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You are what you eat. The same is true for puppies. Feed a puppy on thoughtfully prepared food such as Eukanuba®, and you can expect to raise a dynamic, inquisitive, energetic pet that sports a dense, thick coat. What you'll see is an external articulation of all that's happening inside: The skeleton is developing properly, muscles are building, and neural pathways in the brain are expanding. If Eukanuba designed his meals, he's also getting the antioxidants he needs for his developing immune system. This also helps combat common canine diseases such as distemper and parvovirus. Understanding the nature of canine nutrition may sound daunting, but we'll break it down for you, because it is imperative information for you to understand. Here's a primer:
Nourish him as a pup, and you'll build an excellent foundation for his life as a healthy dog. That's because his first few months are critical to the development of his body and mind. In fact, puppies experience their most rapid period of growth during the first six months of life. It is no real surprise, then, that puppies expend nearly twice the energy of adult dogs. The catch is that puppies don’t have the stomach capacity to eat enough food to meet their energy requirements in two meals. Therefore, it's important he's given multiple meals a day with an enriched formula.
Our scientists have calculated the ideal blend of protein, carbohydrates, and fat necessary to ensure good health. Eukanuba puppy foods (and dog and cat foods) are considered premium nutrition. However, because these foods are nutrient dense, your puppy will actually consume less per meal.
Here's a sample of the nutrients that are in Eukanuba puppy foods:
While all Eukanuba foods contain the above ingredients, we know it is also important to consider your pet's size when mixing our formulas. You see, not all puppies have the same nutritional needs. Small breeds develop faster and require higher levels of protein, fat, calcium, and phosphorus; large breeds must be given a less-nutrient-dense formula to make sure they don't overeat. Medium breeds, of course, have their own concerns.
Read the labels of any puppy-food brand you are considering very carefully so you know exactly what you're putting into your puppy's system.
For more information about understanding dog food labels, please read Deciphering Dog Food Labels
After you've purchased your puppy's food, it seems it would be simple to feed him. But there are a few things you can do to turn his food into a meal.
Between 3 and 6 months of age, puppies’ teeth loosen and are expelled. During this time, your puppy’s gums will be very sensitive; he may even refuse food. This is normal. Try easing him through this stage by:
Just when you've gotten used to taking your puppy outside to go potty every hour, your little one will surprise you by growing up. When you turn this corner, buy him his first bag of adult dog food. The big indicator will be his size: He'll stop growing in height and weight. For small- and medium-breed puppies, this happens around 1 year; large breed puppies don't mature until they're upwards of two.
When you make the switch, follow these guidelines:
If you feed your pet a high-quality premium food such as Eukanuba right from the start, you'll be laying the groundwork for a healthy, happy life for your dog.