# Puppy food to adult food. When do you switch?



## Dennq

Puppy food to adult food. When do you switch?

Take a poll?


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## vicky2200

Depends on the dog. Dakota stayed on puppy food until he was about 2 years old because he was growing that long. Ditto also stayed on for that long for extra protein/fat due to her inability to put on weight. We switched Daisy at about 1 year because she wasn't growing and wasn't putting on any weight. We put her on a HIGH energy dog food which ditto is also on.


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## Lucy Dog

Never fed a puppy food. As long as the calcium % isn't too high, there's really no need to feed puppy food. An ALS or adult food should be fine at any age.

It's kind of a marketing gimmick when you think about it... kind of like breed specific formulas.


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## GSD Fan

I think one should ask their vet. When I had Lucy, he told me after 1 year.
I don't think it's a marketing gimmick, puppy food has more nurtient value than adult dog food. Puppies need it for their growing bodies and pregnant females need it as well.


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## Lucy Dog

GSD Fan said:


> I think one should ask their vet. When I had Lucy, he told me after 1 year.
> I don't think it's a marketing gimmick, puppy food has more nurtient value than adult dog food. Puppies need it for their growing bodies and pregnant females need it as well.


What are the exact nutrients that a puppy needs or isn't getting from a quality ALS or adult formula that they only get from puppy formulas?

Oh and your average vet is the last person someone should ask regarding dog food.. Sad but true.


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## Emoore

Lucy Dog said:


> What are the exact nutrients that a puppy needs or isn't getting from a quality ALS or adult formula that they only get from puppy formulas?


I can't find any differences on the ingredients or guaranteed analysis.


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## vicky2200

As far as puppy food being a gimick, im not sure how it could be since the brand I feed actually is the same price for adult and puppy. Ive had no trouble with my method as I am sure others have had no problems with theirs. If its a high quality food, the dog should be fine.


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## Lucy Dog

Emoore said:


> I can't find any differences on the ingredients or guaranteed analysis.


Same here. It's just a marketing gimmick. Your average pet owner walks in the store with their cute new puppy. They see two brands sitting right next to eachother... One is for adult dogs and the other has a picture of a cute puppy with "puppy food" on the bag... Which bag do you think they're going to choose to buy?

If you know how to read the ingredients and analysis... You'll see there really isn't much of a difference at all.


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## doggiedad

i've never fed puppy food.


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## AEA

When dogs were in the wild (wolf's), do you think that they ate something different when they were puppies than when they became adults? Maybe as a pup they ate only 2lb rabbits and then ate 6lb rabbits as adults?


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## KZoppa

we feed puppy food until they're about a year old. Depends on the dog though. Riley was on puppy food i think until he was a year and a half and Shasta will be on puppy food until she either turns 1 or we are finished with the supply we have and she's transfer to adult food.


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## GSD Fan

Lucy Dog said:


> Oh and your average vet is the last person someone should ask regarding dog food.. Sad but true.


And why is that? 

Also, I guess you're right. I don't see differences.


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## Lucy Dog

GSD Fan said:


> *And why is that? *
> 
> Also, I guess you're right. I don't see differences.



They always try to push the brands they sell in their waiting room. 

I remember when I first got lucy, I asked my vet to recommend a dog food, and she told me she always recommends science diet , the same stuff they conveniently sell right in their waiting room. Science Diet is probably the last food i'd ever feed any of my dogs... it's really that bad of a food. 

It's pretty common practice for your average vet to push these crap brands that they sell. It makes me cringe when I'm waiting to see the doctor and I see people order these science diet bags of food while I wait and have to pay a premium for it. 

I never take a vets word for it when it comes to picking out a dog food. They really have no idea what they're talking about if they're making these type of recommendations.


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## spidermilk

We switched at 9 months, the most rapid part of his growth was done and I saw his appetite decrease and decided we could be done with puppy food. We were feeding Orijen Large Breed Puppy and Switched to Acana Wild Prairie (the orange bag?) which is ALS. I checked to make sure that the calcium/phosphorous limits were comparable and for Wild Prairie they are the same as Orijen LBP. Acana Grasslands had much higher calcium so that's why I didn't switch to that.

Now that he is a bit over a year we have fed Orijen 6 Fish and are now feeding Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream. He hasn't had a problem with any food being too rich or unappetizing and has no allergies which is nice.


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## Hercules

I had to switch Zeus to adult food when he was about 8 months because he was growing way too fast and he kept injuring himself. Once I switched him to adult food, that stopped. Juno stayed on puppy food till she was 10 months until she wouldn't eat her puppy food anymore and only wanted to eat adult food.


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