Best puppy food for an Akita
An Akita puppy needs a large-breed puppy food, fed in controlled portions and split across several meals a day rather than one big bowl. The goal isn't fast growth, it's steady growth, because an Akita that gains weight and height too quickly puts extra strain on joints that are still developing.
Feeding a Akita
A large breed
An adult Akita typically weighs 32–59kg, so a healthy Akita eats a fair amount compared with other breeds. Every feeding guide on a bag is written per kilo of body weight, not per breed — start there, then adjust to the dog in front of you.
Life stage
A large breed is usually done growing at 15–18 months, which is roughly when a puppy food has finished its job. With a typical lifespan of 10–14 years, there is a long adult stretch in the middle; switch to a senior food when your vet thinks it is worth it rather than on a birthday.
Joint support is worth looking for
Their size and frame put more load through the joints than a smaller dog carries, so a food with joint support on the label is worth reading for — and keeping them lean does more for their joints than any supplement.
Weight matters more than usual here
A long back or a heavy frame makes every extra kilo count twice. Weigh portions rather than eyeballing a scoop, and reduce the food rather than the walks if the waist starts to disappear.
How much should a Akita weigh?
Adult 32–59kgfully grown at 15–18 months
| Age | Stage | Typical weight | Of adult size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 weeks | Just home | 3.7–6.7 kg | 11% |
| 3 months | Young puppy | 5.9–11 kg | 19% |
| 6 months | Growing fast | 11.9–21.9 kg | 37% |
| 12 months | Adolescent | 23.8–43.8 kg | 74% |
| 15–18 months | Fully grown | 32–59 kg | 100% |
A guide, from the same rule of thumb our puppy growth predictor uses — each age is that share of the way to maturity for a large breed. Puppies grow fastest early, so a real puppy usually sits a little above the middle rows. Weigh yours and ask your vet if the number worries you.
Complete dog foods that suit a Akita
Complete foods from our range, matched to a Akita's size band and what the breed typically needs. Stock levels and delivery dates are live on each product.
Field & Trial Skinner S Field Trial Light Senior
A lower-fat dry food for older, overweight or less active dogs, including working breeds
From£9.85
Autarky Complete Grain Free Adult Turkey
Grain-free complete dry food for adult dogs, with turkey and a marine-algae joint care package
£12.79
Autarky Grain Free Tasty White Fish & Potato Complete
Grain-free dry dog food built around white fish meal rather than poultry
£12.99
Lily's Kitchen Lily S Kitchen Dog Lovely Lamb
Complete lamb-led dry dog food offered in two practical bag sizes
From£25.15
Burns Adult/Senior Weight Control Chicken and Oats
A low-fat weight control dry food for adult and senior dogs, oat-based
£35.99
Burns Adult Large/Giant Breed Chicken and Brown Rice
Complete large-breed dry dog food with 23% chicken and brown rice
£59.99
Burgess Greyhound and Lurcher Chicken
Complete adult dry food formulated for the specific build of greyhounds and lurchers
£35.35
Naturo Senior Rice Poultry Variety 6pk
Six 400g trays across three recipes for senior dogs, with glucosamine and chondroitin
£10.29
Naturo Senior Dog Turkey with Rice and Vegetables 7pk
Turkey at 65% in a senior wet tray, with brown rice, vegetables and added joint support
£11.99
Why growth rate matters for this breed
Akitas are a big, heavy-boned dog, and like other large breeds they're more prone than smaller dogs to developmental joint problems such as hip and elbow dysplasia. Growing too fast on a diet that's too energy-dense is one of the things known to increase that risk, which is why a large-breed puppy formula, with calcium and phosphorus levels specifically controlled, is worth choosing over a standard puppy food.
This isn't about underfeeding a growing dog. It's about choosing a food built for a slower, steadier growth curve, and resisting the temptation to overfeed a puppy who looks like they could eat twice as much, simply because they're going to be a large adult.
Feeding routine, not just the bag
Akitas are deep-chested dogs, and deep-chested breeds carry a higher risk of bloat, a genuine emergency where the stomach fills with gas and can twist. Feeding two or three smaller meals a day, rather than one large one, and avoiding vigorous exercise straight after eating, are both simple habits that reduce that risk.
A slow feeder bowl can help too, for a puppy who eats fast, since gulping food and air together is one of the things associated with a higher bloat risk in deep-chested breeds.
What to check on the label
Look for a food specifically labelled for large or giant breed puppies, with a named meat protein as the first ingredient. The calcium and phosphorus figures on a large-breed formula are set deliberately lower and more tightly controlled than on an all-breed puppy food, which is the main practical difference that matters here.
Akitas typically move onto an adult food later than smaller breeds, often somewhere between 15 and 24 months depending on how they're growing, so don't rush the switch off a puppy formula just because they look fully grown on the outside.
Common questions
- How many meals a day should an Akita puppy have?
- Three to four smaller meals a day is usual for a young Akita puppy, gradually reducing to two as they mature. Splitting the day's food up rather than feeding one large meal helps manage both digestion and the breed's bloat risk.
- Is raw feeding suitable for an Akita puppy?
- Some owners do feed raw, but a growing large-breed puppy needs the calcium and phosphorus balance to be right for healthy bone development, which is harder to judge with a home-prepared diet than with a properly formulated complete food. If you're considering it, talk it through with your vet first.
- When should I switch my Akita from puppy to adult food?
- Large breeds generally stay on a puppy or junior formula for longer than small breeds, often into their second year. Your puppy's growth rate and body condition are a better guide than their age alone, so check with your vet if you're unsure when to move on.
- Should I free-feed my Akita puppy so they always have food available?
- It's generally better not to, both for weight control and for bloat risk in a deep-chested breed. Set, measured mealtimes give you a much clearer picture of how much your puppy is actually eating and let you spot a change in appetite quickly.
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Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.