Life stage

How it works

Each stage has its own nutrient profile, and growth is the more demanding of the two. A food labeled for all life stages must meet the growth and reproduction profile, since that is the higher bar, which means an adult dog eating it is receiving a diet formulated for a puppy. That is a specification rather than a mark of quality, and for large-breed puppies in particular the growth profile carries additional requirements around calcium that matter a great deal.

What it looks like

An owner chooses an all life stages food believing it is a more generous formulation. It is formulated to meet the requirements of growth and reproduction, which is why it qualifies, and their adult dog does not need those levels.

Commonly confused with

Nutritional adequacy statement

The adequacy statement is the whole sentence, saying whether a food is complete and balanced and how that was established. The life stage is the part of it naming who the food is for.

Related terms