On average, puppies grow extremely quickly, doubling their weight by one week old, growing consistently 5% – 10% daily after that. In fact, they reach about half their ideal weight at 5-6 months, depending on breed and size.
That is why it is extremely important to find the best dog food for puppies, because as your puppy grows he or she will need extra vitamins and minerals for their developing bone and muscular structure, which gains 20% or more in mass per month for the first year.
This study examines important facets and components of various foods (fat content, protein content, additives, etc.) to find the best dog food for puppies in both a premium and budget brand. We’ve identified the best dog food for puppies for you here.
Best Dog Food for Puppies Premium Brand – Merrick Grain Free Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food
• Cost Per Pound: The biggest bag of Merrick Grain Free Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food (Link) sold is a 25 pound bag, which lists for $56.83. This constitutes a $2.27 per pound cost, but it is an extremely healthy formula with a recipe designed to give puppies all of the flavor and nutrients they need to grow. While there are more and less expensive brands on the market, this premium brand is, of higher end brands, the best dog food for puppies available.
• Puppy Power: The many healthy nutrients in Merrick Grain Free Puppy Recipe Dry
Dog Food help make it the best dog food for puppies you can find. But the high protein (55%), Omega 6 and Omega 3 acids (for the healthiest skin and coat) and plethora of glucosamine and chondroitin (important for joint and bone growth) really make this the perfect meal for puppies. Add the fact that there are no grains, to help digestion and avoid certain allergies, and this is an extremely healthy food for pups.
• The Taste Factor: Real deboned chicken cooked in real broth, no soy gluten or byproducts. The food is cooked with ingredients in kitchens, not on a factory line. This is a healthy, low fat, high protein meal that can help puppies grow in a healthy way.
• The Wow Factor: Merrick Grain Free Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food is sold by a small but highly recommended company, the food cooked U.S. Organically certified kitchens.
Best Dog Food for Puppies – Budget Brand – IAMS PROACTIVE HEALTH Puppy Dry Dog Food
• Cost Per Pound: While determining the best dog food for your puppies revolves around more than just cost, cost is a factor. Today there are great puppy food brands built to fit most any budget. IAMS PROACTIVE HEALTH Puppy Dry Dog Food is a great tasting, healthy food which, at $14.49 for a 15 pound bag, is just under a dollar per pound, a great price for dog food for dogs of any age!
• Puppy Power: Made with real chicken and Omega 3’s to help both brain stimulation and the skin and coat. This puppy food is also made with whole grain to help with healthy digestion, and is chock full of important antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to stimulate growth. IAMS PROACTIVE HEALTH Puppy Dry Dog Food also has a high protein rate at 33%.
• The Taste Factor: Even the best dog food for puppies on the market has to taste good. That is no problem here, as IAMS PROACTIVE HEALTH Puppy Dry Dog Food (Link) is made with real deboned chicken, peas and carrots, no processed fillers or grains allowed.
• The Wow Factor: IAMS is a highly reputable company that meets all Association of American
Runner Up: The Best Dog Food For Puppies on the Market
Premium Brand: Best Dog Food for Puppies – The runner up for the premium version of the best dog food for puppies has some seriously unique flavors, but the slightly lower protein content (28%) kept it out of the winner’s circle.
Taste of the Wild Grain-Free Dry Dog Food for Puppies is made with real bison, venison and lamb. Your puppy will feel like they are on a gourmet food show. Aside from the great, wild flavors, this healthy, organic puppy food is made with all real meats, all real vegetables, no grain and no fillers. Taste of the Wild Grain-Free Dry Dog Food for Puppy is filled with vitamins and minerals, including: Vitamin E supplements, Vitamin B1, B2, B6 and B12, Vitamin A supplements, and Vitamin D supplements. At $49.99 for a 30 pound back the price per pound is right at $1.50 per pound, and helps explain why this is such a popular brand of puppy food.
Comparison Factors Considered in this Research on the Best Dog Food for Puppies
Many factors were considered when determining the best dog food for puppies and the runners up to the best dog food for puppies in both the premium and budget categories. Cost was a factor that divided the winners and runners up for best dog food for puppies into the budget ($1.50 per pound and under) and the premium (over $1.50 per pound) categories.
