Your puppy’s nutritional requirements will alter as they mature into adults, but At What Age Can I Give My Dog Adult Food? Plan to reevaluate your puppy’s nutritional requirements between 12 and 24 months (depending on breed size). Learn how to make the changeover from your puppy’s current food to an adult formula, as well as when to do it.
At What Age Can I Give My Dog Adult Food?
For small breed puppies, transitioning to adult food is generally advised at around one year, and for large breed puppies, at around two years.
We now understand that as dogs age, their nutritional needs alter, thanks to research and science. Feeding complete and balanced food of excellent quality and appropriate for your dog’s age is one approach to ensure that it has the best chance of remaining healthy and happy. But how do you know when to start your dog on a senior diet or move to adult dog food?
The answer is based on many variables, including the age, breed, and health issues your dog may have, such as pregnancy or obesity. The typical recommendations for feeding dog food at various life phases are listed below. If you’re unsure of anything, talk to your veterinarian.
Ages 4-6 Weeks To 9-24 Months
So how long should your dog be fed puppy food? Puppies should consume puppy food till their growth is complete. Depending on their size, puppies stop growing at different times. Puppies of small and medium sizes mature at roughly nine months and grow more quickly than giant puppies.
When it comes to huge breeds like Great Danes, Mastiffs, and Newfoundlands, it takes more giant breed puppies between 18 and 24 months to reach skeletal maturity. Large breed puppies require longer to reach this stage. This implies that feeding large breed puppies a food tailored to their needs will be necessary for a more extended period than feeding small or medium size puppies puppy chow.
Compared to adult dogs, puppies have distinct nutritional demands. Puppies need more calories and protein than older dogs do since they are developing. However, too many calories and too much protein can also be harmful because they make puppies develop too quickly, which can lead to joint issues later in life. Puppies also require particular amounts of calcium and phosphorus to ensure proper bone growth.
Balance is essential in a puppy diet. Any necessary nutrients should not be consumed in excess or insufficiently. Puppy food is crucial to the growth of your dog for this reason. Additionally, large breed puppies benefit from a prepared great breed puppy food with balanced calcium-to-phosphorus ratios, ideal quantities of protein, and suitable calorie counts, such as American Journey Chicken & Sweet Potato Large Breed Puppy Food.
Again, it’s crucial to avoid overfeeding puppies, especially those of giant breeds, as this can increase their risk of developing the common illness. Dogs will go through growth spurts where they will be more hungry and require more food, even though the feeding suggestion on the back of the food bag is a good general rule of thumb for how much to give.
Give your dog enough food to keep them slim but not malnourished. Your puppy’s ribs should be palpable but opaque to the naked eye. Increase the amount you feed by 10% if you notice ribs poking out.
Speak with your veterinarian care team if you have any queries about how much you should feed your puppy. Your best source for determining when to transition your puppy to adult food is them.
Age 1 Year To 6-8 Years
When to move to adult dog food and how long to give puppy food are two of the most frequent queries from puppy parents. Here’s a decent rule for determining when to convert your puppy to adult food: begin transitioning once they are finished growing, as long as they aren’t overweight. However, it is always vital to consult your veterinary care team about when to start this move.
The easiest way to accomplish this is to buy a bag of adult food while you buy the last bag of puppy food, then gradually combine the two feeds, increasing the proportion of the new food over about a week.
According to AAFCO, which sets the nutritional guidelines for complete and balanced pet foods, adult dogs need at least 18 percent of their daily calories from protein and at least 5.5 percent from fat. Although an adult dog can consume up to 50% of their daily calories as carbohydrates, 2.5–4.5% of their diet should consist of fiber to support gastrointestinal health.
It can be challenging to select a food when switching to adult dog food because there are so many options on the market. The AAFCO declaration stating that the food is complete and balanced on the back of the bag is the most crucial thing to look for when buying dog food.
The claim should mention that formulation or AAFCO feeding testing has shown the meal to be complete and balanced. For instance, the AAFCO-approved Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe contains foods including peas, sweet potatoes, blueberries, and cranberries.
The size of your dog is a factor you should consider while selecting food for him. Feeding a meal designed for large breed dogs, like Eukanuba Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food, will assist joint health if you have a large breed dog.
