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Puppy Basics: Selecting the Right Food
Puppy Basics: Selecting the Right Food

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Tips on Choosing a Puppy Food

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Dogs need a well-balanced meal for their adequate growth and development. Different breeds and sizes of dogs require a different amount of nutrients. Puppies are at their growing stage, and hence they require more energy for overall development. Nutrients like fat, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water help the puppy nourish into a healthy dog. Choosing a puppy food is a crucial decision to make as the type of puppy food you choose directly affects your fur baby’s development in the initial years. 

IAMS™ is one of the leading puppy food brands that is known for offering food packed with energy and nutrients to support a puppy’s growing age.

 

How to choose puppy food?

Pet parents often face the dilemma of how to choose puppy food for their fur baby. Puppies often need twice the amount of nutrients compared to an adult dog. While choosing a puppy food, you must look for meal options that are highly digestive and nutrient dense. The food should be packed with vitamins, proteins, fat, and carbohydrates for your puppy’s healthy growth. Some benefits of selecting the right puppy food are:

  • Shiny fur
  • Exceptional muscle tone
  • Improved vision
  • Better digestion
  • Improved bowel movement
  • Pleasant and playful mood
  • Healthy, happy attitude

 

How to choose the right puppy food brand?

While home food can be nutritious, it can sometimes not be sufficient for a puppy’s growing body. Hence, pet parents need to depend on formulated puppy food that is packed with the goodness of protein and other essential nutrients to support their fur baby’s growth and development stage. However, how to choose the right puppy food brand amongst so many available options? Read the following to know more.

  • Recognised brand: When you buy formulated food for a puppy, always pick well-known brands that do not compromise on quality and quantity. Choosing a well-recognised and established brand that adheres to the law ensures your canine friend gets all the necessary nutrients for its constant and consistent growth.
  • Check the label: Read the product’s name and label to get all the necessary information about its nutritional values. The net product weight and nutrient chart are mentioned on every recognised puppy food brand’s product. Along with checking the nutritional values, you must also look for the manufacturer’s address and contact details. This helps in sending suggestions and grievances directly to the brand. The list of ingredients should be read thoroughly to ensure you do not pick a product with ingredients that do not suit your pooch. The product’s manufacturing and expiry date are also mentioned on the label. Lastly, the label also contains information and directions for feeding your puppy.
  • Ingredients: Puppies need a good source of protein, fiber, and carbohydrates. Puppies need 22 amino acids to produce the right protein needed for their survival. Hence, pet parents have to be very careful and selective when choosing puppy food for their fur babies. Thoroughly going through the list of ingredients allows caregivers to analyze the ingredients and choose the best for their canine buddy. Glancing at the list of ingredients also allows you to avoid products that contain ingredients your puppy is allergic to. 

Moreover, you must also consider your puppy’s breed, size, and weight when confused about how to choose food for the puppy. Smaller breeds of dogs mature faster than larger breeds, this means your puppy’s breed decides how much nutrients it will need for how long. While most puppies can start consuming solid food once they turn 4-weeks old, their transition from puppy food to adult dog food varies depending on their breed, size, and weight. Please consult a vegetarian doctor if you are unsure about your pet’s breed and the amount of nutrients required for its adequate growth.

 

Nutrients required by different breed sizes

Different breeds of dogs require a different amount of nutrition for their proper growth and development. Feeding the puppy as per its breed’s requirement ensures that it gets the right amount of nutrients for its physical and psychological growth. Hence, to help you choose the best for your fur baby, we have curated some insights on how much nutrition is required for which breed size.

  • Small breed: This type of breed is smaller in size, which means their anatomy and organs are compact compared to other breeds. However, as these breeds do not grow larger, they mature faster, and hence need more nutrients in their primitive age. Small and toy breed puppies are recommended to feed at least 3 to 4 meals a day to provide all the essential nutrients required for their growth. However, because they have smaller organs, it becomes essential to choose food that can offer more nutrition in a limited quantity.
  • Medium breed: Dogs that are bigger than the toy breed but smaller than giant and large breeds are considered medium-size breeds. You can accomplish a medium size breed’s nutritional quota by offering an adequate animal-based diet. Two meals a day is ideally sufficient for medium-size breeds, provided the food is packed with healthy nutrients required for its growth.
  • Large breed: Contradicting the common belief, this breed does not require more calcium even though it has larger bones. A moderate amount of calcium, phosphorus, and calories are sufficient for a large-breed puppy’s skeleton development. Overfeeding can cause developmental and bone issues in such breeds. Hence, ensuring large breed puppies’ consumption limits while providing them with the right nutrients is essential. You should choose formulas with lesser fat and calories to promote growth in such breeds. Besides, feeding should be limited to 2 to 3 meals per day.

