The Right Recipe To Ensure Your Puppy's Best Nutrition!

Congratulations! You’re the proud new owners of your own sweet little puppy! They’re furry and soft and cuddly. Everything is pure bliss at your house! You’ve bought the toys and the collar and you’ve been to the vet, too. Now, what do you feed this blessed little ball of fur?

Dog Nutrition

Proper nutrition for your pet, at any stage, is one of the single most important things you will do to help your pet lead a long and healthy life! To provide proper puppy nutrition, there are a few things that every pet owner should know:

o Any food that indicates it is “puppy” food or for the “puppy stage” is fine! However, it isn’t a necessity to search for or buy a “puppy” formula. One of the great myths out there is that puppies require different nutrients than adult dogs do and that just isn’t so. Puppies DO have higher caloric requirements but they need all the same things the big dogs do. What the label should say, on any dog food, is that it is adequate for growth. Remember, food to support their growth is what is most important now. If you look, I think you’ll find that ALL dog foods are more than adequate when it comes to feeding a puppy.

o Balancing the nutrients the puppies do need can turn into a real juggling act, if you let it. Beware of this trap! Some pet owners believe that puppies MUST have extra vitamins, minerals, or other varied supplements to their diet. PLEASE check with your puppy’s veterinarian before just adding these things. Your puppy’s vet will likely recognize the need for a supplement far before you do and this is one area where you should really adhere to what the doc says. If your puppy has a specific condition that would benefit from supplementation, your vet will tell you and instruct you about how to alter the puppy’s diet. Having said that, it is important to refrain from feeding your puppy table scraps and homemade diets at this time. Puppy digestive systems just aren’t ready for that yet and it will really upset the balance within the puppy’s system.

o One more balancing act for you, proud new puppy owner! Puppies need far more calories per pound than their adult counterparts do. They should be fed, at a minimum, three times a day until they are about 16 weeks old. Then, you can cut their feedings to two times a day. Be sure to watch those little fur balls though! Some puppies would eat all day long if they could! And, if you have another dog in the house, they just might try! So, keep an eye on them. We don’t want them to become overweight ever, but especially at this point. It’s just too hard on their little systems to carry extra weight.

Healthy Dog Food

So, what are you supposed to do? All these instructions and opinions and advice coming at you from all different directions! Well, first and foremost, just like we should be doing for ourselves and our families, read the labels on the dog food bag. Look at the ingredients. Stay away from too much sodium and artificial additives and watch the fat content, too (it can vary from 8-21%). Another way to tell if your puppy is getting enough to eat, do the rib test. Pick your puppy up and if you can feel the puppy’s bones easily, he/she is too thin. If you can’t feel his ribs, he/she’s getting too much and it’s time to cut back!

Knowing all you can about proper puppy nutrition will be the beginning of a beautiful relationship with your puppy. Do all these things and you’ll be fine! Just one more thing, you mustn’t forget lots and lots of love…