I do not understand why any breeder would feed their puppies Purina Pro Plan chicken and rice formula when it contains corn,wheat and corn gluten meal. These ingredients have no nutritional value for the puppies,are allergens and are fillers.Why not feed super nutritionally? Every so often this PPP puppy food is mentioned on this forum and it seems to be popular with the breeders...why?

Because puppies do very well on it, it is popular, so it is fresh in the stores, and it is easy for puppy people to find. If you feed Holistic Natural Raw No Grain Organic Vegetable Brown Rice Granola food, do you really expect your puppy people to drive to the other side of the planet to find a 20 pound bag for 50 bucks? Ain't gonna happen. They'll end up with Old Roy from WalMart.

aren't there pet co. and pet smart type stores all across the country that puppy people can get puppy food that does not contain fillers(cheap ingredients?)If you keep a puppy from your litter what do you feed that puppy?

Pro Plan Puppy Chicken And Rice.

why pay per pound for fillers when you can pay for nutritional ingredients per pound?PPP puppy chow is $40 per large bag..that's alot of money for a bag of corn and wheat!

You feed YOUR puppies what YOU want, never mind what others are feeding their puppies, they feed what works for them, for years I was using pro plan chicken and rice or purina one chicken and rice (not the puppy formula) and I have always had nice healthy puppies that look good, just recently I switched all my dogs to Eukanuba so i'll feed what works for my dogs and you go ahead and feed what works for yours
Aloha,
Jackie

Why would one sell a puppy to a nutritionally ignorant person? Isn't nutrition an intricate part of your breeding program?

Origen to my adults, Origen puppy to the puppies. My puppy buyers are buying Origen. My last litter is over 2 now, still on Origen. Everyone is super healthy and happy.

just imagine a healthier puppy!I think some people want to save money when it comes to puppy food.They are willing to sacrifice nutrition to save a buck!!

BRAVO...you are a breeder with integrity!

I don't require a masters in nutrition to buy a pup. I give them my recommendations, and hope they go by them. If not, it is out of my control. And, we all pretty much disagree on what is nutritious and what isn't. Ask 50 breeders, and you will get 50 different answers. We all think we are right...just like you do. But, really, the truth is, I am right!

I feed Pro Plan to my adults, Pro Plan puppy to the puppies. My puppy buyers are buying Pro Plan. My last litter is over 2 now, still on Pro Plan. Everyone is super healthy and happy.

Do I not have integrity?

mcs, what do you feed that is so wonderful? I too have fed Pro Plan, and I have found that puppy buyers do NOT keep their pups on Pro Plan either. I experiment with other foods and end up coming back to Pro Plan. Would love to find the majic food. Please advise.

I suppose PPPPC&R is better than Old Roy.You are right, most puppy people will buy what is less expensive because they do not read the ingredients.

I fed Canidae to my adults and to my puppies because of the ingredients(no corn,wheat,soy,by-products)and because they have a 44# bag for $44.They also have a breeder's program,buy 5 bags get one free and it is available across the country.I sent everyone home with a bag and The Whole Dog Journal's artcle on nutrious dog foods.Canidae always makes their top ten list.I have a litter now that I am going to feed Natura's Innova large breed puppy...it is more expensive but my puppies are worth it.....super nutritious too! Now I have my adults on Merrick BG and they are doing well with the grain free.

I give all my puppy people a copy of The Whole Dog Journal's article on "why we feed our dogs nutritionally" and include their list of nutritious dog foods.The lecture does not come from me,it comes from scientists and nutritionists,dieticians etc..that have studied the nutritional value of ingredients found in our dog's food.Au contraire...I think we all agree on what are nutritional foods for our dogs.....it is the price of these foods that are the big deterant.

I'm a raw feeder so I think the Canidae you are feeding is crap

Some feed cheaper foods because it is all they can afford, but for the most part, we all feed what we think is best for our dogs.

Having said that, I do think nutrition is extremely important and I have refused homes that are not willing to feed what I am comfortable with. Doesn't mean I'm right, it just means they are my puppies and as such, I get to choose where they go.

fed Canidae...passed tense!I agree with you,Canidae has cheapened their ingredients.Maybe some people should not have litters if they must sacrifice good nutrition because they can not afford it.Health should be the #1 concern.

I agree with the raw feeder-I would not feed any kibble diet, I feed Honest Kitchen, also on the WDJ list of foods. Why do you feed a kibble diet if you are really that concerned with nutrition?
I could judge you in the same way you are judging other breeders-but I won't.
My husbands dog lived to be 17 on Alpo and white bread his whole life-that dog never had a health issue.
Health, like coat, temp etc. has a lot to do with genetics as well.

Now that gave me a chuckle! I do think all this "I feed kibble 'X' so I'm better than you" is a bit odd. The Whole Dog Journal sells a bundle of magazines based on its ratings of commercial foods, but of course they say feeding natural is always the best way to go if you can swing it. I'd say the divide between raw and Innova or Canidae is greater than the difference between Innova and Pro Plan.

