# English Bulldog Pup diet



## flyfisher (Feb 18, 2010)

I'll have an 8 week old English Bulldog coming into my home in a few weeks. I just went to see the breeder and we were discussing foods. 

The pup is still nursing so she is open to whatever food I would prefer. I've been reading extensively on and offline. There are several excellent diets out there which come highly recommended on this forum and other sources.

My one concern is with the fact that the bulldog is not an active breed. These diets supply a high amount of nutrients which are fine for more active breeds. 

I'm seeking the advice of those more experienced than I who can recommend the proper diet for the early stages in my pups development in order to keep him from turning into a Marmaduke, 

Thanks in advance for your input.


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## kimrisa (Jan 9, 2010)

Congrats on your new English Bullie! How exciting. In all honesty, I'm surprised that your pup's breeder doesn't have any food recommendations. The pups are not getting any kibble at all? What does the breeder feed the mama? What does she plan to feed the puppy after he/she is weaned? It's important to stay consistent to avoid tummy upset during the transition. The fact that she doesn't have food preferences is kind of odd. I have a 5 month old English Bulldog and am still trying to find the right food so I'm unable to make a good food recommendation from personal experience--although I have compiled a list of highly recommended dog foods from my own online research:

Timberwolf Organics
- Merrick:
- Nature's Variety: 
- Wellness
Innova
-California Natural 
--Fromm
--Solid Gold
Taste of the Wild


You may want to also check out dogfoodanalysis.com, which rates all the dog foods.


What I have heard is that you need to watch the protein level to avoid rapid growth in this breed. So a protein level of 20-25% is optimal. Once your dog is 3-5 months old you may want to consider switching from puppy kibble to a good als formula. In fact my breeder didn't even have her pups on puppy kibble because of the higher protein levels. If you are not already a member, I highly recommend joining bulldogsworld.com--this forum is made up exclusively of English Bulldog owners who are extremely knowledgable about the breed and have been an invaluable resource to a new bullie owner like myself.

I know how daunting finding the right puppy food can be...so best of luck!


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## StellaLucyDesi (Jun 19, 2008)

Kimrisa...first off, I am not a vet! Secondly, I don't own large breed dogs or puppies, only small breeds. But, if I'm not mistaken, from reading on the various forums and hearing from people with large breed pups, you really need to be more concerned about the calcium and phosphorus percentages where large breed pups are concerned rather than the protein. I know, usually, when there's alot of protein, the calcium and phosphorus content is also higher, so that is why most people say to watch the protein percentage. But, a food like Orijen Large Breed puppy would be fine to feed eventho' it has a higher protein percentage, because they have used a good balance of calcium/phos. I really can't help with the proper numbers that you need to look for, but there is a great forum called www.dogster.com and there are some wonderful large/giant breed owners on there that could really advise you! I will try and find out the proper percentages for you, too. Also, those owners say not to switch a large breed pup to adult food too soon! Good luck!


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## StellaLucyDesi (Jun 19, 2008)

Ok...I think I've found it...the ratio for giant/large breed pups should be 1.5 calcium/1.0 phoshorus. Actually, 1.3/1.0 is ideal. According to the other forum (dogster), 1/1 is fine for adult dogs. Hope this helps.

P.S. If I had a large breed pup, my choices for food would start with Wellness Large Breed Puppy, Eagle Pack Holistic Select Large/Giant Puppy or Orijen Large Breed Puppy


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## kimrisa (Jan 9, 2010)

Great advice, Stellalucy. I'm sure the original poster will find this helpful and it actually helps me as well!! It's so confusing out there...some people say no puppy kibble after 3 months, others say it's okay as long as calcium levels are okay...etc. etc. I would love to know what the calcium level for the C. Natural puppy kibble I've had my dog on is but for some reason it's not listed... I am going to aim to stick to the less than 1.5% Calcium though. When my C. Natural puppy kibble runs out I was planning on staying with the Fromms ALS, which I've been transitioning to. It has the following:

25% Min 
Fat 16% Min 
Fiber 3.5% Max 
Moisture 10% Max 
Ash 6.5% Max 
Omega 6 Fatty Acids 2.7% Min 
Omega 3 Fatty Acids 0.5% Min 
Lactobacillus Acidophilus 100,000,000 CFU/lb Min 
Bifidobacterium Longum 100,000,000 CFU/lb Min 
Lactobacillus Plantarum 100,000,000 CFU/lb Min 
Enterococcous Faecium 100,000,000 CFU/lb Min 
Calcium 1.2% 
Calories 405 calories per cup

But do you think a puppy kibble with appropriate calcium level would be better than a ALS food....?


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## kimrisa (Jan 9, 2010)

StellaLucyDesi said:


> Ok...I think I've found it...the ratio for giant/large breed pups should be 1.5 calcium/1.0 phoshorus. Actually, 1.3/1.0 is ideal. According to the other forum (dogster), 1/1 is fine for adult dogs. Hope this helps.
> 
> P.S. If I had a large breed pup, my choices for food would start with Wellness Large Breed Puppy, Eagle Pack Holistic Select Large/Giant Puppy or Orijen Large Breed Puppy


Wow...you are so kind to look into this! I really appreciate it and I'm sure Flyfisher finds this helpful as well! I'll check out that dogster website as well...


