Ok so this can be contentious but I have fed my pup Purina Beta (puppy) food since we have got him purely because that’s what the breeder used. Having since read a bit online, it doesn’t seem like the best choice (not that my pup is having elimination issues). But not quite sure I have found the answer for what is the best brand. I think I like the convenience of the dry puppy food so would like to know what the best in the market is - from a nutritional POV regardless of cost. And just for further knowledge, what is the IDEAL diet to put a Labrador on regardless of convenience?
When we picked up our pup he was on purina. I did some reading and found different takes on food. In my opinion it came down to a grain or grain free diet. I live in farm country and honestly don't have a problem with grain. I transitioned our puppy to diamond puppy food. He did so well at a little over a year I switched him to diamond maintenance. The last visit at the vet she asked what I'm feeding because in her opinion he looks perfect. Just right on weight and has a strong build. He is still under 80 lbs but I'm guessing will top out a little over 80 full grown. The sky is the limit on dog food. If your staying with dry the big question will be grain or no grain?
There is a great website where you can compare the cost and also nutritional rating. You input your pups details age, type etc and comes up with a list of results. I have copied the link below for you We started our puppy on Simpsons premium 80/20 but at 5 months she ended up with a funny tummy, vet said to put her onto the adult food as the puppy was too rich for her now. We thought that it was a bit young to be on adult food. We were toying with whether to switch to raw or not and this made the decision for us. Since 5 months she has been on Natural Instinct and everyone comments on how shiny her coat is and how healthy she looks. https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/the-dog-food-directory
You will get a million opions to this question so you need to do what suits you and your dog. Many would argue a raw diet is the best, but I can't quite face that. Meg does get plenty of fresh rabbit from spring to autumn but thats delivered by the cats ! She is on James Wellbeloved which is a middle of the range good food. She is a fabulous weight, shiny coat and bundles of energy. It really suits her. The other brand she has had in the past is Miiles Wolfheart, that is a bit better quality I think, read their website and you can chat to them about your specific dog needs. They are pretty local to me and I only switched back to JWB because it was easier to collect. Millies now deliver for free so i will probably switch back. Good luck with your choice.
Our breeder had our puppy on Purinia Plan Focus for puppies but we will be switching him to all raw soon.
If you're really looking for the best nutritional diet, then - in my opinion - it's raw. Here is some reading and research: https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2020/04/27/dry-pet-food-extrusion.aspx https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16013542 https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-017-0981-z https://healthypets.mercola.com/sit.../kibble-fed-dogs-metabolic-stress-levels.aspx https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190906104102.htm https://asiakas.kotisivukone.com/fi...Poster_149-1371_FENS_Roine_Hielm-Bjorkman.pdf This is a deeper dive: I feed my dogs a pre-made raw mince, supplemented with blueberries, kefir, wild salmon oil and probiotics daily. When I have a pup and want to do a lot of training with my dog's meals, I feel Ziwipeak - which is air-dried raw that I can handle, unlike raw mince.
If you are going to feed dry food then check the first 5 ingredients, 3 of the first 5 should be meat or meat meal. And get one that is for large breeds Personally I prefer to avoid anything with corn/maize because they use it to bump up the protein levels, but that extra protein is not available for the dog. They can’t convert it.
No, it costs much less than when we fed kibble and works out incredibly economical. Not to mention that my Lab, who's been raw fed almost all her life, has never been to the vet (besides initial vaccinations) and is 6yo. So I see that we've saved a fortune, through feeding a species-appropriate diet. Obviously I can't prove that is due to what I'm feeding, but there's a correlation there for me, compared with previous dogs.
@Jo Laurens - So what is a typical week's food that you use for a lab and at what cost. If it works out cheaper to give a better diet, i'm all for that. I am starting at the beginning here
Been feeding my lab raw last 4 years since a young pup. We buy in bulk -- 8 lb logs of beef, 5 lb logs of turkey, bulk fish, gizzards, liver, and when available rabbit, duck and assorted other items to mix it up. I'd say we spend about $100 US per month and we prepare his monthly meals at once and freeze. Yes, it's time consuming and many people think it's horrid but IMO heat extruded kibble with most of its nutritional value lost is not a choice I want to make. I have a blood panel done every year and it has always come back tops. It also helps if your vet is on board with a raw diet. In fact if you do switch to raw and your vet opposes choose another or you'll get a condescending lecture when you visit.
I currently have 8 dogs (5 labs, a golden retriever, a springer and a collie cross). I have raw fed for over 10 years. I currently spend £200/month on their food, so £25/month per dog; less than £1/day. Cheaper than a good quality kibble.
What do you typically feed them on? We are using Natural Instinct and it is costing around £110 for 5/6 weeks.
We probably spend about £10-15 per dog per week. I feed Nutriment raw chubbs. I buy frozen blueberries from the store and add a tablespoon of those once a day, Grizzly Wild Salmon oil from Amazon - one bottle lasts a good couple of months, but keep it in the fridge to prevent oxidation - and a splash of kefir over the top... As with all foods, I feed according to each dog's size and appearance and not by whatever the packet says - even when feeding raw. This means I feed much less than what packets advise. And so it is much cheaper... I also use some training treats each day, which for my dogs are usually boiled liver, kidneys, hearts, (all of which I get frozen from the supermarket) or cheddar - sometimes roast meats if a joint was on sale.
