FEDIAF 2025 breed specific

FEDIAF 2025 breed-size guidance centers on calcium for growing large and giant breed dogs rather than on full "breed-specific formulas": (1) Calcium in early growth should be at least 1 g/100 g DM, and FEDIAF recommends that large and giant breed puppies keep receiving a food with at least 1% calcium until about 6 months of age (table footnote b: for puppies of breeds with adult body weight over 15 kg, until the age of about 6 months; only after that can calcium be reduced to 0.8% DM, i.e. 2 g/1000 kcal, and the Ca:P ratio increased to 1.8/1). Puppies of breeds up to 15 kg adult weight follow footnote a for the whole late growth phase (≥14 weeks). (2) A strict calcium maximum is recommended for large breed puppies, since high calcium intake adversely affects skeletal development particularly in early growth: 1.6% DM from 9 weeks of age caused no side effects (Weber et al. 2000); during later growth up to 1.8% DM can be fed to all breeds including giant breeds except Great Danes, for which continuing with a maximum of 1.6% is preferable. Table maxima: early growth Ca 1.60 (N), late growth 1.80 (N), adult 2.50/1.60 (N) g/100 g DM. (3) Energy: MER varies by age and activity, not by breed formula — adult dogs 130 kcal/kg BW0.75 (1-2 y), 110 (3-7 y), 95 for seniors (>7 y); breed-specific examples include Great Danes 200 (200-250) and Newfoundlands 105 (80-132) kcal/kg BW0.75, and obese-prone adults ≤90. FEDIAF sets no separate senior nutrient table; protein levels for adult dogs already take into account the requirements of older dogs (Finco DR et al. 1994, Williams CC et al. 2001).