Give your puppy the nutrition he needs to succeed.

Spring is a popular time of year when people welcome new puppies into their home. Whether this is your first puppy or you are an experienced pet parent, obtaining a new puppy is a significant undertaking that necessitates considerable effort on your part to assure that your new puppy grows and develops optimally in body, mind and spirit.

In essence, puppies have the same needs as our children do in order to grow and develop into healthy, happy adults. That’s why Holistic Select^® never thinks of people with pets in their lives as “owners.” In every sense, you are a parent to your dog or cat, providing all the things necessary to nourish their body, mind and spirit.

We believe that pet-wise parenting begins with the right nutrition.

Every pet should have a natural healthy diet comprised of quality ingredients such as proteins from quality meat meals, grains, fats and carbohydrates. A puppy’s balanced diet must contain optimum levels of vitamins and minerals for the puppy to grow and develop properly. Not just adequate, but optimum natural and holistic nutrition that addresses the specific needs of the puppy is essential.

In addition to a basic diet, Holistic Select Puppy Recipes add functional food ingredients that provide added benefits. For example, all three of our Puppy Recipes – Nourish Puppy Health Anchovy, Sardine & Chicken Meal; Small & Mini Breed Nourish Puppy Health Anchovy, Sardine & Chicken Meal and Large & Giant Breed Puppy Health Lamb Meal & Oatmeal – contain guaranteed levels of DHA (an essential Omega 3 fatty acid) to support your puppy’s brain development.

Becoming a parent of a small & mini or large & giant breed? There are specific nutritional considerations for large and small breed puppies to aid in proper development.

Small & Mini Breeds

Many of the smaller breeds of dogs are very active, energetic pups that require lots more calories per pound than the giant breed puppies. They also require adequate levels of fiber to help regulate absorption of glucose (sugars) from the digestive tract.

The smaller breed puppies are known to be more vulnerable to a condition known as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Proper levels of fiber in the diet ensure a slow and steady absorption of glucose rather than all at once. The risk may increase if a puppy does not eat frequently during the day.

A smaller kibble size makes it easier for the puppy to eat and encourages easy ingestion of adequate amounts of food with less effort.

However, large or small, proper brain development is essential for all puppies, so adequate amounts of the essential Omega 3 fatty acid Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are needed in the diet. These levels are guaranteed in the Small & Mini Breed Nourish Puppy Health Recipe.

Large & Giant Breeds

Pet parents of large and giant breed puppies must always keep in mind that some of these breeds have a potential growth of 100 times their birth weight. For this reason, their rate of growth must be carefully controlled.

 If they grow too rapidly, large and giant breed puppies are prone to developmental bone issues. For the first 10-12 months of life, these special puppies need to be fed a diet that allows for growth but also maintains a slightly lean body condition. This ensures that the developing bones are not forced to carry excess weight, which can cause stress and possibly lead to painful developmental problems.

Optimum levels and proper ratios of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus are also essential to proper development.

Nutrition for these breeds should also contain essential nutrients for proper brain development. It is imperative that large and giant breed puppies receive the proper training necessary for you to maintain control of the very strong adult dog. Without optimum brain development the task of training a larger dog becomes much more difficult. Adequate levels of DHA, an essential Omega 3 fatty acid, have been shown to enhance brain development and assure optimum potential for training. DHA levels are guaranteed in Holistic Select Large & Giant Breed Puppy Recipe.

Tags: Pet Nutrition