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Puppy Care: Puppy Kibble

The right feeding practices and a quality puppy kibble will ensure that your adorable puppy will grow into a strong and healthy adult dog

One of the first considerations when you think of taking care of a puppy is what to feed the new family member. You may have heard that puppy kibble is a mainstay for young puppies to help them develop a strong healthy body and coat. But as you may already know, there are a large number of puppy foods available from your local supermarket or pet store, ranging from a low cost generic store brand to more expensive specialty blends.

Which Puppy Kibble Is Best?

We recommend that you select a high quality dry kibble for your new puppy and the avoid cheap, generic brands. The better quality puppy foods, like Iams and Science Diet, only cost a few dollars more than the cheaper store brand dog foods. However, the differences can be startling. Many of the cheaper puppy foods contain high percentages of corn and grain with smaller amounts animal protein. The better puppy kibble will contain higher percentages of chicken, beef or lamb to provide your puppy with a higher protein quantity and source.

As puppies grow, they demand higher amounts of protein to help their bodies and bones grow strong and healthy. So, be sure to buy only brand name dog foods to make sure you are getting a quality product. Another consideration is to select the right size food for your dog's size. If you have a large breed dog, choose food made for large breed dogs. And a word of caution: Don’t judge dog foods by their vitamin and mineral content alone because often times over-supplementation of vitamins and minerals can lead to hip dysplasia.

As far as canned puppy food, it should never be given to your young dog as their sole source of nutrition. It is okay once in a great while but it is best to stick with dry kibble because it is better for your puppy’s teeth and helps with teething. A major no-no is feeding human food to your puppy because it can cause digestive problems.

Feeding Your Puppy

Don't Spoil Your Puppy Rotten

It is best not to give your new puppy too many special treats, despite how cute he or she looks when they beg for treats. Dog treats, like milk bone biscuits, tend to fill up the dog and reduce their appetite. The problem being that dog bones and treats tend to not be very nutritional for your pup, and you want to them to eat the higher quality puppy food as a main diet. Any other food that reduces their appetite for their regular puppy kibble should be given sparingly.

How Much Should You Feed Your Puppy?

In young puppies, it is best to offer their food three times a day. If by chance your puppy doesn’t feel hungry that often, reduce the quantity of food and when he reaches around 10-12 weeks of age, start feeding your puppy only twice a day. It isn't advised to feed a puppy only once a day because he will tend to overeat at a single meal. It is much better to space out your feeding schedule for a morning and early evening meal.

You should let your puppy eat as much as he wants during a 15-minute period and then take the dish away. Try not to leave food out all day because it can lead to an overweight puppy and increases the potential for hip dysplasia and other health problems later in life. So, using a common sense approach to feeding your puppy using scheduled feedings with a quality puppy kibble product will almost guarantee that your puppy will develop into a strong and healthy adult dog.

Source: http://www.puppycaretraining.net

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