Acana Puppy Large breed

[yukidomari]

One study with well documented citations and sources is:

Relationship of Nutrition to Developmental Skeletal Disease in Young Dogs by Daniel C. Richardson & Phillip W. Toll

Part of which can be read here:
http://www.joint-health-for-dogs.com...tion-dogs.html

It is a cumulative study with areas specifically dealing with calcium and large puppies; it cites proper calcium intake as about 4-4.5 grams per 1000 calories worth of food; in general it means that in a large breed puppy food, 1.5% maximum calcium on the bag is optimal for puppies especially for large breed. Many food list calcium in terms of minimums - a minimum listed content of calcium of 2% could mean the food contains much more than that.

The reason that the calcium levels are more important for puppies is that according to this research and others (i will find them later)... "puppies apparently were unable to protect themselves against the negative effects of chronic calcium excess.3 Further, chronic high calcium intake increased the frequency and severity of osteochondrosis".

Of the grain-free foods popularly found in the US, these are the listed values:

Orijen 6Fish: 1.4%-1.6%
Orijen Large Puppy: 1.5%-1.7%
Orijen Adult: 1.4%-1.6%
Acana Provincial Grasslands: Minimum 2% (no max given)
Acana Provincial Pacifica: Minimum 1.4% (no max)
Taste of the Wild - Pacific Stream: 1.9%
Taste of the Wild - High Prairie: 2.1%
EVO Chicken and Turkey: 2.55%