Gambit was born Dec 27. when should he come off puppy food and eat adult food?

he's eating "wellness super mix just for puppy"

Does it specifically say "for large breed puppies?"

if not, I'd feed adult food now (or a large breed puppy food) JMO

no it does not say for large breed just puppy. I'm guessing I should buy the food then incorporate it slowly..

I go to regular food at about 6 months.

No matter what the food and even if it is for large breed pups?

I go to adult food once the pup has achieved the bulk of its growth - so 7/8 months.
Puppy food once he has finished the growth spurt will only make him hyper and in my experience is more likely to lead to a large breed puppy having pano.

ok so I should then wait until he's 7 to 8 months old?

That's what I would do - once the growth has slowed down, he'l have most of his adult height etc, albeit not the bulk.

Some people never feed puppy food and use adult from day one.

As you see, Nick, there's no real consensus on this question. There's no single "right" answer.

But here's what I've learned/read. "Puppy" formula kibbles are different from "adult" forumlations in that they generally have elevated levels of calcium (and sometimes protein and overall calorie density). This is intended to provide growing puppies with the extra nutrition they need for rapid body growth.

But here's the deal. There's some evidence that large-breed puppies that grow too quickly can have an increased risk of joint and bone problems. That's why "large breed puppy" formulations were created--as a response to this research.

IMO, there's no particular need for puppies to be fed any differently than adult dogs---except they need more calories as a percentage of their body weight to compensate for growth. Those of us who feed raw (which I don't recommend for Gambit) feed puppies exactly the same thing we feed adult dogs---they just get more food in proportion to their body size. Extra calcium is never a good idea for large breed puppies if they are being fed a high-quality diet.

So--should you switch/when should you switch...ask 10 people, get 10 different answers.

My answer would be that if Gambit's digestion issues are all settled (I believe they are?) then it would be appropriate to g-r-a-d-u-a-l-l-y switch him to the adult formula of the same puppy food you are feeding now.

Continue to monitor his weight both by weighing him regularly, and, more importantly, feeling his body to maintain a trim physique. If you read the food bags, there will be an indication of the calories-per-unit. My guess is, the adult formula will be slightly less calorie dense, and that might mean you have to feed a little bit more of it at first. Let his weight and shape be the guide--not his apparent hunger.

FWIW, Many, many adult foods are appropriate for all life stages. Check the adult food and if it appropriate for all life stages I'd go ahead and get that instead of the puppy food.