Is this a consistent result of feeding puppy food? This is not a large breed dog - she’s a Whippet, will probably top out between 25 and 30 pounds. I’m at the vet right now waiting while she gets a Parvo/distemper booster and a microchip, will ask the vet when they come back out to the parking lot – but they will probably recommend the food they sell here!
Nope.
There are a lot of kibbles (puppy or adult!) out there with inappropriate levels of calcium for a baby dog, and that can lead to developmental joint issues.
So, look to the literature, read labels, and find the food that’s best suited to your desires (price, ingredients, etc) that has the label you need.
For example, I haven’t fed a puppy kibble in…wow, a really long time. But what I do feed my puppies is quite a bit more protein than most low or mid tier puppy kibbles. The label is appropriate for a young dog, how it’s branded is fairly immaterial.
https://orijen.ca/en-CA/for-dogs-2/six-fish/ns-ori-sixfish.html
Btw, the very first part of that thread I linked above talks about knuckling over:
I know there’s a lot there, but it’s really good info, backed up by published literature, about exactly this 
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Thanks, that’s helpful! Just talked to the vet, they advised feeding a good quality puppy food - we talked about large breed puppies and the protein issue and the joint issues, she said large breed puppies should get a special large breed puppy food for that reason.
Calcium levels for both the Eukanuba and the Simply Nourish (puppy) seem to be right around 1.1, 1.2.
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Curious @Carrera - What type of joint supplement do you feed? Is this prophylactic, or just “insurance” as an anti-inflammatory?
Same with the herring oil?
Were you able to turn up a MAX calcium? When I poked around earlier, I could only find a minimum. You really want them to guarantee a max. It’s worth calling, and switching, if they can’t or won’t give you that number
A minimum doesn’t help you much when going over a certain amount is the issue.
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I feed a supplement made by a Canadian company called thrive. I use it on my old man and I’ve used it on my boy that has been growing like crazy. Its more for “insurance” and piece of mind. I stop feeding the joint supplement when they hit 18 weeks. I feed herring oil for good fats and brain development as well as it makes them have the nicest coats.
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I would not trust my vet for pet food recommendations. They all sell that SD crap and I would not feed that to ANY dog or cat! I think it’s like young horses - they need the calories, vitamins and minerals in the ratios that are ideal. They also might hit a growing spurt when you have to back off - as I have with young horses, to reduce any chance or incidence of joint inflammation. There is not a “one size fits all” - you have to constantly evaluate your puppy to insure you are meeting the needs and not exceeding them. I LOVE GSDs and don’t want anything else – mine are strictly working lines and there are ALOT of working line breeders and they feel the same as those of you who expressed disdain for the show line slopey hips. I think even the show ring dogs are improving as there was one shown in the UK that was literally walking on his hocks - which were on the ground. I hope so - great breed that deserves to be bred correctly!
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