Irish Wolfhound puppy food at 9 months

Nine months with an Irish Wolfhound — you're deep in the giant breed puppy phase, and honestly this is the stage where getting nutrition right really matters. Wolfhounds grow for much longer than most people realise, and switching to adult food too early is one of the most common mistakes owners make. Puppy nutrition is one of the most important investments you'll make in your dog's long-term health, and the differences between puppy foods — especially for giant breeds — are far more significant than most packaging lets on. To give you the right steer, can you tell me what you're currently feeding them, and roughly how much they weigh right now?

The person at the dog park is right, and it's worth understanding why. Irish Wolfhounds are a giant breed — not just large, genuinely giant — and they don't finish growing until around 18 to 24 months. During that whole growth period, their bones, joints and muscles need a very specific balance of calcium and phosphorus. Switch to adult food too early and you pull away that nutritional support right when they still need it most. The other thing worth knowing is that Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy is formulated for large breeds, which tops out around 40–50kg at adult weight. Fergus is going to be significantly bigger than that. What does he eat in a day currently — roughly how many grams or cups?

Loose stools at this stage can sometimes be a sign the food isn't quite dialled in for his size — large breed formulas often have slightly higher protein and fat levels than a true giant breed puppy needs, which can affect digestion. It's not alarming, but it is a useful signal. For Fergus, I'd move him onto Royal Canin Giant Junior. It's specifically formulated for dogs that will exceed 45kg at adult weight, which Fergus almost certainly will — Irish Wolfhounds typically finish between 55 and 70kg. Royal Canin Giant Junior is designed to be fed right through to 18–24 months, so it properly bridges that gap you're worried about. The calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is carefully controlled to support slow, steady bone development rather than rapid growth spurts, which is exactly what you want in a giant breed. It also tends to be gentler on digestion than general large breed formulas, which should help with the loose stools. You can get a 15kg bag on Amazon UK — it works out well per day for a dog Fergus's size.

Yes, aim for around 18 months — then reassess based on how he looks and whether his growth plates have closed, which your vet can confirm if you want to be precise. On the transition: always do it gradually, especially given he's already showing some digestive sensitivity. Over about 10 days, mix increasing amounts of the Giant Junior in with his current Eukanuba — start at roughly 25% new food, 75% old, then move to 50/50 around day four, then 75% new by day seven or eight, and fully switched by day ten. That gives his gut bacteria time to adjust and should keep the loose stools from getting worse during the change. If you see any significant worsening, just slow the transition down a bit — there's no rush.

Good question, and the answer is no — please don't add calcium supplements on top of a complete puppy food. I know it feels counterintuitive when you're looking at a big dog with big joints, but supplementing calcium on top of a properly balanced giant breed food can actually cause bone development problems by disrupting that carefully controlled calcium-to-phosphorus ratio. Royal Canin Giant Junior is a complete food — it already has everything Fergus needs at the right levels. Once he's fully grown and on adult food, joint supplements like omega-3s or glucosamine become worth considering, but for now, trust the food to do its job. Stick with the Giant Junior, do the slow transition, and Fergus should be in great shape for the rest of his growth phase.