We like both foods really well. We do use Pro Plan for all our adults, but for the puppies we have found Royal Canin works better for development.
Why we switched the puppies to Royal Canin
We used to get quite a few puppies with a little heart murmur or a grade one luxating patella. Those are all minor things that usually go away and usually don’t end up being an issue. It’s still unhandy, though. If a puppy has this at seven weeks, we have to keep them here, tell people, and get them rechecked.
A couple other people I knew were using Royal Canin, and they said their puppies hardly ever get any of that. I did ask our vet if he thought it could be the food. He didn’t think it would be, but we went ahead and switched just the puppies to Royal Canin anyway. It has made a huge difference.
We still get an occasional heart murmur or luxating patella, just not near as much as we used to. That whole development thing is mainly in the first eight weeks.
A really healthy looking tummy
The puppies on Royal Canin also get a little bit of a rounder tummy. I’m not saying puppies on Pro Plan don’t, but that’s one thing we’ve noticed.
You don’t really want a fat dog as an adult. But for a puppy, when they’re growing, it’s good to see a fat tummy.
Pro Plan for all our adults
We’ve had really good success with Pro Plan on the adults, so we didn’t bother switching them when we switched the puppies over. Pro Plan is a little cheaper than Royal Canin, and we get the most consistent stool firmness with it. We haven’t used Royal Canin enough on adults to know how it compares.
I only raise Bernedoodles and Goldendoodles, and they both do pretty much the same on it. I’m not familiar enough with other breeds to know if some do better on one than the other.
Usually it’s the meat in the food
Both foods work quite well, but Pro Plan works the best of any food we have found for having normal stools.
Both can cause stomach issues too. A lot of the time with Bernedoodles and Goldendoodles, that stomach issue ends up being the meat that’s in the food. If a dog is having issues, there’s a good chance it’s the chicken.
In that case, you can usually stay on the same brand and just switch to a different meat. I know Pro Plan has lamb and salmon. Salmon is a pretty common one for dogs with sensitive stomachs, and Pro Plan has one that’s actually formulated for sensitive stomachs called Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach.
A couple other brands we used back in the day
We’ve only used a couple other brands, and that was way back when we started breeding.
- The one we started out with, I would never recommend. It was more of a junk food, and I’m sure you would have more health issues with those.
- We also used Chicken Soup for the Soul for a while. That’s a good food too. We just didn’t get as nice of stools with it.
When to switch it up
Soft stools are the biggest sign.
Sometimes a dog just isn’t eating well because they get bored with the same food. In that case, it’s not going to hurt to switch it up for a little bit. Sometimes I’ll give some of the adults Royal Canin if they seem to be bored with one.
That doesn’t hurt on an adult, but you don’t want to do a quick switch like that on a puppy. On an adult, I could still mix them for a few days as I switch over. It’s just not as big of a deal as switching a puppy.
A very large litter
We keep all our puppies on the same food unless we’re having an issue. About a year ago, we did have an issue with a very large litter on Royal Canin that was having runnier stools. When you get a really big litter, there can be some weak immune systems because there are so many of them not getting as much milk. We ended up switching that litter over to Pro Plan, and it took care of their stools.
What we feed our moms
For our whelping moms and our nursing moms, I mix Pro Plan and Royal Canin together.
We also use freeze-dried beef liver bites as a topper for all our moms, and they really like that. We start the topper about the last week or so before they have their pups and use it during their whole nursing process until they’re away from the pups.
What they cost
Both foods are very available. A lot of pet stores carry them, and they’re very readily available online.
Royal Canin is more costly, so if budget is an issue, then Pro Plan would be the better option. At the pet store, this is roughly what they sell for:
- Royal Canin: about $3.67 a pound
- Pro Plan: a little under $2 a pound
That’s quite a significant difference.
Where to start
It’s overwhelming because there are so many foods out there, and trying to pick one is a challenge. Trial and error is the best way to find out, but it’s not really fun trying to find one that works.
I’d start with a good quality food and make sure meat is the first ingredient. I wouldn’t get something where corn is the first ingredient.
I’d also talk to other breeders about what they use. It’s a good place to start, even though what works for one breeder doesn’t always turn out to be the best for another. Royal Canin and Pro Plan both have a very strong market with breeders, and those two are proven to be good.
And just have patience.
Quality food is worth it
For the health of your dog, feeding quality food is worth it, even though it costs significantly more. A dog on good food is less likely to have health issues, and you’ll also have a better looking dog. The body condition is going to look better, and so is the coat.
You can tell when a dog is on a cheaper food. We bought a Bernese Mountain Dog one time from another breeder who quit the Bernedoodles. I’m not sure what he was feeding, but her coat was really dull. She was also very fat, which is another sign of a cheap food. It’s kind of like doing McDonald’s every day.
We started feeding her regular Pro Plan, and within a month or two, her coat looked completely different.