# When to switch from "puppy" to "adult" formula?



## SoCalEngr (Apr 11, 2020)

Some observations...

I have seen recommendations for large breed dogs to remain on "puppy food" up to 15-to-24 months (seems excessive?).
I have also seen recommendations to switch at 75%-to-85% of adult body weight. For a 60lb-to-65lb GR, thats in the 46b-to-52lb range.
Our GR is at 45lb at 7 months.
On a website, I saw a table that showed a 66% of adult body weight at 7 months. That'd put or GR at the upper end of the 60lb-to-65lb range.
I have seen comments on this forum where people transitioned from "puppy" to "adult" formula as early as 7 months.
So, "magic question"....

If I go by weight as a % of projected adult weight, it seems like somewhere in the 9 month range.
If I go by some of the transition-by-age recommendations, it seems like the earliest should be 15 months...irrespective of weight.
I understand that puppies have different nutritional requirements, and those for large breeds are different than for small/medium breeds. I'm just trying to reconcile the conflicting information. It "sounds like" skeletal growth tapers off after 12 months, but "general growth" continues through 18-to-24 months. No?


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## Ffcmm (May 4, 2016)

I switched from Puppy kibble to adult kibble at 4.5 months. Monty was packing on the pounds and growing at a crazy rate so I switched him to an adult food to slow things down. He was around 50lbs at 4.5 months.

Now at 8 months he's almost 70lbs, still growing but very slowly.

I feed a mix of kibble + balanced raw, and will be switching to full raw soon ( as soon as my last lot of kibble finishes).


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

7 weeks


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## Tagrenine (Aug 20, 2019)

As long as the diet is formulated for the growth of large breed dogs, I don’t worry too much. My collies have never been on puppy specific food and Felix was on puppy food for awhile, but we switched him to adult around 9 months.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I think just go by whenever their adult teeth come in. 

That could be anywhere between 4 months and 6 months. 

I like Purina Pro Plan regular chicken and rice puppy food. I've had very good luck (knock on wood) feeding this to puppies. With Bertie he came home eating the food. Both Jovi and Glee were fed something different by the breeder (actually an all lives stages type food), and I gradually weaned the onto PPP puppy food. 

From the time a pup is about 10 weeks old through about 5-6 months old, he's growing rapidly. That's gaining anywhere between 2-5 pounds per week. That bone growing like crazy. That's supporting skin health while everything is just growing like crazy. That's also growing coat. 

These are reasons why I feel better feeding a puppy food that has great results.

Once you get into the adult foods - I'm not as thrilled with what PPP offers. I think there's varied results and many of the people who swear up and down that the food produces champions.... they have a huge boatload of supplements inside and out that they are giving the dogs. 

So that's why after the pups growth slows WAY DOWN and their teeth are all in, I like to switch over to a brand and formula that my dogs all do well on without any coat/skin/gut/etc related supplements.

I also like feeding all my dogs the same food. <= If you have just 1 dog, that's not as big a deal, obvious. But it's a huge pain in the butt having 2-3 big plastic containers with different bags of food for different dogs. And huger pain giving feeding instructions for multiple formulas/bags of food for different dogs to people if you go out of town....!


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## SoCalEngr (Apr 11, 2020)

Follow-on question...

For those switching to food formulated for adults at an earlier (5-to-8 months) age...

When I was reading up on GRs and nutritional requirements (_*example here*_), part of the rationale for food formulated "_not just for puppies_", but specifically for "_large breed puppies_" was focused on calcium content and effect on skeletal growth.

Based on general discussion that indicates growth plate closure at about 12 months (@nolefan had a *link to a very interesting discussion/chart on growth and growth plates* that could be used to argue against the 12-month value), are there any concerns about potential downstream impact on developmental (vice genetic) contributions to hip/elbow dysplasia, or other skeletal issues?


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

My Bertie was switched at 4 months (his breeder switches her dogs onto adult food right away when they are puppies). He had beautiful hips and elbows - hips were tight enough that vet and I were thinking there was a chance he could get an excellent like his mom and dad. He did end up with Good hips (1 excellent and 2 Goods grades). 

Jovi and Glee were switched to adult food around 5-6 months.

I just had my Jovi OFA'd yesterday and am now waiting for results - however, those hips are beautiful and I can't see anything with the elbows (I mean, elbows are confusing, but there's nothing obvious). You always hope for an Excellent grade when you see hips that tight and well seated? But strong Good is kinda what we're looking at.


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## Jmcarp83 (May 4, 2018)

Both of mine eat the same...We went from PPP LG Breed/LG Breed Puppy to Annamaet Encore 25. After discussing it with Annamaet/their vet it was one food that actually worked for Lg Breed Puppy that could be used for adults. Now The puppy just eats more than my older one. They eat raw at night but so far it’s been since Mid-March on Annamaet and they both like it.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Megora said:


> I just had my Jovi OFA'd yesterday and am now waiting for results - however, those hips are beautiful and I can't see anything with the elbows (I mean, elbows are confusing, but there's nothing obvious). You always hope for an Excellent grade when you see hips that tight and well seated? But strong Good is kinda what we're looking at.


And it was good/normal with his hips and elbows. His heart is normal. And eyes were normal a year ago.


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

Not a fan of foods that are formulated to hedge for both growing large breed puppies and established adult dogs. Generally there is a reason there are large breed puppy foods formulated with a vitamin and mineral package for a growing puppy and one that is formulated for adults. Puppies need different ratios then an adult dog so feeding more or less of the same thing isn't the best.

In older people, you don't take the same vitamins as kids but just take 2 instead of one. It doesn't really work that way.


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