Which dog food is better for my german shepherd puppy?

Question

I have a german shepherd puppy ( female, 11 weeks). Previously some other GSD owners suggested me use MAXI of Royal Canin. I already switched to this brand. But last week, after seeing vet for vaccine, vet suggested another brand Hill's from Hill's Pet Nutrition,inc. I was confussed, should I switch to Hill's or stay with MAXI?

Answer 1

DO NOT switch to science diet........... Vets recommend this food because they get a 40 percent profit on what they sell. If you look at the ingrediants it has nothing but junk and fillers that is no good for your dog in it. I had a sheltie that was fed nothing but science diet for 9 years of her life. She acquired allergies from the food. I took her off and she never had another problem. Vets are PET DOCTORS not NUTRITIOISTS..

Answer 2

1) Eukanuba is not the best food...it contains way too much grain & by products..it is an expensive low quality food...you can do a lot better..Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, Merrick, Solid Gold, Canidae ALS, California Natural, Fromm, Premium edge,Wellness Super5 Mix just to name a few. 2) there are a lot of good treats out there...look for treats that aren't heavy on grain, don't contain preservatives or dyes..you can also make your own from chicken, turkey, cheese, liver 3) a crate is a wonderful thing and keeps your pup safe when you can't supervise him..as for type it's a matter of personal preference & what you have readily available 4) look for good stainless or ceramic dishes stay away from plastic as they can hide bacteria 5) dog bed I like the fleece type ones the best as they are usually easily washable 6) no rawhide, no pig ears, no hooves these can cause a lot of problems...Look for safe toys such as kongs, nylabones and the like 7) for a puppy a ZOOM GROOM is a good idea and for later a furminator Leashes, collars, nail trimmers, pet first aid kit, long line all are needed.

Answer 3

Read the label on the dog food.
The first ingredient should be some type of meat not a by product or corn.
If the first ingredient is corn put the food back and look for something else.
Hills is an adaquate diet but I do not like it. They use alot of cheap fillers in their products. Corn, ground peanut hulls, things of that nature. None of my dogs ever liked it or looked very good on it.
Candiae, Wellness, Innova, Merrick, California Natural, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, Preimum Edge, are some of the better foods out there. There are many others also but you are not going to find them at PetSmart or the grocery store.
Royal Canin is one of the better foods available at the pet store.

Answer 4

I have had my dogs on every top of the line food out there even the Holistic foods. But my dogs LOVE the Royal Canin Labrador 30. They look the best on it and my older who has had problems with all the other foods has had not one problem on Royal Canin. My friend recently got a GSD and I reccomended her to use the Royal Canin German Shepherd food and her dog has done amazing on it, not to mention absolutely loves it.

Answer 5

Vets are paid to endorse the brands they sell in their store. For my money I'd feed my dog Royal Canin before I'd ever go with Hill's. If you want a really good quality though, try Innova, Wellness, Canidae, or California Natural. Usually you can only find them in independent pet stores or feed stores. But back to your question, Royal Canin is definately a better quality than Hill's.

Answer 6

Any good quaility puppy food, as long it is Puppy food for Large breed dogs. A shepard will get large. This type of food slows down the growing of their bones. Everyone thinks of a puppy as little & they don't think about how big they will soon get. If they grow to fast they are more likely to have hip & joint problems. Stick with the same brand & feed him puppy food for a whole year. I buy Euckanuba for my 10 yr old lab (reduced fat)& my 8 week old lab (puppy for large breed)

Answer 7

Nah, forget about Hill's, it's not good dog food. It's confusing when vets are in the pockets of the big dog food companies......
I like Flint River Ranch, Wellness, Wysong, Innova, Evo, Solid Gold - if you have to feed kibble, these brands are better.

Answer 8

The first few ingredients should be meats. NOT corn. Avoid soy, wheat, and by-products. Read the ingredients and decide for yourself.

I feed my dogs Natural Balance Ultra Premium Dry dog food (good for puppies through adulthood), here's a list of ingredients...

INGREDIENT LISTING
Chicken, Brown Rice, Lamb Meal, Oatmeal, Barley, Duck Meal, Potatoes, Carrots, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Canola Oil, Brewers Yeast, Fish Meal, Salmon Oil, Lecithin, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Inulin, Taurine, Spinach, Parsley Flakes, Cranberry, Lysine, L-Carnitine, Yucca, Kelp, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid (Vitamin B).

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
Crude Protein 23.0% minimum
Crude Fat 13.0% minimum
Crude Fiber 3.0% maximum
Moisture 10.0% maximum
Omega 3 Fatty Acids 0.5% minimum
Omega 6 Fatty Acids 3.0% minimum

Natural Balance® is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the A.A.F.C.O. dog food nutrient profile for all life stages.

Answer 9

http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=product-detail&pxsl=%2F%2Fproduct%5B%40id%3D%27502%27%5D

Innova Puppy Food has been designed to supply highly digestible ingredients and important micronutrients needed to satisfy the urgent nutritional demands of growing puppies. In addition to the revolutionary use of fresh ingredients from the five basic food groups, Innova Puppy contains a unique blend of fat sources.

Utilizing cold pressed sunflower oil, chicken fat and ground flaxseed, Innova Puppy Food supplies the perfect balance of essential fatty acids which are so important in the maintenance of cell membranes and the development of healthy skin and coat. Innova Puppy provides the optimal levels of nutrients puppies need so that they can grow into healthy adults.

Animal feeding tests using AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) procedures substantiate that Innova Puppy Food provides complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages.

Answer 10

Hills Science Diet, did the vet have a stand of it he was selling?
Vets get profits from the company to reccomend hill.

I do have a friend that raises her pits on it for more energy and muscle growth.
With your GSD you are going to need to slow its growth so it doesnt develop poor bone structure, leading to hip problems that are prone to GSD and other large breeds.
Kibble and dry foods speed up your dogs growth, which is not good.
I would suggest if you have the funds , feeding a raw to partially raw diet to your dog to help with his grown and health. The calcium digested from raw bones is great for growing pups.
Will include lots of links and yahoo groups for more info.