We get our lab in 4 weeks. He'll be 8 weeks old. The breeder feeds their dogs an expensive brand that we can't afford. So I'll need switch the puppy's diet. What do I look for in puppy food? How do I pick a food that won't completely break the bank but will keep him happy and healthy? Thanks!
Advice in general is that you should keep your puppy on the same food as the breeder for the first 2-4 weeks to help prevent any tummy upsets while they cope with the change of environment and absence of mum and siblings. New food should be introduced slowly over a period of 1 - 2 weeks, again to help prevent tumy upsets caused by the new food. If your puppy is happy, healthy and thriving on the current food you need to research the ingredients and composition of the food - most manufacturers have this information available on the internet. Once you have the information you can research through one of the dog food comparison sites for possible alternatives.
Hi @Labmama0701 you might be surprised that some of the more expensive foods actually turn out more economical than you think. If they are more nutrient dense and have less fillers then dogs get less volume/weight at each meal. If you break it down to how much you spend per day on food you might be surprised. Better spend on a good quality food than poor quality treats for instance. There is a good website but can't link on my phone. Erm....All About Dog Food? Please someone correct me if I am wrong and paste the link
Here you go: https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/ You can choose a quality food based on your budget. You have come to the right place in asking for advice for a good but reasonably priced puppy food, I remember being in the same position as you and thinking it was a minefield of choice! Ideally with labrador puppies it is a good idea if possible to choose a breed specific puppy food, ie a good brand designed to support the growth of large breed puppies. This is very important as you really don't want bones to grow too quickly, but are aiming for slow and steady growth of bones and joints.
I am using Symply puppy large breed for my puppy. Both my dogs are now on Symply and it suits them both. There is such a choice out there, it's hard to know what to buy but I am happy with this.
Yes, the breeder has explained this transition and will send a few days worth of food. Maybe I'll buy one bag so the transition can be longer and slower. Ill tell you - they use Fromm Large Breed Puppy food. I don't mind spending a little more. The idea of higher calorie food actually lasting longer as drja@5 mentioned has crossed my mind. The breeder said the puppies will be on a 3 meal/day when I get my puppy. I've read puppies need 4-5 meals a day so this food must be pretty dense. I stumbled upon that website all about dog food late last night after posting my question so I saved it and will keep reading through. Thanks!
Better quality food often works out only a little more expensive simply because you don't need to feed as much. I would buy a bag of the puppy food and just see how long it lasts and how much it works out a day. The comparison sites are useful for the per day price but that it is normally calculated on the manufacturer recommended feed amount and many of us find we feed less than that a day. 3 or 4 meals is pretty much the norm at 8 weeks of age and you manage their food intake based upon their growth and overall shape/condition.
We chose Fromm Large Breed Puppy and were very happy with it - the kibble is small and the volume you feed is quite small so a large bag lasted a long time. It also went on sale at two different pet stores and has a program of a free bag for every 10 you buy. It is cheaper than many premium foods - I would definitely research volume vs cost. We go through adult food at a much higher rate now, as the kibble is larger. So though the bag is cheaper, we are buying more frequently. The amount of meals just spreads out the food - you don't feed more. If I remember correctly, each meal on Fromm was pretty small (based on puppy's weight though).
Can you tell me what your monthly budget is for dog food? That would be very helpful. Are you feeding 1 adult dog?
Yes, just one adult dog at our house. I'm in Canada, and the Fromm Large Breed puppy 15kg (33lbs) bag is $80, which depending on age/weight would last around a month if I remember correctly, sometimes longer. As a puppy, our dog was pretty average for weight and we fed exactly what the bag called for with no issues. The last few months she was on it, she was eating 3 cups a day. Adult Food is GO! Fit + Free is 11.3kg (25 lbs) for $78.99 and lasts around 3 weeks (this is a Canadian brand). I actually just realized it's a smaller bag than the puppy food was, so I guess budget has gone up! She is eating 3 cups a day (or a little less depending on treats). I buy it every month when it is $5 off and you get two free cans with it
Thank you so much. I found a website that ships auto renewal for about $58 for a 33# bag for the Fromm brand. I've decided to stick with the brand from the breeder and see how our budget goes. ☺️
