Big Paws Only Dog Forums
Mastiffs => American Mastiff Discussions & Pictures => : dutch1204 June 07, 2005, 12:03:35 PM
-
Hello! I have a 6 month old American Mastiff puppy, Duchess, who is currently about 65 lbs and will top out between 120 and 180. I am having a HECK of a time figuring out what to feed her. The breeder used to recommend Diamond but now she recommends Iams. I did try Diamond but Duchess does not eat it too well. SHe seems to like the Iams but I am not impressed with the ingredients on the bag. Can you guys tell me what you recommend. I'll stick with the Iams if you think its OK. Or let me know if you think there is something better (but not much more expensive). Thanks.
-
I feed my OEM puppy, Science Diet Large Breed Puppy, it is more expensive than Iams but has more protein and less fat.
-
My vet told me to use Science diet, but said Eukanuba, and couple other ones are good too. He wasn't as excited about Iam, I just remember it was something about high fat content.
With mastiffs, you have to be careful with the the proportion of fat to protein in the food in order to maintain a steady growth rate.
-
Hello!
We feed our 2 Newfs Solid Gold. I'm not sure what the cost of Diamond is, but Solid Gold is a great food, but runs about $40 for the large bag I buy (not sure how many pounds that is...30 maybe?). Many dog owners I know are using it for their large and extra large breed dos. We have ours on the Wolf King adult mix, even though both our puppies. It has a good ratio of fat, protein and calcium, as you have to be careful that it doesnt contain too high amounts of the above.....due to the concern of what the others above have stated. My vet endorsed Pro Plan which I didnt like and we checked with other big paws owners and found Solid Gold. Good luck to you and Duchess!
-
We have always fed our dogs Nutro Natural Choice Lamb & Rice Formula...even when they were puppies. Greta's breeder, and our veterinarian, recommended this in lieu of a puppy food due to the extreme growth factor. It is even more extreme for you with a mastiff. My current vet recommends Science Diet, but we are stubborn and since our dogs have remained so healthy we do not see a reason to switch foods.
Perhaps consulting your veterinarian is the next step. There are a lot of opinions out there and sometimes individual dogs simply do not like certain foods.
My littlest rottweiler, Betti, is a dainty eater. Usually I have to add warm water to her food and I feed her the "small bites" variety made by Nutro Natural Choice. Natural Choice is different from Nutro Max...which usually has stripes on the bag.
I read that the first few ingredients are most important, because that is what the food contains the most of...and corn is supposed to be a filler and bad for skin and coat. Also, food with "bi-products" basically means there are all sorts of ground up innerds in the food...which is not good either. :-\
-
I am switching Bailey to Eagle Pack. There is another post someone just posted yesterday about a top breeder and trainer who recommended it. I researched alot and this food is highly recommended for Danes (even though Bailey is a Saint they have a lot of the same growth issues as a Dane). She is a very picky eater, and I need to mix some canned with it yet, but I am hoping to wean that out eventually. She has thrown up a lot less now, and her poops have been firm and they say that is a good sign.
new2saints
-
I am feeding Eagle Pack also, with such a big puppy you have to be careful not to overfeed protein. Whatever brand you choose, try to not go too much over 23% protein. The protein is what makes them grow in a faster or slower rate. Like greek4 said, it is also important to have a good balance between the protein and energy. But most of the too high energy values are in the food with too much protein. Your dog will get as big as his genetics were meant to make him, but if you can make him grow rather slow and in a even rate he will benefit a lot from that. Both hips, elbows and other joints take a lot of stress when our big babies grow. You also want a nice calcium level, too much can make them grow too fast, too little can make them knockle over, basically it is a fine line.
Even if you find a brand that is a bit more expensive than Iams, see to the whole picture. how much do you need to feed, how will the over all health be on the dog. A real good food has usually way less fillers than the little cheaper, and you can usually tell by how much you have to feed and how much they go poop. Especially when they are out of the baby stage.
Good Luck in finding a food that works for you
Marit
-
Just a side note about IAMS/Eukanuba, I will not bring it into my house, not due to the nutritional factor but because of all of the inhumane testing that they do on dogs and cats! Testing food is one thing, inhumane testing is quite another. Want to see something scary, type IAMS animal testing in your search engine...
