I'm sure it has been covered 1000000 times before but just wanted to get my own thread going for reassurance.

I have a 4 month old GSD pup with the usual nipping issues. That aside, she is a voracious eater! I had put her on a raw/Orijen diet at about 3 months of age but she soon got giardia and I took her off the raw food. She is now on a 100% Orijen Large Breed puppy food.

Since she turned 4 months old 2 days ago, I have been mixing about 1/5 Orijen adult food into the mix. So far I have only added the 6 Fresh Fish *blue bag* into her mix.

Is there any problems with this? I figured I would get her tempered to the adult food slowly now so when the time is right, there will be zero issues.

At what age should I start feeding her adult food only? I plan on mixing her diet with the Orijen 6 Fish and the normal Adult food for a balance. I'd like to go back to raw but after the giardia issue, my wife is against it and I don't think it's required.

Thanks!

First, do you now how giardia is transmitted? I'm not sure why your wife is connecting food with giardia.

Standing water is a pretty common transmission site. Giardia lives and reproduces in the small intestine, and the free-living stage trophozoites form into cysts that exit the intestine via the feces. In damp ground or standing water, they can survive (in a transmittable state) for weeks or months.

The infection comes from ingestion of trophozoites or cysts in contaminated water or feed that was allowed contact with that fecal matter. Transmission can be by direct contact, too, even with asymptomatic carriers.

(It can also be sexually transmitted. This is a kind of recent discovery.)

I wanted to mention all this before anything else because I'm hoping that you have addressed whatever the actual source was of your dog's giardia infection.

I assume the dog saw a vet, since you identified giardia. Did a vet actually tell you that raw food was the likely source?

Here's one story about this kind of false information:
http://www.thepetcenter.com/exa/gia.html

Unless raw food is irrigated in contaminated water (raw produce, for example), food is so unlikely to be a source that it is strange (certainly far-fetched) to include it in the likelihoods.

QUOTE: How can I prevent my pet from becoming infected with Giardia?

The cysts can live several weeks to months outside the host in wet, cold environments. So lawns, parks, kennels, and other areas that may be contaminated with animal feces can be a source of infection for your pet. You should keep your pet away from areas contaminated by the feces of other animals. This is not always easy. END from http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2102&aid=739

We live on a lake and, when we first got her, the first month was constant rain in south florida. I assume she got it from a puddle while walking or from the lake, which she managed to take a drink of before I could stop it.

I am 95% confident the food was ok, it was frozen raw patties from a company down here that specifically makes dog food. My wife did not want me to feed raw anyhow due to the misconception that it makes dogs more aggressive. Getting her to agree to a big dog was a big enough task and compromise on her part, I have to give in somewhere. I figure Orijen is a good enough dry food for her to get most of her nutritional needs from anyhow. Correct me if I am wrong.

and yes, she did see a vet and was placed on anti-biotics and some pink liquid I had to administer orally with a syringe *which she absolutely loved*. The diahorrea continued for about 1 1/2 days and then it was just pudding for about 2 weeks after. As of about 10 days ago her stools have been perfect and easy to clean up from the back yard.

"I assume she got it from a puddle while walking or from the lake, which she managed to take a drink of before I could stop it."


I would assume the same.

I had to post that reply and not leave standing (for other readers) what appeared to be a connection between raw food and giardia.

So looks like the question for (kibble) puppy-feeding folks is:

 Quote: Damon Slachter

.... I have a 4 month old GSD pup with the usual nipping issues. .... She is now on a 100% Orijen Large Breed puppy food.

Since she turned 4 months old 2 days ago, I have been mixing about 1/5 Orijen adult food into the mix. So far I have only added the 6 Fresh Fish *blue bag* into her mix.

Is there any problems with this? I figured I would get her tempered to the adult food slowly now so when the time is right, there will be zero issues.

At what age should I start feeding her adult food only? I plan on mixing her diet with the Orijen 6 Fish and the normal Adult food for a balance. ...

Yeah, I suppose the giardia part was not all that important!

In any case, insight?

 Quote: Damon Slachter

Yeah, I suppose the giardia part was not all that important!

No no no! I'm glad you posted it! It gave a spot for saying that giardia and food was not a normal connection.

I was re-phrasing for succinct replies.

I don't know what the puppy experts will say. I'm not one.

I like the protein variety you have introduced, though.

I switch my puppies to adult food at 5 to 5.5 months, right around when they start teething.

Mixing it in gradually is a good idea. At the time I switched from puppy to adult food with my current dog I was feeding Innova, but I now feed Orijen as well. I personally did not switch that gradually (I think I only did it for one bag) since the protein sources and overall ingredients were similar. In my humble opinion, gradual introduction of a new food is most important if it is actually a new food SOURCE (i.e. the dog has never had fish before, or the food contains some new ingredient such as barley or something). However, it can't hurt.

I myself prefer the Orijen "dark blue bag" that has more than one protein source. Feeding a single protein source is fine for a while, or if you have an allergic dog, but I prefer that the dog gets its nutrients from more than one source. The dark blue bag has chicken, eggs, salmon, and turkey (off the top of my head). I have also been known to switch between top brands (Wellness, Innova, Orijen are brands I have used) in order that the dogs have variety in their diets. However, I've been feeding Orijen for over a year and really like it.

Edit: I just saw you are planning to mix the fish and the regular adult foods, so your pup will get a good variety of protein.

I add salmon oil and vitamin E to their kibble as well.

To reiterate: if she were my dog, she would be on 100% adult food by 5 to 5.5 months. I hope this answers your question.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

So looks like the question for (kibble) puppy-feeding folks is:

 Quote: Damon Slachter

.... I have a 4 month old GSD pup with the usual nipping issues. .... She is now on a 100% Orijen Large Breed puppy food.

Since she turned 4 months old 2 days ago, I have been mixing about 1/5 Orijen adult food into the mix. So far I have only added the 6 Fresh Fish *blue bag* into her mix.

Is there any problems with this? I figured I would get her tempered to the adult food slowly now so when the time is right, there will be zero issues.

At what age should I start feeding her adult food only? I plan on mixing her diet with the Orijen 6 Fish and the normal Adult food for a balance. ...

Damon, welcome! Nice to see another person from S. Florida here!
I use Orijen also, and I think what you are doing is fine. I also rotate (like Angela does) between other grain-free kibbles and my dog has not had any stomach issues because of this.

The puppy Orijen and adult Orijen analyses are really close; the only major thing I noticed is that Orijen fish has a higher fat content, which (theoretically anyway)might result in looser stools.

Start a new thread and introduce yourself and your pup (there's a bio-section) and post a pic! We all love puppy pics...