Hi Js10052:
Here’s a good article about why puppies should be fed as puppies, large breed puppies as large breed puppies, and adults as adults. All have different nutritional needs with large breed nutrition adding focus to specific Ca/P ratios to help avoid serious health issues later in life. This knowledge about large breed nutrition, with research to back it up, has been known for well over 30 years.
Hopefully our large breed enthusiasts will stop by with more info for you. The link to the article is at the bottom of this post. Here’s a few Q & A’s from it:
“Q: What are the recommendations of veterinary nutritionists for switching pups and growing dogs onto adult maintenance diets?
A: Dietary requirements of puppies differ from those of adult dogs. Mostly, they have different requirements for amino acids and for vitamins and minerals, especially calcium and phosphorus, which are required for bone growth, and Of course, puppies also have a higher calorie requirement than adult dogs of a similar size — pups simply burn more energy!
The standard recommendations are to feed a diet with a Nutritional Adequacy Statement indicating that it is appropriate for growing puppies or for all life stages (this information is required to be on the label); if the complete and balanced claim was substantiated by the formulation method, the statement will also indicate if the diet is adequate or not for puppies expected to be > 70 lb adults. Diets that have successfully passed feeding trials as indicated by the Nutritional Adequacy Statement will not include the breed size distinction.
Regardless, an appropriate diet for growth should be fed until the dog reaches approximately 80% of the anticipated adult size. This generally occurs by 12 months of age for small and medium-breed dogs, and by 18-24 months for large and giant-breed dogs. Current conventional recommendations are to feed growth diets until this time, but feeding such a diet for a longer period will not be harmful. Care should be taken to ensure the dog maintains an ideal (lean) body condition, so keep in mind that growth diets may be fairly energy dense and could contribute to unwanted weight gain.
Q: Is it necessary to feed puppies “puppy food” and adult dogs “adult maintenance food?”
A: Yes – puppies have distinct nutritional needs. However, checking the Nutritional Adequacy Statement on the label is the best way to determine if the diet is appropriate for the specified life stage. Some foods marketed as maintenance diets based on the name or other front panel information are appropriate for “all life stages” as specified by the Nutritional Adequacy Statement on the back or side of the package.” ~ Jennifer A. Larsen, DVM, PhD, DACVN
More info in the full article here. Good luck with your pup!
https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=5985068
