At what age do you stop feeding puppy food? - Page 1

I feed Innova Large bred puppy food to my 8 month old and my 13 month old I feed royal cannin to my adult dogs when do you stop puppy for adult?.

I switched all mine over by 3-months old to adult food.  At that time it was Canine Caviar.

I never feed puppy food a Ortho vet said it induces Pano and too fast growth with the higher fat content start them on adult but a premium  brand like Best Breed German diet when they first start eating less soft stools as well.

Marlene

I stop feeding puppy food at 12 weeks and it is a large breed diet from weaning to 12 weeks.

tina

It really depends on the dog, IMO. Some puppies I've had have started on adult food at 10 - 12 weeks. The 10 month old I have now is still on Innova large breed puppy and Nature's Variety raw. I tried him on adult food at 8 months and his coat got dull, so back to the puppy food he went. His coat improved. Some puppies seem to need more fat in their diet than adult food contains. Yes, I could add salmon or other oil, but he's doing well on what he's eating so why bother.  I will switch him eventually to adult food.

I know that isn't terribly helpful to you since your question was when to switch, but it really does depend on the food and the puppy. You could try your pups on the adult food (mix it with the Innova and slowly eliminate the Innova) and see how they do.

I feed a  Large breed puppy for , for that reason , as it has less growth structure, to grow slow., until pups are 11 -14 mos. old, depending on the pup.

Of course at 4 mos. old I introduce all the goodies into the food.

i switched my dog when they got 2 years to adolt food royal canine.

I switch my puppies to adult at 16 weeks.  They do fine and have a nice even growth rate!

Vickie

www.PowerHausKennels.com

arent we all forgetting that most high end/grain fee kibbles in the adult brand arent good for a growing pup because of the high phos/cal levels. If you want to feed Innova Evo in the future feed LBP now until i would say about a year old since they majority of their growing is done by then and more cal/phos wouldnt affect him that much.

Same with Orijen. My dog eats Orijen LBP until he will be a year. i wouldnt think about starting him on the Orijen Adult at this young it could be detrimental to his health.

Switching to Adult food so young or starting on adult food is subjective depending on if you feed premium/grain free kibbles

JMO

The P:Ca ratio IS one of the key issues.  The other is optimal protein (which science has shown is not as important as dog people and their vets seem to think).  The third is overall caloric intake, perhaps in conjunction with activity levels. People get very confused about these three and how they affect growth and hip health.

Puppy food has a higher calcium to phosphorous ratio than adult food for bone growth.  It usually, but not always, has a higher protein content, which is good for overall growth. 

As dogs grow "fast" in the eyes of most breeders and vets (evolution didn't think so), some people try to slow growth down by switching to adult food young. 

But high calorie and lower protein (meaning lots of adult food) with low calcium adds up to weaker bones.  So people go a step farther and deprive their dogs of food.  But low protein and low calorie with low calcium certainly slows and even stymies growth, but it has other effects, including deprived brain development in some cases.

The longevity research is clear that a long-term low calorie diet does lead to a longer life -- but at what cost to happiness and brain development?  See the Capuchin monkey studies before you torture your dogs with starvation rations.  A life with a headache is not nice.

The sad part is that some starve their dogs for hip health.  But hips are improved by improved musculature -- which requires a high protein and low carbohydrate diet.

There is so much confusion about this!

Moderate rations of high protein and high fat and low carbohydrates with elevated Ca:P for at least six months are probably best for long term development.  Do not feel compelled to swith to adult food before six months, and do not cut rations unless your puppy is truly flabby.