JessieAndMe
Well-known member
From what I gather, it's around 12 months, but is that for all breeds?
A lot of breeders and nutritionists do not feel it is necessary to feed puppy food -- that it is basically a marketing ploy. Some feel it pushes them to grow too fast and it is definitely not recommended for giant breed puppies for this reason. Whatever the case, I never fed puppy food to any of mine. If you think about it, wild canids do not get a different type of food when they are pups, after weaning, so am not sure why puppies would need different nutrition (however it is a big market for pet food companies!). You'll note that puppy food is often also marketed for pregnant/whelping dams because it has higher levels of nutrients. For that reason alone I don't think I would feed it to anything but an underweight and undernourished puppy that needs building up (that would be the approach of most rescues I know -- they don't give puppy food either unless pups have a problem). I don't think feeding it does any great harm for cavaliers but neither does it likely have any significant benefit. But if you like feeding it and feel it has benefits, it's a personal choice! I would definitely not feed puppy food past 6 months myself -- it is a high level of extra nutrients and several breeders I trust recommend not feeding puppy foods. But then there are other people (and vets) who do.
PS I don't give kitten food to kittens either. :c*t: