Dog Life-Stage Feeding
Dog life-stage feeding is an important consideration. Much like humans, dogs have different energy and nutritional requirements during their various stages of life, and while a fresh food diet for both species tends to remain much the same throughout our lives, there are important adjustments that can help to ensure a healthy transition from one life stage to another.
From the rapid growth of puppyhood to the changing requirements of adulthood and the additional support often needed in later years, feeding the right diet at the right stage is one of the most important ways to support lifelong health.
What is dog life-stage feeding?
We and our dogs have a surprising number of things in common. Not only do we share much of the same DNA (84% to be exact) and broadly similar digestive processes, we also both go through the same life stages.
Both species go through infancy (puppyhood in dogs), adulthood and what psychologists call older adulthood or senior years.
A life-stage diet for dogs is a diet suitable for each of those life stages.
- Puppies need nutrient-dense food that is rich in protein, fat and calories for steady, healthy growth.
- Adult dogs need a maintenance diet that provides sufficient fat for energy but moderates calories to avoid unhealthy weight gain.
- Senior dogs need easy-to-digest food that continues the theme of moderating weight while at the same time, offers much-needed joint support.
To add to the confusion of that, larger dogs age faster than small dogs. Older dogs have slower metabolisms but often need more nutrients to absorb what they require. They also often benefit from added fibre for digestion and supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin for joints.
While a life-stage diet for dogs will still include much of the same foodstuffs, it is likely to need those in different proportion as it ages.
Puppies
Puppies grow at an astonishing rate during their first year and require nutrient-dense diets that provide high-quality protein, healthy fats and carefully balanced calcium and phosphorus to support healthy bones and muscles.
By way of reference, by the time a puppy reaches 1 year of age, its physical and behavioural maturity is generally comparable to that of a teenager or young adult human being.
That is a lot of growth in a very short period of time!
During this stage, nutrition helps support:
- Growth and development
- Brain and vision development
- Strong bones and teeth
- Healthy immune function
- Learning and activity
Young puppies also require smaller, more frequent meals than most adult dogs.
Read our complete Puppy Feeding Guidelines.
Adult dogs
Once fully grown, dogs transition to what is known as a maintenance diet, a diet that supports their daily energy needs while helping maintain an ideal body condition. In truth, this diet needs to be little different to a dog’s puppy diet except for the reduction in calcium and perhaps one or two other minor modifications.
Adult dog diets focus on:
- Lean muscle maintenance
- Healthy gut microbiome
- Consistent energy
- Healthy skin and coat
- Long-term health span
The ideal diet depends on activity level, breed and lifestyle.
Read our Adult Dog Feeding Guidelines.
Senior dogs
As dogs age, their metabolism, activity levels and nutritional requirements often change in much the same way they change for we human beings.
Many senior dogs benefit from diets that provide:
- Highly digestible protein
- Joint-supporting nutrients
- Controlled calories
- Increased omega-3 fatty acids
- Easily digestible ingredients
Maintaining a healthy body condition becomes increasingly important to support mobility and overall quality of life in senior dogs.
Read our Senior Dog Feeding Guidelines.
Dog life-stage feeding frequently asked questions
Q. When should puppies transition to solid food?
A. Puppies start weaning around 3 to 4 weeks of age and should eat solid food entirely by 8 weeks of age.
Q. How often should I feed a puppy?
A. Feed puppies 4 to 5 times a day up to 4 months old, then 3 times a day until they reach 6 months.
Q. Do puppies need special puppy food?
A. In terms of fresh food, puppies don’t need special food (think of a puppy growing up in the wild), but they do need a diet that contains higher protein, fat, calcium and phosphorus levels to support rapid bone and muscle growth.
Q. When do large breed puppies switch to adult food?
A. Large breeds grow more slowly and should stay on a fresh food diet created for puppies until 12 to 24 months to prevent skeletal issues.
Q. Can I feed a puppy adult food?
A. Think of a puppy growing up in the wild. Essentially it will eat much the same diet as an older dog, but because it will need a diet that contains higher protein, fat, calcium and phosphorus in its diet, it will eat more in order to achieve those aims.
Q. How many times a day should an adult dog eat?
A. Most adult dogs thrive when fed 2 equal meals per day, spaced roughly 12 hours apart. That said, smaller breed adult dogs, because of their faster metabolism, are very often better fed 3 or 4 times a day.
Q. How do I calculate adult portion sizes?
A. Large breed adult dogs should be fed between 2 and 3% of their body weight per day, less 10% if the dog has been neutered or spayed. Smaller breed dogs are often better feed between 5 and 10% of their body weight per day because of their smaller tummies and higher metabolic rate.
Q. How do I know if my adult dog is overweight?
A. You should easily feel its ribs without pressing hard, and they should have a visible waistline when viewed from above.
Q. Do senior dogs need special food?
A. Not necessarily, but they may need their existing diets tailored more to their current needs by making minor nutrient adjustments.
Q. Is fresh food suitable for every life stage?
A. Yes. Fresh food can support dogs at every life stage. That includes both puppies and senior dogs.
Q. Should senior dogs eat less protein?
A. No, healthy senior dogs actually need high-quality, easily digestible protein to preserve their remaining muscle mass. So no, not less protein, just higher quality protein.
Q. How can I make food more appetising for a senior dog?
A. Warm its food little or add warm broth to enhance the aroma.
Q. How do I switch my dog to a new life stage food?
A. Because you are feeding fresh food and essentially feeding the same food, you don’t need to transition to a new life stage food.
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