# food for lab/boxer mix



## oVer.do$e (Oct 11, 2008)

we have a lab/boxer mix named samantha she is about 63 pounds and she is a year and a half.

we have her on nutro lamb and rice 

but we wanna make sure we are giving her exactly what she needs

what food would you think is best for her? 

preferably something that brings out her coat

thanks in advance


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

We aren't big fans of Nutro here, it's very grain-heavy with questionable quality protein sources. It works well for some dogs, but many of us know dogs that have "coincidentally" gotten sick on the food even after the slow transition switch. To me, it isn't worth the risk anymore. 
What kind stores for buying dog food do you have in your area? 

As far as good brands PetCo has: 
Wellness
Solid Gold
Natural Balance
Blue Buffalo

PetsMart has:
Blue Buffalo

If you have a specialty dog food store or two in your area, almost anything you can get from them is good, but just in case they aren't the best:
Orijen
Innova [Evo]
California Natural

Also, check out dogfoodanalysis.com to help you make a decision.


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## oVer.do$e (Oct 11, 2008)

thanks alot for replying

so... as far as you know has the only problem with nutro been that some dogs stomachs get upset by it?

just mainly want to make sure there are no harmful chemicals that could catch up to samantha if she stayed on it


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## BoxerMommie (Jun 26, 2008)

I feed both of my Boxers Natural Balance Lamb Meal and Brown Rice and have had good luck with it on the gas issue. It's gluten free which is a must as my dog is allergic to gluten and it has wholesome ingredients. I get it at PetCo and to feed both of them (both are 65 pounds) it costs me around $50 a month, but PetCo has a deal that you buy 10 bags and get 1 free so that's a nice perk. I also give vitamin E and fish oil daily for health reasons and coat reasons.

Good luck.


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## BoxerMommie (Jun 26, 2008)

oVer.do$e said:


> thanks alot for replying
> 
> so... as far as you know has the only problem with nutro been that some dogs stomachs get upset by it?
> 
> just mainly want to make sure there are no harmful chemicals that could catch up to samantha if she stayed on it


Many people believe it's been responsible for their dogs being seriously ill (ie organ problems) and/or dying. It's really a low quality food especially for the money, it has beet pulp in it which is a bit of a controversial ingredient right now. If it were me I would switch to something of better quality that either is the same price or not much more.


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## oVer.do$e (Oct 11, 2008)

thanks alot yall

very important info

im going to look into these foods


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## danesandhorses (Sep 14, 2008)

Another food that I have used in the past and had great luck with and is very inexpensive is Kirkland Lamb and rice. My dogs coats where so shiney and their stool was very solid and smaller than on many more expensive brands I have tried after. I feed mostly Solid Gold now and mix in Merrick or Wellness canned, but every few months throw in a few bags of Kirkland. The dogs love it and so does my budget! Kirkland also has canned and Chicken kibble but noticed best results on Lamb and rice for coat!


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## oVer.do$e (Oct 11, 2008)

BoxerMommie said:


> I feed both of my Boxers Natural Balance Lamb Meal and Brown Rice and have had good luck with it on the gas issue. It's gluten free which is a must as my dog is allergic to gluten and it has wholesome ingredients. I get it at PetCo and to feed both of them (both are 65 pounds) it costs me around $50 a month, but PetCo has a deal that you buy 10 bags and get 1 free so that's a nice perk. I also give vitamin E and fish oil daily for health reasons and coat reasons.
> 
> Good luck.


oh i meant to ask you

only 50 a month for 2 boxers!!

either thats great pricing or my dog food gauge is wayyy off

how old are they and how much do you feed them a day?


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## BoxerMommie (Jun 26, 2008)

oVer.do$e said:


> oh i meant to ask you
> 
> only 50 a month for 2 boxers!!
> 
> ...


Well Natural Balance that I get is $38.99 per 28 pound bag and that lasts me EXACTLY 3 weeks, so it may be more like $53-$55 a month for the 2 of them.

My female is 65 pounds and gets 2 cups per day and is 6 1/2 years old (approx she's a rescue so not 100% sure on that, but it's a good ball park), my male is probably about the same weight 65 pounds (he's going to the vet tomorrow I'll update this if I'm wrong) will be 15 months old in a couple of days and eats 2 3/4 cups per day. Both are at healthy weights for them.

She eats around 950 calories per day and he eats around 1,300 calories per day.


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## oVer.do$e (Oct 11, 2008)

BoxerMommie said:


> Well Natural Balance that I get is $38.99 per 28 pound bag and that lasts me EXACTLY 3 weeks, so it may be more like $53-$55 a month for the 2 of them.
> 
> My female is 65 pounds and gets 2 cups per day and is 6 1/2 years old (approx she's a rescue so not 100% sure on that, but it's a good ball park), my male is probably about the same weight 65 pounds (he's going to the vet tomorrow I'll update this if I'm wrong) will be 15 months old in a couple of days and eats 2 3/4 cups per day. Both are at healthy weights for them.
> 
> She eats around 950 calories per day and he eats around 1,300 calories per day.


i am by no means telling you how to feed your dog 

just out of pure curiosity

for dogs that big doesnt the natural balance chart say 1 dog that size should get 4 cups a day?

if i get this food should i feed by 63lb boxer/lab only 2 cups a day?


