Dog Feeding - Page 1

I use Royal Canin Puppy 32 for my 7 1/2 month old. A Schutzhund trainer recently told me to stop feeding puppy food and start adult food, but the label says to feed this large breed puppy 'till approximately 18 months old. Any comments? By the way, I'm starting to look into the BARF diet. I'm waiting for Ian Billingstons (spelling?) book, "Give the Dog a Bone." I know one should not feed commercial dog food that uses cheap protein, such as from soy, wheat or corn because they don't digest those sources of protein like we humans do. And it's a good idea to try and learn what kind of animals and animal parts the company uses too. Human grade chicken, beef, fish, lamb, etc., not raised on steroids and chemicals, is the way to go. I'm thinking Canin puppy food for large breeds is respectable, that they consider not making the dog grow too fast for the bones to keep up with. I'm just continuing what the breeder told me he was using. But this guy that gave me advice is a breeder as well as a trainer, so he probably knows what he's talking about. Please, people, give me all your different views on this so as I can put it all together, synthesize it and hopefully become a little smarter and surer on this. Thanks. Peace and good tidings. Clayt'n

If I even use a puppy formula, I often do as little ones because it is softer and easier for them to eat without too much extra work, I will switch by about 12 weeks.... most folks I know do the same. I have never noticed any difference between litters or individuals.... I am also reading a Billinghurts book right now and just finished K9 Kitchen..... have interest in a company that premixes and htere fore takes all the work out of it... very easy, a bit more expensive but not too bad...

If you're interested in trying BARF and aren't sure about feeding it 100%, you might want to first change your dogs over to one of the Eagle Pack kibbles. Eagle Pack is formulated to be fed with a 20% raw mix, I feed my GSD that way and I know quite a few others who use that combination. A 100% raw diet can be a pain when you're traveling and the preparation is time consuming; the Eagle Pack makes it easier and is a very good food. Blitz eats Eagle Pack fish and oatmeal in the AM, a large raw turkey wing or a back, neck in the PM. I prefer turkey wings and backs over chicken since the bones are larger. I'm going to the local butcher shop today to get some pig trotters (pig's feet).I don't grind any veggies since he eats the Eagle Pack too. His supplements are salmon oil caps and benedryl for his allergies. I've tried the Soujourn Farms pre-mix and did not care for it, it's very gritty, doesn't mix well with the raw and Blitz didn't like it and he's a very good eater. There are other brands available now. Yes, it is a LOT easier to use the premix and quite expensive if your feeding more than 1 or 2 dogs. You might want to join one of the internet BARF lists, there is one specifically for GSD's, you should be able to find it using a Goggle search. There you'll find recipes and a lot of chatting about feeding raw. You'll pick up some really good advice on these lists. BARF does have it's pitfalls, it's not perfect and occasionally you will hear of a dog that has problems passing the bones. A friend's dog had a piece of carrot surgically removed from the inside of her cheek, most feed raw carrots as treats. You do need to pay attention when the dog is eating the bones and crush the wings, etc for young puppies. Blitz loves tossed salads, but I have to be careful of the dressing, too much oil and he gets diarrhea. There are a number of good reference books or feeding raw, Billinghurst is the pioneer. It's a challenge and not the easiest way to feed a dog, but IMO it's the best way. I've also decided to not give Blitz anymore vaccinations other than rabies which is required by PA law. I might have a titer done in 2 years.

I use a mix of the Royal Canin puppy formula and the Royal Canin Formula 24. I find the Formula 24 helps keeps the stool firmer, thus helping during the housebreaking process(clean ups). I have adult dogs and puppys of various ages around all the time, so they all get the same feed(1/3 puppy, 2/3 Formula 24) mixed in large plastic trash can. I have German friends that start their 8 week old puppies on adult food(One I know uses Pedigree dry feed). They give them suppliments, but don't bother with buying seperate feeds for varying aged dogs. They all seem to do well.

Royal Canin German Shepherd Formula 24.

You could do a search on this site and bring up extensive conversations on feeding dogs. They have been repeated and debated, many times. Would keep you busy for a good while reading all of the info. Also suggest visiting these two sites, good basic info on raw feeding: http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm http://www.rawdogranch.com/rawdiet.htm Most dogs do great on raw, but some just don't. I feed raw and what I feed & how I feed is very similar to the Raw Dog Ranch feeding plan. There is great variation in the theories of feeding raw. Good luck ;)

I have had good luck with Timberwolf and on occasion suppliment with raw. Check them out @ www.timberwolforganics.com Is anyone else using it and what are your results.

How can a kibble be formulated to be fed with a raw diet? I know that dogs digest kibble and raw at different rates, and have been told that by mixing them (or even feeding one in the a.m., one in the p.m.) intestinal blockages can occur.

My understanding is that raw and kibble shold not be mixed, but I still hear of a LOT of GSD breeders who do that. Kibble and raw are digested at a different rate, but I don't know how that could cause an intestinal blockages?? There are as many theories on feeding dogs as there are dog owners. Who hasn't heard the old story of pappy's huntin' dog who lived to be 23, never had a shot in his life and ate only potato peels?

I've heard of quite a number of dogs that have allergic reactions (vomiting, hair loss, etc) to Royal Canin food; I've also heard it's praises from some breeders. I personally do not feed it to my dogs. I don't feed my pups puppy food past 6 months at the VERY LATEST. Too much growth in too little time can cause bone growth problems later (as witnessed in limping due to epicondylitis or long bone diseases, as well as higher incidence of hip and elbow dysplasia). I'd suggest you try things out (over time, obviously--you don't want intestinal upsets due to diet changes!) and figure out which best suits your dog. They're individuals too! Just FYI, meat/bone and kibble don't digest at different rates, per se. Same rate, different density. In other words, some of it will digest more quickly than other parts. This doesn't pose a problem for dogs, who in the wild eat YOU NAME IT. If you do feed raw and kibble, there's no need to add veggies to the raw. All vitamins are found in GOOD kibble. Pay attention to the first 5 ingredients. (If CORN is one of the first 3, time to find another food.) Meat should be the majority of those 5. Dogs are primarily MEAT eaters, that eat whatever is in the digestive tracts of what they're eating. (i.e. rabbits with grass) The diet should consist of mainly meat or meat products, since that's what they're made to eat. If you feed raw solely, I'd add some veggies in there. Ed Frawley from Leerburg.com has some good recipes for whomever might be interested in this type of diet. Hope this helps!