Puppy Diet compared to Adult Diet

Puppies require a specially formulated diet, with higher protein, fat, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals. This is to aid a healthy growth and prevent problems in later years.

The table below shows the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles comparison between puppy and adult requirements. It’s worth noting that not all foods conform to this, but thankfully these days most do. Many foods in Australia conform to the American AAFCO standards, and if you see a food labelled as Complete and Balanced then it must conform to the requirements in the table below.

TABLE 1 — AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles ^a
Nutrient	Units DM Basis	Growth and Reproduction Minimum	Adult Maintenance Minimum	Maximum
Protein	%	22.0	18.0
Arginine	%	0.62	0.51
Histidine	%	0.22	0.18
Isoleucine	%	0.45	0.37
Leucine	%	0.72	0.59
Lysine	%	0.77	0.63
Methionine-cystine	%	0.53	0.43
Phenylalanine-tyrosine	%	0.89	0.73
Threonine	%	0.58	0.48
Tryptophan	%	0.20	0.16
Valine	%	0.48	0.39
Fat ^b	%	8.0	5.0
Linoleic acid	%	1.0	1.0
Minerals
Calcium	%	1.0	0.6	2.5
Phosphorus	%	0.8	0.5	1.6
Ca:P ratio		1:1	1:1	2:1
Potassium	%	0.6	0.6
Sodium	%	0.3	0.06
Chloride	%	0.45	0.09
Magnesium	%	0.04	0.04	0.3
Iron ^c	mg/kg	80.0	80.0	3000.0
Copper ^d	mg/kg	7.3	7.3	250.0
Manganese	mg/kg	5.0	5.0
Zinc	mg/kg	120.0	120.0	1000.0
Iodine	mg/kg	1.5	1.5	50.0
Selenium	mg/kg	0.11	0.11	2.0
Vitamins
Vitamin A	IU/kg	5000.0	5000.0	250000.0
Vitamin D	IU/kg	500.0	500.0	5000.0
Vitamin E	IU/kg	50.0	50.0	1000.0
Thiamine ^e	mg/kg	1.0	1.0
Riboflavin	mg/kg	2.2	2.2
Pantothenic acid	mg/kg	10.0	10.0
Niacin	mg/kg	11.4	11.4
Pyridoxine	mg/kg	1.0	1.0
Folic Acid	mg/kg	0.18	0.18
Vitamin B12	mg/kg	0.022	0.022
Choline	mg/kg	1200.0	1200.0

^a Presumes an energy density of 3.5 kcal ME/g DM, based on the “modified Atwater” values of 3.5, 8.5, and 3.5 kcal/g for protein, fat, and carbohydrate (nitrogen-free extract, NFE), respectively. Rations greater than 4.0 kcal/g should be corrected for energy density; rations less than 3.5 kcal/g should not be corrected for energy. ^b Although a true requirement for fat per se has not been established, the minimum level was based on recognition of fat as a source of essential fatty acids, as a carrier of fat-soluble vitamins, to enhance palatability, and to supply an adequate caloric density. ^c Because of very poor bioavailability, iron from carbonate or oxide sources that are added to the diet should not be considered as components in meeting the minimum nutrient level. ^d Because of very poor bioavailability, copper from oxide sources that are added to the diet should not be considered as components in meeting the minimum nutrient level. ^e Because processing may destroy up to 90 percent of the thiamine in the diet, allowance in formulation should be made to ensure the minimum nutrient level is met after processing.

More information is available at the US FDA website.

Puppy Diet compared to Adult Diet

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