Help choosing puppy food.

[craignsteph]

Can anyone offer me help choosing a food for our new English mastiff puppy? I appreciate any help if there is anyone on here that is more knowledgable or has done any really good research on the subject? We will be getting him (Gatlin) Friday and he is 8 weeks old. It seems that the concern for giant breeds has shifted from protein levels back when I had a Great Dane about 13 years ago to calcium/phosphorus levels now? I think I understand what I am looking for with the calcium and phos. levels(?) now but I am wondering if there is also an optimum protein level? The foods I am considering are the following, which vary a fair amount in the protein percentages but minimally with the calcium/phosphorus.

Earthborn Holistics- Coastal Catch- meat is all fish-32% protein 18% fat 1.3% calcium 1.0% phos.
Earthborn holistics- Great Plains Feast-meat is bison and lamb- 34% protein 18% fat 1.5% calcium 1.1% phos.
Earthborn Holistics- Meadow Feast- meat is lamb only- 26% protein 15% fat 1.2% calcium 1.0% phos.

Blue "Freedom"- large breed adult- meats are chicken and turkey- 26% protein 14% fat 1.0% calcium 0.9% phos
Blue "wilderness" large breed- meats are chicken and turkey- 36% protein 13% fat 1.0% calcium 0.9% phos.
Blue "wilderness" Duck- meats are duck, chicken and turkey- 34% protein 15% fat 1.3% calcium 0.9% phos.

Also, not sure how much these things matter but-
It looks like the Blue foods all have lower omega 3s?
Blue large breed formulas have a little lower calcium/phos levels- are they enough?
Looks like only the Blue large breed formulas have glucosamine and chondroitin?

And my next question is can you feed 2 different foods, like one every morning and another for lunch and dinner? It seems it would get boring to eat the same food every meal?

 

[Smart_Family]

You don't want a large breed formula because mastiffs aren't large breed. If you feed one of the Earthborns after a couple big bags you can rotate thru the other two flavors. Besides that no I wouldn't feed two separate foods. You have to transition onto a food slowly to prevent digestive upset and mixing two foods can cause issues, especially if the pup shows a reaction. You wouldn't know which food was causing an issue.

 

[craignsteph]

True, hadn't thought of that. Thanks for the feedback

 

[mmyrto]

I rotate Acana Wild Prairie and Acana Pacifica. I wouldnt rotate two different brands either.

 

[Robtouw]

Craig, I start all of my em boys on a good puppy food, personally I use Innova or Blue and yes I use large breed formula and have for years. They do pretty well on it, around age 4 months I transition over to adult feed. I use Taste of the Wild and switch every 2 weeks between the flavors, bison, lamb, fowl, fish and now boar. My boys love it and have no issues. Their fav has been the fish, lamb the least fav and the fowl seems to make them a bit gassy. I don't pay much attention to the phos levels,never have had an issue because of it. I've owned giants, specifically EM's for 20 yrs. I prefer to keep my protein levels at or belwo 24-27% simply because I have found high protein feeds cause hard stools or constipation. EM's and GD are similar in habits, its good that you have experience!

 

[Smart_Family]

It's not that they don't do well on large breed or puppy foods, it's that it's a marketing gimmick in most cases. I prefer to start puppies on one food that they can be on thru adulthood if I'd like rather than have to keep transitioning from one food to another.

 

[Rugers-Kris]

I have fed Ruger Adult food since he was 9 weeks old and he has done fantastically! He eats Blue Wilderness, Adult duck formula.