Large Breed Puppy Food Grain Free

Here’s What To Look For In Puppy Food For Big Dogs

It turns out that not all food for puppies is created equal. If you have a big-breed puppy, then youll want to make sure youre feeding him a large-breed puppy food to make sure hes getting all the necessary nutrients to grow up happy and healthy but which formulas are best?

We reached out to several veterinarians to get a better understanding of why its important to feed your large-breed puppy a specific formula and which ones, in their opinion, are best for your pet. Here are their top picks:

• Royal Canin Large Puppy Dry Dog Food

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Large Breed Puppy Chicken Recipe Grain

Offer only premium protein and nutrients to your large-breed tail-waggers and help them with optimal development and lean muscle building. The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Large Breed Puppy Chicken recipe is not only a great grain-free dry dog food, but it is also loaded with high-quality ingredients for maximum nutrition for your four-legged friend during their formative stage.. Specifically designed for large breeds, this is among the best puppy food for giant breeds.

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Best For Seniors: Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula

Aging may be a fact of life, but the right food can help your pet stay healthier in his golden years. This food is rich in antioxidants, which helps senior dogs be more active, Fuller explains. The contents found in this dog food primarily promote muscle maintenance and immune health. And thats not all: Its also packed with vitamin E, which helps prevent tissue damage associated with aging in dogs, as well as glucosamine, which wards off joint disease. That way, your furry BFF will be by your side for years to come. FYI, these dog breeds live the longest.

Highlights:

via chewy.com

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Best Large Breed Dog Foodsseptember 2022

Here are The Dog Food Advisors 15 top-rated large breed dry dog foods for September 2022.

• First 5 ingredients: Deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, lentils, peas
• AAFCO: Maintenance
• Options:See all available recipes

Wellness Core Large Breed formula is a grain-free, high protein recipe with substantial kibble size to promote proper chewing time in larger mouths. Increased amounts of glucosamine and chondroitin also supports bone and joint health in these larger sized dogs.

This recipe contains the perfect amount of fat and calories to help maintain a healthy weight for a dog of this size. A higher quality food with an abundance of animal protein and nutrient-rich vegetables like spinach, kale and broccoli.

Wellness Core Grain-Free Large Breed is recommended by 94% of actual buyers on Chewy.com and is highly recommended for large breed adult dogs.

• Options:See all available recipes

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Large Breed Chicken is a great option for those looking for higher protein and an optimal blend of calcium, phosphorus and essential vitamins to help keep bones strong.

• Options:See all available recipes

Nomnomnow Dog Food Delivery

Overall Best Grain-Free Puppy Food: No matter what age your dog is, fresh food offers the highest quality nutrition available in commercial dog food diets. Fresh food is similar to your dogs natural evolutionary diet and offers excellent digestibility. NomNomNow is a dog food delivery service that enables you to customize your dogs food to his nutritional needs. It is fresh food made from healthy, high-quality ingredients including premium proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, and essential nutrients. Choose from three grain-free recipes featuring beef, chicken, and pork with fresh fruits and vegetables that provide natural sources for key nutrients. These recipes feature a limited number of main ingredients as well as NomNomNows nutrient mix and fish oil to support your puppys healthy skin and coat.

• Pros: Fresh food delivered to your door, customizable for puppys nutritional needs, premium animal proteins, high-quality nutrition, rich in omega fatty acids, fresh fruits and vegetables
• Cons: Expensive compared to most dry puppy food

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About Orijen Large Puppy Dry Dog Food

In addition to choosing a dog food formulated for large breed puppies, you also want to choose a dog food made from healthy, high-quality ingredients.

This grain-free favorite from dog food brand Orijen delivers a potent dose of protein courtesy of real animal ingredients like deboned free-run chicken and turkey, cage-free eggs, and wild-caught fish.

Solid Gold Natural Large Breed Puppy Food

This large breed puppy blend contains real natural bison and is potato free.

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Should Large Dog Breeds Eat A Grain

In case you arent familiar with the term, a BEG diet is one that consists of boutique, exotic, and grain-free foods. While the FDA hasnt released an official statement about the safety of grain-free diets for dogs, they have released statements over the years in response to reports that link pet foods containing lentils, peas, legumes, and potatoes as main ingredients with canine dilated cardiomyopathy , a serious heart condition those ingredients are usually what takes place of the grains in certain foods. Because of this, most pet experts are against grain-free diets. Large breed dogs typically should not be fed a grain-free diet unless prescribed by their veterinarian, Dr. Navratik explains. Other veterinarians note that many BEG diets arent formulated to meet the specific nutrient needs of large breed dogs.

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What To Look For In Your Large Breed Puppy Dog Food

Proteins

Since protein is the building block for muscles, your large breed pup needs a lot of it. Top-quality dog food for large breed puppy should be more than 30 percent protein. An interesting thing about protein is that a puppy needs more protein than a grown-up dog. That is because they are in their growth phase and they need a hefty supply of building blocks. Look for proteins from animal meat instead of by-products.

