Ridgeback puppy controlled diet for growth issues

An uneven gait in a fast-growing Ridgeback is a real red flag, and it sounds like your vet is absolutely right to flag it early. Rapid growth in large breeds can put serious stress on developing joints and bones — and the food you're using right now has a direct impact on how fast that growth happens. Puppy nutrition is honestly one of the most important investments you'll make; the differences between puppy foods are more significant than most people realise, especially when a vet is already involved. To make sure I point you in exactly the right direction: how old is your pup now, what are they currently eating, and what did your vet specifically say about the diet — did they mention anything about calcium, protein levels, or calorie restriction?

Right, Bakers is the issue here — it's not a food I'd recommend for any puppy, but for a large breed with a growth problem it's genuinely the wrong tool for the job. It has high energy density and the mineral balance isn't precise enough for what you need. Your vet is right: in large and giant breed puppies, excess calcium is actually as harmful as too little — it disrupts the way bone mineralises and can accelerate exactly the kind of uneven, too-fast growth you're seeing. Can I ask — is he otherwise healthy? Eating well, good energy, no digestive issues? And has the vet mentioned anything about portion control or is the focus purely on switching the food?

Good — that gives us a clean brief. The one product I'd recommend here is Royal Canin Large Puppy. It's specifically engineered for large breed puppies up to 15 months, and the reason it fits your situation so well is the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio. It's tightly controlled to support steady, even bone development rather than rapid mineralisation — which is exactly what your vet is trying to achieve. The energy density is also deliberately moderate so you're not inadvertently overfeeding calories while feeding the right volume. It's not the cheapest food on the shelf, but for a Ridgeback with an active joint concern at 6 months, the formulation precision genuinely matters. One important note: switch gradually over 7–10 days, even if he has no digestive sensitivity — you want the transition to be as stress-free on his system as possible while his body is already under some strain. You can find it easily on Amazon UK, usually in 3kg and 15kg bags — the 15kg is significantly better value if you have storage space.

Great question, and honestly the right instinct. The Royal Canin feeding guide is already calibrated for controlled growth, so it's a reasonable baseline — but for a dog with an active gait concern, I'd suggest feeding at the lower end of the recommended range for his current weight rather than his anticipated adult weight. Large breed guidelines sometimes suggest feeding toward projected adult size, which you want to avoid right now. Weigh him weekly if you can, and when you go back in 6 weeks take a note of exactly how much you've been feeding — your vet will find that useful context when assessing whether the gait has improved. If he starts looking ribby or loses energy, nudge the amount up slightly, but lean cautious for now.

Brilliant — you're doing exactly the right thing catching this at 6 months. The good news is Ridgebacks are robust dogs and if you get the nutrition dialled in now, the skeletal foundation you build over the next 6–9 months will serve him for the rest of his life. Good luck at the 6-week check — I'd be surprised if you don't see a real improvement.