Changing to adult food? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Deviruchi · 07-18-2015, 07:25 AM

Hello all, I have another question for you.... When are you supposed to change puppy food into adult food? I'm currently feeding orijen puppy food.. 1/3 cup a day..

The breeder I got kupo from was asking me how much kupo weighed.. when I told her 5lbs, (he's currently 5 months old, with 5-6 lbs weight expectancy based on his parents) she told me that I should change the food to adult food at 6 months and start watching his weight..

When I've contacted my vet, she was saying that Kupo is very healthy, and def. not fat, but she think he's nearing the end of his growth spurt, since he grew a lot in a short period of time.. but she recommended me to change his food at 1 year.. And that breeder just wanted the yorkie small..

I've contacted Orijen, and here is what they are telling me:
"The basic idea is that you feed a puppy formula until they reach their expected adult weight. If your puppy is at his expected adult weight you can switch to an adult formula, usually whichever flavour they prefer. The one most similar to the Puppy formula is our Adult, they are both chicken based diets."
So.. they are recommending me to change to adult food soon too as my breeder did.

I'm looking into Orijen Adult food.. either six fish or the adult regional red.. and they do have recommended amount for puppies *Orijen Feeding Guide*

What do you think? I do see that most yorkie people do change their puppy food to adult anytime between 8 months to a year, but I do see that some fed puppies adult food from the start..

Yorkiemom1 · 07-18-2015, 10:31 AM

I have always left mine and recommended to my new owners, to stay on puppy food until they are a year old....if the pup is sexually mature at 8 months, go to adult....if the pup is around 3-4 lbs at 8 months and has not had her first heat or "he" has not reached sexual maturity (shown by hiking his leg to pee to mark his territory), leave baby on puppy food until a year old....the added nutrition they get from puppy food is beneficial to growth and strengthening of immune systems, organ development, and bone maturation. If those building blocks are defective because of inadequate nutrition, that stays with them for life, causing issues later on.

I agree with your vet.....I suspect the breeder recommends putting that pup on adult food at 6 months in order to try to stunt his growth. Years ago, when I FIRST started with a yorkie pup, the "breeder" told me to feed this baby 7 pieces of puppy kibble, three times a day.....can you imagine this!!!!!!??? I had NO clue then, but I was QUICKLY taught by pros and clearly understand now that was simply to stunt that pups growth so he would remain tiny. Thank God, I had show people that directed me away from this method of stunting a pups growth to "keep him a tiny breeder", which is what is most important to back yard breeders....not the health of the puppy but the size of the puppy, because "tiny teacup yorkies" are in demand! I was NOT looking for a tiny little pup, but those pups are what sell quickly to an uneducated public. Besides, it is what is behind that pup in his pedigree....you can starve your puppy and stunt his growth, but what is in his genes is what will pass on in breeding! I use this as an example to explane the damage you do by with holding correct nourishment from a growing baby. Dont ever use food intake to control the growth of a puppy! Feed that baby properly, so he can achieve fully what God put in his genes for him to be, and when he is mature and all the hormones and bone plates and organs are the best they can be because of good healthy proper nutrition, THEN if there is a weight issue, address it.

I recoil at the idea at putting a puppy on adult formula from the start! This is wrong on many levels!

Deviruchi · 07-18-2015, 11:19 AM

@yorkiemom1, yeah, that's what vet and i thought the breeder was doing. i just want kupo to be healthy, but when i've contacted orijen, their adult line also has recommended feeding amount for puppies too so i was bit confused. i just want kupo to be healthy and well. i don't mind if he grows over the average of *typical yorkies*

if you see on 2nd table of adult, regional red and six fish dog, it states that the puppies can be fed this food starting 1.5 month old o.o which def. got me wondering.. if this really was ok.... especially since the customer service also recommended me feeding it to him if kupo was nearing his expected weight..

this is the food he's currently on now: orijen puppy food
but this is the food i was looking at... either... orijen six fish dog food or orijen adult food

i was looking at the guaranteed analysis of the both food and only difference was the adult food had 2% less crude fat compared to the puppy food, and that it also had microorganism of 120M cfu/kg, which puppy food did not have. oh and puppy food had extra carbohydrate of 20% which adult food didn't.

so is the carbohydrate what's helping puppy at their developmental stage? not exactly sure what microorganism on adult food does either... o.o

as of now, i'm feeding him orijen puppy food 1/3 cup a day total. since they are recommending for those who are expected to weigh 10lbs, feed 2/3 cups. do you think this is enough or is it too little? i'm also providing him some snacks between, such as dehydrated chicken, or carrots and apples throughout the day.

lisaly · 07-18-2015, 11:47 AM

Kupo is still young, so I would definitely keep him on puppy food. I would make sure he has the healthiest start to life. Even if his expected adult weight is supposed to be 5-6 pounds based upon his parents, because of genetics and his lines including other generations, he may be larger. If you decide to breed him, his genes are still his genes. I know you wouldn't do it purposely, but stunting his growth won't affect the size of the puppies he throws. From what I've read, you don't need to worry about a puppy being overweight.

