Yes, it does matter what you feed your puppy and adult dog as they age. To determine if you are feeding your puppy or dog correctly you must know what ingredients are in the puppy food and what type of puppy food is best for your dog.
The typical dog food that most dog owners use is commercial dog food. It is the easiest least expensive way to feed a dog and is more accessible. However is it the best dog food for your pet?
Let us look at the different types of commercial dog foods first. There are basically three commercial dog foods, dry, semi-moist, or moist (canned).
The dry dog food is the least expensive. Does this mean this is not considered healthy for your dog to eat? No it doesn't mean that. Many dry puppy and dog foods have the needed nutrients that your puppy, adult, or senior dog need to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. One advantage of dry dog food for puppies and dogs is the dogs normally have cleaner teeth due to the dry hard bits that scrape against their teeth basically cleaning them.
Semi-moist puppy and dog food come generally in little packets and are the next least expensive food. This food is semi-moist and is essentially soft little chunks. The disadvantage to this type of food is that this food tends to stick to your dog's teeth and gums harboring bacteria and promotes gum disease. Should you avoid this type of food for you dog? Absolutely not, this food is very tasteful to the puppy and dog and it too contains many vitamins and nutrients that are essential to a puppy and dog's development. A regular tooth cleaning is recommended to help the dog maintain healthy teeth and gums.
Moist puppy and dog food otherwise known as canned dog food is the third commercial dog food. Canned dog food is the most expensive of the three types of dog food. Canned dog food can be a supplement to your puppy or dog's dry dog food to add flavor or as a treat for the dog. Moist dog food is ideal for dog's that are elderly, have dental problems, or whose appetite is minimal due to an illness. Remember once you open canned dog food you must refrigerate for freshness and to avoid spoiling. A disadvantage that people mention when feeding their dog moist dog food is their stool tends to be loose. This is the opposite when a dog eats dry food where their stool is more solid. It all is personal preference in selecting the appropriate food for your pet.
When deciding on the type of commercial dog food for you pet ensure you read the label for ingredients. Some commercial dog foods are geared toward the needs of the dogs based on their age or physical activity. You may not want to feed your puppy dog food that is designed for an elderly dog it may not have the nutrients your puppy will need. Then again you will not feed your elderly dog puppy food unless recommended by your veterinarian.
Check to see if the food you are feeding your puppy contains real meat or meat-by-products. There is a difference. It is recommended you buy only food with real meat ingredients.
The last item recommended is to check the preservatives in the food for possible health problems your pet may experience. Some pets may experience allergic reactions to the ingredients in the food that causes anything from itching, a rash, to a severe and fatal health condition. Make sure you do your research into the ingredients and consult with your veterinarian for a recommendation on the best food for your puppy or dog based on your dogs breed, age, and overall health.
The typical dog food that most dog owners use is commercial dog food. It is the easiest least expensive way to feed a dog and is more accessible. However is it the best dog food for your pet?
Let us look at the different types of commercial dog foods first. There are basically three commercial dog foods, dry, semi-moist, or moist (canned).
The dry dog food is the least expensive. Does this mean this is not considered healthy for your dog to eat? No it doesn't mean that. Many dry puppy and dog foods have the needed nutrients that your puppy, adult, or senior dog need to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. One advantage of dry dog food for puppies and dogs is the dogs normally have cleaner teeth due to the dry hard bits that scrape against their teeth basically cleaning them.
Semi-moist puppy and dog food come generally in little packets and are the next least expensive food. This food is semi-moist and is essentially soft little chunks. The disadvantage to this type of food is that this food tends to stick to your dog's teeth and gums harboring bacteria and promotes gum disease. Should you avoid this type of food for you dog? Absolutely not, this food is very tasteful to the puppy and dog and it too contains many vitamins and nutrients that are essential to a puppy and dog's development. A regular tooth cleaning is recommended to help the dog maintain healthy teeth and gums.
Moist puppy and dog food otherwise known as canned dog food is the third commercial dog food. Canned dog food is the most expensive of the three types of dog food. Canned dog food can be a supplement to your puppy or dog's dry dog food to add flavor or as a treat for the dog. Moist dog food is ideal for dog's that are elderly, have dental problems, or whose appetite is minimal due to an illness. Remember once you open canned dog food you must refrigerate for freshness and to avoid spoiling. A disadvantage that people mention when feeding their dog moist dog food is their stool tends to be loose. This is the opposite when a dog eats dry food where their stool is more solid. It all is personal preference in selecting the appropriate food for your pet.
When deciding on the type of commercial dog food for you pet ensure you read the label for ingredients. Some commercial dog foods are geared toward the needs of the dogs based on their age or physical activity. You may not want to feed your puppy dog food that is designed for an elderly dog it may not have the nutrients your puppy will need. Then again you will not feed your elderly dog puppy food unless recommended by your veterinarian.
Check to see if the food you are feeding your puppy contains real meat or meat-by-products. There is a difference. It is recommended you buy only food with real meat ingredients.
The last item recommended is to check the preservatives in the food for possible health problems your pet may experience. Some pets may experience allergic reactions to the ingredients in the food that causes anything from itching, a rash, to a severe and fatal health condition. Make sure you do your research into the ingredients and consult with your veterinarian for a recommendation on the best food for your puppy or dog based on your dogs breed, age, and overall health.