Will a wheat free Puppy Food encourage intolerance? Vitalin?

[Francesca]

Another embarrassingly daft question from a Newbie mum.... don't laugh....

I picked up 8 week old Pepper last Saturday and have been continuing with the food the breeder gave me - Vitalin puppy food. It's wheat free as she says some Puppies have a wheat intolerance. Is it silly to wonder whether continuing this long term will provoke a wheat intolerance? Or is that common in all pup food? Should I think about switching him over? He eats all his food happily and hasn't had an diarrhea etc at all so don't want to take him off this if unecessary.

Plus the breeder gave me two full bags which will keep me going for months!

[babushka]

Have a look on this site  http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog-food-index-a.html  You'll find it's a very poor quality food for any age dog.

[jessnjimmy]

have to agree with babushka I'm sorry - I wouldn't feed this food either.  Do a bit of research and make your own mind up but there are much better foods out there for your little treasure

[jann]

  Wheat is said to be very hard for a dog to digest. Rice and oats are better.  I would not change to a food containing wheat.

If you do want to change do not do it suddenly. 

Burns is a very good quality food, have a look at their web site, he's a vet as well and they have a lot of information, they also have a nutrition helpline

http://www.shop.burnspet.com/acatalog/info.html

[Beth]

Dog's aren't supposed to eat wheat, which is why it causes intolerances with so many dogs.

There are many high quality foods available though, the ones i'd recommend would be orijen or arden grange.

[jann]

Dog's aren't supposed to eat wheat, which is why it causes intolerances with so many dogs.

There are many high quality foods available though, the ones i'd recommend would be orijen or arden grange.

Yes Beth I agree, Flo is on  Orijen as well   previously Burns.

  I sugested looking at Burns web site as there is a lot of info on nutrition   

[Francesca]

Thanks so much for this - going to follow your advice and look into the different options- get him swapped over. After checking out the analysis site, it seems that it would be more nutritious just to feed him a bowl of sawdust.....

Perhaps that explains why this dog food is so cheap....

[LouiseH]

I feed Pro Plan Sensitive Salmon and Rice - not because my dogs have a sensitive digestion but because some puppies CAN be wheat intolerant as wheat is not easily digested. My dogs do however get the odd slice of toast which doesn't seem to upset them too much  but I only give it when poos are good 

Choose something and stick with it for a couple of months and only change again if it isn't suiting the puppy, too many changes can upset digestion regardless of ingredients.

[heelers n cockers]

my Champ show winning Heelers were fed on Vitalin Original with gravy, with a 1/4 of Webbox meat roll, with a couple of evening primrose capsules added. they were always in excellent condition, and usually in the first three placings at Ch shows, we even had a best puppy dog and reserve best puppy at Blackpool '99 and a 1st and 2nd at Crufts 2000 
I also knew of a GSD and Aussie Cattle Dog breeder who raised three Champion GSD, and dual Crufts Best of Breed Aussie on Cobbydog supreme  i know because i fed them and went fitness training with the Aussie  (ah those were the days! i could run then!  ) and i knew the local 'farm collies' were fed on flake and meat, and they lived long, healthy lives. maybe Pastoral breeds can do well on this type of food because of their past working genes?