Ask Dr Claire

Do I still need to be feeding my 7 month Great Dane x Boxer who is 30kgs puppy food or can I start feeding him adult dog food. We feed him black hawk puppy food but for his weight we need to be feeding him 5 to 6 cups a day and for the adult food it is 2 to 3 cups a day

The recommendation is to feed a puppy diet until the pup is at least 90% of their adult weight. This means it can be for over a year in large breeds.

In general small dogs are on puppy food for one year, in large dogs up to 18 months, in giant breed dogs 24 months.

The main thing is to feed the portion of food that supports a good body condition in your individual dog (ie not too thin, not too big). Always go off how they look rather than a number.

The amounts on packets are merely a guide and often they over estimate what a dog needs.

If you’d like to chat in person, you can get a vet on a live video call or start a chat to discuss in more detail.

We’re on stand-by to help!

Chat soon,

Dr Claire