Is puppy food okay for my large breed puppy, or should I switch?

Lifetime large breed dog food is formulated for all life stages, including puppies. Since he is already 60 pounds, you can begin to transition him to this diet at any time. Please switch diets gradually by mixing the old and new diets together for 5-7 days to ease the transition.

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

Large or giant breed puppies should be fed an appropriate large/giant breed puppy diet until about 18 months of age. The reason being that they develop slower than other breeds. Many do not stop growing until around 2 years of age. Most above average and premium brands have a diet for large breed puppies. Brands include Canidae, Orijen, Acana and Taste of the Wild. Choose the diet that is easy to buy, that Sarge will eat and will not cause stomach upset. Personally, I'm not a fan of the BB line. This is my own opinion based on personal experience and in no way reflects the opinion of either Petco or Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. It is probably not necessary at this point to switch back. If Kano was a giant breed, like a Great Dane, Mastiff, etc., then I might want her to be on a large breed puppy food, but otherwise, if she seems to be doing well on her current food, there is no need to change. Thank you.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Charlie. First, it is fine to switch dog food brands, but you will need to transition slowly. You should mix the foods and gradually change the proportions of old and new. This will help to prevent any vomiting or diarrhea from the the change. Next, he should eat a large breed puppy food to best meet his nutritional needs. Personally, I use Purina, Hill's, Royal Canin or Iams. These are large companies with veterinarians on staff to research and formulate their diets. They also tend to offer of a variety of products to fit different budgets. I hope this information helps!

Yes, there are diets better suited for Storm. Any dog who is expected to be over 55lbs as an adult should eat a large breed puppy formula. These foods are designed to control the growth of large breed puppies and help to avoid growth abnormalities like dysplasia. Also, most vets do not recommend a grain free diet unless a pet has known grain allergies. While it is not understood, there appears to be a link between grain free diets and some pets developing heart disease. Make sure storm is current on his deworming. Worms and other intestinal parasites will steal nutrients and make pets thin. A few other things to consider, Shepherds and Shepherd crosses are often naturally thin dogs. Some of his body structure may be normal for him. At his age, being lanky is also normal. Storm is essentially a teenager right now and he will not start filling out until 1 year of age. Don't be in a hurry to put weight on him. As long as he is eating a good food and eating enough food, he will fill out. Without a photo, it's impossible for me to know if Storm is too thin. I recommend to discuss this with his veterinarian and also remember to check his body condition score. Check the bottom of this link: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-do-i-determine-if-my-dog-is-overweight/ The diets I recommend most are Royal Canin and Purina ProPlan. Both of these diets contain high quality, easy to digest protein and they have good quality controls. Storm should transition to a large breed puppy formula and eat this duet until he is 1 year old. The amount of food to feed is based upon the calories and he may need more than 4 cups but the package will tell you how much to feed based upon age and body weight. When he is 1 year old, he should eat a large breed adult formula. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello. You are absolutely correct. The number of foods, & the claims they make are mind numbing. There is some truth that some breeds do seem to do better with certain diets, but in the case with GSD, the important thing is to not allow explosive growth due to their susceptibility to develop dysplasia. So, the RC food probably modifies calories, which is what is already done in any large breed puppy food. You can switch to the RC, but staying with the Hills Large Breed will do exactly the same thing. It is all, in this case, marketing & while I do love & recommend RC as well as Hills, I think RC is just pushing for more shelf space. And they do great photography with the breeds. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.