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What Age To Switch To Adult Dog Food

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German Shepherd Puppy switching from puppy to adult food
  • 612 months: Begin feeding twice daily. Spaying or neutering lowers energy requirements slightly after the procedure, switch from nutrient-rich puppy food to adult maintenance food. Small breeds can make the switch at 7 to 9 months bigger breeds at 12, 13, even 14 months.

an adult border collie wieghs about 35-40 lbs.

When To Switch A Puppy Onto Adult Dog Food

Having a puppy is such an exciting time! There is so much to think about, and so many decisions to make. Neutering, training classes, insurance, vaccinations and of course, the big one diet! What you feed your puppy can have a really important role in their growth and development, so it is important to get it right. But why is puppy food different to adult food, and when should you make the transition?

When Should You Switch To Adult Dog Food

Happy Dog offers healthy and very high-quality premiumadult dog food for every dog size and every activity level. Not only this, but we also have special types offood for sensitive dogs such asgrain-freedry food, reduced-fat food or selected protein dog food. After all, good dog food today has to be able to do a lot more than just fill up your pup!

Puppies and adult dogs have different requirements and therefore making the transition from puppy to adult food can be crucial to the health and happiness of your dog. Not only this, but different dogs need to transition at different times, so if youre wondering when to switch your puppy to adult dog food, were here to help!

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When Are Small Medium And Large Breed Dogs Considered An Adult Dog

Small breeds grow up faster and grow at a more even rate than large breeds. They tend to be considered an adult dog at 12 months.

Medium & large breeds grow in two phases as a puppy. The main growth phase is during the first six months, some puppy breeds can reach up to 75% of their adult weight at this stage. The moderate growth phase is 6 18 months. Medium & large breeds tend to be considered an adult dog from 15-18 months.

Depending on the breed size of your favourite four-legged friend, at some point between 12 and 24 months of age, you should re-examine your puppy’s nutritional needs and choose the right adult formula. If youre unsure on the best times to transition, make sure you get in touch with your vet or our team!

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How Much Food Should I Feed My Puppy?

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Puppy, adult and senior: all three stages are important times in your furry pals life when its appropriate to ask your veterinarian about your dogs diet.

Growth foods necessary at the puppy stage have higher protein levels and calorie counts to meet your pups developmental needs. But once your pup is six to 12 months old those needs change.

Thats usually when your puppy is nearing his adult height and can transition to adult food. Spaying or neutering usually occurs at this age as well, lowering your dogs need for increased energy hence a reason to switch from puppy to adult dog food.

Breed size matters

Switching to adult food coincides with maturity, but due to the large variety 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 of age.

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 even 14 months old.

Giant breed dogs can take up to two years to reach full maturity.

No more three squares a day

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.

Switch slowly

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Moving From Puppy Food To Adult Dog Food

So, we are now back at the original question when is the right time to switch your puppy from puppy food to adult food? Well, that all depends on when your puppy has reached their adult weight. This will vary from breed to breed. As a general rule, small breeds reach full growth much quicker than large breeds. Every dog will differ, and so it is important to monitor your own puppys growth in consultation with your vet, but as a general rule:

  • Small breed dogs are fully grown at 9-12 months.
  • Medium breeds get there at around 12-15 months.
  • Large breeds about 15-18 months.
  • Giant breeds 21-24 months.

It is a good idea to monitor your own puppys growth about every 2 months or so. You can do this using a growth chart, such as those provided by the waltham institute , and discuss with your vet if theres anything unexpected . It is also a good idea to check with your vet when you suspect your puppy is fully grown and you are thinking of making the transition to adult food, just to make sure that they agree!

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Puppyhood is so much fun! But eventually, pups grow up.

The fun doesnt end with puppyhood, though. If anything, your friendship will grow even deeper with each year of having your dog by your side.

During this transition into adulthood, you may be wondering when does my puppy need to eat adult dog food?

Read on for more information on making this important change

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When Should I Transition My Puppy Onto An Adult Dog Food

22 Apr, 2020

Just like children, every puppy is different and they dont all grow at the same rate. Dogs belonging to the smaller breeds tend to grow up much quicker than their larger friends who have larger bones and joints that need more time to mature and develop.

  • Small breed puppies will tend to mature at around 6-8 months
  • Medium breeds mature between approx. 8 and 10 months
  • Larger breeds usually mature at around 12 months
  • Giant breeds can take up to 12-18 months to mature, but some may even take 24 months to reach their final adult size.

