Corgi Forums

Prince · **When Should You Switch Your Puppy TO Adult Food? -** 03-10-2007, 05:35 PM

hi everyone i was wondering when i should switch my 7 month old pembroke PRINCE to adult food? i have read that they should be on puppy food up to a year old and i have heard people weaning their puppies off puppy food when they are four months old.

darci · 03-10-2007, 05:47 PM

I would go ahead and change to an all life stages food now.
A lot of breeders nowadays dont even bother with puppy foods.

Here are some links to some great foods.
Home - Timberwolf Organics, Inc.
All Natural, Human Grade, Holistic Pet Foods. Dog Food, Cat Food, Kitten Food, Dog Biscuits, & Canidae Platinum Diet
Eagle Pack Holistic Select Pet Foods
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance® Pet Foods :1

Also heres some educational sites.
The Dog Food Project - How does your Dog Food Brand compare?
Dogs - Diets - Nutrition - Bone Disease - Pet Care Articles | GREATDANELADY.COM
dogaware.com

Michael Romanos · 10:07 PM

I firmly believe in food approved by AAFCO that is designed for puppies. I do not go from puppy type feeding to adult type feeding until over twelve months old. Most AAFCO approved food that cater for puppies and senior dogs other that adults will have info containing the best ages to feed puppies, adults and senior dogs. The requirements for puppies and senior dogs are somewhat different to that of adult dogs in as much as specific quantities of vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

Dillydoodle · 08:31 PM

deleted post

Michael Romanos · 03-11-2007, 10:13 PM

Emilie - I think you might be somewhat off target. Puppies need to carry a little weight before they are slimmed down as juniors - and no one said anything about overfeeding a normal healthy and active puppy. The owner controls the weight ie food distribution - not the dog.

Mvons · 03-11-2007, 10:55 PM

Our experience, the breeder said to switch at 6 months. I'll never forget my dog was thrilled at 6 months to go to adult food. We were hand feeding her to get her to eat. We switched to the adult food and she gobbled it up. During the switch over where you mix the two to transition the new food in, she would leave the puppy food. She liked the adult size kernels. Just like as a senior with teeth loosening from the kidney disease, she liked the flat kernels better. She was eating better nutritional food with the adult as there seemed to be better choices for adult than for puppy. She lived to 15 years. Some puppy food has too much protein and has caused problems in large dogs such as mastiffs having them grow improperly.

Merrie

Michael Romanos · 03:09 AM

Merrie - that is interesting. Vets in New Zealand currently recommend that small breeds of dogs (smaller than a Corgi) should be given puppy food until they are 10-12 months of age, larger breeds than this fed puppy food until they are around 12 months while the very large breeds - and that would definitely include Mastiffs - are fed puppy food until they are 16 -18 months.
But I am talking about normal healthy and active dogs. Some individual dogs would require specific type of food and different feeding regimes.

adkmehrman · 03-12-2007, 12:12 PM

I switched Koda at 4 Months, do to the advice of my vet and many people here. So in short I would switch him now.

woogiebear · 03-12-2007, 01:39 PM

My...so many different answers! I just now switched my pups to adult food at 12 months. I agree they do not have much of a variety in flavors for the puppy food but I was told to keep them on it for at least a year. However, they love the puppy dry food so I started feeding them adult wet not too long ago (Rotten turned a year last October and Spoilt is a year today) but they are still loving the puppy dry.

Michael Romanos · 03-12-2007, 04:07 PM

I don't really think it it what they love best - just what is the most suitable for their age. If you read the dry food packaging and any material (leaflets etc) in regard to AAFCO approved food, you will more than likely find similar recommended info as to what NZ vets are saying. It is not dated at all to feed puppies with puppy formulated food until the puppies have either ceased being puppies or are very mature puppies (say from 9 months). And it is not the money that drives this. Puppy and senior dry foods are only a a few dollars dearer than the equivallent adult food.

ZdogZ · 03-12-2007, 07:07 PM

Zia refused to eat the puppy food when she was about 4 months old. She would always go to Zip's bowl. We finished the bag of puppy food (mixed some in with the adult) and she's been on adult food since then.

Chip's Mom · 03-12-2007, 07:26 PM

Dale is almost 15 weeks old and I will keep him on puppy food until late summer but he also eats Chip's food too. I kept Chip on puppy food until he was at least 8 months old but every dog is different.

Mvons · 03-12-2007, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Romanos

Emilie - I think you might be somewhat off target.... And it is not the money that drives this. Puppy and senior dry foods are only a a few dollars dearer than the equivallent adult food.... I firmly believe in food approved by AAFCO that is designed for puppies.

I can no longer hold my tongue. Michael is it your job as the moderator to voice your opinion on every post that you disagree with? I thought this forum

Corgi Forums

When Should You Switch Your Puppy TO Adult Food?