i have a 5 month old pitpull. I read books of puppys and they say keep them on puppy food for 1 year. My vet said i can start her on adult food when she is 5 months old. I dunno who is right? I have been feeding her puppy dry food and mixing adult wet food in it. But i was just wondering should i take her off the puppy food now or should i start buying wet puppy food? or is my mixing puppy and adult food good or bad?
2007-02-07 02:08:09 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
Find a new vet. Puppies should be switched to adult food between 12 months - 19 months. Puppy food provides specific nutrients to support a growing dog. Nervous system, immune system, brain function, skeletal system, cardiac system.
NO wet food only dry. Wet food gets stuck in between their teeth and causes rot and decay. Feed your dog premium dog food - no by products, no corn barley or sorghum (Its hard for the dog to digest).
When you switch between foods or even different protiens it can irritate their stomach. Switch your dog over 6 days.
70% old food 30% new food for 2 days
50% old food 50% new food for 2 days
70% new food 30% old food for 2 days
100% new food from then on - even form puppy to adult food.
I personally would go see a different vet. If they are giving bad advice on something so simple what would he say when you REALLY need help?!
If your dog is used to the wet and dry food he may not want to JUST eat the dry. Put some water on it and put it in the microwave. It brings out the aroma and makes it more alluring. Giving your dog canned food is okay once in a great while but not every day. As a treat put some chicken or beef broth in it - it's all natural.
Feed your dog on a schedule. Put the food down for 10-15 min. If the dog doesn't eat then pick the food up. One you're maintaining your alpha status and two it keeps the dog's weight down.
Good Luck
2007-02-07 02:14:16 · answer #1 · answered by sillybuttmunky 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A pitbull would stay on puppy food for a year. Some of the larger breeds such as Great Pyrenees, Newfoundland, Great Dane, etc. however should be on puppy food for two years. The reason why your vet told you that is so the dog doesn't get overweight. If you decide to keep her on puppy food for the whole year (which is best for her), just watch her weight and if she starts to gain too much, switch her to adult food. I've never had a problem though.
Mixing wet adult food into it isn't bad at all.
2007-02-07 02:18:41 · answer #2 · answered by sundragonjess 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
On my dogs I have always fed them puppy food for the first year then switched to adult food. The puppy food has additional nutrients which are needed in growing dogs. The adult will work but the puppy food would be best used the first year especially if it is a working dog.
2007-02-07 02:16:56 · answer #3 · answered by tom4texas 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Generally you do keep them on puppy food for a year. I did have a vet recommend that I switch my 6 month old lab puppy to adult food. She has taken care of all my dogs and had only suggested this for my one dog. She said she was growing too quickly on the puppy food and since she was a large breed dog she was worried about her joints forming and stress on the joints (sorry I'm not a vet and don't completely understand her reasoning). It seemed weird to me too but I did it and now my dog is 8 years old and acts like she is two. She is perfectly healthy.
2007-02-07 02:20:06 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
5 months is way to young to start adult food. Puppy food have nutrients in it just for puppies, not the same nutrients found in adult food. So to make sure that your puppy is getting the right amount of nutrients don't start it on adult food until it's at least a year old.
2007-02-07 03:27:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well vets have their recommendations and so does the dog food packaging. The truth is it doesn't matter that much. My dog never ate puppy food. He's fine. He mainly eats what we eat. As long as they don't need their mother around and they have fully grown teeth, they can eat anything. Think about this; do you feed a baby past his primary stage (1-2 year old) baby food?
What about dogs that live on the streets? They just get leftovers. I know you want what is best for your dog, but in the end it doesn't matter.
2007-02-07 02:37:52 · answer #6 · answered by husky88 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
18 months for larger breeds, less time for smaller breeds. Puppies need more nutrition then adults. Did you know your puppies stomach is not even fully developed by the age of 1 year. Stick w/ what your doing I would even increase the dry puppy food just to make sure he's getting all his nutrition.
2007-02-07 02:53:47 · answer #7 · answered by Beano 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I switched my dog to adult dog food when he turned one year old. We feed him IAMS and it went well, we didn't do any soft dog, I would wait till he is a year old, but that is my opinion.
I wouldn't but the moist dog food, he may get use to eating that, it is not good for their teeth to eat moist food all the time. Crunchy helps to keep them clean and healthy.
so in my opinion keep him on Puppy food till he is a year then mix to switch over to adult food. They need the extra nutrients that puppy food gives them.
2007-02-07 02:18:05 · answer #8 · answered by Tammy N 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I always kept my puppies on puppy food until one year old. Then I would cut the adult food.gradually increasing the amount of adult food and have them completely on adult food within a month
2007-02-07 02:14:52 · answer #9 · answered by lifesajoy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
try mixing a little of the puppy food in with the adult food.. then slowly put less and less puppy food in.. until its all adult. dont use wet food.. use dry.. its chaeper and cleaner and better for your dog.. now once in a while is ok as a treat if he likes it.. but use dry
2007-02-07 02:11:36 · answer #10 · answered by lil miss agony 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