# Newfoundland Puppy Food



## Beverage (Mar 22, 2012)

Hey guys,

I have a 12wk Newfoundland puppy. He is currently on royal canin giant puppy food. Any other complete food that would be good for him and less than £50 for 15kgs. Obviously I want avoid hip dysplacia and over feeding but feel £50 for a bag (of which he eats nearly two a month) is slightly over the top.

I was thinking maybe stick with it until 6months then start mixing some cheaper stuff 50/50. Any ideas? Please don't tell me meat and mixer or any other diet. I'm looking for complete food recommendations particularly if you have a giant breed. 

Dave


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

Have you read these? Loads of good info and may help you to decide.

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-health-nutrition/189896-dry-dog-food-index.html

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-health-nutrition/194976-wet-dog-food-index.html

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-heal...tion-website-id-love-hear-what-you-think.html

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-health-nutrition/111437-raw-feeding-everything-you-need-know.html

I don't have a giant breed but a fairly large dog and I switched to raw feeding at 7 months of age. I am getting a new pup later this year and will feed raw straight away. If I couldn't then I would go straight for a good quality adult kibble as opposed to puppy kibble - but they are just my personal preferences. You'll get loads of different opinions on here as so many different foods and ways of feeding suit different dogs and people.


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## Beverage (Mar 22, 2012)

Thank you very much I will look at those now. 

Yea there seems to be very many differing opinions on what to feed, how much to feed. He is going to stay on royal canin for now because thats what he was raised on. really i'm after reassurance that what I amding is right.


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## Reverie (Mar 26, 2012)

Is Royal Canin what the breeder put you on? I don't know why so many breeders rate it! Probably due to their vets I guess. It's such a terrible food! Every breeder I've ever dealt with- dog or cat has fed this and it's awful and over expensive! They need to get on this forum clearly 

As the above poster said, read those threads, there are plenty foods that are reasonably priced and so much better for your puppy. 

I don't know what Buffy's breeder is feeding her at the minute yet but I bet you it's bloomin' Royal Canin.


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## Beverage (Mar 22, 2012)

err ok so now I'm even more confused! Help!


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Royal Canin is one of two foods endorsed by vets, basically because they are the companies that visit vet school and promote nutrition, the other is Hills Science; neither are the worst foods you can buy, but they're not the best by a long shot, and they are ridiculously expensive. 

Puppy and life stage foods are a recent innovation, and many do not believe in them, me included. I raw feed my dogs, my OH feeds a half and half diet with his, and uses Skinners as the kibble portion.


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## Beverage (Mar 22, 2012)

+


Reverie said:


> Is Royal Canin what the breeder put you on? I don't know why so many breeders rate it! Probably due to their vets I guess. It's such a terrible food! Every breeder I've ever dealt with- dog or cat has fed this and it's awful and over expensive! They need to get on this forum clearly
> 
> As the above poster said, read those threads, there are plenty foods that are reasonably priced and so much better for your puppy.
> 
> I don't know what Buffy's breeder is feeding her at the minute yet but I bet you it's bloomin' Royal Canin.


That wasn't aimed at you revs. I had just finished reading the website and posts lol. Yea I was surprised at how bad it comes up in the ratings. Especially given how expensive it is. The good news is my dog is not sensitive at all. I had to 100% swap him to iams puppy and he was fine. I couldn't get royal canin anywhere!

HERE IS WHAT THE NEWFOUNDLAND CLUB RECOMMEND

A good quality complete diet will contain a totally balanced ration and needs no supplementation. However, some contain up to five times too much Vitamin D, which can have a bad effect on developing joints. The daily vitamin D intake should not exceed 9iu per pound of dog (20iu per Kg of dog) per day. Ask a really knowledgeable pet food supplier for advice, or write to the manufacturer. There are many different makers of complete dog foods, including overseas manufacturers. The latter may not always be as well regulated as the British ones.

So as long as it doesn't have too much vitamin D pretty much anything is fine for him.