Although my adults eat some raw, I do happen to feed Pro Plan puppy. Why? Because they consistently do so well on it. I tried Innova some years ago - at that time they recommended the "Innova Adult" for Lab puppies, and had a lengthy treatise on their web page detailing why any company offering a puppy food labelled for "large breeds" was ripping you off with a marketing ploy! (Times change, eh?) Although my puppies did OK, they just do better on Pro Plan. But these are MY puppies, and I base my choices on education and personal experience. I don't expect all dogs to react the same way, and I don't expect all breeders to arrive at the same conclusions.

Vive la difference.

When looking at a food I'm more concerned with nutrients than ingredients. I'm guessing you do not hold a PhD in Nutrition? If not then how exactly are YOU qualified to make judgement calls on the quality of a food?

I have been in dogs over 20 years. In that time I have tried numerous different foods. I've done Eukanuba, Solid Gold, Chicken Soup, Nature's Variety and I've fed raw. What I have found is the results of feeding the so called "better" ingredients do not result in healthier dogs. I fed raw for 2 years and gave it an honest try. End results - it was far more work, more money and my dogs didn't look any better nor were they any healthier!

For the past two years I have been feeding Royal Canin. My dogs and litters look better than they ever have! Poops are more consistent than ever and small. You can choose to feed the foods with "better ingredients". I choose to feed the food that is made by a company that actually employes veterinarians with PhD's in nutrition and has published research!

Whole dog journal is OK. And yes, I own many copies of it. But, I see articles that do not have authors with credentials and I see very little published research in there. Just because someone is a veterinarian does not make them a nutritionist. And, I want to see the science - the reserach performed which brought them to their conclusion. Just because someone has a degree and writes an article or a book does not make it science. It's still just opinion if there is no peer reviewed research to support it.

You may think I'm a breeder lacking "integrity" due to my choice in food but hey that's your OPINION. And, we all know about opinions......

I have never understood why corn gets such a bad rap. My dogs do well on kibble with corn as an ingredient. I suspect it is like an urban legend. People start saying it is bad and the next thing you know, everyone KNOWS that is true. I don't buy it.

you have a nice way about you!I just do not want to make a mistake and not give my dogs,nutritionally,what they need.....vive la difference!!...my sentiments exactly!

ouch!

Get off of yourself, just who do you think you are judging others for what they feed? As someone else mentioned I don't think you are a nutritionist. Also don't assume anyone is feeding what they feed because of cost, I feed what I feed because it WORKS for my dogs, they look good, nice and healthy. I've seen dogs fed raw diets and they are weedy and not healthy looking, just like people that are vegetarians don't look healthy, they are pale and don't have a healthy glow to them. So if you don't have anything constructive to say don't say anything.

No, this is not true. I believe that no one has done more studies on dog nutrition that Purina. I also am not big on "all natural" products. Usually that means no preservatives. Preservatives preserve food. Foods without preservatives spoil quickly. I would rather eat food that are preserved than spoiled. I also don't buy organic foods by choice. Organic means bugs. I would rather eat food without bugs. We are healthier and living longer than we ever have before any of these food preservatives were invented. Used to be we were lucky to make it to 50. Seems that what we eat is better off being fresh and not full of bacteria. So don't think that we all think like you do. None of us think like any of us! We all have our own opinions, based on life experience. Go ahead and feed your dogs whatever you want. But don't call animal control on people that are feeding a different brand of food, just because in your opinion it isn't good for them. Ever think your opinion might be wrong?

to all you food elitists out there ... one of the best breeders in the country feeds a generic food purchased at a grocery store... No need to be so sanctimonious ... you feed what you want and I'll feed what I want ...

Maybe you would like to post some pictures of how great your dogs look on that food.

And again, please do respond to why you are feeding "Kibble"? For someone so opinionated on what others feed please do tell us why you don't feed a better food all around?
By the way-what do you eat everyday?

I am healthy with rosey cheeks and I have not eaten an animal in 10 years....I am not sure what this has to do with puppies eating well? You do not have to eat meat to be healthy. Is that what you are saying??

I bet you are.

We would love to see pictures of your champs and see how healthy they look with your food.

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Hi... My sentiments exactly!

FWI, I'm a huge advocate of large breed puppy food too by tried and true through the years companies.

We all know what too little and too much calcium can do. Calcium levels must be adjusted with calorie levels so that a puppy eating the proper number of calories is also eating the proper amount of calcium. This is one of the reasons you can't just give a large breed puppy less of a regular puppy food or more of an adult food. The caclium as well as the all important calcium-phosphorus ratio will likely be wrong for a growing large breed puppy.

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Oct 4th, 2009 - 4:39 PM