Is it ok to give a puppy adult dog food?

Question

I would like to know if it is ok to give a 12 weeks old puppy normal dog food? What is the difference in the 2? And what will be the result if I feed her Adult dog food. She has a large appetite and I was wondering if adult food will be more filling.

She is a 12 week old German Shepherd/Lab mix.

She is currently on Puppy food. We were given a bag of adult dog food and I was wondering if she could eat that.

Should we be giving her wet/can food as well?

M@caroni, email me with your email address and I will get my husband to send me a picture. I am currently at work and don't have it with me.

Go to my profile. I allow email.

M2caoni I have the pictures of my dog.If you msg me with your email address I can email you pics. Just go to my profile and click on send an email.

Answer 1

Quality of food is very important for large breeds for proper bone and joint/growth and over-all health. The difference between adult and puppy formulas is that puppy food has more fat and protein than adult formulas as well as added nutrients for bone and joint growth, if you get the right kind of puppy food. It is one reason that pregnant dogs are recommended to get puppy food, through pregnancy and nursing because their bodies require more fat and protein at that time.
There are some foods that are "all life stages" like "Canidae" that many people here recommend and was not recalled during all that contamination recently that hasn't been fully resolved yet. That is why many brands continue to recall batches of food.
I don't know if you can get it in your area, but if you can, an excellent food for that mix would be Orijen.
Whatever you feed, avoid wheat, corn and soy in the content. Also look to see if the food has BHA or BHT as preservatives. These preservatives are toxic.
If you can't find Canidae or Orijen look for a food tailored to large breed puppy. There are even some formulated for German Shepherd.
You could check out this link for some safe feeding ideas when your pup gets a bit older. With this, you know exactly the quality of food.
http://www.rawdogranch.com

Answer 2

Adult dog food isn't more filling. Puppy food has more nutrients that he needs for growing bones and everything. I would stick to the puppy chow for now. Besides puppies have a lot of energy and that's why he has a healthy appetite.

My advice is to read the ingredient label and make sure that the first ingredient is some sort of protein. If it's corn or something else that's a filler and you're puppy will just eat more food trying to get what it needs. Plus all that filler doesn't get digested and ends up in the yard meaning more to clean up.

Answer 3

Yeah it's perfectly fine.. We never feed puppy food, always adult food.. Doesn't cause a problem at all. We are feeding Canidae All LIfe Stages now, but it's good for puppies, adults, seniors etc.. So that suggests to me that what I have been doing for nearly 20 years, is perfectly fine.. Puppies don't need that much extra protein .. Some breeds might but generally they don't. IT has to come out some where cause they can't use more than a certain percentage. So if you are feeding 30% protein and they can really only use like 24%, where does that excess go.. It comes out in hot spots, and very often it comes out in behaviour. Winding the puppy up like he has been eating candy..

Answer 4

No
Puppy food is made for puppy
They are eaisy for the dogs to break down, and the stuff they need
You would not give a 12 week old baby, adult food

Answer 5

Not long term its ok for maybe a few days, but because adult dog food has larger size, & different nutrients its not a good idea in the long run, adult dog food can hurt & put stress on a puppies growing teeth as well. I find it rather odd that you decided to get a dog even though you admit to not liking dogs & that your husband bought the wrong dog food even though he was advised not to & that your husband would not clean up the vomit. I think your concerns should be more about why did we get a dog?

Answer 6

She really needs puppy food. It is actually higher in calories and will fill her up better. She needs a large breed puppy food which is formulated with the right number of calories to support growth at a moderate rate so she doesn't grow too fast and damage her joints long-term. Adult food is not more filling and won't be appropriate until she is about one year old.

Answer 7

It will not be more filling. Puppy food is packed with more vitamins and minerals that a growing pup needs. The adult food tapers off on these because they are no longer needed. It would be better for the puppy to have a food formulated just for her. Adult food won't hurt her but it isn't the best option you have. We kept our dogs on puppy food until 2 yrs.

Answer 8

I have a German Shepard/ husky mix and you should be feeding large breed puppy food. It has more of what the puppy needs because they are growing so fast. Dog food is just that dog food its for when they aren't growing anymore. If she is still hungry you could mix some canned puppy food in with her dry.

Answer 9

The difference between puppy food and dog food is roughly the same difference between human baby food and regular food. It's easier for tiny teeth and mouths to chew, it contains nutrients that are essential to the development of healthy bones, and it is more gentle for sensitive little tummies. You can try to feed her adult food, but there is a chance she will throw up from it if there are any ingredients that she can't digest yet. You might want to stick with puppy food for at least a few more months.

Answer 10

You can feed a puppy dog food but puppy food is much better for them because they are growing it has more nutrients and protein in it and helps them to grow up healthy. Adult food would not be any more filling than puppy food and puppies do eat a lot because they are growing and using all the energy that they get from their food.