Yorkiemom1 · 07-18-2015, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisaly

Kupo is still young, so I would definitely keep him on puppy food. I would make sure he has the healthiest start to life. Even if his expected adult weight is supposed to be 5-6 pounds based upon his parents, because of genetics and his lines including other generations, he may be larger. If you decide to breed him, his genes are still his genes. I know you wouldn't do it purposely, but stunting his growth won't affect the size of the puppies he throws. From what I've read, you don't need to worry about a puppy being overweight.

Totally agree!!!

Deviruchi · 07-18-2015, 01:42 PM

@lisaly oh i just want kupo to be healthy, i don't want to underfeed or overfeed him if anything.. i even avoid giving him grain foods..

thanks guys for replies. but what do you guys think about those all life stage dog food? like orijen regional red and six fish?

chestermama · 07-20-2015, 01:47 AM

I changed chester at 10 months or so

BabyGirl Rosie · 07-20-2015, 05:59 AM

My vet recommended keeping my girls on puppy food until they were one year old. I would listen to my vets advice.

lisaly · 07-20-2015, 07:54 AM

If you have the time, you might find this interesting.

http://www.acana.com/wp-content/uplo...-11th-2012.pdf

Britster · 07-20-2015, 03:35 PM

For the most part, a lot of puppy/senior food is marketing. Not ALL. For example giant breeds, it's very important to get the right amount of calcium/phosphorus etc. But if you compare a lot of puppy foods to adult foods, they're often in the similar range of protein/fat/etc. Plus small breeds usually are close to their full grown size between 6-8 months anyway. A lot of foods like Orijen and Acana are all life stages and formulated for any age.

Deviruchi · 07-20-2015, 06:01 PM

thank you guys for your responses.

and thank you @lisaly for the pdf. it was very informative and answered some of the qs i had.

@britster so... are you suggesting switching to orijen adult food would be ok? i did look at their food analysis and not much was different between puppy food and adult food other than fat or carb content.

Yorkiemom1 · 07-21-2015, 11:03 AM

I would strongly suggest keeping a puppy on puppy food until a year old, then switching to adult food when they are indeed an adult and all growth plates are complete.

BabyGirl Rosie · 07-21-2015, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

I would strongly suggest keeping a puppy on puppy food until a year old, then switching to adult food when they are indeed an adult and all growth plates are complete.

07-18-2015, 07:25 AM	#1
Deviruchi Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: i like to hide under things Posts: 226	Changing to adult food? Hello all, I have another question for you.... When are you supposed to change puppy food into adult food? I'm currently feeding orijen puppy food.. 1/3 cup a day.. The breeder I got kupo from was asking me how much kupo weighed.. when I told her 5lbs, (he's currently 5 months old, with 5-6 lbs weight expectancy based on his parents) she told me that I should change the food to adult food at 6 months and start watching his weight.. When I've contacted my vet, she was saying that Kupo is very healthy, and def. not fat, but she think he's nearing the end of his growth spurt, since he grew a lot in a short period of time.. but she recommended me to change his food at 1 year.. And that breeder just wanted the yorkie small.. I've contacted Orijen, and here is what they are telling me: "The basic idea is that you feed a puppy formula until they reach their expected adult weight. If your puppy is at his expected adult weight you can switch to an adult formula, usually whichever flavour they prefer. The one most similar to the Puppy formula is our Adult, they are both chicken based diets." So.. they are recommending me to change to adult food soon too as my breeder did. I'm looking into Orijen Adult food.. either six fish or the adult regional red.. and they do have recommended amount for puppies Orijen Feeding Guide What do you think? I do see that most yorkie people do change their puppy food to adult anytime between 8 months to a year, but I do see that some fed puppies adult food from the start..

07-18-2015, 11:47 AM	#4
lisaly Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 5,891	Kupo is still young, so I would definitely keep him on puppy food. I would make sure he has the healthiest start to life. Even if his expected adult weight is supposed to be 5-6 pounds based upon his parents, because of genetics and his lines including other generations, he may be larger. If you decide to breed him, his genes are still his genes. I know you wouldn't do it purposely, but stunting his growth won't affect the size of the puppies he throws. From what I've read, you don't need to worry about a puppy being overweight. __________________ *Lisa and* Katie *Ashley 6/10,* *Gracie 2/04,* Kiwi 10/03, and Jolie 7/93 .

07-18-2015, 01:42 PM	#6
Deviruchi Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: i like to hide under things Posts: 226	@lisaly oh i just want kupo to be healthy, i don't want to underfeed or overfeed him if anything.. i even avoid giving him grain foods.. thanks guys for replies. but what do you guys think about those all life stage dog food? like orijen regional red and six fish? Last edited by Deviruchi; 07-18-2015 at 01:45 PM.

07-20-2015, 05:59 AM	#8
BabyGirl Rosie I ♥ my girls! Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: With My Yorkies Posts: 18,980	My vet recommended keeping my girls on puppy food until they were one year old. I would listen to my vets advice. __________________ Momma to three sweet Yorkie girls Rosie Marie, Mikki Leigh , and Lily Mae Grace!

