Puppy food - bull mastiff

andreac

Go for a mid range one then like Clinivet, Arden Grange, etc.

ISDW

Andromeda_111 wrote: »

I'm not feeding him the chubbs. I am feeding him completely raw. I'm feeding him a mix of:
Salmon
Tripe (absolutely stinks to high heavens but he loves it)
Chicken wings/backs
Sardines
Organ mix

If I want to add veggies I'll boil up a large pot of bought veggies and add a little bit in with his food. It's working for my guy as he is looking great and eating every bite.

So you just get your own raw food?

just a general observation now, not aimed at anyone in particular, but the protein content is interesting, if you think about it logically, meat is pure protein, so why is it alright to feed raw to a growing pup, but not a high protein kibble? not saying you shouldn't feed raw, but wondered if someone could explain this to me.

Shirley2013

I know I was thinking the same thing!! How would I keep his protein levels down if I went raw. Avcana = 32% , orijen also over 30%, Clinvet = 30%...... What the heck??? It seems puppy food is loaded. Maybe I should feed him adult kibble and supplement with salmon oil???

BillyMitchel

DBB wrote: »

Sorry BillyMitchell, this is not aimed at you, just using your info to address some costs concerns the op mentioned! Especially as op said they'd feed RC giant puppy!
€27 for 4kg of food is... Shocking! OP mentioned they'd like to raw feed, but is concerned about the cost: the very mist I spend on 4kg of meat/barf is €16! Having said that, you do have to feed more raw per weight, but even if you had to feed double the weight of raw food to the RC (which is unlikely), you're still almost breaking even!
I'm no fan of RC, I think there are wayyyy better dry food available for less/similar money, but each to their own!

Yep 27.70 to be exact, at the moment it's costing close to €40 a week after I get some mince/chicken/bones. I know I could prob get it a bit cheaper online but I enjoy going to my pet shop and they cut me some good deals on stuff too. Also like to support the local businesses!

I've always feed him giant puppy RC as its what the breeder and vet made me out to believe was the best, especially for such a big dog that's growing so fast. If I remember correctly my vet actually said don't feed him anything else!

What else would you recommend? I don't want to go over the €40 per week. Don't want to do raw either. He doing great on RC too, perfect weight and in great shape but if I can get better for him I will.

Sorry for butting in OP!

Rommie

That's something that's always confused me as well ISDW. Surely it's not the levels of protein, but the source of protein that's the problem. Dogs are carnivores so surely the higher the protein, the better?

andreac

Shirley, dont go for the puppy food then, come down to Junior or adult which will be lower protein %. The junior Clinivet is 26% i think?

The problem with the cheaper foods is the fillers really, the grains etc. They can cause huge problems in dogs, with skin conditions, hot spots etc which i have first hand experience with, with my rotties.

DBB

ISDW wrote: »

So you just get your own raw food?

just a general observation now, not aimed at anyone in particular, but the protein content is interesting, if you think about it logically, meat is pure protein, so why is it alright to feed raw to a growing pup, but not a high protein kibble? not saying you shouldn't feed raw, but wondered if someone could explain this to me.

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-highest-in-protein.php
But meat is not made up completely of protein! A quick Google gave me this link which indicates how much protein there is in meat... You might be surprised at how little there actually is! Meat contains other stuff, like fats, minerals, vitamins etc.

On the inclusion of veg in the raw diet, DogsFirst did indeed say that veg is not necessary, but he also said that as an optional extra, it can add an extra oomph to the raw diet, as the nutrients in veg mimic the nutrients many raw fed dogs don't get from organs like the pancreas and spleen, because many raw fed dogs would only get to eat these organs if fed entire carcasses. So, to clarify, veg are not thought to be vital, but they may add an additional source of nutrients which raw fed dogs may otherwise miss out on, to some extent at least.
I hope this clarifies both points!

Tropheus

There's a new food in the UK that is equivalent to Orijen that's now sold in Ireland. They had a stand at the recent Dog Expo in Swords on Patrick's Day:

http://www.ireland.edenpetfoods.com/

They sell a 15kg bag for €59.99 and free postage if you spend over €75. That's not bad considering my last 12kg bag of Orijen from Zooplus cost me over €80.

I got a sample bag from them at the show and our dog loves it. I'll definitely give it a try for our 6 mth old Beagle.

tk123

Rommie wrote: »

That's something that's always confused me as well ISDW. Surely it's not the levels of protein, but the source of protein that's the problem. Dogs are carnivores so surely the higher the protein, the better?

I wouldn't worry about the the protein content tbh - certainly don't discount a brand because it has a few % more than another. Look at the actual ingredients in the foods you're comparing eg 50% protein in a food where it's coming from actual meat and another were most of the protein is coming from say rice or other junk fillers is not the same thing.
The key for avoiding pano or joint issues (of which I have first hand experience) is to keep the puppy lean and don't let them pile on weight or muscle that they can't support yet.


I feed raw so I'm biased lol but it's as cheap or expensive as you want it to be to a certain extent - the same with any food though I think? There's tons of good quality foods to suit all budgets - personally I'd go for a cereal free option. Take a look on zooplus, vetuk, medicanimal etc

DBB

BillyMitchel wrote: »

What else would you recommend? I don't want to go over the €40 per week. Don't want to do raw either. He doing great on RC too, perfect weight and in great shape but if I can get better for him I will.

Hmmm, given that you want to stay local, which is very laudable, it's hard to recommend any of the dry foods I like, there aren't many of them!
But, I know that Barking Heads seem to be spreading their wings, geographically speaking, and perhaps your local shop could get it in for you? It's cheaper than what you're paying, and imo a pretty good food. It can also be got on zooplus now (the .co.uk site). You can also get Taste of the Wild on zooplus too, another of my favourites.
Having said that, if the current food suits, I'd be waiting with bated breath to see that the new, cereal-free diets would suit. They generally suit more dogs, but there are always exceptions, so I'd be inclined to either write to the companies for some freebies first, or just buy a small bag first, to experiment.
To my mind, the problems with the high-cereal/filler foods may not show until the dog reaches middle- to old-age, so whilst the RCs and JWBs and Burns are lauded as being good foods, I can't help but think they're not good in the longer term. But of course, nobody makes the connection between an illness in a 10 yr old dog, and diet over the lifetime, unless it's really obvious, like obesity, or perhaps diabetes.

Edited to add: have just seen on another thread that Amazon subscribe and save gives great value on Barking Heads, 12kg for STG£36!