Best kibble for Malinois puppy after raw food

Puppy nutrition is honestly one of the most important investments you'll make — what you feed in that first year lays the groundwork for everything from joint health to coat condition to energy regulation, and the differences between puppy foods are much more significant than most people realise. So glad you're taking it seriously! To point you in the right direction: what breed is your pup, how old are they, and what are they currently eating?

That's a completely understandable call — raw feeding done well is genuinely great, but the cross-contamination risk with young children around is real and you're right to take it seriously. Moving to a quality kibble is a solid decision, not a compromise. Now, a 6-month-old Malinois is a specific challenge: they're an athletic, high-drive working breed with a lean body type, and they're still in a rapid growth phase. They need serious protein and fat levels, but you also can't overdo calcium relative to phosphorus or you risk joint issues during that growth window. A lot of mainstream large-breed puppy kibbles are too starchy and underwhelming on the protein side for a dog like this. Can I ask — is he neutered or entire, and roughly how much does he weigh right now? And has he been doing well digestion-wise since you switched to the supermarket food, or has he been a bit loose?

That picture makes a lot of sense — soft stools and a dip in energy on a low-quality supermarket kibble is textbook. Those foods tend to be high in cereals and fillers, which Malinois in particular don't thrive on. The lean comment from your vet is worth acting on now rather than later, especially at 6 months when he should genuinely be building condition. Here's what I'd put him on: Orijen Puppy Large. It's a freeze-dried-coated kibble with around 85% animal ingredients — a mix of chicken, turkey, fish and egg — and a protein level of roughly 38%. Crucially for a large-breed pup, it has a well-calibrated calcium-to-phosphorus ratio so you're not stressing his developing joints. The ingredient quality is close to raw in terms of protein bioavailability, which is probably why you saw him doing well on raw — he needs that kind of density. It's not cheap, but for a Malinois it's genuinely worth it, and you'll likely see the stools firm up within a week or two. It's widely available on Amazon UK. Transition him slowly — about 7 to 10 days mixing old and new — so you don't upset his digestion further.

The feeding guide on the Orijen bag is a reasonable starting point but treat it as a ceiling rather than a target for now, given he's already running lean. I'd start at the lower end of the range for his current weight — around 18kg — and then adjust based on what you see over the following two to three weeks. You're aiming for a body condition where you can feel his ribs easily but not see them, with a visible waist from above. Malinois can look lean even when they're well-fed because of their natural build, so go by feel rather than appearance alone. As he finishes growing — somewhere around 12 to 14 months for a Mal — you'll transition to an adult formula. Orijen Adult would be the natural next step and keeps the same philosophy. Keep an eye on stool consistency as your best real-time indicator: firm, well-formed stools usually mean the food is being digested well.

You're in a great position — 6 months is still early enough that getting his nutrition right now will make a real difference to how he develops. A Malinois fed well from puppyhood tends to have noticeably better coat, muscle tone and focus as an adult. Good luck with the transition, and if his weight doesn't improve after a month on Orijen, it's worth a vet check to rule out anything like worms or a gut issue rather than just increasing the food further.