Life Stage Nutrition

Your puppy is growing fast.  Every day you watch him take one step closer to becoming an adult dog. This transition will surely affect his nutritional needs, but how?

Puppies of various breed sizes grow and mature at different rates.  Small dogs tend to mature more quickly than larger dogs. Some research suggests that a puppy's diet is best based on the size and weight of his breed. You should talk to your veterinarian about how you might tailor your puppy's diet to his size.

Let's define general age categories for dogs:

• Puppies are generally less than 1 year old, but large or giant breeds can be considered puppies for up to 2 years.
• Adult dogs are generally between 1 and 6 years old.
• "Senior" dogs are usually 7 years or older.

Refer to the chart below to see how your puppy's size affects how quickly he'll mature.  You can also view the relative age of your dog in human years.