Best Types of Small Dog Food.
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| Best Types of Small Dog Food. |
Types of Beneficial Food for Small Dogs.
If you've ever brought a new puppy home, you know the joy it can bring. However, owning a puppy also comes with a million questions.
One question you need to know the answer to before bringing a puppy home is the types of food for small dogs that you should feed them.
With various brands having fancy marketing campaigns ready to influence your emotions, the decision can be complicated. To help narrow it down, as experts, we dispel this mystery and answer your questions about suitable types for small puppies and the best brands you can find in our store as well.
What types of food for small dogs can you feed your puppy?
Puppies can consume many human and dog-specific foods alike. You just need to determine the appropriate quantity and ensure they are safe and suitable for your puppy. As for commercially available puppy foods, there is a large and diverse range of types of food for small dogs:
- Dry Food: Often a suitable choice for puppies, but you should select high-quality options to ensure they are nutritionally complete and balanced with high-quality ingredients.
- Wet Food: Comes in bags or cans. Wet foods have a much higher water content than dry foods, and the rich flavors can entice picky eaters while increasing hydration.
- Fresh, Frozen, and Meat-Based Foods.
- Treats: Can be used for training and rewarding good behavior.
You don't have to choose between dry and wet puppy food; mixing both can provide your puppy with the best of both worlds, offering optimal health benefits. The combination of textures and aromas can make mealtime a delightful experience for your puppy.
As for human foods suitable for puppies, you can provide the following:
- Lean Meats: Small amounts of lean turkey, chicken, and low-fat beef are good choices. Avoid pork as it can be heavy on the puppy's stomach and digestive system. Also, ensure not to give your puppy any cooked or other poultry bones.
- Vegetables: Cooked or raw vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and green beans can be excellent foods for puppies. Avoid human sauces prepared with these foods.
- Fruits: Remember to remove seeds or pits from fruits, as they can be toxic or cause obstruction. Bananas, apples, cantaloupe, and watermelon are good options as treats for puppies.
- Many puppies and dogs enjoy peanut butter as a treat, but it is high in calories. Use it sparingly, mainly for training, rewards, or other situations that require your dog's attention.
- Starches: Potatoes, rice, and bread should be limited as they are high in calories. Avoid giving your puppy sauces like gravy with starches, as they can be too rich.
- Milk: While puppies might enjoy milk, it's important to note that mother's milk is different from cow's milk. Puppies often struggle to digest milk easily, and excessive milk consumption can lead to diarrhea. Instead, try offering a small spoonful of plain yogurt or specially formulated puppy milk.
What are the best brands for small puppy food?
These days, there are many brands of puppy food to choose from. To help narrow down your choices, select a company committed to scientific research on the foods they produce through controlled feeding trials. These companies have strict quality control guidelines, and they design their recipes and feeding plans with input from nutrition experts and veterinarians. Some of these companies you can choose from include Purina, Hill's Science, and Royal Canin. Here are some top options:
Royal Canin Small Breed Puppy Food:
The primary ingredients in this meal are fermented rice, chicken, and chicken fat. Veterinarians recommend this type of Royal Canin for puppies not only because it's specifically designed for small-sized puppies but also for small breeds like Chihuahuas or French Bulldogs. If your dog's breed is somewhat mysterious, Royal Canin also manufactures food for small, medium, and large puppies.
Royal Canin Wet Food for Small Breed Puppies:
The primary ingredients in this meal are broth and chicken meat, designed for small-breed puppies. It's suitable for picky eaters who may not enjoy most traditional puppy foods, making it ideal for supplemental nutrition for puppies lacking moisture in their diet.
Hill's Science Plan Puppy Large Breed Chicken:
The first ingredients in this type of puppy food are chicken meal, whole wheat, barley, whole corn, and brown rice. It's a complete dry food designed for large breed puppies. It is also reasonably priced, making it a quality-controlled, moderately priced food compared to other high-quality but expensive dog foods.
Hill's Science Plan Puppy Medium Breed Chicken:
This recipe is one of six dry puppy food recipes from Hill's Science. The first five ingredients are chicken meal, whole wheat, barley, whole corn, and brown rice, all-natural ingredients. Specifically designed for small and medium-breed puppies, it supports healthy growth by reinforcing bone strength, dental health, muscle development, brain function, and the immune system. The primary protein source is chicken, and the nutritional analysis reveals it contains 28% protein, 17% fat, and 48% carbohydrates, resulting in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 60%. Recommended by breeders, veterinarians, and nutrition experts alike, its calcium content is safe for all puppy breeds.
In conclusion, once you decide on the type of food your puppy needs and the appropriate daily amount, simply divide this amount into 4 to 4 equal portions. Then, feed these small meals to your puppy at regular intervals throughout the day.