Puppy food

[Mary]

After I brought my goldendoodle, Belfi, home two weeks  ago, I started by continuing on the dry food that the breeder was using: TLC for puppies. Anyone has experience with them?

Belfi has had stomach problem from the beginning, she got tested twice and it does not seem to be from parasite. However, it can well be because she eats absolutely anything!

But still I wanted to try to see if changing her food can improve the situation and as another person suggested to me on this website, she may like the new food better and graze less on grass! Any suggestion on any particular brand? Belfi is standard size, so based on my online research Blue Buffalo for large breed puppies seems to be a good choice. Any experience with that? 

Thanks everyone,

Maryam

ps. Repost to the food group!

[LORRY SWETLAND]

I have been using Taste of the wild for puppies. I use that because it doesn't have chicken and is grain free. It is for all size puppies. Turbo has done well on it but I started him out on 1/2 cup 3 times a day for a week cause he had loose poops from traveling and change of water and new surroundings. After a week and the poops firmed up I started to increase his food to 1 and 1/4 cup twice a day and then gradually increase until he was on 2 cups twice a day and no loose poops. This worked for him.

[Mary]

How old was Turbo when you got to 1 and 1/4 cups twice a day? Belfi is three months old now.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Maryam, please see my comment regarding feeding amounts. They will be different for every food and every dog. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Taste of the Wild is not on our recommended brands list. We removed it several years ago because it is owned and made by Diamond, which has had more recalls than any other company out there. 

As far as feeding amounts go, that is different for every dog. It is based on the calorie content of the particular food as well as the dog's age, weight, expected adult size, and activity level. What one puppy requires can be entirely different from what another puppy requires. How much food 

Puppies under 4 months typically do best on three feeding per day. They can be switched to twice a day between 4-6 months. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

TLC is sold through a multilevel marketing plan, otherwise known as a pyramid scheme. We do not recommend it.

As I mentioned in your other discussion, Blue Buffalo is also not recommended, and you don't need a "large breed" formula unless Belfi is expected to top 90 lbs as an adult.

It's very possible that her digestive issues are due to her ingesting things she shouldn't. To stop that, you need to have her on a leash every time she goes outside, so that you can correct her and prevent her from doing it. Indoors, she needs to be supervised; keeping puppies tethered to you is one way to do that. Using a crate or baby gate, and keeping things out of her reach also helps.

Probiotics are important when a dog has digestive issues. I'd order Proviable DC online (shop around for the best prices) and try using that for a few weeks, until you've switched her over to a new food and her stools improve. 

Wellness Core Puppy Food has worked well for many puppies here. You might try that. http://brands.wellnesspetfood.com/core/dogs/dry-formula-puppy

[Mary]

Thanks Karen,

That is what I thought about TLC. But given that I read everywhere to start with the same food as the breeder I started there, hopefully I can switch to something that would be better for her.

I am working on her eating issues, she is always supervised and on leash even inside, we can control the environment inside pretty well but outside is another story. Where we live is almost like being in the middle of woods. 

Is there a place where I can find amount of calories needed for my pup to make sure that I am on the right track? I am following the packaging guidelines but I realize that that is the same formula for any breed but goldendoodles are usually much more active than most.

I am going over the link you sent me before and I will give the wellness pet food a try too. 

Thanks

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

All dog foods have feeding guidelines on the package; that's a good starting place, and you can adjust up or down from there. Goldendoodles are really not more active than most other breeds, lol. Most puppies are very active. :)

Even living in the middle of the woods, you really need to take puppies out on leash. Not only does it prevent them from getting into anything they shouldn't, but it also gives you a chance to monitor their "output" and clean it up right away, lol.

[Mary]

She is always on leash, but she loves everything that she can find outside, mulch, rocks, leaves, grass, etc. I try my best to stop her but she is not even looking forward, she looks exactly as a lamb or goat grazing, just try one thing after another. I try to lure her with treats but I am not successful every time. I actually have another discussion on this issue and some people suggested to me that it might be that she is hungry and not happy with her current food, thus, my new question.

Thanks, I will go to local pet store and see if I can get couple of samples for Belfi.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's an old wives' tale that dogs eat things outdoors because they don't like their food or are hungry. Puppies explore the world with their mouths, and some dogs eat all kinds of strange things, especially retrievers. 

[Laura and Angus]

Karen clearly has this and will give you great eating advice, but I just wanted to commiserate. Our doodle was ridiculous outside as a puppy. We couldn't walk one step without him grabbing something with his mouth. It's true (as Karen mentioned) that puppies explore the world with their mouths like babies, but also, I read extensively about breeds and it would seem that since goldendooldles are made up of two hunting dogs they instinctively learn at a young age to exercise their jaws by chewing and grabbing onto things. This prepares them for their "job" of pulling/carrying/picking up with their mouths. Not all doodles are super chewers, it definitely depends on the mixture you have and also personality.

If it makes you feel any better, we have a crazy chewer who literally picked up every single thing on walks. We worked tirelessly to teach "leave it" and also "drop it" and now at 2 and a half years, we're at a point where he rarely picks things up and, if he does, will leave/drop things 95% of the time.