Can I feed my puppy adult dog food?

Question

I have a 10 week old French Bulldog, and I have tried him on all the puppy foods available, but he refuses to eat them! He tries to eat my other dogs food. The only other foods that he will entertain are Frolic mini and Beneful oh and freshly cooked chicken of course! I remember that some years ago, there was no such food as food formulated especially for puppies. I live in Spain so some of the foods I cannot get. Any advice would be welcomed as I want to ensure that my puppy is getting all the necessary vitamins and proteins that he needs. Thanks

Answer 1

NO end of- unless you want problems with him later on in life!
why do you think they bought out puppy food?
you need to go and see a vet they will explain why he needs puppy food better than i can and will also be able to offer you alternatives

Answer 2

It all depends how old your puppy is. It is quite acceptable to change over to Adult food when the pup is about 5 months old for a few months while he is going through his growth spurt. This actually stops the pup from becoming skinny and leggy. He really needs the high protein up until this age but if you have already opened the bag then I would suggest you add the odd egg or grated cheese, even some cooked chicken or fish to his meals until you have finished the bag. This will give him the extra protein he needs. Tinned Sardines in Oil are an excellent source of protein. Once you have finished the bag of Adult you can then go back to the Puppy Food. If you are feeding a high protein Puppy Food there is absolutely no need to add any extra vitamin supplements as the Food will have been scientifically balanced to give your puppy all the nutrients and vitamins he needs for his bone growth and development. I am at a loss why your Veterinarian would give you vitamin supplements to add to his diet.

Answer 3

He should be fine on a good quality adult dog food.... many people never feed puppies "puppy food".... it's actually better for them to eat a good quality adult food than an average puppy food.

Answer 4

My last German Shepherd refused to eat puppy food of any description I tried them all, he would only eat what my other 2 bitches were eating and yes I worried for a while but he thrived on it! he grew normally he never had problems with his joints or anything at his peak he weighed a healthy 7 and a half stones I was even approached by the local police and asked if I would sell him to them (I didn't), he lived to be 13 and a half, so I wouldn't worry too much about your French Bulldog, he will be fine, just keep an eye on him in case it gives him the runs or anything, but you are quite right, a few years ago there was no such thing as puppy food!

Answer 5

Hi!
Congratulations on your new "baby". Now, as my gramma said, if he gets hungry enough, he will eat what he is given. But as a dog mom myself, one of the biggest reasons for puppy formula is increased protein for the rapid growth requirement of infancy. Compare the labels. Adult dog food certainly isn't harmful, as long as you meet his nutritional needs. Would you be able to add cooked chicken to his diet? Let him get really hungry, and feed him off by himself in a quiet place, where he isn't tempted by what the big guys eat. Dogs learn by watching their pack leaders and smell is a big part of how puppies learn what the right thing to do is. Try mixing some puppy formula in with his portion of adult food, and over the next few days, gradually increase the puppy chow and decrease the adult chow amount. He can certainly do well eating the mix of both. Check to be sure he is gaining weight, and that his fur stays shiny. Bright, clear eyes are another indicator of good health. If you give in to him and let him eat what he wants, you might try adding a vitamin treat so you don't worry so much. Hugs to the pack, sue.

Answer 6

Actually the very good quality adult foods can do for a pup though 12 -16 would be better for the switch but if they don't eat....Puppy food is richer than adult so the problem could be undernurishment, Beneful (if it is the same as the US) would not be my first choice though Ask your vet or breeder about Spanish brands

Answer 7

dont listen to the people saying its ok to feed a puppy adult food because its not, like you said you want to make sure hes getting all the proper vitamins n minerals, i had the same problem with a pup i had , he wanted his mum n dads food and refused his own, so i just cooked a chicken fillet and mixed it in with his food, problem solved , you can even chop up the fillet and if your feeding him 3 times a day then split it into three so you have some for his other feeds and its cheaper to. or you can just do the same with scrambled egg. hes just being stubburn lol

Answer 8

You cannot feed him on adult food, Puppy food is called that for a rerason. It has higher levels of protein to help the pup grow properly.
You are making him fussy by chopping and changing. Buy one brand of puppy food, and leave him a bowl down. He will eat it when he gets hungry. Make sure he has no access to other food and no treats.
Once again I'm amazed by people's lack of knowledge. Does nobody ask questions or read labels? Puppy food does NOT differ from adult food just in the size of the bits. For goodness sakes. The levels of protein, calcium etc are higher to cope with a dogs rapid growth in the first year of it's life. Sure there was no such thing as puppy food 50 years ago, but then, most dogs died by the time they were 8, had rickets, got distemper, were alive with fleas and worms.
I sometimes wonder whether people are getting more stupid as time goes by.

Answer 9

at about 6 weeks my jackx plummer pups were eating mothers food while she had to eat their puppy food saw two of them recently (now 10 months old) both big healthy boys so even though we are conditioned to buy puppy food seems the real stuff doesn't do any harm

Answer 10

We have a 10 month old cross spaniel, which we had has a 6 week old pup in Spain. We found that he also liked the adult food when he was still quite young so we kept him on it. It has done him no harm, as I do beleive it is only the size of the food that is the difference.
Good Luck with his training!!!!!

Answer 11

If you feed your puppy adult food he will recieve too many nutrients that will make him develop too quickly and could lead to joint problems.
Pick a dog food formulated for the needs of puppies and stick to it - otherwise he will become a very fussy eater and drive you crazy.