Feeding Aatu Puppy food to a Labrador puppy

[MontanagirlUK]

We are buying a lab puppy very soon and I want to put him a food that will support his growth 100%.  I have read many reviews on the different brands and complete food and my favourites are:
1 - Aatu Puppy and second in line Skippers Puppy.

However, I am confused about the advice given for the calcium, phosphorus, calorie ratio score recommendations for labs?  Here are the recommendations:
2.0 to 4.5 g calcium per 1000 calories
2.5 to 4.0 g phosphorus per 1000 calories
Calcium to phosphorus ratio 1:1 to 1.8:1

Aatu has kindly come back to me with this information:
Calcium 0.98%
Phosphorus 0.65%
373.5 calories per 100G

Can someone advice whether Aatu is in the correct guidelines???

Annie

[Meg]

Hello Annie and welcome to the forum!

It's great you are researching in advance for your new labrador puppy.

Taking the Aatu figures you've been given, the maths works out as follows:

373.5 calories (kcal) per 100g (food) = 3735 calories per 1000g (kg)

Therefore 3735 divided by 3.735 gives 1000 calories ergo 1000g food divided by 3.735 gives 267.7g food.

This means 267.7g Aatu food  is equivalent to 1000 calories.

To work out the amount of calcium in 1000 calories which is quoted as 0.98%, the maths is:
0.98 multiplied by 267.7 = 262.3
262.3/100 = 2.6

Therefore there are 2.6g of calcium per 1000 calories of the food.

The same logic is applied for the amount of phosphorous (quoted as 0.65%) in 1000 calories:
0.65 x 267.7 = 174
174 / 100 = 1.7

Thus there are 1.7g of phosphorus per 1000 calories of the food.

The ratio of calcium to phosphorus is 2.6 : 1.7. So this means that if you divide both numbers by 1.7 you get the ratio of calcium to phosphorus in the food as  1.5 : 1

[Meg]

Regarding the amounts of nutrients in dog food,  the European Pet Food industry (FEDIAF) issues nutritional guidelines including details about calcium requirements in puppies.

If anyone would like to read further, the July 2016 FEDIAF nutritional guidelines for cat and dogs may be downloaded from this page:

http://www.fediaf.org/self-regulation/nutrition.html

[MontanagirlUK]

Thank you so much for your responses.

The calculations you have provided would indicate the Aatu Puppy is going to be a good food for my pup.  Our Vet (as with so many other vets) will not recommend any other food other than Hill's Vet Essentials which I don't want to feed due to some of the ingredients.  Thanks again for your help - much appreciated.

[WarfieldWolf]

Great in depth research..... i hope you have as much fun with your Lab as we had with ours.
When choosing AATU,  did you discount Orijen?
From an ingredients perspective imo Orijen edges it, and the price comparison swings it hugely towards the Orijen also. All good independents should have 11.4kg orijen available below £70

The calcium phosphorus figures i have done as before:-

391.66 calories (kcal) per 100g (food) = 3916 calories per 1000g (kg)

Therefore  1000 calories =  255.36g food.

calcium is 1.4%, so calcium in 1000 calories is 1.4% of 255.36g = 3.57

Therefore there are 3.57g of calcium per 1000 calories of the food.

Phosphorus is 1.1% of 255.36g = 2.81

The ratio of calcium to phosphorus is 3.57: 2.81. So this means that if you divide both numbers by 2.81 you get the ratio of calcium to phosphorus in the food as  1.27 : 1