I think there is some confusion here with regard to Calcium:Phosphorus ratios.
- hmhershey wrote:
- I don't think that it is labeled 'Adult' but when we switched to TOTW we were advised against getting the pacific stream. The calcium/phosoporus levels are too high for a puppy to handle. We are sticking to wetlands formula until they are at least a year, then will probably make a change to pacific strea.
You actually are CORRECT and I'll explain why below.
All of the TOTW formulas are labeled as ALS (all life stages) which Tori and Jenn were correct in stating. However just because a food is labeled as ALS that does not mean that the Ca:P ratios in said food are appropriate for puppies. Such is the case here with the TOTW Pacific Stream formula and it also holds true for Innova Evo which is a different brand but it is labeled as ALS and certainly does not contain Ca:P ratios that are appropriate for growing pups.
I just checked ALL of the TOTW canine formulas the you are correct, all the formulas EXCEPT the Pacific Stream formula do have appropriate Ca:P ratios for puppies. Pacific Stream's ratios are a bit high so I would advise not using the Pacific Stream formula for pups. I am actually quite to surprised to find that TOTW Pacific Stream's ratios are even higher than Evo's formulas which I don't recommend for puppies either.
- CrazyDogs wrote:
- The wetlands formula has higher calcium/phosphorus levels than Pacific stream. Just thought you'd want to know. And ALL TotW food is labeled as "All life stages".
I think you are getting confused as to what the issue is with the Ca:P levels. The concern is not how high a percentage is in the food. The issue is with proper Calcium to Phosphorus RATIOS, not percentage.
Alright folks, I'll break it down for you now to clear up any questions or misconceptions and show why Pacific Stream's Ca:P ratios are too high to be appropriate for a growing puppy. Prepare to be amazed! Just kidding.
Okay let's start out by defining what Ca:P ratios a growing puppy should be getting in their food:
Small to medium breed puppies should have a ratio of Ca to P of 1.2:1 respectively.
Large breed puppies should have a ratio of Ca to P of 1.5:1 respectively.
Siberian huskies are a medium breed but we'll assume that they should have a Ca:P ratio of somewhere between 1.2-1.5 (Ca) to 1 (P).
Now let's look at the formulas in question and see how closely they come to the above mentioned guideline ratios.
TOTW Pacific Stream has Calcium: 1.9% and Phosphorus: 1.1%
So that makes a Ca:P ratio of 1.72:1 which is pretty high, hence it is better suited for adult dogs NOT puppies.
TOTW HIgh Prairie has Calcium: 2.1% and Phosphorus: 1.4%
That that makes a Ca:P ratio of 1.5:1 which is fine for large breed puppies.
TOTW Sierra Mountain has Calcium: 1.6% and Phosphorus: 1.0%
That that makes a Ca:P ratio of 1.6:1, starting to get a little high there.
TOTW Wetlands has Calcium: 2.1% and Phosphorus: 1.4%
That that makes a Ca:P ratio of 1.5:1 which is fine for large breed puppies.
For comparison I'll show the ratios on Evo formulas which are not really appropriate for pups but it is labeled as ALS.
Evo Turkey/Chicken has Calcium: 2.55% and Phosphorus: 1.57%
That that makes a Ca:P ratio of 1.62:1, starting to get a bit high.
Evo Red Meat has Calcium: 2.09% and Phosphorus: 1.26%
That that makes a Ca:P ratio of 1.65:1, which is pretty high.
Hopefully that clears up the confusion on this subject and in my personal opinion I would not recommend feeding Pacific Stream to puppies due to the high Ca:P ratios in it.
Most dogs that are on a feeding schedule will act like they are starving ALL the time. My pack is like that all the time and they get food to nibble on 4 times a day and they are all healthy weights. Even dogs that are free fed will act like they are starving when it comes to people food or even dog treats that they really like. 