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Bringing home a puppy is an exciting time. From the first night home, there is a lot to learn about caring for your new family member. One of the biggest decisions you’ll make is what to put in your puppy’s bowl. Feeding your puppy fresh food creates healthy habits from day one!
More pet parents are looking beyond traditional processed foods and asking whether feeding fresh food is a good option. The simple answer is YES!
Read this article from Dr. Karen Becker: Does Kibble Speed Up Aging?
Fresh, minimally processed ingredients provide variety, moisture, and valuable nutrients. However, puppies have very specific nutritional requirements because their bodies are growing rapidly. Feeding a puppy isn’t simply a matter of combining meat and vegetables. Their diet needs to provide the appropriate amounts of protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients for their growth.
Feeding Your Puppy Fresh Food Requires Balance
The most important step when choosing fresh food for your puppy is making sure the diet is complete and balanced for growth.
Puppies need different levels and ratios of certain nutrients than adult dogs do. Their nutritional requirements support developing bones, muscles, organs, immune function, and brain development.
If you’re purchasing a commercial fresh-food diet, look for one specifically formulated for puppies. If you want to prepare your puppy’s food at home, don’t rely on simply combining meat, vegetables, rice, or other ingredients. Homemade puppy food can easily become deficient in essential nutrients without proper formulation.
For puppies, especially large and giant breed puppies, it’s a good idea to work with a nutritionist or pet health coach to ensure your pup is getting all of the necessary nutrients for this life stage.
Transitioning Your Puppy to Fresh Food
Chances are the breeder or rescue sent you home with a bag of puppy-specific kibble. Hopefully this will be the last bag of kibble in your home. It’s time to decide on a real fresh food diet. Once you’ve selected the appropriate diet, avoid changing your puppy’s food overnight.
Check out this post to find out why I chose to switch my dog to real food.
A puppy’s digestive system is still developing, and sudden dietary changes can result in loose stools, gas, vomiting, or decreased appetite.
Instead, gradually introduce the new food over several days. Begin with a small amount of fresh food mixed with the puppy’s current diet, then slowly increase the fresh portion as your puppy adjusts. Every puppy is different, so let your puppy’s digestion guide the process.
If digestive upset occurs, slow the transition. If vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or other concerning symptoms continue, contact your vet or nutritionist for guidance.
One of the exciting benefits of feeding fresh food is the opportunity to provide variety. Appropriate ingredients include meats, fish, eggs, and certain fruits and vegetables.
Depending on the diet, these foods can contribute protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients. But don’t introduce a dozen new ingredients at once. Instead, introduce new ingredients gradually. This gives your puppy time to adjust and allows you to identify foods they may not tolerate.
Keeping track of what your puppy eats can also be incredibly helpful. Try keeping a food diary for a few weeks, or whenever you introduce new foods.
Fresh Food is More Than Choosing a Protein
When people think about feeding fresh food to dogs, they often focus on the protein source. Protein is important, but it is only one piece of the puzzle.
A growing puppy also needs appropriate amounts of fat, essential fatty acids, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins, trace minerals, and other nutrients.
This is why simply feeding a bowl of ground beef and vegetables isn’t considered a balanced puppy diet. Feeding your puppy fresh food requires a properly formulated diet that accounts for the entire nutritional picture.
Calcium deserves special attention during puppyhood. Growing bones require proper amounts of calcium and phosphorus, but more calcium isn’t necessarily better. Both deficiencies and excesses can be problematic, particularly during the rapid growth phase. It’s important to make sure you’re getting guidance if calcium supplementation is necessary.
Fresh Treats for Training Your Puppy
Training is a huge part of puppyhood, which means your puppy may receive dozens of treats throughout the day.
Those calories add up.
Consider using small pieces of low-calorie fresh food as training rewards when they fit within your puppy’s overall diet. Keep treats and extras limited so they don’t displace the balanced nutrition your puppy needs.
And remember that certain foods, including chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, macadamia nuts, and xylitol, should never be given to dogs.
Monitor Your Puppy as They Grow
Your puppy’s nutritional needs will change as they grow. The amount of food they need can depend on their age, breed, expected adult size, activity level, metabolism, and body condition.
Regular veterinary visits provide an opportunity to monitor your puppy’s growth and make adjustments to their feeding plan. Rather than focusing only on your puppy’s weight, pay attention to their overall body condition and growth pattern.
Your goal isn’t simply to make your puppy grow as quickly as possible. It’s to support healthy, appropriate growth.
Starting your puppy on fresh food isn’t just about what’s in the bowl today. It’s about establishing healthy feeding habits that will continue throughout their life. Letting your puppy enjoy different foods adds variety and helps you better understand exactly what they’re eating.
As your puppy grows into adulthood, you can continue adapting their diet to their changing nutritional needs, activity levels, and individual health challenges.
Choosing to feed your puppy fresh food is a wonderful way to be more intentional about their nutrition and overall health. Just remember… Homemade fresh food isn’t always balanced.
Start with a nutritionally complete diet designed for growth, transition food gradually, introduce variety, monitor your puppy’s growth, and work with an expert when needed.
Your puppy is only a puppy for a very short time. Take this chance to give them the nutritional foundation that can set the stage for a long and healthy life!
