Your thoughts on "puppy food"?

[Fran101]

Is it necessary?
I've heard both sides..
1. that puppy food is essential for growing puppies
2. that it causes fast growth and is unnecessary

What are your thoughts?

[Toller_08]

I don't use puppy food. I never did believe in it in the first place, but especially don't now after what happened to Ripley. He was weaned onto a quality puppy food (Now! Puppy) and when we got him from his breeder, we continued with it. She always recommends switching to adult or ALS food by the time they're 4 months old and so that was what we were going to do. But then he started growing too fast and knuckled over (so basically he woke up one morning with deformed looking legs and I panicked a little). We took him to the vet (one that actually is knowledgeable about nutrition) and we were told to stop feeding puppy food and to give him Vit C to help correct it. He said that his problem is common in larger breeds fed puppy formulas apparently. And I don't believe puppy food is necessarily bad (it's likely better for some puppies), but I won't ever feed it again. Especially to a dog that is going to grow to be more than 50lbs. My puppies have all done well on adult or ALS foods.

[AdrianneIsabel]

I use it, it's a great tool.

[elegy]

The Hill's (Science Diet) people will tell you that "All Life Stages" food *is* puppy food, since it has to meet puppy food requirements.

[Kat09Tails]

I don't use puppy food but I do raise my puppies on different food until about 7 weeks old. More protein, more fats, more moisture.

[Sapphire-Light]

Originally Posted by Kat09Tails

I don't use puppy food but I do raise my puppies on different food until about 7 weeks old. More protein, more fats, more moisture.

Agree, also if you have a toy dog, it can be better since the kibble pieces are smaller and easier to chew for those tiny mouse like teeth.

[HayleyMarie]

I never used puppy food for Teagan or Emme.

I have decided though that any puppy I get in the future will be started on raw as soon as it enters my house!

[AllieMackie]

I don't think all puppy foods are bad, some are really well made like the Acana Classic line (which is a grain-inclusive life stage line).

I don't think they're really required, since many many dog foods are all-life-stages with high protein and fat. But some folks prefer to see foods designated for the various stages in life. We get a ton of customers who get really nervous about all life stages foods and we have trouble convincing them otherwise, so usually they're given Now! Puppy or Acana Puppy.

[Southpaw]

I don't use it. Not because I think it's bad or anything.... That's just how it's worked out for my dogs.
They turned out all right.

[Michiyo-Fir]

I would use it for smaller dogs like Papillons but I may or may not for a larger dog.

I fed Nia puppy food until 8 months then switched to adult food and she did fine on either.

For a giant breed I definitely will not use it.