Puppy or Junior Large Breed food

You are standing in front of the puppy food aisle, trying to choose the right food for your little four-legged friend. Grain-free or low-grain? 100% natural food, yes or no? Food with just one source of protein or food with multiple protein sources? There is a huge amount of choice when it comes to dog food… Once you have finally chosen a brand, you are faced with the next question: is puppy food or junior large breed food best for your puppy?

It is useful to know that the choice between puppy food and junior large breed food has nothing to do with your puppy’s age. So what does it have to do with, you may be wondering? Your puppy’s adult weight:

Puppies with an adult weight of 1–24 kg should be fed puppy food;

puppies with an adult weight of 25 kg or more should be fed junior large breed food.

Please note: every puppy should be fed puppy food until the age of 3 months. After three months, puppies of large breeds can switch to junior large breed food.

What is the difference between puppy food and junior large breed food?

The exact differences between the two varieties naturally depend on the brand. With some brands, you may find more differences between puppy food and junior large breed food than with others. In general, however, four differences can be identified between puppy and junior large breed food:

1. Fats
In general, puppies of large breeds have a growth spurt between 8 and 14 months, but these animals also experience significant growth before this time. It is important that puppies of large breeds do not grow too quickly during this period, as this can lead to enostosis (growing pains). To prevent large breed puppies from growing too quickly, it is important to give them food containing balanced amounts of protein and fat. And that is the first difference between puppy and junior large breed food: the energy value/metabolizable energy.

Puppies obtain the energy they need to grow from their food. When puppies of large breeds consume too much energy through their food, for example when they are given regular puppy food or too much food, they may grow too quickly. That is why junior large breed food is the best choice for large breed puppies: it contains balanced amounts of protein and fat to support steady, optimal growth, reducing the risk of enostosis.

2. Calcium
Another difference between puppy food and junior large breed food is the amount of calcium. The calcium requirements of puppies of large breeds differ from those of puppies of smaller breeds.

Puppies of large breeds are more susceptible to skeletal problems; the bones of these animals grow extremely quickly, leaving more room for ‘mistakes’. A puppy’s body is not yet able to excrete excess calcium. When a puppy of a large breed consumes too much calcium, this negatively affects the formation and growth of the skeleton. When the animals consume an excess of calcium, this can result in deformed bones.

It is therefore very important that the food contains a balanced amount of calcium. The percentage of calcium (based on 100 grams of dry matter) is often lower in junior large breed food than in puppy food; as a result, the food contributes to optimal skeletal development.*