bakers complete puppy food

[bigbus]

ive been told by a dog trainer in puppy school that bakers complete is no good for my 17 week old lab, but the breeder we got him from advised us to use that, any advice on this matter would be gratefully received thank you.

[lankeela]

This is a difficult one, as usually I would say go with what the breeder recommends, but personally I would use one of the premium complete foods made specially for large breed puppies. Bakers is one of the 'cheaper' foods and these foods tend to be less well digested and you end up picking up lots of poo, whereas the extruded complete foods are utilised by the body much more. Go for one of the chicken based foods, such as Eukanuba, Pro Plan or Royal Canin,
which you also feed less of as the cheaper foods use bulking agents to fill the dog up. With Labs you don't want them getting too fat as puppies, as it is difficult to keep the weight off them at the best of times.

[barb1314]

Hi bigbus,Lankeela certainly is knowledgeable about these things.I read that Bakers has colourants or additives in it and they can make puppies a bit hyper.(I have never looked and am not sure) Our lab has always been on Hills Science Large Breed Puppy and is thriving at 9 months...vet says her weight and size are perfect (she is working stock and slimmer) and she has the shiniest coat I have ever seen! The only thing I would add is to change the food gradually so as not to upset your dog's tummy.Just introduce a bit at a time and increase each day.

[bessieboo5]

I had a similar problem with my puppy about 4 years ago. I was advised by my vet that Bakers was not a good brand to be feeding - colour additives make them hyper. Not sure if you are in the US or UK but I changed to bog standard mixer and Chappie - this did the trick wonderful. For my other dogs I use a working dog food - Hills science diet is great (expensive, but I'd pay anything for a healthy dog). Heard many bad reports about Bakers..............

[abbie1977]

Hills Science Diet is the best of the lot. I feed my pup that. Bakers is full of rubbish.

[bigbus]

no more bakers for bailey then lol he is always hyper runs around the place at 100 mph its fun now but when he gets bigger he's gonna hurt himself of someone else! im in the uk so is this hills science available here? thanks everyone for ur help much appreciated

[bessieboo5]

Its available in most good pet shops or vets. There are many varieties of hills to choose from. I don't feed my dogs anything with colouring in it - sends them daft!

[blackcat77]

I think that the Royal Canin is to be recommended - I've had my Belgian Shepherd on it since I got her and she's now 18 months old and well grown with a lovely coat , and no more hyper than a Belgian Shepherd usually is! and I'm changing my two older labs onto it so they can all eat the same food now the baby's over 18 months. It's quite pricey but well worth it, and you can feed smaller quantities of it than you would with other foods.

[Dollychris]

We have owned, loved and bred dogs on a small scale since 1975 and would not like to dispute what others find to be the 'best' food for their pups but I would go along with a lot of other excellent replies. You get what you pay for and the better the quality of food seems to be reflect ed in the health and fitness of a young puppy.
Please check the correct feeding guidelines as puppies will eat forever and it is really hard to get weight off a youngster should they get fat. Pups and all animals need goodness and nutrients from food and if you feed a good quality product you will find less mess to clear up - less rubbish in - less rubbish out - if you get my drift. The more expensive foods can work out very reasonably priced as you need to feed less.
Some youngsters will have sensitive tummies and there are specialist diets for this but usually a pup will settle to a food with no problem. I'm not a fan of bakers myself but others swear by it - more a personal choice I think.
Anyway what do I feed? Well Purina for mine but have fed other good quality foods in the past. Most of the dog food suppliers have websites and will send you samples/money off vouchers - that way you wouldn't be wasting a lot of money on larger sacks of food that could be wasted if your pup doesn't like it. Hope this helps alongside all the other excellent advice you've received and Good luck with your Lab. Also with complete dried food please make extra sure that the puppy has access to plenty of fresh drinking water at all times.

[Dollychris]

Sorry just an observance of ours. We fed Eukanuba to one of our new puppies years ago and she was just so hyper!
Upon veterinary advice we changed her diet as it was felt that Eukanuba contains a high level of protein and this can cause hyperactivity. We took out vets advice and our youngster appeared to calm down within weeks of gradually changing her diet and had no further problems. We would not choose to feed this again and have passed this advice on to many others experiencing similar problems and has helped many. The breeder of our pup still uses Eukanuba and swears by it.

[gelda]

I house sat for 23 huskies a few years ago whose owner fed them on Eukanuba, I asked him why he chose that particular food and he said that because it was very high in protien it made them very hyper and more likely to race well.

[barb1314]

Hi again bigbus.Just wanted to add something.I have Lottie on Hills Large Breed Puppy (recommended for dogs who will be over 25kg) When she is 1 year in May I will change to Junior or Adult. I asked the vet whether to stick with 'Large Breed' or not because we all think she will not be larger than 25kg (approx) and he said to stick with normal adult food.I know you're a way off this but thought it was interesting in case your pup is on the smaller side!

[rinkytink]

We have fed our 4 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback Bakers Complete for the last two years. Never had any problems and he is very healthy and happy.
To be honest I think most of the dry foods will all have their pros and cons but at the end of the day they are all pretty much the same. I use Bakers because the boy seems to like it more - he's a bit fussy. Have tried him with other brands but he just seems to get on with Bakers.

[lankeela]

Dry foods are definitely not all the same! For a start there is a big difference between extruded dry food, as this is cooked in a way which does not take out a lot of the goodness. You can tell these foods because they are the small pelleted ones, rather than the flaky coloured ones which contain a lot of cheaper filler ingredients. Also the protein levels are always on the bag, so check what that is. Most puppies require a higher protein level than adults, but you do not want large breeds to grow very quickly, as they will end up like beanpoles with no substance to support their adult weight.
Adult 'pet' dogs do not need any more than about 20% protein, whereas working dogs such as racing huskies need nearer 30%. Too much protein in a dog that is not working it off can cause skin problems to, as well as hyperactivity.

[craft1948]

My westie is hyper but as I have never had one before I thought it was natural to the breed. (I've only had him 4 months and he is 2 years old) I'm starting to wonder after reading this as I feed him Eukanuba for Westies.

[luxury]

Hi bigbus,

I feed my dobermans James Wellbeloved

http://www.wellbeloved.com/

Dog food should not have wheat or colourants imho.

L. :)

[bigbus]

thanks everyone for all your help and suggestions everything has been taken on board, we only want to do the best for our pup he's so loved thank you all once again :)

[IMG]http://i39.tinypic.com/30c6jvp.jpg[/IMG]

[luxury]

Bigbus,

He is the cutest most adorable scrumptious looking puppy dawg!!!!!

Please give him a great big tummy rub from me :D x

[Moonstone6]

Just reading through the reponses to your post, i really wouldnt recomment science plan - i gave it to my westie after recommendation from my vet, and within a week of eating it he was repeatedly sick, diarroeah, and his joints all started to crack in his legs. I took him to the vets and they couldnt diagnose it, they put it down to growing pains!!!!! I thought i'd try changng his food (thought it was odd that it started after he'd started this food). I changed it to James Wellbeloved, as it has no preservatives, additives etc, all natural ingredients, and it all went away in days.

Obviously its your choice, and it may just be my Westie had an allergy or something, but through personal experience, i think Science plan is horrid stuff!