Most important key to growth and development of a puppy is without question proper nutrition. According to what we see at the store, a remarkably high percentage of puppy owners, first timers as well as experienced dog parents is extremely careful when it comes to feeding their puppy the right diet and definitely acknowledges that fact. I wonder sometimes why, strange enough not the same percentage of adult dog owners is nearly as sensitive and picky about their dogs’ food. I guess it must have to do with parental instincts, a feeling that a baby or kid just has different need and needs more of a parent’s care than an adult.
And as much as these puppy owners are concerned about the right food, as often they wonder if it is necessary to supplement the puppy food. The variety of supplements for all life stages being offered these days has become quite impressive and picking the right ones is almost as much a science as choosing the right food. There is also a great number of supplements specifically aimed at and formulated for puppies. So say the labels, whether this is true or not I would like to discuss another time. Reason why I make this statement is that in a press release I just recently read a warning coming from www.ConsumerLab.com: “Problems with Multi vitamins and Vitamin Water: ConsumerLab.com Uncovers Defects in Over 30% of Supplements Selected for Testing and Finds Most Children's Multivitamins Exceed Tolerable Limits “ Aside from criticizing people products, the release also include a paragraph about “Problems with Pet Supplements: In addition to supplements for people, ConsumerLab.com selected two pet supplements for testing, but neither passed. One contained only 46% of the vitamin A and 54.7% of its claimed minimum amount of calcium. Another was contaminated with 6.45 mcg of lead per tablet. This is several times higher than the amount of lead (1.41 mcg) ConsumerLab.com found to be in this same product in 2007. Contamination limits for dogs are not well defined, but, as reference, the FDA notes that children should not be exposed to more than 6 mcg of lead per day and, as noted above, California requires warning labels on supplements for human use that contain over 0.5 mcg of lead per day. “
Therefore, a healthy portion of skepticism may be in order. However, for today and now, let’s just assume the supplements, especially the high quality ones are what they promise to be and to do. The question here is, are they really necessary? Generally opinions among researchers, vets, breeders, pet owners and members of the pet product industry vary widely, just as they do with everything else.
My typical answer usually is simple: If you feed your healthy puppy a high quality food such as the ones we offer at our store, you don’t need to supplement. Of course, as always, double check with your vet and see what he/she has to say. Sometimes they may recommend supplementing with products supporting normal health like fatty acids or probiotics. Keep in mind, every puppy is different and individual needs may vary.
Sometimes it may be necessary to supplement for short periods of time. One example comes to my mind: When the puppy joins the family for the first time it may be too excited to eat correctly, so it may need a little support there. But that is seldom the case. I have yet to see a puppy, which doesn’t get excited about food and gets so side tracked by its surroundings that it doesn’t satisfy its seemingly endless hunger. After all every puppy is a fast growing body and that fast growth needs a lot of fuel.
Actually I could finish right here. You got your answer: Feed the right diet and you don’t need to supplement. But that would be too easy. There are always those of you who do for what ever the reasons may be not feed the best available food or for example feed diets approved for all life stages. In those cases you have different needs. What is to be included in the “right” puppy food to make sure that it does not to be supplemented?
If you recall any of this blog’s previous comments about feeding a puppy you will remember fatty acids, like Omega-3 to provide DHA and EPA (docosahaexenoic and eicosapentaenic acid) for enhanced mental functions, vitamins to build a strong immune system and minerals to support proper skeletal growth. This is just to name a few.
I came up with an idea: Looking for details as to what should be the ultimate supplement? One supplement comes to my mind, which I definitely call the ultimate. You guessed right: Mother’s milk. This is the super premium fuel for all of the youngster’s needs and optimal growth and development. But what makes it so valuable?
It contains proteins with the appropriate amino acid composition needed for growth. These proteins include colostrum which provides immunoglobulins important in building a strong immune system and vitamins, minerals, hormones, complex sugars and growth factors to promote proper development.
Fats included in mother’s milk help to increase resident time in the stomach to optimize digestion of proteins and other nutrients. Healthy fats also make puppies less likely to develop allergies. The fats in mother’s milk also include medium chain triglycerides (MCT). Because bile and enzyme secretions from the liver and pancreas are not fully functional during the first few weeks of a puppy’s life it is important that the fats ingested are easily digestible. MCT require less bile and enzyme for digestion and are transported from the stomach and small intestine to the liver to be utilized for energy more rapidly than other fats, which must pass through the lymphatic system. MCT’s also increase the absorption of amino acids, fat soluble vitamins and some electrolytes.
Then there are omega 3 fatty acids, which are important for the formation of cell membranes, proper enzyme function, development of brain, eye and nerve cells, healthy liver function and energy and protein production.
Lecithin is necessary for the formation and maintenance of cell membranes, nerve transmission and normal brain and liver functions plus additionally it increases resistance to disease.
And finally, probiotics or intestinal micro organisms play a vital role digestion and overall health by improving nutrient availability, synthesizing enzymes and vitamins, enhancing the immune system and regulating bowel function.
Best of all, it is available as a supplement, typically in powder form to be sprinkled onto the regular food or mixed with water into a liquid formula.
Just as important as the question do you need supplements, is the question how much of them. Be careful, some vitamins and minerals can be dangerous if given in too high of a dose. Example: Calcium if given excessively or at the wrong ratio with phosphorus can lead to musculoskeletal disorders, especially in large breed puppies.
My last word of advice to those of you who believe for economical reasons they cannot afford feeding their puppies a higher priced, high quality food: Do the math and add up your lower priced, low quality food and the dollars you will have to spend on supplements: The bottom line is most likely that you are better off feeding the better food to begin with. And this does not even consider the intangible risk of possibly having health issues with your puppy down the road at later ages.
Showing posts with label puppies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label puppies. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Puppy Diets: Growth oriented food formulas offering advantages?
