Is puppy food bad for my dog's joints? What should I feed?

There is no food that promotes extra bone growth. It is best to feed your pet a balanced large breed food that helps promote normal bone growth, such as Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Eukanuba, Natural Balance or Fromm large breed puppy. To promote healthy joints and combat arthritis, it is recommended to wait until your pet is at least 1 year of age, then you can start daily joint supplements such as Dasuquin, Rejuvenate or Cosequin. Also its best to not over-exert your puppy while he is growing. This means don't have rough play or exercise for more than 20-30 min increments, 3 times a day. I hope this helps and best wishes with your growing puppy Tobi! Take care.

What you need to focus on in a large breed puppy is the calcium/phosphorus levels. If those are not in balance they can get growth abnormalities in their joints. For growth in large breed puppies, a dog food must (on a dry matter basis) contain: 1.2 to 1.8% calcium 1.0 to 1.6% phosphorus Calcium-to-phosphorus ratio between 1:1 and 1.8:1 The protein and fat percent are not that important. My recommendation is to feed a commercial diet that abides by AAFCO standards (this will be on the label) and just make sure it is for large breed puppies. Don’t use nutritional supplements when feeding your large breed puppy any commercial diet as you will surely upset the balance of minerals. I was assuming you were talking about feeding large breed puppies. If you want information on feeding an adult large breed please ask your question again and be more specific. I hope this helps. Best wishes!

Most commercially available canned foods are still balanced diets. As long as Zoey is eating a food formulated for growing puppies, she should still be meeting all of her nutritional needs. However, being a small breed dog, she is naturally more prone to developing dental issues as she ages. Dry food is a bit more abrasive to the teeth, which will help to decrease tartar formation. You can try mixing a small amount of dry food with her wet food to try to tempt her to eat it. Otherwise, be sure to brush her teeth daily to maintain oral health. Be sure that you are feeding a high quality brand of food (Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Royal Canin are some of my favorites), and keep Zoey on puppy food until she is 1 year old. Anytime you change flavors or brands of food, mix the old and new foods together over 5-7 days for a slower transition to decrease the incidence of vomiting and diarrhea. Wet food should be just fine provided that you stay on top of brushing her teeth. :-) I hope that all goes well!

The young puppy should be on puppy food in order to provide the balanced nutrition she requires for healthy growth and development, a large breed puppy food is recommended for optimal joint health. It is not ideal for adult dogs to be on puppy food as they may continue to 'grow' and become overwieght so you will have to monitor very closely if he has access to puppy food that he does not become obese

Thank you for using Petcoach (now Boop). Large breed puppy formula’s are formulated specifically for the slower growth of large breed dogs. Large breeds can develop orthopedic diseases such as hypertrophic osteodystrophy and panosteitis related to caloric intake, fat and protein. Large breed dog food have been developed to provide optimum nutrition while reducing the risk of these disorders. I would definitely recommend keeping Charlie on a large breed puppy formula. Parina pro plan is a great choice. Here is a bit more information. On large breed puppy formula. https://www.iams.com/pet-health/puppy-care/why-large-breed-puppy-formulas-are-different http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2017/02/confused-about-what-to-feed-your-large-breed-puppy-new-rules-may-help/

Shadow is a cutie!!! to answer your questions: 1) Boiled chicken has lots of protein but lacks many other important nutrients. It is not complete or balanced. He needs 90% of his total daily food intake to be a complete and balance dog food. You may have difficulty getting him use to eating a dog food. Start by gradually decreasing the amount of chicken you add and resist all temptation to give him anything else. During this time, avoid treats or anything else that may fill his belly, this will help him take to the food. Ideally you find a food that he likes. Royal Canin and Purina Pro Plan both tend to be foods that most dogs like. Technically he should eat a large breed puppy formula until he is at least a year old. He may pick up weight by just eating a better diet. Also make sure he is up to date on his deworming. Being thin at his age is not unusual as most dogs fill out after 1 year old. 2) I would not be worried that the flooring will lead to arthritis but it can certainly lead to soft tissue pulls. Make sure to lay down plenty of carpets and rugs with the non-skid padding so he has safe spaces to sit, walk and rest. Feeding him a large breed dog food will help to protect his joints as they contain additives to promote joint help. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any further questions!

I would say Joey is a large breed dog based on his mix of breeds. I recommend feeing him a high quality large breed dog food. These foods will have joint support, which is great for bigger dogs. Brands I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. I hope this helps!