Many brands carry puppy versions of their dog food, and the selection process is not really any different than it is for an adult dog. The only difference is the kibble size, as obviously a kibble size intended for a large adult dog could cause a puppy to choke; puppies eat fast and they do not pay attention to the size of what they are eating.
However, the same ingredients need to be avoided, and the same traps for owners are set with dog and puppy food.
The Traps of Commercial Puppy Food
Commercial brands advertise their product as being the healthiest choice available. All it takes is a look at their ingredients list to see their trap. In fact, any brand that has to advertise their product is selling low quality food.
There is a direct correlation; they have a high advertising budget because they use cheap, filler ingredients. By advertising, they familiarize the public with their brand and make them believe it is the best for their pets. Iams, Purina, and Pedigree all use fillers.
Even Science Diet contains fillers, despite the vigorous advertising of it being different; the point is that they advertise. Store brands are guilty of using fillers as well.
Fillers contain no nutritional value. Nutritious brands cost more, but the puppy will not need to eat nearly as much because he or she is actually being nourished. To see a list of ingredients used by advertised brands, visit http://en.allexperts.com/q/Dogs-701/Nutrition-Best-puppy-food.htm.
Ingredients to Avoid
Corn is the most commonly used filler. It serves no purpose to dogs, as they cannot digest it. Ground yellow corn, corn meal, or any ingredient containing the word corn is bad.
Byproducts are quite terrible. These could be anything: chicken feet, beaks, cow hooves, skin, or bone, or any combination of these. Byproducts are the leftovers from processing plants that prepare meat for people. These leftovers not only lack nutrition, but also are very unsanitary.
Vague ingredients need to be avoided. Animal fat, animal digest and meat meal are all common terms that leave the owner clueless as to what he or she is actually feeding his or her pet. Although it is better to avoid animal fat entirely, a specific label such as chicken fat is better than mystery fat.
Soy, wheat, and brewer’s rice are also to be avoided. Many dogs are allergic to soy and wheat, and brewer’s rice is just left over from the milling process. Brown rice is the best, as it is more nutritious than white rice.
Chemical preservatives are extremely harmful. Ethoxyquin, propylene glycol, BHA, and BHT are commonly used. Each cause serious health issues including cancer, liver and kidney failure. These are only legal because no harmful effects arise from small amounts; but a dog that consumes these daily will build up toxicity in their system, as chemicals are not disposed of the way nutrients are. Mixed tocopherols are a natural preservative found in healthy brands.
Honest Brands
The link above lists healthy brands and the ingredients. Specialty shops carry these, but those who do not live near a distributor should look online and place an order. On the other hand, owners can feed their puppies raw food. Homemade dog food is becoming more popular as people realize the truth about commercial brands.
People who adopt puppies seek a long companionship. To keep them happy and healthy, owners should purchase the best dog food for puppies available. Though initially costly, it evens out because the puppy’s consumption is reduced.
Brands that most people do not know about are usually the safest and healthiest. However, it might be easier for owners to simply avoid certain ingredients as much as they can, or make their own puppy food. The extra care is worth the health of a loving puppy.