‘You can’t control everything in my dogs’ life, but you can certainly control what you put in their body’ and you should be extra carefully when choosing the food that should go inside your dog’s body.
In today’s world, we all know and realise the value of living a healthy lifestyle. The pandemic has made us even more aware of it and we have begun to take better care of ourselves and our loved one’s, including the little four-legged bundle of joy that you brought home to love and care for!
Right nutrition is not just important for us humans, but is equally important for your puppy. As a new pet parent, the biggest and most important decision you make for your pup is the kind of food you feed. Be mindful of the fact that nutrition is the single most critical factor to determine the health and life span of your dog. Taking informed decisions about puppy food will not only keep your puppy healthy and happy but will also make sure that your puppy grows up to be a strong, healthy and happy adult dog.
As per recent reports, puppy adoptions have seen a rapid growth after the pandemic struck the world. What is even more heart-warming is that our desi Indie dogs are finally getting the attention that they truly deserve. .
In India, where Indie pups and dogs were essentially unable to draw queries for their adoption pre-pandemic, they are now drawing a lot of interest. Lots of families have opened their hearts and homes to not just pedigree and breed dogs but also to our wonderful Indie puppies and giving them the life that they truly deserve.
Right nutrition is not just important for pedigree dogs but our indigenous indie dogs also need to fed a balanced and species appropriate diet.
What kind of food is good for puppies?
Once you become a new pet parent, your first and most important question should be, What should I feed my puppy and what is good puppy food? As a new pet parent, it is your responsibility to get yourself updated about pet nutrition, puppy food, adult dog food, different types of dog foods available in the market and the best puppy food that you can give your puppy.
It is important to understand the right nutrition for your pet, beginning from their puppy stage up to their adulthood and into their senior years.
If you are amongst one of those pet parents who are struggling to find good puppy dog food for your little one, then we are here to help you make the right decision.
At FurrMeals, we take pet nutrition very seriously and make it our responsibility to educate new pet parents about pet nutrition by sharing our knowledge and experience regarding Puppy dog food, its different kinds and if the natural puppy dog food is better and also your puppy can eat adult dog food?
All About Puppy Food
Your new pup depends on you to feed him the right puppy food and in the correct amount too. Puppies grow very fast in the early months and need the right amount of nutrition to make sure they are growing right.
It is also very easy to get carried away and feed more than what is required. The result is a fluffy and plump ball of fur, who is super cute to look at! However, overfeeding is not advisable. Statistics show that 80% of overweight puppies grow up to be overweight adult dogs, who then suffer from weight related health issues like arthritis, cancer, heart conditions, hypertension etc.
However much your pup may give you the puppy eyes, you will have to stay strong and not offer any of the table scraps as they are very unhealthy for your puppy and also add extra calories to their daily diet.
Puppies need to eat small frequent meals, to keep their energy and sugar levels high. For the first few months of a puppy’s life, they will need small meals throughout the day as they transition from their mother’s milk to solid food.
From their 4th month, most puppies will begin eating 4 meals a day. The frequency of meals will keep on decreasing gradually till they graduate to 2 adult meals a day.
Right nutrition for puppies is very important to develop healthy bones and teeth, strong and healthy muscles, and also to get all the energy it takes for playing and learning.
But, with the market flooded with different types and brands of puppy food, new pet parents can easily get overwhelmed on whether a dry puppy food is better or a natural fresh puppy food is better. So, we are here to help you make the choice.
What Kind Of Food Is Good For Puppies?
Puppies need a nutritious balanced diet for their comprehensive growth. Natural food for puppies, that is rich in protein, fats, vitamins, minerals and the right amount of carbohydrate is the best puppy food for their development. When choosing the right puppy food, look at the ingredient list on the pack to make sure that it only contains natural ingredients and not loaded with preservatives and additives.
All puppies are different and so are their nutritional needs. It also depends on the age, breed, growth and size of your puppy.
- Good Puppy Food Must Contain Protein
Proteins are vital for your puppy’s growth. Puppies have the highest amount of protein requirement immediately after weaning and the required amount decreases as they keep growing. The recommended protein range in a good puppy food for healthy puppy growth is 22-32% on a dry matter basis.Choose a puppy food that uses natural protein sources, either from animal based or plant-based sources.