The Internet offers a magnifying lens through which many products can be viewed and reviewed, and customer reviews were used as a detriment.
Base protein stats of 20% were used and no more fat content than 25% was considered, as puppies need some dietary fat intake (for coat and flavor) but obesity can shave years off of a dog’s life. Puppies should have a minimum of 18% protein as a part of their diet, but 22% or more is considered ideal.
Also, while puppies require more calories, they burn through more calories as a part of the natural growth process. Puppies require some natural fats as all creatures do (linoleic, alpha-linolenic, and arachidonic for example), and their daily intake of essential fats should be no less than 8% and no more than 25%.
Ideally puppies should get 15-18% of the fats that their bodies require, as fats supply puppies with energy and carry certain vitamins, and also provide flavor. Individual merits of the chosen products were posted in the individual reviews in this research of the best dog food for puppies by brand.
There are literally thousands of dog foods and puppy foods available, from gourmet to generic, but narrowing down healthy ingredients, good companies, and certain important nourishment qualities (like high protein, low fat, required vitamin intake and adequate minerals) allowed for a more focused comparison.
The Internet is an easy way for people to find data that helps them make decisions, especially on things like the best dog food for puppies, but it takes more than a simple search to collect enough data to sort through everything.
This comprehensive study for the best dog food for puppies sorted through a large amount of data from countless sites, and discussed with a veterinarian in an effort to make finding the best dog food for puppies easier for you.
Q&A regarding the Best Dog Food for Puppies
*Why does the cost vary so much between the premium best dog food for puppies and the budget brands?
Cost points were used as a determinant in the comparison so that different budgetary points could be used to identify the most affordable and healthy food for puppies.
Puppies have certain dietary needs to sustain musculature and bone growth and to give them energy, so basic needs (protein content, healthy ingredients, fat content) were first considered. Only healthy foods were included, they were then divided into 2 categories based on cost per pound.
Determinants that are important to the welfare of puppies were equally judged first (and were extremely high in all 4 products) and only then was cost considered as a factor. The big difference in cost point is caused by factors such as company size, exotic flavors and exotic ingredients.
Smaller companies get less cost breaks for production and that is passed onto the consumer. Also, bison and lamb, key ingredients in the dog food formulation, are more expensive than chicken and thus drive up the price, for example.
*Why is it important to choose one of these products reviewed here for my pet?
Even the best dog food for puppies, regardless of cost, is not the best fit for all puppies. Every puppy is unique. But most people want the very best for their puppies, and the research to find the best dog food for puppies isolated certain things important for the healthy growth of puppies.
This is then compared and the findings posted so everyone can make their own decision. It just helps busy people make an easier choice. The determinants were broken down so that actual important ingredients and merits of the products can be easily reviewed and compared, but certainly some puppies require special diets.
A veterinarian should be consulted for any puppy with special dietary needs.
*When should I start feeding my puppy regular dog food?
While researching and comparing the best dog food for puppies, the one thing that all puppy foods have in common is a high amount of vitamins and minerals to support bone growth.
Dogs can eat puppy food, and each dog is different, but most dogs “graduate” at around a year old, from 8-16 months, as dogs age other things, like Glucosamine for healthy joints, become more important.
The differences between dog food and puppy food in general are subtle but are based on important needs as the dog goes through various stages in his or her life. This is why you may see slightly more glucosamine (for joints) or slightly less fat content (to fight obesity) for dogs at certain ages or with certain needs.
*Will some of these things that were used to determine the best dog food for puppies be important for my pet long term?
Absolutely, whether or not you choose to buy one of these products that meet the criteria used to determine the best dog food for puppies, nourishment for puppies is extremely important for a dog as it grows.
Protein contributes to healthy bones, vitamins and minerals are needed for growth that will support a dog in his or her old age, healthy joints may spare a dog some arthritis pain in old age and so on. Health concerns for puppies were the biggest factor when determining the best dog food for puppies.
*Are there other puppy foods that have similar qualities to the ones chosen as the best dog food for puppies?
Yes, there are, but these specific ones were the puppy foods that were most popular, made by reputable companies, that met the most criteria chosen for this study. The winners and runner up ended with the highest scores based on these classifications.
