Puppy Nutrition

Just What Are A Puppies Needs?

Puppy nutrition is critical because, like children, they are growing rapidly. Puppies grow quickly, and their dietary needs will determine their health as adult canines. Among other things their bones and teeth, their brain functions, their muscle tissue, immune system and vital organs are all developing during their youth, and require proper supplements and vitamins.

Once they are weaned from mother’s milk or bottled milk, it is important to make sure that each pup gets their fair share of food. So feed them separately to ensure that the dominant one doesn’t overeat, leaving the others less than adequate puppy food. If you are house training your little friends, keep them on a regular schedule of three meals a day as constant access to food means they are digesting constantly.

As well, it may be necessary to start out feeding your puppy with a low-fat, vitamin rich wet food until they start getting puppy teeth and can begin crunching and digesting dry food. You may want to gradually introduce dry food and begin taking away wet food as their teeth begin to erupt.

Serious health issues come from feeding your little buddy too much; this can pose serious health threats to their little bodies. Totally avoid giving your puppy table food. It is especially important to avoid breads, sweets, creams, and fats that are most threatening to their health. The more they eat of your food, the less they like or want their puppy food.

Puppy nutrition needs to provide adequate resources as they are under a lot of stress from leaving their mother and joining the human race. Because they are more susceptible to parasites and diseases during this transition, it is strongly suggested that your puppy’s diet be supplemented by providing extra colostrums to help their immune system for up to two months after weaning.

Pups need a diet rich in protein, essential Omega fatty acids, and they must have the proper amounts of calcium and phosphorus to develop properly. These are just the vital parts of their puppy nutrition as many other vitamins, nutrients, and perhaps supplements are needed if the food you choose doesn’t contain enough of these essentials. Therefore, it is necessary to read the labels of the products you buy to feed young canines to determine how much extra supplementation may be required.

It is suggested to provide them with a multi-vitamin supplement especially formulated for weanlings and juveniles. Calcium and phosphorus need to be balanced and taken together for they are both necessary in the right ratio for proper nutrition.

If you are unsure what your little friend’s exact needs are, you’re not alone. Each breed of puppy needs various combinations of nutrients, which you can learn by consulting with your veterinarian. The amount of exercise they get regularly, the weight and size of your little friend, as well as climate are just some of the factors that go into supplying the right amounts of proteins, vitamins, essential fatty acids, carbohydrates and minerals your little buddy needs.

Providing digestive enzymes is a good idea as most brands of puppy foods don’t contain enough of them. Both heat and processing destroy the necessary digestive enzymes your little rascal needs to maintain a healthy digestive system, and to absorb the nutrients they do consume. When functioning properly, their digestive systems efficiently utilizes all the food they eat and prevents problems such as Inflammatory Bowl Disease, immunity disorders, body odor, gas, itchy skin, and excessive shedding. Also required as part of puppy nutrition, are essential fatty acids. Juvenile canines do not easily absorb plant-derived fatty acids, so supplements containing salmon or cod liver oil is best.

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