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## Beverage (Mar 22, 2012)

Skinners has been recommended to me twice now. The pet shop said that its very popular and has good ingredients. Plus its half the price. 

Hmmm I'm so confused with all this. Well I'll keep him on Royal Canin until this 15kg bag is finished and then look for something better. I like the sound of applaws the way it is matched to a nteral diet but that is even more expensive. he eats nearly 2 15 kg bags per month!


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## DoggieBag (Jan 20, 2012)

I feed my Greyhound Skinners Duck and Rice, £17.50 for 15kg from Medic Animal, with free delivery.


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## dobermummy (Apr 4, 2009)

you feed less of the better foods so he might not need 2 bags a month of a better / different one. its always worth checking feeding amounts


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

Beverage said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I have a 12wk Newfoundland puppy. He is currently on royal canin giant puppy food. Any other complete food that would be good for him and less than £50 for 15kgs. Obviously I want avoid hip dysplacia and over feeding but feel £50 for a bag (of which he eats nearly two a month) is slightly over the top.
> 
> ...


All my newfies were raised on Royal Canine Giant Breed puppy food and the two I have now are still on Royal Canin Maxi light. This is because they have been neutered and prone to put on weight easily, and also they did not take to the giant breed adult.

Ferdie and Joshua had the whole lot up to the junior, but the adult they never did take to.

A lot of people on here will tell you that RC is rubbish, but it has always been the best thing for my dogs. Their coats shine with it and their waste is just right. I had a few months of having to buy cheaper and I ended up with squelchies! I wouldn't change from RC no matter what anyone says.

But, I think two bags a month for a puppy that age is a bit much to be honest. I have two full grown newfies and they get through two bags per month between them. I know pups need a little more, but I think it might be worth your while checking the quantity you are giving.

I always mixed a little wet puppy food in with mine, and now it is usually pilchards, but that is because I don't like feeding any dog on just dried food. Ferdie wouldn't eat it without, though Diva would.

If you are on the right quantity, rest assured that it will taper off a bit as he gets older. You should be down to one bag a month by the time he gets to junior food.

It is the best thing for their growth and their coats. My dogs' breeder did change to something else for a while, but she is back to RC now so I can only assume that wasn't as good for them.

Do watch out for any limping, though. Sometimes the food contains a little too much protein for an individual dog and can cause them to grow too fast, though this doesn't usually happen with newfies. They can also get growing pains a little later, so that needs to be checked out. There is a proper name for it, but I can't remember what it is.


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## Goblin (Jun 21, 2011)

It's strange calcium and phosphorous are not mentioned as something to look at. The ratio between the two are pretty important for bone growth. Interesting article in the rawinstincts magazine Vol1 Edition 2 (free web based magazine).



newfiesmum said:


> Do watch out for any limping, though. Sometimes the food contains a little too much protein for an individual dog and can cause them to grow too fast, though this doesn't usually happen with newfies. They can also get growing pains a little later, so that needs to be checked out. There is a proper name for it, but I can't remember what it is.


I know this is a loaded question (still one I haven't had an answer to it though which is why I ask). Why does protein % matter? Surely it's the fact that the quality of the protein is what makes the real difference, not the % as that is easily adjusted by changing the amount of "junk" in the food. As a carnivore meat protein is a quality protein a dog is biologically designed to eat as opposed to other forms of protein and carbohydrates which they are not.


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

Goblin said:


> It's strange calcium and phosphorous are not mentioned as something to look at. The ratio between the two are pretty important for bone growth. Interesting article in the rawinstincts magazine Vol1 Edition 2 (free web based magazine).
> 
> I know this is a loaded question (still one I haven't had an answer to it though which is why I ask). Why does protein % matter? Surely it's the fact that the quality of the protein is what makes the real difference, not the % as that is easily adjusted by changing the amount of "junk" in the food. As a carnivore meat protein is a quality protein a dog is biologically designed to eat as opposed to other forms of protein and carbohydrates which they are not.


