# My pup comes home in a week



## mjesse (Feb 19, 2011)

Hey everyone,

I am new here, and I am looking for some advice. I am picking up my lab puppy from the breeder next Saturday, I have asked her what she has been feeding the puppies and she informed me that she has been feeding them Kirkland Chicken and Rice Adult food. I have never heard of someone feeding such young puppies adult food before, so I asked her what the benefits were. She told me that she did not like the high protein contents in the puppy food. Have any of you heard of this before?

Is it going to be any harsher on the pup's tummy to transfer from adult to puppy than it would be to transfer to puppy to puppy?

Also, I fed my last dog Innova. I have been reading some pretty intense articles about how people are upset about P&G buying it. The bag's ingredients are the same, and it was the last bag in the store.. The woman who works in the store seemed pretty concerned about P&G buying it when there was first talk of it. 

What are your opinions? Should I take the risk and continue to buy the brand and see if they change the ingredients over time... Which will lead me to change brands in the long run... Or change brands now, before I get the pup and save the headache?

I was thinking I would try Orijen... Any other suggestions are welcome.

Thanks in advance!

Jess


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

i've never fed puppy food to my dogs. there's plenty
of preminum brands out there. you might have to try a few
before you find one that works for your dog.


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## KlaMarie (Dec 30, 2010)

I've been doing research too (I'll be getting my pup in a couple months), so I'm in no way claiming to be an expert.

But I've been told that protein levels don't matter as much as calcium and phosphorus maximum levels do for larger breed puppies. I'm not sure if a lab is considered "large" breed. Most of the grain-free kibbles (except for Orijen LBP) will have higher Calcium and Phosphorus levels, that will will make a larger breed pup grow too fast. So the only good option if you wanted grain-free would be Orijen Large breed puppy. At least this was the majority opinion on the GSD forum.

Congrats on your puppy by the way!!!!


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Kirkland/Costco DOES have a puppy formula and it has a decent ingredient list. But I agree if you can afford it there isn't anything better than Orijen Large BREED PUPPY OR THEIR PUPPY FOOD. As far as p & g goes I am 100% certain that they have done something to or that they are sourcing from cheap lousy suppliers. I was a HUGE fan of California Natural and feed it for 18 months but the last bag I got, my dog got explosive diarrhea. I feed Horizon Legacy puppy also and my dog did great on it. Check him out.



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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Also they are 100% wrong about protein. If the protein comes from a meat ingredient it is fine for a dog. It's when it comes from plant matter that it is bad.

The Dog Food Project - Is too much protein harmful?


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

What I've read on here is that it's best to have a rotation between foods, so perhaps you could rotate between Orijen LBP and Innova, possibly even other things? Rotating helps them to not develop allergies when exposed to certain ingredients for too long. XD

Congrats on your new puppy!!!


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

GermanSheperdlover said:


> As far as p & g goes I am 100% certain that they have done something to or that they are sourcing from cheap lousy suppliers.


I'm 100% certain you are 100% wrong. There is no evidence from anywhere that this is even close to true. It's just a lot of internet hysteria perpetuated by people who think a huge company is automatically bad and will do evil things. Because you say they are doing this *OR* that means you don't know and are just guessing.


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

GermanSheperdlover said:


> As far as p & g goes I am 100% certain that they have done something to or that they are sourcing from cheap lousy suppliers.


100% certain how? MORE rumours & innuendo & hearsay?

I have spoken with at least 4 pet store owners over the last 2 months and each time I get the same response: there has been NO CHANGE in the food, nor has P&G informed them of any changes to come. The only "change" has been in marketing: instead of the store handling the "buy 12 bags get the 13th free", P&G has changed it to "buy 10 bags & submit a coupon to us directly to get your free bag of food".

Also, as I mentioned in a previous discussion on this subject, I am acquainted with an Innova/EVO rep who would certainly let me know if something was happening. 

Plus I have my own eyes: 

- the ingredients & breakdown on the product label has remained unchanged.
- my dog is still doing well on the EVO Turkey & Chicken.