It is important to meet the nutritional needs of all puppies while they are growing regardless of their breed. Feeding yours a diet that is specifically formulated for them will provide the nutritional balance needed to support their steady growth and development. However, it is vitally important that you follow the recommended feeding rates to ensure your puppy is receiving the appropriate amount of each nutrient per day.

Once the puppy is close to their mature adult size, you should start looking for a breed-appropriate diet that supports their activity levels and body condition. Autarky Adult Chicken or grain-free Autarky Adult White Fish & Potato offer a nutritionally complete diet that comprehensively support the needs of your fully-grown pup.

Our friendly, experienced team are always happy to provide advice on feeding your dog, whatever their age, on our Nutritional Helpline 01832 737 300, Monday Friday 8:30am -5pm.

How Does The Right Food Play A Role In Your German Shepherds Health

What to feed senior dogs

The Happy Puppy Site states that a lot of problems German Shepherds can encounter are due to bone growth that occurs too rapidly. These issues include hip dysplasia.

Choosing the right food and feeding the right amount both play a leading role in making sure your puppy grows at an acceptable rate.

The first several months of a German Shepherd Dogs life are crucial for ensuring an appropriate growth rate.

A raw diet might prove beneficial once your dog has reached adult size. One of the possible benefits is reducing the possibility of hip dysplasia.

When your puppy has a growth rate that follows a proper pace, the dog will reach the appropriate proportions when they are supposed to.

Even though all dogs run the risk of injury, a puppy that grows at the appropriate rate has healthier bones.

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Is It Ok To Give A Puppy Regular Dog Food

This is the simple answer. Puppies should receive puppy food and dogs in their adult years should receive adult food. Adult dog foods arent toxic as your puppy will never become ill from stealing bits or eating an occasional bowl of kibble as long as your vet certifies that theres not a major digestive issue.

When Does A Puppy Become An Adult Dog

The age at which your puppy becomes an adult dog will depend on its breed and size. All breeds are categorised into five sizes of dog: x-small, small, medium, large and giant. Your puppy will become an adult dog at the following ages:

  • X-small breed : eight months
  • Small breed : 10 months
  • Medium breed : 12 months
  • Large breed : 15 months
  • Giant breed : 18 to 24 months

The different classifications of when your puppy is an adult dog are due to the length of the growth phase for different-sized breeds large and giant dogs take a lot longer to fully mature than smaller dogs, although all of them have an intense growth spurt.

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When To Switch To Adult Food

My boyfriend feeds Acana to 2 of our pups. The other two are on Taste of the Wild. I’m almost positive Acana doesn’t have a puppy formula. Or not that I’ve seen. However typically you would switch them to adult food around 1 year old. Also, my boyfriend just saw on their website that you can interchange the flavors easily to make sure the dogs don’t get bored of the same food all the time .

When Do You Switch A Dachshund From Puppy To Adult Dog Food

What Does Your Poop Say About Your Health?

Do you want to know when to switch a Dachshund from puppy to adult dog food? Maybe you want to find out what happens if you keep your Dachshund on puppy food too long? Heres everything you need to know about when to change your Dachshunds food.

When Do You Switch A Dachshund From Puppy To Adult Dog Food? Dachshunds should be switched from puppy to adult dog food when they reach around 9 to 12 months old. The transition between your Dachshunds puppy food to the new adult dog food should be done over 10 days to avoid digestive upset.

Read on to find out how to change your Dachshunds puppy food over to adult dog food without causing a stomach upset, and when to move your Dachshund on to senior dog food.

This article is based on research and personal experience as a Dachshund owner of 10+ years. Im not a Vet, qualified dog trainer or dog behaviourist.

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Who Formulates The Black Hawk Range Of Pet Foods

We have an in-house formulation team with a collective 59 years of applied experience who are qualified in veterinary and nutritional science, including degrees in Animal Nutrition from the School of Environmental and Rural Science at the University of New England.

We also employ 3 vets in our Research & Development team, who have worked in clinical practice and have extensive experience in the commercial pet food industry. They work with an external network of veterinarians, clinical specialists, nutritional scientists and researchers.

Being an Australian-formulated and produced product, our team knows our recipes inside-out, and were close to the manufacturing process

Bully Max: A Dog Food For All Ages

Transitioning to adult dog food the right way is a simple but important step to ensure your furry best friend is healthy and happy. Just make sure you make the switch at the appropriate time based on the breed of your dog. And always remember to transition your dogs food gently and gradually, over a period of one to two weeks.

