Transitioning from Puppy to Adult Food
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I’ve been feeding my two-year-old pug a puppy formula that has no corn, beef or wheat. I've tried to switch him to adult food, but the kibble is too big for him to chew. Can I just keep him on puppy food?
- Marissa
Puppies, adult dogs and mature dogs all have different nutritional requirements, Marissa, so it’s important to feed your pets a diet intended for their life stage. Puppy diets are specifically formulated to help puppies grow into healthy adults, and contain additional energy that your adult dogs likely don’t need. Therefore, we recommend transitioning your pug to an adult dog food—one with small-sized kibble. Such products are available for smaller dogs.
When transitioning any pet to a new diet, it is very important to make the change gradually, over several days. You should begin by feeding him 25 percent of the new diet mixed with 75 percent of the old, then gradually increase to 50/50. Move slowly on to 75 and then 100 percent of the new diet. Going slowly will decrease the chances of digestive upset that might occur as a result of the change.
You can learn more by reading our Top 10 Tips for Feeding Your Adult Dog.