The great debate, when do I switch my 4month old ridgeback from

large breeds shouldn't eat puppy food

rapid growth is not a good thing

>>2270598
Ok. I will consult my vet, but that being said. His growth is nothing remarkable or to write home about. 3-4lb a week, which is the norm. He's not a 80lb 4mo pup.


Any recommend brands? Should we just up and switch to adult food? Will he continue to grow?

>>2270620
You can get puppy foods formulated for large breeds anon. Large breeds take longer to grow, too; they finish up at about two years.

My vet had me switch to adult food around 6-8 months. I had him on large breed food initially because I was unsure about how large he'd get (golden retriever mix), then when it was obvious he wouldn't get past 55lbs I switched to regular puppy food. I think he might have gotten a little bigger if I hadn't put him on large breed food, but probably only a small difference.

>>2270620
>>2270638
Also, recommended brands: I use taste of the wild and my guy does great on it. He has a sensitive stomach so I didnt try any other brands once he got used to TOTW, though I do switch up the flavors. His coat is soft and shiny and he always gets compliments on it by strangers, and he's really active.

I've also hear Wellness is good.

TOTW has puppy foods, but I believe their adult foods are "all stages" foods so you can feed it to large breed puppies without a problem.

>>2270578

It's not that big a of a decision. Some people will tell you 6 months, some people will say 18 months. There is no perfect time.

There are 2 main differences between adult and puppy food.
>1.) The size and texture is easier for small puppies.
>2.) More calories, calcium, etc - general nutrition is more tailored for an active lifestyle in puppy food.

The 2nd point is the tool you use to decide to when to switch. You make the choice. The basic idea is that when the puppy starts to calm down, feeding it puppy food will make it fat. There is plenty of protein calcium, phosphorus, and other nutrients in adult food. Your dog is not going to end up malnourished or anything.

I have 2 giant breeds, and they calmed down noticeably around 10 months, so I switched them. There was no reason not to.

if you get the food label from an adult and puppy bag of dog food of the same kind, you'll see very clearly what the difference is. The 5 key numbers are

>calories
>protein
>crude fat
>calcium
>phosphorus

... and you'll notice the subtle shift in the top 3 when between adult and puppy food. It's not a HUGE shift, though. So you're not going to break your dog by not timing it perfectly.

... the best thing you can do is just toss some raw meat at them or crack an egg over their food to give them a little protein boost - consider it a dietary supplement. Don't have to measure it. Just whenever. It's really good for dogs of all ages.

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54KB, 183x275px

>getting a Rhodesian Ridgeback
>naming it Cecil

Lemme guess your dog will be a GSD that you will name blondie in honor of der Fuhrer's loyal dog, right?

>>2270676
I got yelled at by an old man from Ireland in my neighborhood for it


Also;


I'm considering switching my dog to a raw diet. I go to an A&M school and there are pounds of Fresh goat meat and other meats at our school butcher.