Another option is to choose an All Life Stages formula, which is a dog food thats been formulated and approved for both puppies and adults. Here at Bully Max, we produce an high protein dog food thats packed with natural, healthy and high quality ingredientsand its an All Life Stages formula, making it a perfect choice for your dog no matter how old.

They grow up so fast, dont they?

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How Do I Know My Dog Is Getting The Right Amount

Amanda J. Hawthorne encourages feeding your dog according to the manufacturers nutritional guidelines. These guidelines may vary depending on the brand and formulation.

Make sure your dog keeps a healthy weight. The spine, ribs, and pelvic bones should be easy to lightly feel. All GSDs should have a visible waistline.

If the food your puppy is eating seems to be leaving them unsatisfied or they do not appear to be gaining healthy weight levels, you may need to consider following up with your veterinarian.

How Puppy Food Is Different Than Adult Dog Food

How Long Should Dogs Eat Puppy Food

Puppies require richer food higher in protein, nutrients, and calories to support their accelerated growth, energetic play, and changing physical condition. Many types of puppy food also have smaller kibbles or softer formulas to better accommodate a puppyâs size and more delicate teeth. Puppy foods are often higher in calcium, sodium, and potassium than adult dog food, as well as more heavily enriched with different enzymes that puppies need for healthy growth.

As puppies grow older, however, their natural growth slows and their energy levels decrease, and they no longer need a rich, puppy formula food. In fact, giving adult dogs a diet of puppy food can lead to obesity or other health problems, such as faster growth that can contribute to hip or elbow dysplasia or other deformations that can create difficulties for adult dogs. It is important, then, to recognize when your puppy is ready for adult dog food and change its diet accordingly.

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When Should I Switch My Lab Puppy To Dog Food

Kibble makers are commonly concerned about feeding the puppy kibble to its puppies up to 12 months of age before feeding it to grown ups. It is possible, but is seldom, before a dog reaches six months of age, for breeders and experienced owners to switch their lab puppies into adult food.

When To Switch From Puppy Food To Adult Dog Food

In general, dogs that are less than one year of age are considered puppies. It is important that during that year they are being fed puppy formula pet food. But if you have a puppy nearing one year of age, do you know when to switch to adult dog food? A veterinarian is always a good resource, but you can gauge the best time to switch too.

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What Happens If I Keep Feeding My Dachshund Puppy Food

If you keep feeding your Dachshund puppy food for too long, they may start to gain weight.

Puppy food is high in protein and fat. Its formulated for growing puppies who quickly burn off all those extra calories.

Whereas full grown Dachshunds have very different nutritional needs to puppies. Theyll store the extra calories and then start to gainweight.

Sadly, Dachshunds are prone to obesity. So, if your Dachshund starts to rapidly gain weight at around 8-9 months old, its worth checking with your vet.

The vet may get you to switch your Dachshund over to adult dog food a bit sooner to keep his weight in check!

Keeping your Dachshund at a healthy weight is important as theyre also prone to Intervertebral Disc Disease or IVDD.

IVDD an extremely painful back disease that one in four Dachshunds suffers from. Unfortunately, it can lead to paralysis in extreme cases.

Any extra weight could put pressure on your Dachshunds spine, and that could put him at increased risk of suffering from IVDD.

Ideally, your Dachshund needs to be fed a diet that works for his nutritional needs. But these needs will change as he develops and grows older.

And thats the reason why theres a choice of dog food available to buy. Theres puppy food, adult dog food and also senior dog food too!

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Our family dog inspired us to do better for all pets. We not only vowed to make the best pet food we can, we promised that we would work our hardest to help dogs and cats in need.

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Dog Articles: Health

Puppy, adult and senior: all three stages are important times in your furry pals life when its appropriate to ask your veterinarian about your dogs diet.

Growth foods necessary at the puppy stage have higher protein levels and calorie counts to meet your pups developmental needs. But once your pup is six to 12 months old those needs change.

Thats usually when your puppy is nearing his adult height and can transition to adult food. Spaying or neutering usually occurs at this age as well, lowering your dogs need for increased energy hence a reason to switch from puppy to adult dog food.

Breed size matters

Switching to adult food coincides with maturity, but due to the large variety 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 of age.

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 even 14 months old.

Giant breed dogs can take up to two years to reach full maturity.

No more three squares a day

Eyes on your furry friend. Not his food.

Switch slowly

Recommended Reading: Caesars Dog Food Recall 2021

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