Choosing a Puppy Food

Choosing a Puppy Food

High quality puppy foods are more expensive, but they provide the ingredients that promote good health. A puppy that is fed a healthy diet is less likely to get sick. Puppies can be fed dry food, canned food, dehydrated food, or a combination of more than one type. Choosing which one is a matter of preference. Choosing a food with healthy ingredients is the important thing. There are three things to look at when choosing a puppy food: Is it designed for puppies? Does it contain high quality ingredients? Does it contain natural preservatives?

Designed for Puppies

Choose a food that is designed for puppies to assure that the food meets all of the nutritional needs of a growing puppy. (Some adult dog food formulas meet the dietary need of puppies as well. Check the product label to find out if a food is recommended for puppies.) Puppies need more calories, fats and proteins to meet the high demands of their fast growing bodies. If you have a large breed dog, make sure to avoid overfeeding them. Large breeds are prone to hip dysplasia and other bone problems. The key to minimizing the risk of these problems are to promote slow and steady growth. Each brand of puppy food has different feeding proportion requirements. Follow the puppy food packaging guidelines for proper feeding amounts for the weight of the dog. Generally, a puppy that is a healthy weight should not have visible ribs, but you should be able to feel his ribs by touch. Each breed is a little different. Ask your veterinarian if you are unsure of the proper weight for your dog.

High Quality Ingredients

Choose a puppy food that is made out of USDA human grade food products. Foods that are not made out of human grade ingredients can contain cancerous tumors and be of poor nutritional quality. If you can afford to, choose an organic puppy food. Just like with humans, organic foods are healthier for puppies. Since meat should be the main ingredient in a dog's diet, choose a puppy food that is high in meat content and low in grain content. The first three ingredients should be meat. Choose puppy foods that do not contain meat byproducts, but rather contain whole meats. Fats in the ingredient list should list what the source of the fat is. For instance, chicken fat or beef fat. If the ingredient list simply states animal fat, do not get that puppy food product. When the animal fat is not specified, it is usually a low quality fat that is not easily digestible. Do not buy puppy foods that contain soy meal, corn meal or wheat. They are useless fillers that provide no nutritional value to canines and cause allergies in some puppies.

Natural Preservatives

Buy puppy foods that contain natural preservatives instead of chemical preservatives. Chemical preservatives include ingredients such as BHA, BHT and Ethoxyquin, all of which are harmful to a puppies health. Chemical preservatives can cause cancer and kidney damage. Natural preservatives are a better choice. Puppy foods that use natural preservatives include ingredients such as mixed tocopherols and vitamin E.

Variation

The best diet for any puppy or any dog for that matter is a varied diet. Varied diets ensure that your puppy gets a balanced diet and keeps your puppy from getting bored. Choose three or four puppy food products to feed your puppy. Choose food products with different ingredients. For instance: One product may contain mostly chicken, the other mostly turkey and the other mostly beef. Rotate among the different foods regularly. If your puppy has a sensitive stomach and gets sick with food rotations, rotate the food gradually by mixing the different foods together. For added variety, dental health and enjoyment, provide your puppy with a raw meaty bone to chew on. Once in a while, add fresh pieces of meat to your puppies food for added nutrition and for your puppies enjoyment.

Resources

• Wysong Dog Food (Also appropriate for puppies)
• Artemis Puppy Food