What to look for in dog food for puppies
Our experts say the following criteria are important to consider when shopping for the best puppy food:
AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement for growth: AAFCO is a nonprofit organization that recommends nutritional profiles based on an animal’s life stage. Although they don’t approve pet foods, choosing a puppy food formulated for growth or all life stages means that the food is complete and balanced to meet your puppy’s nutritional needs.
Warranty review: Our experts recommend checking the amount of nutrients, such as protein, fat, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals, in a puppy food. You can find these values on the guaranteed test on the food can or bag, or the manufacturer may provide the guaranteed test. Welborn says to discuss guaranteed puppy food testing with your vet who can ensure your puppy is eating at least 22.5% protein and 8.5% fat, along with other important vitamins and minerals that support their growth
Ingredient list: It shows all the ingredients used in the recipe, organized by weight. If an ingredient appears at the top of the list, it makes up a large portion of the food’s total weight. Our experts say that puppy foods have no specific ingredients to avoid, including healthy protein sources such as byproducts and byproduct foods. However, our experts recommend against feeding puppies (or any dog) grain-free diets due to their potential connection to DCM.
Healthy extras: The best puppy foods have additional ingredients for healthy development, skin, and joints. For example, Welborn says foods can include antioxidants like vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and l-lysine and selenium to support the immune system. Omega-3 fatty acids, such as DHA and EPA, help develop the brain and nervous system in young animals and are essential in dog food for puppies. You will find most of these beneficial nutrients listed in the guaranteed review.
Calorie content: Pet food stores usually provide feeding charts as a starting point to determine the appropriate amount to feed your pet. However, Welborn says your veterinarian is the best resource for determining how many calories your puppy should eat each day. Puppies need high calorie food to fuel their rapid growth. As your puppy approaches adulthood, Luisana says it’s important to discuss your dog’s nutritional plan with your veterinarian. The most common reason to consider switching to adult food — once your puppy reaches muscular maturity — is to prevent obesity that can be associated with high-calorie puppy foods, she says.
Breeding size: According to our experts, if you have a large breed puppy, buying puppy food made specifically for them is very important. This is because large breed puppies require specific nutrient ratios and calories to prevent them from growing too fast, which can cause lifelong orthopedic issues. “Unless a diet specifically states that it is labeled or tested for ‘growing large breed puppies,’ it should be assumed that it is not suitable for this subset,” says Luisana.
Tried feeding trial versus formulated foods: If the label of a food says that it has gone through feeding trials, it has been deemed safe and palatable by feeding it to a group of animals. On the other hand, foods labeled as formulated were not fed to animals during nutritional testing.
Welborn points out that feed testing is expensive, and not all companies can afford to conduct tests on all or some of their pet foods. “There are many good foods on the market that are listed as a formulated diet,” he says. “These foods have been available for a long time and have been shown to provide good nutrition.”
Expert formulations: Churchill says he only recommends products from manufacturers that meet WSAVA guidelines. Among other quality control standards, the brand employs a full-time board-certified veterinary nutritionist and possibly a PhD-level animal nutritionist. The best puppy food picks in this guide were developed under the guidance of an expert in animal nutrition.
Next level ingredients. Buying puppy foods marketed as human-grade, organic, sustainably caught, or cage-free can mean paying more per meal. While these ingredients are typically more expensive and may not offer extra nutrition to your pup, choosing a pet food with next-level ingredients like farm-raised meats, eggs cage-free, sustainably caught fish means you’re supporting a pet food company that prioritizes both animal welfare and sustainable practices.
