I Am What I Eats

Woof!

Hi there! Today's subject is puppy nutrition, a very important one if you ask me! A puppy's diet is very important due to our sensitive tummies and need for certain nutrients so I can grow into a healthy little doggie.

First of all is the matter of my general food, and the big question wet or dry? Well wet food has a higher concentration of meat and also has the added factor of hydration, but then dry food has the extra minerals and vitamins that help me be healthy, so which is best? The answer is both, I like two portions of wet food a day and I have my dry kibble biscuits to munch on whenever I want. But you should ask your puppy, because they will let you know which is the one they prefer.

With wet food remember to feed me proper puppy food, it will contain everything I need and also not be too rich for me, rich food will upset my tummy, then you'll be cleaning that up all night! It's important to try and find the food I like best, so try a few different brands and establish what flavours and textures I prefer. And a very important note is that when you radically change my diet I may end up with another poorly tummy, but if you think it's more than that then it's off to the vets again.

Now dry food, buy the best brand you can afford, I only say this because the cheaper brands tend to have a high ash and corn content, and both of these are not good for me. I like to have a small bowl left out all day for me to nibble on as I please. I also like the fact my owner has several types of different biscuits and gives me a nice variety, this is good because I would get bored of the same thing everyday, a cheap and easy way to do this is to apply for lots of free samples of different biscuits, and then the samples last ages because you only use a little bit each day to replenish my kibble bowl. Remember though, if your puppy only eats dry food to have plenty of water available as it can cause dehydration.

Next is snacks, I know it is very tempting to feed me titbits, especially when I give you puppy eyes, but they will not help with my health. I need proper doggie treats, and as a pup one of the most important ones are milky bone biscuits, I need the calcium to help my bones grow strong. Other doggie treats to look out for are ones that promote dental health, just go to your local pet shop and they can help you find all you need. Treats should mean treat though, they are a great incentive for training, but too many could leave me as a little fatty so use sparingly!

Things to avoid in my diet include cow's milk (goat's milk is a good substitute-but only in moderation), fried foods, cheese, raw and cooked eggs, and the biggest worry is chocolate. Human chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine which in certain quantities is poisonous to puppys and may result in death. So if your pup has a sweet tooth, only buy chocolate designed for dogs!

That's it for today's lesson, I'll follow with a more in depth look at certain foods and nutritional needs, but for now I'll just to remind you to look after your pup with proper puppy food and they'll have happy nom noms everyday!

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

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