Guides
Puppy food vs adult dog food, and when to switch
The name on the bag says "puppy", but the label sentence is what decides whether a food supports growth.
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Puppy food is made to meet AAFCO’s nutrient profile for growth, which sets higher minimums for some nutrients than the profile for adult maintenance. The label sentence that mentions AAFCO tells you which profile a food meets. A puppy should eat a growth or “all life stages” food until it’s fully grown, and for large breeds the statement should also cover large-size growth.
How to tell them apart on the label
Look past the front of the bag to the nutritional adequacy statement, the sentence with “AAFCO” in it. Three versions cover almost every dry and wet food:
- “…for growth” or “…for growth and reproduction”: made for puppies (and pregnant or nursing dogs).
- “…for maintenance” or “…for adult maintenance”: adults only. Not meant to be a growing puppy’s whole diet.
- “…for all life stages”: meets the growth profile, so it can feed puppies and adults.
The FDA explains that the maintenance profile has lower levels of some nutrients than the growth profile. That’s why an adult food isn’t simply a smaller portion of a puppy food.
Large-breed puppies need one more phrase
Puppies that will weigh 70 lb (about 32 kg) or more as adults are sensitive to calcium levels and to growing too fast. AAFCO statements for foods suitable for them add a size note. This is the wording on ACANA Puppy Recipe, from our database:
“…for All Life Stages, including growth of large size dogs (70 lb or more as an adult).”
Some labels rule large breeds out instead. Nulo’s Challenger Organic Ancient Grains Beef, Lamb & Pork Recipe is formulated for “all life stages, except for growth of large size dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult)”. An “all life stages” food without either phrase hasn’t been shown to suit large-breed growth. If you have a large-breed puppy, look for the phrase, or a food sold specifically as “large breed puppy” that carries it.
What changes in the food
The exact numbers depend on the recipe, but growth foods often have:
- more energy per cup, because puppies need more calories per kilogram of body weight,
- higher minimum protein and fat,
- controlled calcium and phosphorus, especially in large-breed puppy food.
You can see the protein and fat difference for yourself: open any puppy and adult recipe from the same brand in our Compare tool, which shows both on a dry-matter basis.
Can an adult dog eat puppy food?
An “all life stages” food is designed for adults too. A food made only for growth is usually richer than an adult dog needs, so feed it by calories, not by the puppy chart, and watch your dog’s weight. Our Feeding Calculator works from the exact kcal of the food you choose.
When to switch to adult food
Switch when your dog is close to its adult size. That depends mostly on the breed:
| Adult size | Typical switch age |
|---|---|
| Small (under about 20 lb) | around 9 to 12 months |
| Medium | around 12 months |
| Large and giant | often 12 to 24 months |
These are rough ranges. Your vet can tell you when your puppy’s growth has slowed enough, and many puppy food labels give their own guidance.
When you do switch, change gradually over about a week, starting with a quarter of the new food. Our guide on how to switch your dog’s food has a day-by-day schedule.
Quick checklist
- Read the AAFCO sentence, not just the front of the bag.
- For a puppy: “growth” or “all life stages”.
- For a puppy that will be over 70 lb: the large-size growth phrase as well.
- Feed by the food’s calories and your puppy’s body condition, and check with your vet at each visit.
To list puppy foods in our database, open the Food Finder and filter by life stage.
Sources
We link to the original source for every fact we rely on.
- puppy
- life-stage
- aafco
- large-breed
This article is general information, not veterinary advice. You can also check it with your own vet or another qualified pet professional.
