One of the first things you should consider when caring for your puppy is its diet and nutrition to avoid deficiencies in its growth and development.
As a furry parent, you don’t need to worry about which dog food you should choose to excel in caring for your pets. There can be many questions, from vitamins to what ingredients are good for your diet. In this article, he will have the answers to start shopping and getting the right dog food for your pup.
Vitamins and minerals
You may be wondering what essential vitamins and minerals your pup should have. Most dog foods are already formulated with the right amount of vitamins and minerals appropriate for their age and weight.
But if your pup is ever deficient in some of the necessary vitamins and minerals, there are human vitamins that your pup may need as well. You can consult this list of vitamins suitable for your puppy and some of their food sources.
- Vitamin A: fish oil, egg, sweet potatoes.
- Vitamin B: beans, green vegetables, dairy products.
- Vitamin C – organ meats and fruits
- Vitamin D – egg yolks and beef
- Vitamin E: seeds, whole grains, vegetable oils.
- Vitamin K – milk, fish, cabbage
Now you can check out these foods rich in the following minerals for your puppy.
- Calcium – yogurt, tofu, raw bones
- Phosphorus – eggs, fish, milk
- Magnesium – beans, whole grains, seafood
- Potassium, sodium and chloride: fruits and vegetables
The weight of the puppy
You must take his weight into account to get proper nutrition in your pup’s dog food. As your puppy tends to grow, take into account his weight to know how much food he needs to consume.
It is also important to monitor the appropriate weight for their age and breed to know if they are underweight, obese, or in the normal range. Puppies below the normal weight range may indicate their nutrient deficiency. As for puppies that exceed the normal weight range, they may later have orthopedic problems or affect their usual activities.
If you are overweight or obese, you should consider dog foods with lower fat content. Fortunately, PETstock has stocks of different dog foods appropriate for the nutritional needs and dietary conditions of small, medium or large breed puppies, which can also support digestive health and immunity.
Amount of calories
Puppies are more energetic and active than adult dogs, so their food should have more calories. They burn calories faster due to their activities and would also need them for muscle and bone development.
Consider the breed of the puppy
The breed of the puppy says a lot about its biological makeup, which can vary in size, shape and metabolism. Puppies like a Chihuahua and a Golden Retriever would have different bone growth, as Golden Retrievers can grow between medium to large sized breeds.
Thus, Chihuahuas and Golden Retrievers should have different types of dog food that should adapt to their developmental needs. For large breed dogs, minerals such as calcium and phosphorus must be in a specific proportion in dog food to support proper bone development.
dog food ingredients
Check dog food ingredients to see if it provides vital nutrients for puppy development and if it should have a higher amount of nutrients than adult dogs. The essential fatty acid DHA must be present in dog food ingredients to develop the puppy’s nervous system.
Additionally, incorporating a large amount of DHA into your puppy’s diet could increase his memory and make him more trainable.
Transition to a new diet
Switching to the dog food that you think is most suitable or that the veterinarian has recommended should be done slowly so that his digestive system adapts. This also prevents them from upsetting your digestive system, which can cause diarrhea, vomiting, or even loss of appetite.
You can start by mixing 75% of his old dog food with 25% of the new. You can mix half of the old dog food and the new one a few days later. Finally, mix 75% of the new dog food with 25% of the old until feeding the puppies 100% of the new dog food.
Read more Author: James Wilson James is a certified business and finance expert with over 7 years of experience. In his spare time, he attempts to influence and educate his online audience with his insightful blogs and articles.
Categories: How to
Source: vtt.edu.vn