BTW, here's a link to their website. Yes, you must bear in mind that it's THEIR website, but there is still useful info there: Grain-Free Dog Food, Cat Food, Ferret Food & Dog Treats – Meat-Based Pet Food – EVO Pet Products

Pax,


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## Jack Monzon (Jul 25, 2010)

I'd continue feeding the puppy the same thing the breeder fed for at least a big bag or two.


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## schtuffy (May 17, 2010)

I've heard Kirkland brand kibble is pretty good for the price you pay. I don't own a large breed puppy though, so I wouldn't really know about the whole adult formula thing. But congrats! I know I was super excited before I got my puppy to the point where I couldn't sleep! I kept my Louis on the breeders food for awhile, but if I could do it over I wouldn't have (he was on Iams, yuck!)...heck if I could do it over I would have switched him straight to raw, but that's a different story for a different day :smile:

I tried Innova puppy and it wasn't bad, but Louis always had mushy poop when he was on it. It had shape...but it was just mushy. I wasn't too thrilled about the P&G takeover when it was announced, and I would be lying if I said it didn't affect my decision to switch. However, I still consider Natura to be one of the better kibbles out there. From there I put him on Orijen, and he did great on it...shiny coat, solid poops, great energy levels...He is on raw now, but if I fed kibble, I would feed Orijen hands down. If you really can't make up your mind, why not give both a try and see how your puppy does on it? Sometimes you never know until you give it a shot.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

RawFedDogs said:


> I'm 100% certain you are 100% wrong. There is no evidence from anywhere that this is even close to true. It's just a lot of internet hysteria perpetuated by people who think a huge company is automatically bad and will do evil things. Because you say they are doing this *OR* that means you don't know and are just guessing.


I just told you. What don't you understand about IT HAPPENED TO ME? I have no beef with p & g but the facts are extremely evident. You can go to any message board and there will numerous post about having negative issues. You can deny it all you want, but that won't change the facts. Some people deny that the holocaust happened, but the facts are clear you just have to open your eyes.


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## tem_sat (Jun 20, 2010)

With all due respect, I have fed both the EVO red meat and herring/salmon (post buyout) without a single issue whatsoever. That holds about as much bearing as me stating "I'm 100% certain there has been no change". The one factual statement I can make is, "I am 100% certain that I am in no way concerned about the safety of the food which I purchased and fed as I saw zero ill effects."


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## cast71 (Sep 16, 2010)

There is no need for a puppy formula unless your dog is a large breed puppy, which he is;0) You want to watch the phosphorous/calcium ratios and feed him the least amount to maintain perfect body weight. This will give slow steady growth, as opposed to growth spirts. You want to keep him a lean mean fighting machine ahahahaahaha. You should easily be able to feel his ribs and even see the first rib. You should also see a tight waist outline from looking above. You don't want him looking like a sausage on steroids ahahahaha. Don't go by the feeding chart on the bag. It's overkill so they sell you more food. Same goes for puppy formulas. It's all about the money. Only time to feed puppy food is for Large breeds. If you want to go grainless, here's a link. http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/dry-canned-dog-food/5794-grain-free-formulas-lbp.html I like the ACana;0) If you choose grain inclusive, just go with LBP formula. My personal preference is middle protein range of 30%-34% and fat 17%-20%. If your on a budget nutrisca's chicken formula should be fine and it has no taters;0) They hide other fillers and plant protein boosters, but that's another story.


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## mjesse (Feb 19, 2011)

Thanks so much everyone! You were all very helpful! My last dog was a rottie/sheppard mix; he was just over a year old when he became super aggressive and randomly attacked a man on the street during one of his walks. He was a big boy, he weighed 130lbs and when he stood up was clear over my head by a foot and a half (I'm 5'7"). He is very missed and still very loved, I loved dogs too much to get discouraged! After reading, I have decided to go with Orijen. I will make the switch from Kirkland Adult Chicken and Rice to Orijen Puppy gradually and let you know how it works for me! 

Thanks again, and sorry for stirring the pot about Innova. Have a lovely week and weekend every body. I know I will as my lab puppy comes home this Saturday!


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