low protein food?

[BowzersBabe]

i recently got my first mastiff pup, he is 18 weeks. during his first few vet visit, the doctor advised me to be extremely careful during my pups developmental stages to not overfeed him and keep him eating low protein food (around 17%). he couldnt recommend anything off hand. ive looked everywhere and can only find 21% or higher.. any suggestions?! also how frequently and how many cups do your pups eat? thanks

 

[Mamie2shoes]

yes, natural balance and nutro are both sold at petco and the weight control has low protein. There is also an all life formula that has low protein, We feed our 5mo EM a low protein that is also low calcium. There are lots of threads with food suggestions and lots of ways to go to feed your pup. Good luck in your hunt for your right food. It took us a couple of different paths to find something for our girl. I have spent a lot of time in the stores reading labels and on line. I will say do not feed large breed puppy food as they are usually high protein and calcium. The correct growth pattern is SLOW growth. They will reach their giant size no matter what, but you just want them to get there slowly. There are a few folks on this forum that are really well read and educated in the nutrition area. I would love to see pics of your new baby. Welcome to the forum.

 

[Smart_Family]

It's not low protein that's important, it's calcium and phosphorus. Also be careful of Natural Balance right now as they are part of the latest Diamond recall.

 

[musicdeb]

Welcome aboard~

 

[mastiffmedic]

My EM, now 10 months, grew up on 25% protein, 15%fat kibble. It was precise holistic complete large/giant breed adult. I started him on adult. Someone above already said it, its not the protein but the calcium and phosphorous levels that are key. Get a quality kibble designed for giant breeds and you'll be just fine. And by quality, don't be fooled by marketing ploys from huge companies like Proctor and Gamble (eukanuba, iams, evo, innova), Mars that makes (nutro, pedigree etc.) Do some research and feed him a REAL quality kibble. I'm a huge fan of Precise Holistic Complete, family owned and never a recall.

 

[GavTheMighty]

I have moved on to raw now after going through almost all the expensive brands of dry food here in the UK and I cant even begin to explain how much of a difference it has made there isnt a chance in hell I am going back to dry food. Everything from the tip of his nose to his tail is better, better breath, coat, energy levels, attitude, appitite, stools, they also poop and pee less would have made my life so much better when I was toilet training them as puppies but hey ho. Got them to eat Beef Liver for the first time today and they both loved it. So far been feeding on Chicken, Beef Liver and some Pork belly.

 

[Smart_Family]

My EM, now 10 months, grew up on 25% protein, 15%fat kibble. It was precise holistic complete large/giant breed adult. I started him on adult. Someone above already said it, its not the protein but the calcium and phosphorous levels that are key. Get a quality kibble designed for giant breeds and you'll be just fine. And by quality, don't be fooled by marketing ploys from huge companies like Proctor and Gamble (eukanuba, iams, evo, innova), Mars that makes (nutro, pedigree etc.) Do some research and feed him a REAL quality kibble. I'm a huge fan of Precise Holistic Complete, family owned and never a recall.

It doesn't have to be designed for large and giant breeds. Actually most of the time the foods that are supposedly designed for large/giant breeds are either more expensive than the regular adult/all life stages formula yet almost identical in ingredients, have you feeding more than the regular formula which again ends up being more expensive because you are going through more food faster and do not always have the levels a giant breed puppy needs.

---------- Post added at 11:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:22 AM ----------

Another thing to mention is that many mastiffs have issues with chicken and grains in their foods so it may be best to avoid both.

 

[Smart_Family]

Another thing to mention is that many mastiffs have issues with chicken and grains in their foods so it may be best to avoid both.

 

[mastiffmedic]

It doesn't have to be designed for large and giant breeds. Actually most of the time the foods that are supposedly designed for large/giant breeds are either more expensive than the regular adult/all life stages formula yet almost identical in ingredients, have you feeding more than the regular formula which again ends up being more expensive because you are going through more food faster and do not always have the levels a giant breed puppy needs.


Another thing to mention is that many mastiffs have issues with chicken and grains in their foods so it may be best to avoid both.

I agree. I was just pointing out that finding a quality food is more important than worrying about protein levels, unless they are way out of control or something.

