DID YOU KNOW? Smaller breeds of dogs need a surprisingly high amount of nutrients per kg of weight than the giant breeds. Amazing, right?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n EXAMPLE: <\/strong>Smaller breeds of dogs such as Chihuahuas and Bichon Frise will physically mature at a much younger age than large or giant breeds such as Labradors and Mastiff, which is why they get switched to adult food earlier.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Large and giant breeds, such as Great Danes, Saint Bernards and Newfoundlands, may not mature physically until nearly two years old. These breeds, as well as any large breed puppy, should be fed a growth diet specifically formulated for large breed puppies for their entire growth period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The nutritional health of puppies, just like adult dogs, depends on receiving the correct amounts and proportions of six essential nutrients. Only when their food contains these nutrients can it be considered \u2018complete\u2019 with the exception of water – we\u2019ll be alright without it. But they do have to drink it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The six essential nutrients are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ll fill you in in further detail down below.<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n The key to life, the source of all their wee. As with humans, water aids in hydration, helps regulate temperature and transports nutrients throughout the body. Your puppy should always have access to a bowl of fresh water, whether it\u2019s meal time or not!<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n To say puppies are active is an understatement. Their levels of energy will depend on your puppy\u2019s age, breed size, environment and activity level so you\u2019ll want to make sure you\u2019re giving your puppy the right amount of calories – not too many. We don\u2019t want them to go into obesity, right?<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n Read about how many calories to feed your puppy here; we explain it all in detail.<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n Protein is the building block of muscle development and tissue repair. It also supports the immune system and can be utilised as a source of energy, too. It keeps them in high spirits you see?<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n The most commonly found sources of protein in puppy food are:<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n Yes, that\u2019s right. Despite what you may think, fats are actually a concentrated form of energy \u2013 a source of essential fatty acids help your puppy absorb certain vitamins to keep them healthy and maintains a healthy skin and coat.<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n Fats you can easily find in puppy food are:<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n Chewing, romping, running and playing take a whole lot of energy. And aside from sleeping, that\u2019s about all puppies do (besides poo in places that are not the loo). Carbohydrates provide a slow-release stable source of energy and cereal grains like oats, wheat, corn and rice will help keep their motors running.<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n You may have read about Grain Free diets. In our opinion a grain free diet is not necessary for the majority of dogs, but if you or your vet feel your puppy would be better off with it, then here are some that we think are good:\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n If you want to learn more then the Pet Food Manufacturers Association also has a Fact Sheet on Grain Free Diets here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n Elements like calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron are necessary to help your puppy\u2019s body grow strong bones and teeth, maintain normal muscle, nerve function and produce hormones.<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) is a natural omega-3 fatty acid that helps support brain and vision development.<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n PRO TIP:<\/strong> Puppies fed a diet with high levels of DHA have been shown to be more trainable – better get them an extra load of that!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n You can read more about DHA\u2019s role in puppy brains in this piece of research by Anton Beynen<\/a> and this article from Breeding Better Dogs<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n Essential vitamins work pretty much the same with humans as with puppies. For example, vitamin E will help keep your puppy\u2019s immune system healthy, while vitamin A will help maintain skin and hair.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n PRO TIP: <\/strong>When preparing your puppy\u2019s food, always ensure you follow the recommended feeding guide on the package (unless otherwise recommended by your vet), as amounts can vary from breed to breed and also change with age.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Complete foods will contain all of your puppy\u2019s essential nutrients in every meal they eat. These diets are fortified with essential vitamins and minerals to meet all of your puppy\u2019s dietary needs.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n Complete foods come in various forms such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Complementary foods will not contain all of the vitamins and minerals your puppy needs, so they\u2019ll need to be supplemented. <\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n Complementary foods can also come as dry, wet, home cooked and raw foods but are mostly considered as treats and toppers – sometimes we put it on top of complete food to make it more palatable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PRO TIP: <\/strong>Pay attention to the labelling of your puppy\u2019s diet! The description on the pet food will spell out whether it contains all of the \u201ccomplete and balanced nutrition\u201d required for growing puppies.