Can you Feed a Large Breed Puppy a High Protein Food?

Q: Can you feed a large breed puppy a high protein dog food?
I’ve heard conflicting stories about whether it is safe to feed a large breed puppy a high-protein diet (e.g., 30% +). Specifically, we will be getting a Kuvasz puppy. Some people have told me you need to feed him a high protein diet. Others have told me the opposite.

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Answers and Views:

Answer by th3dogmomma
For a large dog breed puppy:

• Too much calcium is bad. It is believed that over supplementation of calcium can cause Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy, Osteochondrosis, and Hip Dysplasia.
• Too much energy (I assume this refers to carbohydrates) is bad because you don't want the dog carrying excessive weight on a developing skeletal system. It can cause permanent damage which will leave the dog in pain.
• Too much protein is bad, again because of the energy issue. The overage of protein the dog cannot use as protein will be converted to energy and it brings the weight problem again.

Answer by Goldengal
NO NO NO. Too much protein cause the pup to grow too quickly and the bones to grow too quickly. Bone malformations and joint problems including Knuckling can happen… Look for a Large Breed puppy food. I recommend Nutro Large Breed Dry Puppy Food. Look at all the protein levels carefully before you buy the food.
What you should concern yourself with is that it be for Large breed pups.

Answer by Boxer Enthusiast
In reality, a lot of puppy foods have too much protein for their life stage. Better to feed them a lower protein diet and have them grow slower, then have 'em grow like bean poles and give them health problems.
It's probably best if you can find an all-stage food. Usually a good medium for pups. Just make sure it's a dog food your pup will eat, and is high-end and therefore extremely healthy.
And if you're worried, there's always the option of calling up the vet. They don't charge – I promise.

Answer by SUSAN C
I have English Mastiffs and I didn't feed large breed puppy food to them when they were young. You should try to find food with 26% or lower protein level. You want your puppy to grow at a slow pace so it won't affect their hips and elbows when they are older. I always put new puppies on adult food with low protein levels.

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Answer by Jo
I have a sister that has Danes and her VET has them on foods which he recommends them to be below 20 percent. Check with your Vet according to the health of your dog. She feeds her dogs Nature's Recipe Venison and rice because it fits the ideal protein range and has no BHA, BHT which are toxic preservatives.
Avoid rawhides and cooked bones!

Recommended large breed puppy food on Amazon (#ad)

• Blue Buffalo Grain Free Puppy Large Breed Food
• Nutro Wholesome Essentials Dog Food
• Wellness Core Grain Free Dog Food Large Breed

 

Answer by Shepherdgirl
I feed shepherd pups Canidae, it is an all stage food so there is no need to change foods once the pup becomes an adult. It is also a holistic food with no by-products or fillers and it has 23% protein.

Answer by Melinda
Keep in mind that the protein level is shown on the bag or can do not indicate the percentage of digestible protein, just the overall protein content. In quality foods, digestibility is between 70 and 80%. In lesser-quality foods, the digestibility could drop to 60% or less. To roughly determine the amount of digestible protein, read the ingredients and note the order in which they appear. Ingredients are listed in order of weight. Chicken and lamb are very digestible, and if they are listed as the first ingredient on the label, you can assume the food is a good quality protein source. If the first ingredient is a chicken by-product or other meat by-products (which are lower in digestibility), the food is an acceptable protein source. Poorly digestible sources include meat meal and bone meal.

Remember, grains are not as digestible sources of protein and contribute heavily toward the carbohydrate load. Some companies will list a meat source initially, then follow that meat by three different forms of corn – hiding the fact that the main ingredient is corn, just divided into three different products.
It is a good idea to follow this general rule: try to find food in the upper to middle price range.
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