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Purina Pro Plan for Large Breed & Puppy's

21K views 38 replies 20 participants last post by  Luvmydog2much 
#1 ·
We were told by the breeder that the Purina Pro Plan for large breeds / puppy "Chicken" not Chicken & Rice was what they recommended and we went with that. The Vet says there healthy and look great. However I'm not sure why I did not notice this before but the bag says maturity of 50lbs, there both 30lbs as of the vet visit. Personally I do not see a reason for switching now, but at the same point I am concerned.

Any and all opinion's welcomed.

TIA
 
#3 ·
Honestly, those large breed/small breed formulas are a scam. I'd go with Pro Plan's puppy formula. At 30 pounds, I'm guessing your pups are somewhere around 3 months old. You can start switching them to adult food at 6 months (I started Caleb's switch just before he was 6 months because that's when I had to buy a new bag of food).
 
#4 ·
Thank you both, The vet does not see a problem with it since they have been on it for a while now , but said you could switch but do it gradually.

As for the Large breed/small breed being a scam , do you "Micksmom" have any information to back that up?
 
#6 ·
It really depends on the brand of dog food whether or not there is any significant difference between Large Breed or Small Breed. We use Blue Buffalo and if you look at the independent reviews of their various recipes you'll see there IS a difference.

I think the 'scam' is using a dog food brand that doesn't have a difference between Large and Small breed recipes but tries to market their dog food like there was.
 
#5 ·
Large breed formula was designed when folks started thinking that large breed puppies needed different nutrition than small breed puppies. Which is true. That is why many of us who have labs, and have raised a number of puppies, have switched to adult at about 4 months, IF we ever put the pup on puppy food at all. If you read the labels, protein/fat etc are all about the exact same on large breed puppy food as it is with the comparable brand regular adult food. That's the scam. Honestly, if the dog is doing well on the Pro Plan, put him on the ALS Chicken/Rice now and be done with it.
 
#7 ·
Whatever you do, DO NOT use the Shredded Blend formula of ProPlan. It's made with soy which besides mimicking estrogen in the body, is highly allergenic to most dogs. And I agree that LB puppy and adult foods are a marketing ploy. Think about it, do dogs in the wild eat differently than the adults?
 
#8 ·
ALS ? Would switching over from just the chicken to chicken & rice throw them off or should it be slowly changed over?

As for the Buffalo Blue, we've seen it in the local pet smart, but I'll be honest the bags have allot dust on them telling me they have been sitting there a while

And in regards to shredded, NO way I was already advised to stay far far away from that.

As always thanks to all who reply
 
#10 ·
ALS ? Would switching over from just the chicken to chicken & rice throw them off or should it be slowly changed over?

As for the Buffalo Blue, we've seen it in the local pet smart, but I'll be honest the bags have allot dust on them telling me they have been sitting there a while

And in regards to shredded, NO way I was already advised to stay far far away from that.


As always thanks to all who reply
ALS = All Life Stages

Bauer started on adult food (Pro Plan Chicken and Rice for ALS) when he was about 4 or 5 months old. Whatever you decide, I would introduce it slowly.

Good luck!
 
#12 ·
I have noticed a difference actually, we have both our dogs on Blue Buffalo now. After Moxie was on it for 4 months he gained about 4 pounds of pure muscle. Both their coats look great, their energy levels are quite high, they sleep solidly and their stool is always healthy.

I guess I'm in the camp of never wanting to feed them anything else as well...
 
#15 ·
i am not sure what is meant by this statement. I do not personally use Pro Plan but many excellent breeders DO use it very successively with their dogs and litters and have beautiful and healthy dogs. If this is what your breeder has recommended and it is working well, which it sounds like it is, why would you want to switch? If it ain't broke, don't fix it, but that is just my opinion. I do think it is extremely important to follow the advice of a responsible breeder with healthy dogs. If you did your homework and used a responsible breeder they are your "go to" person for these kind of questions. Also, I would compare the Large Breed, Puppy and ALS formulas to compare the nutritional information, please research this info on this site, I haven't been here very long but have seen many threads on these quesrions. Good luck!
 
#19 ·
Proplan and Other's

Ok I dont want to get an argument going, on anything, but the breeder we purchased our two labs from recommended the ProPlan and thats why I went with it.

