe not so much as a puppy; but as he starts to get older he will probably be more than happy to sit on the couch rather than go to the park! :) That being said, keeping him on the lean side will do him more good than harm. As he's growing he will snarf the food. Just make sure you pay close attention to his build rather then what the "bag states" for amount of food to feed.
Also keep in mind that these foods are "richer" then what he's been eating so you should not have to feed as much. Definitely not comparing apples to apples when measuring out the two foods.
Hope this helps.

[Bam Bam]

Orijen large breed pup is what I fed until over 1 year. I feel it's the best food out there and it's important that they get a food to fill there needs during this fast growing first year.

[SamWu1]

Protein isn't a concern, unless you're adding too little. Calcium levels should be low to moderate to encourage a more slow, gradual growth.

Orijen Large Breed Puppy receives my vote.

[luvMyBRT]

Orijen Large Breed Puppy receives my vote.

Mine too. This is what I fed my Black Russsian Terrier before switching to raw. He loved it and did great.

[Serendipity]

High protein is actually GOOD. So Orijen Large Breed Puppy is definitely on top for your list.

I wouldn't feed TOTW to a LBP, because the calcium & phosphorous levels are too high.