puppy food vs adult?

[Herd4fun]

I can understand your breeders concern and personally I would trust the breeder over the vet. While vet's are great at medical information most vets haven't got a clue when it comes to nutritional information unless they've done extracurricular studies. It's a sad fact that most vet schools don't require nutrition classes.

Your breeder knows her dogs better than anyone else, go with what she says. I personally feed an all stage food.

 

[The Quahog]

most vets haven't got a clue when it comes to nutritional information

As my reply to this oft repeated mantra would, unlike the post itself, undoubtedly once again be viewed as offensive , I shall pass. However on the subject at hand I would add that the controversy as to whether adding calcium, adding calories, and/or adding protein to the diet of growing dogs contributes to (by causing 'overgrowth') or prevents ( by providing needed additional nutritional necessary for proper growth) such conditions as hip dysplasia, osteochondritis dessicans, or panosteitis has been a bone of contention for at least the past 40 +years without resolution.


I recall many years ago when i was in veterinary school Dr. Lennart Krook strongly advising that all large breed dogs receive calcium supplementation to prevent hip dysplasia while many were arguing just the opposite. The jury is still out. And people on both sides are very adamant, with many years of study and hundreds of links to support their arguments.
So the breeder's contention may have merit, but remains in the 'unproven' category. Recommending adult food based on her experience with her puppies should neither be considered 'right' nor 'wrong' advice. As with most subjects in nutrition, the only people we should strongly take issue with are those who feel that they know the 'one revealed truth.' - Dr. Mac

 

[cait28]

As my reply to this oft repeated mantra would, unlike the post itself, undoubtedly once again be viewed as offensive , I shall pass. However on the subject at hand I would add that the controversy as to whether adding calcium, adding calories, and/or adding protein to the diet of growing dogs contributes to (by causing 'overgrowth') or prevents ( by providing needed additional nutritional necessary for proper growth) such conditions as hip dysplasia, osteochondritis dessicans, or panosteitis has been a bone of contention for at least the past 40 +years without resolution.


I recall many years ago when i was in veterinary school Dr. Lennart Krook strongly advising that all large breed dogs receive calcium supplementation to prevent hip dysplasia while many were arguing just the opposite. The jury is still out. And people on both sides are very adamant, with many years of study and hundreds of links to support their arguments.
So the breeder's contention may have merit, but remains in the 'unproven' category. Recommending adult food based on her experience with her puppies should neither be considered 'right' nor 'wrong' advice. As with most subjects in nutrition, the only people we should strongly take issue with are those who feel that they know the 'one revealed truth.' - Dr. Mac

even though its a unproven fact i still will be continuing with the adult food just to be on the safe side

 

[Lovely]

You could choose (what I view is) the middle road and go with an All Life Stages food like Taste of the Wild. I find it to be tasty, I can rotate flavors, and my dogs have grown just fine on it. Pierre is at the max height for an 'in height' Papillon and Duncan is just under height for a Sheltie. You tell me what that means.

 

[Megansmom]

Dr. Mac is absolutely right! To say that Vets know so little about animal nutrition is pretty uneducated.

How many years do Vets spend in school? I can't imagine in the MANY years of college education that they don't spend hours upon hours studying the many factors, components, chemistry, etc on animal nutrition.

Just my two cents worth

 

[OntarioSheltie]

Dr. Mac is absolutely right! To say that Vets know so little about animal nutrition is pretty uneducated.

How many years do Vets spend in school? I can't imagine in the MANY years of college education that they don't spend hours upon hours studying the many factors, components, chemistry, etc on animal nutrition.

Just my two cents worth

Very true. When Sadie was having digestive problem I doubted my vet and friend, based on what I now realize are my own personal experiences with doctors and my health issues. I realized later how stupid I was being and have never doubted her again.

She strongly recommended I put Sadie on a hypoallergenic vet food, which the dog food analysis web site say's is basically comprised of crap. I was skeptical, however it ended up being the ONLY thing that not only helped her, but cured her of her problem, which we were never able to diagnose. This after trying easy to digest holistic foods that I thought were more appropriate for her, based on my own reading and not my veterinarian's experience..

I think its some times easier for us to read something on the internet these days and draw our own conclusions than to listen to the experts we know and trust. I know I personally won't be making that mistake again.

 

[Megansmom]

Very true. When Sadie was having digestive problem I doubted my vet and friend, based on what I now realize are my own personal experiences with doctors and my health issues. I realized later how stupid I was being and have never doubted her again.

She strongly recommended I put Sadie on a hypoallergenic vet food, which the dog food analysis web site say's is basically comprised of crap. I was skeptical, however it ended up being the ONLY thing that not only helped her, but cured her of her problem, which we were never able to diagnose. This after trying easy to digest holistic foods that I thought were more appropriate for her, based on my own reading and not my veterinarian's experience..

I think its some times easier for us to read something on the internet these days and draw our own conclusions than to listen to the experts we know and trust. I know I personally won't be making that mistake again.

I couldn't agree with you more!! I personally find the dog food analysis website very limited on what they call quality. I have my 15 1/2 y/o cat on a Prescription Renal support food and so far she is doing better. In fact, I believe it's been several days since she has thrown up, which was every few days.

Glad your furbabe is doing good

 

[OntarioSheltie]

I couldn't agree with you more!! I personally find the dog food analysis website very limited on what they call quality. I have my 15 1/2 y/o cat on a Prescription Renal support food and so far she is doing better. In fact, I believe it's been several days since she has thrown up, which was every few days.

Glad your furbabe is doing good

Yeah, I've driven myself just about mad on that web site. It is very helpful but I've learned that you have to take the reviews with a grain of salt.

I had a cat on vet food also, but for crystals. He was a stray that we got when he was just under a year old and we had him for 16 years. The food couldn't have been that bad if it kept him alive for that long!

 

[Megansmom]

Yeah, I've driven myself just about mad on that web site. It is very helpful but I've learned that you have to take the reviews with a grain of salt.

I had a cat on vet food also, but for crystals. He was a stray that we got when he was just under a year old and we had him for 16 years. The food couldn't have been that bad if it kept him alive for that long!

, exactly!! I quit looking at that website long ago, and started going by gut instinct, what Vets (mine and sis-in-law) have told me AND how long my animals have lived!

 

[Smudge]

I have my 15 1/2 y/o cat on a Prescription Renal support food and so far she is doing better. In fact, I believe it's been several days since she has thrown up, which was every few days.

I looked that up. Is that for kidney failure?!

Was your cat just randomly throwing up? Smudge was throwing up EVERY SINGLE DAY and refusing to eat. They never did blood work (he wasn't even a year old at the time - close to it though). I'll have to ask the vet about that when we go back next month for Smudge's rabies shot.