-
thank so much all of you. Seems from what I've heard and read, the 2 top choices are Eagle Pack and Nutro. I'll give them a try and see if she'll eat it. ;D
-
I agree with Marit. Don't just look at the price of the food without looking at the serving size. Many of the commercial brand foods appear cheaper....but you need to feed much more of it because of the fillers (which they just poop out anyway). I feed Timberwolf Organics, which seems more pricey, but I feed so much less....that it really evens out and Jack is getting a really high quality kibble. Jack is full-grown at 90 pounds and he gets just 2-3 cups a day (depending on if we supplement with fresh meat/veggies). A 33 pound bag lasts about 5 weeks ($44 a bag), which I think is a reasonable amount to spend on feeding a large dog.
Good luck in your food quest. It can be so confusing with so many different foods out there...all claiming to be the best choice for your dog.
Lori
-
I have heard about the acusations against Iams. If they are true, it is heartbreaking. However, I have found statements responding to the claims as false. See below. Who knows what to believe!
http://www.iamstruth.com/iamstruth/en_US/jhtmls/article/IT_Article_Page.jhtml?li=en_US&pti=WO&articleID=8
-
Lots of good advice ladies! I think you even convinced me to switch. One thing for sure is that we all love our babies enough to go the extra mile and make sure they are getting the best possible nutrution. I wish I could get myself to eat this good! Maybe that lipoma would disappear ???
-
Iams has awknowledged the accusations and has admitted to some of them, they did close down several of their research companies due to all of the mishap. I am not a huge PETA fan, but it seems that in this case however exaggerated their claims may have been, that they did stumble accross some truth to the matter.PLEASE don't think that I am trying to encourage anyone else to do the same, it is just a personal issue with me.
-
O hear ya, and I don't blame you one bit! I would also hate to support a company that is inhumane and irresponsible.
-
Hey, do you guys know anything about DIAMOND brand dog foods? Most of the feed store in my area carry it. It sounds like it has all good ingredients but it is so inexpensive. Not sure if there is a catch or if it is just not well known. ???
-
I have a friend who feeds Diamond lamb and rice to all his dogs from a 20 lb terrier to his 2 great danes, and all his dogs are beautiful and healthy, with shiny coats and sparkly eyes and great dispositions. I think that speaks well for the food.
-
I feed one of the Diamond lines of food...It's Premium Edge...After a bit of trouble getting Samson switched over from Iams large Breed Puppy, I have been very pleased with it!...My good friend works in pet supplies & said the Premium Edge is a better food than the regular Diamond...Good luck!...Also, you said your dog doesn't seem to like it much...Maybe he or she is just eating less because there is more stuff that they actually use in it & less "junk"...Just a thought.
-
We also use Solid Gold HundenFlocken. Our 3 Newfies love it. I think you are correct TwoNewfies, it is about $38 for the big bag which is about 37.5lbs. I think. We also weren't too happy with the skin reaction our Klondike (2yrs. old) had with the ProPlan. He doesn't have any skin problems with the Solid Gold. We had tried California Natural too and Klondike didn't have any problems with the skin reactions, he just wasn't crazy about eating it after a few months. Solid Gold works for all 3 of our pups very well.
Anita and the 3 Goofy Newfies from NJ
-
Just a side note about IAMS/Eukanuba, I will not bring it into my house, not due to the nutritional factor but because of all of the inhumane testing that they do on dogs and cats! Testing food is one thing, inhumane testing is quite another. Want to see something scary, type IAMS animal testing in your search engine...
I know saint...... It is gross and unethical and you would think a company that works with dogfood and dog products would respect the animals, I heard about it for the first time end of last year and since I worked very activly for "the nordic foundation against cruelty to animals" when I lived in Sweden I almost flipped out, when I realized that I had actually bought their products before.
Marit
-
We are in the process of switching to Solid Gold Wolf Cub, it is a little more expensive, but I noticed we don't use as much as Eukanuba, Tonka just started to get where she did not like Eukanuba as well as me not liking some of the products, we try to keep her on natural foods anyway due to her getting sick when she has something with a lot of fillers. She absolutely loves Solid Gold.
