Puppy Food

Question
We have a 6month old Blue Male weighing at 105lbs.  We have been feeding his the Large Breed Puppy Nutro Holistic and am concerned with this choice after reading a recent post of using Adult food.  Could you please tell me if this is the right choice or not.  Also, at what age should we move to adult, if so.  We also feed him carrots as "love snacks."  Is this okay?  Finally, we have noticed these last two months that his anal glands have been producing some HORRIBLE scents after grooming - what can we do to reduce this also.

Answer
As long as the food does not have a protein content of more then 25% then it should be ok, if you are wanting to switch him to an adult food, you can do this at any time. Nutro has a lot of good options for large breed dogs. Carrots are excellent snacks for a puppy. Does he have his anal glands expressed when you take him to the groomer? If not then you may want to get that done while he is there.

Many dogs never seem to have a problem with their anal glands, but the opportunity for infection to take hold is always there. When the anal glands are not sufficiently expressed, bacteria is given the chance to build up, and this can lead to numerous problems. Your dog can develop an infection, which if left untreated can progress into an abscess. The abscess can then rupture through the skin, leading to further complications.

Your dog's anal glands fail to properly express, they may actually become impacted, making your dog very uncomfortable. Watch for these signs:

   * Your dog begins scooting or dragging his rear across the floor.
   * Your dog keeps licking or chewing near his rectum.
   * Your dog's stools have become soft and mushy.
   * You'll likely notice a foul or "fishy" odor coming from your dog's rear.

If you are noticing one or more of these signs, it may be a good idea to take your dog in for a check up with his vet. The dog anal glands may actually need to be manually expressed, a job best left to the professionals. Some professional dog groomers will also perform this procedure for you at your request.

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