- FurrMeals Puppy Special Chicken & Apple
is the perfect recipe for puppies as it has the right amount of protein that is derived from fresh, natural and whole chicken and is loaded with fruits and vegetables. - Good Puppy Food Must Contain Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are a major source of energy for your puppy. Carbohydrate also gives puppy food the required amount of bulk and fibre. Grains and starchy vegetables are some of the main sources of carbohydrate for puppy and dog food. The right puppy food will have a carbohydrate content of 20-30% on a dry matter basis. - Good Puppy Food Must Contain Water
Water is a critical component of puppy diet as it helps in digestion and absorption of food and nutrients. Most natural and wet puppy food like FurrMeals Puppy Food contains 80% moisture and this helps in digesting the food.If your puppy is on a dry, kibble diet then the moisture content in food is very minimal. You should then make sure to add more moisture rich food to the diet and encourage your puppy to drink more water.
As always, make sure to give your puppy access to clean, drinking water at all times.
- Good Puppy Food Must Contain Minerals
For proper growth, two types of minerals are needed- Macro and Micro. Macro elements such as calcium, phosphate and potassium allow a series of important activities in the body of the puppy, including proper bone development, nerve pulsing propagation and muscular synthesis. Trace elements or micro include iron, iodine and manganese are required in low amounts by the body and help to make skin, bones, blood and coat healthier. - Good Puppy Food Must Contain Vitamins
For a variety of biological and developmental activities, vitamins are essential for your puppy. Vitamins are of 2 types -water-soluble vitamins C and B-complex, and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.Water soluble vitamins are not stored in the body and get regularly flushed out. So, they need a continuous top-up. Fat soluble vitamins are stored in the body for later use.
A balanced puppy food will have the right amount of both types of vitamin sources obtained from natural and fresh ingredients.
So, now you might be wondering if all the above elements are present in adult dog food then can puppies eat adult dog food?
To give you the answer upfront, puppies cannot eat adult dog food. Your puppy’s nutritional requirements are very different from an adult dog, so their food should also be different. There is a lot of difference between puppy dog food and adult dog food.
Brands like FurrMeals design their adult dog and puppy dog recipes differently, keeping in mind AAFCO guidelines. Puppies are in their growth stage and need a growth promoting diet while adult dogs are in maintenance stage and need a maintenance diet..
Transition from Puppy Food to Adult Dog Food
Sooner or later as the puppy grows, a transition from puppy dog food to adult dog food will have to be performed. We recommend starting your pup with a FurrMeals Puppy Special Recipe and then transition to a FurrMeals Adult Dog Recipe once your pup reaches adult weight to attain adulthood.
Puppies grow fast and mature into adulthood at different ages, depending on the breed. It is around 9-12 months for small to medium-size dogs and 12-24 months for large to x-large dog breeds.The pace of growth in puppies varies according to the breed and also involves a complicated engagement between genetics, diet and the surroundings.
Pet parents should make the transition gradually over a few days before completely shifting from puppy food to adult dog food. Your puppy’s stomach needs time to adjust to any change in food to avoid gastrointestinal discomfort. The transition can take from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on how your pup adjusts to the new food.
Start by adding a few spoons of the new food to the existing food. Observe for some days on how your pup reacts before adding more spoons of the new food. Keep adding adult dog food and keep reducing puppy food from the bowl, till you have completed the transition from puppy food to adult dog food.
Points to Remember for New Pet Parents
- Bringing a new pup home is always very exciting and fun, but don’t forget the responsibility that it brings with it. In our love for our dogs, we sometimes tend to start sharing every food that we eat with them, not realising the harmful effects the processed and spice loaded human food can have on your puppy..
- Be mindful of what and how much you put in your puppy’s food bowl. Every meal that your puppy eats is going to contribute to his health and growth, either in a positive or a negative manner.
- If you are planning to put your puppy on a homemade puppy food diet, then it is critical to make sure that you balance the meals correctly. This is a bit difficult to achieve unless you have knowledge of canine nutrition to know how to make a species appropriate balanced diet using the right ingredients. You also need to calculate the right quantity to feed your puppy at every stage of his growth chart for optimum growth.
- Not only must a puppy’s diet provide it with energy, but it must also build and sustain the cells of the body to minimize digestive, joint and age-associated issues as your puppy grows up to become an adult dog. And to achieve these goals, the diet must be specifically designed to match your puppy’s particular nutritional demands.
If you are feeling overwhelmed by all this, like most new Pet Parents do, then need not worry because we are here to help you become the perfect pet parent.
At Furrmeals Pet Food, we design the right diet plan for your puppy, depending on their current nutritional needs and keep adjusting as your pup grows. We will also help your puppy transition from puppy food to adult dog food at the right time.
So, are you ready to switch your puppy to a Furrmeals Ready-to-Eat Fresh Puppy Food Plan? Call us now and know the best plan for your pup.
