Large Breed Puppy Food vs. Adult Dog Food

Actually, every dog requires unique needs. Indeed, some dogs can get benefits from a large or giant breed dog food. If you are looking for foods for your large dog or giant dog, it’s best to choose a large breed dog food. In this article, we will mention some of the things you should know when thinking about large breed puppy food as well as adult dog food. Also, keep reading to learn about what your big dog needs in the diet.

Get the Right Dog Food for Your Large Breed

The fact is that puppies of any size or shape are adorable. They can be able to grow at different rates depending on each breed. For example, large breed puppies need a much different diet. Indeed, Labrador Retrievers and Great Danes surely require much different diet for optimal growth than some others as Chihuahua or a tiny Yorkie. That’s why it’s important to feed your pup a food specifically for his nutritional requirements.

You need to feed puppies more protein than adult dogs because of their busy growing bodies. So, you should look for foods with the higher calories for puppies. They spend about half of the calories they consume on tissue growth as well as development. But, it’s still essential to consult your veterinarian about feeding large breed puppies.

Just like people, your pups need a balanced diet of nutrients including carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Excessive protein in a diet can be able to create an unbalanced ratio of calcium to phosphorus. You need to look for large breed puppy food with a specific calcium and phosphorus ratio. They help to ensure the bones develop properly. Also, they can prevent your pup from joint disease.

How to Choose the Best Puppy Food

It’s best to purchase a large breed puppy food from a dog food company coming with undergone AAFCO feeding trials. You may not know that many dog food companies never feed their food to actual dogs before. The thing you need is a pet food company with scientific research as well as consults with veterinary nutritionists. They ensure to provide a balanced dog food for a puppy’s development.

Should You Be Concerned about Your Puppy’s Weight?

It’s important to keep your puppy at a healthy weight for his lifelong health. In fact, underweight puppies can’t be able to develop properly. And, overweight ones can be overweight adult dogs. This can result in diseases such as arthritis, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. You need to consult your vet for the track with nutrition.

The time to Switch Your Puppy to Adult Dog Food

The fact is that your large and giant breed dogs can be able to grow for the first year or two. This depends on their breed. So, you can continue feeding a large breed puppy food until your pup has his growth plate sealed. But, he isn’t overweight. But, it’s essential to ask your vet to assess your puppy’s body condition score. This help you can switch your puppy from puppy to adult dog food properly.

How to Choose a Large Breed Dog Food

Look for a Large Breed Dog Food with Glucosamine

Large and giant breed dogs can easily suffer from joint problems. So, they can benefit from a diet with glucosamine. You can find glucosamine in meat and poultry sources. It is actually a building block of cartilage. So, it can help to protect your dog’s bones as well as joints from wear and tear. You should feed your growing puppy or a senior dog a food formulated with natural glucosamine. It purposes to support his joints and mobility.

Pay attention to your dog’s Age When Looking for A Large Breed Dog Food

Large and giant breed dogs are different from small or medium dogs at the age. In fact, most puppies reach maturity at 1 year old. And, large or giant puppies can reach maturity when they are up to two years. Large dogs also have a shorter lifespan. Some of them may be considered seniors when they are seven years old. Dogs come with different nutritional requirements at different points in their lives. So, it’s important to consider your dog’s age when you are looking for a large breed dog food.

Conclusion

If you want to choose a good large breed dog food, you should keep your big dog slim so that he can prevent musculoskeletal problems. It’s a good idea to consider protein from good sources. But, avoid feeding your dog too much fat. It’s best to check the calcium level in the food. If your dog is suffering from bloating, you need to encourage him to eat slowly and rest after eating. Hopefully, all the information provided in this article is useful for you.