The switch to Adulthood... :/

[Victoria Goodhew]

Well, it's official, Rory has turned 1 nearly a month ago.  I am trying to decide whether it is the time to switch him from puppy food to adult food?! I have had soooo many problems with him getting sick until this food he is on now (Diamond Naturals- Large Breed Puppy Lamb & Rice). I dread switching him to a new food since he has done so well on this food but have heard it can be bad for them to remain on puppy food for too long. Any suggestions? 

Thanks! 

[Miss Ellie]

Victoria...I am going to leave the food advice to the experts here at DK...but just wanted to say a belated Happy 1st Birthday to sweet Rory!

[Victoria Goodhew]

Aw, thanks! :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Puppy food is designed for growth, and often contains more fat and calories than an adult dog requires. 

You might want to join the Food Group, lots of information and feeding recommendations. Diamond is not one of our recommended brands, but if you want to stay with it, I think they make an adult variation of the same food which would have very similar ingredients, just less fat & calories. 

[Victoria Goodhew]

I have heard good & bad things about Diamond, much like all the other foods. . I was nervous to switch to it but the Holistic Select I was feeding him cost me $60 for a 28 LB bag, which didn't last long at all. After switching he has done wonderful on it so now I dread switching him again but know I probably need to get him onto an adult food before too long. Thank you!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Laura, what the vets may have meant was that you generally don't switch from puppy formulas to adult formulas until a dog has completed his skeletal growth; but that is going to be dependent on the expected adult size of the dog. Larger breeds reach full skeletal maturity at a much later age than small breeds. Many dogs are never going to weigh 50 lbs no matter how old they are, so going by weight wouldn't really make sense. If the dog never gets to be 50 lbs, would he have to eat a puppy (growth) formula forever? Lots of doodles never get to 50 lbs, even some of the standards. Conversely, a Newfoundland could weigh 100 lbs at 10 months old and still need to be on puppy food because he's still got a lot of growing to do. So weight is not really a good indicator of when you should switch from a puppy formula to an adult formula. 

[Victoria Goodhew]

Thanks for all the good advice. Rory weighs approximately 65-75 lbs I would say. He hasn't grown (weight or structure) in a few months it doesn't seem so I feel like he has reached his full size. 

[Christina Jake's Mom]

My Jake is ten months old and at our last visit to the vet she told me it was time to get him off the large breed puppy formula he was on. (PetCurean NOW fresh". Jake is 75 pounds and still growing and I gather she thought he was growing too fast. We switched him to Great Life Buffalo Grain and Potato free. He LOVES it. Almost too much. He licks his plate clean and makes it clear he wants more. It took about a month of a very slow transition from one food to another since Jake has a sensitive tummy. He had the gooey poos for a while but now, a month later, all is well.

[Victoria Goodhew]

Thank you! I appreciate your feedback! :) Thank you for sharing your story since Jake and Rory both seem to have sensitive stomachs!

[Brett E]

This is a tricky predicament with your pup not reacting well to most other foods.  But I would suggest talking to a vet or a canine nutritionist if you really think that is necessary.  But you really should be thinking about finding an adult food that won't bother him, I know it can be hard.  Although it doesn't have to happen immediately because I've been told that some breeders keep pups on puppy food until they are at 18 months but most normally switch at a year or less.  But I actually made a blog post about the best puppy food with a chart that includes harmful ingredients.  I'm not sure how much it will help you but I do give out some recommendations for puppy food.  I hope it helps Victoria!  

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Brett, We have a wonderful Food Group on DK and a true authority on dog food in our own Karen and Jackdoodle.  We also have a list of recommended dog foods in that same group. The group works hard to monitor recalls and update the list. You might want to check it out.

[Brett E]

Thanks For The Reply! and Will Do!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

With all due respect, most of the foods listed in your best puppy foods are made with ingredients outsourced from China. Several of them contain ingredients included in the Dog Food Project's Ingredients to Avoid, which is the definitive source for harmful ingredients. Still another is sold exclusively through a multilevel marketing program, otherwise known as a pyramid scheme. There is only one brand on your list that i would recommend without reservation. 

Linking to your own website in a discussion is also against the DK Guidelines. :)