Why are There Different Puppy and Adult Dog Foods?
Whether your dog needs puppy food or not varies by breed and age since not every dog matures the same.
As previously discussed, smaller breeds typically peak earlier than larger dogs do. A lab tends to reach adult size between the age of 12 to 18 months. At this point, you should switch from puppy food to adult food, even though your pooch might continue to fill out until the age of two years.
The extra calories, vitamins and minerals in puppy chow may cause more growth than you want, meaning it can easily lead to your furry friend becoming overweight or even obese if you feed it to them into adulthood. Not to mention, continuing to use puppy food in adult labs may lead to musculo-skeletal disorders.
But the flip side of this is adult food is less nutrient dense, has a different mix and quantity of nutrients and if fed to a puppy could lead to malnourishment and sub-optimal growth.
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An additional reason for there being specific food for puppies is the pieces are smaller which not only prevents them from choking, it also makes the food easier to digest. The pieces are richer, denser and the ideal size for smaller mouths.
So puppies thrive best on puppy food, adult dogs on adult dog food and it’s strongly recommended to buy food aimed at the life stage of your dog.
If you have any questions or doubts as to when you should switch from puppy to adult dog food, it’s best to consult a veterinarian.
What are the 3 feeding stages of a Lab’s life?
Since dog breeds mature at different rates, the feeding stages below can be used as a general guide to find the food that’s best suited for your Lab’s age.
| Life Stage | Age |
|---|---|
| Lab puppy | Under 15-24 months |
| Adult Lab | Over 15-24 months |
| Senior Lab | Over 6-8 years |
Eukanuba Puppy Dry Dog Food
Eukanuba 10150746 Puppy Dry Dog Food contains no chemical preservatives. It has chicken as the main ingredient, and it also contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. It has omega-3 fatty acids and includes prebiotics for a healthy digestive tract.
The downside with this brand is that it contains chicken by-products, and it also contains a lot of corn ingredients. Our puppies did eat it, but it gave them loose stools and diarrhea.Pros
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