when is a puppy not a puppy?

[nemises_gendo]

i know this subject has probably been brought up before, but i did search and culdnt find anything.

i was just wondering when you should stop feeding a puppy, puppy food?
my pup is about 4 months old now. when did every 1 else change to next size up?
at the moment i have been feeding him james wellbeloved (dried kibble) and have started to introduce a little tripe to get him used to it gradually. i already learnt from the mistake of feedsing him to much to soon lol.



also whenever i got my pup there was 1 small single brindle strip, apart from that he is black (except his white chest and feet) but he seems to becoming out in alot more brindle. not loads but just more in other areas etc? would anyone know if this is common and how much to expect? not that it really matters but im just wondering

[geisthexe]

For a large breed you should stop feeding it puppy food around 6 to 9 months of age. but I suggest you ask you veterinarian your question. I now the vet I work for tells people this all the time. And I have always stopped at 6 months.. Hope this helps

[genevieve]

With a giant breed like the Presa you can put them on adult food right from weaning, honestly. Otherwise make sure you are using a large breed formula and switch them over at 1 year.

Genevieve

[jdunson]

I agree with Genevieve. Since they were weaned I have been feeding adult. Now I will say this, it may depend on what you're feeding. Some foods are made for all stages life. i would make sure to watch that it is geared toward large breed dogs and watch over feeding.

[nemises_gendo]

thanx people. i moved him on to adult now since monday, everything seems fine. no diareah etc.
i have been itroduceing tripe, chicken etc. but when and how would you introduce the likes of livers and hearts as they would be quite high in proteins and iron? im not planing a raw diet so i will probably be boiling the hearts and giveing him them along with kibble.

which is best beef heart or lamb heart?

thanx

[presas4me]

Heart is a easier meat to feed than liver.....definitely more "results" if you feed too much liver. I haven't had a problem feeding heart and they love all species :ok: Why boil it....they will love it "as is." I feed organ meat at least couple times a week and only a heaping tablespoon at a time.

I think the reason puppy kibble is not recommended is because of too much calcium; makes the bones grow too fast.....large breeds need to grow nice and slow!

[genevieve]

Puppy kibble has higher protein and fat levels which promote rapid growth.

Genevieve

[nemises_gendo]

what do you mean a heaping tea spoon at a time? do you mean 1 or 2 hearts at a time?
i work in an offal factory (liver, hearts, kidneys) so i dont plan on moveing to a raw diet, but i will be feeding him hearts from time to time, so will it be ok to give him them raw even if it is the only raw food he will be getting as the rest of his diet will be made up of kibble?

[presas4me]

I get the dog's beef heart grinded up so it is easy to scoop out a heaping tablespoon; maybe a few ounces? It would be fine to add to his kibble; you aren't adding that much. Usually you don't mix an entire meal of kibble and raw together as it stays in the stomach too long; kibble takes much longer to digest than raw.

[nemises_gendo]

its funny that we are talking about hearts and when i came home, i found sumo (my dog) had opened the freezer, and had goten 3 beef hearts out of the freezer lol.
thanx for the advice.

[presas4me]

Are you talking whole hearts.....those are HUGE!

[nemises_gendo]

yea he got hole beef hearts out of the freezer, he neva eat them r nothing. i think i will be starting him on small lamb hearts lol. i only have the beef hearts for my mate who feeds them to his boxers n pit.