Vet & Breeder say conflicting things regarding what dog food I should use for my new 8wk old ALD pup - Could really use some advice!

[James Donovan]

Hey all- I was directed to this group by another user after posting a question in the general discussion board.

I just got my ALD pup the other day- he is 8wks old. The breeder said that she has been feeding them Canidae grain free pure sky duck dry food- this is listed as an adult dog food, but the breeder says that this was just recently reclassified to adult from it's prior classification of "all life stages," and that this is an acceptable food to feed my pup for his entire life.

Today we took him to the vet to have his puppy check up, and the vet said disagreed with the breeder's assessment that this Canidae food could be used through all stages of my pup's life, and indicated that there are certain benefits that are only gained through puppy-specific food. While she did recommend either Hills or Royal Canin brands (I noticed that they sell both of those brands in the vet office), her main point was that we should use a puppy formula for his first year and then transition to an adult formula.

Another user on here suggested that the vet is just simply pushing those brands because of an agreement between the vet office and those companies, and that Canidae is actually a much better brand. Reviews seem to support Canidae products being top notch, so it has me considering just simply switching from the adult duck formula to the puppy chicken formula 

Canidae Adult Duck Formula

Canada Puppy Chicken Formula

After that long explanation (sorry!), my questions are:

1) should I switch from the adult formula to the puppy formula?

2) is switching from duck to chicken as the main source of protein a bad switch? will one have a better impact on the consistency of my pup's stool, coat, etc?

3) if I do switch, is it necessary to gradually transition to the new food even though it is the same company?

If you've made it this far, thank you so much for taking the time to read all of this. Any input is greatly appreciated! 

[Judith and Addie]

My own opinion: 

1. Stick with the canidae; do not change foods the first two weeks after your pup comes home so continue feeding the duck formula

2 & 3.  After two weeks, switch to the puppy formula. I would do this gradually even though it is the same company. It is a different line. Karen I am sure will tell you the best way, however. I don't believe there is a problem with the different protein sources, unless you happen to have a pup with digestive issues. Many people will rotate protein sources from the same line of food. Also, duck is a very "rich" protein source - has a high fat content.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's true that duck has a higher fat content than chicken, when you are talking about eating the whole foods, as we do. But the dog food formulas are adjusted for fat content, so they are pretty much the same on that score. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

All proteins are equally valuable nutritionally, when we are talking about dog food. Duck is no better than chicken...or lamb, or pork, or beef, etc. What matters in terms of coat and stool are the macronutrient profile, and the Omega 6:3 ratio. (Also, in terms of quality, you don't want a brand made by a multinational corporation that imports ingredients from China, hence no Science Diet.) 

Sometimes, as dogs get older, they can develop sensitivities to certain proteins when they've been eating them day in and day out for years. This is why we rotate protein sources with adult dogs. But a young puppy hasn't been eating any protein long enough to develop an issue with it. The chicken puppy formula is fine.

BUT, and this is a big "but", as Judith mentioned, you must not change his food for at least 2 weeks. And the reasons for that are all here in this group as well. After two weeks, go ahead and switch him to the Canidae puppy food. 

[James Donovan]

Thanks so much for the help, friends! I'll start transitioning him over to the Canidae puppy formula in a couple of weeks based on the recommended transition schedule on Canada's website :)

[Lindsey Holt]

Good luck, our Jake eats the Canidae puppy chicken formula as he has lose stool with grains and he loves it.