It wasn’t too long ago that feeding recommendations for the various life stages of a canine were simple: Feed a puppy more and a senior less. That was all what back then it supposedly took to fill the nutritional needs at various ages. But the world of dog food has changed. Looking at the shelves at the food stores today we are overwhelmed by a sheer endless number of different puppy specific variations of flavors and formulas.
As one owner of a pet food store puts it: “Over the past couple years we have been seeing the use of unique ingredients in more and more products. They include alternative meat protein sources and different sources of nutraceuticals, not just in puppy, but in food for all life stages.”
Whether formulated for small or large breeds, many of these puppy blends contain a rich variety of ingredients mirroring the trends in the adult food market. They contain unconventional protein sources, such as for example fish, rabbit, venison and others. They are grain free or made with low allergenic fibers, such as quinoa, barley or millet.
“There is definitely a movement toward higher quality, natural diets for puppies” reports a co-owner of a pet food manufacturing business. “More food makers are including DHA, prebiotics and probiotics and all puppy formulas now have vitamins and minerals added to make them a complete and balanced diet for puppies.”
A puppy’s growing body requires more and different nutrients than the one of an adult. Manufacturers are catering their formulas to meet those dietary needs. AAFCO requires that manufacturers put a so called nutritional adequacy statement on their labels clearly stating whether the food is for growth and lactation (same requirements)), for adult maintenance or all life stages.
Today’s blends available to puppy owners however go already beyond that. They contain specific ingredients, such as for example fatty acids for proper brain and eye formation and for healthy puppy development. Dr. Joseph Wakshlag, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVN, Assistant Professor of Clinical Nutrition at Cornwell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, NY says: “Omega-3’s and -6’s are considered essential for puppies by the National Research Council. Essential Omega-6’s are linoleic acid and Omega-3’s are eicosapentaeonic acid or EPA and docosahexaeonic acid or DHA.”
Puppy diets also contain optimal balances of calcium and phosphorous for healthy bone development. They both help to build strong bones. They have not only to be in the right amounts, they also need to be at the correct ratio. This is particularly important for large breed puppies as they tend to go through a very fast growth phase and during that growth phase their bones need to be developing correctly.
Puppy formulas also come enriched with nutraceuticals such as glucosamine and chondroitin. As one vet at a pet food manufacturer says: “We began adding sources of glucosamine and chondroitin to our large breed puppy food. We use it in the senior formula because we know that many seniors have arthritis problems and glucosamine and chondroitin are known to be beneficial to those dogs. We thought it would be beneficial to start the large breed puppies out on them too to prevent some of these skeletal issues.”
The question arises: Do all of these ingredients support puppy health? According to Dr. Richard C.Hill, VetMB, PhD, MRCVS, Waltham Associate Professor of small animal internal medicine and clinical nutrition at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesvill, FL, “… they do. The most important thing to prolong a puppy’s life span and to reduce the incidence of disease is to restrict access to food so they remain in a lean body condition. Not skinny, but lean.” He refers to a life span study published in the journal Nutrition back in 2003. This study confirmed a link between body fat and the development of chronic health conditions. It also confirmed a link between the length of time a dog was overweight and that dog’s longevity and how early in the life the subject’s health conditions developed.
Each puppy based on activity level, metabolism and environmental factors may need more or less food to maintain the ideal body weight. Dr. Hill explains how to assess a puppy’s body condition: “The puppy should have a waist visible form the sides and above and an owner should be able to feel the ribs without having a layer of fat over them. A good way to describe this is: If you rub your hand over the top of your knuckles, that’s too thin, and then, when you rub your hand over the top of your closed fingers, that’s about what it should be. If you rub your hand over the ball of your hand on the other side, over the meat of your hand, that’s too fat. If your puppy is getting a little pudgy, cut back on the kibble.”
So here you have it in a nutshell. But, you may ask, with so many puppy formulas on the market my seemingly eternal question remains unanswered: Which one is the best for my pup? I agree, at times the sheer number of products can be overwhelming and confusing. As GM of our retail store I am confronted with that problem every day. How many choices do we offer? Wouldn’t we be better off only offering one choice, let’s say the one, which we determine as to be the best choice? That would not be the solution. First, who are we to come up with such a judgment? Second, even if we could make that judgment, who is to say that it would be the best choice for your very individual pup? That is why we offer so many. Sorry, at the end, the choice is yours. Only you can and will have to make that decision. We do however try to support your efforts by educating our customers, by providing as much information as we possibly can find and generate. With that information our customers can become educated consumers having the tools they need to make the right choice. Puppies are full of energy and playful enthusiasm. Let’s make sure they grow up under the right conditions, which include a diet which makes the most sense.
As one owner of a pet food store puts it: “Over the past couple years we have been seeing the use of unique ingredients in more and more products. They include alternative meat protein sources and different sources of nutraceuticals, not just in puppy, but in food for all life stages.”
Whether formulated for small or large breeds, many of these puppy blends contain a rich variety of ingredients mirroring the trends in the adult food market. They contain unconventional protein sources, such as for example fish, rabbit, venison and others. They are grain free or made with low allergenic fibers, such as quinoa, barley or millet.
“There is definitely a movement toward higher quality, natural diets for puppies” reports a co-owner of a pet food manufacturing business. “More food makers are including DHA, prebiotics and probiotics and all puppy formulas now have vitamins and minerals added to make them a complete and balanced diet for puppies.”
A puppy’s growing body requires more and different nutrients than the one of an adult. Manufacturers are catering their formulas to meet those dietary needs. AAFCO requires that manufacturers put a so called nutritional adequacy statement on their labels clearly stating whether the food is for growth and lactation (same requirements)), for adult maintenance or all life stages.
