# 4 1/2 month old puppy question



## ewiebe (Dec 18, 2012)

We got our pup at 8 weeks. The breeder was feeding him presidents choice chicken puppy food. His poop never got solid. So we switched him to Merrick grain free chicken and sweet potato all stages his poop got solid very quick and he put on weight etc. We went to the vet for final shots and she said all stages is very bad for puppies so we switch to a puppy food origin large puppy but his poo had returned to loose and he doesn't seem to even want to eat it. My question is our all stage foods bad for my pup he did so well on it and Im thinking about switching back thanks.


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

All stage foods are fine if it's a high quality kibble. We have had our puppy (now 11 months old) on Acana Wild Prairie since she was 9 weeks old. She has done well and is very healthy.


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## Laika (Mar 3, 2013)

We also feed Laika the Acana (currently Wild Prairie as well), and she is 8 months old. Doing quite well on it. I agree with Lilyloo, as long as it is high quality you should be fine. 

Maybe look at what the nutritional content of the puppy food your Vet recommended, and compare it to something like Acana. Also look at what artificial fillers/coloring/flavoring etc are in the foods and decide from there. One of the things that drew me to Acana is their ingredient sourcing, ingredient list, and nutritional composition. 

Good Luck!


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## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

I say go back to the Merrick. The grain free recipe is a good food but most importantly, you already know it works for her.


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

I used Acana which is also an all stage food and my boy is now a very healthy, lively, 15 month old.

Most vets haven't a clue about food. A vet I know said they get 1/2day on nutrition when studying to be vets - then it is up to them if they want to read and find out more.

Go by the stools and the weight gain - use your instinct on what is right for your puppy. Orijen gave my boy the runs :'(


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

I took the liberty of comparing the analysis and ingredients of the Merrick and Orijen food. Both are good brands, and get high ratings from DogFoodAdvisor.com.

Looking at crude protein, both foods offer 38%. There is 1% more crude fat in the Merrick than the Orijen. Crude fiber is 3.5% (Merrick) to 6%. Moisture is 11% to 10%. Merrick does not list the calcium or phosphorus content of that particular bag of food. Orijen is 1.2/1.5% calcium and 1/1.3% phosphorus, giving you a ratio of around 1.2:1. The puppy foods produced by Merrick offer a similar calciumhosphorus breakdown. Both foods offer Omega-6 fatty acids (4.8% vs. 2.6%) and Omega-3s (0.4% versus 1%). Orijen lists DHA and EPA (0.6% and 0.3%, respectively), while Merrick does not. DHA and EPA are often found in fresh fish; salmon meal and salmon oil are listed as ingredients in the Merrick food, so they would probably provide some of that. Orijen also lists the breakdown of other components, like carbohydrates, ash, taurine, and microorganisms (probiotics, presumably) that are not listed by Merrick. Those things are not a make-it-or-break-it for food. Both foods offer approximately the same levels of Glucosamine and Chondroitin for joint health. 

Ingredient-wise, the Merrick is good. Protein is listed in the first three ingredients (if you weren't aware, manufacturer's must list the most abundant ingredient first in the list--though I think they're allowed to use the wet weight of meat, which can give the impression of more meat/protein, as protein can be lost during dehydration into dry food, but still--it's good for it to be first!). They list a good range of meats, veggies, vitamin supplements. It even has yucca extract, which some say helps with smelly poops! Who knows? Can't hurt. Also they list various dried fermentation products to help with digestion. 

I don't think you're doing any harm to your pup by feeding it an all life stages food. My dog has been on all life stages since he was about 6 months old and the vet says he is in perfect condition. You know it works, that your dog likes it and it keeps his bowel movements regular and firm. 

Based on discussions with a vet friend of mine, the only "nutritional" education they frequently are required to take is a seminar or two, often sponsored and administered by a pet food company. Any extra animal nutrition classes, if offered, are optional, and a lot of students don't take them. Your vet did suggest a really good food, though--a lot of vets get kick backs for selling certain brands through their practice, so good on your vet for not trying to sell you those brands. That said, I don't think an all life stages food will hurt your dog, based on some (admittedly) superficial analysis and anecdotal evidence. 

Note that vets will give different reasons for not liking all life stages. Some say it's too high in protein for puppies. Others will say it's too high in protein/fat for adult dogs because those formulas are often made to meet the requirements of puppies. I say that you have a puppy that's growing and will become a high-energy, high-activity adult dog that will still need those levels of protein and fat to maintain muscle mass and weight, so pffffft to either of those reasons. I know...mature! 

Also, no food is going to do your dog any good if he doesn't want to eat it!

PS: If you ever start researching animal nutrition, do make sure to check out if there are any conflicting interests! Animal food companies often have their own in-house research divisions that, amazingly, find their food is the best! Or they fund "independent" researchers. Human food companies do this too...


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

I don't know what I just read... Smells like research paper. 

Automatic LIKE, LOL 8)


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