Dog Food​

Posted by Welcome Home Labs
1 year ago | November 16, 2023

FROMM LARGE BREED PUPPY FORMULA is what we use and recommend.

We will send you with 5 pounds of Fromm Large Breed Puppy Gold when you come to welcome your puppy.  

Food and water:
It is important to keep your pup on the same food for awhile.  Puppies little bodies can  be stressed when there are too many changes at once.  If you can find Fromm Large Breed Puppy Food in your area…that would be best.  We do send 5 pounds of food for your pup so if you can’t feed Fromm then you can follow  the food transitioning schedule (using a high quality food) in the Helpful Puppy Information Link.  It is best to use  bottled water for her for about 2-3 weeks (unless you have well water since that is what your pup is used to) and then transition pup to your water.  The reason we suggest this is that they are not used to the chlorine in city water and the chlorine isn’t very good for your puppy or adult Lab.  Again, the more that you can keep the same for pup for several days to several weeks, the easier it will be on your pup’s body.  The most important thing that you need to  do is to be sure pup is drinking and to make sure pup’s stools stay fairly firm.  You don’t want pup to stress  and become dehydrated.  This is not generally an issue but  I want you to know what to watch for because s/he is a puppy  and can have issues.  If you watch your pup carefully and  you are unsure or concerned, call us and we will give you our opinion and suggestions.  We have fresh water available for your pup all of the time and we also put water in with pup’s food when s/he eats three times a day.

Food Transitioning!

Even if the label looks similar ingredients are probably really different between the diets, so switching the animals slowly between the two diets, taking 7-10 days to make the switch, would be the way to prevent transitional problems.

Start with a 25% new, 75% old food ratio. Feed that for several days, and move up to a 50:50 mix if the stools are normal, and no other problems noted. Hold for several days, as before, and move to a 75:25 mix.

When should I switch foods?

If you can’t find Fromm in your area you can use another food but definitely use a high quality food!  PURINA PRO PLAN SHREDDED CHICKEN & RICE or EUKANUBA or something high quality would be fine.  We have found dogs do respond differently to different foods.  Make sure that you use a high quality food, which is actually more economical because you feed a lesser amount and get great nutrition instead of great amounts of filler.  Watch their stools, feel their sides, it shouldn’t be where the ribs are showing but you should be able to feel the ribs without too much trouble, watch their coat.  Be sure to transition your pup when switching foods so that they don’t get stressed.  Stay consistent with the quality food that you choose.  When shopping, look for an AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials ) certification on the bag.  This means it was formulated to be a complete balanced food for your dog.   

Call 319-214-0776 or email [email protected] for details.