Rationally, people and our pets should eat, and especially puppies. After all, these babies grow and develop very quickly, and for this they need more nutritional elements and vitamins than an adult animal. Therefore, it is so important to choose the right food for the puppies.
Types of fodder for puppies
Veterinary stores offer a variety of different feeds for puppies. When choosing a food producer, you need to pay attention to ensure that its products are balanced, diverse and quality. It is sometimes very difficult for a beginner dog breeder to determine which dry food for puppies is better or whether it is worth using moist canned food for their feeding. It should be remembered that the food that was purchased for an adult animal, is absolutely not suitable for feeding a baby.
Dry food for puppies
In such a forage all the substances necessary for the growing organism of the puppy are selected: vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, fats. And, on the contrary, preservatives, flavor enhancers and hormones are not added to quality nutrition, so it rarely causes allergies in dogs. There are brand feeds that are designed directly for a particular breed of dog, and their composition meets all the needs of these pets.
Feed for puppies is made by special technology. It includes all the necessary components in a certain amount. Specialists have developed a dry food standard for a puppy, which should be strictly observed when feeding a small dog. And these norms differ among themselves and depend on the age of the pet and its breed.
Feeding a small pet with dry food is an excellent prevention of oral disease. Solid pieces of food contribute to the cleansing of teeth, as well as gum massage in animals. Fiber, included in dry diets, promotes good digestion in children, and minerals and vitamins of such food provide healthy skin and beautiful hair from a small dog.
Wet food for puppies
Many veterinarians do not recommend feeding puppies with wet fodder, explaining this by the fact that there is an increased amount of sugar and salt in the diet, which can adversely affect the development of the dog. Even the best food for puppies in the form of stew, minced meat, pate may become addictive, and in the future the animal will refuse other types of food.
This type of feed has a lower caloric value, so they are a kind of prophylaxis of obesity for those puppies who live in apartments. And a higher level of moisture in canned foods helps maintain an optimal balance of moisture in your pet's body. It is not recommended to feed canned small dogs continuously, it is better to use them in the form of treats.
Some veterinarians recommend combining dry and wet food in the puppy's diet. So you will gradually accustom your pet to different tastes and types of food. However, you should not mix both types of food in one bowl. It is better to offer in one feeding a puppy moist canned food, and in another - dry food. Another option - in each meal first give the puppy a little dry food, and when everything is eaten, put in a bowl of damp food.
How to choose a feed for puppies?
As puppies grow older, their nutritional needs are different. Because of the abundance of offers to choose the best food for puppies is very difficult. It should be remembered that the food for puppies should correspond to the age of the dog and its size. In the diet of a small dog, you can not use food for large-breed puppies, and vice versa. Almost in every brand manufacturers propose an age range of feeds:
- Starter - for puppies that have reached two weeks of age;
- Junior - for dogs up to 10 months old.
Feed for puppies of large breeds
Puppies of large breeds are inherently predators. Therefore, their diet should consist of meat, vegetables and a small amount of fruit. For a large breed puppy to grow and develop normally, at least 30% of animal fat should be present in its feed. However, to avoid obesity, portions of food should be strictly fixed. Dry food for puppies of large breeds has an increased size of granules, which the baby will chew longer and eat faster. And remember that near the food must always be a container of clean water.
A puppy of a large breed can buy such popular food as:
- Acana Puppy Large Breed is produced in Canada. It consists only of natural products: meat of chickens, eggs, flounder, steamed oats. The Akan's food for puppies is perfect for dogs up to one year old;
- Belcando Junior Maxi - this food can be used when the puppy turns 3 months old. It contains meat products, animal and vegetable fat, eggs, herring, grain additives;
- Hill's Puppy Large Breed contains poultry meat, ground corn, animal and fish oil, beet pulp and vegetable oil.