-
I read on another board that the horrible things that are being seen on the web about Iams was put there by PETA. I've also heard that PETA are borderline criminals, hysterical phanatics.
Tina
PETA is a sham, deplorable organization. The real shame is that so many of its members (and well-wishers) are perfectly decent, loving animal owners who have NO IDEA what PETA is trying to accomplish.
Do you know that PETA believes that human slavery & pet ownership are morally equitable? That's right -- one of PETA's stated goals is "liberating" pets from families -- and they actually have the unmitigated nerve to compare your pet sleeping by your bed to the horrors & genocide of human slavery. Mix this with their grotesque PR stunts (like reading about a Palestinian suicide bombing that killed four Israelis, an American, and a mule -- and writing a letter to the terrorists asking them not to harm mules in the future), and I doubt if any clear-thinking pet owner would want any sort of association between PETA & themselves.
Remember -- even if you're against all forms of animal-based research, PETA is an organization that wants to use force to remove your dog from your home.
The SPCA needs your help. PETA needs to be ignored.
-
We live in PA and a small feed company out of Allentown makes Anamaet, it's made out of deer and has a very good protein level with in the recommended limits. We feed Khan that with cut carrots, mashed potatoes, and a can of dog food to give it some different flavor.
Our feed store has a beautiful husky that has been raised on the stuff and he is really healthy with good muscle and coat.
-
I own a Boerboel mastiff. I couldn't find any topics for Boerboels so I thought I jump on here. Many people in my yahoo group for Boerboels recommend the BARF diet. I've found that discussing diets can quickly lead to heated discussions but I just wanted to add this to the list. Now its not what I use. I go by what my vet recommends but I won't list it here because I know I might get slammed. No offense meant its just that my vet is 70 years old and my family has been using him for over 20 years. I will tell you that the food we feed is readily available and he likes it because of the trials they've been doing since the 70's.
-
I don't know about Diamond for puppies, I raised a few Dane pups on Eukanuba and was always happy with the results, but I can tell you that I feed both my 2 year olds (dane/lab and a mastiff/St.) Diamond and they look great. Earnest, the Lab mix, eats Diamond Lamb and Rice, he gets yeast in his ears from corn and wheat, Phyfe eats Diamond large breed, he needs a large kibble size or he swallows the food whole and vomits.
Diamond is 1/2 the price of the other foods, I feed both my dogs for $50 a month ($23 dollars a bag for a 40lb bag and 40lbs lasts each of them about a month) They both look great, and have had absolutely no health problems.
-
All the furkids in my house eat Solid Gold... including my cats. If Solid Gold made food for birds I'd probably buy it too. LOL
-
As a breeder/exhibitor of Mastiffs (aka English Mastiffs) which mature at from 150 to 250 pounds (and more sometimes although most people grossly over-estimate the weight of their adult mastiffs), I have experimented with a variety of foods. I also breed and show Spinoni Italiani and have an Otterhound. Those two breeds aren't as HUGE as Mastiffs, but require comparable food because of their activity levels and they are still large dogs.
In general, I find all premium foods acceptable (meaning Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet and the like).
I do feed Diamond Lamb and Rice and it works great for most of my dogs for maintenance. We do add yogurt and veggies for most of the pack.
However, for dogs being shown or bred that need to be in tip-top condition despite the extra requirements of working or reproducing, I am using Nutro Ultra. It is a fantastic food that produces healthy dogs with great skin and coats.
The bottom line really should be....how does your dog look? If he is at a good weight (not overweight as so many dogs are) and his coat is shiny and healthy, whatever you are feeding is working.
As far as liking a food, I've found that adding a little yogurt and cooked veggies (green beans/spinach/sweet potatoes) will make almost any food palatable. And many a dog skips a meal now and then for no particular reason.
-
We have a 22-week American Mastiff, who'll grow between 3 and 7 pounds per week. (How do I know how much he'll grow? Because it's MY job to pick the puppy up and stand on the scale, which is becoming increasingly difficult!)
We feed:
Half dry food;
Half cooked chicken/ gizzards/ eggs/ peanutbutter.
