[Labradorable]

It has been nearly a decade since I've had a puppy and 7 years since I worked in the pet food industry ... how have things changed?

When Cybil was a pup there was no real knowledge of large breed puppy food in our area. It was really new and people were skeptical. The norm was to feed puppy food to the age of 5-6 months max in a lg brd dog to regulate growth so their bones didn't grow too fast, thus causing problems. Cybil was on Eukanuba large breed puppy food until she was about 7 months old. I can't remember why we switched her to adult, but after that she was on Eukanuba lg breed adult, and then after we had our 2nd child and twice as many diapers we switched her to Iams.

How long should a lab puppy stay on puppy food providing their growth, weight, etc. is normal? We're planning to feed the puppy a large breed formula. I'm going to talk to the breeder about this as well when we visit the pup in a few weeks, but I thought I'd ask your opinion here as well.

 

[lablover88]

My breeder told me to switch my now 12 week old Chocolate over to adult food at about 5 months. She said he'd grow way too fast if we kept him on puppy food any longer.

 

[windycanyon]

Just to clarify, there is PUPPY food (really best for small breed puppies) and there is Lg Breed puppy food. You have to look at the Ca/P levels, etc to make that determination of whether to switch to adult or not and when. Lg breed puppy food like Euk's formula is VERY scaled down in Ca/P. Purina's formula is really not significantly different than their adult formulas... so you can't just say "puppy", let alone compare Lg Breed Puppy formulas between the companies.

The other thing to look at is that Euk LBP has the brain/cognitive development supplement. Now, I've not really dug into the science on it but it comes highly touted by respectable folks.

I have had the best success w/ growing my pups slowly and soundly using Euk Lg Breed puppy. I recommend keeping them on it until all major growth is done, which is at least 12 mos in my lines. So far, all Good and Excellent OFA hips, Normal Elbows w/ my own, so I'm surely not changing a thing!

 

[YellowJakesMom]

We fed Jake Eagle Pack Holistic Select Large and Giant Breed Puppy (per our breeder). We kept him on the until he was neutered (12 mo.).

The new puppy will be fed Innova LB Puppy until she's done growing.

 

[nicole]

Talk to your breeder. I feed REGULAR ProPlan puppy food until 4 or 5 mo and switch to adult. I ask my puppy buyers to do the same.

 

[Bob Pr.]

The scientific canine nutritional studies recommend keeping the pup on it for the first 12 months of life.