Fatty Acids

Large breed pups need less fat because they are susceptible to obesity. The only case where you can feed your pal a puppy food with more than 10 percent fat is if it is a highly active and athletic breed. However, low in fat diet doesnt mean low in fatty acids. Fatty acids arent just good for skin and coat, they are also great for joints. Large breed pups with a rich coat will need puppy food with a higher amount of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.

Calcium

Healthy bones and joints should be your core concern when choosing the best dog food for large breed puppies. Calcium is essential for bones. However, most large breeds are unable to regulate the absorption of calcium. They tend to absorb more than other breeds, and that may cause calcium retention. Calcium retention is just as bad for your babys bones as calcium deficiency. Look for food with not more than 1.5 percent calcium.

Phosphorus

Glucosamine

Since bones and joints are foremost concerns in large breed pups, it is a good idea to pick a puppy food with glucosamine.

Should Large Breed Dogs Eat Grain

Whether or not a dog is eating a grain-free diet is determined on a dog-by-dog basis.

Generally speaking, it is not physiologically necessary for large breeds, to eat grain-free dog food, but if a dog has a specific grain sensitivity, a grain-free recipe will be helpful.

Consult with your veterinarian before switching to grain-free varieties.

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Purina Pro Plan Focus Puppy Classic Chicken And Rice Entree Canned Dog Food

Protein 10%, Fat 7%, Fiber 1.5%, Moisture 76%

Top 5 Ingredients: 1. Chicken, 2. Liver, 3. Meat By-products, 4. water, 5. Rice

Nourish your growing puppy and serve specialized nutrition with Purina Pro Plan Focus Puppy Classic Chicken & Rice Entree Canned Dog Food. Featuring real chicken as the main ingredient along with other purposeful nutrients for their developing muscles and immune system.

The added DHA guarantees excellent cognitive development while omega-6 fatty acids ensure healthy skin and a shiny coat.

About Solid Gold Natural Large Breed Puppy Food

The Wolf Cub Large Breed Puppy Food from Solid Gold combines a number of high-quality ingredientslike bison, oatmeal, and barleyto deliver the nutrition your growing puppy needs.

Plus, this dog food also comes in a large kibble size thats ideal for large breed puppies. If your dog is allergic to potatoes, this potato-free blend could be great for them.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free Food

This dry food for puppies contains chicken as a main ingredient to promote healthy growth and strength.

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Controlling Size Through Diet

Like it or not, a proper and balanced large breed puppy diet is one that will keep their growth in control. If those pups grow too fast, they often fall victim to several health issues.

So, this guide is all about how to keep control over their size without suppressing their appetite.

What you need to understand is how your puppys food actually affects growth. Roughly, half the calories consumed by pups are used up in muscle and skeletal development. However, that is only when the calories are coming from healthier sources such as protein. Calories that come from fat do not impact skeletal development. This means your puppy will grow in size but the bones wont be strong enough to support the weight.

If you feel your pup is gaining too much weight, too fast, you need to take it to the vet to get a BCS check. Body Condition Score BCS is like BMI for dogs. Your vet will be able to give you an accurate number and tell you whether your pup needs to lose or gain some pounds.

How Do I Know If My Puppy Is A Large Breed

The pet food industry3 defines a large breed puppy as one whose ADULT weight is expected to be more than 70 pounds.

However

Since its not possible to know your puppys adult weight before shes fully grown

Its far safer to use a more conservative 50 pound definition for large breed dogs proposed by others.45678

If you expect your dog to weigh over 50 pounds when fully grown then shes considered a large breed puppy.

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Best For Stomach Issues: Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin And Stomach

If your dog often experiences vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, or constipation, switching to a large breed dog food specifically formulated for sensitive stomachs can help. For pets with these sorts of intestinal troubles, Dr. Burch recommends Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach: It has produced the best results of any over-the-counter brand I have used.

It contains easily digestible ingredientslike salmon, rice, and oatmealin addition to live probiotics and prebiotic fibers, which make digestion easier. How does it work? The omega-6s from the salmon decrease inflammation and the prebiotics encourage healthy gut flora, Dr. Burch explains. Pro tip: Since dogs with sensitive stomachs often have sensitive skin, too, bathing your pup regularly with the right dog shampoo can make them more comfortable.

Highlights:

via petco.com

Purina Pro Plan Focus Puppy Large Breed Formula Dry Dog Food

Protein 28%, Fat 13%, Fiber 6%, Moisture 12%

Top 5 Ingredients: 1. Chicken, 2. Brewers Rice, 3. Corn Gluten Meal, 4. Wholegrain Corn, 5. Poultry By-Product Meal

Provide your large breed puppy the wholesome nutrition they need with Purina Pro Plan Focus Puppy Large Breed Formula Dry Dog Food. The kibble is prepared from a combination of high-quality protein and other nutrition, sourced mainly from chicken to provide the building blocks your puppy requires for growth and development.

