Eukanuba Large & Giant Breed Puppy Lamb & Rice: Review
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The name says lamb and rice, but the ingredient list tells a slightly different story. On the Amazon listing for Eukanuba Puppy Large & Giant Breed Lamb & Rice, lamb makes up 14% and rice another 14%, while the list opens with dried chicken and turkey. That does not make it a poor food. It does mean the name should not be read as "a lamb-only recipe", which matters if you are choosing it for a puppy that reacts to chicken.
It is a 12kg dry food made for puppies of large and giant breeds. The listing names German Shepherds, Labradors, Rottweilers, Mastiffs and Golden Retrievers as examples.
What the listing says is inside
The full ingredient list reads: dried chicken and turkey, lamb (14%), rice (14%), maize, sorghum, maize grits, dried whole egg, dried beet pulp (2.6%), pork fat, chicken gravy, fish oil, minerals, fructooligosaccharides (0.25%), brewer's dried yeast and mannanoligosaccharides (0.13%). The maker describes the first two items as a natural source of glucosamine, chondroitin and taurine, and the last two prebiotics as supporting digestion.
The analytical constituents are given in full, which is helpful: protein 26%, fat 14%, crude fibre 1.5%, crude ash 5.4%, calcium 1.1% and phosphorus 0.9%. Omega-6 is 2.12%, omega-3 is 0.39%, and DHA is 0.18%. Vitamin A, D3 and E levels per kg are also listed. The text available to us does not include an energy figure in kcal, so if you plan to feed by calories, you will need the bag.
Why a large-breed formula exists
Large and giant puppies grow for longer and put on more weight than smaller dogs, and many vets advise feeding a formula designed for that, partly to keep growth steady rather than fast. The listing talks about calcium to support bone development and DHA to support learning. These are the maker's claims and the figures above are the evidence you can check against the pack. Whether 1.1% calcium suits your particular puppy is a question for your vet, not for a listing.
If you are comparing this against other large and giant options, our guide to large and giant breed puppy food covers what to look for, and the Royal Canin puppy range by size shows how another brand splits its recipes.
Feeding it with vet weigh-ins
The listing includes a feeding table by puppy weight and age, with the maker noting that the values are rough guidelines and that you should adjust amounts to maintain an ideal body weight. That is the right way to use it. Weigh your puppy regularly, ask your vet or practice nurse for a body condition check at vaccination appointments, and adjust portions if your puppy looks too heavy or too lean. The same advice applies to treats, which need to come out of the daily allowance. For a general idea of how many meals a day to offer, see our puppy feeding schedule.
Most vets would also tell you not to hurry the move to adult food with a large breed. How long to stay on a puppy formula depends on the dog, so see when to move from puppy to adult food and ask your vet.
What to watch out for
Multiple proteins. Chicken, turkey, lamb, egg, pork fat and fish oil all appear. If your puppy needs to avoid any of them, this is not a simple single-protein diet.
Maize and sorghum. These sit alongside the rice, so it is not a grain-free or low-grain food.
It is a large-breed food. The listing says it is formulated for large and giant puppies. A small or medium puppy does not need it, and a food made for another size band may be a better match.
A modest rating count. The Amazon.co.uk listing shows 4.7 out of 5 from 158 ratings at the time of writing. That is a good score, but a smaller sample than the best-known puppy foods.
Only one pack size. The listing is a 12kg bag. A large puppy will get through it, but if you want to try a food before committing, you may prefer something smaller.
Who should choose it
Choose this if you have a large or giant breed puppy, want a published analysis with calcium and phosphorus figures to hand, and have no known need to avoid chicken, lamb, pork, fish or egg. Look elsewhere if your puppy is a small or medium breed, if you need a grain-free or single-protein recipe, or if your vet has recommended a specific diet. If it fits, you can find it here: Eukanuba Large & Giant Breed Puppy. Check the current price on Amazon and read the pack's feeding table before the first meal.
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