# feeding pup adult kibble



## desertsage01 (Jan 3, 2018)

I have our pup on what the breeder had her on. She said she never feeds her pups puppy food because she feels it's too rich for them. Our pup is 8 weeks old. She's growing like a weed. But I still worry if she's getting the nutrition she needs. I'm feeding nutro max grain free kibble. Her poops look good, firm. I'm feeding her 3 times a day about as much as she wants in those feedings.


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## dz0qp5 (Oct 12, 2004)

You need to feed a "large breed puppy food" it is the easiest and safest way to make sure your puppy is getting the appropriate nutrition. An adult food can be too high in calories and nutrients. The "large breed puppy" foods have the nutrients carefully balanced along with the appropriate calorie intake. Many adult foods are too high in calories, calcium and phosphorous, and cause the dog to grow too rapidly. You want slow steady growth, and not a fat pup.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Mine did not do well on LBPF so I switched to an adult food with similar proportions of fat and protein. Both are Fromm. Unless there is a good reason, puppies don’t need grain free.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

LuvShepherds said:


> Mine did not do well on LBPF so I switched to an adult food with similar proportions of fat and protein. Both are Fromm. Unless there is a good reason, puppies don’t need grain free.


In what way didn't they do well? Griff is on FrommLBP in the early morning and at noon and his poop is soft. He gets raw at night and that produces perfect little turds.


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## IllinoisNative (Feb 2, 2010)

My breeder fed raw along with some Earthborn Holistic. She told me when I got the puppy to not feed the puppy formula. My dog has grown at a nice steady pace. He's 11 months and 70 lbs. He has not filled out yet so he's got some growing to do.


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## dogbyte (Apr 5, 2002)

I have not feed puppy food to the last 3 puppies. Gunny, my now 8 month old, got to finish the 20lb bag sent home with him. Then I make sure it is an "all stages" high quality dog food. I trust most of what the site Dogfoodadvisor says about the food. I was feeding grain free 4health from Tractor Supply. Fed it to my dogs for years. And would put in some of their new "wild" food. But then Menards started carrying Native in all 4 stages and I like it better. I alternate and mix stages 2 & 3. Even my Dutch, who tends to have huge softish poop is doing better on it. She is 52-56lbs and gets 1/2 cup twice a day. (we train a lot so there is always some extra food during the day but not much) and Gunny gets between 1 to 1-1/2 cups twice a day. He is 8 months, over 25" tall and probably around 75-80 lbs. They have great shiny coats and love that it is small sized kibble.


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

My last two GSD pups I did not feed puppy food and they did well.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

wolfy dog said:


> In what way didn't they do well? Griff is on FrommLBP in the early morning and at noon and his poop is soft. He gets raw at night and that produces perfect little turds.


Soft poop, pano, always seemed hungry, developed a chicken allergy. All puppy food seems to use chicken as a protein source.


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## desertsage01 (Jan 3, 2018)

LuvShepherds said:


> Soft poop, pano, always seemed hungry, developed a chicken allergy. All puppy food seems to use chicken as a protein source.


pano - that's what it's called!!! I couldn't think of the name of it. All my past Shepherds got pano real bad and they were on puppy food. I have mine on lamb right now. I don't like grains since dogs were not meant to eat grains and could develop allergies from it. This pup is going to be large. So I don't want her growing too fast. 
and all my past pups had super loose stools. So far this one has perfect stool. Not too hard, not too soft. I heard about the calcium issue but can't find the % of it in the food I'm feeding her now. So I don't know what it is.
Thanks for all the replies and nice knowing others are feeding adult and pups are doing fine. Or past pups that have done fine.


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## Ken Clean-Air System (Feb 27, 2012)

All kibble includes something, used as a binder, that dogs aren't equipped to process...Grains in some foods, potatoes, peas, etc in Grain-Free foods. There is nothing inherently better about Grain-Free unless your dog has an allergy or sensitivity to grains. 

If your pup does well on the food and is growing at a steady rate then stick with what works. Personally, I like to make sure that Calcium and Phosphorus levels are appropriate for a large breed puppy, and that the food is AAFCO certified as an All Life Stages food. As long as those 2 boxes are checked, the food is from a company I trust, and my dog does well on the food, I'm happy to feed it to a puppy of any age.


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## gunners momma (Mar 9, 2018)

At what age should you switch from a puppy food to an adult food?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Puppy food was a racket. They just upped the calcium and called it Puppy Food. Then large breed pups started breaking down later in life due to the bad ratio of Calcium/phosphorous. So they reduced the calories and calcium, and told you to feed more of it, and jacked the price up, and called it "large breed puppy food." 

I am feeding Earthborn Holistic. And I felt that protein and fat content, and calcium/phosphorous ratios did not look right for puppies. So I contacted the company, and they suggested the meadow-feast for puppies. It is 26/15 Protien / fat, and 1.2%/1% Calcium/phosphorous. 

I will wean the puppies on that, and give a five pound bag to the new owners, for them to mix in with whatever they will feed. Most of them tend to feed puppy food anyway. I tell them. But, they look at me like I have two heads. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can change, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of all the people that ticked me off. Or something like that.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

This article is from the company itself but I think it makes sense: https://www.wysong.net/LargeBreedPuppyFoods


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

selzer said:


> I am feeding Earthborn Holistic. And I felt that protein and fat content, and calcium/phosphorous ratios did not look right for puppies. So I contacted the company, and they suggested the meadow-feast for puppies. It is 26/15 Protien / fat, and 1.2%/1% Calcium/phosphorous.


That is similar to Fromm LBP


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

desertsage01 said:


> pano - that's what it's called!!! I couldn't think of the name of it. All my past Shepherds got pano real bad and they were on puppy food. I have mine on lamb right now. I don't like grains since dogs were not meant to eat grains and could develop allergies from it. This pup is going to be large. So I don't want her growing too fast.
> and all my past pups had super loose stools. So far this one has perfect stool. Not too hard, not too soft. I heard about the calcium issue but can't find the % of it in the food I'm feeding her now. So I don't know what it is.
> Thanks for all the replies and nice knowing others are feeding adult and pups are doing fine. Or past pups that have done fine.


I’m not sure puppy food causes pano but we had so much going on, I switched and did not regret it. It did not cure the pano, but he outgrew it. The most common cause of food based allergies are proteins, not grains. When they remove grain they add in other things. Limiting ingredients too young when they don’t need it can cause allergies.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

I remember our former vet said it is good to feed adult food not to feed puppy food due to calcium levels in many puppy foods lead to fast growth. Our breeder sent us home with large breed puppy food and said as long as it was for large breed. I opted for Fromm large breed puppy gold. Both pups did well on it. I sure you can’t go wrong with a good adult or large breed puppy food with right amounts of calcium and phosphorous levels. They enjoyed the food. When adults I added fresh food and toppers. Luna is a bit more picky so I make sure their meals are exciting. Photo of max and Luna waiting for breakfast!










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