Today’s blends available to puppy owners however go already beyond that. They contain specific ingredients, such as for example fatty acids for proper brain and eye formation and for healthy puppy development. Dr. Joseph Wakshlag, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVN, Assistant Professor of Clinical Nutrition at Cornwell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, NY says: “Omega-3’s and -6’s are considered essential for puppies by the National Research Council. Essential Omega-6’s are linoleic acid and Omega-3’s are eicosapentaeonic acid or EPA and docosahexaeonic acid or DHA.”
Puppy diets also contain optimal balances of calcium and phosphorous for healthy bone development. They both help to build strong bones. They have not only to be in the right amounts, they also need to be at the correct ratio. This is particularly important for large breed puppies as they tend to go through a very fast growth phase and during that growth phase their bones need to be developing correctly.
Puppy formulas also come enriched with nutraceuticals such as glucosamine and chondroitin. As one vet at a pet food manufacturer says: “We began adding sources of glucosamine and chondroitin to our large breed puppy food. We use it in the senior formula because we know that many seniors have arthritis problems and glucosamine and chondroitin are known to be beneficial to those dogs. We thought it would be beneficial to start the large breed puppies out on them too to prevent some of these skeletal issues.”
The question arises: Do all of these ingredients support puppy health? According to Dr. Richard C.Hill, VetMB, PhD, MRCVS, Waltham Associate Professor of small animal internal medicine and clinical nutrition at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesvill, FL, “… they do. The most important thing to prolong a puppy’s life span and to reduce the incidence of disease is to restrict access to food so they remain in a lean body condition. Not skinny, but lean.” He refers to a life span study published in the journal Nutrition back in 2003. This study confirmed a link between body fat and the development of chronic health conditions. It also confirmed a link between the length of time a dog was overweight and that dog’s longevity and how early in the life the subject’s health conditions developed.
Each puppy based on activity level, metabolism and environmental factors may need more or less food to maintain the ideal body weight. Dr. Hill explains how to assess a puppy’s body condition: “The puppy should have a waist visible form the sides and above and an owner should be able to feel the ribs without having a layer of fat over them. A good way to describe this is: If you rub your hand over the top of your knuckles, that’s too thin, and then, when you rub your hand over the top of your closed fingers, that’s about what it should be. If you rub your hand over the ball of your hand on the other side, over the meat of your hand, that’s too fat. If your puppy is getting a little pudgy, cut back on the kibble.”
So here you have it in a nutshell. But, you may ask, with so many puppy formulas on the market my seemingly eternal question remains unanswered: Which one is the best for my pup? I agree, at times the sheer number of products can be overwhelming and confusing. As GM of our retail store I am confronted with that problem every day. How many choices do we offer? Wouldn’t we be better off only offering one choice, let’s say the one, which we determine as to be the best choice? That would not be the solution. First, who are we to come up with such a judgment? Second, even if we could make that judgment, who is to say that it would be the best choice for your very individual pup? That is why we offer so many. Sorry, at the end, the choice is yours. Only you can and will have to make that decision. We do however try to support your efforts by educating our customers, by providing as much information as we possibly can find and generate. With that information our customers can become educated consumers having the tools they need to make the right choice. Puppies are full of energy and playful enthusiasm. Let’s make sure they grow up under the right conditions, which include a diet which makes the most sense.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Feeding puppies adult food?
“Do I really have to feed the expensive puppy food to my 3 month old puppy or do you think I could get away with starting to switch him over to regular adult maintenance food?” I was asked the other day by a customer who just had acquired the cutest Irish Jack Russell Terrier.
Though I couldn’t believe this particular one, a not so uncommon question these days, especially since the economical situation has everybody in the world turn around every dollar twice before spending it. Besides economical reasons, puppy food is indeed is at least a good 10% pricier than adult food, other reasons may be that the owners underestimate the length of the growth period or because they were told by someone and believe that puppy food is too rich and could be harmful to the growth of the little one.
Let’s look at the economics: Now here we go, we just bought a pure bred dog. Here pet owners usually spend at least $500 on a new puppy and then they wonder how they can save a couple bucks on the food? To me that doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. But what is really the actual pricing on puppy vs. adult food and is there a material difference? I compared at our own store, which tells me to believe it is similar at other places: There are brands with puppy food at no or a very minimal price difference, and there are others, which may be up to 10% more expensive than adult food. Whether or not this is justified remains open, it could be just a marketing issue too. Fact is, puppy owners are most likely easily willing to spend a few dollars more when it comes to the new baby, so some manufacturers may take advantage of that psychological aspect.
Next, length of growth period: Anybody believing that the growth period is over after 3 months should seriously rethink the idea of having a puppy. I am sorry but where is the common sense here? I would say every pet owner by now should know that the first 8 to 12 months of a puppy are definitely to be considered as the growth period, probably 12 months would be a good bet, but keep in mind with large and giant breeds we are easy looking at up to 24 months before the growth period is over. I remember our own last puppy, Roxy, a German Shepherd girl, she was done growing in height and length after about 12 months, but then she took another 9 months to really, I call it fill in, got some meat and muscle around her bones and become a seriously grown dog.
Finally, puppy food being too rich? Too rich in what and how harmful could it be?
I think what one has to consider is there are various classifications of dog food, simply to be determined by the official AAFCO Nutritional Dog Food Profiles, which are available for puppies, adult maintenance, seniors or the “covers it all” classification “all life stages”. The ladder one would be sufficient to feed to an adult or a puppy, since it covers both needs.
Fact is, puppies do have different nutritional requirements than adults have. And that by itself justifies having a different class of food. There are different energy requirements.
During the first half of its growth, a puppy needs twice as much energy than an adult, compared to its bodyweight. This multiplier coefficient decreases progressively, but when the puppy reaches 80% of its adult bodyweight, it still consumes 20% more energy than an adult. Feeding him with a concentrated puppy food avoids overloading its digestive tract.
