I need reasurance!

[LANDANO77]

I took Revan to the vet today for his checkup. He got his third set of shots and heartworm meds and what not.. He is 13 weeks and weighs 24 lbs. He is healthy and growing at a perfect rate.. The vet asked if i had him on a large breed puppy food and i told him no. I had him on Canidae and he said he never heard of it.. He is a awesome vet i want to keep going to him but he is telling me my pup is going to get hip dysplaysia if he is not on a large breed food.. Also i have started giving him raw bones and he said not to because it causes problems and the lady at the front desk is telling me about these compressed rawhide bones at walmart. I am thinking in my head NO WAY..I have learned alot on here about Boxers and i want to think i am on the path to giving my boy the best life he can have with us. I just need some reasurance i doing things right. I know he is a vet but i am sure he does not specialize in Boxers and i trust the members of this site more when it comes to Boxer issues.

Mother of Revan
Male floppy fawn

[gmacleod]

No, your pup will not get hip dysplasia from Canidae

A few things to know there. First and foremost, hip dysplasia is a genetically inherited condition - a malformation of the hip joint. There is no food on this planet that causes it. Where food can have a role in the development of HD is that inappropriately high levels of calcium, overall calories, and possibly protein can exacerbate the condition. That is to say, IF your dog is genetically pre-programmed to develop HD, then overnutrition can make it worse. If, however, your dog has normally shaped hip joints, overnutrition will have no effect whatsoever.

That's hip dysplasia. There are a few other skeletal conditions that really do have a causal link to over nutrition. So it certainly pays to examine the food you feed to growing puppies, and to ensure that it does not contain excessive amounts of calcium, that the protein is moderate (jury is still out on whether protein is really an issue - but until there's a definitive answer, I think it's prudent to err on the side of caution on that one) and that you do NOT OVERFEED.

So, what's safe? Generally speaking, you need to feed a food with a protein level in the 22-26% range, with calcium not exceeding 1.5% (0.8-1.3 is better), and don't disregard the feeding instructions. You should never, for example, feed a growing pup all they want just because they're growing. That's actually a reason for moderation not for excess.

Back to Canidae though - your vet hasn't even heard of it. Maybe he should look before telling you it's no good In fact, it has a near perfect protein content for a puppy (including a large breed puppy) of 24% - well below the maximum recommended level. And it's got a near perfect calcium content of 1.2% (well below that of many large breed foods). And being high in digestibility, you don't need to feed much - so are far less likely to overfeed.

In fact, it's a far more moderate food than a great many so-called "large breed puppy" foods on the market. Really, your vet could at least read the darned label before jumping straight into the scare tactics - they are unwarrented.

[aj_blade]

Hello Landon,

I was cautious at first as well...keeping with one food from Puppyhood to Adult. I switched to Canadai last week,and with the good words of GMacleod and others, my mind is at ease. Kalel loves Canadai, and the fact that we only need to feed him 1.5 cups a day actually makes the cost more reasonable than I first thought! Good Luck with whatever decision you make!

Aj