Wellness Large Bred Puppy Food?

[Rachel & Gatsby]

Forgive me if this topic has already been discussed; I did a quick search but didn't find anything.  I'm in a bit of a hurry too.  ):

 

I heard that puppy food in large breeds is bad.  It makes them grow too quickly and can lead to bone and joint problems later.  Gatsby was eating Wellness Just for Me (I think) Puppy food.  Within the last month I switched him to Wellness Large Breed puppy food.

 

Now, I'm hearing that it still isn't good for him, even though it's supposed to steady his growth rate.

 

He's 5 months now, and while I did notice him growing quickly the first few months I had him, I thought it was normal.  He has slowed down for sure with the Large Breed formula.

 

So, my question is, should I just go ahead and switch him to adult dog food?  Should it be a regular formula or the Large Breed adult formula?

 

Sorry if this is a newbie question. ;)  Our first dog was a lhasa apso and poodle, and then a Great Dane but I wasn't old enough to remember what kind of food she ate anyway...

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Rachel

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Unless your doodle is expected to be over 80 lbs at maturity, there is no need for large breed food. Stay with the regular puppy formula. I would not switch to an adult formula until his skeletal growth is complete, usually between 8-12 months for standards and sooner for mediums/minis. Your vet can guide you reliably on this.
I am sure that your pup's rapid growth in earlier months was entirely normal and had nothing to do with his food. There is just not that much difference in the formulas. Dogs, like babies, tend to grow very rapidly in their first months and begin to slow down as time goes by. Again, your vet can best advise you on this. He will tell you if your pup is growing too fast.
The problem with "hearing" things is that the validity of the advice you are "hearing" varies depending on the source. Unless you "heard that puppy food in large breeds is bad" from someone who has credentials in veterinary nutrition or medicine, I would disregard that advice. I know of no reliable evidence that supports it.
"Large Breed" formulas are really designed for the Giant breeds...Danes, St. Bernards, Wolfhounds, etc. Large breed and small breed formulas are pretty much a gimmicky marketing tool, as well.

[Kendra K. Rhoton]

I would not worry. We fed Remington Wellness Large Breed puppy until 8 months and then switched to Wellness Large Breed Adult. He is 82 lbs and has had no issues.

[Jamie Petro]

I know this probably won't help you too much, but we fed Wrigley Wellness Super5Mix Just for Puppy. The store where we buy her food only offered that one option for Wellness Puppy food, so the choice was simple for us. We fed her the puppy food until she was right at a year old and then switched her over to the adult formula. She has always loved her food! Good luck!

[Leslie du Mont]

We fed Atticus the Wellness SM5 Large Breed Puppy Food after we got him from his breeder. It served us well. He is now 80 lbs, 16 months old and we've switched him off of it. But, he's now eating Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken food as his adult food.

He's got some skeletal issues that have nothing to do with what food he ate when he was young. (congenital leg and hip issues) Our little "problem child" has also got allergies and ever since he was little his tummy tends to get upset very easily. Because of that we switched him over to the new food _very slowly._ Whatever you do switch him to, just do it slow and easy. :)

In hindsight, he did tend to be a little gassier when he ate the Wellness food, but that would be different from dog to dog I'm sure.

[Susan and Sasha]

Hi Rachael...
When we got Sasha...the breeder had her on Purina Large Breed Puppy food.
I wasn't happy with the Brand...and wanted to switch her to something that I felt was going to be a brand that contained healthier ingrediants....that had meat or fish as a first ingredient...and didn't have unhealthy "fillers".
The Breeder did strongly recommend that I keep Sasha on a "large breed" puppy formula...and said that was very important since her adult weight was thought to be around 75lbs.
This was her opinion...but I've heard conflicting thoughts since...
I changed her food to Blue Buffalo Large Breed Puppy...and did have some issues with loose stools.
After doing quite a bit of research...I switched Sasha over to Wellness Large Breed Puppy...and she did quite well on it. No loose bowel movements. I did like the brand very much.
It was about the time when I was going to switch Sasha from puppy to adult food that I found DK...and was able to get some VERY good advice....not only regarding food...but grooming...etc..and I will be FOREVER thankful!!
I did quite a bit of research and also got some wonderful help from the Food Group...and switched Sasha to Fromm 4 Star...which she not only loves...but...no problems with loose bowel movements.
The 4 Star is not a large breed formula...but...with the reasearch I did...what my Vet told me...and with the amazing help from the Food Group...I am very comfortable with my choice.
Sasha is doing very well with Fromm...and she loves it...especially the salmon!
I hope this is helpful to you.
Rachel...I know how important these decisions are...and all of the thought and time that goes into making this decision.
Let us know what you decide...

[Susan and Sasha]

Oh...I did want to mention that when Sasha was on Wellness...she was "Very" gassy too! (smile)
She doesn't have that problem with Fromm.
Hope this is helpful...

