Reviewed by Dr. Terry White, DVM
At EverPal, we strive to keep every fur baby healthy and happy, and it all begins with nutrition.
As you watch your puppy grow through various life stages, each stage comes with its unique nutritional demands, essential for supporting healthy development from a playful puppy to a robust adult. Understanding these needs ensures your puppy thrives at every step and becomes a healthy member of your family.
In this post, you'll hear veterinarian-approved advice on questions including:
Understanding Puppy Nutritional Needs
Puppies grow at an astonishing rate, which means their nutritional needs are significantly different from those of an adult dog.
Here are the key components of a healthy puppy diet:
High-Quality Protein: Essential for muscle growth and development. Look for puppy food that lists real meat, fish, or poultry as the first ingredients.
Fats: Necessary for energy and brain development, with sources like fish oil providing vital omega-3 fatty acids.
Calcium and Phosphorus: These minerals support healthy bone and teeth development and should be in the correct ratio in puppy food.
Vitamins and Minerals: A wide range ensures proper growth and immune system development.
Here's what you should know about feeding your growing puppy, from those first bites to transitioning to adult dog food.
The Growth Spurt: Rapid Development
2 to 6 Months
This period is marked by rapid growth. Puppies require a diet high in protein to support muscle development and sufficient calcium and phosphorus for bone growth. Energy needs are high during this stage, requiring nutrient-dense, high-quality puppy food to sustain their growth and playful energy.
Meet Mochi, one of our EverPal's VIPs (Very Important Pets), at two months old
The Tween Months: Slowing Down
6 to 12 Months
As puppies approach their first year, their growth rate starts to slow down, especially in small to medium breeds, which may begin transitioning to adult food around this time. Large and giant breeds, however, continue to grow and should remain on puppy formulas longer to prevent growth-related health issues.
One important note is that the old notion of switching to adult food at 6 months of age could potentially be harmful and is NOT recommended.
Mochi at eight months old being a full-time heart-stealer. Want to see more of me on IG @mochi_border_collie?
Growing Puppies Transitioning to Adulthood: Navigating Dog Nutrition Shifts
12 Months Onwards
A growth diet should be fed until the dog reaches approximately 80% of adult size. After then, the transition from puppy food to adult food is a pivotal moment, typically around the 12-month mark for many breeds but later for larger breeds, sometimes not until 18-24 months.
The key to transition is gradual change, allowing your puppy’s digestive system to adjust. This stage marks the beginning of their life as adult dogs, where the focus shifts from supporting rapid growth to maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle.
For example, Miniature Goldendoodle and Medium Goldendoodle should follow the standard puppy to adult food transition, which is detailed below.
How to Transition
Gradually Introduce Adult Food: Start by mixing a small amount of adult food with their puppy food, gradually increasing the adult food portion over 7-10 days. To minimize digestive upset, you could do the following:
Day 1-3: Mix 75% puppy food with 25% adult food.
Day 4-6: Adjust the mix to 50% puppy food and 50% adult food.
Day 7-9: Shift to 25% puppy food and 75% adult food.
Day 10: Completely switch to adult food.
Monitor Their Reaction: Pay attention to how they react to the new food—both their appetite and digestion. Adjust as necessary.
The Dog Nutrition “Metric”: Body Condition Score
One of the ways to monitor your pet’s body fat is using the Body Condition Score (BCS) to adjust your pet’s diet. This ensures that your puppy’s nutritional needs are met but growth is controlled to reduce the risk of developmental orthopedic disease. The correct amount of food helps maintain a BCS of 4 to 5 for dogs. Every puppy’s growth rate varies, so it’s best to measure a starting BCS and adjust the diet based on BCS.
What is the Body Condition Score?
The BCS is a scale ranging from 1 to 9, used to evaluate the amount of fat on a dog's body. A score of 1 indicates an extremely underweight dog, 4-5 represents an ideal body condition, and 9 is severely overweight. This scoring system helps identify whether your puppy is at a healthy weight, which is crucial as they transition from the rapid growth phase of puppyhood to the more stable growth of adulthood.
Learn more about how to assess your puppy’s BCS here.
Special Considerations: Large Breed Puppies
Large breed (expected to be > 70lb adults) puppies have unique nutritional requirements. Their food should have a balanced energy content to prevent them from growing too fast, which can lead to joint problems. Additionally, the calcium to phosphorus ratio needs to be carefully managed to support bone integrity without encouraging excessive growth.
For example, Standard Goldendoodles that weigh over 70 lbs are considered large dogs and should follow the special consideration.
Can I use adult foods for large breed puppies?
This is not recommended because many adult foods have calcium to phosphorus ratios, which can be harmful for growing large breed dogs, as their bones are still developing. What you should use is large breed growth diets, which serve the dual purpose of growing needs and reducing overfeeding.
Guidance from Veterinarians on Selecting the Best Food
Each pet may have unique nutrition needs based on their breed, life stage, metabolic needs and even mouth shape. If you want to optimize your pet’s nutrition needs, schedule a same-day appointment with Dr. Terry White, Medical Director at EverPal, who brings 40 years of experience to help you navigate the complex pet food world and develop the right nutritional plan for your fur baby.
We currently provide veterinary services in San Francisco, South San Francisco, Daly City, Oakland, and Berkeley in California.