Augmented with a vitamin our vet gave us, to ensure that our boy has all the right nutrients, as his rate of growth is so rapid right now.
For the chicken, we buy cheap dark meat in bulk from Wal-Mart or Cost Co, chop up the pieces raw, mix 'em in a big bowl, add some soy & teyaki sauce, stir, and put an identical amount into different plastic baggies. We then freeze all the bags, and microwave as necessary, mixing in the cooked food with the raw food, along with an occasional egg or peanutbutter.
-
I feed my 7 month old Central Asian 100% Raw diet no veggies, just raw meaty bones and organ meat...Couldnt be happier...and the poops are TINY, teeth very shiny, coat great, good energy level and he curves his chewing along with taking longer to eat his meal
-
Hello, all!
I'm picking up my new pup on the 19th of December from Deepwood Mastiffs. I'll make sure to post her mug here once we're home. Anyhoo....
I've been doing some research, and, from a number of resources, I've heard that the Kirkland Signature brand of dog food is actually made by the Diamond company. I was just hoping for a bit of feedback from folks who are wiser than me (won't take much!) about any experiences with this brand and/or the Diamond one. My lil girl (Tinkerbell will be the name!) will be on puppy chow for a bit yet, and I intend to feed her the same brand that the breeder is using. After that, however, I'm at a bit of a loss.
Thanks ahead of time!
-
Hello, all!
I'm picking up my new pup on the 19th of December from Deepwood Mastiffs. I'll make sure to post her mug here once we're home. Anyhoo....
I've been doing some research, and, from a number of resources, I've heard that the Kirkland Signature brand of dog food is actually made by the Diamond company. I was just hoping for a bit of feedback from folks who are wiser than me (won't take much!) about any experiences with this brand and/or the Diamond one. My lil girl (Tinkerbell will be the name!) will be on puppy chow for a bit yet, and I intend to feed her the same brand that the breeder is using. After that, however, I'm at a bit of a loss.
Thanks ahead of time!
Hello! Welcome to BPO! And with that I want to inform you that under NO circumstances should a mastiff puppy be on puppy chow. First off the ingredients in Purina foods are sub par, and secondly the protien levels in ANY puppy food (Including large breed puppy) are too high for a giant breed. This causes joint issues in puppies that need to grow as slow as possible. They should be fed a high quality adult food with NO MORE than 24% protien.
Personally I don't like Kirkland or Diamond (I'm a food stickler :P ) I know there are people on here who have used it and their dogs do well on it. Have you considered Canidae? It's pretty available, not too expensive, and it's an all stages formula. When you look at high quality kibble you might be shocked by the prices, but you have to remember that these foods have little, if any fillers so your dogs actually eats less, and the food lasts longer, and most of the time you SAVE spending more. :)
-
I am also an advocate for feeding a quality kibble and will second that a giant breed should NEVER be on puppy food (unless Eagle Pack for Giant breeds). I would never feed my dogs anything from Purina but I'm a food snob. Currently I feed Eagle Pack Holistic and am very happy with it. If I ever change and it's not to a BARF diet I will feed EVO.
The only Diamond product that I would and have fed is Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul. I stopped feeding it because it gave my Tucker really bad gas.
Cindy
-
I know that most breeders and owners don't recommend feeding puppy chow (using that phrase as a general one, not necessarily to identify Purina products) past a certain time. I was planning on letting the breeder fill me in on the particulars of that.
As for adult food, I'm not set on anything at all. I'm just looking into the options. Please let me know what you all suggest and what you suppliment with (if you do). I want to make sure that the pup is happy, healthy, and growing at a safe rate. I'd rather not spend a mint on it, but the right answer is the right answer!
Thanks again...again. Heh. I need to come up with a new way to sign off!
-
Well *Cracks fingers in preparation for a long typing session* :)Â
I note Alternative protiens for dogs with allergic reactions to some traditional protein sources.