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## flyfisher (Feb 18, 2010)

Thanks Quimrisa for your input. Perhaps my post wasn't clear enough. The puppy just turned 4 weeks so no it is not eating at all. It can't even walk yet. The breeder is presently feeding the mother one of the the Chicken Soup kibble diets. She had planned to feed Royal Canin but was open to another food if we so desired. I've been on dogfoodanalysis.com and have also been reading a book by Pat Hastings, Tricks Of the Trade. Which addresses nutrition and the rapid growth of bones in comparison to tissue. 
Innova seems to be a popular choice, despite a high protein content.


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## kimrisa (Jan 9, 2010)

Okay...that makes much more sense! A 4 week old pup would not be eating kibble. I was under the impression that the pup was older! I heard Innova is an excellent food. Although some people have said it's on the rich side and some dogs don't handle it well. Best of luck with your food decision...and looking forward to seeing pix of your new baby!!


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## flyfisher (Feb 18, 2010)

StellaLucy Thanks sooo much !!!
I really appreciate all the research
This was great
Will take it all into consideration
Will be posting pics soon


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## CorgiKarma (Feb 10, 2009)

I would go with Innova Large Breed Puppy


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

flyfisher- Innova isn't high protein; it's 28% which is very common for puppy food. It's EVO that's high protein, made by the same company- Natura.

Kimrisa- The California Natural Puppy calcium level is 1.358%, the phosphorus is .924%. You just have to click on nutrient analysis:

http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products/default.asp?panel=na&id=1252

As for the original question, these are the foods I recommend (definitely not Royal Canin!)

Merrick Puppy Plate
Innova Puppy
Fromm 4 star (except the grain free formula for puppies)
Canidae All Life Stages
Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lover's Soul
Blue Buffalo Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice
Canine Caviar Lamb & Pearl Millet Puppy Dry Food
Artemis Fresh Mix Medium/Large Breed Puppy
Eagle Pack Holistic


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## kimrisa (Jan 9, 2010)

Thanks, luvntzus! FYI--My pups coat is amazing on the Fromms 4 star salmon a la vegetable. Stool is not as firm as I like but it was mushy on the C.Natural as well. Other than that he seems good. Do you think that the Fromms 4 star is just as good for pups as opposed to the puppy formulas you've listed below? I actually have half a bag of the Canidae als left over from when I brough the pup home so when the C. Natural puppy runs out I could potentially combine the Fromm with the Canidae but that may be complicating matters... Ideally I'd love to find ONE dog food that works...


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## kimrisa (Jan 9, 2010)

flyfisher said:


> Thanks Quimrisa for your input. Perhaps my post wasn't clear enough. The puppy just turned 4 weeks so no it is not eating at all. It can't even walk yet. The breeder is presently feeding the mother one of the the Chicken Soup kibble diets. She had planned to feed Royal Canin but was open to another food if we so desired. I've been on dogfoodanalysis.com and have also been reading a book by Pat Hastings, Tricks Of the Trade. Which addresses nutrition and the rapid growth of bones in comparison to tissue.
> Innova seems to be a popular choice, despite a high protein content.


Like I said before, Bulldogsworld.com will be an invaluable resource to you! Those people know the bulldog breed like none other!


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## Labsnothers (Oct 10, 2009)

I am really surprised the breeder is giving you a choice of foods to wean it on. Was it an only puppy? 

There is too much worry over dog food. Most dogs will thrive on most foods. Chances are, whatever you choose will be fine. My self, I have seen thousands of puppies doing very well on the low rated Pro Plan.


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## flyfisher (Feb 18, 2010)

Labsnothers said:


> I am really surprised the breeder is giving you a choice of foods to wean it on. Was it an only puppy?
> 
> There is too much worry over dog food. Most dogs will thrive on most foods. Chances are, whatever you choose will be fine. My self, I have seen thousands of puppies doing very well on the low rated Pro Plan.


Negative. We were just discussing the best diet for the litter.
Thanks for your input.


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## kimrisa (Jan 9, 2010)

luvntzus said:


> flyfisher- Innova isn't high protein; it's 28% which is very common for puppy food. It's EVO that's high protein, made by the same company- Natura.
> 
> Kimrisa- The California Natural Puppy calcium level is 1.358%, the phosphorus is .924%. You just have to click on nutrient analysis:
> 
> Luvntzus: Just curious...You quoted 1.3 Calcium/1.0 phosphorus as the ideal for a large breed puppy. The levels of C. Natural seem pretty close to that ideal. Do you think that puppy kibble is okay to stay on long term...? (I also have a bag of Canidae all life stages in the garage that I could finish up instead of buying another bag of the C. Natural puppy... When I first brought the pup home the breeder recommended mixing the Canidae and the C. Natural together but I stopped th Canidae to see if my pup would do better on just the one food.)


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