Do I really need to feed my puppy puppy food

What to Feed Your Puppy Based on Their Breed

While a toy puppy may increase its birth weight by a factor of 10 to 20, a giant-breed puppy may grow to be 100 times bigger than when he was born. Consider this: A newborn Chihuahua may weigh only three ounces at birth and three pounds at maturity. A newborn Great Dane, however, may weigh only one pound at birth and 100 pounds at maturity. To get each to its adult weight in the healthiest manner, youll need to not only feed them different amounts of food, but also different types of food.

Large Breed Puppies

For years, breeders thought the best way to produce a big dog was to heap his bowl full of protein, calcium, and calories. But when a large-breed puppy grows too quickly, we learned, he can develop problems in the bones and joints. Consider the following:

• Protein is important for building muscle, which in turn helps develop sound joints. Large-breed puppies should eat a puppy food with about 26 percent protein.
• Calcium is needed for strong bones, but too much can cause just as much harm as too little. When too much calcium is absorbed, the body deposits it on bone tissue whether the bone needs it or not, causing bone reshaping and skeletal abnormalities.
• Calories are vital for growth, but puppies who consume too many calories and grow too heavy have a higher risk of osteochondrosis, hip dysplasia, and other joint problems. Very young puppies can eat a calorie-rich food since they need at least twice the calories per pound that adult dogs do, but as they age, they require fewer calories per pound. A diet with about 15 percent fat provides enough calories for growth but few enough to prevent the rapid growth that can encourage skeletal disease.

Whats a large-breed owner to do? First, remember: Ultimate size at maturity is genetically programmed; puppies that grow slower will still reach their adult size, just a little later. Dont be in a rush to grow them big. Also, dont make the mistake of feeding smaller amounts of regular puppy food to cut calories because that wouldnt contain enough calcium. The best bet is to feed a commercial food specially formulated for large-breed puppies. Dont add supplements (unless instructed by a veterinarian) and dont overfeed.

Toy & Small Breed Puppies

Owners of toy-breed puppies dont have to worry about them growing too big too fast, but they do need to make sure the puppies are eating regular meals to stave off hypoglycemia, a potentially fatal condition.

What causes hypoglycemia?

Very young small dogs have difficulty storing adequate amounts of glucose as glycogen. If they dont eat often enough, or if they use a lot of energy from playing or being stressed, their body depletes its glycogen stores. When that happens, the body starts breaking down body fat for energy. But because small puppies have so little body fat, that energy source soon runs out. The body runs out of sufficient energy, and the brain, which is highly dependent on glucose, is one of the first systems to fail.

Whats the danger?

The puppy becomes abnormally sleepy, weak, and uncoordinated to the point that he may not even eat when offered food. If he doesnt eat, the condition can progress to seizures, loss of consciousness, and even death.

How can feeding schedules prevent it?

Toy puppies are especially at risk between 6 and 12 weeks of age, but the threat remains for up to 7 months, and a few are susceptible even as adults. To avoid hypoglycemia, feed toy puppies frequently. A toy puppy younger than 4 months old should be fed four to five times a day and allowed to eat as much as he wants. From about 4 to 7 months of age, he can eat four times a day; from 7 to 9 months of age, three times a day; and by the time hes 12 months of age, twice a day. When the dog cant be fed as often as suggested, he should be kept warm and quiet so he doesnt expend a lot of energy.

What foods should be avoided?

Avoid foods with simple sugars, such as sweets and semi-moist foods. Simple sugars tend to cause a rollercoaster effect with blood sugar levels, initially raising them but then causing them to plummet to a state of hypoglycemia. Feed meals fairly high in protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates. Also, toy puppies have little teeth, so they do better if fed a small-kibble food. Your best bet is to buy a commercial food specially formulated to meet the needs of small-breed puppies.

Medium Breed Puppies

And then there are the in-betweens the medium-sized dogsand if you have one, youre in luck because most commercial dog foods and homemade diet formulations were developed with medium dogs in mind. If he is closer to the large size, watch his calories and weight; if he is nearest to the small size, make sure he eats frequently

No matter what size your puppy is, avoid fad diets, steel yourself against pleading eyes for your pizza roll, and dont obsess over being perfect. While some diets are better than others, somehow dogs have been surviving for thousands of years without individualized nutrient profiles. Vary his diet, make sure youre feeding high-quality food appropriate for his age and size, and relax and enjoy his puppyhood. It will be over way too soon

How Long Should I Feed My Dog Puppy Food?

You might want your puppy to stay a puppy forever, but eventually he has to grow up and when he does, youll have to start feeding him adult dog food.

But when should you make the switch, and how do you do it?

The Dodo spoke to Dr. Sara Ochoa, a veterinarian consultant at Senior Tail Waggers, to find out how long to feed your dog puppy food and how to switch him to adult dog food properly.

When to switch a puppy to dog food

According to Dr. Ochoa, you should wait until your puppys fully grown to start feeding him adult dog food.

The age at which a puppy matures will depend on his size, so when you can start feeding dog food will vary for different pups. This may be at 6 to 8 months for smaller dogs (25 pounds or less), 12 to 16 months for medium-sized dogs (25 to 75 pounds) and 2 years for large and giant-breed dogs (over 80 pounds), Dr. Ochoa told The Dodo.