Keep in mind that puppies have different growth rates according to size. For example a small breed puppy reaches about 40 to 50% of its adult bodyweight within about 3 months, a large breed puppy will not get there before it is 5 months of age. Toy breeds reach their adult bodyweight within about 8 months. At that point, it has multiplied its birth weight 20 fold. A Newfoundland puppy still grows up until 18 to 24 months or until it has multiplied its birth weight about 100 fold.
Now, let’s look at protein requirements: Puppies require a great amount of protein for the synthesis of the skeleton and all other tissues. Their amino acid requirement is far more important than for an adult. Additionally, puppies do not use proteins with the same efficiency as an adult dog. To make up for this less efficient digestive capacity, a growth product must contain at least 25 to 30% more proteins than an adult food. Protein deficiencies in puppies may cause among other problems, delayed growth, immune system weakness and anemia.
Mineral requirements: Large breed puppies are susceptible to growth abnormalities if they are being fed a diet too high in calcium. Therefore, feeding the correct puppy formula is important for their long term health.
Then there is the starch digestion. The production of enzymes , which digest starch reaches an optimum level only when the puppy has completely achieved its growth. Before, a puppy does not digest starch as well. A maintenance adult diet can contain up to 50% starch. In contrast, a puppy food should not contain more than 30% starch. Feeding an adult diet to a puppy can induce loose stools, diarrhea, and possibly favor coprophagic behavior, which means they start eating their own stools.
Puppy food does not equal puppy food. Especially important that the food needs to accommodate the needs of various sizes. All puppy foods seem to have some common characteristics, which include high energy density, concentration of all essential nutrients and decreased levels of starch. But the size of the breed implies specific adaptations.
Large breeds are much more likely to suffer from skeletal growth diseases. These troubles are exacerbated by an over consumption of energy. Such over consumption comes with accelerated growth and too high levels of dietary calcium. Limiting fat content and controlling the level of calcium in the food is the best way to minimize the risks. In contrast, small and medium breeds must receive a lot of energy, but in a small volume. They require a more concentrated diet.
In conclusion I would say: For those of you who believe that there is really no difference between a puppy and a regular adult maintenance food, do your home work and look at the formulas again. Simply looking at the Guaranteed Analysis immediately will tell you that there are major differences in mainly protein and fat content but also in fiber. Further analysis of the dry matter nutrient analysis will provide even more detailed insight.
Unless you are looking at a formula classified as being for “all life stages”, stick with the puppy food. Wait until the end of growth period (find out more from your breeder or on breed specific sites on the Internet) before switching a puppy to an adult product. And, finally, there is no disadvantage in feeding a puppy food longer than initially planned, provided the bodyweight of the dog is not excessive.
Though I couldn’t believe this particular one, a not so uncommon question these days, especially since the economical situation has everybody in the world turn around every dollar twice before spending it. Besides economical reasons, puppy food is indeed is at least a good 10% pricier than adult food, other reasons may be that the owners underestimate the length of the growth period or because they were told by someone and believe that puppy food is too rich and could be harmful to the growth of the little one.
Let’s look at the economics: Now here we go, we just bought a pure bred dog. Here pet owners usually spend at least $500 on a new puppy and then they wonder how they can save a couple bucks on the food? To me that doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. But what is really the actual pricing on puppy vs. adult food and is there a material difference? I compared at our own store, which tells me to believe it is similar at other places: There are brands with puppy food at no or a very minimal price difference, and there are others, which may be up to 10% more expensive than adult food. Whether or not this is justified remains open, it could be just a marketing issue too. Fact is, puppy owners are most likely easily willing to spend a few dollars more when it comes to the new baby, so some manufacturers may take advantage of that psychological aspect.
Next, length of growth period: Anybody believing that the growth period is over after 3 months should seriously rethink the idea of having a puppy. I am sorry but where is the common sense here? I would say every pet owner by now should know that the first 8 to 12 months of a puppy are definitely to be considered as the growth period, probably 12 months would be a good bet, but keep in mind with large and giant breeds we are easy looking at up to 24 months before the growth period is over. I remember our own last puppy, Roxy, a German Shepherd girl, she was done growing in height and length after about 12 months, but then she took another 9 months to really, I call it fill in, got some meat and muscle around her bones and become a seriously grown dog.
Finally, puppy food being too rich? Too rich in what and how harmful could it be?
I think what one has to consider is there are various classifications of dog food, simply to be determined by the official AAFCO Nutritional Dog Food Profiles, which are available for puppies, adult maintenance, seniors or the “covers it all” classification “all life stages”. The ladder one would be sufficient to feed to an adult or a puppy, since it covers both needs.
Fact is, puppies do have different nutritional requirements than adults have. And that by itself justifies having a different class of food. There are different energy requirements.
During the first half of its growth, a puppy needs twice as much energy than an adult, compared to its bodyweight. This multiplier coefficient decreases progressively, but when the puppy reaches 80% of its adult bodyweight, it still consumes 20% more energy than an adult. Feeding him with a concentrated puppy food avoids overloading its digestive tract.
Keep in mind that puppies have different growth rates according to size. For example a small breed puppy reaches about 40 to 50% of its adult bodyweight within about 3 months, a large breed puppy will not get there before it is 5 months of age. Toy breeds reach their adult bodyweight within about 8 months. At that point, it has multiplied its birth weight 20 fold. A Newfoundland puppy still grows up until 18 to 24 months or until it has multiplied its birth weight about 100 fold.
Now, let’s look at protein requirements: Puppies require a great amount of protein for the synthesis of the skeleton and all other tissues. Their amino acid requirement is far more important than for an adult. Additionally, puppies do not use proteins with the same efficiency as an adult dog. To make up for this less efficient digestive capacity, a growth product must contain at least 25 to 30% more proteins than an adult food. Protein deficiencies in puppies may cause among other problems, delayed growth, immune system weakness and anemia.