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

I don't know, all of those charts seem to pretty much suggest the same amount of food no matter what the brand is. And it always seem like they suggest too much. They suggest 4 cups a day for a labrador? Only if they're running miles upon miles every day or if you want an obese dog. 

I usually take what those charts say and customize it for each of my dog's individual needs. All of my dogs (65lbs, 50 lbs, and 25 lbs) have different metabolic needs that they each only need about 2 cups a day back when they were on kibble.


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## oVer.do$e (Oct 11, 2008)

well, it says 2&1/4-3 cups for moderate activity and 4 1/4 to 5 and 1/3 for high activity

it doesnt give breed specific info

i just figured since shes still pup like and runs around alot, especialy on the weekends when we go to dog parks, i just figured it would be around 4 cups a day. I might be wrong 

but man she practical drinks her food and shes in great shape...so far. she is getting a little huskier but when we got her you could see her ribs. We've only been feeding her 4 cups a day for about 2 weeks.

thoughts?


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## BoxerMommie (Jun 26, 2008)

oVer.do$e said:


> i am by no means telling you how to feed your dog
> 
> just out of pure curiosity
> 
> ...


Do you have ANY idea how many calories per day that would be?? Nope because they don't list it. It's 468 calories per cup, Canidae has the same amount of calories per cup and yet THEIR feeding chart says to feed a dog their size 1- 1/2 for my female and about 2 1/2 for my male, which is exactly what they're eating so Natural Balance seems to want to overfeed or something just isn't quite right anyway. On another group I am in a girl was feeding waht their feeding chart said and her dogs were blowing up like balloons and she couldn't figure out why, as soon as she decreased amounts they dropped the weight and were fine. I don't go by feeding charts, I typically feed by calories and if my dogs gain weight, lose weight, or stay where they are. My female has stayed her 65 pounds without issue (she also can have NO NO NO NO NO exercise, she's not even allowed to walk to the end of the street on leash, she can walk around the house and that's about all so we have to control her weight with 100% diet which is easier said than done at times), my male has also stayed at his weight of 64-65 pounds without issue, well he gained a little but he's still growing a little bit, but he's a good weight for his size. A feeding chart is only a GUIDELINE it is not the end all and be all, I personally rather feed via calorie intake as well as weight gain, weight loss, or maintaining. I experimented quite a bit before I found the magic number of calories per day for them and that's what I stick with. Both are good weights for their sizes and aren't scrounging for food throughout the day so they don't seem to always be hungry. 

Again my female gets 2 cups because she's a senior, she has medical issues that she's on a NO EXERCISE AT ALL EVER rule so keeping her weight under control is tricky. My male is 64.6 pounds as of yesterday and he gets 2 1/2 cups a day and according to my vet is the perfect weight for his size right now and is very happy with the amount he eats. Once every 2-3 weeks I'll throw in a TBSP of Natural Balance canned just to spice up their lives and once every 2-3 weeks they get a bully stick but other than that it's kibble only.

You will have to feed your dog based on his weight, activity level, age, I would start with figuring out the amount of calories you feed him now (if you feed a high quality food already), choose a Natural Balance formula and e-mail the company to find out how many calories per cup are in it and start from there. If he loses weight and he isn't supposed to (ie he isn't overweight to begin with which many dogs are) then increase by 1/4 of a cup or so until he seems to be maintaining his weight, if he puts on weight and porks up then decrease the amount. It can take a couple of months to get the right amount but once you do it's a breeze.


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## BoxerMommie (Jun 26, 2008)

rannmiller said:


> I don't know, all of those charts seem to pretty much suggest the same amount of food no matter what the brand is. And it always seem like they suggest too much. They suggest 4 cups a day for a labrador? Only if they're running miles upon miles every day or if you want an obese dog.
> 
> I usually take what those charts say and customize it for each of my dog's individual needs. All of my dogs (65lbs, 50 lbs, and 25 lbs) have different metabolic needs that they each only need about 2 cups a day back when they were on kibble.


Exactly! I have Boxers they are supposed to be a lean looking dog, you are "supposed" to be able to see 1-2 of the last ribs and they should have a tapered waist (ie not be straight all the way down and look like a sausage). Personally I do not want to see ribs on a dog regardless of breed so I do not go by that protocol, but i DO want to see a tapered waist and not a sausage dog which is what my 2 are at and will stay that way. Some Boxers can eat 4 cups a day and still be very skinny. My female is a senior with zero exercise, she'd be 80 pounds if I fed her that much, my male is not hyper active, he enjoys walks and playing a few times a day but he isn't constantly on the go like some Boxers so he doesn't need that much either. Feeding guides are just that GUIDES each individual dog needs to be taken into account and as they get older they also need less food.


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## oVer.do$e (Oct 11, 2008)

thanks alot 

this has been very helpfull


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