Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Forum
What should I feed this puppy?
17 weeks old, 27 pounds per report. They've been feeding her Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy and I know that's not on the list. She said that other food gave her diarrhea. I know I'm not supposed to change food for 2 weeks (is it the same if it's not an 8 week old puppy?) We're going to have to make a trip to Petsmart when they open.
I'm already feeding 2 dogs 2 different foods. Do I have to find a 3rd? Or would Fromm (this bag is whitefish and potato) or Nature's Variety Instinct Raw Boost in Beef be appropriate? I guess it doesn't really matter if I need a 3rd food. It's just a lot of dog food storage containers! And it seems silly, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. But I can't do the nutrient comparison thing very well. So I don't know where to start on the approved food list!
Thank you always!
Stacy (and miss not-sure-about-my-name)
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle on
-
You do need to stay with the current food for two weeks before making any changes. 17 week old pups can come home with parasites just like 8 week olds.
After the two week period, if all is fine with her digestion, you can certainly switch her over to one of the foods you are currently feeding your other dogs. My choice would be the Fromm. The only caveat would be not to rotate her formula for a month, as it sounds like you're doing the Four Star formula rotation. That's fine, I'd just wait a month before introducing a different formula again. -
-
Permalink Reply by Stacy on
-
Perfect! That's what I was hoping you would say. Maggie does so well on Nature's Variety, but it's exceptionally expensive. Fromm is still good food and it's a little more economical.
Her person told me several times that her poop smells really bad. It makes me think giardia, but she said she had several normal fecals. I have to call their vet this morning to get her shot information then we'll visit our vet. She's not microchipped, or had the rabies vaccine yet. She's also not spayed (and she will have a gastropexy at the same time.) I need to figure out the best time for that. A year? I would prefer to not ever do it, but I've already had my one bad experience with that so we should be good.
-
-
-
OMD, I didn't even realize that was YOU asking!!!! You're getting a new puppy? Congratulations!!! I can't wait to hear all about her!!
By all means, have a fecal done. Talk to the vet about the best timing for the spay & gastropexy, and you'll do the chip then; I don;t care what anyone says, that's a big needle and it does hurt them, if only momentarily.
I personally think you should wait until their growth plates are closed to spay/neuter, which does mean about a year (longer for giant breeds) but there are differing thoughts on that, especially for females. -
-
-
Yes! I saw her on facebook last night and then drove 100 miles to pick her up. The lady was ready for her to go right then. She didn't even want to wait until the morning. It's one of those, I didn't realize that a doodle wasn't a teddy bear adoptions. I knew that was a real thing, but it's really a real thing. She had her for 2 months. This baby still has all her puppy teeth. I don't understand how someone wants something so bad and then 2 months later they're finished. She's only been here 10 hours, but she seems like a real sweetheart. It blows my mind!
-
-
-
Oh, I know it's a thing. Been dealing with it for 11 years. And it still never ceases to amaze me.
But this pup got really lucky. :) -
-
-
I saw her, and I wanted her immediately. But I was also afraid for her. Here's this pretty little unspayed pup. Anything could happen to her. And she just trusted me not to do bad things with her. Not to breed her to death or to sell her to the highest bidder or... whatever people do with dogs. I offered references, but she wasn't interested.
It's a fine line. On one hand I think she was in over her head. She didn't know that a standard doodle puppy is a big ball of naughty. On the other hand she had small dogs who weren't adjusting well to a puppy who is 7 times their size. I know she loved her. But you don't impulse purchase a living creature. She's going to have the best life. I'll make sure of that. I just wish people wouldn't do things like that. But then again, I'm not complaining. I'm so excited to have her here.
-
-
Permalink Reply by J and Riley (and Luna) on
-
I can see how people get overwhelmed... I've never had a puppy this large before and all the puppy troubles are just amplified by their size. Play bites hurt more, rambunctious jumping can result in injuries... I mean Luna was not tiny but Riley is about 50% taller and very, very strong. So strong i don't think I can really play tug with her anymore because I'm worried about my shoulder and wrist joints :p
That being said for us dogs are family. I truly don't understand people who go through the trouble of purchasing a puppy without considering how it would impact their life and other pets if they have them...and then when things start getting uncomfortable they just kick their family member out of the house. Did I enjoy having a puppy when I was at the end of pregnancy and now with a newborn and kindergartener around? Sure it's tough but we make do. Riley is here to stay.
-
-
-
And that's why I resent the use of the word "love" as it is used in every rehome application DRC gets: "I love him but..."
Yes, I know some people think this is judging. I constantly hear "you don't know the circumstances" and the popular "it takes a lot of love to let them go". I'm sorry, but to me, this cheapens the word "love". I know what it is to love an animal, just like I know what it is to love a child, or anyone else; for me, they are not all that different. I know what it is to love an animal when things are stressful and hectic in your life, and even when there is real tragedy in your life. Whatever these people are feeling that allows them to say "bye bye" when the going gets tough, it sure doesn't approach the feelings that any of us here feel and have felt for our dogs. It's an insult to US to call that "love." -
-
-
That is so incredibly well stated. Thank you. Maybe love should be an and. I love her and I am going to love her for the rest of her life and keep her safe and never abandon her.
I always feel guilty for judging, but I kind of am. People don't abandon their human kids when things get a little rough, and these are my kids. And it wouldn't be any different if I did have human children. I still take responsibility for my dogs. I made a commitment and I will stand behind that. It's really difficult for me to understand anything else.
-
-
-
There's this new use of the word "judging", and it makes no sense to me. Judges pass sentence. They punish people. They don't simply say "what you did is wrong."
To simply think that something is wrong and say so, that is not judging. There is right and there is wrong, and while we may all have different opinions of right and wrong, what is the alternative? To think that everything and anything that anyone does is okay? We are never allowed to think, feel or say that something someone does is wrong? What if someone beats his wife? Is it judging to say "you shouldn't beat your wife."? Are we supposed to think "well, he must have problems that we don't know about, we shouldn't judge"?
I'm so tired of this kind of use of the word judge. And you see it constantly in every discussion on FB, it seems. -
-
-
Yes, that seems to be the way the world works these days. You aren't suppose to have opinions because there may be unknown facts at play. Of course that doesn't really work. But that's the way a lot of people think it should be.
-
-
-
Yeah we weighed the timing of Riley's spay between the joint issues risk and the cancer risk. For us because Bernese are so cancer prone it seemed going with the reduced cancer risk was the better option... because unfortunately for her statistics are not on her side for living well into her senior years :(
-
© 2025 Created by Adina P.
Powered by
