Switching from LB Puppy Food to TOTW

[Uno]

This is my first post in this forum. Thanks for all the great advise. After reading a few posts, I've decided to switch Uno, who is 6 mos now. to All Life Stages food particularly Taste of the Wild. He's been on LB Puppy food since I got him at 8 weeks. Uno is 6 mos and weighs about 62 lbs. I was thinking about switching him to TOTW - Wetlands

Protein: 32% Minimum, Fat: 18% Minimum
Calcium: 2.1%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.4%, as-fed
Calories: 3,750 kcal/kg (375 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy

or Should I switch him to TOTW - Pacific Stream

Protein: 25% Minimum, Fat: 15% Minimum
Calcium: 1.9%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.1%, as-fed
Calories: 3,600 kcal/kg (360 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy

What do you guys think? Another reason for switching is he has mostly loose and smelly stools.

Advice needed. Thanks.

[nicole]

Both are too high in calcium for a lab puppy. What LB puppy food is he currently on? Has he always had loose stool on it?

[Uno]

He's been on Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Large Breed Puppy Formula

Crude Protein 27.0% Minimum
Crude Fat 13.0% Minimum
Crude Fiber 3.0% Maximum
Moisture 10.0% Maximum
Calcium 1.2% Minimum
Phosphorus 1.0% Minimum
Zinc 180 mg/kg Minimum
Selenium 0.4 mg/kg Minimum
Vitamin E 150 IU/kg Minimum
Omega-6 Fatty Acids * 2.5% Minimum
Omega-3 Fatty Acids * 0.4% Minimum
L-Carnitine * 30 mg/kg Minimum
DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) * 0.05% Minimum

Yes. He's always had loose and smelly stools.

[Sophiesmama]

The vet actually put Sophie on TOTW Pacific Stream at 4 months due to allergies. The difference has been amazing! Within a week her hair was growing back and she wasn't itching. Her ear infections also stopped. Her coat is beautiful now and she is very healthy. My vet was not concerned about the calcium, I'm not sure if its less than Wetlands formula or not. I noticed on the TOTW website that they now carry puppy formulas. I don't know the calcium content of the puppy formula. Dog Food Reviews by Brand

[labby]

Agree with Nicole. WAAAAAAY too much calcium on those foods. I'd put him on a ProPlan product like either ProPlan Adult chicken and rice (not the Shredded Blends) or ProPlan Select chicken and brown rice.

[Belles mom]

...I noticed on the TOTW website that they now carry puppy formulas. I don't know the calcium content of the puppy formula. Dog Food Reviews by Brand

The puppy formulas are 1.4/1.0 and 1.3/1.0 Calcium/phosphorus. I had to write the company and find out since it is not listed on their website with the puppy food description and analysis. (It is now listed under the FAQ. Section). I think the High Sierra adult formula is the only one that has a Ca/Phos ratio approaching correct for a puppy.

I noticed that the "labeling" on the bags is changing and some of the high Calcium formulas now say for all life stages. The older bags did not.

[Uno]

I cant find the puppy formula's in stores in my area. Our breeder had him on IAMS large breed puppy when we got him and I switched him over to Chicken Lover's LBP when he was 3 mos cos he had dandruff. i was hoping to switch him to grain free food. I will give proplan select a try. Thanks.

[Sophiesmama]

I know there are people on this forum that feed Proplan, but keep in mind its only a 2 star rated food. Proplan Selects is 3 stars. There are several review sites, all rate it about the same. Here is the site I use the most. Purina Pro Plan Dry Dog Food | Review and Rating

[BigBrownDog]

I know there are people on this forum that feed Proplan, but keep in mind its only a 2 star rated food. Proplan Selects is 3 stars. There are several review sites, all rate it about the same. Here is the site I use the most. Purina Pro Plan Dry Dog Food | Review and Rating

While it's good to research foods, that site and most sites are influenced by the opinions of the people (regular people) who write them. It is by no means the final word on what works best for any individual dog.

Many, many breeders use Pro Plan successfully and they have more invested in their dogs than most of us casual owners. I don't feed Pro Plan myself, but it is a very good food and works very well for many.

[nicole]

Those sites are worthless, they might as well be getting kickbacks from the fad foods. They simply "grade" ingredients, they don't actually do any feeding trials or take real world results into their "opinions" at all. But to each their own.