Witnessing a puppy transition into an adult dog is definitely a treat and a dream come true. But, wait! There us a dilemma associated with your growing doggy. As your puppy grows to a full adult size, you will need to make the switch to adult dog food. But, when to switch from puppy food to adult dog food? A huge question, and we will try answering it in today’s post.
When to transition from puppy to adult dog food largely depends upon the breed of your dog and the size of the breed. For the smaller breeds, the transition to adult food can be at the at the age of 9 to 10 months. However, for the larger breeds, you should switch your puppy to adult food at around 12 to 18 months of age.
When to Switch from Puppy to Adult Food?
Under ideal conditions, you should switch to new food for your puppy based on the breed and the breed size of your doggy. If you have a smaller breed, you can switch to adult formula in around 7 to 9 months. In the case of large dog breeds, the switch should be at the age of around 12 to 18 months. Invariably, how to transition dog food will largely depend on the breed of your dog and its size.
If you are in doubt, it may be a good idea to err on the smaller side when switching puppy food to adult food. Continuing with the puppy food for a couple of months may not be a bad idea. Instead of hurrying to switch your dog to the adult food, it may be a good ides to continue a little long to feed puppy food itself. If you transition from puppy food to adult food abruptly, it may result in stomach upsets. My experience with my two of my puppies suggests that it is a good idea to mix the puppy and adult food in an increasing level of adult food gradually is the best option to avoid issues.
What’s the Difference Between Puppy and Adult Dog Food?
The primary difference between the puppy food and adult dog food is that puppy food is specifically formulated for supporting growth. That would mean it has more protein and fat content. AFFCO which regulates the food for animals suggests that the puppy food should ideally contain moe nutrients. Adult dog food, on the other hand, consists of these nutrients in essential quntitiy.
The Puppy food essentially consists of Protein, Fat, Carbohydrates, Calcium, Phosphorous, Copper and Amino acids—(especially arginine, phenylalanine, and tyrosin). The adult dog food, however, has lesser level of these nutrients.
When Should You Switch to Adult Dog Food?
There are several factors that decide on the right timeline to switch a puppy to the adult food. Ideally, puppies should be ready to switch to adult food when they are almost 80% of their adult size. If you ae not sure what an adult size of your dog is, it may be a good ide to consult an expert or a veterinarian.
Some of the factors that decide when to switch puppy to adult food would depend on the following factors –
1. Breed size
Smaller breeds attend to have a faster growth. They can stay on puppy food until they’re 12 years of age. Largee breeds will take a little longer to reach adult size. A few good example of smaller breeds include Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers, and Pugs. The larger breeds can include Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and Dalmatians.
- Small Breeds – These can reach 25 pounds when grown up and can switch to adult food by the age of 9 to 10 months.
- Medium-sized dogs – They can reach up to around 40 to 50 pounds when grown. They can stay on puppy food until 12 to 15 months of age.
- Large breeds – These breeds grow to be over 50 pounds when grown. You can switch your dog to adult food when they are between 15 to 24 months of age.
2. Spaying or neutering
If your puppy is spayed or neutered before it attains the adult size, it will have less nutrient requirements. Since puppy food consists a large amount of calories and protein, it is advisable to transition to adult dog food. Otherwise, it can result in issues such as obesity. An unspayed female dog should stay on puppy food a little longer. This will help in gestation and lactating when it gets pregnant.
3. Level of Activitiy
The level of activity of your dog will also a determining factor when you cannot determine when to switch puppy food to adult food. If your dog is extra active and athletic in nature, it is better to keep it on the food formulated for puppies. This will help your dog to develop bones and lean muscles. Since the puppy food is designed to help in the growth, your athletic dog would benefit more from it.
How to Transition Your Puppy to an Adult Diet?
Once you have decided that it’s time to switch puppy to an adult food, be sure to make the switch gradually. It may be noticed that instant and sudden diet changes can result in gastrointestinal issues and other ailments. You can begin feeding adult food to your puppy in a slower pattern.
The following schedule (though you can make slight changes in the schedule as per your preferences) can be –
- First Day – Mix the Adult and Puppy food in the ratio of 1:4. Add 20% adult food to 80% Puppy food.
- Second Day – Increase the adult food in the ratio of 40% adult food and 60% puppy food.
- Third day – Increase the adult food to 60% and decrease puppy food to 40%.
- Fourth Day – Increase the adult food to 80%.
- Fifth day – Give complete 100% adult food.
Caution – If your puppy develops the symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea and lck of appetite, stop feeding the adult food and consult your veterinarian.
How Often Should You Feed your Dog?
Ideally, your dogs should eat twice a day 12 hours apart. You can also choose the options like breakfast, lunch and dinner. Do not increase the gap between the two meals more than 12 hours. A longer gap can result in hyper acidity in dogs.
If you have a large breed, you can make it have food for at least three times a day. A medium sized dog can have food twice daily. The small breed puppies can transition to eating two times per day when it switches to adult food.
The Closing Thoughts
Transitioning from puppy food to adult food can be a little too confusing. It will need a little research and time to switch your puppy to adult food. Make sure that you have followed the above discussion and tips to ensure that you have switched food to an adult formula when the puppy is ready for the right food.
FAQs
When should I take my dog off puppy food?
The right time to take your puppy off the puppy food and switch to adult food is when the dog hs reached the age of around 9 to 10 months. By that age, the puppy should be ready for adult dog food.
How long to give dog puppy food?
to Small breeds of dogs can make the switch from puppy food to adult food in around 7 to 9 months. If you have larger breeds, they may make the switch in around 12 to 14 months. If you are unsure about your breed, size and when to make the switch, you can consider erring a little. Continuing the puppy food a little more may not be an issue. However, when switching from puppy food to adult food, make sure to do it gradually.
How long should it take to switch puppy food?
Continue to feed your puppy with puppy food and adult food in a decreasing proportions over 5 to seven days. If you notice the puppy developing nausea or related symptoms, consult your vet immediately.
Can a 1 year old dog eat puppy food?
Puppy ready food generally contains the high amount of calories and protein. That is why it is not recommended to feedd it to the adult dogs. It can cause a few issues such as gastrointestinal disturbances. So 1 year dog should not eat puppy food
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