This delicious and crunchy kibble is also rich in antioxidants to strengthen the immune system. This is one of the best large breed puppy foods on the market right now.

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About Nutro Ultra Large Breed Dry Dog Food

The Nutro Ultra combines a trio of proteins with a variety of superfoods to create a nutrient-packed kibble specifically designed to support the growth and development of large breed puppies.

Orijen Large Puppy Dry Dog Food

This grain-free recipe is packed with high-quality protein for your large puppy.

Is It Safe To Let My Puppy Eat Whenever She Wants

Free choice is a popular feeding method whereby the food remains in the bowl all day long so a puppy can eatwhenever she wants.

Sadly, many owners of large breed puppies mistakenly believe that this form of uncontrolled eating is the correct way to feed their pets.

But free choice feeding has been shown to cause a puppy to grow too fast and lead to lasting bone damage.

A 1995 study of Great Danes revealed a significant increase in the risk of developing hip dysplasia when the puppies were fed free choice.16

In another study, one group of Labrador Retriever puppies was fed throughout life a restricted calorie diet while a second was fed free choice.17

The restricted calorie group experienced a much lower risk of developing hip dysplasia later in life.

So, be sure to control the amount of food and the way you feed your puppy every day.

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Why Are Large Breeds More Prone To Hip Dysplasia

Hip disease in large breeds is caused by at least one of 3 proven factors:

So, since theres nothing you can do to change your puppys genetics

Be sure to avoid feeding too many calories or too much calcium factors that can significantly increase your puppys risk of hip dysplasia.

Now Fresh Grain Free Large Breed Puppy Food

If you are the owner of a large breed puppy, Now! Fresh Grain Free Large Breed Puppy Food gives them everything they need to grow up healthy and strong. This grain free dog food has a balanced amount of proteins and fats to support their growth, and essential omega-3 and 6 oils from coconut and canola that are proven to provide for a shiny coat and healthy skin.

What is also important about this top grain free puppy food is what it does not have. It has no artificial preservatives, no grains, no gluten, no corn, and no soy, all of which can be harmful to their digestive system.

What this grain free dog food is made with is what your dog craves and needs, 100% fresh turkey, duck, salmon, and no by-products.

This grain free large breed puppy food by Now! is proven to give dogs silky and shiny coats, with healthy skin, and if they are making the transition from another food, it is proven to soothe any digestion problems they may have had and help them produce hard, consistent stools.

> NOW! Fresh Grain Free Large Breed Puppy Food

While it is true this brand of grain free dog food costs more than most of the other brands on the market, when you see the results it has on your dog, you will realize it is well worth it.

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Taste Of The Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula Grain

Protein 28%, Fat 17%, Fiber 5%, Moisture 10%

Top 5 Ingredients: 1. Buffalo, 2.Lamb meal, 3. Bison, 4. Pea protein, 5. Egg product

The nutrient-rich and digestible recipe is a combination of natural ingredients with real buffalo and other protein-rich options such as roasted beef, venison, and bison for lean nutrition to support growth in puppies.

Every product under the Taste of the Wild banner is a winner, but this ones my personal favorite for puppies as it offers perfectly balanced nutrition and guaranteed levels of DHA.

How Can I Tell If A Dog Food Is Safe For Large Breed Puppies

According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials

The maximum amount of calcium recommended for large breed puppies is 4.5 grams of calcium per every 1000 kcal in the food or 1.8% calcium.12

Keep in mind the calcium content printed on the label does not reveal this amount.

Thats because those figures are based on MINIMUMS which is NOT acceptable.

You want to know the EXACT amount of calcium obtained by actual lab testing

Or the MAXIMUM amount the manufacturer is willing to guarantee to you on the label.

Thankfully

AAFCO now requires13 those calcium standards to be guaranteed in each products Nutritional Adequacy Statement on the packaging.

You should see meets AAFCO nutrient profiles for either growth or all life stages AND the wordsincluding growth of large size dogs .

Like this

Since we never know the adult weight of a puppy before its fully grown, we recommend using a more conservative 50 pound definition for large breeds.

All The Dog Food Advisors recommended large breed puppy foods meet these requirements. So, theres no need for you to do any calculations yourself.

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The 7 Best Large Breed Dog Food 202: Review And Our Top Picks

• Most Science-Based Large Breed Dog Food: Hills Science Diet Large Breed Adult Dry Dog FoodHills Science Diet makes all of its food with science-based evidence and is delicious even for picky eaters.
• Most Affordable Large Breed Dog Food: Diamond Naturals Large Breed Dry Dog FoodPriced at just under $1.50/lb, this is the most affordable large breed formula on the list and is complete and balanced.

• Maintains bone and joint health with a formula tailored to support large breed active dogs
• Promotes healthy digestion and immunity with a tailored blend of wholesome fibers and prebiotics
• IAMS Large Breed Dry Dog Food promotes strong muscles with quality protein sourced from real chicken