What to feed a pure-bred belguim malanois?

Question
Hello,my mother just purchased a Belgium malanois for protection. He is 3 years old and is only 60 lbs, she would like him to be about 5 lbs heavier. I have gone to three different sites and got three different answers from the text on what to feed...1)no beef or beet pulp 2)no cooked bones...only raw meat and raw bones 3)beet pulp and beef in a prepackaged dog food...Please help! What would you recommend? Thank you in advance!

Answer
First of all, unless you are fattening up a cow, I have no idea why you would feed beet pulp to a dog.
Dogs are omnivores, much like ourselves. They need vegetable matter as well as protein to stay healthy. They also need nutrients in a correct balance to stay healthy and to prevent diseases that are brought on by over feeding protein rich foods, (like raw beef) the same kind of stomach and food poisoning that we can get (from raw meats).They also do NOT need bones-raw or cooked-that is about the worst thing you can give them. Cooked bones splinter and pierce the intestinal wall killing them and raw ones pose the hazards of bacterias, parasites and broken teeth. I have seen it all in all the years of practice I have been in.

So what is someone to do?

Well first of all, trust in a food that is A) made by a industry run by Veterinarians B) Trust in over 50 years of research and feeding trials to prove formulas that don't just work, but actually enhance, improve and promote health and longevity.

Second,don't listen to the hype on the internet or from breeders groups. We see more sick dogs that belong to breeders than any other group per capita. Breeders think they are the end all to knowledge when they know and are trained to zero with any kind of nutritional savvy.

What do I recommend? I would recommend what I feed, have fed for over 30 yrs and have all my clients feed- Hills Pet foods Science Diet. Why? Well among the reasons I gave above, such as the 50 yrs of research etc, Hills pioneered the field of preventative diets.
They also pioneered diets that keep shepherds from having problems associated with too much calcium and phosphorous which can lead to hip and other joint dysplasia.

I am assuming this dog is neutered and in good shape. If she changes his diet she needs to do it slowly, one day at a time for 7 days. If this dog is really active then she might want to put him on the Active Adult with Advanced Protection by Hills. This will help with his massive energy needs while maintaining a healthy and shiny coat and keeping his weight stable. If he isn't that active then the Adult Advanced Protection will work fine for him. She will see some amazing things with this food in about a months time.

The hype and garbage you read about corn being an allergen are just that-hype with no backing. Corn is the least of all foods that cause allergies, beef, pork, wheat and other grains being the most common of all.
Have her get him a 20 lbs bag and have her measure out his food according the bag for a 65 lb dog then he will gain some. She needs to be careful with that and she also needs to know that this food is very nutrient dense-what that means is it is so digestible that there is very little stool in the yard and he may need less food to maintain himself after his energy needs have been met and fulfilled in the first month.

Hills has a 100% money back guarantee on their food so if after one month she is satisfied and he won't eat it, then she can take the empty bag back to where she bought it for a full refund. That is the Hills promise. But I bet she doesn't take it back! In 30 yrs I had one return and that was because the bag was torn when they got it home.

I do not work for Hills but I know the benefits and have taken 5 of their Nutritional Consultant courses so I do know their foods well.
Trust me on this one!
Let me know what she decides and how he does.