Puppy Nutrition - Kindred Spirits

What Should I feed my puppy?

Picking out a food can be difficult. The pet store has so many different brands and the advertisements say their food is the best. The number one rule to remember is that one food many not work for one dog as it does another. All dogs are different and have different digestive systems. Reading the bag can make it hard to pick out a certain food.

Here is a link that gives information on reading the pet food label.

Reading That Dog Food Label

Here is another great article talking about dog food lingo- great for cats also.
Decoding Dog Food Lingo

Here is another great article from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association that has some information on picking out a puppy food:
Recommendations On Selecting Pet Foods

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is the group of state and federal officials who regulate pet food. Every pet food bag that you look at should have “Meets the nutritional requirements of puppies established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)”. There is another statement that can be located on bags that has been through feeding trials to make sure the food is complete and balanced (so no added vitamins or minerals needed), “Complete and balanced nutrition for puppies based on AAFCO feeding trials.” Here is a link with more information on AAFCO:

Large vs. Small Breed Dogs

Make sure to get size specific puppy food. Small breed should get small breed food- the kibbles are smaller and easier for them to eat. Large breed should get large breed puppy because the calcium and phosphorus ratio is important for their bone structure. Small and medium breed dogs should be on puppy food until 1 year of age. Large breed puppies should be on puppy food until 12-18months of age- because they are still growing.

Here is a link that talks about the importance of feeding large breed puppies:

Feeding Large Breed Puppies

Food recommendations are Royal Canin, Science Diet, Purina Pro Plan, Iams and Purina One. These 4 companies have many, many years of veterinary science base behind them. All 4 companies have done feeding trials for puppies to senior/ geriatric. They still are performing feeding trials today to make sure their products are still great. These 4 companies have been around for years, longer that we have been alive. If you are looking for something different, Green Acres Kennel Shop does a bunch of research on more of the “natural” puppy/dog foods.

Raw and homemade diets are becoming very popular. There is some worry about vitamin and mineral imbalances with puppies and dogs. There is also a public health risk with the raw foods. Also not to mention bacterial and parasitic contamination from the raw food. It does not matter if it is homemade raw or commercial raw food. Homemade diets can be formulated from a veterinary nutritionist. There are strict weights on the different ingredients and you will have to purchase a supplement from the veterinary nutritionist to make sure there is enough of the vitamins and minerals that you puppies/ dog will need. We work with a company called Balance It that helps us make a recipe of homemade food and the vitamin mix is ordered through the company.

How Much Should I feed?

Measured feeding should be given and they should be feed 2-4 times daily. Free choice feeding can lead to growth abnormalities and predispose the dog to obesity later on in life.Feeding puppies- starting with what is recommended on the bag is a good starting point and it can be adjusted to each puppy’s lifestyle and activity level. We can help you with this at each puppy visit.

What Should I feed my puppy?

How Much Should I feed?

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