TOTW "all stages of life" Food?

[Meredith Spencer]

Hi! I am new to doodle kisses, and soon to be a new doodle owner (Ms. Georgia comes home this Friday!). Since she will be my first puppy, of course I'm agonizing over making all the right choices for her! TOTW is one of the foods I would like to try, but I am confused about it being for "all stages of life" - will it have the right balance for a growing puppy? Or should I choose a food that I can get in my area that is available in a "puppy" formula?

Thanks so much!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Congratulations on your new pup. You have a lot of time to choose a food, because it is essential that you do not change anything about your puppy's diet for at least two weeks after she gets home. That means meals, treats, anything, even if whatever the breeder is feeding her is not the best quality food. There are many reasons for this, which have been discussed here in TFG in lots of discussions.

TOTW (and any ALS food on our recommended list) is appropriate for puppies.

What is she currently eating? Brand and formula?

[Melissa & Wesley]

I agree with Karen 100%, wait to transition and do it slowly!

I am feeding my 3 1/2 month old Aussiedoodle, Wesley, TOTW. The company has come out with 2 puppy formulas now...High Prairie (bison/venison) and Pacific Stream (salmon). The puppy formula is currently what Wes is eating and doing fantastic on! He loves the High Prairie. He has had no tummy issues with the food and his poos are formed and firm. He has been eating the puppy formula for about a month now. Check out the TOTW website to see the puppy formulas.

Congrats on your new pup!

[Meredith Spencer]

Wesley - what a sweet name - such a cutie!  I'm going to give the high prairie a shot!

[Melissa & Wesley]

Thank you Meredith!

Karen is a wealth of information! The food group has been such help for me with my dogs.

As for the TOTW, I would have given Wesley the High Prairie All Life Stages (which they are changing to just adult maintenance dog food now that they have the puppy formula), even if the puppy formula did not come out. I really like the TOTW, but more importantly, Wesley likes it.

Keep us posted as to how things go when you do make the transition.

[Katrine]

Hi Meredith, congrats with regard to Ms. Georgia! I have a 12 week old goldendoodle and we just met with a trainer who suggests that the puppy formulas encourage too much growth too fast, so it's good to stick with all stages. That said, everyone offers up a different opinion so you might want to check with your vet and the breeder. I will soon be switching to TOTW as well. Have fun!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

We have found that nutritional information that comes from trainers is not reliable. I would not base feeding decisions on recommendations from trainers, groomers, daycare operators, etc. And of course, vets receive almost no nutritional education at all.

[Melissa & Wesley]

If you look at the TOTW website, the puppy formula for High Prairie is lower in fat and protein than the all life stages version and the Pacific puppy version is slightly higher in protein 2% and the fat content the same as the all life stages. So, do your research and go with what you are comfortable with feeding your pup. All dogs are different, so what works for one may not work for another.

You have come to a great place to get you started and get good advice!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here are the main reasons you should not change anything about your puppy's diet for a few weeks.

The puppy's entire life is about to be turned upside down. She is leaving her mother, her littermates, and the only home she has ever known. This is extremely confusing and stressful. Nothing will be familiar to her- new surroundings, new people, even the air outside will be different. Let there be one familiar thing, her food. Stress can cause digestive upsets, especially in an immature digestive system.

Many doodle puppies come home with parasites like giardia and coccidia. The incubation period for these can be as much as two weeks. If you change her food and your pup develops diarrhea, you will not know if it is caused by stress, parasites, or the food change. Wait until you are sure her stool is normal and there is no health issue before changing, so you know how the new food is agreeing with her.

It helps greatly with housebreaking when a dog has a regular elimination schedule. Changing foods can temporarily cause a puppy to need to eliminate more frequently until she adjusts. If the new food causes any diarrhea, that can lead to accidents as well. Waiting until you know her normal pattern of eliminating (i.e. how often and what times of day) before changing food will also help with house breaking.

[Meredith Spencer]

Thanks for all of the advice!  I will do my best to transition her over at least a couple of weeks - I'm also going to try to stick to the feeding times she has today.  I feel like I understand the "All Stages of Life" claim now - and will try the high prairie version as her new transition food.  Today she is eating Pet Chef, which is a great food, but has a limited distribution - unfortunately it is really not very easy for me to obtain it - hence the transition.  Thanks to everyone!