Healthy Meals for Dogs and Puppies

Puppy and dog owners increasingly explore a variety of feeding options for their pets, following a 2007 pet food contamination outbreak.

Healthy diets for dogs and puppies can take many forms. What to feed your pets is a matter of individual preference, but in the interest of more value for your money and the continued good health of your pets, there are several factors to consider. One is that dogs are carnivores, reminds Dog Breed Info Center. Their teeth and digestive systems are designed for meat. Secondly, the nutritional needs of puppies and senior dogs are different from those of healthy adult dogs.

1. Poor Diets

   • A poor diet can affect your puppy or dog in a number of ways. Conditions linked to dietary concerns include arthritis, diarrhea, cancer, compromised internal organs, hyperactivity, allergies and more, according to Dog Obedience Training Review. Puppies, in particular, need a high-quality diet, since they are still growing and developing. They require specific allowances of calcium and protein, according to Dog Breed Info Center. Young puppies should be introduced to solid food in conjunction with either water or a milk substitute, for easier digestion. The primary ingredient in any diet should be meat, not meat by-products. Avoid corn or corn by-products, since dogs cannot digest them and they can have adverse health effects, such as bloating.

   Commercial Diets

   • The easiest and most common route for addressing the feeding needs of puppies and dogs is commercially produced dog and puppy food. This may take either dry, semi-dry (moist) and canned (wet) forms. Be cautious in purchasing any commercial food. The first ingredient should always be meat. Meat by-products indicate that scraps which are not usually intended for consumption may have been used. Also be wary of any food that includes an unspecified type of meat; there is no way to know from what type of animal or under what circumstances the manufacturer obtained the meat. Meat that comes from slaughter houses might well come from animals that were diseased, cautions Dog Obedience Training Review.

   Raw Diets

   • You might wish to feed your dog or puppy a raw diet; this can be pre-packaged, such as Steve's Real Food or BARF, diets that are 100 percent natural, says Dog Obedience Training Review. A raw diet also includes anything raw, including bones, that you prepare for your pet yourself. More and more dog owners are investigating the benefits of raw dog and puppy food diets. Much of this trend dates back to a widespread pet food contamination outbreak in 2007, reports Dog Time.

   Homemade Diets

   • A homemade diet is any diet you feed your dog or puppy yourself. This may or may not include foods that are raw. For the most part, foods safe for human consumption will not hurt your pets, with some exceptions (avoid corn and spices; chocolate and grapes can be toxic for dogs). Corn aside, Dog Time indicates that whole grains are healthy, as are meat and vegetables. It is best to introduce homemade food items into your dog's or puppy's diet slowly, so as to avoid stomach upset. You can gradually move to an all-homemade diet.