What type of food is best for your puppy?
It is best to choose a dry food formulated specifically for puppies. Dry foods are often better for a puppy’s teeth and seem to have less health issues. They are also often less expensive per pound than wet puppy foods. Most suggest brand name puppy food because it is difficult to distinguish better dog food from worse simply by looking at the ingredient list. Of course, after the recent recall of many brand name tainted dog foods, you can never be sure. You should always check the latest FDA recalled dog food list before purchasing. The very latest list is available on this site’s main menu, under “Bad Dog Food”. Since many owners are not well informed on a dog’s nutritional needs, some things that owners look for, such as high protein levels or extra vitamins, are as likely to be harmful as helpful. For example, overfeeding and over supplementation are factors contributing to hip dysplasia. If you have a large-breed puppy, purchase "large breed" puppy food. Similarly for “small breed”, “active”, etc. The actual formula is different and designed for dogs of specific size, activity-level, or stage in the life-cycle, not just the kibble size, and is better for very rapidly growing puppies. Should you give your puppy people food?It is generally not a good idea to give your puppy people food. While we all like to think of our pets as part of the family, and we know they will enjoy the scraps, if overdone, they can become more picky about their normal diet, can get upset stomachs, and can develop health issues due to unbalanced diets. If you must give table scraps, it is best to keep it to a minimum. Treats designed for puppies that are reasonably balanced, such as dog biscuits are fine, but they should not become a significant part of your puppy’s diet. How often should your puppy be fed?Many believe young puppies should be fed three times a day. If your puppy isn't hungry that often, you can reduce the frequency. Individual dog foods often provide suggested frequencies on their bags. Beyond 10 to 12 weeks of age, feed twice per day. Even adult dogs should have their food split into morning and evening feedings. When fed only once per day, dogs can become overly hungry and are more inclined to overeat at mealtime. Let your puppy eat as much as he or she wants in fifteen minutes and then pick up the food dish. If food is always available, puppies can overeat, and overweight puppies are more prone to having health and weight problems as adults. In addition, like humans, puppies don't enjoy their food as much when it is always available, unless there is some special treat. They also can become more picky eaters when food is always available.
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