Bringing your puppy home for the first time is very exciting. Along with your new bundle of energy, there are many big decisions to be made; including which diet to choose. You’ll have to pick out a food that is suitable for healthy growth and to fuel all those puppy play sessions. However, the choices can be quite overwhelming at first glance. It can be tough to even know where to start when searching for the best one for your pooch. Read on to learn more about how to find the right diet for your puppy.
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Selecting a food at the pet store
The most important thing to look for when choosing a puppy food is the adequacy statement. Ideally, the food you choose will be formulated for puppies or for a growth life-stage. Alternatively, a food that is suitable for all life-stages would also be adequate.
You may find a selection of choices in terms of textures and flavours and ingredients. Whether you choose to feed your puppy a dry kibble or a wet tinned food is a matter of you and your puppy’s preference. Either type is fine as long as it is formulated specifically for puppies or is suitable for all ages.
Which ingredients?
There are no specific ingredients that your puppy needs to stay healthy. Ingredients are simply the tasty vehicles that deliver the all-important nutrients in every meal. As long as the diet is formulated for puppies or all life stages of the dog, the nutrients will be suitable for your young pooch. There are also no ingredients which your puppy needs to avoid, unless he has a documented adverse food reaction. Speak to your veterinarian if you have a concern.
Are supplements required?
Feeding any supplements along with a balanced diet is not recommended and can, in fact, be harmful to your pup. An excess of certain nutrients can cause problems in bone growth and can even lead to deficiencies of other nutrients.
How about home-prepared diets?
Home-cooked diets are generally not recommended for puppies because it is so essential that they get all the nutrients in the right amounts. Your puppy will be growing very quickly at their young age and feeding them precisely what they need will set them up for a lifetime of good health. If you are determined to feed a home-prepared meal, ensure you are getting your recipes from a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. They can work with you to tailor meals to best fit your puppy’s needs and ensure their growth stays on track.
How much to feed?
You can work with your veterinarian to determine exactly how much your puppy should be eating. The daily portions of food should be weighed out using a scale so that your pup gets the right number of calories every day. It is important that your puppy gets into these good habits from a young age so that he avoids over-consumption. Over-indulging in calories at any age can cause obesity. Being overweight can predispose to osteoarthritis and shorten overall lifespan so it is best to match caloric requirements every day.
Until what age should a puppy-specific diet be fed?
Puppies will be introduced to puppy food from their weaning period, after which they should eat it exclusively until they have finished growing. Dogs will mature and reach adulthood at different rates. The age at which your dog reaches adulthood can vary anywhere from 1 to 2 years. Your veterinarian can help you track your dog’s body weight and give you advice on when he is fully grown and should be transitioning his diet to adult food.
If you have any other questions regarding what to feed your puppy, ask your veterinarian. They can help you decide on a diet which will keep growth and health on track to adulthood and beyond.
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