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Can an adult dog eat puppy food for a week if regular food is gone?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Goldendoodle | Male | neutered | 1 year and 7 months old | 25 lbs

My dog eats rachel ray chicken and rice twice a day- they were out at the store and only had the puppy version. Is it safe to feed him puppy wet food for just a week?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on September 23rd, 2021

Puppy food certainly won't hurt Iggy if he only eats it for a week. The differences between puppy food and adult food are mainly in the calcium/phosphorus balance to help promote proper bone growth, as well as being a bit more calorically dense. As Jessica explained so well, it's important to mix the old and new foods together for about a week whenever possible to minimize the chance of developing stomach upset. I would also look at the caloric density (kcal per can) listed to see if you need to adjust the amount of canned puppy food that he's getting relative to the number of calories he was getting from adult food. I hope that everything goes well!

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    Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on

    Typically, it's recommended to switch a diet over 7-9 days to allow the bacteria in the gut to adjust to a new ingredient profile. There shouldn't be any long term effects of a sudden switch within a brand, and if the ingredient lists are similar enough you may not see any issues at all. That said, sudden food changes can cause digestive upset such as minor vomiting and diarrhea, so don't be alarmed if Iggy has an upset stomach for a few days. Feeding a meal of bland boiled rice and chicken can also help with stomach upset until you can get him back on his regular food. If for any reason he has a severe reaction (can't keep any food down, refusing to eat, lethargy, vomiting/diarrhea to the point of dehydration, etc) then it is always best to seek care from your vet.

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