Re: Dogs and food
  By: Janis Kracht to Jim White on Wed Apr 02 2008 02:53 pm

 > That's the first time I've heard of puppy chow being related to hip
 > problems but after some research online, I see what you're talking about..
 > I found this statement "Dog food over-supplemented with extra proteins,
 > vitamins and minerals to make puppies grow faster can create orthopedic
 > problems..." like hip displaysia... so the veterinarians don't advise

I know I am a Johnny come lately on this topic.. I have found this to be
absolutely true. Unaware of it at the time, and over the years with my dogs
found it to be pretty much a fact. My first Newfoundland was the first to start
my thinking on this. The Breeder said. as a Puppy, You Must! give him the high
quality, High protein kibble, If You do not feed him natural diet. We even had
to sign papers to the effect. Vader grew quickly and as an adult was  (even
shockingly to the Vet) 185 Pound Newfoundland with no fat on him. His last
years were rough, His hips were very bad. The breeder said that hips were ofa
certifiied quite a few generations back and was surprised to see he had hip
problems. At the time I did not think much about it, it was just the way it
was. We later had 2 dobes, one fed high protein, the other for whatever reason
we decided regular quality food was fine. The High protein dog again grew fast
and quick. Later developed problems. Our last newfie, got regular food, his
parents were not ofa certified, but only grew to be 115 pounds, about the size
of a female newf. He has made it 12 years, with no hip problems. I then was
thinking of our dogs and asked the Vet, and indeed it is now the thinking that
giving any puppy despite the size of the breed, that extra protein, does cause
to develope faster than the skeletal structure can keep up with. He as a vet
will not suggest higher protein foods. I would say I have to agree with him. I
don't know whether the dog food companies pushed that at us like TV on a cell
phone or what, but I guess they found it is not really needed and indeed causes
problems later on.

Mike
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