On Food... (Boring, but Important)

An interesting article posted by the Barking Lot on Facebook got me thinking more about the subject of feeding Newfoundland puppies. Ultimately, it is your choice what to feed your new pup, but here is the information we have gleaned over the past few months (and links to the sources).

Devon Nutbeem of Homeport Kennels (Newfoundland breeder in Fredericton) recommends feeding a low-protein puppy food. She says that it is also important to minimize the amount of time your Newf spends jumping around on their hind legs, to only exercise a reasonable amount, to avoid stairs as much as possible, and to keep your puppy at a healthy weight. She notes that a Newfoundland's skeleton grows much more quickly than its muscles, giving it a gangly look for the first two years or so. Devon has spent many years showing and breeding Newfoundland dogs. You can read more about Devon's Newf puppy instructions here.

Vicki Leggo of Alegup Kennels (Newfoundland breeder in PEI) recommends not feeding any puppy foods (large breed or otherwise) after the puppy comes home with you (around 9-10 weeks). Instead, she recommends Innova Adult Large Breed, Eukanuba Large Breed Dog Food, or Chicken Soup for the Dog-Lover's Soul Large Breed. She recommends that any wet food not exceed more than 20% of the total volume of food. She recommends Glucosamine & MSM supplements as per her instructions, as well as chew toys (rawhide is not recommended). Vicki's dogs are beautiful and she has over a decade of breeding & showing experience. You can read more about her puppy instructions here.

 This article, posted by the Barking Lot (a great locally-owned pet store in Fredericton) recommends feeding a large-breed puppy food (which tend to have less protein, calories, and calcium) or a food that is "approved for all life stages". They do not recommend regular puppy food (too many calories will cause the pup to grow too fast) or many adult foods (some still have too much calcium) and say that the adult dog's size is determined by genetics while the time it takes to reach that size is determined by nutrition. It is best for them not to grow too fast, as their bones outpace their cartilage, which can cause orthopedic problems. They also recommend against free-feeding.

We are currently feeding Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula with Roasted Venison & Bison. It has a minimum analysis of 28% crude protein, which is actually slightly lower than Acana Large Breed. Crude fat is 17% (slightly higher than Acana), and calcium is 1.4% (slightly lower than Acana). The two foods share many of the same ingredients, and the Taste of the Wild has fewer calories per cup. Taste of the Wild  is a grain-free premium dog food that retails for about $70 for a 13 kg bag. We feed them three meals daily (2 of them moistened with a little warm water) and make a small amount of dry food available during the day. The 9 pups are fed about 8 cups total at each meal. We leave the food down for 20 min, then remove it. Depending on when they were last fed, there can be about 1 cup of food left over, meaning approximately 3/4 cup per meal per puppy, or 2 1/4 cup daily (plus some extras). This is within (but on the low end) of the feeding guidelines written on the bag.

It is better to feed smaller meals more often than one or two larger meals. Slow-feed bowls are helpful, and you shouldn't exercise your pup an hour before or after a meal to reduce the chance of bloat. I would recommend feeding them first thing in the morning, when you come home from work, and just before bed. A toy that dispenses kibble as the puppy plays with it is a great way for it to alleviate boredom and get some nutrition while you are away at work.

Sam & Kia are fed Acana (various kinds). They eat 3-4 cups daily.

That's all for now! Hope you didn't fall asleep reading this.