Switching dog food from puppy to adult....?

Question

Right now I feed my Jack Russell Nutro Maxx for puppies. Any suggestions on when to switch to adult dog food, and which Nutro should I switch to?
(Oh, he is 11 months old now)

Answer 1

I think you would be fine to switch now. He is as big as he is going to get by 11 months. I like Nutro's lamb and rice formula. Just make sure you mix the old food with the new as you switch over, adding a little more of the new every day.

Oh I just thought of something else. The other day when I was at Pet Smart I saw that Nutro now has a new formula for high energy dogs. That may be a good one for a Jack Russel Terrier.

Answer 2

You can start switching now. Sooner is better than later. There's actually no reason to feed "puppy food" ... a pup needs the same nutrition as an older dog, just needs MORE food because he's growing! Puppy food tends to be extra rich ... that's not necessarily good. A food that is high in protein can lead to health problems. Too-fast growth can cause a dog to become too large before he's ready. Best to feed a dog slow and lean. In other words, underfeed it slightly and let it take longer to fully mature. A dog should reach his mature height before he fully fills out. The way to switch is to begin adding the new food to the previous food, a little at a time ... done right, it takes about a month. First week, 75% previous food, 25% new food Second week, 50%/50% ratio of new/old Third week, 25% previous food, 75% new food. By the fourth week, you'd be feeding 100% of the new food. Watch closely during this time ... some dogs tolerate switching foods just fine, others don't. If your dog shows any signs of allergy or intolerance to the new food, discontinue it and consult your vet. Remember that slow, steady growth is preferable to bulking a dog up before his bone structure is mature enough to handle his weight. That means your dog may appear slim, even skinny for awhile. That's OK. He won't be full-grown until about the age of 2, so please don't be in a hurry to pack weight on him too soon.

Answer 3

Your Jack is a big as he is going to get now and you can switch him anytime.
I would pick the Nutro food you are going to use something with small bites for his mouth size and switch slowly over a three week period. Start with 3/4 puppy food and 1/4 new food for a week, then 1/2 and 1/2 for a week , then 3/4 new food and 1/4 puppy for a week the over to all new food.
That is a nice slow switch and should not have any problems.

Answer 4

Typically, dogs should be switched to an adult food at one year of age to make sure all growth plates in the bones have closed. Puppy food contains more nutrients for bone growth than adult food, and feeding them until they are a year old ensures they recieve those nutrients for the time their bones are growing.

Nutro Max mini chunks has small kibbles for small dogs if your dog prefers a smaller bite. Otherwise, almost any other adult Nutro Product is good (except Large Breed, of course!). The High Energy formula is high in protien, so if your Jack has a sensitive tummy, you may want to try a different formula.

Answer 5

Actually since it is a small breed he was probably done growing around 9 months old, so you're perfect for switching him now. Check out what they have available for the high energy dogs. You want something with a higher protein/fat ratio. Most foods are 20% protein 10% fat. You should look for something closer to 26% protein and 16% fat at least since they're pretty rambunctious. Start mixing the foods about 1/4 new and the rest the old for a few days, move to 1/2 and 1/2 for about a week then do all new. Then you should be golden!

Answer 6

Scoring Your Dog Food
*Please note that the following is for entertainment purposes only and has not been researched by DAN and may not be a "true" grading of food. If you have any questions regarding the food you are feeding your dog consult your veternarian.
This is a very interesting way to check out the quality of the dog food that you are feeding. It's interesting, because sometimes paying more, does not get you more and vice versa.
The scores are rather interesting.
How to grade your dog's food: (Some brand reviews already calculated here)
Start with a grade of 100:
1.For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points
2.For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal
or fat) reference, subtract 10 points
3.If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
4.For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5
points
5.If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five
ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer rice", "rice flour" are all
the same grain), subtract 5 points
6.If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2
meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
7.If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
8.If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points
9.If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
10.If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2
points
11.If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic
to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
12.If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
13.If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to
wheat), subtract 2 points
14.If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to
beef), subtract 1 point
15.If it contains salt, subtract 1 point
Extra Credit:
1.If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
2.If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or
nutritionist, add 5 points
3.If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
4.If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5.If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
6.If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3
points
7.If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2
points
8.If the food contains barley, add 2 points
9.If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
10.If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
11.If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
12.For every different specific animal protein source (other than
the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein
source, but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point
13.If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
14.If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are
pesticide-free, add 1 point
94-100+ = A 86-93 = B 78-85 = C 70-77 = D 69 = F
Here are some foods that have already been scored. If you don't see your dog's food here, ask and someone will score it for you.
Brand Dog Food scores:
•Authority Harvest Baked: 116 A+
•Bil-Jac Select: 68 F
•Canidae: 112 A+
•Chicken Soup Senior: 115 A+
•Diamond Maintenance: 64 F
•Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice: 92 B
•Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula: 99 A
•Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium: 122 A+
•Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato: 106 A+
•Foundations: 106 A+
•Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold: 93 D
•Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium: 73 D
•Innova Dog: 114 A+
•Innova Evo: 114 A+
•Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables: 110 A+
•Nutrisource Lamb and Rice: 87 B
•Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy: 87 B
•Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice: 23 F
•ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley: 103 A+
•Purina Beneful: 17 F
•Purina Dog: 62 F
•Purina Come-n-Get It: 16 F
•Royal Canin Bulldog: 100 A+
•Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult: 106 A+
•Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice: 97 A
•Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+: 63 F
•Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies: 69 F
•Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken: 110 A+
•Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold: 97 A

Answer 7

Generally dogs are not full grown until the age of 2. Depending on the breed and how well they are thriving I would keep on. When you do decide to change gradually add in the adult food a little at a time until eventually it is all adult food. As far as the food itself always feed a premium dog food. Never skimp. A meat should be your first ingredient. If it is corn or a meal. Its a filler. Somewhat beneficial. You want your dog to thrive not just survive.

Answer 8

Ask your veterinarian. I had my dog on puppy food until he was 9 months and my vet told me it was too long and I needed to put him on Adult food because puppy food has so much more fat and nutrients that it could make him overweight. She also said that all adult dogs should be on a Lite dog food because it is better for them and they cannot tell the difference between lite and regular. He has been on Nutro Lite (Diet) Lamb and Rice. He is at the perfect weight.

Answer 9

at 2 years old is the best tiime to switch. My Dog Waggs A Cocker Spaniel ate Puppy Chow. Now He is on Dog Chow by purina. He loves it and didn't upset his stomach. Keep you pup in the same name brand foods.

Answer 10

you can switch now if you'd like, but do it gradually. Mix the foods 25/75-50/50-75/25 until you get to all adult. It will just make the transition easier on his stomach and he will get used to the food. I once tried to switch without mixing and my pup refused the new food. I had to go back and tranistion him.