My puppy and adult dog share food. What's the right diet for both?

Eating puppy food may predispose Remy to becoming obese. The adult diet may not provide Jaxx with the nutrition requirement of a growing puppy. A good compromise may be an "all life stages" diet you could feed to both dogs.

Yes, puppy food is a "hotter" diet higher in protein and carbs. It is formulated for a growing puppy that needs the extra nutrition. An adult dog may gain excessive weight if fed a puppy formula regularly. The higher protein content may also put undue stress on the older dog's kidneys. If possible, feed then separately or take up the puppy food if you free feed.

Growing puppies have specific nutritional requirements that differ from adult dogs, particularly with respect to their calcium and phosphorus balance, and an overall increased calorie demand. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies for a growing puppy can result in a variety of problems, so as a result, a puppy should not eat adult dog food on a regular basis. An occasional bite from their older housemate’s bowl should not pose any problems, but stick with puppy food as their dietary staple.

I would not recommend pupy food for adult dogs unless absolutely no alternative is available. Puppy formulas tend to be higher in minerals and proteins for growth and are richer than recommended for regular maintenance diets

Depending on how big the Chiweenie is as an adult, you could likely use the same food for both dogs after they are each 1 year old. Since Sara is only 35lbs, you don’t need to give her a large breed dog food. The other pup is likely not extra small (under 10lbs) so it would be fine to eat a regular food as well. Stick with any of the high quality brands who do not have recall issues frequently. Brands who have frequent recalls are concerning for quality issues. I recommend Royal Canin, Iams, Purina Pro Plan, and Nutro. Just get the normal, adult dog food. Remember to transition to the new diet over 5-7 days. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions!

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.

Yes that is perfectly ok. They are both balanced dog foods. Just check the bag to see how many calories per cup so you can adjust as needed (meaning if more calories in the puppy food you will have to feed a little more adult food or vice versa). I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!