The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Dogs => Topic started by: Anke on January 15, 2019, 09:21:16 pm
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Our lab is now just over 7 months old and coming on very nicely. He was weighed beg of December and was around 18kgs, so far he is still on puppy food - when do people move their dogs onto adult feed?
Also the food we are feeding at the moment (on recommendation of the breeder) is Purina Pro-Plan - he is doing fine on it. I am thinking of moving him onto a grain/gluten free dry food in a wee while - anyone got any recommendations? He will still always get a bit of raw goats milk with his meals, but I would like to keep to kibble/dry feed as it is just easier to manage and I can weigh it accurately.
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Usually the manufacturers will recommend when to change to adult, and will be somewhere on the pack, mostly around 12 months. Large breeds keep growing frame until 12-18 months so this keeps protein, calcium etc balanced for growing bones.
If he's doing fine on his current food, why change? Some dogs do have grain intolerance, but not many. I would usually advise to stick with the same food if it's not disagreeing with the dog as their gut bacteria adapt and change is only likely to upset the apple cart.
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My 6.5 month German Shepherd puppy weighs 28kg and is on Burgess puppy food. The bag says to feed up to 1yr.
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If he's doing fine on his current food, why change? Some dogs do have grain intolerance, but not many. I would usually advise to stick with the same food if it's not disagreeing with the dog as their gut bacteria adapt and change is only likely to upset the apple cart.
I don't think they need grains and it is added as a filler to make the feed cheaper. I am just wondering if I get a grain-free feed, that is of course more expensive, I can feed less of it and also reduce the likelihood of him getting fat.
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They add grains to create a balanced diet of carbohydrates and protein, not as an unnecessary filler. Grain free foods have things like potato to do a similar job. In the wild, wolves are omnivores, they will eat stomach content of their prey which includes things like grains too.
High protein food or low quality such as bakers is more likely to be laid down as fat. Any food in excess will cause weight gain, so I would recommend starting at the recommendation on the packet for amount, and adjust based on body condition, increasing or decreasing amount as required.
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If there are no other considerations, such as moving him onto an adult food a bit earlier than the bag suggests so that feeding multiple dogs is easier, then I'd follow more or less the guidelines. Usually around 12 months. He still has some growing to do.
As already mentioned I wouldn't worry too much about the feeding guidelines when it comes to quantity of feed. I go more on body condition. Labs tend to be very greedy and get fat quickly. My little working line bitch would be very fat if I fed her according to the instructions on the feed bag.
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We have just switched to Caspian grain free puppy food for our 6 mth old Sprocker puppy after a spell of intermittent diarrhoea for which she had antibiotics from the vet. It didn’t improve but since the (gradual) switch to Caspian, it has, and she now produces well formed stools every time. On the internet it is the same price as Arden Grange, which we were using before.
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We're moving our pup off puppy food onto junior when he gets to nine months, though I suppose different manufacturers will vary.
I found local supply to be a little hit and miss, so ordered through VetUK and added a couple of 'chuckit' balls to get free postage.
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Personally I move off puppy food at 6 months, often to a junior till 9 months then adult. I've been told too much protein esp for such as labs can lead to hip dyslapsia - but cannot back that up with evidence. Look at your dog, at their energy levels and weight and make your own decision ;) A hyper pup may need to back off the protein.
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Hip dysplasia has been proved to be part hereditary/part environmental. Genetics is the leading cause of hip dysplasia in dogs. It what vets call a “polygenic, multifactorial disease.” This means that there are multiple genes that contribute to hip dysplasia. Too much exercise and leaping about on teh hind legs is an envionmental cause
Foods do not contribute to HD, although a grossly overweight animal will obviously have immense strain put on the whole of its body
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We are keeping him still on puppy food for another two months, but on slightly lower rations. He isn't hyper at all (except when he meets other people and their dogs) - soo different from my previous terriers… Will see what we do once he gets to about 10 months, some of the fancier (and supposedly healthier) feeds seem to be ridiculously expensive..., so we will probably settle somewhere in the middle.
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Just a note on the price of the better foods. The cheaper ones are full of rubbish fillers meaning you have to feed much more, so the good quality feeds really aren’t as expensive as they appear. We feed Akela, which is about £45 a bag (working food so no VAT, and 5/5 on All About Dog Food), but our 20kg collie literally has one handful a day, so it lasts for ages. The other advantage with avoiding cheap foods full of fillers is you get nice small, firm poos, and not many of them; what goes in, has to come out! Have a look on https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk (https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk), it rates all dog foods and can be most enlightening.