Large breed puppies need very specific nutrition to thrive. Otherwise, they may become more prone to several health problems as adults.
While Taste of the Wild does not have a specific large-breed puppy formula, their puppy formulas are suitable for large breeds. Taste of the Wild Formulas appropriate for large-breed puppies include their High Prairie Puppy Formula, which is the option we will be reviewing.
For everything you need to know about this quality puppy food, keep reading.
Summary
For most puppies, this food includes everything they need to thrive. For instance, it starts with water buffalo and lamb meal, which provides necessary amino acids and protein. Plus, the Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula includes probiotics and other helpful nutrients for puppies.
Taste of the Wild Formulas Appropriate for Large-Breed Puppies Benefits and Features
- Probiotics added for immune and digestive support
- Owned by a U.S. company
- Free from grains, corn, wheat, artificial flavors, and artificial colors
- Omega fatty acids included for coat support
- Meat is the first few ingredients
Taste of the Wild Formulas Appropriate for Large-Breed Puppies: Pros and Cons
Pros:
- K9-specific probiotics
- Omega fatty acids for skin and coat health
- Water buffalo and lamb as the first two ingredients
- Made without corn or wheat
Cons:
- Grain-free
- Includes high levels of peas and pea protein
Where is Taste of the Wild Formulas Appropriate for Large-Breed Puppies Made?
Taste of the Wild crafts all of their dog food in one of their facilities in the U.S.A. These facilities are located in California, Missouri, Arkansas, South Carolina, and Kansas. Therefore, all of their food is made in the United States.
However, they do source their ingredients from all around the world. Plus, they do not specify where each ingredient comes from.
Taste of the Wild Ingredients
The company advertises that this food is made from bison and venison. While this food does contain these ingredients, they appear further down on the ingredient list. Instead, this food mostly contains water buffalo and lamb.
These ingredients are high-quality and provide all the amino acids your puppy needs to thrive. While people in the U.S. typically don’t eat water buffalo, dogs can thrive on it.
However, this food also includes a large number of veggies (not all of which are high-quality). Sweet potatoes appear third on the ingredient list. These potatoes provide carbohydrates and various nutrients, making them a good choice for most puppies.
With that said, pea protein, peas, and potatoes all appear rather high on the list. Concentrated pea protein contains a lot of protein. However, it doesn’t necessarily include all the amino acids your dog needs.
Furthermore, peas and potatoes are both associated with heart conditions in dogs. Therefore, we do not like to see them used in high amounts.
Plus, this ingredient list is also an example of ingredient splitting. Peas actually appear on the list twice in two different forms. If you combined both of these peas together, they would appear further up on the list (which is why the company listed them separately).
On a more positive note, this dog food does include a range of meats beyond the first two ingredients. Beef and venison both appear further down, adding some extra amino acids. Plus, eggs appear as the fourth ingredient. These high-quality eggs provide lots of nutrients for your puppy.
Which Types of Dog is Taste of the Wild Formulas Appropriate for Large-Breed Puppies Best Suited For?
As you’d expect, we particularly recommend this dog food for large breed puppies. These dogs need particular nutrition to thrive. Therefore, they do best with very specialized nutrition.
While this food is not designed specifically for large breed puppies, it does contain everything that large breed puppies need.
With that said, most puppies will do fairly well with this dog food. It is nutritious enough for most puppies, from small breeds to large breeds.
However, small puppies may struggle with the kibble size. Therefore, we don’t necessarily recommend this food for extremely small puppies.
Taste of the Wild Puppy Large Breed Recalls
Taste of the Wild has had several recalls over the last few years. However, they have had significantly fewer recalls than other foods out there. These recalls may have affected some of these puppy foods, as it was across many different formulas.
The biggest of these recalls was in 2012. Due to salmonella, thousands of Taste of the Wild foods were recalled. Diamond Pet Foods made all of these dog foods. Several dogs got sick due to the poisoning, as well as a number of people.
The recall affected many different states.
However, Taste of the Wild has not had any similar recalls since then. For a big dog food company, this lack of recalls is quite surprising.
While not a recall, the FDA mentioned this company in their investigation involving heart disease in dogs and cats. As of now, FDA’s investigation will continue.
Taste of the Wild Formulas Appropriate for Large-Breed Puppies: Where to Buy
You can purchase Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula through these retailers:
- Contains water buffalo and lamb
- Supports your puppy's necessary growth
- Includes chicory root for extra fiber and healthy digestion
- Added chelated minerals
Taste of the Wild Formulas Appropriate for Large-Breed Puppies Specs
Nutritional Content
Taste of the Wild includes high levels of vitamins and nutrients. Extra nutrients are added, like omega fatty acids. All of this help ensure that your puppy develops properly.
At the same time, this food may not include all the necessary amino acids, according to the FDA report. When you have a large breed puppy, this is something to keep in mind.
Price
Taste of the Wild costs a bit more than many other options. However, it is a premium dog food, so that goes with the territory. However, this is not nearly as expensive as some other premium dog foods.
Therefore, this dog food remains a budget option for those looking for premium dog food.
Safety
While this food did have a major recall some years ago, statistically, this brand does not have as many recalls as other options. Therefore, it remains a suitable option for most large breed puppies.
However, the FDA currently has an investigation opened on grain-free dog foods, and they have mentioned Taste of the Wild specifically. For this reason, you may want to consider keeping an eye on the investigation.
Ingredients
This food includes many different meat-based ingredients. From beef, venison, and lamb, this food includes a whole amount of meat. Therefore, this food includes a lot of nutrients from different meat ingredients.
Plus, there are some quality veggies too, including sweet potatoes.
However, this food contains some low-quality ingredients, as well. For instance, it includes quite a lot of peas.
Taste of the Wild Formulas Appropriate for Large-Breed Puppies vs. Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy
Both of these formulas cost about the same amount. The Purina formula has been formulated specifically for large breed puppies. This formula includes glucosamine and several other nutrients that are particularly helpful for larger breeds.
However, the Purina formula does include rice and similar carbohydrate ingredients. It is lower in protein, and some dogs do better on this. For this reason, you may want to try one or the other to find which one is best.
Bottom Line
Taste of the Wild formulates this formula for both regularly sized puppies and large breed puppies. While it isn’t specifically for large breed dogs, it does contain all the nutrients necessary for large breed puppies to develop.
It contains plenty of nutrients specifically designed for larger breeds, like omega fatty acids.
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