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Location: Usually in a muddy field somewhere
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 20,145
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Originally Posted by
Labman
There is little if any proof that ''better'' foods are any better for dogs. It is mostly marketing hype based on speculation about the ingredients. What there is proof of is that too much and too rich of food isn't good for large breed puppies. I see excellent results in the dog guide program I have bee a part of for a long time. You should be feeding a puppy chow now. Switching to an adult chow for the larger breeds at 4 months, slows growth and helps develop sturdier joints.
Your dog definitely should be narrower at the waist than the hips and chest. You should be able to easily feel the ribs, but not see them. Each dog is different. Standard recommendations are a good place to start, but each dog must have its food and exercise adjusted to its individual needs.
There is much more to it than protein level. Calcium is much more important. Puppies can deal with excess protein, but not calcium. Make sure any food has less than 1.5% calcium by analysis.
Labman - your usual scripted reply is less than helpful here. If you read the original post, you will see that Annspot80 is specifically referring to a Dalmatian and advice is sometimes given to feed a low protein diet to a Dalmatian because of the tendency of some to form urinary stones because of the way they metabolise purines (i.e. the conversion of uric acid to allantoin doesn't happen).
Annspot80 - I'm assuming that this is why you've been given the advice to feed a low protein diet? I think it is a low purine diet/moderate, high quality protein diet, rather than simply a low protein diet, that is required. Is there a breed club that might be able to clarify further for you?
This might be helpful information for you, although it is heavily biased in favour of a Hills diet which is not recommended for puppies:
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_uric_acid_stones_in_dalmatians.html
In this link (written by a food company), it recommends that puppies be fed a normal diet with usual protein levels:
http://www.europa-pet-food.co.uk/pdfs/Dalmatians%20and%20Uric%20Acid%20Imbalance.pdf