How long do you feed Blue Buffalo puppy food

Blue Buffalo Puppy Feeding Chart

Are you concerned about when and how much blue buffalo puppy food to feed to your beloved pooch? If yes, then your apprehension is reasonable. The verdicts you make about your canines nutrition, and diet can have an immense effect on his overall health and growth. Serving him superior quality food will help set him up for long, healthy life.

As a first-time dog parent, you might be thinking about how much food your pup should eat? At the age of 1 to 3 months, a 5 lbs puppy should eat at least to 1 cup of food. At the age of 3 to 5 months, a 10 lbs dog should eat to 1 cup of food. However, at the age of 5 to 7 months, a 20 lbs canine should consume 1 to 1 cups of food every day.

To assist you in making correct decisions for your puppys dietary well-being, we have designed this complete guide on feeding your growing pup, along with a blue buffalo puppy feeding chart.

How Much Food Should A Puppy Eat?

The quantity he needs to eat in every serving depends on his age, weight, health, and various other factors. Typically, all commercially-made puppy foods have general feeding guidelines on the food packaging based on the expected adult weight of your canine. Blue Buffalo also provides recommended daily amounts to help you determine how much to feed your dog.

If you are aware of his parents weight, then it would be easier for you to predict his weight. Once you have judged the daily amount suitable for your pup, you should equally split that food into three meals per day. Here is the puppy feeding chart you can follow to decide how much food to give to your doggie.

Blue Buffalo Puppy Feeding Chart

How Many Times A Day Should I Give Food To My Canine?

They should eat 4 to 6 meals every day, while mature mutts should eat 2 meals a day. This is because growing pups have small tummies, so they cant consume a large quantity of food at once. But, they still feel frenzied at mealtimes, so they can end up eating a lot of food. Overeating can lead to gastrointestinal problems, diarrhea, and bloating.

There is no ideal time to feed them, so we would recommend you to equally divide the food into three meals to keep their energy levels high. It is better to feed them three to four times a day. You should feed them early in the morning to give them the energy to start the day ahead. Give their last meal at least 2 hours before bedtime so that they have sufficient time to digest their food and go to the bathroom before sleeping.

Besides, you should purchase a puppy-sized meal dish for him. You should also weigh them regularly to ensure you are not overfeeding or under-feeding them. If he eats his food faster, to slow him down, give him a puzzle feeder. Once he is 6 months old, he may be reaching adulthood, depending on his breed and size. It means it is the right time to switch them to adult formula and larger meals. The transitioning should be done gradually to avoid digestive problems.

When Should I Move Puppy To Adult Dog Food?

As a puppy owner, you must know when to switch him from puppy food to dog food. Usually, small breed dogs mature between 6 to 12 months, while large and giant breed pooches mature between 12 to 18 months or even more. For guidance on his specific breed, check the food packaging or ask the vet.

If he loved the recipe you had been serving him as a pup, then you should stick to that recipe when switching to dog food. Begin gradually by feeding them 90 percent of their old food with 10 percent of their new food mixed in. Once you are sure he is consuming his food without any problems, you can slowly increase the quantity of dog food over the course of 7 to 14 days.

Conclusion

Blue buffalo puppy feeding chart may be helpful, but keep in mind that it is not applicable to every mutt. As a pet parent, you should closely observe your puppys weight and body condition. Both of these factors will help you figure out how much food to feed them. You may need to increase or decrease their daily food intake depending on their existing body condition. Also, consult with your vet to know if your canine has an ideal weight or not.

Refrancess:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4473150/https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/nutrition-research-reviews/article/impact-of-nutrition-on-canine-behaviour-current-status-and-possible-mechanisms/5B21529115F05075B7292052016F11D4https://bluebuffalo.com/articles/dog/puppy-feeding-guidelines/

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 To Choose the Best Puppy Food for Large Breeds

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Puppies are not just smaller versions of adult dogs. Their rapid growth and development put special demands on their bodies, and those demands must be met by the food they eat. While this is true for all puppies, the changes that large-breed puppies go through are especially dramaticjust think of how much more growing a young Mastiff has to do in comparison to a young Shih Tzu!

This is why we need to pay extra attention to a large-breed puppys diet. Thankfully, finding a good puppy food for large breeds is easier than it used to be. Manufacturers now have to say right on the labelwhether or not a puppy food is designed to meet the unique nutritional needs of large breedsyou just need to know where to look.