[Rachel & Gatsby]

Thanks everyone. I heard from an acquaitance that she had her full blood lab on Wellness Large Breed, and I assumed it was okay for Gatsby. While his heritage is still a bit unknown because he's a shelter puppy, based on his current size (and his monster paws!) I'm certain the poodle in him is standard. With that said, I don't know if he'll reach 80lbs or not...

So then switching him back to the normal puppy food should be okay, right? This month that he has been on the large breed puppy isn't detrimental, I'm assuming?

Thanks again!

Rachel

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It isn't detrimental, and it truly does not make much difference if you stay with the large breed formula or switch back to the regular formula. Unless your vet has some concerns about his weight or bones, you can feed whichever one you're comfortable with.
I am going to do a comparison of the two and see how much difference there is. BRB...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Large Breed formula:
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein Not Less Than 26.0%
Crude Fat Not Less Than 12.0%
Crude Fat Not More Than 13.50%
Crude Fiber Not More Than 4.50%
Moisture Not More Than 11.0%
Calcium Not Less Than 1.0%Calcium Not More Than 1.40%
Phosphorus Not Less Than 0.90%
Phosphorus Not More Than 1.20%
Vitamin E Not Less Than 150 IU/kg
Omega 6 Fatty Acids* Not Less Than 2.50%
Omega 3 Fatty Acids* Not Less Than 0.50%
DHA* Not Less Than 0.13%
Beta Carotene* Not Less Than 5 mg/kg
Lycopene* Not Less Than o.25 mg/kg
Taurine* Not Less Than 0.09%
Total Micro-organisms Not Less Than 20,000,000 CFU/lb

(L. plantarum, E. faecium, L. casei, L. acidophilus in equal amounts
*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.
Calories Analysis
This food contains 3,520 kcal per kilogram or 366 kcal per cup ME (metabolizable energy) on an as fed basis (calculated).

Regular formula:
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein Not Less Than 28.0%
Crude Fat Not Less Than 17.0%
Crude Fiber Not More Than 5.0%
Moisture Not More Than 11.0%
Calcium Not Less Than 1.30%
Phosphorus Not Less Than 1.00%
Vitamin E Not Less Than 150 IU/kg
Omega 6 Fatty Acids* Not Less Than 3.0%
Omega 3 Fatty Acids* Not Less Than 1.0%
Beta Carotene* Not Less Than 5 mg/kg
DHA* Not Less Than 0.13%
Lycopene* Not Less Than 0.25 mg/kg
Taurine* Not Less Than 0.09%
Total Micro-organisms* Not Less Than 20,000,000 CFU/lb

(L. plantarum, E. faecium, L. casei, L. acidophilus in equal amounts)
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.
Calories Analysis
This food contains 3,800 kcal per kilogram or 450 kcal per cup ME (metabolizable energy) on an as fed basis (calculated

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is very interesting; there is more difference than I would have thought, and it's mainly in the calorie and fat content. Large breed formulas are often concerned with bone growth, but these are fairly consistent between the two. It appears to me that the big concern here is weight gain, which makes sense with breeds that are known to have weight problems as adults, like Labradors.
I like the fatty acid ratio of the large breed formula better than the other one. 5/1 is preferable to 3/1. I don't know what the rationale is for the difference between the formulas...it may have to do with the lower fat content in the large breed formula.
What is really strange, though, is the difference in the feeding guidelines. I can't copy the charts, but the large breed calls for slightly less of the Large breed food for the same age, same size puppy, even with the reduced calories. For example, a 30 lb., 5 mo. old puppy should get 3 cups, or 1350 k/cal per day, of the regular formula, and 2.75 cups, or 1006.5 k/cal per day. That's a big difference, and I think we need to find out which one is closer to the recommended caloric intake for puppies.

[Rachel & Gatsby]

Hmm...Gatsby eats anywhere between 2-3 cups a day. Sometimes he doesn't eat the same amount every day. He'll pick at it, and leave some kibble in the bowl. Other days, he acts like I don't feed him. He was like that with the other formula food, too.

So, then, based on the fatty acid ration the Large Breed is best? He hasn't been on a routine walk sinc e he's been neutered, because I didn't want dirt or anything to get him infected. We'll start out our routine soon for exercise.

As long as I don't have anything to worry about, I'm thinking I'm might stick with the Large Breed forumla. He seems to enjoy it. (:

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I made a mistake in my comment on the fatty acids. The 3/1 ratio in the regular formula is better than the 5/1 ratio in the large breed. This is not a cause for concern, 5/1 is still much better than you find in many foods, but I wanted to clarify that. For dogs with skin issues in particular, the lower the ratio, the better.
Here is more information on this:
Essential Fatty Acids in Dog Food