I have just got a new puppy, and I would like your thoughts on the best food.
What do you think about fresh meat, cooked or raw, bones, veges, canned food, dry food?
And does anyone recommend supplements?
What's The Best Food for a Puppy?
GOFYS on 18/03/2016 - 19:12
Last edited 19/03/2016 - 15:32 by 1 other user
Last edited 19/03/2016 - 15:32 by 1 other user
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Regardless, they've asked now, so let's make sure the advice is sound, eh?
That's like asking "why would you buy a car even without even knowing how to take care of it?"
My question was to genuinely find out why you would get a puppy first then worry about the logistics later. I wondered if it may have been an unexpected gift.
Thanks for caring.I have a very good idea and history of what's good for my puppies, but the vet is recommending just dry food.
I have never fed this to my dogs and somehow it seems to fly in the face of common sense.
what breed?
how old?Three month old multicultural but small to mid size, say, kelpie size
Its mother's milk?
Advantage puppy plus dry food, Black Hawk or Royal canin dry food. Don't bother with supermarket stuff it's too watery and unbalanced (think of it like fast food for your puppy… Including stinky farts to go with it). Give them wet food as a special meal maybe twice a week. You can also start with chicken wings for teeth but if it's a hot day make sure you find the bones at the end of the day and chuck them out.
If the teeth aren't showing yet then stick to the dry food but wet it with water (think cereal in milk after a few minutes and you've got the right consistency)
Source: my vet.
maybe research the things not to feed a dog
Also: don't be afraid to call or drop in to your local vet for a bit of advice. I've found the nurses at ours are great for recommendations… Yes, they sell the stuff too but they're animal people.
I've also had good advice from Petsdomain (Pet store chain).
Off the top of my head, don't feed:
Onion, garlic, avocado, grapes, raisins, sultanas, chocolate, any caffeine product.Good for dogs:
Sweet potato, carrots, brown rice.If you want milk, get the puppy milk or human lactose free milk. I would get some premium dog food ( not iams, science diet as too much by-meat products). I get my stuff from mypetwarehouse but generally, I cook for my dog.
Yep so many of these are a surprise when I tell people who own dogs… The scary thing is when I tell them it can cause renal failure (kidney failure), they tell me their dog loves eating onion, grapes, etc.
Edit: also don't give them macadamia nuts either.
Ok first off ask the breeder what they are feeding the puppy and for the next month or so you should keep him or her on that food.
When I first got my puppy she had 1/2 cup of mince meat, 1/4 cup dry food and a tablespoon of cottage cheese twice a day.
When she got bigger I changed from mince to stir - fry strips of beef.
Now at 2 years old she just gets 1 cup of Royal Canin Dry food twice a day and some table scraps if we have anything left over she can eat.
The meal plan above was included with my puppies' birth certificate, vaccination certificate and a details of her parents. Did your breeder give you anything like that? What kind of dog did you get?
i have some good suggestions, but we get ours delivered, as it's not available locally, which can be inconvenient
are you happy to have stuff delivered?
otherwise go to your local pet superstore and take some photos of what they have, post the photos here and we can get back to you
The breeder I obtained my dog from, when he was a puppy recommended Supercoat Puppy supplemented with plain yogurt. He is now almost 8 and still has Supercoat for Adults for breakfast, and rice, chicken and vegetables for his dinner. Supercoat is recommended by some vets, but most vets recommend the more expensive food that they are selling like Hills or Royal Canin. Supercoat is a good dry dog food. You can moisten it for the puppy with a tiny dash of hot water, and wait for it to cool before giving it to the puppy. Do not give a dog cooked bones, only raw bones, and not to a puppy but when the dog is a little older.
Kitten
I gave my puppy wet food mixed with dry food and dog milk.
But after a few months, he got sick of it. He eats anything but dog food. Now I just feed him raw meat + bones, and our leftovers…cook up some chicken and steam rice. Lots of bones. The one product that i do buy are the chew treats.
Late to join this party but
Most of the popular brands that are available are actually full of fillers and by-products
The are owned by huge corporations who are more interested in the bottom dollar than what's best for your puppy or mineGood puppy foods include
Canidae
Ivory Coat
Meals for Pups
Earthborn Holistic
Holistic select
now these five are available in some pet shops, but you have to hunt for them or easily available online
Applaws Puppy (this one is found in supermarkets)
Blackhawk (commonly found in many pet shops)source: http://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/dry-dog-food/puppy-foods/
Not so good foods (low nutritional value, lots of fillers)
Advantage Puppy plus (owned by Mars) (fillers include Corn Gluten, Chicken Tallow, Rice, Corn, Sorghum)
Royal Canin (also owned by Mars)fillers include wheat, corn, corn gluten
Mars also owns Pedigree, Eukanaba, Iams (all described on their website as Billion Dollar brands)
Hill's Science Diet (owned by Colgate Palmolive) top ingredients Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat, Dried Beet Pulp
Supercoat (owned by Nestle) ingredients Meat & meat by-products (from chicken, beef and/or lamb) and/or poultry by-products, fish and fish by-products; wholegrain cereals cereal by-products and/or vegetable proteins; other cereals
the bottom line is generally two products have similar price points, one is heavily marketed and the other you've not heard about. Read the ingredients and decide what's best for your puppy
Personally Royal Canin and Canidae have similar price points, but there is a world of difference in their ingredients. Royal Canin was recommended by my breeder, my vet tries to sell me Hill's Science but I feed my pup Canidae
I use Blackhawk for my boy and think it's great. My Border Collie is going on 8 months now and he's been on that for the whole time and he loves it. It's cheaper when compared to other premium foods and the package size is usually bigger as well. Was initially recommended to me by a lady at Best Friends pet store
OK, thanks everyone for the input. So she is now getting fresh cooked mince with vegies, plus liver, necks, etc, whatever is available for variation from the butcher.
And she gets some dry factory food and/or table scraps at random.
Why would you get a puppy without even knowing how to take care of it?