Feeding puppy

[diddys]

Hello all.
Have rescued a 5 month old puppy from a rescue center. Initially she was on step up but after looking at this site have slowly over the last 3 weeks moved her onto Orijen puppy. Her poos were slightly soft with the step up but now, apart from the morning one, she is very loose and runny  on the Orijen and doesn’t seem to be putting weight on. Is very bony and ribby  and not getting any chunkier, however she is a mongrel so no idea what body type she would be anyway. As the really good feeds are quite expensive, I can’t afford to keep trying (and wasting) different ones so wondering what to do for the best, any suggestions please? Also what is the lowest percentage nutrient value as per this site that you would drop to?
Many thanks

[Rebecca Forrest]

Not sure of your budget, but pure food is very good , it is a dehydrated food that you mix with warm water, I use it for one meal and use raw for the other one at the moment.  you could also look at cold pressed food too, my dog does not do very well with extruded food he finds it too hard to digest and it comes out loose. He is also on the thin side but getting there now. It is a game of try and see , but these are the ones that have helped my dog raw and pure. Butter nut is very good too but a bit pricey. I hope that you can find a food for your puppy. 

[Dottie]

Hello and welcome to the forum diddys. Before changing food it would be advisable to take a sample of your dog’s stool to the vet ASAP. It is important as she might have an infection such as giardia or campylobacter. The symptoms would suggest that she might be infected and it is not uncommon in dogs that have been in kennels. These infections can be treated.

Re your question about nutrients, puppy food is usually circa 30% protein. Some high quality products are suitable for all ages because they have higher protein levels. It’s important to weigh the food to ensure you are not overfeeding because this can lead to loose stools, particularly with this kind of product.