I like Canidae. Depending on where you live you can get a 40 pound bag for $30-$35. It has a high calorie content, so you feed fewer cups. (24% protein)
http://www.canidae.com/dogs/all_life_stages/dry.html
Solid Gold makes a food called "Wolf King", with Bison and Salmon as protein sources (22% Protein). Do not confuse this with "Wolf Cub" the puppy formula (26% protein)
http://solidgoldhealth.com/products/showproduct.php?id=62&code=170
Fromm Four Star is a food that looks good on paper and I was about to try before I found the food that works for my dog (More on that later) They have several alternative protein formulas. (23%-24% protein)
http://www.frommfamily.com/products_fourstardry.asp
Eagle Pack has a Giant breed puppy food that's acceptable. (23% Protein) I also like their Holistic chicken (24% Protein)
http://www.eaglepack.com/pages/for_your_dog.html
Merrick has several good formulas, however if your dog has a tendency towards gassiness I would stay away. Their alternative protein food is the Wilderness Blend and Turducken (24% Protein for both). They also have Cowboy Cook out (22% Protein) and Grammy's Pot Pie (23% Protein)
http://www.merrickpetcare.com/store/dry_dog_food.php
Wellness is another dog food to avoid if your dog has gassiness or loose stools. Their Fish and Sweet Potato (22% Protein) is an alternative protein, and their chicken is supposed to be good as well (22%).
http://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/dogs/dry_intro.asp?pCode=dry
As for foods to avoid. Cindy talked about Innova EVO, don't get me wrong I LOVE this food, it's what I feed my Dane, HOWEVER the Protein is 42%, so it should NEVER be fed to puppies! EVER EVER EVER!
Avoid anything with fillers, ie corn, rice, grains, as the first few ingredients.Â
Avoid Lamb food for puppies as the LACK of Taurine can give them health issues.
I hope I haven't overwhelmed you, and feel free to contact me with questions!
Ang. The Food nut
-
Thanks for adding that EVO should NEVER be fed to a puppy.
-
Hi,
I know the stones will be thrown at me, but Winslow has been doing very well on Science Diet Large Breed Puppy formula. He sees his vet every 2 months, his stool is solid and not soft. He is very regular and has been putting weight on as he is supposed too. He is happy, healthy and you can still feel his ribs ;-) like we are supposed to at his age.
So as long as you pay attention to your Pup, maintain a regular schedule with your vet and monitor the results of your feeding you really shouldn't be harming your dog with any food on the market.
If only we humans paid as much attention to what we eat, maybe we would be as healthy as our dogs.
Just like with yourself if you eat something that disagrees with you, you'll move on, so watch the pup if he doesn't like something he'll let you know.
-
So as long as you pay attention to your Pup, maintain a regular schedule with your vet and monitor the results of your feeding you really shouldn't be harming your dog with any food on the market.
I am NOT going to throw you under the bus. :P First off I want to say that for some dogs the "Grocery store brands" (I don't want to say crap brands because I'll offend some people), DO work. One of my good friends feeds her dog this because it's the ONLY thing he gains weight on. I told her we couldn't be friends anymore but she wouldn't listen to me :P I don't like Science Diet but I have my own reasons and have no right to chastize anyone when it appears that their dog is doing well.
BUT the "you really shouldn't be harming your dog with any food on the market. " is SO wrong. Even a food that is ADA certified can have sawdust, and shavings from the floor of meat processing plants in it. There are dog foods that have used euthanized animals from shelters as protein sources in their foods. Ingredients that have been exposed to chemicals, sprayed with "flavors" that are toxic to some dogs. You might be one of the lucky ones and not have an issue with your dog, but you might not. Personally I see no reason to take a risk when you don't have to. For me, the difference in coat is amazing, smaller solid fewer poops (With a big dog this is a BIG deal). A better quality food leads to a better quality life.
Just my opinion though.
Links referring to euthanised animals in food:
http://www.petcaretips.net/euthanized_pets.html
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0106-03.htm
Links referring to unfit foods:
http://petcaretips.net/petfood_ingredients.html
http://www.homevet.com/petcare/foodbook.html
-
iHi Anky,
Thanks for the links, and the pass on the stone throwing ;D, I agree that we all need to pay attention to what is in the foods we feed the pets and the people,
Fortunately or Unfortunately, ??? the people who could benefit most from these informative boards probably do not even know they exist. I tend to think that if you have made it to BPO you already know what is best for you and your pets.
