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GENERAL
RULE OF THUMB FOR CHOOSING THE RIGHT FOOD FOR YOUR PUPPY:
- NOT every puppy food is right for a large/giant
breed growth
- NOT every adult formula is right for
large/giant breed growth
In my Puppy
Feed Programs for Large/Giant Breeds, I have provided the only puppy
food options that I approve of for large/giant breed growth. But
once in a while someone lives far (over 50 miles) from where these
can be purchased. I have provided you with a criteria and it will
take making some phone calls to the companies to get some of the info,
if it is not on the bag. Remember, sales clerks are not nutritionists,
you can't always rely on them to sell you the right thing so you need
to come prepared.
There are important things to consider
if you can't purchase the recommendations above for large/giant breed
growth. This criteria is the same for pregnant and lactating bitches.
- It must be a Holistic or Super Premium
level dog food (read the bag for those words)
- Company is owned by a family or individual
NOT a large corporation.
- USDA or Human Grade are necessary words to look for on
the website and phamplets about the food. They are not allowed
to put some words on the bags of foods so check the websites.
- You want PROBIOTICS on the food
- Protein levels 23-26%
- Fat 12%-16%
- Moderate calories per cup 350 - 400
- Calcium - 1.2%
- 1.5%
- Multiple proteins - at least 2 - in
food (meats/eggs/fish)- so all amino acid bases are covered:
chicken/fish/eggs or pork/chicken/fish or turkey/fish/beef (get
the drift).
- Trace minerals-
68-72 trace or micro minerals - are
an absolute must or there are growth problems. They are
probably listed on the bag, as kelp,
barley grass, seaweed.
You will have to call the company and ask if they have trace
minerals in the food. The first response will be YES, but customer
service will think you are thinking about regular minerals like
calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, etc. - those are not trace
minerals. So you need to ask them OK,where is it listed on the bag.
Currently there are only a small handful of companies they pay attention
to trace minerals in the diets and they are critical to development
and the metabolic system (the body's power plant).
UPDATE: 2011 - I provided considerable imput into the new line of PRECISE HOLISTIC COMPLETE Pet Foods, which won Top Pet Foods for 2010 by "Pet Business" the industry magazine. Here are the new foods.
PHC Large/Giant Breed Puppy (this works great for puppies - weaning - adult if you want or you can switch up to the Adult formula at 8 - 10 months if they are lean and need more body mass)
PHC Large/Giant Breed Adult,
PHC Senior & Weight Management - All Breeds
Wild at Heart Duck/Turkey - All Life Stages - All Breeds can use to rotate flavors too.
Wild at Heart
Salmon - All Life Stages - All Breeds can use to rotate flavors too.
PHC Small Medium Puppy
PHC Small Medium Adult
PHC Adult Cat food too.
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