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What food, how much, and how often for my large breed puppy?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Female | spayed | 2 months and 22 days old | 20 lbs

What type of dog food is recommended for Mickey? What is the serving amount he should receive and how many times a day?

2 Answers

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Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

Published on September 13th, 2017

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are many great diets out there that you may find at your local pet store. I personally prefer the Purina Pro Plan shredded blends for puppies as they are generally inexpensive, are of great quality and dogs seems to love it. For the amount to feed her, I advice you follow the guidelines that you will find in the back of the bag. Keep in mind that you should get the puppy blend. Also, keep in mind that as she grows, you will notice in the back of the bag that it will advice you feed her more. When she becomes a year old, she should be switched to an adult diet. Good luck and have a good night!

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    Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    It's best if you can find a diet that is labeled for large-breed puppies. It's a bit tricky, because some products say that they are for large-breed puppies, but have not gone through the specific testing to support their claims. In order to ensure the product is what it says it is, you will need to look at the AAFCO statement, which is under the guaranteed analysis on the bag. Below is a link to an article that explains how to do this and gives additional info about feeding your dog. https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-your-pet-s-food/ I recently searched various foods for puppies and found Royal Canin and Hills to have the better (according to the AAFCO statement) products for large breed puppies. And, just in case there is any suspicion, I am not being paid by them to say this :-) Feeding three times a day is ideal, but it wouldn't hurt to feed six times a day if you have the time. Most people usually only find the time to feed twice a day, which is OK and better than feeding once a day. One thing you want to avoid is free-choice feeding (leaving a full bowl of food out all day) and feeding more than the recommended (as stated on the bag of food) amount. Obesity is by-far the biggest nutritional problem we have with pets in the U.S. and can be avoided by not feeding too much. I hope that helps.

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