Feed for puppies of small breeds
Dry food for York puppies, toy terriers , chihuahua and other small dogs should consist of a set of necessary ingredients such as meat, fish, vegetables. This is Royal Kanin food for puppies or, for example, Proplan feed for puppies. Especially popular with dog breeders is the feed of Hills for puppies. Veterinarians do not recommend simultaneously feeding small animals with home-made food and dry food. Do not mix feeds of different trading companies. Do not give the puppy food from your table, as it contains a lot of fat, salt and spices.
Feed for puppies of medium breeds
Animals of such breeds grow faster, than their large relatives. During the first 3 months they develop very quickly, then their growth slows down and ends when they reach the age of 1 year. A small dog spends a lot of energy, but it can not be overfed, because in the future it can be bad for her health. Food for puppies of medium breed dogs should contain proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals.
For an average puppy, you should choose such a dry food, which is intended for animals of this size. Give this food is better in a softened form: dry pieces are filled with water, vegetable or meat broth. Do not exceed the norm of the feed, which is indicated on the packet, and the daily dose should be divided into several meals. Near the dry food should always be a bowl with fresh water.
Not bad proved, for example, dry food BRIT Premium Junior M. Such a high-grade feed for Brit puppies contains fatty acids, active antioxidants, vitamins and various microelements. It includes brewer's yeast, fish oil, wheat, corn and even dried apples. Properly selected food for puppies does not require the use of additional vitamins, minerals and other additives.
Hypoallergenic food for puppies
If your puppy is prone to allergies , then it must be fed with special compounds. Such food for chihuahua or shepherd puppies, chow-chow or spaniel puppies includes lamb, rabbit, salmon, pike-perch. Instead of cereals, rice and vegetables are included. Eggs, food colors and various chemical additives are not allowed in such food. Some of the best producers of hypoallergenic food are:
- Bosch - suitable for dogs of all breeds. The Bosch feed for puppies includes only natural ingredients;
- 1st choice - such meat includes duck meat, potatoes, cellulose, parsley, green tea extract;
- Hills Prescription Diet Canine Allergen-Free - in the composition of the feed there is chicken meat. It is successfully used for puppies of both medium and large breeds suffering from food allergy.
Classification of fodder for puppies
Each owner wants his pet to grow healthy and active, and for this the dog breeder strives to find the best food for puppies. However, one should know that specialists divide all feeds conditionally into four classes. The difference between these groups is in a number of parameters:
- quality and source of protein;
- Presence of perfume, preservative or colorant;
- a source of vitamins and minerals;
- additives for therapeutic effect.
Class of food for puppies of economy class
Dry food for puppies of economy class is considered the cheapest, because it is made from cheap raw materials. Meat component in such food can be absent altogether or be in the form of offal. Sometimes meat is replaced with animal fat or bone meal. Sources of protein in this diet are wheat, soybean meal and other products. The most popular fodder brands for puppies of this class are Darling , Chappi , Pedigree , Friskies and some others.
Feed for puppies of premium class
This food is better in quality than the previous one, because it contains more meat ingredients. But the cereals are contained in it in more quantities than meat. Preservatives, flavors and colorants are present in this feed in the same amount as in the previous version. Feeds for puppies with turkey, chicken or lamb are produced by such brands as Acana , Royal Canin , ProNature and others. There is a demand for food Imbalance for puppies, feed for puppies Purina and others.
Feed for puppies of super premium class
These foods use the highest quality products: lamb meat, turkey, chicken, egg, rice, beet pulp. Super premium feed for puppies is more caloric, nutritious and easily digestible. Special technologies allow preserving all fats and proteins in their natural state. In such a dry food, there are no dyes and preservatives. The feed of this class includes 1st Choice , Eukanuba , Pronature Original , Bosch , etc.
Feed for Hollyk puppies
Such food for dogs is made from the same foods that people use. They are high-calorie and the puppy can consume them in less quantity. Feeds holistic for puppies are considered the best for the growing organism of small dogs. They do not have offal, but there are berries, fruits and vegetables as a source of vitamins. However, their cost is so high that it can not afford to buy them, not every dog breeder. Feed for Hollyk puppies are brands such as Acana , Holistic Blend , Pronature Holistic , Orijen and some others.