Mineral requirements: Large breed puppies are susceptible to growth abnormalities if they are being fed a diet too high in calcium. Therefore, feeding the correct puppy formula is important for their long term health.
Then there is the starch digestion. The production of enzymes , which digest starch reaches an optimum level only when the puppy has completely achieved its growth. Before, a puppy does not digest starch as well. A maintenance adult diet can contain up to 50% starch. In contrast, a puppy food should not contain more than 30% starch. Feeding an adult diet to a puppy can induce loose stools, diarrhea, and possibly favor coprophagic behavior, which means they start eating their own stools.
Puppy food does not equal puppy food. Especially important that the food needs to accommodate the needs of various sizes. All puppy foods seem to have some common characteristics, which include high energy density, concentration of all essential nutrients and decreased levels of starch. But the size of the breed implies specific adaptations.
Large breeds are much more likely to suffer from skeletal growth diseases. These troubles are exacerbated by an over consumption of energy. Such over consumption comes with accelerated growth and too high levels of dietary calcium. Limiting fat content and controlling the level of calcium in the food is the best way to minimize the risks. In contrast, small and medium breeds must receive a lot of energy, but in a small volume. They require a more concentrated diet.
In conclusion I would say: For those of you who believe that there is really no difference between a puppy and a regular adult maintenance food, do your home work and look at the formulas again. Simply looking at the Guaranteed Analysis immediately will tell you that there are major differences in mainly protein and fat content but also in fiber. Further analysis of the dry matter nutrient analysis will provide even more detailed insight.
Unless you are looking at a formula classified as being for “all life stages”, stick with the puppy food. Wait until the end of growth period (find out more from your breeder or on breed specific sites on the Internet) before switching a puppy to an adult product. And, finally, there is no disadvantage in feeding a puppy food longer than initially planned, provided the bodyweight of the dog is not excessive.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Under the Pet Food Examiner’s Magnifying Glass: Review Innova Large Breed Puppy Dry Formula
One of my customers today asked me about my opinion on the Innova Large Breed Puppy dry formula. He owns 2 German Shepherds, one of them obviously being a puppy. He joined my customer base just recently and after we had a few interesting conversations about healthy pet food in general. Earlier on, when we met he had told me that “I was shocked when I stumbled on www.dogfoodanalysis.com and learned that the Royal Canin German Shepherd food I was feeding my dog - thinking i'm doing the best for him - is rated 2 stars - and it costs nearly as much as the really good premiums such as Blue Wilderness and Orijens. I've since found a few other sites and they all seem to pretty much agree on the top 8 or 10 foods. And when you read the ingredients - and now I understand them - it's pretty shocking - actually criminal - what the big pet food makers such as Purina are putting in their foods. What boggles my mind is that vets - and I have a great vet - still recommend something like Iams which is even worse than Royal Canin. When I first got D., the breeder was feeding him Timberwolf. I asked my vet about it and he said "you're wasting your money." Go figure. I guess because you're a veterinarian doesn't mean you're a nutrition expert” I like pet owners like him. It just always gives me confidence that with what I am doing I am not wasting my time. More and more pet owners are waking up and realizing that they have been led down the wrong path for too long and that it is time to make a turn onto the right way.
Anyway, his puppy was on a vet prescribed diet and my customer had started to make a transition to Solid Gold Wolf Cub. While initially the Wolf Cub was well received, now the puppy seems to have lost interest and would not eat it anymore. So he is looking for alternatives and wrote:
“I'm thinking I may switch from the Wolf Cub - now that she's almost totally off the Iams Low Res prescription diet, she doesn't seem to be eating the Wolf Cub. I'll work through what I have but was thinking of changing to Innova Large Breed Puppy - see if she likes that better. Doesn't get a real high rating from Dogfoodanalysis.com but only because of low meat content. I supplement her dry food with canned to take care of that. Your thoughts on Innova - Timberwolf and Evo don't make a dry puppy food.”
Actually I think this really poses 3 questions: What is my opinion about the food? How about life stage based feeding? And finally, how reliable are dog food review data bases and what pet owners should keep in mind when utilizing them. To get started and food into the puppy bowl, as I am sure she is hungry, I want to start with the food review and attack the other two issues in another, seperate comment.
My thoughts are:
You asked me about my thoughts on Innova and Evo and refer to the DogFoodAnalysis.com rating. There are 2 ways of looking at food, one is dog food rating sites like the one you quoted and there are plenty more, some more, some less credible. I would like to address food reviews as a general topic in a separate discussion.
The other way I look at pet food is through my experience. Based on that meanwhile I have a pretty good feeling about which brands and formulas are better than others and have their spot in my top listings. So, you may ask, how opinionated is my “experience”? Well, let me put it this way, I sell food and it would be unbelievable to say I am not recommending the products I sell. But I have to make one thing clear here: I do sell only the best food available on the market today. That is a fact not just based on my “experience”, but also by many other experts who are at a minimum at least as “little” experienced as I am. And I will refrain from recommending products I do not know or, based on my philosophy do not believe in.
Let me say up front, Evo is not for puppies. Which is most likely the reason why they do not offer a puppy formula. We do not even have to go there in detail, the bottom line is I have tried it with less satisfying results and experienced issues. I suspect it is the high protein levels causing problems. I then called up Natura of which Evo is a brand. Their reps were pretty straight forward telling me that Evo is not made for puppies. When I deal with high quality pet food manufacturers it is my opinion that I need to follow their advice. As a matter of fact, credit where credit is due: I am impressed by the fact that they gave me an honest answer right up front, even if that meant this was a lost sale. Now this is a good indication and the difference between strictly profit driven Wallstreet oriented mass marketed food manufacturers and idealism driven small to medium sized, family owned manufacturers. Pet owners are definitely better off with the ladder ones.