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s good to know that although fat, protein and calcium tend to get the greater emphasis in puppy foods, every single essential nutrient is key, especially during the period of rapid growth. Deficiencies in any essential nutrients can come to light sooner or later – so best we start as we mean to go on to have happy, healthy, dogs. those. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Feeding a complete and balanced puppy food is important for numerous reasons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are a few examples of problems that can happen if nutrients are not balanced:<\/p>\n\n\n\n FOR LARGE BREEDS: <\/strong>The right balance of calcium with phosphorus is particularly critical for large breed dogs, as too little or too much can lead to skeletal problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Besides feeding them a complete and balanced nutritious puppy diet, puppies of all breed sizes need an appropriate amount of calories during growth. Not too many and not too little \u2013 it\u2019s all about balance (how many times are we going to say \u2018balance\u2019 in this article\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The right amount of calories will be the amount that supports normal growth and maintains the puppy at an optimal lean body condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A good thing to remember is that maximal growth is not optimal growth.<\/strong> Overfeeding and excessive weight gain in large dogs puts them at high risk of developmental orthopaedic conditions such as hip dysplasia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When feeding a large breed puppy, research <\/a>shows that avoiding overfeeding is better for skeletal development – a puppy putting on weight too rapidly can be too much for their bones to handle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But monitoring your puppy\u2019s weight and body condition score regularly and adjusting their food intake accordingly will do the trick to keep them in their ideal body condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To know if your puppy is in ideal condition you should be able to feel a minimal fat covering on their ribs, and see a waist when looking down from above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From their side, you should also see a tuck where their tummy goes into their pelvis \u2013 we call this an abdominal tuck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even puppies who aren\u2019t predisposed to skeletal problems need to have their lean body condition maintained. Overweight puppies often stay this way into adulthood, causing increased risks for various health problems. We want none of those!<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can check your dog\u2019s body condition score here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How much you should feed your puppy will depend on their breed. Think of a busy Jack Russell Terrier vs a couch potato British Bulldog – they can\u2019t possibly follow the same diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Weighing your puppy\u2019s food for ultimate precision of what they should be eating at each meal is the thing that can truly make the difference!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your puppy food label provides general guidelines of how much a puppy should eat as a starting point. However, the amount <\/em>of food should still be adjusted as needed, to maintain a lean body condition for your puppy\u2019s specific breed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like with humans, all puppies are different. Some seem to burn that energy off in their sleep (the lucky ones), while others only need to almost look at a piece of chicken and they pile on the pounds (I\u2019d argue most humans are like the latter)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n PRO TIP: <\/strong>Keep in mind that all additional foods (including training treats<\/a>!) contain calories. Treats should not exceed 10% of the puppy\u2019s daily caloric intake in order to prevent excessive weight gain and unbalancing the puppy\u2019s nutrient intake. <\/strong>Vegetables can be a great healthy snack for puppies. They love a good sweet potato.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Although those puppy dog eyes that say \u2018nobody ever feeds me, I\u2019m starved\u2019 are generally just a good trick to get your leftovers, it can be the case that they are genuinely excessively hungry after meals. This means they might need their diet adjusted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can solve this by giving them lower energy density (or fewer calories per gram) meals. <\/strong>These may help your puppy feel fuller for longer as it will give them a large volume of food to eat, without that weight creeping on. Many of us should probably jump on this bandwagon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some puppies struggle to put weight on and get enough calories in to maintain a healthy weight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If health issues have been ruled out, then try looking at some more calorie dense food. This is particularly true if your puppy seems bloated like a balloon after meals, or if you feel like you\u2019re feeding them bowls and bowls of food without seeing much weight gain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some puppies genuinely don\u2019t like a certain brand of food. That\u2019s ok, I wouldn\u2019t want to eat my \u2018food hell\u2019 every day either. