If you've ever brought home a new puppy, you know how much fun it can be. But owning a puppy also leads to a million questions. One of the questions that you should definitely know the answer to before bringing a puppy home is the types of small dog food that you will feed him. With so many different brands out there with fancy marketing campaigns poised to appeal to your emotions, the decision can be complicated. To help you narrow down the field, as experts, we dispel this mystery and answer your questions about the right types for puppies and the best brands you can find in our store as well.
What types of small dog food can you feed your puppy?
Your puppy can eat many human and dog foods alike. You just have to determine the right amount and make sure it is safe and suitable for your puppy.
As for commercial foods intended for puppies, there is a large variety of types of food for small dogs :
- Dry food : This is often a suitable option for puppies, but you should choose ultra-premium varieties to ensure they are nutritionally complete and balanced with high-quality ingredients.
- Wet food: comes in bags or cans. Wet foods have a much higher water content than dry foods, and the rich flavors of these rich foods can be used to entice picky pups and increase hydration for them.
Fresh and frozen foods and meat.
- Rewards , which can be used to train and reward good behavior.
You don't have to choose between dry and wet dog food; Because mixing wet and dry foods can give your puppy the best of both, and provide him with optimal health benefits. The combination of textures and scents can be great for your pup and make mealtime pure fun.
As for human foods suitable for puppies, you can provide the following to your puppy:
- Lean meat: Small amounts of turkey, chicken, and lean beef are fine, but avoid pork altogether because it's heavy on your pup's stomach and digestive system. Also, make sure not to give your puppy any meat that contains cooked or other poultry bones.
- Vegetables: Cooked or raw vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and asparagus can be great foods for puppies, but avoid human sauces prepared with these foods.
- Fruit: Remember to remove the seeds or pits in the fruit; Because they can be toxic or cause blockages. Bananas, apples, cantaloupe, and watermelon are also good as treats for puppies.
- Many puppies and dogs love peanut butter as a treat, which is high in calories. Therefore, they should only be used when needed for training, rewards, or other situations where you need your dog's attention.
- Starches: Potatoes, rice, and bread should be limited to small amounts because they are high in calories. Avoid giving your puppy sauces such as gravy with starches as they may be too rich.
- Milk: Puppies may love milk, but mother's milk is different from the cow's milk that humans drink. Puppies often cannot digest milk easily, and drinking too much milk can cause diarrhea. Instead, try offering a teaspoon of plain yogurt or puppy milk like the one we offer at Petaholic.
What are the best brands of puppy food?
These days, there are many brands of puppy food you can choose from. To help narrow your choices, choose a manufacturer that is committed to conducting scientific research on the foods it produces through regulated nutrition trials. These companies have strict quality control guidelines. Also look for companies whose recipes and feeding plan are designed by nutritionists and veterinarians. Some of these companies you can choose from include: Purina, Hell's Science, and Royal Canin. Here are some of the best options we recommend for you at Betaholic.
Royal Canin for small breed puppies
The first ingredients in this meal are fermented rice, chicken, and chicken fat. Veterinarians recommend this type of Royal Canin for puppies, not only because it is specifically designed for the size of a young puppy, but also for smaller breeds, such as Chihuahua or French Bulldog. If your dog's breed is a bit of a mystery, Royal Canin also makes food for small, medium and large dogs.
Royal Canin wet food for small breed puppies
The first ingredients in this meal are broth and chicken meat, which is a wet food recipe for small breed puppies. It is also suitable for fussy puppies who do not like most traditional puppy foods, and is ideal if you want to serve it with dry food to supplement puppies whose diet lacks moisture.
Hills Science Plan for large breed chicken puppies
The first ingredients in this type of puppy food are chicken meal, whole wheat and whole grain oats, which is a complete dry food intended for large breed puppies. It is also affordable, making it a high-quality controlled food at moderate prices, unlike other dog foods that are high-quality but very expensive.
Hills Science Plan for medium breed chicken puppies
This recipe is one of 6 Dry Puppy Recipes from Hills Science. The first 5 ingredients of the recipe are chicken meal, whole grain wheat, barley, sorghum and whole corn, which are all natural ingredients. Designed specifically for small to medium sized puppies for healthy growth, it supports strong bones, teeth, muscles, brain and immune system. The main source of protein for this recipe is chicken, as its nutritional analysis reveals that it contains 28% protein, 17% fat, and 48% carbohydrates. Resulting in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 60%. Therefore, it is recommended by all breeders, veterinarians and nutritionists alike. Its calcium content is safe for all breeds of puppies.
Finally, once you've decided what type of food your puppy needs and the appropriate amount per day, simply divide that amount into 4 to 4 equal servings. Next, feed those small meals to your puppy at regular intervals throughout the day. You can get all types of small dog food mentioned in this guide or others from Petaholic at the best prices and highest quality.
You may also be interested in:
- Eating dogs at the age of 3 months: information that may interest you
- Everything you need to know about types of dog food