# Feeding puppy food vs adult



## Ashley Campbell (Jun 21, 2009)

I did a few searches and didn't come up with anything that answered this.

My new pup has been fed Purina One large breed puppy. I feed either Purina One, or Kirkland Chicken and Rice to my adult dog - it's been Kirkland recently since it's cheaper and I have a Costco membership again.
So I'm debating on whether to switch him to Kirkland puppy food or keep up what he's been fed...OR adult food?
It seems both Kirkland products have better ingredients, and same protein and what not percentages, but I have no clue - it's been a long time since I had a young puppy (I'd say close to 8 years or so) and it's been long enough that they were fed whatever for lack of knowing any better. 

Suggestions?


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

I have a Sam's Club membership, but no Costco close by. Do they make a large breed puppy food?


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## Faisal Khan (Apr 16, 2009)

If it were me I would feed a good adult food and mix some raw ground beef or throw a raw chicken/neck and wing in there too.


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

How old is the pup?


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## Ashley Campbell (Jun 21, 2009)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> I have a Sam's Club membership, but no Costco close by. Do they make a large breed puppy food?


they make a puppy food, I'm not sure if it's "large breed" specific or not. He's 8 weeks (I apparently can't count because the breeder called and asked if i was picking up this weekend - when I was thinking it was the 11th - d'oh!)

Kirkland puppy:
Calorie Content
3,761 kcal/kg (356 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy


Ingredients:
Chicken,chicken meal,whole grain brown rice, cracked pearled barley, egg product, beet pulp, chicken fat(preserved with mixed tocopherols and Vitamin E), potatoes,fish meal, flaxseed,natural flavors, brewers dried yeast, millet, potassium chloride, salt, choline, carrots, peas, kelp, apples, dried skim milk, cranberry powder,
salmon oil (a source of DHA), rosemary extract, parsley flake, dried chicory root, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.


Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein 28.0% minimum
Crude Fat 17.0% minimum
Crude Fiber 3.0% minimum
Moisture 10.0% minimum
Calcium 1.2% minimum
Phosphorus 1.0%minimum
Zinc 225mg/kg minimum
Selenium 0.4 mg/kg minimum
Vitamin E 250 IU/kg minimum
Omega-6 Fatty Acids 3.0% minimum*
Omega-3 Fatty Acids 0.5% minimum*
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) 0.05% minimum*



Purina One large breed puppy:

Crude Protein (MIN)28.0% Selenium (Se) (MIN)0.30 mg/kg Crude Fat (MIN)13.0% Vitamin A (MIN)15,000 IU/kg Crude Fiber (MAX)6.0% Vitamin E (MIN)100 IU/kg Moisture (MAX)12.0% Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) (MIN)*0.05% Linoleic Acid (MIN)1.6% Glucosamine (MIN)*400 ppm Calcium (Ca) (MIN)1.1% Omega-6 Fatty Acids (MIN)*1.8% Phosphorus (P) (MIN)0.8% 
 *Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles









Chicken (natural source of glucosamine), brewers rice, corn gluten meal, poultry by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), whole grain wheat, whole grain corn, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), pea fiber, fish meal, animal digest, dried egg product, fish oil (source of DHA), salt, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, potassium citrate, calcium phosphate, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, ferrous sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, Vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate, Vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite. 








Metabolizable Energy (ME)
3798 kcal/kg
1725 kcal/lb
404 kcal/cup


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I'm not good with the dog food thing - I also do feed trimmings and chicken parts when I have them as well.


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## Kerry Foose (Feb 20, 2010)

If it were me I would be sticking to the Kirkland over the Purina, as I am not a fan of corn gluten, whole corn and definitely not the non-descript "animal fat" which could be any damned thing. 
Of course mine get puppy as infants and it goes home with the pups, my own get adult kibble along with raw bones here. This way I can adjust accordingly on a daily basis as to what their nutritional needs were met on any given day. I look at kibble as basic maintenance and raw and scraps as supplement to their energy expenditure and growth development needs. 
Good luck with the new pup.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Ashley, I'd check both the Kirkland adult and the puppy and see if they are AAFCO labeled for all life stages. One of the biggest reasons to do large breed puppy is to keep it nutritionally dense for puppy growth without adding in extra calories which can make them grow too quickly. That one doesn't look particularly calorically dense. Anyways, if the adult is labeled for all life stages, that'd probably be fine for a growing pup.


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## Ashley Campbell (Jun 21, 2009)

This is the label for the adult food - doesn't say all life stages.

AAFCO Statement 
Animal feeding tests using Association of American Feed Control Officials procedures substantiate that Kirkland Signature Chicken & Rice Adult Dog Formula provides complete and balanced nutrition for maintenance.


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## Rochele Smit (Feb 3, 2010)

Ashley
Our pups have been on the Kirkland adult (also get raw chicken and carrots) since they were 6 weeks old. They would inhale the puppy food and choke on it so I gave up and just put them on the adult. They have been doing great on it.


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## Ashley Campbell (Jun 21, 2009)

Oh, our costco is carrying their grain free product now (just got back from there, hehe) but I ended up buying a bag of the regular puppy food, it's only $12/20 lbs - if he inhales it he can suck it up and I'll mix the puppy in with the adult and feed it to both of them. 

Thanks Rochele for the idea!


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