[PyrNet-L] Puppy Food

[Charlotte & Jack Perry <pyreau@erols.com>]

I am behind on reading my e-mail, but was very interested in reading
messages about food and suppliments (always looking for better food!)
Nicola wrote:
> 
> I just wanted to add to the puppy feeding discussion, that according to some
> experts...pups that weigh over 20 pounds at 60 days have an increased risk
> of hip dysplasia..

Nicola, I found this interesting.  We have had Pyrs for 29 years and
have been lucky enough to belong to Pyr clubs so that we have learned
from many other breeders.  Having looked up my records, I found a number
of pups that weighed over 20 pounds at 8 weeks and none of them
developed hip dysplasia.  The largest pup we ever bred weighed 25 pounds
at 8 weeks.  His hips were x-rayed at 8 years of age and certified by
OFA to be excellent.  My concern is not so much what the pup weighs at
an early age when weight is more genetic than fat, but rather what they
weigh at 6, 8 and 12 months of age.  We are currently feeding our 3 & 4
month old pups Iams Large Breed Puppy  ($24-$28 per bag) but we almost
always take our pups off puppy food by 6 months of age.  We watch pups
very carefully around 6 months of age to make sure that they are not
getting too heavy.  We even put one very large pup on Senior food at 9
months of age when he was just growing too fast and getting too fat even
on adult food. He is still a very large Pyr and did not seem to suffer
from the change.

I do agree that over-supplementation of bitch and pups is a danger,
particularly when giving too much calcium and vitamins.  Years ago, we
found that adding such things as meat, cottage cheese and some vitamins
can disrupt the calcium/phosphorus ratio. If that ratio is out of
balance, the pup's body can not use the calcium.  For this reason we
pretty much stick with a good quality food, keeping in mind that Pyrs
are a low-metabolism breed that generally does not do well with the
high-protein, high-fat diet fed to high-energy breeds.

Now I want to know, Janice, where you find the human-quality foods?
Charlotte Perry
Virginia