# Need an Affordable LBP Food



## Ania's Mommy (Feb 8, 2009)

A friend of mine is getting a lab mix today and I really don't want her to feed it Purina. :biggrin:

I was thinking Taste of the Wild, but, if I remember correctly, the calciumhosphorus levels are not appropriate for a large breed puppy. I was also considering Kirkland puppy. 

Couple of questions:

Would a lab mix be considered a large breed as far as the CAH levels go? 

Taking the importance of appropriate CAH levels into consideration, what are some good puppy foods that are lower cost?

What are some other good ones?

Thanks guys!


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## chocolatelabguy (Nov 17, 2009)

Hard to tell on a mix whether or not the animal would be considered a large breed or not - my experience would tell me that an adult dog over 60 pounds would be considered a large breed. My adult female lab has had great success on TOTW, but I didn't wise up to good food until after she reached adulthood, so I cannot speak to the advisability of feeding TOTW to a puppy. I know that Orijen makes a very high quality puppy food, as does Wellness. I'm guessing that others on this forum who have raised puppies on high quality food will be better able to advise you, and I will watch with interest as we prepare for our next puppy down the road.


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

I remember when I was looking for LBP kibbles for Duncan I came across Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul for Large Breed puppies. It was pretty decent for the price.

Yes, TOTW has too high Ca. and Phos. levels to feed a LB puppy, IMO. I'm not sure what the levels are in the Kirkland puppy kibble...?


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## Ania's Mommy (Feb 8, 2009)

Yeah, Orijen LBP is about as good a kibble as you can get, IMO. Unfortunately, I know that she will not shell out the bucks for it. And rather than have her think it's Orijen or Ol' Roy, I'd rather give her some viable options within her price range.

But you reminded me of my other question: If in doubt of small/medium/large breed, would you err on the side of large breed and feed a low cah food?


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I always reccommend the Acana line, I've had nothing but good results using this food on my rescues and the many people I have converted to this food. Good Luck with helping her find the right food.


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

Ania's Mommy said:


> But you reminded me of my other question: If in doubt of small/medium/large breed, would you err on the side of large breed and feed a low cah food?


Does she have any idea what the parents are? If I'm remembering correctly any adult breed over 55 pounds is considered large breed. Have you seen the pup? 

I always say "better safe than sorry"....but that's just me. I am a total worry wort. :tongue:


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## chocolatelabguy (Nov 17, 2009)

If it were me, and not knowing the parents, I would consider this puppy a large breed and feed accordingly. I like SaraJ's idea for the Chicken Soup Large Breed Puppy - it's a good quality food, far ahead of Purina, Iams, Science Diet and the like - has a reasonable price point, and my experience has shown that it transitions easily to the next step once the puppy is ready to switch to an adult food.


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## Doc (Jan 17, 2009)

Kirkland puppy would work and is decent for the price. It is available at Costco. Another decent affordable is Diamond Naturals Lamb and Rice LBP.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

Maybe Blue Buffalo?


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## Ania's Mommy (Feb 8, 2009)

Is the Cah level of the Kirkland puppy food okay for a LBP? Do they have a LBP formula? I don't even know what the appropriate levels are supposed to be! :redface:

ETA: Sara, I'll have to get back to you on the parents. She's trying to find out.


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

Ania's Mommy said:


> I don't even know what the appropriate levels are supposed to be! :redface:


You want the calcium to be below 1.5% and the phosphorus below .09 to 1.0%. I think the levels found in Orijen LBP are the highest I would feel comfortable feeding. I am pretty sure that all other LBP kibbles will have levels that are below what Orijens are.


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## dogcrazy (Oct 18, 2010)

I may be wrong and speaking out of turn here, but I think of large breed puppies as ones that will grow up to be giants 90-150 lbs. Those are the dogs most affected by growth disorders aggravated by elevated calcium levels, such as OCD, HOD, and panno. Large breeds should not be overfed and kept on the lean side of normal while growing. Lots of folks let them free feed unlimited amounts all of the first year and I think that's where the problems crop up.

I have a large breed dog (110 lbs) and I was heavily criticized (by fellow fanciers) for feeding Orijen LBP. They thought the calories alone would do him in....but I kept him very lean until he had attained most of his height.

So that is my advice....no matter what food you decide to feed do not overfeed a large breed puppy and you'll probably be fine.

All the best,
Carol


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

Since the pup is part lab, I'd stick to a LBP formula, at least at first. My LBP (Std Poodle) is now 4 months old. We tried a variety of foods. Here's what I recommend:

Available at PetSmart and/or PetCo:
1) Wellness LBP - higher quality, but more expensive than ...
2) Blue Buffalo LBP -a good food. My pup got a bit gassy on it, and I traded up.

I found that while the premium foods were more expensive per bag, my pup ate less of the food at each feeding, so the bag lasts longer; e.g. a $35 bag of BB lasted 4 weeks, but a $50 bag of Fromm lasted 6 weeks.

1) Fromm LBP - we've done the best with this food. No gas, firm stools.
2) Acana LBP - because I've seen such good results when trading up, this is next up on our rotation.

Interestingly, Orijen LBP is high in Ca and Ph. The ideal ratio is 1.2:1, and Orijen is 1.6:1.2. But Acana (made by the same company) is nearly spot-on.

There are many other good foods, and in the end it depends on the individual dog. Whatever she decides, I wish her luck with her new pup.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I totally agree with SpooOwner, you can get a good quality food for a good price but you will be feeding more of it and in the long run spend more $.

If you go one step up and get a great quality food like Acana for alittle more money, you actally save money as you definitely feed less of the food and they utilize so much more of it, you get to see those nice small poops too.:biggrin:


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