Adding a puppy as a new addition to the family is always a wondrous occasion. There’s nothing quite like the love and affection they will share with you for the rest of their life. As you enter into this world of love and companionship, the first measure to be taken is deciding what food should be given to your new best friend. Feeding your puppy the best food possible is absolutely vital during the first few weeks because your puppy will be growing 20 times fasters than a young adult dog! Therefore it’s important to go over puppy food ratings and decide which dog food brand is the right match.
AAFCO Statement
Firstly, when looking over puppy food ratings, look out for the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) nutritional adequacy statement. This statement provided by the association ensures that the given puppy food is nutritionally balanced and complete. The statement on the package of puppy food will read like this: “This product is complete and balanced to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for…
• Growth
• All life stages
Having this statement present on the puppy food brand means a lot when determining the best type of puppy food to give to your new companion.
Ingredients
When looking over puppy food ratings, the next factor to look over is the ingredients. There’s a list of ingredients that we do want in our puppy food and a bunch that we do not want. In terms of ingredients we do want in our puppy food, we suggest whole animal products, natural fats and oils, wholesome grains, and critical vitamins and minerals.
The first ingredient on any praised puppy food should be a simple whole animal product, such as chicken, lamb, and salmon. Your new puppy needs all the protein that it can get during this stage of its life. Therefore, a quality meat source is absolutely imperative. Next, your puppy needs natural fats and oils for energy and to support its overall health. Having quality fats and oils in a puppy diet will allow its coat to shine and keep its muscles strong. Then, your puppy needs wholesome grains to provide it with carbohydrates. Avoiding cheap carbohydrates such as corn and wheat is the right move during this time. Instead, look for a puppy food that has more substantial ingredients such as rice, buckwheat, or oats. Lastly, make sure your puppy food has critical vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, C, E, phosphorus, Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.
When sifting through puppy food ratings, it’s also important to look for ingredients we don’t want in our new family member’s food. We should avoid any controversial chemical preservatives, artificial coloring agents, mystery meat ingredients, generic animal fats, and foods that contain mostly carbohydrates.
Here Are Some Highly-Praised Pet Food Brands
With all that being said, the brands that are among the highest in puppy food ratings include Blue Buffalo, Wellness, and Canidae. Blue Buffalo provides your puppy with a bountiful source of protein. While they have some controversial ingredients, such as caramel coloring, in certain varieties, they are in very limited quantities. Overall, Blue Buffalo is a great food for your puppy. Wellness is a long-time pet food brand, and one of the most praised on the market. Their attention to high-quality ingredients cannot go understated. While the puppy food may be on the pricier side, you definitely get what you paid for. Lastly, Canidae also has excellent puppy food ratings. While some users acknowledged a slightly higher carbohydrate count than some other premium brands, others praised the pet food brand for providing their puppies with better digestion and breath.
Visit Dog Food Insider For All The Dog Information You Need
Looking over puppy food ratings can be overwhelming after some time. Hopefully, the information provided gives you an idea of what to look for in a high-quality product. While we touched on some of the best dog food brands, you can get thorough and in-depth reviews of every dog food brand, as well as other tips on pet care and training at our website. Dog Food Insider prides itself in providing insightful information to new and old dog owners who need tips on how to properly care for their pet. If you ever need a question answered regarding your dog, we are sure our website can provide you with a clear and informative answer!
