Proper nutrition for your new dog is key to helping him live a long, healthy life. Use the information in this section to help you choose the right food and feed your new dog properly.
Selecting a Puppy Food
Dogs are as individual as people. Large, small, young or old, despite their differences, they all need a well-balanced diet for good health. Yet dog's of different ages and sizes have different nutritional needs. This is especially significant when it comes to puppies.
The energy requirements of a puppy can be nearly twice that of an adult dog, and a puppy may not have the stomach capacity to eat enough food to meet his needs unless the food is specifically formulated to do so. Follow these guidelines when choosing a food:
Provide a highly digestible, nutrient- dense, 100% complete and balanced premium formula for growth. High-quality formulas contain such vitamins, minerals, protein, fat and carbohydrates your dog needs for sound and healthy development. With a premium formula, you may see these results:
- Exceptional muscle tone
- Shiny, luxurious coat
- Healthy skin, bones and teeth
- Clear, bright eyes
- Well-formed stools
- Playfulness
- A happy, healthy attitude
Feed a formula based on breed size. Puppies experience their most rapid period of growth during the first six months of life, and because growth rates differ among breed sizes, you need to feed a formula designed to address the needs of your puppy's breed or size.
Feed based on the recommended amounts for weight and age and feed this formula until your puppy is an adult.
Large-breed puppy nutrition
Although large-breed dogs have bigger bones than medium or small breeds, large-breed puppies do not need more calcium. University studies and researchers at The Iams Company have shown that:
- Rapidly growing, large-breed pups are more inclined to exhibit developmental bone problems.
- Controlling the rate of growth is more beneficial than promoting rapid growth.
- Moderating calcium, phosphorus and calorie levels in their diet promotes normal skeletal development.
Overfeeding and weight gain can actually contribute to developmental bone problems. This makes managing food intake very important. Research has shown that puppies are at increased risk for developmental bone problems if they are overfed.
Controlling the rate of growth to promote normal development is another reason to feed a large-breed diet. A formula with reduced fat and calories promotes optimum growth.
Medium-breed puppy nutrition
Medium-breed puppies have energy needs between those of large- and small-breed dogs. Medium breeds' nutritional demands can be satisfied by feeding a 100% complete and balanced formula that features moderate amounts of all the essential vitamins and nutrients.
Small-breed puppy nutrition
Small-breed puppies have unique needs due to their small mouths, small stomachs and their growth spurt to adult size in a short period of time. That's why it's important to pack a lot of nutrition and energy into a small amount of food. A poor-quality diet will fill a puppy's stomach before enough food can be eaten to satisfy his nutritional needs. The result can be improper muscle and skeletal development and growth impairment. Our puppy foods are formulated to be energy- and nutrient-dense to meet the needs of growing puppies.
Type of Food
Once you've decided on a premium formula, you have to choose the type of food for your puppy.
- Premium dry dog food gives you the best value and convenience while providing your dog with high-quality nutrition. Premium dry foods come in a number of bag sizes and formulas suited to size, life stage and activity level. Dry food also helps keep teeth clean and remains fresh for long periods if stored properly.
Value of Premium Food
Low-cost food may be less expensive, but it isn't always a bargain and may not provide optimum nutrition. Premium food makes sense both nutritionally (because of consistent, high-quality ingredients) and economically because it provides:
- 100% complete, balanced nutrition
- High nutrient and energy density, which translates into smaller feeding portions
- A stable ingredient profile.
High nutrient and energy density
The investment in a premium food may initially cost more per bag, but because these high-quality formulas are high in nutrient density, your dog may need less food, which can offset the higher cost per unit of weight. On a feeding cost per day basis, look at how much you feed each day as opposed to how much the bag costs, because nutrient and energy density will generally be lower for a low-cost food compared with premium foods.
- Nutrition from The Iams Company has fixed-formulas as opposed to least-cost formulas. Fixed formulas have a "stable ingredient profile." That means the recipes formulated to be 100% complete and balanced do not change with the cost of ingredients.
- With least-cost formulations, the emphasis is on production and ingredient costs. Two bags of the same least-cost formulated food can have different ingredients and/or levels of ingredients. Plus, those ingredients may vary significantly in digestibility-this means simply that you may need to feed more just to equal the nutrition offered by a smaller amount of a premium dog food formula.
