Even though we would like our puppies to stay small, fluffy, and adorable forever, we know that’s not an option. Unfortunately, all puppies must grow up into happy, healthy dogs someday, and providing them with the best puppy food brands to nibble on is a great way to help them grow big and strong.
With all of the brands available out there, it can be difficult to make the best decision for what to feed your puppy to give them the best balance of nutrients. Because puppies grow very quickly, they have much higher calorie demands than fully grown dogs, and they also need a lot of natural proteins and fats to develop strong teeth, bones, and normal brain function. You can’t just give them any old adult dog food; not only does it tend to have more grains and fillers, it also tends to be higher in carbohydrates. Your puppy may exert copious amounts of adorable energy, but an overabundance of carbohydrates is still not good for them.
When looking for the best puppy food brands, it’s helpful to know what formulas to look for and the ingredients used, especially since puppies tend to be sensitive to artificial preservatives and dyes. You’ll want to look for these ingredients:
- Vegetables like peas, sweet potatoes, and carrots;
- Nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine, and chondroitin;
- Whole proteins like chicken, beef, eggs, liver, and duck;
- Natural preservatives such as vitamins C and E
As with any decision regarding the life and health of your pet, it is always best to consult your veterinarian before making any drastic changes or decisions for your puppy. Not only do they know what’s best for your particular puppies breed, they can also recommend the best puppy food brands for them, too. With that being said, the following are our top picks for the best puppy food brands, and some reasons why you might want to try them, too.
Taste Of The Wild
Not only does Taste of the Wild provide natural, healthy dog food, they also provide puppy food as well. Their High Prairie Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food is a grain free formula that is made with natural meats and a blend of vegetable and proteins that make it ideal for growing puppies to develop a healthy digestive and immune system. It has a healthy helping of omega-3 fatty acids for their skin and coat, as well as dried chicory root to help support proper nutrient absorption.
Holistic Select
This best puppy food brand choice puts great emphasis on great digestive health to help your puppy absorb and utilize the nutrients they take in to grow big and strong. It features all natural meats, fats, whole grains, and vegetables to provide all the nutrients and proteins growing puppies need, and they offer choices of kibble (dry food), moist food, biscuits, and digestive aids. In addition, each product features meat from a single source (for example, the beef formula only has beef in it, etc.) for puppies who may be allergic to specific meats, as well as those not-so-rare picky eaters.
Blue Buffalo
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy Formula is one of the best puppy food brands all around because it provides all the nutrients a growing omnivore puppy needs. It’s grain free and packed with healthy, natural proteins such as chicken and bison, as well as vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes for a completely balanced nutritional diet. They also take your puppy’s appearance into consideration, which is why they packed the formula full of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids to keep their skin and coat shiny and immune-efficient.
Natural Balance
The formula we’re discussing here will be more for those of us with puppies of smaller breeds specifically, but have great options for puppies of larger breeds as well. Natural Balance’s Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet (LID) Small Bites formula is an excellent source of protein and carbs for nutrition while also minimizing the effects of allergies and improving digestive health. This formula is great for reducing the number of different ingredients your puppy is exposed to, limiting the risk of allergic reactions, and also makes zero use of artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, giving your puppy an all-natural puppy food they’ll love.
