Puppy food isn’t just a marketing ploy by pet food companies – it is a specially formulated blend of ingredients that give your puppy a good start to a healthy life. Puppy nutrition is a serious issue that all puppy owners need to spend some time and effort investigating.
Despite their tiny frames, puppies need around twice the nutritional value in their food than grown dogs require. Puppy nutrition includes ingredients that help muscles and bones, which are growing extremely fast, to develop properly. Internal organs are also rapidly expanding, and foods that address puppy nutrition will allow these parts to grow into healthy organs.
Most dog food production companies know that the proper puppy nutrition includes 30 percent more protein than what is included in adult dog foods. There are also a variety of minerals and vitamins that are included in puppy foods that give the immune system and skeletal growth a boost.
Most puppies will be on their special blend of puppy nutrition for about a year, but it can vary per breed. If a veterinarian determines that the puppy is developing too rapidly, which can cause a variety of health concerns including joint issues, he/she will take the puppy off the puppy nutrition diet and offer other suggestions.
So what’s the best choice of puppy food and what are my options? Good question. There are a few types of food to choose from – dry kibble, moist and semi-moist. Your puppy might have a preference, but most vets will tell you to make sure it is high in protein and will probably be less likely to recommend the moist blends.
For dental health, most vets will steer you away from the moist varieties and to the dry kibble as it is a more effective teeth cleaner. Dry kibble is also easier to digest and has fewer additives. Furthermore, the moist varieties are comprised mostly of water, which means they’ll have fewer nutrients, though there are exceptions.
The Association of American Feed Control Officials is the authority on which foods are best for your puppy. Most reputable dog food companies will meet this standard set by the AAFCO and try to surpass the standard. The less expensive puppy foods you see at grocery stores will likely meet the AAFCO standard, but just barely.
If your budget allows, stay away from the minimum and try for a higher quality product. And just because it’s somewhat more costly doesn’t mean it’s the best product – read the labels and look for the quality ingredients.
One key in reading labels is to identify the first five ingredients on the label. These make up the largest portions of what’s in the food. Protein-rich foods should be in the top five. Fats, vitamins and minerals are also key ingredients that should be listed.
ProLabs, a cutting-edge pet health company, offers supplements to keep your dog healthy throughout its life. If you’ve made the mistake of giving your puppy too much moist foods and are starting to notice some issues with its breath, ProLabs offers Breath Refresh, which uses zinc to freshen your puppy’s breath and cleanse teeth without brushing.
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