{"id":1137,"date":"2021-12-06T17:42:50","date_gmt":"2021-12-06T17:42:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sbahvet.com\/?p=1137"},"modified":"2021-12-06T17:42:50","modified_gmt":"2021-12-06T17:42:50","slug":"how-to-choose-healthy-puppy-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sbahvet.com\/blog\/how-to-choose-healthy-puppy-food\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose Healthy Puppy Food\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It might not seem complicated, but standing in front of numerous varieties of pet foods can lead to some serious challenges. While you could choose a puppy food based on the packaging and aesthetics, what\u2019s inside might not be best for your furry baby. Alternatively, you might be drawn in by spare presentation only to find that the ingredients are equally lacking. It\u2019s so frustrating not to know for sure the in\u2019s and out\u2019s or puppy food. With a decision this important, it\u2019s time to turn to the experts.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So Many Wrong Choices<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sbahvet.com\/tips-for-choosing-healthy-puppy-food\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choosing healthy puppy food<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is much more than picking up a bag of chow at the grocery store. We now know how important establishing great nutrition is for the long haul in the early years. Since dogs are living longer than ever before, it\u2019s imperative they get a bright start. And while there are so many potentially wrong choices to make in the food aisle (or in the pet store in general), it\u2019s hard to know what the \u201cright\u201d ones are.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Look at All Factors<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first thing that must be addressed is whether or not the food is age-appropriate. Puppies have very different nutritional needs than adult or senior dogs. As such, a puppy-specific food is ideal until they reach a certain age.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember to exercise caution when changing your pet\u2019s diet. For example, when they grow out of their puppy food, slowly add adult dog food to the mix and don\u2019t rush the process.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Firm Foundation\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding the finer points of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sbahvet.com\/understanding-pet-nutrition\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pet nutrition<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can help an owner choose the right puppy food. Because they require a balanced diet to support growth and development, puppies benefit from protein. Additionally, look for high values of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and fiber..\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aafco.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Association of American Feed Control Officials<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (AAFCO) provides standards for producing and labeling pet foods. It\u2019s important to verify a product\u2019s nutrition through the AAFCO adequacy statement on food labels. They are a good source for portion guidelines, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wet or Dry?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many puppies can\u2019t get enough of kibble, others like wet, canned food. Some like a combination of both. It may be best to expose your puppy to both types of food when they are young. If you\u00a0 make any changes to their diet as they age, they\u2019ll be familiar with both options.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dry food is shelf stable, doesn\u2019t require refrigeration, and can be more affordable than canned varieties. Wet food has a higher moisture content, so you may have to worry less about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sbahvet.com\/how-do-you-know-if-your-pet-drinks-enough-water\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how much water they take in every day<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. However, you may have to feed more wet food per puppy as it is less energy dense than kibble.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Watching Out for Feedback\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a word of caution, puppies get into everything (especially if they\u2019re hungry). Always be sure to lock up these <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sbahvet.com\/toxic-foods-for-dogs-what-you-need-to-know\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">human foods<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A growing dog\u2019s digestive system is working overtime in their first year or so. Keep an eye out for any vomiting or diarrhea, and call us at <a href=\"tel:+1-916-794-8520\">(916) 794-8520<\/a> with any questions or concerns. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It might not seem complicated, but standing in front of numerous varieties of pet foods can lead to some serious challenges. While you could choose a puppy food based on the packaging and aesthetics, what\u2019s inside might not be best for your furry baby. Alternatively, you might be drawn in by spare presentation only to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1138,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[192,199],"class_list":["post-1137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pet-health","tag-picking-the-right-puppy-food","tag-puppy-food"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Choose Healthy Puppy Food\u00a0 - Sunrise Boulevard Animal Hospital<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sbahvet.com\/blog\/how-to-choose-healthy-puppy-food\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Choose Healthy Puppy Food\u00a0 - Sunrise Boulevard Animal Hospital\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It might not seem complicated, but standing in front of numerous varieties of pet foods can lead to some serious challenges. While you could choose a puppy food based on the packaging and aesthetics, what\u2019s inside might not be best for your furry baby. 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