Feeding My Pup

[Beaucollie]

Hi there, My border collie pup is 11 weeks old and the breeder told me to change his food from Puppy to Adult food (Royal Canin still) from 12 weeks of age as the puppy food has too much protein in it and he would become gangly if kept on puppy food. Was wondering what general consensus is on this and what other puppy owners have given their pup to eat after 12 weeks. Was thinking of maybe buying both and mixing them together. Would welcome advice. Thank you.

[mackenzie11]

i always thought that puppies should be on puppy food til they are 10 -12 months old, but i could be wrong

[busyberner]

Hey Beaucollie!

I agree with mackenzie11, I've never heard of that before. My puppy is 7 months and is still on his puppy food as it is full of all that "goodness" for his growth etc. At 12 weeks I would think you should definitely stick with puppy specific foods as it is also a lot gentler on their stomachs. I'm planning on sticking with large breed puppy food until Bosco is around 12months

Maybe if there's any other collie owners out there who could suggest what they're feeding??

BB

[Cockerlover]

My puppies stay on puppy food till approx 12mnths old .fed 3xaday till 6mnths old then reduced to 2 feeds a day .

[aussielover]

I've never heard of that before.

I would recommend staying on puppy food until the pup has stopped growing.

Puppy food has a different calcium:phosphate ratio i believe? (maybe just large breed puppy foods???) and is also more energy-dense, so you'd have to feed more of the adult food to maintain condition on your pup.

I'm pretty sure all puppies go through a gangly stage (to some degree) and this is a lot more dependent on hormones, rather than food.

Do you think maybe the breeder meant 12 months not 12 weeks?

[WreckitWhippet]

I would recommend following what you breeder tells you. They would know more about their lines and pups than anyone else and no it's not uncommon for pups to be put onto adult food early on or raised on a combination of adult dry and raw.

[luvsdogs]

I kept Tilba on puppy food until she was around 11 mths old. She's always been very lean & I felt she needed the extras that puppy food supplies.

[raineth]

just a thought - maybe the breeder accidentally said 12 weeks instead of twelve months?

maybe you should call her/him and check?

[aussielover]

I would recommend following what you breeder tells you. They would know more about their lines and pups than anyone else and no it's not uncommon for pups to be put onto adult food early on or raised on a combination of adult dry and raw.

That makes sense

I agree you should probably go with the breeders recommendation, but maybe you should just check they actually meant 12 weeks not 12 months.

[Beaucollie]

I would recommend following what you breeder tells you. They would know more about their lines and pups than anyone else and no it's not uncommon for pups to be put onto adult food early on or raised on a combination of adult dry and raw.

That makes sense

I agree you should probably go with the breeders recommendation, but maybe you should just check they actually meant 12 weeks not 12 months.

Thanks for your response. The breeder told me twice to change to Adult food after 12 weeks and paperwork she gave me also says 12 weeks on to move to Adult food & theres no need to use Puppy food anymore.

[Beaucollie]

I would recommend following what you breeder tells you. They would know more about their lines and pups than anyone else and no it's not uncommon for pups to be put onto adult food early on or raised on a combination of adult dry and raw.

Thank you for your advice. I know the breeder is the expert not me and I should go along with what she's told me.

[mackenzie11]

i know cats are different to dogs, but we got a kitten a few yrs back, she was 3 months old when we got her and she was feed on adult food fromthe day she was weened from her mom, the owner did not want to buy two lots of food was what she told us, we put her on kitten food when we bought her home, and after many trips to the vet she has tummy problems due to being on adult food to early,

as i said cats differ to dogs but maybe this result may be the same, i mean why would they make puppy/kitten food if not for puppies and kittens till they are no longer puppies and kittens

[GoldenGirl85]

I kept my pup on puppy food until she was 8 months, after that I mixed it with adult formula, she is still on a mix of the both but as soon as she is done with whats left in the bin now she will be on just adult, but by then she will be nearly 12 months old anyway

[AshleyB]

I would follow breeders instructions.