I love the boards and the great information on them.
-
I feed my boys Diamond and have been pleased with the results. I started using that particular brand based on several knowledgeable people's recomendation. The closest that I have to a complaint with it is that the boys stool can be soft at times (warmer weather and activity level seems to have more to do with it than anything). That being said, others who have posted in this thread have much more knowledge on the subject than I, but I did want to put my 2 cents worth in as someone who uses the specific product that you mentioned.
-
Adding my 2 cents for what it's worth. We finally got Angus about 3 weeks ago and started immediately changing him over to Eagle Pack Giant Breed Puppy formula. He made the switch over very well. I feel I have "some" insight cause we we're on a waiting list for about 7 mo to get him and I think I researched just about EVERY brand out there. Not counting the stuff thats too crazy expensive. I'm paying $33 for a 33lb bag. Anyway, do your own research, but I would reccomend visiting Eagle Pack's website www.eaglepack. com It has a couple links in it that are real informing. Greg
-
We ended up going with Nutro Natural Choice for Large Breed Puppies and have been very happy with it! Duchess likes it and she looks great. Once she hits 2 years old and we switch to Adult food, we will probably consider Diamond again.
-
Chester...perh aps the Newfoundland world's biggest food snob has taste tested many brands and hated..HATED Wellness Chicken, turned his nose up at Eagle Pack Salmon, walked away from Proplan and is now tolerating Natural Balance Duck and Potato. He's 10 months and is a food tyrant!
-
Hi,
We are in the process of switching Winslow over from Science Diet Large breed Puppy to Wellness, (3 days in) So far he is doing well.
We had no problem with Science diet, at all, Wellness is a local company to us here in Massachusetts, the food gets real good reviews and we met a vet, newf owner, this weekend who highly recommended Wellness and her Girl Maya was absolutely gorgeous so we are giving it a try.
Rich
-
in all my research wellness was the one for my three! what you have to remember you only want your pups to eat the best well everyone has different ideas about this! our pups eat this food everyday just like kids you want them only to have what is going to help them thrive and have less health problems as there aging. Dogs just like humans don't need to eat there friends or fillers or so many other evil things dog food companies put in there food its our resonsiblity as dog owners to take the best care of our pups that we can they trust us to take care of them! marina belknap mother of 3 pups
-
(http://)I have had wonderful luck feeding all my Adult Mastiffs the Lamb & Rice Exceed Proffessional sold at SAMS club. $20 for 54 pounds! Ingredients are the same as Eukeneuba (almost) alittle bit high in Protein but my guys do extremely well on it. I feed my puppies IAMS large breed for slow growth, but after 8 months or so switch to the EXceed.
Terri
North Texas Mastiffs(http://)(http://)
-
I have a new foster pup here that's going to be a big boy. He's 3 months is 17" at the shoulder and weighs 30 lbs. I belong to a Yahoo Group called K9 Nutrition. Very good group if anyone wants to check it out. Mary Straus recommends feeding a food that has the lowest ratio of calcium to calories. One of the other members recommended this site where you can go to the Product section and take a look at the ingredients of just about every food that's sold. http://www.mordanna.com/dogfood/
I decided on the Sensible Choice for the pup.
Helen and Cayman forever in my heart
-
When it comes to selecting a high quality kibble, I find that the vast majority of people do not know what this means. Unless they are walking into a specialty animal supply store, they are liking not even seeing true high quality kibble and instead are relying on what they see on grocery store shelves.
If you are unfamiliar with everything that is in most kibble, that is not required to be on the label, then do some research and you will be amazed. Check out the Animal Protection Institutes report on what is in dog food at http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1......the best report done on the subject. I still can't believe that Science Diet and Eukanuba are still allowed to be marketed frankly.
If you are not familiar with Whole Dog Journal, then it is a must get subscription and the most reputable dog publication on the market - they do not accept any advertizing and cannot be bought - they tell it honestly and straightforwar d. They do an annual dog food review and recommend several top brands, detailing why and their ingredients - it comes out every January and just came out today - everyone should get it.