Protein level in food

Hello, my name is An and I've been a lurker on this forum for several months now. I've gotten so much helpful information from this site but can't seem to find the answer to a question I had regarding protein levels in kibble. I have a five and a half month old blenheim, Charlie, who is going in for his neuter in a couple of weeks. Currently, I am feeding him Royal Canin puppy food but I'm planning on switching him over to an adult food when he is neutered. I am aware of the debate with feeding puppy food versus an adult food due to the protein level. I picked up a bag of Innova Evo to switch him to. However, when I got home, I checked its protein level and it's at 42% while his puppy food is only at 33%. I checked RC Mini adult food and its level is only 27%, which is what I had expected.

So I guess I'm wondering if it's a good idea to feed Charlie Innova Evo when he is still a puppy because of the protein level or if I should wait until he is older to feed him that. And in the mean time, should I find an adult food with a lower protein level? Maybe I'm completely missing something but I don't quite understand protein level in adult food and why it is so high in the Innova Evo or other high-protein premium foods. And why we would feed that to a puppy when many breeders/nutritionists recommend feeding an adult food because of the lower protein level.

Thanks so much!

It has more to do with calcium ratios and the rate of growth for bones, than protein levels. We use Evo, Canidae, Wellness with raw-- rotated. I try to use all life stage foods for my pups.

I tried the Innova with Jato, and he had terrible diarrhea from it. I think it had way too much protein for his system.

I personally think that each dog has different tolerances for food and/or protein levels. Some dogs (like my old girl that just passed) do better on lower protein foods. Others do really well on higher levels- both of my dogs are on Orijen and the protein level is 42%. I have tried others and always seem to come back to it.

Another consideration is the availability of the foods in your area. I have a local specialty shop that sells only premium foods, so I have many choices. A few I've tried and liked are; Wellness, Fromm Four star line, Pollock & Castor, & Orijen.

I would buy a smaller sized bag of whatever kind you are considering and give it at least two weeks. If your pup doesn't seem to do well on it, then change. I have tried EVO and for some reason, none of my dogs liked the taste. But other people feed it without issue.

Good luck!

Thanks for the responses. I'll give Evo a try and see how he does on it.