Feeding Adult kibble to a puppy - any problems?

[KSims1868]

Diesel is about 3 mos old now. He has gotten to where he does NOT like his puppy kibble but LOVES the adult kibble our my other dog eats. It's the same brand...but something about the adult kibble he just loves. He has no problems chewing it or crunching it up. I've broken some pieces and compared to the puppy kibble and neither is harder than the other or would be more difficult to chew.

Any reason he shouldn't eat it?
Right now...I'm mixing it about 50/50 because this dog food isn't cheap and I want him to finish the bag if possible.

Thoughts?

[Timas Mom]

Depends on the food, but puppies need more fat and protein than adults. They are growing.
Also there are differences in the formulations regarding calcium, ect

[k8nkane]

If your adult kibble is really an "All Life Stages" food, then it should ideally be okay. If it's not, then he should really be on puppy kibble as, like the previous commenter said, they have different nutrient ratios that they need while they're growing.

[merriterrier]

Depends on the kibble. ALS formulas will support puppy growth just fine. As will some of the higher end foods with more protein and fat.

Puppy kibble sometimes is actually more prone to cause issues in some pups as it encourages the pup to grow too fast. I have seen more early joint issues in pups fed puppy food than pups fed ALS or adult. (mostly wonky pasterns and fronts from growing too fast for the joints, or pain when walking. These issues can be mitigated with proper supplementation and diet.)

Remember: all foods must meet minimum requirements to maintain canine life as established by AAFCO, and most all foods on the market today far surpass the AAFCO recommendations as well as add nutrients and supplements way beyond the recommended levels. (Even many light foods far surpass protein and fat ratios for maintenance set forth by AAFCO). Compare Lg Breed Puppy to Adult or ALS, the analysis might surprise you.

The pet food industry is based on a lot of marketing and clever ploys. Learn to read ingredients and profiles then compare with AAFCO guidelines and information on nutrition from animal nutritionists and human nutritionists.

I'm not saying "Don't feed puppy food" just saying it is not the only way. Of course, if it makes you feel better feed puppy food.

[Misskiwi67]

What adult food are you feeding? That would help us a lot in knowing if it was a good choice or not.

[gixxerific]

What adult food are you feeding? That would help us a lot in knowing if it was a good choice or not.

That is what I was going to say. Not all dog food is created equal, heck some shouldn't have been created in the first place.

That being said I did accidentally buy a smaller bag of adult food for Lucy (Blue Buffalo) but when it was gone I started here back on the puppy. She will be a year old next month.