puppy kibble

[Missy/Precious mom]

I feed Precious Taste of the Wild Salmon.  I don't know what your prices are there but here it is $23.99 for a 20 lb bag.  She gets 2 cups per day so the bag lasts about 3 weeks.

[fairview Boxers]

I used Merrick BG along with raw, it works great for Aggie, the only time I have issues with her is when she is in season (she loses weight during season)...

TOTW is good too, I have used it and like it a lot.  Canine Caviar is good, I especially like their canned foods.  I also like Blue Buffalo's high end, in the silvery bag... it has kind of a long name and off the top of my head I am not sure what it is, but it is kinda pricey...

I always thought SD was expensive for it's quality, so you should be able to find something comparable that is similar in price!!! 
Good luck!

[jesticboxers]

Like many people on here I also feed raw. But there are many high quality kibbles out there, I work at a Natural Pet food store so I only really am familiar with the foods on this side of the country.

I have fed the Canidae foods with great success, or any of the Natura Pet foods (California Natural, Innova, EVO) I really like the california Natural Herring and Sweet Potatoe formula.

I forget who, but someone posted they were going to try the Nature's Logic dog food, I tried that food with my dogs about a year ago. They did great on it for about a month and then slowly over the next 2 weeks their hair started falling out down the center of their back and their skin turned red. It is a great food, but my dogs and many of our customers' dogs didn't do well on it long term.

Good Luck with your food research and let us know what you decide to go with!

[Samsons Mom]

I feed Precious Taste of the Wild Salmon.  I don't know what your prices are there but here it is $23.99 for a 20 lb bag.  She gets 2 cups per day so the bag lasts about 3 weeks.

Ditto, I pay $41 for the biggest bag. But, I am thinking of switching to something else(grain free).

[Rob T]

Also keep in mind when shopping for a kibble that where she is so young you should really pay attention to protien content. There are many really good low grain foods out there but many have WAY too much protien for a growing pup. This increases the speed of growth and can in the long run damage joints and connective tissue. Stay in the 24-25% protien range till she is older.

I've read very similar comments often, but what is the basis for this?

I don't understand why higher protein would cause an animal to grow faster than a food that had less protein but more carbohydrates for example?

[blynn03]

The thought is that higher protein causes faster muscle growth but has less affect on the growth of bones and connective tissues, so it is the disproportionate growth that can cause joint issues.  It's a lot more complex than that, but that's basically what it boils down to from what I understand.

The main problem is, there are lots of differing opinions as to whether this is actually true; some research says too much protein is bad for puppies, some research says there is no such thing as too much protein.  For myself, I am aware that high levels of protein may or *may not* cause issues, but until all the "experts" can agree, I prefer to stick with more moderate protein levels for growing pups.  I'd rather be safe than sorry.

[fairview Boxers]

I am a huge fan of Blue Buffalo and BG by Merrick.  I did buy a bag last night of Canine Caviar to mix with BG (because they were out of my Wilderness and Blue Buffalo puppy  ).....  Wilderness has a VERY high protein content, and it causes them to drink more water (which at first I didn't believe, but I TOTALLY am a believer of now), but it did wonders for Penny's litter after she couldn't nurse them any longer...
I have used Canine Caviar canned before for some diversity, but never their kibble, so I am excited to see how they like it!

[Rob T]

The thought is that higher protein causes faster muscle growth but has less affect on the growth of bones and connective tissues, so it is the disproportionate growth that can cause joint issues.  It's a lot more complex than that, but that's basically what it boils down to from what I understand.

The main problem is, there are lots of differing opinions as to whether this is actually true; some research says too much protein is bad for puppies, some research says there is no such thing as too much protein.  For myself, I am aware that high levels of protein may or *may not* cause issues, but until all the "experts" can agree, I prefer to stick with more moderate protein levels for growing pups.  I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Excellent post, thank you very much!