1. How important are the kcal amounts in the food? As a general rule I know the higher the amount the less you have to feed, but what is considered "low", "normal", and "high"? Most of the brands I'm looking at average around 325-375 kcal/cup. My dogs are active pets, but that's about it. LOL
2. Is it worth choosing the higher kcal/cup over higher quality ingredients, or should higher quality ingredients come first before kcal/cup?
3. When should I stop caring about the Ca ratios for a large breed dog? For example, I was just taking a peek at the TOTW formulas and most of their ratios are around 2:1. I don't want to feed Abrams a food that is going to impact his growth in any way, and I'm not sure when he's technically going to be done growing!
(Also, may be interesting to note: TOTW is no longer an ALS food. Their puppy foods are AAFCO listed as all life stage, but their adult foods have been relabeled maintenance only.)
4. If Abrams showed prior sensitivity to eating a Chicken/Rice based food, but can eat any treat or table scraps he wants without any issue, when would it be appropriate to try a food that isn't salmon/fish based? Or should I not? It is just such a pain trying to find a food that is salmon/fished based, and it is severely limiting my options. But, I'd rather have limited options than a diarrhea dog! ^^
5. When is it acceptable to switch a large breed puppy to a maintenance diet?
I am really hoping my financial situation improves and I can continue to afford feeding the TOTW Pacific Stream, as both of the dogs are doing fantastic on it. But, the price recently jumped to $55 for a 30 pound bag, and that is something I can't comfortably afford to feed right now...once Mike has an income it will be different, but for now I need to look for something else. I might just bite the bullet and do it anyway (I'll just have to eat Ramen), but if I can find a happy alternative, I'll do that instead.
2. Is it worth choosing the higher kcal/cup over higher quality ingredients, or should higher quality ingredients come first before kcal/cup?
3. When should I stop caring about the Ca ratios for a large breed dog? For example, I was just taking a peek at the TOTW formulas and most of their ratios are around 2:1. I don't want to feed Abrams a food that is going to impact his growth in any way, and I'm not sure when he's technically going to be done growing!
(Also, may be interesting to note: TOTW is no longer an ALS food. Their puppy foods are AAFCO listed as all life stage, but their adult foods have been relabeled maintenance only.)
4. If Abrams showed prior sensitivity to eating a Chicken/Rice based food, but can eat any treat or table scraps he wants without any issue, when would it be appropriate to try a food that isn't salmon/fish based? Or should I not? It is just such a pain trying to find a food that is salmon/fished based, and it is severely limiting my options. But, I'd rather have limited options than a diarrhea dog! ^^
5. When is it acceptable to switch a large breed puppy to a maintenance diet?
I am really hoping my financial situation improves and I can continue to afford feeding the TOTW Pacific Stream, as both of the dogs are doing fantastic on it. But, the price recently jumped to $55 for a 30 pound bag, and that is something I can't comfortably afford to feed right now...once Mike has an income it will be different, but for now I need to look for something else. I might just bite the bullet and do it anyway (I'll just have to eat Ramen), but if I can find a happy alternative, I'll do that instead.