The most straightforward approach to determining whether a food is suitable for your dog is to keep an eye on its health while eating it. Is the hair coat shiny and full? How energetic is your pet right now? What about the quantity and quality of stools? The food should be suitable for your dog if everything is in order.
Please start with the feeding guidelines on the bag’s back when determining how much to feed your dog, then observe how they respond. Your dog’s optimal body condition score is neither too heavy nor too lean.
Asking your veterinarian is one technique to learn if your dog is a healthy weight for them. The extra benefit of this is that your veterinarian will have suggestions for bringing your pet’s weight into a healthy range if it isn’t perfect. They could advise switching to a weight-loss diet, perhaps one that includes dry dog food with chicken flavor, like Hill’s Prescription Diet Metabolic Weight Management.
Age 6-10 Years
Again, size and breed play a role in what age a dog is deemed senior. A dog is generally deemed senior sooner if they are more extensive. Small breeds may not be regarded as seniors until they are ten years old, whereas the larger dogs typically enter their senior years at the age of 6 years.
Different needs apply to older dogs versus younger dogs. Senior dog owners frequently lament their dogs’ obesity and declining digestive health. Therefore, a meal with fewer calories and more fiber might benefit older dogs. The Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Mobility Support, which contains omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine, and chondroitin for joint health, is one of many senior foods that are also created with supportive ingredients.
The same guidelines for mature dogs apply when it comes to feeding amounts. To determine how much to give food to your senior dog, use the feeding chart on the back of the package, the hand test, or consult your veterinary care team.
You can use this flowchart to identify the right food to feed your dog. Our canine companions are like people in that they are what they consume. A straightforward method to support your dog’s welfare and long, healthy life is to feed them a balanced diet of high-quality food that is age-appropriate.
How Long To Feed Puppy Food?
Until they reach adulthood, puppies need a portion of comprehensive and balanced dog food. Although one-year-old dogs are sometimes considered adults, this isn’t always the case.
Regarding dogs, breed size determines adulthood more so than age. Large and giant breeds require more puppy food than small- or medium-sized breeds because they mature more slowly. According to breed sizes, below is how long to serve puppy food:
- Many toys and tiny breed dogs weigh less than 20 pounds when fully grown and often achieve this size between 9 and 10 months of age.
- Breeds of medium-sized dogs range from 21 to 50 pounds when fully grown. Around their first year, they usually mature.
- Large and Gigantic Breeds: Large and giant breeds weigh 50 to 100 pounds each and mature in 18 to 2 years, depending on the breed. Compared to small- and medium-sized breeds, they require more puppy food.
It is essential to go with your veterinarian if you have a mixed-breed dog or are unsure of how big your dog will be when it is fully grown. They can advise you when to move to an adult dog diet and assist in making the transition smoothly.
“It’s crucial to watch puppies’ food intake as they grow and mature. If leftovers are in a bowl, your dog may be full and need fewer calories throughout the day. Begin by feeding him less frequently, and keep an eye on his physical condition, advises Purina Nutritionist Karina Carbo-Johnson, MS.
Final Verdict
It’s an essential question At What Age Can I Give My Dog Adult Food? Puppies are often used to refer to dogs younger than 12 months, whereas adults refer to dogs older than 12 months. Typically, when puppies reach 80% of their predicted adult size, it is okay to transition them to adult dog food.
Nevertheless, just because your puppy is legally an adult does not mean he is necessarily ready for adult dog food. Transitioning your puppy to adult dog food depends on various criteria, including breed size. In general, small breed dogs reach this age between 9 and 10 months, although medium-sized and larger dogs may reach this age closer to 12 or 18.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I stop giving my puppy food to my dog?
Generally speaking, you should wait until your dog is fully matured before switching to adult food. While enormous and giant breeds may not achieve their full adult size until 18 months, small and medium breed dogs typically stop growing at roughly eight months to one year.
How long is a puppy dog?
Puppies continue to develop in height and size while their bones still form, which takes anywhere between 6 and 24 months. Although all puppies are officially classified as adult dogs once they reach the age of one year, this growth occurs before this point.
How should you correct a biting puppy?
While you’re playing, if they start gnawing at your fingers or toes, offer them a toy instead. Once more, cease the play session immediately if they continue to nip. You might also use redirection if you’ve been teaching your dog to sit by asking them to do so and rewarding them with a toy.
