When should I switch my large breed puppy from puppy to adult food?

Giant breed puppies need to eat at least a large breed, high quality puppy food to ensure slow and consistent growth. This will help to avoid developmental, skeletal abnormalities. Purina Pro Plan or Science Diet both make great formulas. Royal Canin goes one step further and makes a diet specific for giant breed puppies that is specific for the age of the puppy (the needs change as they grow). I recommend this brand most because of the specificity for the giant breed dogs. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi and thanks for posting! Your puppy should be eating a puppy food formula (the large breed formulas) until Luci is around 11 months old and then you can transition her to the adult Abound formula that your other dog is currently eating. There are a number of great puppy foods out there. Hill's, Royal Canin, Taste of the Wild, Wellness, Orijen or Purina would be great options you can find at your local pet food store.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question, which is a great one. You should switch Ranger from his puppy food to an adult food when he is 12 months of age. Given that he is a large breed dog, I recommend that when he is 12 months old, you feed him a large breed dog food. Brands I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. When you do make the switch, you will need to transition him slowly to prevent stomach upset. You do this by mixing together the puppy food and adult food, slowly increasing the amount of adult food and decreasing the amount of puppy food until he is eating the adult food only. I hope this helps!

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.

Hello. I think that is an excellent idea. Even though there is terrier in the mix, the Pyrenees part of him might still carry some hip dysplasia genes & this can still manifest as he ages. All a large breed diet does is allow for a slightly lower growth curve, allowing more time for bones, tendons, ligaments & muscle tissue to mature together. It definitely will not hurt to do this for the first year of Lupin's life. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I use the large breed adult food from 9 months on. I like the dogs to grow a little slower to prevent bone problems. Soska will reach her full size but it will just take a little longer with less bone and joint issues. I usually mix the new food with the old food for a week or two so she doesn't get a stomach upset. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Soska.

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