We’ve been feeding our 5-month old lab mix dry puppy food from the start. However, the last time I got food I accidentally ordered adult food. The packaging is very similar and what I bought was labeled “small bite, life protection.” Is it OK to feed my dog this food until it runs out? It’s about a month supply. The brand I got was Blue Buffalo Life Protection Small Bite, and what she had been getting was Blue Buffalo Life Protection Puppy Food. The packages are nearly identical and the food bits are the same size.
Hi Tarwheel, If the packaging says for adults only, I wouldn't recommend feeding it to a puppy. Puppies need food which is energy-rich and contains the right amount of important nutrients like calcium and phosphorous, to support their rapid growth. A safe portion size of adult food might not have enough calories and calcium to support correct tissue and bone growth during puppyhood, which could lead to growth abnormalities later on. Compensating by giving her bigger portions is likely to result in tummy problems and diarrhea instead. I know it's a pain, but could you just store the adult food until later in the year, and buy some more puppy food in the meantime? As an aside, there are some brands which make dog food suitable for all life stages. These have all the energy and nutrients puppies need in an appropriately sized puppy meal, and as adults they are simply served in much smaller portion sizes.
As Sarah says, if there is a Puppy food and an Adult food available in a range, then you should feed the suitable food for the life stage of your puppy. Some foods are 'All Life Stages' and those are suitable to feed whatever age your dog is. Usually it's the better quality foods which are 'All Life Stages'...
Thanks for the advice. I’ll pick up some more puppy food and bag up the adult food for later use. This is one of the hazards of ordering on-line. I searched for Blue Buffalo puppy food and the top item that came up is what I ordered, but it wasn’t the right food, although the packaging is nearly identical.
