Puppies and kittens do most of their growing in the first 6 months of life. With respect to canines, small breeds reach full size by approximately 8-12 months of age, medium breeds in 12-18 months, and large and giant breeds in 18-24 months.
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Providing your growing pet with a balanced and breed specific diet is crucial to appropriate development and prevention of musculoskeletal deformities that can be life-long problems for them.
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According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials’ (AAFCO) feeding trial, puppies and kittens should be fed a diet formulated for growth or for “All Life Stages”. Domestic feline breeds do not vary greatly in their adult weight and thus size-specific growth diets are not available or indicated. The major distinction made in canines is between small & toy breeds and large & giant breeds.
Small & Toy Breed Puppies
Surprisingly, small & toy breed puppies have higher energy requirements per unit of body weight than their giant counterparts do! Therefore these little guys require a more caloric dense food. Small & toy breed puppies have smaller stomachs. In order to meet their demands, the food they consume must be more nutrient dense, highly digestible, and kibble size.
Large & Giant Breed Puppies
These breeds are particularly susceptible to pathologic skeletal development due to OVERFEEDING or dietary imbalance. Some of the skeletal diseases that may result include:
- Canine hip dysplasia
- Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy
- Osteochondrosis
An appropriate diet for large & giant breed puppies should be slightly lower in caloric density and fat than most puppy foods. Their food should be made with a high quality protein source with the appropriate level and ratio of calcium and phosphorus. ADULT dog foods are not formulated to meet the necessary growth rate that your puppy needs. These adult foods do not contain the ideal calcium and phosphorus content that your large & giant breed puppy needs. Choosing the correct food for your large & giant breed puppy will aid in controlling their growth rate as well as help circumvent skeletal defects.
Regardless of species or size of your puppy, OVERFEEDING during growth stages will contribute to skeletal defects and or the development of obesity. While many kittens can self-regulate, be fed “free choice”, or have food available at all times, some will need to be fed measured meals to prevent obesity.
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Puppies daily total food volume should be divided into 3 - 4 separate meals until four to six months of age, at which time twice daily feeding is recommended.
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When choosing a pet food manufacturer, it is important to choose one that has a long standing history of quality pet food manufacturing. Look for companies that have researched ways to improve in the science of nutrition. With the boom of many new pet food manufacturers in the last 10 years, it is important for you to have an objective knowledge of each manufacturer’s science & standards behind the food they sell. If you have any questions regarding which companies we consider leaders in pet nutrition and science or questions about which food your puppy needs, please ask us. Our doctors and staff are here to assist you in answering any questions you may have.
PUPPY & KITTEN NUTRITION
By Dr. Zach Anderson, DVM
SEPTEMBER 2010
