Puppy, adult and senior: all three stages are important times in your furry pal’s life when it’s appropriate to ask your veterinarian about your dog’s diet.
“Growth” foods necessary at the puppy stage have higher protein levels and calorie counts to satisfy your pup’s developmental needs. But once your pup is six to 12 months old those needs change.
That’s usually when your puppy is nearing his adult height and may transition to adult food. Spaying or neutering usually occurs at this age also , lowering your dog’s need for increased energy; hence a reason to modify from puppy to adult petfood .
Breed size matters
Switching to adult food coincides with maturity, but thanks to the massive sort of breeds, different dogs mature at different rates. Smaller breeds tend to mature faster than larger breeds:
• Dogs up to 30 pounds mature around 10 to 12 months aged .
• Some toy breeds can mature as early as seven to nine months old.
• Medium breeds, up to 80 pounds, mature between 12 to 16 months.
• Large breeds can mature at 12, 13, or maybe 14 months old.
• Giant breed dogs (over 80 pounds) can take up to 2 years to succeed in full maturity.
Your veterinarian can recommend the simplest time to start out feeding adult food supported your dog’s specific needs. Since obesity is that the commonest nutrition-based issue for canines, it’s crucial adult dogs not eat puppy food, which may also cause orthopedic problems in older dogs. Instead, serve your best pal high-quality food formulated for adult maintenance.
No more three squares each day
Growing pups who have higher metabolism and energy needs usually eat 3 times each day . once you switch your dog to adult food, you’re not only curtailing on protein-dense, calorie-rich food, you’re lowering on the quantity of meals.
Most pet parents feed two half-portions of adult food when their dogs are over a year old.
Eyes on your furry friend. Not his food.
When gauging portions, watch your dog’s body not his bowl. Food that’s vanished without a trace or left behind isn’t the difficulty . Your dog’s nutritional needs are determined by his individual metabolism and somatotype , not a pre-designated amount of adult food.
If your dog starts skipping meals or picking at food he would otherwise devour, it’d mean he’s able to switch from a puppy to an adult diet. the upper calories in puppy food may make him feel full with less of a requirement to eat.
If you’ve already switched to an adult formula, it could mean your dog just needs fewer servings per day or less food at each meal.
Switch slowly
The recipe for successful food transitioning is to try to to it gradually. Mix alittle amount of the adult food together with your dog’s favorite puppy formula and slowly increase the quantity over every week , while decreasing the puppy food.
By the top of that week you ought to only be feeding your dog adult food. Changing his food gradually makes it less likely he’ll experience any gastrointestinal issues.
How much food should I give my puppy?
There’s a proverb in canine feeding: Watch the dog, not the dish. Body condition, not the quantity eaten or left within the bowl, should determine portion sizes. Portion sizes depend upon individual metabolism and somatotype , and nutritional requirements vary from dog to dog. If your puppy occasionally skips a meal or picks at food, don’t worry. It could mean she is prepared to eliminate a feeding or that you simply have given her an excessive amount of , during which case simply reduce the number served.
Also, if you’re doing treat-based training together with your pup, adjust the quantity you feed at mealtime accordingly. Whenever training with treats, keep the treat as small as possible.
How often should I feed my puppy?
Like human babies, puppies start out needing many small meals each day , of a food formulated for his or her special nutritional requirements. Most, but not all, dogs finish meals quickly. To discourage picky habits, feed at regular times in regular amounts and don’t leave food down for quite 10 to twenty minutes.
Your breeder are going to be a superb source of guidance for both of those questions, as will your vet.
Is it worthwhile to shop for expensive puppy food?
Premium petfood has higher nutritional density, so you’ll feed your dog less to realize an equivalent results. Also, premium foods have stable ingredient profiles; the composition of bargain brands can vary from batch to batch.
The major dog-food companies invest heavily in development and research, constantly upgrading formulas to stay up with their competitors. this suggests that feeding premium food puts you on the leading edge of canine nutrition.