Is my 9-month-old large puppy an adult? Does he need vitamins?

As long as your dogs are getting a high quality dog food, you do not need to give them any vitamins. Their food will provide all the vitamins they need. You can give them glucosamine, which is a dietary supplement that helps with joint health. Typically it's given as 20 mg/lb of body weight, and you can find canine glucosamine tablets at the pet store. One of the most important things to do is have yearly vet health checks for them to make sure everything is ok. Be sure to keep up to date with their vaccines, flea treatment, deworming treatments, and heartworm treatments. Also have regular dental cleanings done with the vet. Just like humans, dogs need their teeth cleaned, and severe dental disease can lead to other problems such as liver abscesses and endocarditis from bacteria traveling from the mouth via the bloodstream. I hope this helps!

Hello. Thank you for using PetCoach. Peanut is very handsome! The most common thing that happens as large breed dogs age is arthritis so I would just put him on a good all around supplement that contains joint supplements in it. I love this supplement by Missing Link. http://www.allivet.com/p-1647-missing-link-vet-canine-plus.aspx Some signs he may have arthritis are: * having a hard time getting up from a down position * not jumping up on the couch, bed, etc like he normally does (if he does that) * slowing down on walks (like he doesn't seem like he can go as far as he used to) Even if he is not showing signs of arthritis I would put him on a joint supplement. The other thing I would recommend is yearly blood testing with your vet to check his organ function. Declining organ function is not something you can see from the outside just by looking at your dog. Usually by the time you do see something abnormal it is often too late to do anything about it. It is better to test yearly so you can catch things early. Peanut looks to be in great shape! You are doing a great job! Hope this answers your questions. Please post again if you have more question. Best wishes.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This depends on the breed and size of the dog to some extent. For a small breed dog it would be like 10 years of age and for a large breed dog it would more like 8-9 years of age. Have a great day!

Luna is adorable! Thank you for posting pictures! We generally recommend feeding a puppy food for as long as a dog is growing rapidly. For a very small dog that will only be 6-9 months. For a very large dog that will be more like 18 months. For Luna, that will likely be about year. If Luna is no longer growing quickly and is starting to put on too much weight, then you may need to change her to an adult food sooner, but changing at around a year of age should be the right age for Luna. I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Most larger breed dogs physically mature between 12 and 16 months of age. It will take up to 2 years for him to mature mentally and socially. Giant breeds take even longer, smaller breeds mature sooner. It is generally recommended to transition to an adult diet at around 1 year of age since a majority of dogs will be at or very near adult size by this age. Feeding a puppy diet beyond may predispose a dog to obesity and orthopedic issues. The calcium level in the current diet is fine for Otis. As he nears adulthood, it can be decreased to 1.5%. As long as he is getting a balanced diet, he should be fine. Studies have shown that a low calcium diet have no effect on the incidence of hip dysplasia and other orthopedic abnormalities in growing dogs. A balanced diet and one with an appropriate calcium:phosphorous ratio is much more important and beneficial. You can read more here: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1659&aid=652

It is never recommended to give puppies multi vitamins and calcium supplements. This will affect Fang's growth adversely, and it is not needed. A good quality puppy food will provide all the nutrients he needs. I also advise again feeding him Orijen. It's grain free, and vets are seeing a link between dogs developing dilated cardiomyopathy who are on grain free diets. The FDA is now investigating that link. Grain free food is a fad, grains are actually good for dogs. I'd feed him a puppy food from brands such as Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, or Iams. I hope this helps!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. A ten month old dog should be eating a diet formulated for growth, aka a puppy diet, until they are at least 12 months old. The top dog food brands that we recommend are Hills, Purina, and Royal Canin. But, any dog food that is NOT grain free, or vegetarian or vegan, should be healthy for your dog. I hope this is helpful!