DobeGirl07

Lots of Doberman people swear by Purina Pro-Plan, I actually *thought* about trying it. But after looking at all the ingrediants I decided NOT to try it. In my opinion, I don't think it's quality kibble.

My dogs eat Orijen kibble and do well on it. I would also like to try Wellness, Eagle Pack Holistic and possibly Instinct.

dobegal

I feed Roxy Canidae dry with Evengers(spelling) wet. I agree that whatever you feed start with what the breeder is feeding and gradually mix in the new food.

Primo

It's definitely not a good food and hasn't been for the last 15 years. I remember when it used to be one of the more prominent dog foods on the market but now it's near the bottom. My philosophy in most cases is if you can buy it at the grocery store it isn't worth your time. I also try and stay away from the brands sold at Pet Smart/Pet Co. However I do feed both my cats Nutro.

DobeGirl07

What arey ou planning on feeding your pup?

Primo

Something that falls under the Natura Co.

Natura

I'm still trying to figure out if I want to go the Innova route. It's high in protein and I'm not sure on the calcium. I know you aren't supposed to feed the larger breeds food rich in calcium. Most likely Innova puppy food (I think they make a large breed) or one of the others made by Natura.

I've also been told Chicken Soup for the puppy/dog soul is a good food.

EDIT: When I quoted you I was talking about the Pro-plan. I don't know much about any of the foods you listed towards the end, besides hearing the brands mentioned.

ca323

I've been doing some food reviews and cost analysis in preparation for when my pup arrives and I've found that on average Candidae is ranked pretty well all around, most consider it low grain and has a price per pound of about 98 cents, not bad when compare to some of the other of similar ranking at about $1.60+ per pound.
Taste of the Wild is ranked fairly high from numerous sources and prices out at $1.43 /lb there are a few others but I'm still working on it. Just thought I would share some of my research.

Linda H

Did anyone give you the sites I have below to research dog foods. I do like Canidae All Life Stages and it is the best buy for your money. Then my boy developed Pano + allergies. So when I was trying out new foods for him the pano went away. It is recommended to feed single source meat proteins to a pup with pano. I ended up going with the Cal Natural line from Natura. I would have gone with one of the Innova brands but he is sensitive to chicken and all their foods are chicken/turkey based.

__________________
All dogs deserve a good home

http:www.dogfoodanalysis.com
http://www.dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html

Primo

Yea, I've been aware of Dogfoodanalysis.com for a while but haven't checked out the other site you have in your sig. I will check it out and report back.

I think I'm definitely going to feed the pup something from the Natura line. I need to figure how how much protein is too much protein and the level of calcium in each. I was hoping someone would chime in, in that regard but maybe it's discussed in the dogaware link you have listed.

What about supplements? Vitamin C? Hip/bone supplements to ensure their joints are getting as much as possible as early as possible. I've read in the few books that I have that Vitamin C is good, however the most recent is from 2002 so I'm not sure if things have changed since seeing as the medical world seems to change like the wind.

berkshire

I've said it in several posts, but it got lost. Growth abnormalities are not protein-dependent. They're related to excessively rapid growth - which is a result of excess calories. Don't worry about protein levels. If it's formulated for large breed puppies, they've already taken that into account. Natura puppy food is around 150 calories more per cup than the large breed puppy food. I think I posted the numbers somewhere, either in this post or another one.

Calcium is also balanced appropriately in large breed puppy formulas. It's the Ca:P ratio that is of the primary concern, and this varies between large breed and regular puppy formulas. If you're going to feed puppy food, please feed a large breed variety.

Remember - in nutrition, more is not always better. If a little is good, a lot is not always better. Vitamin C is pretty benign - if you oversupplement, they urinate it out. I never used it, but I wouldn't say you're putting your dog at risk. Ascorbic acid may be a component of cartilage formation, but as far as I know, there is no evidence that dietary supplementation enhances cartilage strength.

As far as joint supplements, scientific literature indicates that glucosamine/chondroitin may not have a protective effect on normal cartilage. It seems like it is better as a palliative treatment option. There aren't any good retrospective studies showing that dogs on glucosamine have reduced joint pathology as adults. It may be effective, but we don't have much real data on it.

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~Candice

Primo

All great info thank you. However I'm looking for a recommendation. I'd like to feed the pup something under the Natura co. Is that ill-advised? Aren't the calories in the case of Natura good calories? Is seems with your wording that I shouldn't go with a Natura brand because of the extra caloric intake.

I also gathered that Vitamin C isn't exactly necessary and you can't tell me whether or not the increased glucosamine/chondroitin is beneficial but rather it MAY be beneficial and that there isn't enough evidence to indicate as such so giving it to the pup won't hurt but it may not necessarily help either.

Sooo for a recap. I'd like to feed the pup a natura product but if it's going to be detrimental to him or her I'll look for a different brand. Skip out on the Vitamin C or at least don't worry about it being a daily vitamin and Glucosamine/chondroitin may help but no one is certain one way or another. Sound about right?

I know there are plenty of people with a ton of breed experience here, I personally have zero which is precisely why I'm here. Any help/advice/suggestions will be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

EDIT: I also gathered that Canidae is a good way to go however recently I read that they were bought out by Diamond foods and the ingredients were going to be changed. It's also going to become available at PetSmart/PetCo.