Looking at the Innvoa Large Breed Puppy formula I can tell you that I have plenty of customers who have highly successful raised their puppies on this formula. They were so satisfied with the product that their former puppies now are as grown ups on Innova Large Breed Adult (and Evo) formulas. None of them ever had a problem except for one in which the owner tried to blame it on the food. The dog had a stool problem and when trying to get to the bottom of it I found out about many other circumstances which may have caused those problems. Aside from this one and only case, like I said no problems at all. I have currently I believe 6 or 7 customers with German Shepherd puppies and they are all doing extremely well. Even their vets say so. The vets may not be so pleased with that fact, but it is the simple truth. Sorry vets, not prescription food sale required here.
Innova has just made minor improvements during a major product re-launch back in October/November last year. None of them have shown to be any problem. Now, and this in the past was a minor issue during transitioning time from one formula to another, even the extended loose stool periods during transition are eliminated. I personally believe this is mainly due to the fact that Innova has replaced garlic with pumpkin as another ingredient. Pumpkin is considered a “super food’” and is an excellent source of antioxidants. Other improvements included enhanced APA and DHA levels for brain and eye development, optimized feeding charts based on accurate calorie information and standardized energy requirements equations, improved stool quality and palatability and elimination of transition periods when upgrading to a subsequent life stage.
The formula itself is pretty straight forward. It is listed by Whole Dog Journal (WDJ) as a Top Dry Food of the Year. WDJ in my opinion is “the” current authority when it comes to dog food ratings. (More about that in the above mentioned blog comment)
According to various conversations I had with Natura, the manufacturer, all ingredients are human grade quality and sourced domestically. At least 80% of the protein comes from meat sources (!). It contains several quality animal protein sources (turkey, chicken, egg). The first 5 ingredients are turkey, chicken, chicken meal, barley and brown rice, all quality ingredients, i.e. whole grains and named meats and meals. It also contains flax seed meal and alfalfa sprouts as quality ingredients. It is free of any added chemicals like artificial preservatives such as BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin. It contains a complete vitamin and mineral supplement program that helps pets to thrive, not just survive. The minerals are chelated, providing three to ten times greater assimilation than common minerals. The food also contains beneficial probiotic supplements, which are not required with the AAFCO minimums.
Large breed puppies have a genetic tendency to grow rapidly. Controlling growth rate helps normal development of bones and joints which is particularly important from about eight weeks of age, when a puppy is weaned, to two years of age. The tendency to overfeed and give supplements (such as calcium) to large breed puppies is common but should be avoided as it can potentially cause abnormal skeletal development. Instead, a food specially formulated to provide your puppy with the right balance of nutrients for optimum skeletal development should be selected. Innova Large Breed Puppy Food contains 6% fewer calories than regular Innova Puppy Food and includes balanced levels of calcium and phosphorus. Innova Large Breed Puppy Food also has less protein and is balanced with the appropriate mineral content for optimal skeletal development. Innova Large Breed Puppy Food also contains a bit more fiber than regular Innova Puppy food to prevent overfeeding. Innova Large Breed Puppy Food provides complete and balanced nutrition. (If you follow my blog “All about pets & pet nutrition”, you will notice that I take the term “complete & balanced” with a grain of salt, as I agree with Dr. R.L.Wysong, DVM, who simply says “there is no such thing!” see specific blog comment “The most crucial ingredient to your pet’s health: A high quality diet“ ).
One thing I really like about Natura is the information and data provided on their formulas. While ingredient listings and guaranteed analysis are pretty much standard these days (though, sadly enough not everybody provides them), at Natura, as with any other high quality food manufacturer who has nothing to hide, you also get detailed ingredient descriptions, referring to sourcing and benefits and nutrient analysis data, in two ways on an “as fed” or on a “dry matter” analysis, which is by far more meaningful than the summarized standard 4-item guaranteed analysis required by regulators.
The only problem I had in the past with Innova formulas was that some ingredients were sourced in China. However, the good news is that Natura just recently announced 100% their ingredients will come from trusted, non-Chinese suppliers.
Supplements are needed to ensure that pets receive optimum nutrition, and among the necessary supplements, certain B vitamins and taurine, in the past have been unavailable from anywhere other than China. As a side note, I find this fact in itself highly interesting. How many pet food manufacturers made and make us believe that their foods do not contain Chines ingredients? A little controversial I would say at least. Anyway, after diligently working with its suppliers, Natura has found alternative sources and is now using them exclusively.
Natura also was a front runner right after the 2007 recall, when it became the first pet food company in the industry to test and guarantee that all of its products are free from melamine and cyanuric acid.
You asked for my opinion: Innova Large Breed Puppy Dry Formula gets a Pet Food Examiner's Thumb Up (in lieu of a rating system yet to be determined and established). Would I feed it to my next large breed puppy? If I would not have the on-line store, yes. But having the store, my dogs have the added benefit of being “taste testers” for a large variety of types and brands of food.
I hope this information helps you to come to your own conclusion.
Anyway, his puppy was on a vet prescribed diet and my customer had started to make a transition to Solid Gold Wolf Cub. While initially the Wolf Cub was well received, now the puppy seems to have lost interest and would not eat it anymore. So he is looking for alternatives and wrote:
“I'm thinking I may switch from the Wolf Cub - now that she's almost totally off the Iams Low Res prescription diet, she doesn't seem to be eating the Wolf Cub. I'll work through what I have but was thinking of changing to Innova Large Breed Puppy - see if she likes that better. Doesn't get a real high rating from Dogfoodanalysis.com but only because of low meat content. I supplement her dry food with canned to take care of that. Your thoughts on Innova - Timberwolf and Evo don't make a dry puppy food.”
Actually I think this really poses 3 questions: What is my opinion about the food? How about life stage based feeding? And finally, how reliable are dog food review data bases and what pet owners should keep in mind when utilizing them. To get started and food into the puppy bowl, as I am sure she is hungry, I want to start with the food review and attack the other two issues in another, seperate comment.
