10 week old puppy, is Coscto Puppy Food ok?

[Ollie's Mom]

I'm totally feeling horrible that all the foods listed look fancy/organic. My vet wasn't worried when I told her I am feeding Ollie IAMS, and I am transitioning to Costco bc the pet store told me it's good quality. He is digesting (no runnies etc) fine and growing nicely (is about 13 pounds). Am I a horrible person?!?!

[Tracey & Spike]

You'll get a lot of responses to this I'm sure. Your not a horrible person. Your here. Your asking. Your taking the time to ask questions and care :)

IMHO The food's listed aren't "fancy" They are good quality. Plain and simple. The reason why we all lean towards the approved brands is not only for their nutritional value but because of the brands safety for our pets. There are several of us on here (myself included) who have been through hell and back because pet food recalls back in 2007. Experience has made us all more careful as to what we feed our pets.

Companies like Iam's are multinational. Although they push out what they deem as high quality dog food they also put out superior shampoo, cleaning products, etc (they are owned by P&G)

Karen and others have done a TON of research into the listed brands. The companies listed are focused on dog nutrition. They aren't pumping out Gillette shaving cream in addition to pet food. The brands listed take the time to put out a high quality food. They are north American sourced/made and have stellar reputations.

Yes your pup will look, poop and act normal eating Iams or another brand. It's the long term benefits we all go for. The listed foods don't have the added filler and preservatives that the multinationals stuff in their foods. It's like having a salad or a big mac all the time.

It's all personal preference. But speaking from experience. Don't buy based on heart warming advertising. Do the research and trust your gut :) The listed foods can be trusted. And they aren't boutique. Some are more expensive than others but for the most part they are on par with the "other" brands cost wise. Higher quality foods mean you feed less :)

BTW.. I feed Spike Acana puppy. He's also had Fromm.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is a great response.

I will reiterate that you are not a horrible person. This group doesn't exist to shame, blame, or judge. It exists to present factual, well-researched information on canine nutrition to those who want it. Participation is voluntary. 

But we also cannot say that we think it is perfectly fine to feed Iams or Costco (Kirkland's). 

It has been well documented that veterinarians receive no education or training in nutrition in vet school, and what information they do have is provided by the salespeople from the multinational corporations that sell the Rx foods to vets. Retail store clerks also receive no reliable education in nutrition. For these reasons, most members of this group do not take advice about what to feed their dogs from vets or store clerks. Many of us who did in the past learned this the hard way.  

Health issues related to diet do not usually show up at 10 weeks or at 10 months. The effects of a poor quality diet are gradual over time, although in the many cases where ingredients were contaminated, it showed up faster, but still not fast enough to save the lives of thousands of dogs and cats. Nothing hurts in quite the same way as having your dog die because of something you chose to feed him, and it is my goal here to do everything in my power to make sure that no member of this group ever has to experience that kind of hurt again. 

But the choice is yours. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Also, none of the foods on our recommended brands list are what I would call "fancy", lol, and most are not organic. They are just good quality foods from reliable companies that do not use questionable or dangerous ingredients or ingredients imported from China.  

[Joan Bollaert]

You are not a horrible person at all.  Your dog is just eating horrible food.  But the upside is that you are here, concerned and asking questions.  :)

I feed my dog Orijen and they never have runny stools which I appreciate since I have to pick up after them everyday all day as I live in a condo community with no fenced in yard.  

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

Here is the way I look at it..... you could feed your kids mac & cheese, hotdogs and chicken nuggets and they would still grow. You might even have a Pediatrician tell you that those foods are appropriate for toddlers. I wouldn't ever feed my kids that way, but I wouldn't call you a bad mom if you did. :-) Kids and pets are at the mercy of adults to feed them, and some people choose to feed higher quality foods.

I sometimes have to laugh at myself... I have spent hours researching pet food for Winnie, often doing so with a Diet Coke in one hand, and a bowl of highly-processed crackers in the other!  :-) Chemicals and more chemicals!

[Shari Becker]

When we first got our dog, our vet basically said to us that when it comes to your dog's health, you either spend the money up front on high quality food, or you spend it later on poor health. No one will judge you for how you choose to feed your dog, but I think that like humans, their long-term health does depend on whether they are eating a well balanced meal full of natural and safe ingredients or whether they are eating food full of chemicals and processed ingredients. Prices vary, for sure, but there are lots of people here who can recommend quality brands that are more budget worthy. Also, as many folks have pointed out, sometimes the price tag is deceptive. My 40lb dog eats only 1.5 cups of Orijen a day, so a little goes a long way... You may end up going through cheaper food faster because the dog requires so much more to stay satiated. That's just my two cents. My daughter had fish sticks and frozen french fries with green beans and broccoli for dinner, so clearly we are a family that straddles both sides of the food debate! ;-)

[Ollie's Mom]

Hi Shari,

So I am looking at the Orijen food calculator for puppy  and there are two charts: one for puppy and one for large puppy. My vet said to feed him large breed puppy food. If he's 13 lbs now would I feed him 1 1/2 cups per day? Once he's 40 lbs looks like he will need 3c per day. Just curious since you said you feed your 40lb day 1.5 cups. This is all new to me! help please! 

http://www.orijen.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Orijen-Feeding-Guid...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Unless your pup is expected to top 90 lbs as an adult, you don't need a "large breed" formula. The large breed formulas are designed for dogs whose skeletal growth continues well into their second year, the idea being that you don't want them to get too big too fast. Nutritionally, there is very little difference between regular puppy formulas and "large breed" formulas, but you do need to feed more of the latter because they are lower in calories. 

[Tina McNerthney]

Amanda,

Just wanted to chime in and confirm that it is our experience with our 7.5 month old puppy Baxter that when you buy good quality food, you definitely go through less food. Baxter is 48 pounds and gets about 3 cups a day (supplemented by quality training treats) and he is in great shape - slim but not skinny. We feed him Fromm Gold Puppy formula and we've never had any bowel / digestion issues. He loves it - so much that I use a Slo-bowl to slow down his eating a bit. For other brands, like Nature's Domain, you'd have to feed at least a cup and a half more.

At one year, I'm going to consider feeding Bax one meal a day of dry and one Raw meal (patty of some sort since I am a life long vegetarian) with a small snack at lunch.

Love all the helpful advice on these forums. Thanks everyone.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Fromm is an excellent company. 

[Tina McNerthney]

We're really pleased with it, Karen. And Chewy.com has good prices, too.

For the raw patties, since we don't have an extra freezer and don't plan to get one, I'm going to purchase a pack of 10-15 servings from a local store that specializes in raw diet and incorporate that into Baxter's diet in a couple of months. I'm hoping I kind find a product that's high quality with minimal work aside from thawing and serving. ;)

[Shari Becker]

Tina, honestly, I tried making my own, and I tried buying bulk "chubs." None of those options worked for me. It's just so messy and gross. I don't know how large your dog is, but another option is to buy the freeze dried and just add water. If you can find it, Stella and Chewy's makes large frozen patties, too. S&C has been running promotions all summer, so we have been stocking up. Every penny saved helps on raw.