Heres a breakdown of approximately when you can start feeding your puppy adult dog food:

• Small dogs (25 pounds or less) 6 to 8 months old
• Medium dogs (25 to 75 pounds) 12 to 16 months old
• Large and giant-breed dogs (over 80 pounds) 18 months to 2 years old

Your vet can also help you decide when to switch to adult dog food if youre not totally sure.

Whats the difference between puppy and adult dog food?

You might think that puppy food and adult dog food are basically the same (its all dog food, right?), but theyre actually not and you shouldnt feed your puppy adult dog food before hes ready.

Adult food does not have the proper nutrients needed for a growing puppy, Dr. Ochoa said. Puppies need higher protein content, fats and minerals than adult dogs do.

Adult dog food contains less protein and fat than puppy food since adult dogs dont need as many nutrients to feed a growing body like puppies do. Since puppies are still developing, they burn a ton of calories and need a lot more protein, fat, calories and minerals in their food to keep them healthy.

Puppies need protein and fats to keep up with their high-energy demands, Dr. Ochoa said. These puppies are quickly growing and have high energy levels that need more nutrients than older dogs.

For example, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) recommends that puppy foods (food for growth and reproduction) contain a minimum of 22.5 percent protein, while adult dog foods (adult maintenance) only need to have 18 percent. The AAFCO also recommends that puppy foods contain a minimum of 8.5 percent fat and 1.2 percent calcium, while dog foods should have only a minimum of 5.5 percent fat and 0.5 percent calcium.

While puppy food is good for puppies, you shouldnt keep feeding it to your dog once hes fully grown since puppy foods have a lot of calories and fat. If you do, he could become overweight because his body isnt using up as many nutrients as a young, hyper puppy.

If adult dogs ate foods that were this high in protein and fats, they would quickly become overweight, which can lead to other health issues, such as heart disease and diabetes, Dr. Ochoa said.

So the bottom line is that puppy food and adult dog food are formulated to have just the right amount of nutrients that your dog needs for each stage of life, and its not recommended to feed your pup food thats not meant for his current life stage.

How to transition from puppy food to adult dog food

According to Dr. Ochoa, When switching diets, it is best to make the transition slowly.

Any time you transition your puppy (or adult dog) to a new food, you should do it gradually. This is because dogs have sensitive stomachs, and changing your dogs diet too quickly can upset his stomach and lead to vomiting and diarrhea.

Dr. Ochoa recommends this schedule to switch your puppy to adult dog food or to a new food:

• Days 13: Feed 25 percent new food and 75 percent old food
• Days 46: Feed 50 percent new food and 50 percent old food
• Days 79: Feed 75 percent new food and 25 percent old food
• Day 10: Feed 100 percent new food

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So be sure to switch your puppy to adult dog food when hes fully grown and make the transition gradually so he can get used to the new food.

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How Long To Feed Puppy Food?

If there is one thing that everyone knows, its that you have to start out puppies on puppy food. And then at some point later, maybe when the pup is a year old, you can switch him over to adult food. Right?

Well, no. Theres a bit more to it than that.

Lets get the easy part sorted out first. Generally speaking, a dog is considered an adult when they reach full size, on average around 1 year of age. Small-breed dogs mature faster and can be considered an adult around 9 to 10 months of age. Large breed dogs mature more slowly; it may take them until 18 months or more to stop growing.

PUPPIES HAVE GREATER NEEDS

Growing puppies have greater nutritional needs than adult dogs. They require more calories per pound of body weight than adults and they need a diet that contains a higher percentage of fat and protein (including higher amounts of many specific amino acids that contribute to the foods total protein) than adult dogs. Their needs for calcium, phosphorus, and several other minerals are also higher than the amounts needed by adult dogs.

The legal minimum (and a few maximum) values for the nutrient requirements of puppies and adult dogs are enumerated in tables (called nutrient profiles) established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). One column lists the nutrient levels required for the maintenance of adult dogs; these are called the adult maintenance nutrient profiles. Another column lists the nutrient levels that meet the needs of breeding animals, pregnant or nursing females, and growing puppies. These are called the growth and reproduction nutrient profiles.

The phrase puppy food isnt the guarantee of a products nutritional adequacy. Rather, its the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement that indicates whether the food meets the legal requirements of a complete and balanced diet for puppies. If it does, the statement will either say the food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth or for all life stages. AAFCO now requires that foods also specify whether they are appropriate for large-breed puppies with a statement that uses either including or except for the growth of large size dogs (70 lbs. or more as an adult).

ALL INCLUDES PUPPIES

Remember, there are only two Nutrient Profiles: one for growth and reproduction and one for adult maintenance (sometimes called just maintenance). So whats this about all life stages?

All life stages includes growth and reproduction; a food that is so labeled must meet the requirements for puppies. Whether you feed a product that is formulated for growth or for dogs of all life stages which, again, is the same thing you could feed that product from weaning through your dogs senior years. Puppy food may be manufactured with a smaller kibble size, but, nutritionally, it can be fed to a dog of any life stage.

ADULTS ONLY

The Adult Maintenance Nutrient Profiles have lower minimum values for protein and fat, so they usually contain less protein and fat. Protein and fat are the most expensive ingredients in a food, so if the manufacturer can put less of them in a product, they usually do. Less fat also means fewer calories.

You may want to consider switching your dog to a maintenance food if hes both (1) fully grown and (2) overweight or gaining unneeded weight on the same amount of food youve always fed. Or, keep feeding an all life stages food, and just feed less of it!