Now I was looking at Blue Buffalo, but that was really discouraged by the vets office, because of the China scare a while ago and import's ? Not sure I know nothing about it.

Merrick was another strong recommendation, but they just turned 4 months old on the 19th and we're not rushing to switch at this point.

As always thanks to everyone that gives me feedback.

p.s. They are growing like weeds
 
#24 ·
Ok I dont want to get an argument going, on anything, but the breeder we purchased our two labs from recommended the ProPlan and thats why I went with it.

Now I was looking at Blue Buffalo, but that was really discouraged by the vets office, because of the China scare a while ago and import's ? Not sure I know nothing about it.

<snip>
I wanted to clarify this, Blue Buffalo does NOT use any imports from China, their products are 100% Made in the USA.

The confusion your Vet seems to have about this may be for a different product, Wet Blue Buffalo Skins are a hide that is imported from China but not associated/affiliated with the dog food manufacturer in any way..
 
#21 ·
My previous dog did perfectly fine on a Walmart brand food for over 14 years, no cancer, digestive troubles, etc. *I fed her adult food rather than puppy food at the suggestion of her vet.*
But I have done some research spurred by Bean's allergies or intolerances, and have chosen a food on the total opposite spectrum. Not just ingredients, but how those ingredients are sourced. I think it may be more important these days than it was in the past. At the risk of sounding like a shill or zealot, I no longer offer the brand unless asked specifically, but it is the best I've found for my dog. Only time will tell.
Check around, and once you find something you're comfortable with and your dog does well on, forget about the food. It can drive you crazy.
 
#23 ·
I've been feeding ProPlan ALS Chicken and Rice for a few months now, thanks to the advice from this board! I love it! And so does Keysi..lol. Seriously, I don't think she will ever eat anything else! Since switching her from the crap she was given at the shelter, the difference is astounding! Her coat, her weight, her energy, have all improved considerably. And Keysi enjoys eating it, where before the switch there were times that she would actually walk away from her bowl after just a few bites. So Keysi is defenitly a ProPlan pup! And I have JL to thank!
 
#33 ·
i know , from having dogs from guiding eyes, that they use eukenuba, which is a decent, but not THE BEST food. the reason behind it, when i asked, is that when the recipient of the dog receives the dog, they have to be able to afford the food, easily get the food, and they all hope that a "decent" food works for their dogs.dogs that require too much special treatment probably get weeded out of the program and adopted to lucky guys like me.
not every dog has allergic issues to corn or whatever else is in a "decent but not the A1 food".we all, i think, try to do the best by our animals.
i myself, feed kirkland's chicken and rice for adults (a decent, not expensive food) to all 3 of my dogs and it even works for rex, with his sensitive gut .
 
#36 ·
If you look at the AAFCO statement I do believe ProPlan Chicken & Rice (Adult) is an all life stages food, so in theory you can feed a pup that from day 1 (on kibble).

You need to find a food that works (a) for your dog and (b) for your budget. ProPlan is a decent food about mid-price-range (there are lots cheaper and lots more expensive and lots comparable/equivalent). The best way to do that is to talk to your breeder, your vet and a local pet store, and most of the time you're better off with a smaller chain store than a big box store.
 
#38 ·
how much is a 6month old lab soppost to get daily for nutrition? as the vet said mine is over weight and needs to loose a few pounds i made the mistake of free feeding and now trying to do schuduled meals she seems like she is always starring i want to be sure shure is getting enough food as also have little children around and she is starting to snap at their hands to get food now as well which she never usto any recommendations welcomed as need her to drop a few lbs as she was also recently diagnosed with hip displasia when she was in to be spayed and getting larger and more sore due to the extra weight.
 
#39 ·
Rai, welcome to the forum.

Your dog is not snapping at the kids because it is hungry, this is a training issue.

I am feeding my 7 month old Curly-Coat about 5-6 cups of food.

But if your dog is overweight, cut her back. If she is thin, add more. Its that simple. There is no magic amount.

I would get a 2nd opinion about the hip dysplasia. I don't trust vets who diagnose these things while doing a spay, neuter or any other procedure. Get the weight off her and bring her a doctor who specializes in that sort of thing. Would you go to your GP and only trust him that you have cancer? NO, you'd see someone else.
 
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