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The best thing to do is stick with a complete and balanced puppy food that matches the energy needs of your puppy. Once your puppy realizes that this is the food they are going to be eating, they will usually eat it without an issue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, constantly changing your puppy\u2019s diet can lead to a pattern of pickiness (we all know how annoying those humans can be) and potentially obesity – people with fussy puppies tend to give them a lot of high calorie extras and worry about them never eating enough. In the end, what happens is quite the opposite. The puppy ends up eating too much, of the wrong kind of thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, nobody likes a picky eater. Just saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To resolve picky eaters or grazing, here\u2019s what you can do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The best puppy food is one that is: High Protein treats are generally the most liked by puppies \u2013 commercial treats can be quite high in fat and in calories, which isn\u2019t a good thing. Make sure to check how many they have per day by reading the packets to check their nutritional composition…we don\u2019t want puppies with extra rolls than they need.\u00a0\u00a0 The correct diet is what will work for you and your puppy \u2013 your options are: As tiny puppies, they will be happy having their mother\u2019s milk until they\u2019re about 5 weeks old – at which point they get weaned onto a complete puppy food diet.\u00a0 Yes \u2013 as long as it is nutritionally complete. If your puppy likes it more, it\u2019s no problem – they\u2019ll simply like their mealtimes a lot better! Teething puppies often have sore gums. If your puppy is struggling to eat, try adding some water to their food and spreading it on something like a lickimat<\/a> to get them more interested in eating – they won\u2019t have to do any crunching on those sore gums.\u00a0 We hope you\u2019ve found this article useful and expanded your knowledge on Puppy Nutrition. Your puppy will surely be grateful for it – you\u2019ll be helping to make them big and strong!<\/p>\n\n\n\n For some more good information from puppy experts<\/a>, read our guide on the ideal puppy training routine<\/a>, or download out Zigzag Puppy Training App<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll have a good time. Believe me, I work there. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nNutrient balance is important<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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What makes up a high-quality puppy diet?<\/h2>\n
Water<\/h3>\n
Calories<\/h3>\n
Protein<\/h3>\n
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Fats<\/h3>\n
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Carbohydrates<\/h3>\n
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Minerals<\/h3>\n
DHA<\/h3>\n
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Vitamins<\/h3>\n
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Complete Puppy Food vs Complementary Puppy Food – what\u2019s the difference? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Complete foods<\/h3>\n
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Complementary foods<\/h3>\n
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Problems with nutrient amounts in your puppy’s diet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to keep puppies fit and healthy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What is a puppy\u2019s ideal body condition?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\nHow much should a puppy eat?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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My puppy is always hungry?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
My puppy can\u2019t put weight on, what should I do? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
My puppy is becoming picky. What should I do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPuppy nutrition FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhat is the best puppy food?<\/strong>\n
1. Right for your puppy\u2019s life stage.
2. Formulated for their expected adult size and weight.
3. Nutritionally complete and balanced.
4. Easy and affordable for you to purchase at a Pet Store or online.<\/p>\nWhat puppy treats can I be feeding alongside their regular diet?<\/strong>\n
Treats should form no more than 10% of their daily caloric intake to avoid them getting chubs and rolls. It won\u2019t be cute forever!
<\/p>\nWhat is the correct puppy diet I should be feeding?<\/strong>\n
– Kibble \u2013 Dry Food
– Kibble – Semi Moist Food
– Wet Food
– Home Cooked Food
– Raw Food and Bone And Raw Food diet (BARF)\u00a0<\/p>\nWhat do puppies eat?<\/strong>\n
When you bring your puppy home, you should keep them on puppy food until they are mature \u2013 which will vary based on their breed size.\u00a0<\/p>\nCan I feed my puppy wet food?<\/strong>\n
Wet food such as this one is quite good<\/a>. Tried it myself with a knife and fork.
Just kidding.\u00a0<\/p>\nMy puppy is teething, what food should I feed them?\u00a0<\/strong>\n
PRO TIP: <\/strong>Frozen Food Toys and Ice Cubes can also be great for cooling down hot and sore gums. On a nice hot summer day, these are absolutely brilliant. They\u2019ll see you as the Treat God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n