My thoughts are:
You asked me about my thoughts on Innova and Evo and refer to the DogFoodAnalysis.com rating. There are 2 ways of looking at food, one is dog food rating sites like the one you quoted and there are plenty more, some more, some less credible. I would like to address food reviews as a general topic in a separate discussion.
The other way I look at pet food is through my experience. Based on that meanwhile I have a pretty good feeling about which brands and formulas are better than others and have their spot in my top listings. So, you may ask, how opinionated is my “experience”? Well, let me put it this way, I sell food and it would be unbelievable to say I am not recommending the products I sell. But I have to make one thing clear here: I do sell only the best food available on the market today. That is a fact not just based on my “experience”, but also by many other experts who are at a minimum at least as “little” experienced as I am. And I will refrain from recommending products I do not know or, based on my philosophy do not believe in.
Let me say up front, Evo is not for puppies. Which is most likely the reason why they do not offer a puppy formula. We do not even have to go there in detail, the bottom line is I have tried it with less satisfying results and experienced issues. I suspect it is the high protein levels causing problems. I then called up Natura of which Evo is a brand. Their reps were pretty straight forward telling me that Evo is not made for puppies. When I deal with high quality pet food manufacturers it is my opinion that I need to follow their advice. As a matter of fact, credit where credit is due: I am impressed by the fact that they gave me an honest answer right up front, even if that meant this was a lost sale. Now this is a good indication and the difference between strictly profit driven Wallstreet oriented mass marketed food manufacturers and idealism driven small to medium sized, family owned manufacturers. Pet owners are definitely better off with the ladder ones.
Looking at the Innvoa Large Breed Puppy formula I can tell you that I have plenty of customers who have highly successful raised their puppies on this formula. They were so satisfied with the product that their former puppies now are as grown ups on Innova Large Breed Adult (and Evo) formulas. None of them ever had a problem except for one in which the owner tried to blame it on the food. The dog had a stool problem and when trying to get to the bottom of it I found out about many other circumstances which may have caused those problems. Aside from this one and only case, like I said no problems at all. I have currently I believe 6 or 7 customers with German Shepherd puppies and they are all doing extremely well. Even their vets say so. The vets may not be so pleased with that fact, but it is the simple truth. Sorry vets, not prescription food sale required here.
Innova has just made minor improvements during a major product re-launch back in October/November last year. None of them have shown to be any problem. Now, and this in the past was a minor issue during transitioning time from one formula to another, even the extended loose stool periods during transition are eliminated. I personally believe this is mainly due to the fact that Innova has replaced garlic with pumpkin as another ingredient. Pumpkin is considered a “super food’” and is an excellent source of antioxidants. Other improvements included enhanced APA and DHA levels for brain and eye development, optimized feeding charts based on accurate calorie information and standardized energy requirements equations, improved stool quality and palatability and elimination of transition periods when upgrading to a subsequent life stage.
The formula itself is pretty straight forward. It is listed by Whole Dog Journal (WDJ) as a Top Dry Food of the Year. WDJ in my opinion is “the” current authority when it comes to dog food ratings. (More about that in the above mentioned blog comment)
According to various conversations I had with Natura, the manufacturer, all ingredients are human grade quality and sourced domestically. At least 80% of the protein comes from meat sources (!). It contains several quality animal protein sources (turkey, chicken, egg). The first 5 ingredients are turkey, chicken, chicken meal, barley and brown rice, all quality ingredients, i.e. whole grains and named meats and meals. It also contains flax seed meal and alfalfa sprouts as quality ingredients. It is free of any added chemicals like artificial preservatives such as BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin. It contains a complete vitamin and mineral supplement program that helps pets to thrive, not just survive. The minerals are chelated, providing three to ten times greater assimilation than common minerals. The food also contains beneficial probiotic supplements, which are not required with the AAFCO minimums.
Large breed puppies have a genetic tendency to grow rapidly. Controlling growth rate helps normal development of bones and joints which is particularly important from about eight weeks of age, when a puppy is weaned, to two years of age. The tendency to overfeed and give supplements (such as calcium) to large breed puppies is common but should be avoided as it can potentially cause abnormal skeletal development. Instead, a food specially formulated to provide your puppy with the right balance of nutrients for optimum skeletal development should be selected. Innova Large Breed Puppy Food contains 6% fewer calories than regular Innova Puppy Food and includes balanced levels of calcium and phosphorus. Innova Large Breed Puppy Food also has less protein and is balanced with the appropriate mineral content for optimal skeletal development. Innova Large Breed Puppy Food also contains a bit more fiber than regular Innova Puppy food to prevent overfeeding. Innova Large Breed Puppy Food provides complete and balanced nutrition. (If you follow my blog “All about pets & pet nutrition”, you will notice that I take the term “complete & balanced” with a grain of salt, as I agree with Dr. R.L.Wysong, DVM, who simply says “there is no such thing!” see specific blog comment “The most crucial ingredient to your pet’s health: A high quality diet“ ).
One thing I really like about Natura is the information and data provided on their formulas. While ingredient listings and guaranteed analysis are pretty much standard these days (though, sadly enough not everybody provides them), at Natura, as with any other high quality food manufacturer who has nothing to hide, you also get detailed ingredient descriptions, referring to sourcing and benefits and nutrient analysis data, in two ways on an “as fed” or on a “dry matter” analysis, which is by far more meaningful than the summarized standard 4-item guaranteed analysis required by regulators.
The only problem I had in the past with Innova formulas was that some ingredients were sourced in China. However, the good news is that Natura just recently announced 100% their ingredients will come from trusted, non-Chinese suppliers.
