# Large Breed Puppy vs. All Life Stages



## PatchworkRobot (Aug 24, 2010)

Ok, so I did a quick search and didn't find a post like this. I will admit that I'm in class so my search was really a skim, I could have missed something.

I am currently looking into a new food for my doberman puppy (~4 months old). The breeder was feeding ProPlan Puppy so that's what he is currently on but I really want to get him onto something better. I know about the different food rating and comparison websites and I already have about 8 different foods that I'm considering putting him on. However, my question is this... Is there a significant difference between Large Breed Puppy (LBP) foods and All Life Stages(ALS) foods?

Eventually I'll be putting him on TOTW which is an ALS food and, in my head, the fact that's its made for all life stages means that it would be good for a puppy too. However, I know that there are foods made specifically for larger breed puppies, like mine. Would a LBP specific food be better for his growth then an ALS food?


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## SOKAIBA (Aug 17, 2010)

You could switch now. I switched mine around 4 months as well. He was on Orijen puppy and then the ALS and I recently switched him to Blue Buffalo Wilderness because the Orijen was a little too rich for him and is doing super on it. Good luck.


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## kosmeds (Mar 21, 2010)

This link, which was written by a vet who actually reads scientific literature about dog diets, might be helpful.
http://www.newmanveterinary.com/large.html

Sites that provide "ratings" with no references to scientific papers in journals are bogus. So is a lot of what people believe.

The large-breed puppy formulas try to get it right for a few nutrients. The super premium all-life stages usually don't meet those few criteria that are actually well-studied. They might have other advantages but that doesn't mean they are worth the price.

My vet was very happy with my choice. Her rec was anything specifically formulated for large breed puppies. They are very largely indifferent to the unprofessional recs for seeking out "meat" as a primary ingredient and avoiding grains/legumes because there is insufficient evidence to suggest that formulations that don't meet those criteria are harmful in any way except for cases of allergies. Also most of those super premium formulations have not held feeding trials.

Caveat emptor!


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