Nutrition, Skin, Coat
Feeding studies have shown that a dog's nutritional requirements are best met by high-quality animal proteins such as those contained in chicken, fish, lamb and eggs. Our formulas are made with these highly digestible proteins, which promote excellent skin and coat condition and enhance your dog's overall health and well-being. When your dog's coat looks good, the rest of the body is likely to be well nourished, too..
The role of fatty acids
Fat also plays a key role in keeping your dog's skin and coat in top condition. Fat not only provides energy, it's a source of essential fatty acids that are necessary for the skin's healthy structure. Fatty acids in the diet keep the skin moist and supple. Fatty acids also contribute to a thick, lustrous and healthy coat..
Important types of fatty acids
Lack of fat and fatty acids, or the wrong balance of fatty acids, can result in dry, scaly skin and haircoat problems. A proper balance of fatty acids is key to a healthy coat. Although there are many kinds of fatty acids, a few are important to coat health and appearance:
- Linoleic acid is an essential omega-6 fatty acid for dogs and is necessary for healthy skin. It is found in beef, pork, chicken and some vegetable oils.
- Omega-6 fatty acids, including linoleic acid, can be found in the fat or oils provided in ingredients such as chicken and maize in your dog's food.
- Omega-3 fatty acids are found in cold-water fish oils and in linseed. Although not essential to a dog's diet, they have been found to help nutritionally manage skin and coat conditions and promote a shiny coat.
A proper fatty-acid balance
An appropriate balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids helps maintain your dog's healthy skin and coat. An optimal range of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty-acid ratios is between 5:1 and 10:1, to enhance skin and coat quality and help nutritionally manage skin and coat conditions..
Understanding Labels
Five sections of a dog food label reveal what is in the food you're buying. Here's what you need to know to understand the information on a dog food label.
The name of the food
The name can tell you how much of an ingredient is in the food. Dog food names that have the animal protein source in the title, such as beef formula, indicate that at least 26 percent of the diet is indeed the named ingredient. Names that contain the word with (such as with chunky chicken) can contain as little as 4 percent of that ingredient..
The ingredient panel
This section on the label lists all the ingredients that make up the product. The ingredients must be listed in descending order according to weight before cooking. The first ingredient in dry food should be a source of high-quality animal-based protein-chicken or lamb for example. Dogs thrive on animal proteins, but may not do as well on vegetable proteins such as soybean meal. Manufacturers who use large amounts of vegetable proteins may be saving money at the expense of a dog's overall well-being. Other ingredients to avoid are artificial colours and flavours, which offer no nutritional benefits..
The average analysis
Near the ingredient panel should be a chart of percentages called the "Analysis." These figures reveal the basic nutrient make-up of the dog food's formula, including protein content. The average percentages of protein and fat and the maximum percentages of fibre and moisture (water) should be listed..
The manufacturer's name and address
This information must be on the label by law. A freephone number may also be listed. Manufacturers, such as The Iams Company, who list a phone number, generally have a high-quality product and welcome consumer calls and questions.
Beware of products that read packed for or distributed by. These foods aren't made by the shop whose name may be on the front label, but are from a manufacturer whose quality and consistency controls may not be monitored closely..
Feeding Instructions
Your new dog's first meals at home are very important. Find out what formula your dog has been eating and continue feeding this food for a day or two after you bring him home. If you want to change his diet to a premium food, gradually move him from the old food to the new formula and help avoid intestinal upsets by using the following steps:
- Day 1: Fill your dog's bowl with 75 percent of his old food and 25 percent of the new premium formula.
- Day 2: Mix the old food and the new premium formula in a 50/50 ratio.
- Day 3: Feed your dog a mixture that's 75 percent new premium formula and 25 percent old food.
- Day 4: Feed 100% of the new premium formula.
Feeding Tips
Use the following guidelines to feed your new dog properly:
- To feed a puppy from weaning to four months of age, offer a 100% complete and balanced premium puppy formula. To determine each serving size, start with the daily amount recommended by the feeding guidelines on the pet food label and divide that number by the number of times a day (usually 3 times) you plan to feed your puppy.
- Serve the food at room temperature and remove the bowl within 30 minutes after he's finished eating.
- After four months, you can feed a puppy twice daily on a regular schedule.
- Always provide your dog with clean, fresh water.
- Discard uneaten wet food at the end of the day.
- Don't add nutritional supplements to your dog's diet. Adding commercial dietary supplements or "people food" such as hamburger, eggs, cottage cheese or cow's milk is unnecessary and may even do more harm than good.