Lets discuss why large-breed puppies need special diets, what makes their puppy foods different from other puppy food and adult dog food, and how to pick out and feed the best large-breed puppy food.

Why Do Large-Breed Puppies Need Special Diets?

What sets large-breed puppies apart from smaller dogs? The obvious answer is their size, but theres more to it than a measurement. When dogs are left to breed on their own, adults tend to max out in the range of 40 to 45 pounds. However, people have emphasized specific dog traits, including size, through selective breeding, which has led to all the different large breeds that are recognized today.

In order to reach their adult size, large-breed puppies have to grow unnaturally fast. While large breeds do keep growing longer than small breeds18 to 24 months versus 10 to 12 months, respectivelythey still must grow at a faster rate. This rapid growth rate increases a large breed puppys risk of having serious developmental orthopedic diseases (DOD) like hip dysplasia,elbow dysplasia, and osteochondritis dissecans.

Rapid growth isnt the only risk factor for DODgenetics plays a big role toobut its something you can help manage at home. By making small changes to what we feed large-breed puppies, we can slow down their rate of growth and lower their risk of DOD. Large-breed puppies will still get as big as they would otherwise; it will just take them a little longer to do so.

How Are Large-Breed Puppy Foods Different From Other Puppy Food?

Several characteristics make large-breed puppy foods different from regular puppy foods. The most important nutrient to consider is calcium.

Calcium

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) revised its guidelines for large-breed puppy foods in 2018. For a large-breed puppy food to be called complete and balanced, it now has to have a lower maximum calcium level in comparison to foods for all other life stages, including regular puppy foods. The minimum levels are the same, so this change creates a smaller acceptable calcium range for large-breed puppy foods.

AAFCO focused on calcium because it plays such an important role in bone growth. By ensuring that large-breed puppies arent overfed calcium, we can moderate their growth rate.

Phosphorus

Manufacturers of quality large-breed puppy foods also pay close attention to dietary phosphorous levels. Calcium and phosphorus work together to build bone, so large-breed puppy foods usually have a little less phosphorus and a more tightly controlled calcium-to-phosphorous ratio than do regular puppy foods.

Fat and Calories

It's also very important for large-breed puppies to stay on the slim side as they grow. Overfeeding will negate the effects of feeding a large-breed puppy food, and extra body weight puts unneeded stress on a growing puppys bones and joints. Therefore, large-breed puppy foods tend to contain a little less fat and be less calorie-dense than foods designed for smaller puppies.

Can I Just Give My Large-Breed Puppy an Adult Dog Food?

The short answer is no. Remember that large-breed puppies are still puppies. Regardless of their size, all puppies have an increased need for protein, certain amino acids, fat, certain fatty acids, electrolytes, and several minerals. Large-breed puppy foods continue to meet these needs while making slight adjustments to slow growth. Feeding an adult dog food to a puppy puts that puppy at risk for nutritional deficiencies.

Choosing a Puppy Food for Large Breeds

No single food is right for every dog, so its always best to consult with your veterinarian when youre trying to pick the best food for your large-breed pup.

You should also look for the following on the label:

• One of these two AAFCO statements of nutritional adequacy:

  • [Dog Food Name] is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth, including growth of large-size dogs (70 pounds or more as an adult)

  • [Dog Food Name] is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages, including growth of large-size dogs (70 pounds or more as an adult)

• A minimum protein level of at least 25% on a dry matter basis listed on the Guaranteed Analysis

• High-quality protein sources such as chicken, chicken meal, salmon meal, lamb, turkey, and egg at the top of the ingredient list

• Added docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to promote healthy brain and eye development

Large-breed puppy foods that meet these standards include:

How Long Should You Feed Puppy Food to Large Breeds?

Eventually, a large-breed puppys bones do stop growing, and this is the right time to switch them over to adult dog food. However, puppies reach their final adult heights at different ages.

As a general rule of thumb, large breeds can make the switch between 12-18 months. Giant breeds (those that weigh 90 pounds or more when fully grown) may benefit from continuing to eat a large-breed puppy food until they are around 24 months old. Your veterinarian can help you determine the right time for your pup to make the transition to adult dog food.