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Food switch recommendation

ArtyPBoom

New Member
I just brought my 10 week old English mastiff puppy home from the breeder. The breeder had him on Diamond dog food, but I'm thinking about switching him to Pioneer natural grain free. Pioneer's proportions are: 27% protein and 14% fat. Will this work? Help this is my first mastiff I've only worked with labs before him.
 

Iymala

Well-Known Member
Honestly, I would not feed any of Pioneer Grain Free formulas unless your dog is simply allergic to a certain grain. They are very high in carbs with only one named meat ingredient in the top of its ingredient list. They are simply supplimenting grains with yams and sweet potatoes which does your dog no favors.

I would look at Orijen, Earthborne Holistic, Taste of the Wild, Acana, Canidae, or even Blue Buffalo Wilderness for a good quality grain free food.

Grain free is very trendy right now and a lot of dog food companies are cashing in on that. No longer does grain free actually equate to quality of the food. Dogfoodanalysis.com is a great resource when looking for what is out there but it is a little dated. There are a lot of new options that are not on there. Make sure you look at the ingredient list as they are ordered by weight and you was at least 3 of the first 5 to be meat or meat meals. Also whole muscles...I.e. venison is inclusive of water weight and when the food is processed will actually contribute less nutritional value than a meat meal.

As for protein and fats they are only a concern in regards to if your puppy can handle the kibble digestively. Sometimes puppies take awhile to adjust to higher protein foods or some simply do not agree with them. You need to be concerned with calcium and phosphorus. You ideally want a 1.2:1 ratio with calcium not being above 1.6 to 1.8% and no lower than 1.1%.
 

Samantha115

New Member
My Cooper has skin issues and I always look for different food options to keep his coat and skin in good shape. We are Perth based and regarding Australian brands, Black Hawk dog food is in a good position. I feed him Ivory Coat sometimes too, but Black Hawk is really great option for less money, if you still want to stick to Omega fatty acids sources.
 

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
Protein % isn't the big driver anymore... for giant breed puppies, you want a food that is 1.5% or LESS in calcium, with phosphorus balanced or a little less than the calcium.
So... if it has 1.5% Ca, you want 1.3-1.5% P as well.