The Best Diet for A Puppy
It was once said that "happiness is a warm cute puppy" and who
could possibly argue with that notion? Puppies are lovable, full
of energy and cute joyful creatures. Their energy seems to be
without end. From the moment they open their eyes they seem to
go non-stop until they finally fall in a heap and with a
contented sigh close their eyes to sleep. Another favorite
pastime that a puppy indulges in is eating. This is something a
healthy puppy excel at. They can certainly eat massive amounts
of food, and it is important to ensure that the food they eat
will help them grow strong and healthy. For this reason there
are many dietary factors to consider before buying puppy food.
Some thought must be given to the breed of your dog. How large
will your cute puppy be once they are fully grown. A large dog,
that is one which will weigh more than fifty pounds or so, will
have different dietary needs, even as a small puppy, than your
average Yorkshire terrier which might be lucky to weigh ten or
eleven pounds.
Was your cute puppy a member of a litter of dogs that was not as
healthy as it may have been? Perhaps your puppy came from a
large litter and was pushed aside by larger and stronger
siblings at feeding time and now needs extra care to bring it up
to par. Whatever the circumstances of it's birth may be, does he
or she need some extra vitamins to make up for some early
deficiencies?
Are you aware of any food allergies your puppy may have? It will
soon become obvious that keeping you puppy in a good state of
health is not as easy as it sounds. And then there is the
problem of choice. The sheer volume of commercially available
dog foods to be found in your grocery store and pet shop will
make your head go round. As you can see, keeping your puppy
happy and healthy with a full stomach of enjoyable food is not
always simple and in fact requires some serious research. It is
just as well that there are easily available tips that will help
you in keeping your dog happy while feeding him or her the very
best diet.
It is important to have your puppy checked out by the
veterinarian to make sure that she or he does not have a
condition that will have to be addressed in their diet.
Remember, with food as with anything else, you only get what you
pay for. Avoid buying cheap dog food. Purchase your dog food in
small batches rather than the industrial sized bag, unless you
can store it in air tight containers. If you do not, the food
will go stale, and the oils in it may even begin to go rancid.
Consider your puppy’s size such as she or he is now
manufacturers will make their food in regular kibble size and
sometimes also mini chunk kibble size. If you have a small
puppy, then the smaller kibble is probably a better idea than
the regular sized one that may be easy to eat for a Great Dane
puppy but a bit too large for a Chihuahua puppy.
When purchasing commercial dog food, read the back of the
package. The first few ingredients on the label are the key
ingredients and you should be able to read and understand what
it says. If the ingredients sound like an extract from your high
school chemistry book, you might want to move on to the next
brand. Similarly, if everything in your puppy’s food seems to be
a by-product of one kind or another, it might also be a good
idea to move on to the next brand.
If you have a large breed of dog, such as one that will weigh in
at over 50 pounds when he or she is grown, it is a good idea to
contact your veterinarian or breeder for a recommendation.
Commercial dog foods will fatten her or him up nicely, but the
danger lies in over-supplying your large breed puppy with
calories, and so the weight gain will be too rapid for the
developing skeleton and internal organs.
Once you have chosen a dog food, be certain to follow the
recommended feeding guide. Yes, it is easy to be taken in by
those big pleading cute puppy eyes into feeding an extra
portion, but be sure to resist that urge for the sake of your
growing dog’s health. You don’t want her or him to become
overweight early on in life and then spend years undoing the
damage done in puppy hood.
Do not feed table scraps! Whatever you do, do not give in to the
temptation of feeding your cute puppy table scraps. Innocent
food items, such as Macadamia nuts, onions, chocolate and even
grapes and raisins are toxic to your little canine companion!
Feeding the best possible diet to the furry little guy in your
household is a joyful occasion, and there is nothing as cute as
watching a little puppy eagerly consume every morsel of food put
before her or him. Enjoy your warm cute little puppy!
