Puppy food
September 21, 2001 2:39 PM
Ask the breeder, pet store or shelter what kind of food is currently being fed to your pup. Stay with that for about 10 days. Then, if you choose another brand of puppy food, make the shift gradually.
Arriving at a new home can be traumatic for a puppy, and this can affect diet. Encourage a pup, if it is too distracted to eat during those first few days. Either microwave the dry food on medium heat, just enough to create an enticing aroma (don't burn your puppy's tongue) or add moist food to dry kibble. But don't allow this practice to become a habit; even little puppies are capable of training their owners.
Veterinary nutritionists encourage a diet of primarily dry food. High-quality puppy foods are researched and balanced, and they do not require supplements.
Some breeders are now recommending against puppy food for giant breeds such as Great Danes, Newfoundlands and Irish Wolfhounds. Instead they are suggesting a diet solely of adult food. Their goal is to avoid such muscular/skeletal abnormalities as puppy carpal syndrome (accelerated bone growth) and hip dysplacia. Adult food, which is generally not as high-energy a meal as puppy chow, may temper growth. Several recent studies indicate that giant breeds overfed on puppy food are more likely to suffer hip dysplacia. Puppy food is certainly not the only potential cause of this ailment, which also has a certain genetic component.
Dogs fed exclusively adult chow may suffer from slowed or stunted growth if they don't receive the right amount of calcium and phosphorus. According to the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), too little calcium (less than 1 percent) may slow or stunt growth, and too much calcium (more than 2.5 percent) may advance the possibility of hip dysplacia or puppy carpal syndrome. The problem is that few products indicate the percent of calcium.
Consumers should look for a fat profile from 10 to 15 percent and a protein profile between 22 and 25 percent.
For giant breeds, the closer to 10 percent for fat and 22 percent for protein, the better. Most veterinary nutritionists now recommend a conservative puppy chow that isn't like jet fuel for larger breeds. Then, at four to six months of age -- sooner than many other breeds -- make the transition to the adult food. Also remember that most puppies don't have appetite control.
Most dogs remain on puppy food until they are 10 months old to just over a year old. If you notice that your dog is beginning to 'fill out' a bit too much, it's probably time to make the gradual shift to adult food. Consult your vet for the exact timing, which is dependent on the breed, amount of exercise the dog is getting and its individual metabolism.
Dogs do not crave variety as people do. Still, owners have been known to offer table scraps. At least make the scraps healthy tidbits like pieces of fresh or uncooked carrots or tomatoes. And don't offer those scraps at the dining room table unless you want to train your dog to beg.