puppy diet????!!!

[daaqa]

Originally Posted by bdfoop81

Well i dont know how many cups i feed. The vet told me to feed him as much until he doesnt want to eat and when he stops take the bowl away. But i can estimate about 5-7 cups a day and he weights,last time was 15lbs now maybe 20 around there. But thanks everyone. It was a lot of helpful information and im not gonna buy the science crap anymore. Im going to try innova or canidae sorry if i misspelled anything.

like i said before, i am so glad you are educating yourself!

one thing i think you will find is that many many rotts will eat themselves sick - like a kid in a candy shop!

i have a 5 month, 65+ pound male puppy and he eats about 3.5 cups a day of his innova.

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by KrystalBallard

A lot of people have their own opinions on food...

Personal experience undergirds what I feed my dogs. It goes beyond opinion.

Several times I've narrated the story of my first Rottie, Otto, my AngelBunny Spot Dog, to whom I fed SD because I didn't know any better (back in the 1980's). Long time readers of RDN know about the small fortune I spent at my vet's, vainly trying to treat the hot spots he had throughout his life. Readers know that subsequent dogs who were fed premium foods never had hot spots.

More recently, I've had a different experience with food.

Our current foster, Sailor, was switched to raw on June 26, 2007 because he looked awful after 3 months on Canidae, followed by 3 months on CA Nat.

Two weeks after the switch his coat started to look better and now about four months after switching, he has a coat to die for. He looks as good as do our two personal dogs. Sailor's disgusting eye boogers that were so bad I washed his face twice/day are a thing of the past. His thyroid tested normal for the first time since entering the rescue program (January 2007) for which I volunteer. And the valve that closed improperly is no longer doing so--for the first time.

We've been fostering for Rottie rescue for about 10 years.

Every single foster who came into our house looking like garbage bloomed like a rose when put on good food. Better coats, recued eye boogers, less gas.

So, it's not opinion of my part about the quality of food being important. It's direct evidence, seen with my own eyes, on dogs living in my house, observed over years.

Originally Posted by KrystalBallard

...do some of you own research and talk to your breeder and vet...

I wholeheartedly agree with doing your own research. Anyone reading thru the postings in Nutrition and Grooming will gain significant knowledge about dog food, will learn how to differentiate good frood from mediocre food from dreadful food.

What I do not agree with is talking to your vet about what food to feed.

With the exception of my current vet, my experience (dating back to 1984) with various vets in several different states is that they are a poor source of information. Vets typically don't study nutrition in school in a way that benefits you and me as dog owners. They simply do not know how to tell good food from bad food.

As proof, take a look at the food sold by many vets.

I've never seen CA Nat or Innova or Wellness or Canidae or any other food I'd feed for sale in a vet's office

What I have seen are bags of SD.

[KrystalBallard]

OK OK...I ordered 10 bags of CANIDAE from the feed store. Ive officially switched. So now i hope i will see the difference everyone has talked about.

After all said and done its only like $2 difference per bag compared to my pro plan because pro plan has less lbs per bag. and is like 4 bucks cheaper. So it all works itself out AND is better.

[brunie's mom]

Originally Posted by KrystalBallard

OK OK...I ordered 10 bags of CANIDAE from the feed store. Ive officially switched. So now i hope i will see the difference everyone has talked about.

After all said and done its only like $2 difference per bag compared to my pro plan because pro plan has less lbs per bag. and is like 4 bucks cheaper. So it all works itself out AND is better.

Glad that you opened up your mind and starting listening.
The one thing to remember is to feed less....if you are feeding your dogs 4 cups of Proplan...then feed 3 cups of Canidae,etc. or else you will be overfeeding and have loose stools. Canidae is much higher in calories and has more meat....so less is better.

Gina

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by KrystalBallard

...I ordered 10 bags of CANIDAE from the feed store. Ive officially switched. So now i hope i will see the difference everyone has talked about.

After all said and done its only like $2 difference per bag compared to my pro plan because pro plan has less lbs per bag. and is like 4 bucks cheaper. So it all works itself out AND is better.

Good for you!

I echo brunie's mom in suggesting to feed less. Use a measuring cup so you know exactly how much you're feeding.

[KrystalBallard]

Told my vet today when i picked up Gretta....(long story...check out my post about peeing on the couch in puppy developement) ...that I switched to Canidae and she had never heard of it......interesting...........so i gave her the website and the rottweiler forum site and told her to take it up with all of you. LOL

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by KrystalBallard

Told my vet today when i picked up Gretta...that I switched to Canadae and she had never heard of it......interesting...........so i gave her the website and the rottweiler forum site and told her to take it up with all of you.

The fact your vet never heard of Canidae is no surprise to long time RDNers. Read thru the postings in Nutrition and Grooming. By and large, vets are simply not good resources when it comes to giving advice on dog food. The vet we currently have is the only vet I've had in my years of Rottie ownership that I listen to when it comes to food advice.

Vets are doctors for animals. They are not nutritionists.

[Shelby427]

Originally Posted by bdfoop81

well thanks for the info...its just hard to keep all 3 dogs on a eating schedule, with school and work and all. Its hard to keep up to see if my mom fed them or not. But i will look real deep into the food issue and might even consider changing the VET LOL!!!!

Try setting up a schedule for you and your mom - that's what BF and I have done since we have different schedules. I work 8:30am - 5pm Mon-Fri. If BF works his 9:30am shift, I get up, take the dogs outside to pee and BF feeds them when he gets up. If he has an early shift - 6:30am, I take them out to pee AND feed them. That way, we know who fed at what time. I feed them their dinner every night. It's not that hard to keep a schedule and it's better for the dogs to have consistency. Keep trying, it'll work out.

[Skip]

Originally Posted by KrystalBallard

OK OK...I ordered 10 bags of CANIDAE from the feed store. Ive officially switched. So now i hope i will see the difference everyone has talked about.

After all said and done its only like $2 difference per bag compared to my pro plan because pro plan has less lbs per bag. and is like 4 bucks cheaper. So it all works itself out AND is better.

Personally, I wouldn't order 10 bags of ANY food until I see how the dog does on it. Canidae is one of the top foods, but it's not a top food for every dog. There are some other top foods just in case your dog doesn't handle Canidae well, but hopefully your dog will do well on it.

[brunie's mom]

Originally Posted by Skip

Personally, I wouldn't order 10 bags of ANY food until I see how the dog does on it. Canidae is one of the top foods, but it's not a top food for every dog. There are some other top foods just in case your dog doesn't handle Canidae well, but hopefully your dog will do well on it.

I think she has a bunch of dogs. I would imagine some or all of the dogs, will do well on it?

Gina

[MShaw]

Originally Posted by Shelby427

Try setting up a schedule for you and your mom - that's what BF and I have done since we have different schedules. I work 8:30am - 5pm Mon-Fri. If BF works his 9:30am shift, I get up, take the dogs outside to pee and BF feeds them when he gets up. If he has an early shift - 6:30am, I take them out to pee AND feed them. That way, we know who fed at what time. I feed them their dinner every night. It's not that hard to keep a schedule and it's better for the dogs to have consistency. Keep trying, it'll work out.

My fiance and I have the same type of thing going on. We try to feed her as close to 5:30 am and 6pm as we can. It doesn't always work out exactly, but usually he feeds them in the morning, and I take her out to poop/walk when I get up, and then one of us comes home at lunch time, and then he's home by 4 to play with her, and I feed her shortly after I walk in the door at night.

I like that we both feed her and get to take her out/play with her on our own, so she gets to spend time with both of us individually, instead of always the 3 of us.

Its all about what works for you, just try to keep it as consistent as you can for the dog(s)