Quote: jasmine dillon

I wasn't expecting to get advice that I would follow. Rather, I was interested in seeing why it is that Vets will tell you to wait until the pup is a year old before switching to adult food. Then I could of course follow up on the answers myself.

Well, I have to say that your dog(s) are lucky to have an owner that does her own research. SOoooo many people just buy Science Diet because their vet told them to, or Purina because it's what the pet store clerk advised. At least you are making an informed decision. Whatever you decide I'm certain will be in the best interest of your pet.

I'll see if I can't find the research studies I read about getting pups off puppy food. My "puppy" is almost 2 now, so I don't know if I kept them.

I do know, for instance, that puppy raisers for Leader Dogs for the Blind are required to switch to adult food by 5 months of age.

here is one study: http://www.lgd.org/library/Optimal%20feeding%20of%20large%20breed%20puppies.pdf

It talks about feeding large breed puppies. I will say I have seen small dogs get fat when fed puppy food until 1 year of age, due to the higher energy content in puppy food and the fact that small dogs stop growing much sooner than 12 months.

 Quote:

It is especially important to avoid overnutrition during periods of the most rapid growth

The article states, you want to slow down, not speed up, growth spurts in puppies.

Also, it states that puppy food should be fed until the dog reaches 80% of its adult size (for my pup this was 5.5 months of age). it does go on to say that feeding puppy food until the dog is fully grown won't have detrimental effects.

Edited by Angela Burrell (07/17/2009 06:53 PM)
Edit reason: add link

I passed the edit time but wanted to add that although the article states you can feed puppy food until the dog is fully grown, I would have to say for my 65 lb dog, he was at his adult weight by like 9 or 10 months of age. (Though I doubt his growth plates were closed then).

Also, note the article says until "80% to fully grown" and not "one year old." I don't necessarily agree with what vets say that feeding puppy food until the dog is 12 months is required or even desirable. Feeding a higher energy, growth formula food to a dog whose growth has slowed to a crawl or stopped, say by 8-9 months, well the energy has to go somewhere and for many dogs, it turns to fat. If you just feed less food, he's getting less energy but also less nutrients.

OK, LOL, I'll stop now.... Like Nora says, why say it with 10 words when you can say it with 1000, right?

 Quote: Angela Burrell

Well, I have to say that your dog(s) are lucky to have an owner that does her own research. SOoooo many people just buy Science Diet because their vet told them to, or Purina because it's what the pet store clerk advised. At least you are making an informed decision. Whatever you decide I'm certain will be in the best interest of your pet.

Thank you. I must credit this to my parents. Though it was annoying at times to have to produce sources (I'm exaggerating...a little. I did have to have sources sometimes LOL) to my parents when reciting facts to them, it really taught me to do my research before I took something as absolute fact.

And I must say my JRT was on Science Diet/Purina when I first got him. Then a few years later I heard someone saying how bad those dog foods were. Well, I did my research and promptly switched to Taste of the Wild and the rest was history...(he's now on EVO).

Jo, thank you! I will have to check the sweet potato & fish out and add it to my list for comparison.

So basically what the vets said - that puppies that are growing have different nutrient requirements than adult dogs, I would agree with. Key word is growing. Puppies do most of their growing between birth and 5-6 months (depending on breed) after which time growth drastically slows - so to my thinking and research, does a dog whose growth has slowed/stopped really have the same nutrient requirements as one who is in the middle of the main period of growth? And also wouldn't you want the dog to grow steadily instead of in rapid spurts? (Not you directly Jasmine, I'm just saying in general).

Also - wolf/coyote/fox pups have eaten the same foods as their parents for millennia....

Thanks so much for posting the results of the conversations you had with your area vets. I found it really interesting. I wonder what an animal/veterinary nutritionist would say.