Can puppy start on Innova EVO?

[Barb04]

We just found out that we will be getting a new puppy hopefully by the end of this month. I will post asap.

My question is when I switch the puppy over from whatever is now being fed, can I feed it Innova EVO or is this only for adults?

Thanks for your help. Barb

[Renee750il]

What kind of puppy will it be, Barb? If it's a large breed I'd think definitely, but Mordy might have some of her excellent recommendations based on the size dog your new one is going to be.

You could also go to www.naturapet.com . If you e-mail them they are very good about answering questions, or you might find your question already answered on their site.

Oh, you're going to have so much FUN - Max is going to be hilarious to watch.

Poor CJ! Two puppies!

[bogolove]

What kind of puppy are you getting? Just curious for my own curiosity needs, not for the food thing.

[Mordy]

evo is not a suitable food for large/giant breeds due to its high mineral and calorie content, which can cause orthopedic problems during the phase where growth is fastest, but it would be okay for smaller dogs and ideal for toys.

[Barb04]

Originally Posted by Mordy

evo is not a suitable food for large/giant breeds due to its high mineral and calorie content, which can cause orthopedic problems during the phase where growth is fastest, but it would be okay for smaller dogs and ideal for toys.

Mordy, Do you mean it's not suitable for a large/giant breed when they are puppies? Are you saying I should feed a puppy food and then switch to EVO when it gets older?

Thanks
Barb

[Barb04]

The puppy is a Bandog (pitbull/neopolitan mix). It's coming from a very reputable beeder out in California. She is black with some white on her chest. Full grown, she's supposed to be 24" - 26" at the withers and 105-120 lbs. Carl is so excited. He changed his mind at the last minute to a female so it would definitely get along with Max and not challenge him. I will be giving extra special attention to CJ since there's going to be another female in the house.

Renee, Max is definitely going to have a ball with the new pup!

[Mordy]

Originally Posted by Barb04

Are you saying I should feed a puppy food and then switch to EVO when it gets older?

yep, exactly. edit note: not a puppy food, your dog is too large for that

during the growth phase you want to be extremely careful about not overfeeding, both in regards to calcium and calories. once the dog is all grown up, the evo is fine.

if you feed too many calories per day, the pup will grow quickly, which is undesirable. slow, even growth without growth spurts is much healthier both in the short and long run.

you can find a number of good articles on the topic here. i do not agree with all her points of view on all the topics she addresses on that page, but she has a lot of experience in raising large and giant breed dogs.

[Renee750il]

Uh, Barb, I was checking some profiles on the Bandog/Bandogge and one thing that kind of jumped out at me is that their temperament tends to animal aggression.

Here's the most concise profile: http://www.molosserdogs.com/modules....ontent&tid=935

I like using that site particularly because although it is devoted to the molossers, they tend to be very realistic and straightforward. It's not to the advantage of any breed for potential owners to be uninformed about things like temperament.

[Barb04]

Thanks for the site Renee. Carl has researched, researched, & researched the breed. There are breeders out there that I wouldn't trust. There are those that are very reputable and breed for temperament. The breeder we are using breeds for stable temperaments and heavily socializes his pups with people, children, and dogs. We've had many days & nights of discussions about the dog, and do feel comfortable about the decision. Some of the people we know have children as well as other pets which they get along with. We do know that a male with Max would eventually be a situation of separation, but a female with Max should be okay. As with any dog, we will always have our eyes and ears open. The safety of our pets is #1 and always will be.

Thanks for the info. Max thinks you're the best!

[Renee750il]

Good! I didn't want to pour ashes on your puppy excitement, but I didn't want you to have a broken heart if there were problems, and sometimes breeders - even good ones - are blinded by the love of their breed to potential situational problems. You love your pups and kits so much that I knew it would just crush you if you ended up having to return a new dog because it was a danger to the rest of your furry family.

Getting the pup spayed early, before the onset of puberty, will probably help a great deal too.