What to Consider in Puppy Food for Optimal Nutrition
Our team of experts highly recommends taking the following criteria into account when searching for the best puppy food:
AAFCO Nutritional Adequacy Statement for Growth: The AAFCO, a nonprofit organization, provides nutritional profiles based on different life stages of animals. While they don’t specifically approve pet foods, opting for a puppy food that is formulated for growth or all life stages ensures that the food is complete and balanced to meet the nutritional needs of your puppy.
Guaranteed Analysis: Examining the nutrient content, including protein, fat, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals, is recommended by our experts. You can find these values in the guaranteed analysis section on the food’s packaging or by requesting it from the manufacturer. Discussing the guaranteed analysis with your veterinarian will ensure that your puppy is consuming a minimum of 22.5% protein and 8.5% fat, along with other vital nutrients that support their growth.
Ingredient List: The ingredient list provides information on all the components used in the recipe, listed in order of weight. If an ingredient appears at the top of the list, it constitutes a significant portion of the food’s overall weight. Our experts suggest that there are no specific ingredients to avoid in puppy foods, including healthy protein sources such as byproducts and byproduct meals. However, it is advisable to refrain from feeding puppies grain-free diets due to their potential link to DCM.
Healthy Extras: The best puppy foods contain supplementary ingredients to support healthy development, skin, and joints. For instance, antioxidants like vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and l-lysine and selenium are beneficial for the immune system. Omega-3 fatty acids, such as DHA and EPA, aid in the development of the brain and nervous system in young animals and are essential in puppy food. You can find most of these beneficial nutrients listed in the guaranteed analysis.
Calorie Content: Pet foods typically provide feeding charts to assist in determining the appropriate daily amount for your puppy. However, consulting with your veterinarian is the best way to establish their caloric needs. Puppies require high-calorie food to support their rapid growth. As your puppy approaches adulthood, it is crucial to discuss their nutritional plan with your veterinarian. Switching to an adult food, once your puppy has reached muscular maturity, can help prevent obesity associated with high-calorie puppy foods.
Breed-Size Formulation: If you have a large breed puppy, it is crucial to purchase puppy food specifically formulated for their needs. Large breed puppies require specific nutrient ratios and calorie levels to prevent excessive growth, which can lead to long-term orthopedic issues. Unless a diet is labeled or tested for ‘growth of large breed puppies,’ it should be assumed that it is not suitable for this category.
Feeding-Trial Tested versus Formulated Foods: Foods that have undergone feeding trials have been deemed both safe and palatable after being fed to a group of animals. On the other hand, foods labeled as formulated haven’t been subjected to feeding trials during nutritional testing. It is worth noting that feeding trial testing can be costly, and not all companies can afford to conduct these tests on all or some of their pet foods. Many excellent formulated diets have been available for a long time and have been proven to provide excellent nutrition.
Expert Formulations: Our expert, Churchill, exclusively recommends products from manufacturers that adhere to WSAVA guidelines. These guidelines ensure a high level of quality control, including the employment of a full-time board-certified veterinary nutritionist and potentially a PhD-level animal nutritionist. The puppy food picks in this guide have been formulated under the guidance of an animal nutrition expert.
Next-Level Ingredients: Opting for puppy foods marketed as human-grade, organic, sustainably caught, or cage-free may come with a higher price tag. While these ingredients may not provide extra nutrition to your puppy, selecting pet food with next-level ingredients like farm-raised meats, cage-free eggs, and sustainably-caught fish supports a pet food company that prioritizes both animal welfare and sustainable practices.
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