When to switch my 1-year-old mixed dog from puppy to adult food?

Great question! Mila should be on puppy food until she is 12 months old. After that, she will then be old enough for an adult dog food. Weight doesn't play a factor, age is the determination for the life stage switch. I hope this helps!

You can begin the transition to an adult diet around 12 months of age. If she is not to shown or bred, consider having her spayed to prevent accidental or unwanted litters and to decrease the risk of uterine infections and certain cancers later in life.

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

If Teddy is still acting completely normal, eating his regular amount and maintaining his weight, I wouldn't worry too much. Some dogs will prefer to only eat once a day and do just fine. The 9 to 12 month range is when I normally recommend transitioning to an adult food, so you could start doing that and see if he wants to eat once or twice a day. If he starts losing weight, doesn't have the energy he used to have, or develops vomiting or diarrhea, I would be concerned there is something more serious going on and would have him examined by your veterinarian.

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.

Hi Diana! At 4 months of age, Joey is still very much a puppy. I generally recommend feeding a good quality puppy food, such as Science Diet, Royal Canin, or Purina ProPlan (here are some examples: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=29265 http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=31148 ) for the first year of life. When Joey turns 1, you can transition him to an adult dog food. Any time you change his diet - even if it is just to a different protein source of the same brand - be sure to do so gradually over 5-7 days. Sudden diet changes can lead to vomiting and diarrhea for some dogs. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

I would continue her on a puppy food until she is 1 year old. At that time you can transition to to an adult maintenance food. When you transition her be sure to mix the old food with her new food for at least 7-10 days to help prevent an upset tummy. I hope this helps!