# Feeding puppy TOTW?



## Penelope (Aug 26, 2010)

I was thinking about feeding our new puppy TOTW (making it moist with a little canned food/water) Do you think this will be okay? Has anyone else fed their puppy TOTW with good results? Penny eats TOTW and it would be great to have them both on the same thing...BUT open to other foods if they will be better for her.

Thanks


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## LostLakeLua (Sep 6, 2009)

TOTW is one of the few inexpensive 6-star foods out there. High Prairie is the specific formula we keep on hand.

Right now I have a dog who just had surgery and since the hospital wasn't comfortable feeding raw during his stay I needed a "backup." So starting a week or so before his appointment I wanted him getting used to kibble again... he's 5 months and is a Chinese Crested and had some trouble crunching through the kibble. He liked the taste but it took too long. So for the past couple days, I've been adding a significant amount of warm water to his food about a half hour prior to the dogs' mealtime. By the time we feed, it's usually VERY mushy and soft and he's able to eat it without struggling. So for what it's worth, the kibble absorbs moisture and softens very easily so you may not need to add any canned at all if you do that.


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## Penelope (Aug 26, 2010)

It really is great food and Penny has done so well on it. My only concern is that it is not a "puppy" food...just want the new pup to have proper nutrition.


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## Blue Chi (Oct 12, 2011)

From what I understand, it's an all life stages food.


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## Penelope (Aug 26, 2010)

Yep its all stages. I read on their site that they will have puppy formula coming in Nov...wonder how that will differ...


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## LostLakeLua (Sep 6, 2009)

This was off their website, explains a little more about the new formulas coming out.

Taste of the Wild Puppy Formulas!

Taste of the Wild has expanded our line by offering our two most popular adult formulas in a puppy formulation. High Prairie Puppy™ and Pacific Stream Puppy™ are the newest additions to the Taste of the Wild family and were developed specifically to be more nutritionally beneficial for dogs under the age of 18 months. 

The Taste of the Wild puppy foods were developed in response to customer demand. Originally, the Taste of the Wild line was launched without a puppy formula in order to allow smaller retailers with minimal shelf space to carry a line of food appropriate for all life stages. The demand for a puppy formula and the increase in shelf space has allowed us the opportunity to bring a diet specific to the needs of puppies to the market.
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Formula: The current Taste of the Wild adult formulas are safe and nutritious and can continue to be fed to puppies until the puppy formulas are available. Pet owners will even be able to transition their puppy from the adult formula to a puppy formula, if desired.
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Availability: The Taste of the Wild® Puppy formulations are expected to be in stores mid-November. 

Improved Digestion: *The new puppy formulas have a total fiber content of 5% while the adult Taste of the Wild formulas have a fiber content of approximately 4%. *The higher fiber content is achieved through additional tomato pomace, a natural vegetable fiber from ripe tomatoes, and will support improved digestion and contribute to overall good health. We include probiotics in all of our foods as an additional feature to support optimal digestive health. Probiotics are live beneficial bacteria that support proper digestion and suppress the numbers of any bad bacteria in the digestive system. *We’ve also added twice the amount of prebiotics from dried chicory root to the puppy formulas.* Prebiotics are fiber ingredients that help maintain a normal, healthy balance in the GI system.
Since puppies go through significant stress such as weaning, leaving their litter mates, diet changes and vaccinations, it is ideal to provide them with a diet that enhances digestive health and helps to avoid digestive upset that is common in stressful situations. Multiple fiber sources – dried chicory root; tomato pomace; yucca schidigera; and probiotics – work in concert for optimal digestion and aid in avoiding digestive upset. *Because adult dogs do not experience the unique stressors puppies do, the adult Taste of the Wild formulas do not have additional fiber. *

Impact on Brain Development: *Salmon oil, a natural source of DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, has been added to the puppy formulas*. DHA is present in the mother’s milk and aids in cognitive, as well as visual development. *Because the salmon oil can affect the palatability of the food, we chose not to use it in our adult formulas. The effect on palatability does not seem to be as pronounced for puppies.*

Puppy-Sized: *The size and shape of the kibble in the puppy formulas is smaller than the adult formulas, making it the perfect size for a puppy-sized mouth.*

Transition from Adult to Puppy Formula: Puppies that started on an adult formula can continue on that formula, however, if a customer would like their puppy to benefit from the additional nutrients in the puppy formulas, they can transition from one of the adult formulas. Since some puppies have sensitive stomachs, we recommend a gradual transition over 7 to 10 days. Customers can do this by starting with 25% of the recommended feeding portion of the new food mixed with 75% of the recommended portion of the current diet for 2 to 3 days, then 50% of each for 2 to 3 days and then 75% of the new with 25% of the current for 2 to 3 days before feeding just the new food. This is the same schedule when it is time to transition the puppy to the adult food. 

Timing: We recommend feeding a puppy food until 10 to 12 months of age for small, medium and large breeds. Giant breeds can remain on the puppy formula a bit longer, until 12 to 18 months. Some veterinarians recommend continuing a puppy formula until the dog is 24-months-old. 

New Label: *Customers will notice the omission of “All Life Stages” on the High Prairie, Pacific Stream and Wetlands products. This change reflects our recommendation to feed the new puppy formulas. *


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