[McSuzie]

Hi Quincy is 18 weeks was on Purina pro plan, after several weeks had bad diarrhea and went on bland (I/d) diet. Weaned back onto the Purina, was good for a week and diarrhea again. Back on bland and this time weaned onto all life stage healthy extension. Great for 2 wks and suddenly thurs/fri diarhea again. This time I did boiled chicken and pastina. Stools firmed up immediately. The vet said to feed this for 3 days and then transition him to a puppy kibble, her recommendation was purina pro plan puppy. She said maybe his digestive system needs to mature. I’m ok with all this, dropped off a stool sample just to be safe, but I’m not a big Purina fan. Any suggestions or similar puppy belly issues?

 

[Michigan Gal]

Pro Plan has soybean in it. Your dog may not do well with soy. I feed raw, but when I need to feed kibble, I use Taste of the Wild.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Peggy likes Farmina. We're transitioning her now to adult, but here's her puppy formula:

FARMINA N&D Ancestral Grain Chicken & Pomegranate Medium & Maxi Puppy Dry Dog Food, 26.5-lb bag - Chewy.com

Buy Farmina N&D Ancestral Grain Chicken & Pomegranate Medium & Maxi Puppy Dry Dog Food, 26.5-lb bag at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!

www.chewy.com

She came to me with a bag of Diamond Naturals from the breeder, but she was frequently vomiting (including after every meal) and underweight. Usually I'd transition to a new food gradually, but this was urgent, so I did a reset with plain boiled chicken breast for a day. The vomiting immediately stopped. So I started adding in a little more Nutro Ultra at each meal.

After a few months I slowly transitioned her to Farmina, because it doesn't contain peas/legumes. I'm sure you're familiar with the relevant FDA investigation, but just in case:

FDA Investigates Potential Link Between Diet & Heart Disease in Dogs

Latest update on the FDA’s investigation into reports of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods.

www.fda.gov

 

[PeggyTheParti]

(And while everyone has their own opinion on this, vets included, I understand that puppy formula is important for large breeds, to ensure they don't grow too fast. Less calcium, etc. So I've played it safe, sticking to puppy food until Peggy is fully grown.)

 

[Liz]

There are a lot of high quality kibble out there. Both Taste of the Wild and Farmina look good; I use Acana when necessary. Instinct, Stella & Chewy, Go!, and Orijen also come to mind.

Whole Dog Journal

 

[McSuzie]

(And while everyone has their own opinion on this, vets included, I understand that puppy formula is important for large breeds, to ensure they don't grow too fast. Less calcium, etc. So I've played it safe, sticking to puppy food until Peggy is fully grown.)

Thank you, I’ve not heard of that brand, maybe not widely distributed in NY. My vets opinion is that puppy food is best, my breeder and trainer both use ALS. But this poor guy can’t seem to get regulated on the ALS so......I’m going to feed bland until Monday but I want to buy something to start adding in on Monday

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Thank you, I’ve not heard of that brand, maybe not widely distributed in NY. My vets opinion is that puppy food is best, my breeder and trainer both use ALS. But this poor guy can’t seem to get regulated on the ALS so......I’m going to feed bland until Monday but I want to buy something to start adding in on Monday

I buy from Chewy primarily. But we also have a small, independent pet-food store in town that sells it. Those types of stores are usually a great source of information, too. Especially if you can speak directly with the owner.

 

[Jbean]

We had trouble with training treats causing diarrhea. Anything with glycerin ("natural", "vegetable", or no qualifier) or PEG caused diarrhea. He can eat anything now, but as a puppy, all soft-moist treats were out. We alternate Royal Canin and Pro Plan because I don't trust boutique manufacturers.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

I understand the EU's pet food regulations are more stringent than American, so although Farmina doesn't necessarily have big name recognition here, I don't doubt its quality. To my knowledge, it's not been subject to a single recall.

And I agree with Jbean: Glycerin in treats acts as a laxative. So many poor puppies being poked and prodded and treated with pharmaceuticals, when eliminating this one ingredient could be an easy fix.

(I've never had a vet tell me this, by the way, which I find extremely frustrating.)

 

[Dogs4Life]

I don't have a puppy, but I do have experience feeding Farmina, and I think it's a great brand. Both of my dogs are doing really well on their dry kibble. My only complaint is the grain inclusive food has 3 protein choices (for adult dogs), and I wish there were more. One of my dogs only wants to eat the cod version.

I also have heard good things about Open Farm, and I am considering switching my dogs to this brand to give them more protein choices. They also offer a puppy kibble option. The price of their food is comparable to Farmina.