The best food for puppies is a meal that’s rich in protein, healthy calories, essential fatty acids, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals. Puppyhood is a time of rapid growth and development of the body, therefore, relatively, puppies need a lot more nutrients than adult dogs. They should start their lives drinking their mother’s milk as the primary source of food till they’re about 10 weeks old. After that, they can slowly transition to semi-solid and then solid food. Puppy food should also be high in quality and easily digestible. It should contain zero preservatives, sugars, or chemicals.
Why does this matter?
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Puppies develop rapidly and are almost fully grown by 1–2 years old. During this time, their bodies grow in size, their organs develop and all their bodily systems also mature. These processes need a lot of fuel.
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All the food at this time should be high in quality, because this is their foundational stage. Any deficiency in nutrients or preservatives and chemicals may cause health issues later on.
What do vets generally agree on?
The Association of American Feed Control Officials, or AAFCO, the leading independent body on dog food formulations, recommends that puppies need a minimum of 22.5% protein, 8.5% fat and 1.2% calcium on a dry matter basis. Plus, a puppy’s daily Maintenance Energy Requirement is also very high. However, they must be fed small meals 2–4 times a day, otherwise their sensitive stomachs may get upset. This is why their food needs to be very high in quality and easily digestible, so that their nutritional needs are met without causing stress to their developing digestive system.
When to be careful?
Just because puppies need a lot of protein and calories, doesn't mean that they should be fed by force. Portion control is still very important for pups, because too much of any kind of food can hurt their sensitive systems. Until 10 weeks, it’s best if they drink their mother’s milk as the primary source of food. Before hitting 4 months of age, you can feed them small meals 4 times a day. Then, reduce to 3 meals a day. After they’re 6 months old, they may be fed 2 meals a day. Meals can contain high-quality meat, such as chicken, lamb and fish; carbs like sweet potato, pumpkin, oats and rice; sources of good fats like eggs, small amounts of cold-pressed fish oil, sunflower oil, etc. BLEP fresh dog food offers balanced, high-quality meals for puppies so that they can easily get all the nutrients they need during this crucial growth period. We recommend BLEP for dogs aged 10 weeks onwards.
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