Veterinarians advise looking for food that conforms to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association nutritional guidelines and features an AAFCO Nutritional Adequacy Statement certifying its complete and balanced nature, such as Spot & Tango’s gently dehydrated kibble which retains more vitamins while still providing protein from whole chicken sources.
This high protein food also includes DHA to promote strong, healthy growth in puppies. Plus, its unique formula helps ease digestive upset.
Contents
Age
As puppies are developing muscles and bone structure, they require extra nutrition for energy. Therefore, puppy food usually contains higher levels of proteins, fats, as well as DHA, an omega fatty acid found in mother’s milk.
Small breeds typically transition between 5 and 7 months of age from puppy food to adult dog food, with their caloric needs beginning to decrease around this point indicating it might be time.
Puppies should be fed four times a day for optimal nutritional needs. For guidance on selecting an ideal puppy food, speak to your veterinarian and read labels carefully – avoid foods containing fillers and artificial additives as these can cause digestive problems in dogs; alternatively look for products bearing an AAFCO Nutritional Adequacy Statement that confirms it as “complete and balanced.”
Size
Puppies are rapidly developing organs and bones, requiring extra nutrients than adults for healthy development. A high percentage of protein should be included to fuel this growth – such as chicken or fish meal as well as DHA omega-3 fatty acids to support brain development. A good food should meet this criteria.
Size plays a significant role when it comes to how much nutrition a puppy requires; large breed puppies need more calcium than their smaller counterparts, so finding food specifically designed to meet your puppy’s weight needs is key.
Hill’s Science Diet Small & Mini Puppy was recommended by our veterinarian panel as one option for smaller dogs’ diets, as this kibble is specifically tailored for smaller mouths, featuring three animal proteins as well as prebiotics and probiotics to promote digestive health, plus DHA and omega-3 fatty acids for supporting brain and eye development.
Nutrition
Growing puppies require food with an abundance of protein and essential vitamins and minerals for healthy development. Calcium and phosphate will strengthen bones while DHA omega-3 from fish oil supports brain development while antioxidants promote immunity health. When selecting dry food for your puppy’s diet, look for options with these qualities in order to support its optimal development.
Avoid eating food that contains excessive levels of fat as this could increase your risk for fatty liver disease. When selecting food products with too much fat content, always check its guaranteed analysis for percentage of protein on a dry matter basis, fat content and carb content.
Small breeds should consume food with a low glycemic index to help balance their delicate stomachs, advises veterinarian Chyrle Bonk of Doggie Designer. She suggests Purina Pro Plan as she “raised two puppies on it”, which offers highly digestible kibble and contains probiotics and DHA to promote brain development while offering plenty of meat protein content.
Ingredients
Quality ingredients in puppy food have an immense effect on its nutrition for your canine companion. Puppies require high amounts of proteins and fats for growth and development; as well as balanced amounts of other essential vitamins to support immunity, vision, and brain development.
Look for products that specify named meats rather than “meat meal”, which is made up of various parts from unspecified animals that are cooked down to remove their fat content. Good sources of protein include eggs, chicken, turkey, lamb or fish.
Vegetables provide puppies with essential vitamins, minerals and fibre. Broccoli is an excellent source of low-fat fibre and Vitamin C and helps improve digestion.
Blueberries are an incredible source of antioxidants, fiber, Vitamin C and K – not to mention they help with healthy digestion and can soothe an upset tummy!
