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Puppies eating kibble

With this buyer's guide, you'll find the best dry puppy food for your pooch

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What is the best dry puppy food in 2024?

By Joseph Chance Content Writer

Published on the Updated on the

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Puppies grow very quickly and need more energy than adult dogs. That’s why there is a wide range of specialised dry puppy foods created with baby dogs in mind.

Easy to digest, palatable and rich in protein, puppy food is ideal for supporting your new pet's growth. These foods provide all the nutrients your dog needs to grow big and strong. There are a lot of different kinds of puppy food to choose from, and you should base your choice on composition. Choose premium brands, as they are high in quality and well balanced.

Ask your vet for advice on the amount of food to give your puppy as it all depends on their breed, weight, physiological needs and age. You can find the ideal food for your baby dog in specialist shops and online pet shops. Your dog will eat dry puppy food until they’re an adult, around the age of one!

Are you about to welcome your first puppy? Check out our comparison of the best dry puppy foods for two-month-old dogs. Your pet will thank you for it!

Why give your puppy specialised food?

Puppies have different nutritional needs compared to adult dogs. As they grow, their weight can see a fivefold increase within just a few months. That's why they should be fed a diet that's adapted to their energy needs. Moreover, puppies have a more fragile digestive system than adult dogs. Their stomachs are still small, but they need to eat a lot. As a result, puppy food has to be highly digestible. Young dogs should consume more protein and fat than adult dogs. They also require more calcium and phosphorus to strengthen and calcify their bones. If you feed your puppy the same food as your adult dog, they may develop deficiencies and growth delays.

How much dry puppy food should I feed?

To determine the right amount of kibble to feed your puppy, you need to take into account their weight and physiological needs. A small Jack Russell doesn't eat the same as a Leonberg! Ask your vet for advice on how much dry puppy food to feed your animal each day. Most of the time, kibble manufacturers also indicate portion sizes on the back of the package. As a rule of thumb, if you have a large breed puppy, you can give them between 300g and 400g of kibble from the age of two months. Then gradually increase the daily amount to 900g by the time they reach six months old. Is your dog a medium breed? They should eat 500g of kibble per day at the age of five months.

Should I choose a particular brand of dry food for my puppy?

It is important to choose premium kibbles, which are made with better quality ingredients than standard dog food. Premium foods are balanced and provide the animal with all the nutrients to help them grow and thrive. Before buying a bag of dog food, check its composition: the content of protein, fat, fibre and calcium must be adapted to your pet's needs. There are also dry foods for puppies who are allergic to gluten, which are grain-free, as well as lower-fat kibbles for neutered puppies to prevent them from becoming overweight. If your baby dog is growing well, playing a lot, has shiny eyes and well-formed stools, then you have chosen the right food for them!

Until what age should I give my dog dry puppy food?

When your puppy grows up, it's important to switch them to an "adult" diet. If you keep feeding your adult dog baby food, they can gain a lot of weight quite quickly. Puppy food is much higher in calories than adult food because young dogs need more energy to grow. You should therefore stop feeding your pet puppy food when they become an adult; this period varies from breed to breed! Animals with an adult weight of under 10kg mature at the age of around 10 months. On the other hand, dogs that are supposed to weigh over 35kg can stop eating puppy food by about 18 months old.

Why won't my puppy eat their food?

There are several possible reasons! They may simply not like the taste of the new food. If your dog is just starting to eat dry food, they may also be having trouble getting used to the texture. There’s a big difference between the hardness of kibble and the softness of their mother's nipples! Otherwise, your pet may be stressed by their new surroundings; perhaps they’re not at ease with you just yet and are feeling scared. In this case, be patient while they find their bearings. Loss of appetite can also be linked to a health problem. If in doubt, consult a vet!

Where should I buy dry puppy food?

You should buy your puppy food from specialised shops. You’ll find premium foods, whereas supermarkets mainly distribute standard kibbles. You can also purchase puppy food at your vet. Alternatively, there is a wide choice on the Internet at retailers like Amazon or online pet shops. Comparison sites will help you find the best value for money. You can also read buyer’s guides and join puppy forums to chat with other owners.

This article is a selection made independently by the Wamiz team. If you click on a link called "affiliate link", the merchant pays us a commission. But that doesn't change anything for you and your pet! Affiliate links are identified as such, for the sake of transparency.
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