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When to switch from Puppy to Adult Food?

Joshua

Well-known member
I am told from my vet to keep Joshie on puppy food for now. He is 7 months old and has been on Solid Gold Puppy, and recently switched to Orijen Puppy and doing well. I need to go and buy some more food, but am wondering really how much longer the team here recommends that I keep Joshie on puppy food?

Any advise is appreciated!
 
It's probably best to follow the advice your vet has given. I think the use of puppy food is very debatable. Some breeders dont use a puppy food at all and give adult food. Lois is only 15 weeks and I feed her puppy james wellbeloved dry food. Sally is almost 2 years and she had puppy food until she was spayed at 6 months then switched to adult to avoid weight gain. Lois is only tiny so I will probably keep her on puppy food a little longer than 6 months. I'm sure theres other members who will give you advice on this
 
Why is your vet recommending this?

Most reputable breeders and these days a good number of vets as well never advocate giving puppy food at all -- breeders feel it accelerates growth and can make a pup grow too fast and too tall, and vets I work with say at best it is really just a marketing ploy; that puppies do not need the additional stuff in puppy food. After all once weaned, dogs in the wild all eat what parents eat -- they just tend to eat more of it.

At any rate most who do give puppy food definitely stop at 6 months and by that time, most dogs are switched to an adult feeding schedule too of one or two meals daily.

Unless your vet has a specific reason to keep a pup on puppy food (eg your puppy is undernourished, a poor eater needing the calories, or otherwise needs the extra calories and nutrition) personally I would switch to an adult food.
 
I feed puppy food until the dog is sterilised (spayed/neutered) and then make the switch to adult food. I think feeding puppy food after the rapid growing stage is simpley excess calories, which, unless your dog has the issues Karlin stated, is unnecessary. If you do not want your dog to be serilised then, personally, I would switch over. I tend to make 6 months the limit on an unsterilised dog for my already stated reasons.

Also, be sure to make the switch over a period of time (not just all at once), increasing adult food and reducing puppy food over, for examle, a week until it's all adult food that the dog is eating. This helps prevent a huge change to the dog and stomach upsets.

Good luck (y)
 
My boys were never on puppy food, but I did switch them from 3 meals to 2 meals a day when they turned 6 months old. Personally I wouldn't feed a puppy food; as Karlin said:

...puppies do not need the additional stuff in puppy food. After all once weaned, dogs in the wild all eat what parents eat -- they just tend to eat more of it.

This makes a lot of sense; I would choose a good adult food (you said you feed Orijen, they have a great adult food too) and figure out how much is appropriate for his age and size.
 
puppy vs adult food

I remember reading some breeder's pages re not feeding puppy food at all, thus prompting my question to the vet. This vet also recommended a rather generic dog food vs some of the higher rated brands that were recommended on some dog food analysis site.

As a first time dog owner and one that want's this little fella to live as long and as healthy a life as possible, I did contradict the vet regarding the 'brand' of food for Joshie.

We did already have Joshie neutered at 6 months.

The other question that lingers for me was HOW MUCH I should be feeding Joshie. I have now gone to 2x daily. The vet said 1/4 cup was enough, but Joshie seemed always hungry, so we have been giving 1/3 cup 2x daily -- plus he gets kibble and other treats every time he uses the outside potty. He is 7 months old and 10 pounds, so I hope 1/3 cup is enough.

The dog food webistes seem to recommend more like 1/2 cup or more 2xdaily, so there is a pretty big disparity.

Well I feel pretty comfortable picking up adult dog food tomorrow and will gradually switch Joshie out to 'big boy food'.
 
My breeder recommended feeding 1/2 cup twice a day so that's what I'm doing. Max would eat more I'm sure because he acts like he's starving. I am surprised at his size given that his parents are both around 15 pounds (he was over 9 lbs. at three months and I bet he is around 12 lbs now at 4 months). I hadn't thought of switching him to adult food but I'm going to consider it.
 
I changed Sparky to adult food at 5 months.

I think personaly that you know your dog better than a vet does, feed as you are & if he's looking a little thin then up the quantity, & vice versa.

I very rarely look at the quantitys on the pack - except when I start using a food, I usualy go on what they suggest & see how they get on then up or down it as required.
 
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