07-20-2015, 07:54 AM	#9
lisaly Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 5,891	Orijen White Paper If you have the time, you might find this interesting. http://www.acana.com/wp-content/uplo...-11th-2012.pdf __________________ *Lisa and* Katie *Ashley 6/10,* *Gracie 2/04,* Kiwi 10/03, and Jolie 7/93 .

07-18-2015, 10:31 AM	#2
Yorkiemom1 Rosehill Yorkies Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 9,462	I have always left mine and recommended to my new owners, to stay on puppy food until they are a year old....if the pup is sexually mature at 8 months, go to adult....if the pup is around 3-4 lbs at 8 months and has not had her first heat or "he" has not reached sexual maturity (shown by hiking his leg to pee to mark his territory), leave baby on puppy food until a year old....the added nutrition they get from puppy food is beneficial to growth and strengthening of immune systems, organ development, and bone maturation. If those building blocks are defective because of inadequate nutrition, that stays with them for life, causing issues later on. I agree with your vet.....I suspect the breeder recommends putting that pup on adult food at 6 months in order to try to stunt his growth. Years ago, when I FIRST started with a yorkie pup, the "breeder" told me to feed this baby 7 pieces of puppy kibble, three times a day.....can you imagine this!!!!!!??? I had NO clue then, but I was QUICKLY taught by pros and clearly understand now *that was simply to stunt that pups growth so he would remain tiny*. Thank God, I had show people that directed me away from this method of stunting a pups growth to "keep him a tiny breeder", which is what is most important to back yard breeders....not the health of the puppy but the size of the puppy, because "tiny teacup yorkies" are in demand! I was NOT looking for a tiny little pup, but those pups are what sell quickly to an uneducated public. Besides, it is what is behind that pup in his pedigree....you can starve your puppy and stunt his growth, but what is in his genes is what will pass on in breeding! I use this as an example to explane the damage you do by with holding correct nourishment from a growing baby. Dont ever use food intake to control the growth of a puppy! Feed that baby properly, so he can achieve fully what God put in his genes for him to be, and when he is mature and all the hormones and bone plates and organs are the best they can be because of good healthy proper nutrition, THEN if there is a weight issue, address it. I recoil at the idea at putting a puppy on adult formula from the start! This is wrong on many levels!

07-18-2015, 11:19 AM	#3
Deviruchi Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: i like to hide under things Posts: 226	@yorkiemom1, yeah, that's what vet and i thought the breeder was doing. i just want kupo to be healthy, but when i've contacted orijen, their adult line also has recommended feeding amount for puppies too so i was bit confused. i just want kupo to be healthy and well. i don't mind if he grows over the average of typical yorkies if you see on 2nd table of adult, regional red and six fish dog, it states that the puppies can be fed this food starting 1.5 month old o.o which def. got me wondering.. if this really was ok.... especially since the customer service also recommended me feeding it to him if kupo was nearing his expected weight.. this is the food he's currently on now: orijen puppy food but this is the food i was looking at... either... orijen six fish dog food or orijen adult food i was looking at the guaranteed analysis of the both food and only difference was the adult food had 2% less crude fat compared to the puppy food, and that it also had microorganism of 120M cfu/kg, which puppy food did not have. oh and puppy food had extra carbohydrate of 20% which adult food didn't. so is the carbohydrate what's helping puppy at their developmental stage? not exactly sure what microorganism on adult food does either... o.o as of now, i'm feeding him orijen puppy food 1/3 cup a day total. since they are recommending for those who are expected to weigh 10lbs, feed 2/3 cups. do you think this is enough or is it too little? i'm also providing him some snacks between, such as dehydrated chicken, or carrots and apples throughout the day.

07-20-2015, 01:47 AM	#7
chestermama YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: washington Posts: 3,383 Blog Entries: 1	I changed chester at 10 months or so

07-20-2015, 03:35 PM	#10
Britster Action Jackson ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 17,814	For the most part, a lot of puppy/senior food is marketing. Not ALL. For example giant breeds, it's very important to get the right amount of calcium/phosphorus etc. But if you compare a lot of puppy foods to adult foods, they're often in the similar range of protein/fat/etc. Plus small breeds usually are close to their full grown size between 6-8 months anyway. A lot of foods like Orijen and Acana are all life stages and formulated for any age. __________________ ~ Brit & Lights! Camera! Jackson! CGC ETD TKP ~ Follow Jackson on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacksontheterrier

07-20-2015, 06:01 PM	#11
Deviruchi Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: i like to hide under things Posts: 226	thank you guys for your responses. and thank you @lisaly for the pdf. it was very informative and answered some of the qs i had. @britster so... are you suggesting switching to orijen adult food would be ok? i did look at their food analysis and not much was different between puppy food and adult food other than fat or carb content.

07-21-2015, 11:03 AM	#12
Yorkiemom1 Rosehill Yorkies Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 9,462	I would strongly suggest keeping a puppy on puppy food until a year old, then switching to adult food when they are indeed an adult and all growth plates are complete.