The Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Food is a growth food for puppies that will finish over about 30 kg, with the calcium and phosphorus levels that large-breed growth actually needs.

Key Features

• Formulated for the puppies that get this wrong most easily. Diamond's AAFCO statement covers growth of large size dogs at 70 lb or more as an adult, which is the specific claim a large-breed puppy food has to carry.
• Calcium 1.2% and phosphorus 1.0%, both guaranteed minimums - the ratio matters more in a growing giant than in any other dog.
• 27% protein and 15% fat: enough to grow on, not so rich that growth outruns the skeleton.
• DHA at 0.05% minimum for brain and vision development in the first months.
• Pasture-raised lamb first, with superfoods and dried chicory root.
• 80,000,000 CFU per pound of live probiotics - useful during weaning, when loose stools are common.

Guaranteed Analysis

• Crude Protein 27.0% minimum
• Crude Fat 15.0% minimum
• Crude Fibre 3.5% maximum
• Moisture 10.0% maximum
• DHA 0.05% minimum
• Calcium 1.2% minimum, Phosphorus 1.0% minimum
• Taurine 0.12% minimum, L-Carnitine 300 mg/kg minimum
• Omega-6 2.0% minimum, Omega-3 0.3% minimum
• Total Microorganisms not less than 80,000,000 CFU/lb
• 3,650 kcal/kg (414 kcal/cup) calculated metabolizable energy

Available in: 15 kg and 18.14 kg.

Good To Know

• Large-breed puppies are the one group where overfeeding does lasting harm. Growing too fast, or taking in too much calcium, is linked to developmental joint disease - so keep a large-breed puppy lean and feed to the guide rather than to appetite.
• Do not add a calcium supplement on top of a food like this, and do not top it up with milk or cheese. The calcium is already balanced for growth, and extra is actively harmful to a large-breed puppy.
• Feed several small meals a day rather than one large one while the puppy is growing, and avoid hard exercise straight after eating - deep-chested breeds are the ones most at risk of bloat.
• One cup is about 414 kcal, which is the figure to use if you are counting calories or working to a vet's weight plan.
• Feeding guides are a starting point, not a prescription. Weigh the food rather than scooping it by eye, and adjust to body condition: you should feel the ribs easily under a thin covering and see a waist from above.
• Change food gradually over about a week - a little of the new mixed into the old, increasing the proportion each day. Diamond suggests up to 14 days for a sensitive animal. A sudden switch is the commonest cause of loose stools.
• Diamond guarantees 80,000,000 CFU of live probiotic cultures per pound. Live cultures fade with heat and time, so buy the size you will finish in a month or two rather than the biggest bag.
• Keep it in its own bag inside a sealed container rather than tipping the kibble loose. The fat in dry food goes rancid on contact with warm air, and in a UAE kitchen that happens faster than the date on the bag suggests.
• Diamond states that the facility which makes this food also makes food that may contain other ingredients. If you are avoiding a specific protein for a diagnosed allergy, that cross-contact statement is worth knowing about.
• Dry food is only about 10 percent moisture. Keep fresh water available at all times, and change it daily rather than topping it up.
• A food change is not a treatment. If your pet is itchy, losing weight, vomiting or has ongoing loose stools, see a vet before you switch - changing diets repeatedly makes a diagnosis harder, not easier.