# Supplements for puppies???



## SteveS55 (7 mo ago)

Unless suggested by your Vet, I wouldn't change anything.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

I did have Annie on a large breed puppy food designed to have a very specific calciumhosphorous ratio because although not heavy dogs, poodles are very tall. 

But I wouldn't supplement unless recommended by the veg..


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## PhoebeDuck (6 mo ago)

For Want of Poodle said:


> I did have Annie on a large breed puppy food designed to have a very specific calciumhosphorous ratio because although not heavy dogs, poodles are very tall.
> 
> But I wouldn't supplement unless recommended by the veg..


I have her on the medium breed puppy food since I was always told females would not go over 50 lbs and therefore were medium dogs. Now I'm guessing I got that wrong? And should I switch her? She isn't done with her current bag...


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

PhoebeDuck said:


> I have her on the medium breed puppy food since I was always told females would not go over 50 lbs and therefore were medium dogs. Now I'm guessing I got that wrong? And should I switch her? She isn't done with her current bag...


Whatever works. Annie is over 50 lbs  

It's probably not a necessity to use a large breed food, just something I thought was worth doing because I was paranoid and because poodles are so tall, with possibly a slight benefit, and no harm to it even if unnecessary. 

If you want, switch to large breed on the next bag. If you want to keep on medium, that's fine too. Large breed puppy food is a relatively new invention and I was only really aware of it because our previous dog was a St. Bernard.


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## PhoebeDuck (6 mo ago)

For Want of Poodle said:


> Whatever works. Annie is over 50 lbs
> 
> It's probably not a necessity to use a large breed food, just something I thought was worth doing because I was paranoid and because poodles are so tall, with possibly a slight benefit, and no harm to it even if unnecessary.
> 
> If you want, switch to large breed on the next bag. If you want to keep on medium, that's fine too. Large breed puppy food is a relatively new invention and I was only really aware of it because our previous dog was a St. Bernard.


"Paranoid" is my middle name. Lol. I'll switch her next go round. Thank you! And I won't bother with supplements. She's going to be a tall girl. I checked out her dad. He's a tall 75 lbs! She's averaging about an inch per week so far.


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## I_love_dogs (May 30, 2021)

Loki was on a medium breed puppy food, but that was because he was not expected to get very big. His vet said that if he were expected to get to be the usual size for a standard, he should have been on a large breed food.


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## SteveS55 (7 mo ago)

I don't know what the difference is between a large breed puppy food and medium/other breed puppy food. Obviously the ingredients are different, but what exactly are those ingredients? Are they helpful or not?


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

It's not exactly ingredients, it's the nutrients and their proportions.

Larger breed puppy food is actually designed to slow growth.

Copied from other threads:

Excerpts from What is Large Breed Puppy Food – Puppy Food for Large Breed Dogs | PetMD

_*Puppies that are going to grow up to be big dogs are predisposed to developmental orthopedic diseases (DOD) l*ike osteochondritis dissecans and hip and elbow dysplasia. (I use an adult weight of 55 pounds as my somewhat arbitrary division between medium and large dogs.) *Nutrition, or to be precise, over-nutrition, is an important risk factor of DOD.

The number one goal when it comes to feeding large breed puppies is to avoid overfeeding, particularly when it comes to calories. By restricting caloric intake slightly, we can slow the puppy’s rate of growth. *They still get as big as they would otherwise; it just takes them a little longer to get there. Puppies fed in this way are also slim, which decreases the load that their maturing frames need to carry. *Large breed puppy foods achieve these results by having a reduced fat content, *and since fat is the most calorie-dense nutrient category in food, the diet is therefore somewhat restricted in calories.

In general, foods designed for l*arge breed puppies have a fat content of between 8% and 12% *on a dry matter basis while *standard puppy foods often contain between 10% and 25% fat.* Of course, the benefits of fat and calorie restriction can be completely undone if a dog eats too much of the food. Large breed puppies should almost invariably be fed several measured meals throughout the day rather than being allowed to eat free choice.

*Getting too much calcium in the diet and eating foods with a high calcium to phosphorus ratio also increases the risk of DOD in these dogs. Therefore, large breed puppy foods typically contain less calcium than do “regular” puppy foods and the manufacturers keep the ratio of calcium and phosphorus within fairly narrow limits. *Veterinary nutritionists don’t agree as to what the exact levels of these nutrients should be, but the following recommendations are fairly typical.



While feeding a large breed puppy food does not completely eliminate a dog’s risk for DOD (genetics plays a big part as well), offering the right amount of the right diet is very important._

Spoos have a large adult weight range, not all will cross into the "large" definitions above (also used by AAFCO) but the principle stands for spoos because of the possibility of orthopedic issues.

With the larger breeds you want to avoid growing too quickly by overfeeding and keep the proper full nutritional balance between protein, fat, calcium/phosphorus ratio for appropriate orthopedic growth support, and other nutrients.


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## PhoebeDuck (6 mo ago)

SteveS55 said:


> I don't know what the difference is between a large breed puppy food and medium/other breed puppy food. Obviously the ingredients are different, but what exactly are those ingredients? Are they helpful or not?











Should You Be Feeding a Large Breed Dog Formula? | Diamond Pet Foods


Like collars, beds, and bowls, dog foods aren't always one-size-fits-all. Large and giant breed dogs, particularly during puppyhood, have unique nutritional needs that should be considered when choosing an appropriate dog food. Aim for steady, not rapid, growth.



www.diamondpet.com




.

I just found that by the mfg of the puppy food Phoebe is on. Apparently, it's the question of too much of a good thing possibly contributing to health problems. I learned something new today.


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