 

[Mamie2shoes]

We tried feeding raw but after we realized that the chicken was her problem we had to stop. Feeding beef, lamb, and pork only got super expensive. As for the other foods that are mentioned, I don't know where they are sold. I could never find them in my stores. The folks on here have great advice- don't be scared to ask.

Mastiffmedic- where do you get Precise Holistic Complete??

 

[Smart_Family]

We tried feeding raw but after we realized that the chicken was her problem we had to stop. Feeding beef, lamb, and pork only got super expensive. As for the other foods that are mentioned, I don't know where they are sold. I could never find them in my stores. The folks on here have great advice- don't be scared to ask.

Mastiffmedic- where do you get Precise Holistic Complete??

I'm not sure if your pup has problems with chicken in kibble too but Precise Holistic Complete has chicken in it.

 

[Mamie2shoes]

It's not low protein that's important, it's calcium and phosphorus. Also be careful of Natural Balance right now as they are part of the latest Diamond recall.

Where did you read this?? Natural Balance is privately owned I thought and made in California. When I looked on the Diamond recall list it wasn't there. Please let me know as soon as you can so I can switch foods, yet again. sigh. Thanks again- you are a great help, as always

 

[k_hodges]

Try your local feed store. Like Tractor Supply. We feed Orijen 6 fish to our am bully pup. He also is sensitive to chicken. We fed raw until we realized this. This site is really good for being able to compare ingredients, protein and such. http://www.k9cuisine.com/m-8-orijen-dog-food.aspx

---------- Post added at 11:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:41 PM ----------

Where did you read this?? Natural Balance is privately owned I thought and made in California. When I looked on the Diamond recall list it wasn't there. Please let me know as soon as you can so I can switch foods, yet again. sigh. Thanks again- you are a great help, as always

http://www.bestsyndication.com/?q=20120507_natural_balance_dog_food_recall_list_announced.htm here is a link to the NB recall. Its made at the diamond plant.

 

[k_hodges]

Where did you read this?? Natural Balance is privately owned I thought and made in California. When I looked on the Diamond recall list it wasn't there. Please let me know as soon as you can so I can switch foods, yet again. sigh. Thanks again- you are a great help, as always

http://www.bestsyndication.com/?q=20120507_natural_balance_dog_food_recall_list_announced.htm here is a link to the NB recall. Its made at the diamond plant.

 

[mastiffmedic]

I'm not sure if your pup has problems with chicken in kibble too but Precise Holistic Complete has chicken in it.

Only the regular formulas do (the small/med & large/giant), the ALS wild at heart and grain free formulas don't.

 

[Smart_Family]

Only the regular formulas do (the small/med & large/giant), the ALS wild at heart and grain free formulas don't.

The wild at heart duck and turkey still has chicken products (fat and cartilage) which a dog that has a true issue with chicken may react to, as does the Wild at Heart Salmon. The Grain Free formulas all have too high of a calcium level and also have chicken products in them.

 

[k_hodges]

What is the max calcium/phosphorus (and protein if it matters) % for a food for a mastiff?

 

[Smart_Family]

What is the max calcium/phosphorus (and protein if it matters) % for a food for a mastiff?

It depends on age. Puppies 2 and under should be on calcium no higher than 1.8% but ideally in the 1.4-1.6% range and the ratio should be close to 1.2:1. After 2 it's not as much of an issue but calcium should never be over 2.6-3%.

 

[mastiffmedic]

The wild at heart duck and turkey still has chicken products (fat and cartilage) which a dog that has a true issue with chicken may react to, as does the Wild at Heart Salmon. The Grain Free formulas all have too high of a calcium level and also have chicken products in them.

You're right and I apologize, I thought they had no chicken in it. For a dog with true allergies or issues, sure...but the chicken in it isn't a main ingredient of the meat, and as for the calcium levels in the grain free being too high, maybe just a little for a growing mastiff but perfectly fine for an adult. I'm not going to be extremely concerned (but I am aware) with a 2% calcium level when 1.3%-1.5% is normal for a growing puppy. The grain free lamb/turkey is 2% and the pork is 2.3%. Mine is still growing slow like he should and doing great. Just my opinion.

 

[Smart_Family]

Mastiff puppies should never have over 1.8% calcium and even that is not ideal at all. It may seem like not that much of a difference to you but it is and they should not have anything over 2% until 2 years of age. That information by the way comes from a canine nutritionist who herself owns a mastiff and a large breed puppy.