Feeding Tips for a Teething Puppy
Puppies grow quickly and have special nutritional needs. The most noticeable period is known as the rapid growth stage, which occurs between two and six months of age. From about three to six months, most pups will lose their puppy teeth (don't be alarmed if you occasionally find a tooth near his dish or on the floor).
During this phase, however, a puppy's mouth and gums may be very sensitive, which could cause him to be a bit picky when it comes to eating. There's nothing you can do except to wait out this period, even if his appetite is affected for a couple of days.
Helpful hints
Don't switch to a new formula to stimulate your puppy's appetite. Changing food at this time can cause additional stress and intestinal upset. To help your puppy make the change, consider the following options:
- Mix his regular premium dry food with a premium canned puppy food to make his diet more appealing.
- Soak dry food in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
- Feeding a dry food and biscuits help loosen the teeth so pups can get through the teething process quicker.
- If his appetite loss persists, see your veterinarian before you switch food.
On Into Adulthood
Depending on his breed size, at some point between 12 and 24 months of age you should evaluate your puppy's nutritional needs and choose an appropriate adult formula. Consider, for example, whether your dog gains weight easily, is normally active, or has a high activity level and high energy needs.
Switching to Adult Food
To continue giving your dog the nutrition he needs, move to an adult formula when he's fully grown.
When switching to an adult formula
The transition to a premium adult formula should begin when your dog stops growing in height and weight. The kind of dog you have will determine the time to switch. Small-breed dogs, for example, tend to mature physically much sooner than large-breed dogs. Follow these guidelines to help you decide when to switch formulas:
- Small-breed dogs (10 kilograms or less when fully grown) are usually ready to transition to an adult formula when they are about 12 months of age.
- Medium-breed dogs that will weigh between 10 and 25 kilograms as adults normally mature around 12 months of age.
- Large-breed dogs, those weighing more than 25 kilograms when they are fully grown, might not be ready to switch to an adult food until they are between around 24 months old.
What premium foods provide
High-quality, complete and balanced premium dog foods are the best you can buy. They are specifically designed to provide your dog with a food that has:
- High-quality ingredients
- High total diet digestibility
- Balanced, optimal levels of protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, which make costly nutritional supplements unnecessary
- A nutrient-dense formulation appropriate for a particular life stage
- Consistent, high-quality ingredient recipes that do not change with manufacturing costs
- Calibrated fatty-acid ratios to help maintain healthy skin and coat
- Great palatability—taste—based on feeding trials
Plus, with formulas from The Iams Company, you can be sure each variety has been specifically designed to enhance the overall health and well-being of your dog.
The benefits of premium foods
When you feed your dog a premium food, you'll see these important indicators of good health:
- Exceptional muscle tone
- A shiny, luxurious coat
- Healthy skin, teeth and bones
- Clear, bright eyes
- Well-formed stools
- Playfulness
- A happy, healthy attitude.
How to switch to an adult formula
To avoid intestinal upset or diarrhoea, change from a puppy formula to an adult diet over a period of four days:
- Day 1: Fill your dog's bowl with 75 percent of his puppy food and 25 percent of the new adult formula.
- Day 2: Mix the puppy food and the new adult formula in a 50/50 ratio
- Day 3: Feed your dog a mixture that's 75 percent adult food and 25 percent puppy food.
- Day 4: Feed 100% adult formula.
To determine how much food to give your dog, start with the daily feeding recommendations established by the pet food manufacturer and read the label. To calculate portion sizes, divide the total daily amount by the number of times (usually 2 for adult dogs) you plan to feed your dog.
To tell if your dog is at a healthy weight, move your hands along his sides. If you can feel his ribs, he's about right. Or, look down at him when you're directly above him. You should be able to see a waistline.
If he's gaining or losing weight, slightly decrease or increase his daily intake and weigh him in another week. If you have specific concerns about your dog's weight, talk to your veterinarian. He or she can assess your dog's needs and make a feeding recommendation.
Why to switch to an adult formula
As your new puppy quickly matures into adulthood, he's outgrowing the specific nutritional needs and eating habits of a young puppy. He needs nutrition appropriate for his "new" body-that means a high-quality, premium adult formula.
Though your puppy is nearly full grown, good nutrition is still important. Most veterinarians agree that feeding a complete and balanced premium food throughout your dog's adulthood will help promote a long, healthy life.
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