You have to understand the rate at which a giant breed puppy will grow, and some giant breed puppy foods do make them grow faster than they should, which can cause joint damage. As I said, it doesn't normally apply to newfies, but some giants, like the sighthounds, do not do well on these foods.

I was told it was the protein that causes the growth spurt, but I do not know anything about individual ingredients, to be honest. It is just something to watch out for. When Joshua started limping when he was about a year, he was tested for the growing pains, and it was mentioned that it could be too much protein in the food that was causing it. Unfortunately, it wasn't - it was early onset arthritis.

My experience with Joshua has made me quite paranoid about newfie puppies, even though Ferdie had no problems at all.


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## Goblin (Jun 21, 2011)

newfiesmum said:


> I was told it was the protein that causes the growth spurt, but I do not know anything about individual ingredients, to be honest.


I can understand as the protein % is something I hear all the time. Nobody can actually answer why it's important though. I do know meat is around 20-28% protein which is "quality" protein. Approx 70% of meat is water. As you probably know I feed raw out of personal choice as it works for us. One of the things I have frequently heard is how pups growing up being fed raw seem to grow slowly but without any sudden growth spurts which can be bad for bones. It certainly seemed to be the case with Daisy as she was growing although we only had her at 7 months. I do wonder if the protein % is therefore important or if it's the amount of carbs and other "fillers" which cause the problems with protein % simply a smokescreen for the real issues. If, when eating raw a dog has 500g quality protein shouldn't the same dog having 500g protein in dog food grow the same?

Sorry OP, don't mean to hijack but think it's may be useful to the discussion even if not directly.


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## Beverage (Mar 22, 2012)

Hey guys.

I think I'm going to stick with RC Giant Puppy. Its what the vet recommends, what the breeder recommends and what other newfy owners seem to use. If its not broken don't fix it I guess. when he gets full size I might look at changing.

The 2 bag calculation is based upon me feeding his recommended amount. At the moment he isn't eating anywhere near that. I currently put 1/3 his daily amount down but he doesn't usually finish it at all so I just let him eat as much as he wants three times a day. He weight is perfect according to the vet so I guess all is well. 

Feel free to continue the discussion and hi jack away. 

Thanks Guys:ciappa:


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

Beverage said:


> Hey guys.
> 
> I think I'm going to stick with RC Giant Puppy. Its what the vet recommends, what the breeder recommends and what other newfy owners seem to use. If its not broken don't fix it I guess. when he gets full size I might look at changing.
> 
> ...


It will get better in terms of how much he eats. If he is not eating it all, try giving him a little less. Soon you will be cutting one of his meals anyway, I should think, from four to three. RC is expensive, but in my opinion it is well worth it.


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## GANDG (Jan 20, 2013)

Beverage said:


> +
> 
> HERE IS WHAT THE NEWFOUNDLAND CLUB RECOMMEND
> 
> A good quality complete diet will contain a totally balanced ration and needs no supplementation. However, some contain up to five times too much Vitamin D, which can have a bad effect on developing joints. The daily vitamin D intake should not exceed 9iu per pound of dog (20iu per Kg of dog) per day.


We currently have a 16wk old Newfoundland and have been looking through The Dry Food Index here at petforums, So far nearly all the better rated foods on that list have a higher vitamin D value than Royal Canin.
I'm not entirely sure where the 20iu per kg of dog rule comes from but following it means I'd need a food with a Max vitamin D of 560iu (28kg dog x 20iu), Can anyone clarify this at all ?

Example:

Royal Canin Giant Puppy has 1100iu

Fish4Dogs Finest Fish (1800iu)
Eden Multi-meat and Fish formula (2160iu)

The lowest on the list so far appears to be Acana Grasslands with 700iu, As this is an adult food I assume Acana's large breed puppy would be more appropriate.


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## sammypenny (Oct 19, 2012)

Maybe have a look at Applaws food? You can get it for around £35 for a 12.5 bag and its 75% meat. no cereals or fillers.

Applaws Pet Food - Dog Dry


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