When Do You Stop Feeding A Dog Puppy Food
This transition is dictated by breed size just as the amount to feed a puppy depends on his breed.
When do you stop feeding a dog puppy food. Small dogs by 12 or 13 weeks. If you feed him puppy food too long it can lead to obesity and orthopedic problems. Our experts can help you determine when it s time to make the switch from puppy food to adult dog food. You can make the transition over a seven to ten day period.
Changing from puppy food to adult food depends on the size of your dog as an adult. 5 visible signs it s time to stop feeding puppy food puppy s coat becomes dull and flaky. Have you ever seen your dog go through an illness or a stressful moment in life. Some small breeds are mature before 10 months of age.
For this reason making the transition to adult dog food varies from breed to breed. During this time you can gradually increase the amount of adult dog food in your puppy s ration until he is eating only adult dog food. Bernards take the longest time to reach an adult size. Small breeds that weigh less than 30 pounds when full grown are at their adult size between 10 and 12 months of age.
4 large and giant breeds like siberian huskies and german shepherds or great danes and st. Thus until they reach 12 months of age you shouldn t make the change from puppy to dog food. If he is a small breed and will not exceed 30 pounds he is mature at 10 to 12 months old. However you must work closely with a veterinarian to assess your puppy s body condition score.
Unfortunately there s no set answer for when to stop feeding puppy food. Puppy food is higher in calories and nutritional supplements for the active and growing puppy. Is it ok to give a puppy regular dog food. Large breeds should be fed unmoistened dry food by 9 or 10 weeks.
It s when your puppy lacks omega 3 or omega 6 fatty acids in their diet. Making the change from feeding a puppy food to an adult food is not difficult as long as you do it slowly. As a general rule dogs less than one year of age are considered puppies but different breeds mature at different rates. Larger breeds may take longer to reach full maturity so he may need puppy food for up to two years.
Medium breeds are dogs that do not exceed 80 pounds at full growth. When do i switch my puppy to adult dog food. Your puppy gets weaker. In general however expect to make the transition to adult dog food between one and two years of age.
This will ensure that your puppy switches from puppy to adult dog food at the ideal time. You can continue feeding them a puppy formula until their growth plates have sealed as long as they are not overweight. You should switch to an adult dog food when your puppy is anywhere from 18 months to 24 months old. Depending on the breed most dogs will not stop growing for the first year or two.
As with the smaller breeds you should also reduce the number of feedings to twice a day.