The physical growth and development of a puppy are at stake during its initial years. Therefore, choosing a diet that meets all its nutritional requirements and provides appropriate nourishment is essential. Caregivers should be mindful of their puppy’s allergies, breed size, and age before selecting a puppy food brand. IAMS offers a wide range of puppy food varieties for different breed sizes based on their nutritional requirements. However, you should consult a vet if you are unsure about your puppy’s nutritional needs and breed.

 

Why choose IAMS™ for your puppy?

At IAMS™, we focus on preparing highest-quality food for dogs of all ages and breeds. Our puppy food – IAMS™ Proactive Health™ Starter Mother and Baby Dog – is the ideal pick for your little pooch’s optimal growth and development. Along with being loaded with proteins, vitamins, and minerals, it also contains DHA and colostrum. While DHA ensures healthy cognition for better trainability, colostrum provides essential nutrients that’s only found in the mother dog’s milk.  Enriched with best-quality proteins, fiber, and FOS natural prebiotics, IAMS™ Proactive Health™ Starter Mother and Baby Dog ensures healthy muscles as well as digestive system.

Frequently asked questions

  1. How do I know what food is best for my puppy?
  2. Puppies ideally prefer animal-based meals. You can select the best food formula by choosing a puppy food brand that caters to your puppy’s breed size as different breed sizes require a different amount of nutrients for overall development and healthy growth.

  3. Do puppies need special puppy food?
  4. Yes, puppies need more energy compared to adult dogs. Hence, they do require special food that can offer twice the amount of nutrients in smaller quantities. Besides, puppies also need to be fed more frequently to support the nutritional requirements for growth and development.

  5. What is the healthiest food to feed a puppy?
  6. This is subjective to the puppy’s nutritional requirements and allergies. Most puppies rely on animal-based food for their nutritional needs. Nutrient-packed formulas offered by puppy food brands like IAMS are also suggested for providing a well-balanced and nourishing food to your puppy.

  • Is Your Dog Panting a Lot? Understanding When It's Normal and When to Worry
    Is Your Dog Panting a Lot? Understanding When It's Normal and When to Worry
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    Is Your Dog Panting a Lot? Understanding When It's Normal and When to Worry

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    We all adore the sight of our furry friends panting, tongues lolling out in playful exhaustion after a spirited game of fetch or on a warm, sunny afternoon. But have you ever stopped to wonder about the deeper meaning behind this seemingly simple act? What does it tell us about our dog's health and well-being?
     

    While we may find dog panting endearing, it serves a far more crucial purpose than just a cute quirk. Panting is an essential element of canine physiology, playing a vital role in regulating body temperature and communicating emotional states. Knowing the different types of dog panting and their underlying causes can be crucial in providing the best care for our beloved companions.
     

    Understanding your dog's panting

    Dogs pant to regulate their body temperature, a mechanism similar to how humans sweat. While some panting is normal, excessive or unusual panting can be a sign of an underlying health issue.
     

    Normal panting:

    • Frequency: At rest, a healthy dog typically takes about 15 to 35 breaths per minute.
    • Intensity: The panting should be shallow and quiet, with minimal tongue lolling.
    • Context: Panting is expected after exercise, play, excitement, or in hot weather.
    • Duration: Once the cause of the panting is addressed (e.g., they cool down or calm down), the panting should subside.

    Concerning panting:

    • Excessive: If your dog is breathing fast i.e., 40 breaths per minute at rest or even when slightly active, it's a red flag.
    • Heavy: When the dog is breathing heavy, the panting is deep and labored, with pronounced tongue lolling and drooling.
    • Unusual: Panting occurs in situations where it doesn't usually happen, such as when your dog is relaxed in a cool environment.
    • Persistent: The panting doesn't subside despite addressing the possible causes, or it's accompanied by other symptoms like lethargy, vomiting, or loss of appetite.

