Having a litter of puppies in your family is such an exciting experience. However, it is crucial to understand that the moment you decide to bring a puppy home, a new responsibility begins. Puppies need a well-balanced diet that will supply them with all their nutritional requirements to give them a good start in their development journey and help them stay healthier throughout their lifetime.
Besides knowing when, how, and what to feed your puppy, including what not to feed your puppy, you should also beware of the changes you need to make to your puppy’s diet as they age. Below are the essential facts about puppy foods.
1. Consider Puppy Foods With Specific Nutritional Needs
Before we get to it, puppies have small mouths and by this, you need to get them foods that are easy to chew if they are to get the most out of their diet. Find puppy food options that will make it easier for them to pick up and chew. Puppies also have a small stomach size and one that cannot accommodate a lot of food at a go.
As for their nutritional requirements, it will depend on their size and breed. When buying puppy foods online, you’ll need to find a reliable site and this trusted guide on the best french bulldog puppy food will be an ideal inspiration. Such foods should include dense calories and more nutrients. Smaller dog breeds have a higher metabolism rate and the same applies to their younger ones. Among the benefits of ensuring that your puppies’ nutritional requirements are met include:
- It will prevent them from shedding excessively, especially for dog breeds with more hair
- It will not subject your puppies to food allergies
- It protects your dog against colitis and flatulence
- It will boost your puppies’ immune system
While in the same vein, puppies have a shorter digestive transit time meaning that they’ll take less time to digest food. They need to be with highly digestible foods. Investing in high protein-rich foods for your puppy will help to maximize their digestive efficacy, and in doing so, facilitate muscle development and ensure that nutrients are readily absorbed.
2. Wet vs. Dry Feeds
Wet foods are ideal for your little puppy because such foods are easy to chew and swallow. Among them include canned foods with higher water content. Also, consider wet foods with higher protein and fat content. These are the vital ingredients that will help your puppies to increase in size as well as help them to generate energy in meeting their active lifestyle needs.
You also have the option of feeding your puppies with dry food. However, always ensure that the kibbles have been broken down into smaller pieces. Some dry puppy foods will also come with instructions on the type of liquids you can mix them with. But the best part is that after your puppies have been weaned, transitioning them to dry foods won’t take much time.
Dry foods are not as messy as wet foods and this makes it easier to clean up after them. Such foods have a longer shelf life and can last you longer than wet foods. But before introducing your puppy to a different food type, consider scheduling a vet visit first. Your vet will advise you on the best types of foods to switch to as well as any other important information concerning your pet’s nutritional requirements.
3. Grain-Free Feeds vs Whole Grain feeds
Grain-free foods are similar to the conventional carnivorous feeds and are easily adaptable to your little puppy’s digestive system. It would, however, be useful to avoid meals with grains if your little puppy has some grain allergies or sensitivities. But if your dog doesn’t have any allergies to grains, then whole grain feds will help to boost your pup’s cardiovascular health. health. It’s wise to consult your veterinarian before putting your puppy on one.
4. Treats
If you are a dog person, then providing your dog with some treats shouldn’t come as a surprise. There are so many ways you can use dog treats to better your puppy’s life. Treats can be used when training a dog or when you want to boost their overall health. Today, you have CBD treats that will encourage better growth and development or when alleviating pain and various health problems.
Little puppies need nutrient-vast feeds that are easily digestible. Availability and absence of grains in your dog’s food, as well as choosing between wet and dry food, are also vital considerations when it comes to feeding your little puppy.