# Adult Food for a Puppy?



## sgpweing (Jun 8, 2020)

Hey Folks,

I am picking up my first V puppy on SATURDAY! I am beyond excited and our house is all ready for her. Our breeder is currently feeding her adult food because she says the puppy formula foods often promote unhealthy rapid growth for Vizslas. I know changing out food is a process so I am wondering if it worth us looking into different puppy foods or just keep her on the food the breeder has her on? Thanks in advance for any input!


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## CarlaHales (Jun 15, 2020)

I swear I'm not following you - I just did a search of this forum about puppy foods for this SAME reason (pretty sure we have been communicating via FB and are getting our pups from the same breeder), and your post was the most recent to come up! I am wondering the same thing, so I am interested what folks have to say. I DO remember having to try a few different foods with Guthrie, because his stools were ridiculously runny, when he was a puppy.


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

I'm not buying into it 100%.
Typically puppy foods have a higher protein and fat contents. Some adult feeds are less based on manufacturer.
Compare the food she is currently on, to the top 10 rated puppy foods and see how it stacks up. Regardless of how good a food is, or it's rating, if the puppy won't eat it consistently, it has to be changed to something different.
In the end though, she is going to be your puppy/dog, and you have to do what's right for her. My only advice is to pick a manufacturer that has products available retail and online. Try to avoid an obscure, boutique, dog food that is not readily available.
Finn, my 8-1/2month old, has been on Orijen large puppy food since we got him. We transitioned him from a Blue Seal, Pork and Barley mix, that he just didn't want to eat. This is supplemented with cooked chicken at every meal. Finn will eat about one whole chicken every 5-6days. 
I picked Orijen because it is easy to source, gets good reviews, and they have a complete product line. He'll be switching to an adult food with his next bag of puppy food. Once hunting season starts, the chicken content will be upped, and cooked beef will be added. Pedialyte will be used to moisten it if the weather stays warm.
I've tried Science Diet in the past and it was a no-go for every dog I've had. The gas was horrendous. I used Blue with my last two Vizslas, but had to constantly change flavors. 
Don't discount the Purina Pro Plan line.


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## CarlaHales (Jun 15, 2020)

gunnr said:


> I'm not buying into it 100%.
> Typically puppy foods have a higher protein and fat contents. Some adult feeds are less based on manufacturer.
> Compare the food she is currently on, to the top 10 rated puppy foods and see how it stacks up. Regardless of how good a food is, or it's rating, if the puppy won't eat it consistently, it has to be changed to something different.
> In the end though, she is going to be your puppy/dog, and you have to do what's right for her. My only advice is to pick a manufacturer that has products available retail and online. Try to avoid an obscure, boutique, dog food that is not readily available.
> ...



We will not be hunting our girl (we are getting her from the same breeder as the original poster), so I don't believe the added cooked chicken will be necessary. Is that why you add it - for field training activity? We did not add it to our first V's food either. Can you tell me more about the Pedialyte? Is this also something done for the high activity level during hunting season? The breeder is currently feeding Purina Pro Plan Sport.


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

Chicken is an inexpensive way to add lots of nutrients to a dogs food. It also helps to get their nose in the bowl. I can buy a whole chicken, cooked, for $5.00-$6.00 where I live.
I add cooked beef during hunting season to up the protein content and add in lots of RNA. It's been my experience that when it's still warm out, the dogs don't want to eat bagged food in the amounts they need, but adding meats bridges that gap.
Pedialyte is an electrolyte replacement solution for babies suffering from diarrhea. If you can give it to an infant, it's safe for a dog.
Many years ago I had one of my dogs literally "drop" in the field. She was running along just fine, started weaving sideways, and dropped to her belly in just a few seconds. Her eyes were just kind of "empty". Scared me to death!!!
I carried her back to the truck, cooled her down, and gave her a combination of water and Cytomax. She perked right back up, but I kept her out of the woods for a good solid week to recover, and she saw the Vet. She was not a happy girl during this time! Now I always have Pedialyte in the 'fridge.
The beginning of hunting season is always hot and humid in New England. Every year some dogs die from heat exhaution and partial dehydration. It's sad. Like all athletes, they need to be kept in shape, fed well, and allowed adequate rest periods. Dog food alone does not cover this amount of exertion.For every mile the hunter covers at a walk, the dog is easily covering 3 times that amount at a lope and run. You have to protect them from themselves.
Cold weather can also have an effect.


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## tegee26 (Apr 25, 2018)

As Gunnr mentioned, puppy formulas typically have higher protein and fat content. And I don't really know what your breeder is referring to in regard to "often promote unhealthy rapid growth for Vizslas", so can't comment on that one.

We've feed both our current V's this: ORIGINAL PUPPY FORMULA - Annamaet Pet Foods
And then transitioned them to this: ORIGINAL PUPPY FORMULA - Annamaet Pet Foods

Ironically the same protein and fat content and same ingredients because we like feeding higher protein to our V's as others have mentioned when feeding. Our V's get a ton of off leash exercise each day. This is not a grain free food, but is soy, corn and wheat free; which mimics my diet lol.

We've been very happy with Annameat and half the cost of Orijen; which is another great line of food. And when you look past all the marketing of said foods, have basically the same contents and beliefs on how to make a good quality kibble. 

HTH


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## abpod (Sep 19, 2019)

I might have missed it but at what age do you actually stop feeding puppy food and transition over into adult food? Looking for a timing rule of thumb. 9 months? 12 months old?


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