Does ‘Suitable for All Life Stages’ on a dog food label mean it’s okay for all dogs of all ages? If you have a large breed puppy, maybe not. Our expert nutritionist Laura Ward explains why.

A casual look at the AAFCO profile on a dog food label might lead you to believe that one labelled “complete and balanced” for “all life stages” is suitable for your dog, no matter their breed or age. But if you have a large breed puppy, you’ll need to look closer.

That’s because there will often be a very important caveat, with the statement reading: “Formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages except for growth of large size dogs (70 lbs. or more as an adult).”

In short: a food labeled “all life stages” isn’t automatically appropriate for large breed puppies — it only covers them if it’s nutritionally adequate. Let’s look at what these terms actually mean, and how to check.

What is complete and balanced dog food? 

The term “complete and balanced” means, in simple terms, this dog food is a meal rather than a treat or a snack. 

Within the AAFCO Official Publication “complete feed” is described as a nutritionally adequate feed, designed to be fed as the sole ration and capable of maintaining life with no other substances, other than water, being consumed. Where you see a dog food is complete, it contains all of the nutrients AAFCO recognises as required for that life stage. 

Of the “complete and balanced” description, the next element is “balanced”. The AAFCO Official Publication describes a feed as balanced if it contains all known required nutrients in proper amount and proportion. 

Additionally, within the AAFCO Pet Food and Speciality Pet Food Labelling Guide, the term “balanced” refers to the energy-to-nutrient ratio of the feed known to be needed at any life stage stated.

What are the AAFCO life stages? 

AAFCO has nutritional profiles for “Growth and Reproduction” and “Adult Maintenance”. There is no nutrient profile for a senior life stage. 

These nutrient profiles use available data to specify minimum and maximum quantities for nutrients necessary in foods for each life stage. 

Suitability for growth of large breeds requires a food to meet the Growth and Reproduction Nutrient Profile with the additional requirement of a stricter calcium maximum quantity (1.8%, rather than 2.5%). This is due to concerns that excess calcium is detrimental to the skeletal development of large and giant breed dogs. 

Why is it called All Life Stages when it doesn’t include large breeds?

The AAFCO Pet Food and Speciality Pet Food Labelling Guide states that “for dog foods claimed to be ‘complete and balanced’, it must be considered whether this claim is inclusive or exclusive of growth of large size dogs”.

The AAFCO Official Publication explains that a food suitable for all life stages covers a full lifecycle, through gestation, lactation, growth and maintenance. It doesn’t, however, need to include multiple breed sizes. 

Therefore, a food can meet the requirement for a claim of all life stages, with or without being nutritionally adequate for large breed dogs. It is worth mentioning that as growth is the life stage with the highest nutritional requirement, a food suitable for all life stages is equivalent to continuing to feed a puppy food throughout your dog’s adult and senior life stages. 

I have a large breed puppy; how do I know if a food is suitable?

To know whether a food is suitable for a large breed puppy, you have options: 

Firstly, choose “large breed puppy” foods. As these are specifically claiming suitability for large breed puppies. Whether their AAFCO statement specifies all life stages or growth, they will be nutritionally adequate for the nutritional requirements for the growth of large breeds. 

You can see Dog Food Advisor’s list of the Best Large Breed Puppy Foods here.

For other puppy or all life stages foods, you can also check the AAFCO adequacy statement for whether growth of large breeds is included. This will confirm whether the food meets your dog’s additional requirements in their growth phase.  

How to check the calcium and phosphorus suitability in your puppy’s food? 

You can also use The Dog Food Advisor’s Calcium Content Analyzer tool, to see whether the calcium and phosphorus quantity in your puppy’s food is suitable for the growth of large breed puppies. You will need the calcium, phosphorus and energy contents to see whether the calcium and phosphorus quantity per 1000kcal is appropriate.