A Question about a growing Chow

[bellabear27]

Hi Everyone!

Bella is getting older.. she'll soon be 10 Months (wow.. time certainly does fly!). She is nearing a year so we are starting to think about when we should switch her over to adult food and what kind she should have. So, do you think we should wait until she is a year to make the switch? Maybe do it earlier? Or later?? Right now, she is eating puppy kibble for large breed dogs, so when we do switch her over to adult food, should it be adult food for large breed dogs, or just regular food?? I didn't realize choosing a kibble for your pup could be such a confusing and difficult decision!!

[Auddymay]

I fed Lily puppy kibble a whole year, but I did so in the hope she would grow a little more. She topped out at 33 pounds (to my dismay). You should be noticing her growth (weight gain) tapering off a little at about 10 months. It won't really hurt either way you go, but I would personally opt for regular dog food, not large breed.

[Mia]

I agree - straight to regular food.

But, I have had many chow breeders tell me to move them quickly to regular adult food before a year. Apparently, unlike most dogs, Chows seem to quickly outgrow the need for the extra protein found in puppy foods.

[jacqui]

what Mia said is true.breeders and vets have told me to change from puppy to adult food between 6-9 months old.
too much protein is not good for Chows.

[sengeoz]

As a breeder, while I recommend/prefer my puppy buyers feed a raw diet (it's part of the health warranty conditions), nevertheless, I recommend to anyone who asks to NEVER, NEVER, NEVER feed puppy formula...

Puppy formula is formulated to encourage growth in pups. However, Chows are amongst the smallest of the "giant" breeds and as such have larger, denser skeletal systems and tend to grow faster anyway. If they are fed too much protein, then this causes to grow even faster, which put greater strain on their joints and joint development. So once a Chow puppy is weaned, the best approach is to "grow them slowly" which is aided by keeping them lean, preferably for life, but at least for the first 18-24 months.

The rule of thumb with Chows is to keep their overall protein intake to between 20-25% depending on the dog, their activity levels and the weather conditions where the dog lives.

Keep in mind that if the dam is on kibble while pregnant and nursing, she should be on the puppy formula to increase her intake of protein (and no I don't feed my girls kibble when they are pregnant, they get extra raw meaty bones, organ meats etc from the second trimester forward through week 7-8).

Cheers,