How to Choose Puppy Food for Your Dog: 8 Top Tips

Puppies are a real source of joy, and will stay loyally by your side up until their twilight years. But to ensure they reach that stage in the best of health, you have to be careful about what you feed your puppy. Here are a few tips to help you give your puppy the best possible diet.

puppy

Go lean to protect your dog

Lean food is healthy for growing dogs, as it helps them stay active instead of slowing them down with excess fat. Lean cuts of meat used in puppy food are so much healthier for your dog as well, giving him ample protein rather than unnecessary fat. A certain amount of fat is good for your dog, but if fatty food is a large part of his diet, then your puppy won’t be very healthy.

Check for additives

A lot of foods these days are packed with man-made substances called additives. These may make the food more flavorful and enjoyable, but they tank the nutritional value. Look for ingredients in the label that you don’t understand and try to avoid foods that contain those. These are known as fillers, and they can make up a large portion of the food, causing side effects and health issues that you don’t want your cute puppy to ever have to experience. A little bit of processed foods, preservatives and additives are okay, but if you regularly feed them to your dog, then that’s no good.

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Read some reviews

You may not find out everything you need to know about a particular puppy food by reading the label. It can be helpful to look up some reviews for it, from both customers and industry professionals. The best puppy food will have good reviews, and it won’t be hard to find assessments of the product online. If you can’t find any reviews, though, then the product may be untested and may not be safe for your dog.

Find something your dog likes

If you want your puppy to eat his food and have enough energy, then you need to find food that excites him and that he enjoys eating. If your puppy doesn’t come running when you put out food for him or doesn’t start eating right away when you place out the food, then that can be an indication that he doesn’t like it very much.

Give your puppy tons of nutrients and calories

Puppies will grow quickly and use tons of energy as they grow, so you want to ensure that your dog is getting adequate nutrients and calories in her diet. Without those daily requirements being met, your dog will suffer a lack of energy and poor health. Puppies need twice as much of the dietary requirements for calories and nutrients as adult dogs do, so make sure your puppy is getting enough.

Get food appropriate for the dog’s breed

Some dogs grow to be much larger than others, and if you have a large breed dog, then you should specifically choose food that is labelled as being for a large breed puppy. This will give your dog the right amount of nutrients and other essentials to help him grow.

Keep the puppy’s weight under control

You also want to consider whether your puppy is underweight, overweight or fluctuating his weight. This will help you determine not just how much food to give her but also what kind of food to feed her. You may need to supplement the dog food with some other treats and snacks throughout the day to help an underweight puppy reach its full, healthy weight and growth potential. Overweight dogs may not just need less food but less fatty foods and more lean dishes.

Consider any health issues

If your dog is suffering from any kind of health problem, then you need to talk to your vet about what kind of food to give her and what changes may need to be made to her diet to accommodate the health problems. There may be special dietary restrictions that need to be followed to ensure that there are no health complications.

Final thoughts

Your puppy can live a happy, vibrant life and go into adulthood healthy and at the right weight, but that will require you to carefully monitor what he eats and what kind of food you are purchasing for your dog.