    Causes of dog panting

    Understanding why your dog pants is crucial for their health and well-being. While we've previously discussed how panting is their primary cooling mechanism, there's more to the story than just regulating body temperature.
     

    Physical reasons for panting

    • Heat regulation: As mentioned, panting helps dogs cool down after exercise, play, or during hot weather. By evaporating moisture from their tongue and respiratory tract, they bring their internal temperature back to a comfortable level.
    • Pain or discomfort: Excessive panting can be a sign of pain or discomfort due to an injury, illness, or other medical condition. Pain elevates heart rate and body temperature, triggering the panting reflex.
    • Respiratory issues: Allergies, asthma, kennel cough, and other respiratory conditions can make it difficult for your dog to breathe, leading to increased panting as they strive for more oxygen.

    Emotional reasons for panting:

    • Excitement: When your dog is excited, their heart rate and breathing increase naturally. This manifests as panting, especially during playtime, greetings, or anticipation of a favorite activity.
    • Stress or anxiety: Dogs experience stress and anxiety in various situations, leading to panting as a coping mechanism. Be aware of other behavioral changes like pacing, drooling, or tail tucking.
    • Fear or phobias: Loud noises, thunderstorms, and unfamiliar environments can trigger fear or phobias, leading to excessive panting, trembling, and attempts to hide.

    What should you do when your dog is breathing heavy?

    Seeing your beloved furry friend struggling to breathe can be a harrowing experience. But before jumping to conclusions, it's important to stay calm and assess the situation. Here's what you can do when your dog is panting heavily:
     

    Analyze the environment:

    • Recent activities: Have they been engaging in strenuous activity like playing fetch, running, or intense exercise?
    • Temperature and climate: Is it a hot day? Are they exposed to direct sunlight?
    • Stressful environment: Are there loud noises, unfamiliar people, or other factors that might be causing anxiety?

    If any of these factors are present, the panting is likely a normal physiological response to regulate their body temperature or manage stress. In this case, simply provide your dog with a cool, quiet space, offer fresh water, and allow them to rest.
     

    Observe your dog's behavior:

    • Intensity: Is the panting shallow and quiet, or is it deep and labored?
    • Frequency: How many breaths are they taking per minute?
    • Tongue lolling: Are they lolling their tongue excessively and drooling?
    • Additional symptoms: Are there any other concerning signs like lethargy, vomiting, or loss of appetite?

    Pay close attention to any deviations from their normal breathing patterns. Excessive panting in dogs, especially at rest or in a cool environment, may indicate an underlying medical condition and warrants further investigation.
     

    Provide comfort and hydration:

    • Cool down: Move your dog to a cooler area with shade and good air circulation.
    • Fresh water: Ensure they have access to clean, fresh water at all times.
    • Calm environment: Create a quiet and comfortable space where they can relax without distractions.

    These initial steps can help alleviate panting caused by heat or stress.
     

    When to see a vet for your dog's panting?

    While dogs naturally pant for various reasons, like regulating their body temperature or expressing excitement, excessive or unusual panting can be a sign of an underlying health issue. Knowing when to seek veterinary attention is crucial to ensure your furry friend's well-being.
     

    Here's when you should be concerned about your dog's panting:

    • Accompanying symptoms: If your dog's panting is accompanied by other concerning symptoms like lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, pale gums, excessive drooling, weakness, or unusual behavior, prompt veterinary attention is essential.
    • Excessive panting: If your dog's panting is deep, labored, and accompanied by exaggerated tongue lolling, it could indicate a serious medical condition. Don't delay seeking professional help.
    • Continuous panting: Panting that persists even when your dog is at rest, in a cool environment, or after addressing the initial cause (e.g., exercise, heat) requires veterinary evaluation.
    • Unrelenting panting: If the panting doesn't subside within a reasonable timeframe or even worsens despite your efforts to provide comfort and address environmental factors, it's crucial to seek professional advice.

    Panting is a natural and essential part of a dog's physiology, but it's crucial to differentiate between normal panting and signs of distress. By understanding the reasons behind your dog's panting and knowing when to seek help, you can ensure they live a happy, healthy life.

    Why Do Dogs Pant?
    Why Do Dogs Pant?
    Why Do Dogs Pant?
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