"Grain Free" vs "Healthy Grain" for puppy

[David and Franklin]

Hi, I am new to the food group. I have an 11 week mini-golden doodle, Franklin, about 10.5 lbs. His breeder started him on Diamond Natural Small Breed Puppy food. I have never heard of it and neither has my vet. Franklin has just recovered from Giardia, during which he was fed the Diamond kibble along with boiled chicken, broth, and pumpkin paste. Yesterday I completed a 5 day fade back to the Diamond kibble.

I have reviewed the recommended food posting, but do not posses the expertise to understand whether "grain free" is better than "healthy grain." I read an article recently that suggested that proteins and fat are better for active dogs; that carbs are a far less important energy source than for us humans.

Any insight as to which category, "grain free" or "healthy grain" would be much appreciated. I need to get some quality food and begin fading towards it ASAP.

FWIW, my mini is supposed to grow to 25 to 35 lbs. Given his current trajectory (66% wt gain from 8 weeks to 11 weeks) it seems that guess may be low by 20 or 30 lbs.

I also apologize if this post is redundant. I scanned recent topics in the group before posting, and did not see anything along these lines.

[Joan Bollaert]

Grain free is the food of choice.   Karen, who is our food guru and developer of this thread will be able to explain all the details

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There's really no one "right" answer to the question of whether you should feed a kibble that contains healthy grains versus one that is grain-free for a puppy who has no health or digestive issues. 

Personally, I prefer grain-free foods for dogs. But there are a lot of excellent high quality foods that do contain grains like oats or rice and many, many dogs do just great with them. 

A food can be grain-free and still contain a lot of carbohydrates from other starches such as potatoes and legumes. So you still have to check the protein percentages.

For dogs who can never get enough food and always seem to be looking for more, a food with a higher carb content may be preferable, because you feed more, so the dog is more satisfied. The opposite is true for those picky eaters who never finish a meal. For the latter, a very high calorie food like Orijen seems to work best. 

If I'm the one doing the choosing, I'm always going to start with Orijen, or Acana. In terms of quality and ethical manufacturing, you really can't do better. All of Orijen's formulas are grain-free, but i think there may still be a couple in the Acana line that do contain oats. If I had a new puppy, I personally would start with Orijen's Puppy formula. 

I wish I could give you a more definite answer, but it really depends on the individual dog. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Oh, and if you are not giving Franklin a good probiotic (Proviable DC would be my choice), I'd start one before making a food switch.The meds used to treat giardia can destroy all of the good bacteria in the gut along with the bad, and the puppy often gets diarrhea once the meds are discontinued. So you want to replace the good flora in the gut that's necessary for proper stool formation. 

I would not make any food changes at all until Franklin has been clear of giardia for a couple of weeks, and his digestive system is completely back to normal. Otherwise, if diarrhea starts again, you won't know what's causing it, the food change, a bacterial imbalance, or a return of the giardia. 

[David and Franklin]

I have had him on the Proviable DC since the second course of antibiotics. Stool was solid and well formed until this afternoon when it was pretty soft. I can wait a week on the food switch, especially in light of his latest elimination. His tests were clear of Giardia as of last Wednesday. Thanks for the responses. I have located a local shop that sells Orijen's.

[Gail and Bailey]

David,  microwave a sweet potato and feed Franklin some each day as a treat.  It has great fiber and helps keep those puppy poops firm.  Bailey is 3 yrs old and I give her sweet potato every day...she loves it!  I cut a raw sweet potato into 1 inch slices and place them in a microwavable bowl with just a small splash of water cover it and cook them for 8 to 10 min.  Check to make sure they are soft.  When cool store them in a sealed container in the fridge.  Easy to get one out, zip the peel from around the slice, and give it to puppy! Yummy and healthy treat!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Waiting until his poop firms up before switching foods is a very good idea. You may want to start the Proviable again, too. It often needs to be continued for a couple of weeks after the meds are stopped, especially if the meds were metronidazole (Flagyl). If he needs another course of treatment, make sure you ask for Panacur instead. It is more effective against giardia, with fewer side effects. 

[Nancy Aldred]

My Stella is almost 8 months old and was started and remained on Diamond until recently.  She is supposed to be a large goldendoodle but she is just under 50 lbs so think she won't make 80 lbs.  She had many bouts of loose stools, requiring lots of chicken, rice and sweet potatoes.  I have recently transitioned her to Orijen puppy and she loves it.  It's only been a week, but I just feel better giving her a better food.  Diamond is a middle of the middle for recommended food.  I knew eventually we would transition her to something better.  

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You made a good choice. Diamond is not on our recommended list at all, due to numerous recalls and sourcing issues.