# Puppy kibble vs. Adult formula??



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

We fed large breed puppy kibble to all of our pups until they were somewhere between 6 and 9 months old. Then we switched to large breed adult of the same brand. We now feed home cooked and if we have another puppy down the road we will also home cook.


You should be feeding a large breed puppy or large breed all life stages.


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## asuk (Jan 6, 2017)

I have a mini and like Catherine, I fed puppy food till he was around 8 months old and he went to adult food. but my pup is on a 50/50 diet of kibble and raw. he also gets canned and cooked from time to time. you could use an all life stages kibble. 

as for bones, you can start giving bones even when he still has puppy teeth. i gave my pup chicken feet when he was around 10 weeks old? with a spoo, you just have to be a bit mindful with bone size and to make sure he doesnt gulp. raw bones from pet store can be quite expensive at times. so i just go to the grocery store and pick up from there. for eg, if i buy a dozen chicken drumstick, i save a couple for milo. with a spoo, you might need the whole leg though! lol. but he is still young so maybe a drumstick will suffice for now..lol.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Puppy food is higher in protein and fat and that is actually not the best for large breed puppies. An 'All Life Stages' food is recommended for pups after 6 months of age as you want slow steady growth during the rapid growth periods for strong sturdy bone and joint growth. It is thought that high protein causes too rapid of growth.

The condition you read about is called 'Panosteitis' and although many believe high protein is a factor it is not proven to be a nutritional factor but is suspected to be more of a familial disease (genetic predisposition) It causes lameness and is very painful! You can Google it for more info!


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## McAwesome (Jan 23, 2019)

MollyMuiMa said:


> Puppy food is higher in protein and fat and that is actually not the best for large breed puppies. An 'All Life Stages' food is recommended for pups after 6 months of age as you want slow steady growth during the rapid growth periods for strong sturdy bone and joint growth. It is thought that high protein causes too rapid of growth.
> 
> The condition you read about is called 'Panosteitis' and although many believe high protein is a factor it is not proven to be a nutritional factor but is suspected to be more of a familial disease (genetic predisposition) It causes lameness and is very painful! You can Google it for more info!


I was reading conflicting information about this. I also read that calcium is more of the issue.

What about pups under 6 months? My pup is 3 months.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

The calcium issue is not just calcium but the ratio of calcium and phosphorus. As I said above for your pup 3-5 months of either large breed puppy or all life stages large breed.


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

Upon advise of our trainer (who is also a breeder of catahoulas) and our vet our boxer was switched off puppy formula at 5 months. They told us it was not good for his bones to grow so rapidly bu t that an all life of adult formula would be better. Our boxer is 5 now and all is still good. With Renn I switched him also around 5 months if I remember to an all life formula.


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## McAwesome (Jan 23, 2019)

Thanks ladies. I hope my questions are not bothersome.... or rather others feel it's going in one ear and out the other. 

I've read some of the recent drama, and I want to assure you that I am seeking information and advice with intention of following said advice... but I always need to know "why". The information given in this thread, and others I have started, have very much been taken to heart. I have received amazing support so far, and I want it known how much I appreciate you efforts.

Again, thank you.

Catherine, I'd love to pick your brain on home cooked, and Asuk, similarly with raw. Ultimately I'd like to do a mixture of real food and kibble. Do you have any trusted websites you can point me towards? Or links to previous threads?

-balanced nutrition
-what food choices are best
-quantity calculators 
-preferred cooking methods
-keeping the area sanitary and free of bacteria when using raw
-warning signs of allergy, or other side affects

I have so many questions. I've heard that eggs (cooked or raw) are amazing for the coat. I've also heard the shells are high in calcium. But do to rapid growth in large puppies should the shells be omitted until full grown? Do you feed grains well as protein? 

Are they any additives you sprinkle into the food to ensure the dietary requirements are being met?


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## asuk (Jan 6, 2017)

McAwesome, I used to be so anxious if i am feeding him a balanced meal but i was being silly. i dont use any website per se. but i do gather a ton of info here and make my own decision.

there is no right or wrong way, i personally feed raw,kibble,canned and cooked. i give all land and air animals raw to him but for fish, i cook it due to possible worms. we fish in spring and summer and we usually get arctic char. 

i have trained him from a very young age to eat raw bones on a washable mat. he doesnt get off it till i tell him too so i can wash his face. he is quite dainty with bones and doesnt like to touch it..weird i know. he eats raw patty or prepared raw in his bowl. i do buy raw pet food from the pet store from time to time. currently i like tollden farms since its a patty and easy to break into half. i used big country raw before but a pack last my guy a long time, but for a spoo, probably a couple of days. ready to eat raw, can be expensive in the long run. they are very convenient though.

what i do most times is buy meat from the grocery store and then buy organ meat. my general ratio is 80% meat/organs and 20% veggies,fruits and misc. i puree or blend veggies like baby food and i usually cook them before hand. i usually give blueberries. i also add a dash of fish oil, ACV, some ground egg shell and the occasional probiotic to his meal. 

a lot of members also buy freeze dried raw food. i personally dont like it as much but that is just me.

allergies, milo currently has none, when i transition his food, i do it cold turkey and he has no issues. if your dog start having the runs or scratching or licking excessively, time to look at his diet.

his raw meal/bones consists of chicken, turkey and duck. he doesnt get raw pork bones except rib tips which are soft and full of glucosamine. he doesnt get beef bones, i do buy a beef shank (omit bones) since they are super cheap and diced the meat, pull the marrow and feed that to him. in my freezer, i also have a batch of cooked meal for him which consist of arctic char, wild rice and veggies. 

i do use a variety of protein for his kibble since its more readily available, like lamb. so i tend to avoid kibble with chicken because he eats a fair amount of it in raw form. he currently eats wellness turkey and rice kibble. it was acana classic red before that. i dont want him to stop eating kibble since we travel at least twice a year and bring him and would like the convenience of kibble. last year we went on a "driving" vacation for 6 weeks in the peak of summer with milo in tow and boy was i glad he ate kibble since the raw would have gone bad in the truck.

sorry for the long reply and hope it helps.


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

MollyMuiMa said:


> Puppy food is higher in protein and fat and that is actually not the best for large breed puppies. An 'All Life Stages' food is recommended for pups after 6 months of age as you want slow steady growth during the rapid growth periods for strong sturdy bone and joint growth. It is thought that high protein causes too rapid of growth.
> 
> The condition you read about is called 'Panosteitis' and although many believe high protein is a factor it is not proven to be a nutritional factor but is suspected to be more of a familial disease (genetic predisposition) It causes lameness and is very painful! You can Google it for more info!


This is what my vet suggested. For my last 3 pups over 26 years I have used all life stages food. Poppy is currently on Purina Pro Plan Sport 30/20 which is an all life stages food for sorking, sporting or very active dogs.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

McAwesome my switch to home cooked was driven by wanting to feed all three dogs the same food, but having an impossible task finding a commercial food that would work for all of them based on the food intolerances each of them had. As a result I needed a pretty limited ingredient recipe. I had a lot of help in getting to the current diet and those discussions are in various threads. Here is one of the main ones. The computer I am using right now doesn't have the neatly written recipe that is my base. I will try to find it later.



https://www.poodleforum.com/29-poodle-health/220722-nutriscan-summary-interpretation.html


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