nutrition
Life-stage formula
AAFCO's recognized life stages
- Growth, puppies and kittens up to ~12 months (longer for giant-breed dogs). Higher protein, fat, calcium, and phosphorus to support skeletal and lean-tissue development.
- Gestation and lactation, pregnant or nursing females, with elevated energy and mineral demands.
- Adult maintenance, the lowest-demand profile, for non-reproducing adults at a healthy weight.
- All life stages, meets the most demanding profile (growth), so it is suitable for any age. Higher calorie density than maintenance, which matters for sedentary adults.
Why large-breed puppy is its own category
Since 2016, AAFCO has required growth formulas to be additionally labeled as suitable, or not, for large-size dogs whose adult weight will exceed 70 lb (32 kg). The distinction exists because excess calcium during the rapid growth window is linked to developmental orthopedic disease. Generic 'growth' foods can carry too much calcium for this group; the label must explicitly say it is appropriate for them.
'Senior' is a marketing category, not an AAFCO stage
AAFCO does not define a senior nutrient profile. A 'senior' food sold in the US is legally an adult maintenance formula with marketing positioning. That does not make it worthless, many senior formulas reduce calories, add joint nutraceuticals, or increase fiber, but the label tells you nothing about how it differs from any other maintenance food.
Why it matters
Feeding a large-breed puppy a generic growth food, or feeding a sedentary indoor cat an all-life-stages diet sized for kittens, are two of the most common nutritional missteps. The life-stage line on the label is a free, vet-aligned filter most owners never read.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a cat eat dog food, or vice versa?
- Short-term, a stolen meal is not dangerous. Long-term, cats need much higher protein, taurine, arachidonic acid, and vitamin A than dog food provides, feeding dog food to a cat causes deficiency disease within months.
- How long should a puppy stay on growth food?
- Most dogs transition at ~12 months. Large- and giant-breed dogs benefit from staying on a large-breed growth formula until ~18–24 months, depending on growth-plate closure.