Switching To Adult Food

[Faol]

The last time Ailchu saw the vet, he told me that I could switch him to adult food since he is so big. He has been on it almost two weeks now. Last week I weighed Ailchu, he was 60 lbs. This week when I weighed him, he was 55 lbs. Is that normal? Maybe I am not giving him the correct amounts? I am giving him two and half cups of Wellness a day which is what a 60 lb dog should be getting according to the directions on the package. If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions, I would really appreciate them. Thanks.

[mom2cocoa]

Is he very high energy? Maybe 2.5 cups a day is what a settled adult dog would get, but a higher energy older puppy may need more than that. I'd increase to 3 cups a day and see if he gains the weight back. Five lbs. is a pretty significant loss, though.
Cocoa is turning 7 years old this summer. She weighs 57 lbs. and eats 2 cups a day. With your dog being sooo much younger than her, I'd think 3 cups wouldn't be unreasonable.

[Faol]

Thanks, Mom2cocoa, I'll definitely try that. He sure does dive into the adult food, though! When he was on the puppy food, he didn't really seem to like it, it would take him forever to finish one portion.

[Dangels]

What breed of puppy is he? Small - medium size breeds usually stay on puppy food anywhere from 6 months - 1 year of age, depending on what the vet recommends. However, large breed puppies such as Great Danes should not be given puppy food at all. This is because almost all puppy foods are very high in Protein, and most XL breed dogs should have 24% or less protein to reduce the chances of bone structure issues, and conditions such as Wobblers Syndrome. Which is why most breeders of very large breed dogs suggest not feeding a puppy food which is high in protein, but instead feeding a very high quality adult dog food.

[Lunachick]

Ailchu is an Akbash (livestock guardian dog. Related to the Great Pyrenees, Kuvasz, etc). He's about 7-8mnths now and around 80lbs. Still getting 3 cups of the adult Wellness a day.