Hi there,

As i look for a new golden buddy I seem to find breeders that feed Purina quite a bit. My question to forum members is: why?

Over the years there have been so many new brands on the market. I for one feed raw but am curious as to the reasons breeders would continue to Purina? Is it because it is a brand that they find is tried and true?

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Ryley Wye
Pedigree Unknown
13.5 years of beautiful healthy life
Never ever forgotten

sometimes the tried and true is what people use, especially long time breeders, there is a saying "if it isn't broken don't fix it" I know many who have fed Purina Pro Plan (specifically) with great success... it is not what I feed, I am also a raw feeder, but I do think there is something to be said about using the food that your dog does the best on and if they are successfully feeding Purina then who am I to tell them not to.

The other piece of this is that many breeders have multiple dogs... I personally have 9. Some of the newer foods ie. Earthborn and others are very expensive for those of us with multiple dogs to feed. So we make a choice and find a high quality less expensive kibble. Many of us would like to feed some of these newer high level kibbles but honestly feeding 9 dogs a bag of kibble that costs upwards of $60 a bag is just not doable...

That having been said ... I have one dog, my wolfhound who eats Fromm Classic Adult kibble... she is doing great on it and has grown slowly without issue... I don't see any point in changing her over to raw when she has done so well on the Fromm.... My others eat raw but honestly I have been considering switching them over to the Fromm kibble it is much less expensive to feed and Natalie has done so well on it I might give it a shot.... but feeding a very expensive kibble is just not an option ....it's a whole different story when you just have one or two dogs to feed

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Shalva and the Milbrose Retrievers and Irish Wolfhound
Milbrose Retrievers and Irish Wolfhounds

IMO, it's because it works. It's because those breeders have probably used it for years and they find their puppies grow well on it--as well as their other dogs. I don't believe breeders shell out thousands of dollars on clearances/health tests/showing to take a decision like dog food lightly.

Dog food is very personal and controversial. I think the important thing to remember is not one food is going to work for every dog--therefore, feeding what works for the dog is the important thing. No matter what it is. Doesn't make one's preference right or wrong and I personally am OK with someone feeding Purina or Iams or Acana or Raw (or whatever they choose)--as long as they are feeding the dog.

I have fed Pro Plan (a Purina product) with great success for 20 some years. I've only switched once during that time and it was a disaster. Never again.
There is a reason that most of the top winning dogs shown by top handlers feed Pro Plan - it works.
That said, feed what your own dog does best on. Don't overlook Pro Plan if you are considering a commercial food for your dog, it is an excellent product. *NOT the Shredded Blend formulas, however, as the little meat-looking bits are soy.

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I just found it interesting. thank you for enlightening me. It seems similar to human food, as we develop more and more foods, sometimes the basics that have ben around for years are as good if not better.

Funny thought, I have just assumed my new pal (when we find him) will like raw. I better not rush out and buy a ton in case he does not.

__________________
Ryley Wye
Pedigree Unknown
13.5 years of beautiful healthy life
Never ever forgotten

You might want to consider using the same puppy food for awhile when you bring home your new pal. The transistion can cause a bit of an upset tummy! So it's best to stick with whatever puppy food your breeder uses for awhile. Then the next question you will have, is how long do you use puppy chow before switching to adult food, but that's a whole other issue.

I brought puppies home and kept them on whatever food my breeder was using for one full bag then switched over to raw cold turkey after that... I agree with Alaska making to many changes at once is not a good thing... so bring home pup... use the breeders food and then do your switches slowly, one at a time... over a period of time...

good luck with the new kiddo

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Shalva and the Milbrose Retrievers and Irish Wolfhound
Milbrose Retrievers and Irish Wolfhounds