What Should I Feed My Puppy?
What should I feed my puppy, and how much?
The composition to look for, the two-phase approach, and the one mistake that does lifelong damage: feeding a growing dog too much.
Why puppy food is different
A puppy needs 1.4 to 1.8 times an adult's energy per kilo for the first six months and 1.2 to 1.5 times for the next six, with more protein and a tightly controlled calcium-to-phosphorus ratio. Adult food does not supply that balance, and growth errors made now often cannot be corrected later.
What to look for on the bag
| Dry puppy food | Guide value |
|---|---|
| Crude protein | At least 20% (at 1.6 MJ metabolisable energy per 100 g) |
| Calcium | 0.8 to 1.2% |
| Phosphorus | 0.6 to 1% |
| Calcium : phosphorus | Not below 1:1 |
For wet puppy food (at 0.5 MJ per 100 g): protein 6 to 7%, calcium 0.3 to 0.4%, phosphorus 0.2 to 0.3%. Copper, zinc, manganese and iodine matter for connective tissue; omega-3 supports joint cartilage and brain development.
The overfeeding trap
Too much energy raises growth hormone and IGF-1, cartilage at the growth plates divides faster than it can turn into bone, and the result is soft, under-mineralised bone that deforms under a heavy body. The fix is restraint: weigh the food, weigh the puppy weekly, and if growth is ahead of the curve, reduce the ration by up to 15%. A lean puppy is a healthy puppy.
Calcium: neither too little nor too much
Too little and the body pulls calcium from bone. Too much, from supplements or bones added to a complete food, disrupts bone remodelling in the other direction. A complete puppy food has the right amount; add nothing to it.
Two phases
Higher energy and protein for the main growth phase.
Reduced energy while the frame finishes. Large and giant breeds need this longest.
From about 18 months (12 for small breeds), switch to an adult food over ten days.
Puppy Phase 1 (Baby Fit & Vital)Phase 1
Junior (Fit & Vital)Phase 2
Salmon & Potato Puppy (Baby)Grain-free puppy
Giant Breed Junior Lamb & RiceGiant breeds
Mini Puppy (Fit & Vital)Under 10 kg
Puppy Baby Milk ProbioticHand-rearing
How much, and how often
Use the feeding table by month of age and expected adult weight, split into three meals a day to about four months and two after. Treats come out of the ration. Fresh water always.
Switching
The gut is not fully mature until three to four months, so change food at 10% a day over ten days, and keep everything else the same while you do. The schedule.
- your puppy is growing visibly faster than littermates or the breed curve
- the limbs look bowed, or the puppy stands over-flexed on its pasterns
- there is diarrhoea, vomiting or a poor appetite
Based on "The young dog: key aspects of dietetics in the developmental phase" by Nicola Rinn, veterinarian, Happy Dog veterinary team, after Paßlack and Zentek.
Not sure what to feed your dog?
What is your dog’s name and what breed are they?
What’s the main issue affecting your dog?
Choose the one that feels most important right now.
Has your dog reacted to any foods in the past?
Select all that apply.
Has your vet diagnosed any conditions for your dog?
Select all that apply.
What symptoms are you seeing day-to-day with your dog?
Select all that apply.
How old is your dog?
We’ll match them to Puppy, Junior, Adult or Senior automatically.