Supplements are needed to ensure that pets receive optimum nutrition, and among the necessary supplements, certain B vitamins and taurine, in the past have been unavailable from anywhere other than China. As a side note, I find this fact in itself highly interesting. How many pet food manufacturers made and make us believe that their foods do not contain Chines ingredients? A little controversial I would say at least. Anyway, after diligently working with its suppliers, Natura has found alternative sources and is now using them exclusively.
Natura also was a front runner right after the 2007 recall, when it became the first pet food company in the industry to test and guarantee that all of its products are free from melamine and cyanuric acid.
You asked for my opinion: Innova Large Breed Puppy Dry Formula gets a Pet Food Examiner's Thumb Up (in lieu of a rating system yet to be determined and established). Would I feed it to my next large breed puppy? If I would not have the on-line store, yes. But having the store, my dogs have the added benefit of being “taste testers” for a large variety of types and brands of food.
I hope this information helps you to come to your own conclusion.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Nutrition for Puppies & Kittens: Common dietary requirements
I always say and you have to admit, puppies and kittens are just like human babies in many ways. They can get cold very easily, they can get sick easily, and they require frequent meals. They rely on their mother for care and food in the initial weeks after they are born. In most cases, puppies or kittens go home with someone new between 6 and 8 weeks of age. This is where we come in as new puppy or kitten owners. It can be very difficult to choose the right puppy food or kitten food, but with some knowledge of the importance of diet to your new puppy or kitten’s health, you can easily make the right decision. When feeding dry or canned food, a good quality growth formula is very important for your rapidly growing puppy. New advances in pet nutrition allow you to provide your puppy with optimal nutrition for optimal health. Small and medium breed puppies should be fed differently than large or giant breed puppies. The primary difference is the fat and calorie content of the foods that are appropriate for the different sized breeds. Small and medium breed puppies benefit from higher fat levels or formulas with greater energy density. Because these tiny puppies do not eat a large volume of food, they should be fed a diet that contains at least 15% fat to achieve optimal growth and development. Large and giant breed puppies should be fed diets that are lower in fat and calories to help them grow more slowly so that they are less likely to develop bone and joint abnormalities. While genetics is the most important factor affecting the health of the bones and joints of these puppies, diet can play a role by promoting too rapid of a growth rate. Keeping puppies in lean body condition is something that will help keep them healthier throughout their lives. For more information regarding developmental abnormalities of the skeletal system, please read our companion articles: Developmental Orthopedic Disease or Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy and Panosteitis. Kittens benefit from kitten foods that are high in protein and high in fat. This type of formula is lower in carbohydrates than diets that are lower in protein or fat. Cats are carnivores, designed to consume high protein diets with very little, if any, carbohydrate content. Dry pet foods must contain carbohydrates, this is just a requirement of the manufacturing process. However, feeding your kitten a kitten food that is greater than 30% protein and greater than 18% fat will help provide your kitten with optimal nutrition for growth, development, and health. Antioxidants are important additions to any puppy food or kitten food. Vitamin E and selenium are recognized as two of the most critically important antioxidants for the health of your pet. Look on the Guaranteed Analysis for nutrient guarantees of these two important antioxidants. As food is digested and metabolized, one of the by-products of this process is a particle called a free radical. The formation of free radicals is just part of everyday living. Because young animals take in such a large number of calories, their bodies produce free radicals at a higher rate. Young animals have more natural mechanisms to rid themselves of these pesky particles, but benefit from a diet that includes some additional help in neutralizing these charged oxygen molecules. Free radicals damage healthy cells by injuring the membrane, or covering, around the cell. Neutralizing the free radicals with antioxidants will help minimize this effect. Your puppy’s health and your kitten’s health can be positively influenced with fatty acids. Fatty acids are components of fat sources within the puppy food or kitten food that you select for you new pet. There are two primary groups of fatty acids that we are interested in: Omega-6 fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are required nutrients and are present in all puppy foods and kitten foods. Omega-6 fatty acids keep the skin hydrated so that it does not become dry and flaky. However, if omega-6 fatty acids are not balanced with omega-3 fatty acids, they may promote inflammation within the body. There are cells that respond to different insults or attacks within the body. These cells are inflammatory cells. Sometimes though, these cells respond to a non existent threat and cause irritation or damage in otherwise healthy parts of the body. Omega-3 fatty acids help prevent this indiscriminate inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids are not always added to puppy foods or kitten foods. Ingredients such as flaxseed, fish meal, and fish oil include omega-3 fatty acids. Look on the guaranteed analysis for omega-3 fatty acids. They should be present in a 5:1 to 10:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids for optimal health effects. Let’s talk just briefly about ingredients. Ingredients are only as important as the nutrients that they provide to the formula. Fresh meats are appealing to your puppy or kitten because they improve the flavor of the food. However, these fresh meats should be followed with a protein meal that is animal sourced, such as chicken meal, chicken by-product meal, or lamb meal, to name a few. Fresh meats are great, but they are very high in water. So, when the food is cooked, the water is removed and much less of the fresh meat is left behind. This is why dry protein meals are critical to providing adequate protein levels for your rapidly growing puppy or your carnivorous kitten. Natural preservatives include among others mixed tocopherols (vitamin E), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and rosemary extract. The technology behind natural preservation has come a long way. We now can safely and effectively preserve pet foods for many months using only natural ingredients. Many puppy foods and kitten foods now include whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. These ingredients may help promote a healthier metabolism and also provide natural sources of vitamins and minerals. Your puppy’s health or your kitten’s health does not rely solely on ingredients such as these and some pets do better on diets that are simpler, more basic and do not contain so many varied ingredients, especially when these foods contain the nutrients that were mentioned above. Feeding your puppy or kitten for his optimal health is not difficult with so many choices of high quality puppy foods and kitten foods. All puppies and all kittens cannot eat the same food with the same results and some trial and error may be necessary to find just the right food, but with the right choice, your puppy or kitten will grow and thrive and become a happy and healthy adult.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
