Bringing home a puppy is exciting, messy, funny and full-on. Between chewing, playing, and toilet training, it can be easy to think of mealtimes as a brief reprieve from the chaos, but good nutrition is one of the most important things you can do to support your puppy’s health.
This puppy guide covers what to feed a puppy, what to look for when choosing puppy food, and how you can help support their overall wellbeing.
The Foundations of a Healthy Puppy
Puppies grow quickly, and their food needs to keep up. The best diet for puppies is one that supports healthy bones, muscles, brain development, digestion and immune health, while also giving them enough energy for play, learning and all the growing their body is busy doing.
ACANA and ORIJEN puppy recipes are formulated with these needs in mind, using quality animal ingredients from meat, poultry, fish and eggs.
You can explore more early-life feeding advice in the Nature’s Ki puppy portal.
What To Feed a Puppy for Healthy Growth
What to Look for on the Ingredient List
When choosing puppy food, flip the bag and read the ingredient list. Be cautious with vague ingredients like meat by-products, animal digest or formulas bulked out with corn, wheat, soy, rice or tapioca.
The best diet for puppies will include animal protein sources like chicken, turkey, fish or eggs in the top ingredients, as protein helps build muscles, tissues, organs, skin, coat, tendons and cartilage. Fish is particularly beneficial as it has omega-3 and 6 essential fatty acids which support healthy brain development, cognitive function, and eye health.
Growing puppies also need calcium and phosphorus to build strong bones and teeth, and this is even more important for larger breeds that spend longer growing. We cover this in more detail in our guide to choosing large breed puppy foods.
How Much Should You Feed Your Puppy?
Most young puppies do best on three to four meals a day, moving to fewer meals as they get older, but it really depends on their breed, size, age and activity level. Use the feeding guide on the bag as your starting point, then monitor and adjust if needed.
Transitioning to a New Puppy Food
When switching your puppy’s food, it’s important to do so gradually. Sudden changes can upset their digestive system. Here’s how to smoothly transition your puppy to a new food:
Week 1: Mix 75% of their old food with 25% of the new food.
Week 2: Adjust the ratio to 50% old food, 50% new food.
Week 3: Mix 25% old food with 75% new food.
Week 4: Feed 100% of the new food.
If you’re planning ahead, our guide on when to switch from puppy food to adult dog food explains what to think about.
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Supporting Your Puppy’s Overall Health
Food does a lot of the heavy lifting in your puppy’s health, but don’t forget the other basic necessities too. Your new puppy will need lots of movement, opportunities to socialise in a safe environment, basic grooming (including nails and ears), and routine vet checks. No one ever said it would be easy, but it’s most definitely worth it.
Explore Nature’s Ki’s premium ACANA and ORIJEN puppy food ranges, browse the full dog collection, or ask your nearest stockist which puppy formula is right for your pup.
