Advice needed please for puppy food, large breed very fussy dog.

[Partyfops]

I have been trying to research puppy food for my new lab puppy.

She is however a very fussy eater and would rather not eat at all than eat something she doesn't like.

She flatly refuses ALL dry food. She will tolerate some wet food.

So, I am looking at some semi moist food for her. We have been strongly advised to get a large breed puppy food for her as she is having some problems with her hips which is being investigated.

So I understand that I need lowish protein?

I am so so lost with it. I really don't want to feed her crap food, but at the same time she has to eat. I can supplement cheaper food with some Yumove that I have been giving her.

Anyone is a similar situation please?

Thanks

Fussy lab? Very unusual
My Goldie was a bit fussy but I feed him Harringtons with half a tin of sardines on top and have done since he was small. They are also prone to joint issues and I'm hoping the fish oils will help, his coat is beautiful.

How many types of dry food have you tried? I have a fussy Whippet puppy and I had to try five different brands of dry until he finally decided to eat one.

Good luck. I know how stressful it can be. At least my puppy has eaten all the wet door I've given him plus he loves his beef mince.

Raw food might be a good option, green tripe etc. There are a few places online that offer that kind of food.

Have you tried Natures menu pouches , my mum has a fussy dog and he likes them . Also if you want to feed kibble you could always add some gravy and warm it slightly which worked with our fussy pup . My dog has luxating patellas and ive got him on Canine Joint Right supplement and although I was really sceptical it really has helped .

Fussy Labradors are a rarity. Mine definately isn't. Due to a grass allergy we tried lots of foods for him. He hated the grain free £50 a bag stuff and we eventually discovered he loved the Wagg worker stuff at £10 a bag.
Could you mix his dry stuff with chappie tinned food ??

My large breed,extremely fussy eater loves Orijen six fish, it is expensive but excellent quality and no rubbish.

To add Orijen do a large breed puppy 🐶 food.

My fussy dog doesn't like dry food on its own at all, and through puppy fostering I find that quite a lot will eat dry if they are really hungry, but prefer wet mixed in.
Current puppy is having Vitalin puppy with tinned chappie which reeks, but is wheat free and a third of a tin is enough to persuade her to eat up her dry food (and doesn't upset her tum - she needs to put on weight)

My lab had problems with his joints as a pup,luckily it turned out to be Pano,he is on Millies Wolfheart who do a good range of grain free high quality foods.
I had great advice from their customer care line regarding which food would be best for keeping him a healthy weight.

I also use nutriment raw,either stuffed frozen in kongs in summer or as a topper which he loves.

I am just marvelling at the idea of a fussy Labrador! The ONLY thing they've unearthed out on walks, remotely edible, that they turned their noses up at was a very rotten catfish washed up on the shore. Even then one of them had to go back to double check whether he did want to eat it or not! I'd second Natures Menu as an excellent dog food company all round tbh and also the mention of mixing gravy in to the dry food to soften it. Some brands you can just mix warm water in to, leave for a few minutes, and they will soften and make there own sort of gravy.

You need high protein. Try allaboutdogfood.co.uk

You can compare foods there.

I thought that high protein meant that they grew too quickly which is what i am trying to avoid.

I have tried Eukanuba, James Wellbeloved, burns, Beta. She won't eat tinned puppy food but will eat pedigree chum puppy pouches.

She hated the natures menu frozen raw food.

I'm amazed but the phenomenon that is a fussy lab too!!!! She is crazy! Sometimes she will eat it off the floor but not out of a bowl!!
Tried highlife adult today which is semi moist and she loved it.

Here's some info about protein levels op.

www.millieswolfheart.co.uk/protein

Also would highly recommend The all about dog food site a PP mentioned.

I meant to add, thanks for your suggestions, I will have a proper look later when I am in front of my computer.

Shocked at fussy lab too , mine will eat anything including my other dogs poop.

My other dog is quite fussy though and I have to change her food quite often as she gets fed up of eating the same all the time. I was advised to feed my lab chappie when he was young, apparently there's noth No bad in it despite people thinking there is (rice, chicken, fish).

We are feeding our lab puppy Millie's Wolfheart as she is better on grain free stuff. If you add some warm water to the kibble it makes a nice gravy and more appetising but they do wet food too.

Pedigree is awful!

Maybe try ditching the bowl and use feeding toys?

Raw diet all the way

DDog tends to not eat his dry kibble out of his bowl but will if you put it in a kong wobbler. He even watches me take the remaining food and pour it into the wobbler that he refused to eat out of his bowl

I was going to suggest a kong wobbler too, I never feed my dog from a ball always use the wobbler (mainly because she eats too fast otherwise!). Dogs will often eat dried food that way even if they won't out of a bowl. We feed applaws which suits our dog well and works out very cheap as you feed so little.

My labradoodle pup was also weird about eating food from bowl - slightly better now, but can refuse. Hers is a metallic bowl and I put it down to either the smell of metal or the clanging of her collar tags??? Will eat same food off my hand, plastic plate (not always) or the floor (discovered when a frustated mamma tipped it on the floor after another meal refusal!).

The other thing that has helped is to soak the kibble (or at least some to flavour the water) - I actually half fill bowl with water and then add kibble. She seems to find that slightly easier to eat/get hold of.

And I can relate to the fussy eater (I blame the poodle part!), and medical advice diet, but they don't bloomin' eat food, let alone trying to balance a vet diet requirements when they don't even have a "diet" they will eat. Currently got 6 different puppy foods open in cupboard that have been bought/rejected for either taste or health reasons. Sigh.

Actually when we got our pup from Battersea he wouldn't eat out of a bowl at all and we fed him wet food off a spoon or fork until he decided that it was quicker to eat it from the bowl . He is now 6 and is still an expert at eating from a fork .

When we first had our lab we soaked her food thoroughly before feeding. It was more like a paste. The breeder advised to do this since they had started her on soaked dried food. She was 4 or 5 months old before we stopped soaking it.
Did you notice how they were fed at the breeders?
I would second trying to feed out of different bowls.
It may be worth asking the vet to check your pups mouth. It could be she has a sore mouth or anatomical problem. It's very unusual to have a picky lab. You seem to have changed foods a lot, usually breeders will tell you what they have been weaned onto and advise you not to change until they are settled it may not be your choice but it's better than nothing at all.

I have a very fussy whippet but I have discovered she loves platinum kibble and it is good quality at a reasonable price, if you email them they will send free samples of the 3 flavours.

My pup would only eat if hand fed to start with! I know. I know. Then it had to be soaked. Fussy mare!
I then sprinkled raw carrot or even grated cheese on top.
Now she's down to two meals a day she devours it like a starved thing.