“Recipe for Good Nutrition" - Protein, fat and calories make or break any diet.”
By Farrell R. Clancy
Article originally found in the 2004-2005 annual issue of Puppies USA

Puppies require a balanced diet for optimal growth. Nursing puppies get all they need from their mothers. But before you take your pup home, you’ll need to decide what to feed it.
Many pet food manufacturers go to great lengths to ensure that their formulas contain all the essential vitamins and minerals, along with the appropriate amounts of protein and fat, for a developing pup.
But with so many options, how do you choose? Use this guide to alleviate the confusion and select the best diet for your pup.

Price does matter
Bargain hunting doesn’t’ work when it comes to choosing a food for your pup. “This is one case where you do not get what you don’t pay for,” says behavior expert Jeff Nichol, D.V.M., author of Is my Dog OK? (Reward Books, 2001) and “Ask Dr.. Nichol,” a pet care column in the Albuquerque (N.M.) Journal.
Nichol has seen the effects of owner’s bad decisions in his practice at VCA Wyoming Animal Hospital in Albuquerque.
Puppies fed a poor-quality diet inappropriate to their breed size often exhibit a “failure to thrive and/or behavioral problems,” he says. These puppies often can’t keep weight on and have dry, flaky coats, protruding or sagging abdomens, lack of muscle, and larger, softer stools.

So does breed
Darlene Arden, author of the Angell Memorial Hospital Book of Wellness and Preventative Care for Dogs (McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books, 2002), admits that there is no one perfect food. You have to find the one that works for your puppy.”
She also reminds owners that nutritional needs vary among breed sizes. You probably have noticed several brands that cater to Toy breeds, large breeds and even specific breeds. “This is not a gimmick,” she says.
For example, large-breed puppies, such as Golden Retrievers and Great Danes, are genetically prone to muscle and joint problems. These breeds often develop diseases such as hip dysplasia, abnormal hip joint development. As puppies, they shouldn’t have too much protein or calcium, Nichol says.
“While nutrition can’t undo genetics,” he adds, “you can decrease the likelihood of your pup developing disease commonly associated with its breed by feeding it a well-balanced diet.” These breeds need a diet formulated for slow growth, typically with fewer calories.

Three main choices
As for the dry vs.. canned food decision, let your veterinarian and breeder guide you. Some breeds do better on canned. For example, Arden recommends canned food for Shih Tzu because they sometimes have kidney problems. The moisture in canned food may help prevent stones.
Whether you decide on canned or dry food, use the same rule: Purchase a high-quality food to ensure it will meet you pup’s nutritional needs.
Some owners and experts advocate a homemade diet. While growing in popularity, consider this option carefully and consult your veterinarian (or a homeopathic vet) before adopting a homemade diet for your pup.

Decipher the label
With ingredient listings like Llysine monohydrochloride, tricalcium phosphate and glyceryl monostearate, Nichol admits that even a nutritionist may have difficulty reading a commercial dog food’s label analysis. So what should a conscientious dog owner do?
First, look for the products nutritional adequacy claim.
Analysis done via “feeding tests” or “feeding trials” that follow American Association of Feed Control Official procedures means that real dogs ate the food. If the label says, “by comparison to nutrient profiles,” a laboratory analyzed the diet.
Manufactures list ingredients according to their quantity (greatest to least). You can look at the first few ingredients to see what your pup will get the most of. Keep in mind, however, that two lesser ingredients could outweigh the one at the top. (If fructose or sucrose rate near the top, move on.)

To do your own research on ingredient listings, check out the brand’s web site or these agencies for supplemental information:

AAFCO, Office of Indiana Sate Chemist, Purdue University, 175 S. University St.., West Lafayette, IN 47907-2063; (765) 385-1029; www.aafco.org.
Its dog food nutrient profiles, available in the 2004 AAFCO Official Publication ($50), include all known required nutrients within minimum amounts for growth, reproduction, and adult maintenance.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), 7519 Standish Place, Rockville, MD 208550001; (888) 563-6332; www.fda.gov/cvm/index/animalfeed/petfoods.htm.
Articles provide information regarding the requirements for pet food ingredients, how to read labels and how to select a nutritious food, all listed under “Information for Consumers.”

Protein and Fat
Choose a food with no more than 27% protein (but at least 25%).
Look for a 17% minimum fat content. But according to Arden, it shouldn’t be too high, especially in breeds prone to pancreatitis- inflammation of the pancreas, part of the small intestine.
Dry matter basis (moisture content subtracted) values should include less than 5% fiber, 1.0 percent to 1.8% calcium and 0.8% to 1.6% phosphorous.

Calories Count
" While puppies are typically at low risk for obesity,” Nichol says, “it’s the owner’s responsibility to keep the puppy in good health.” Good habits start early.
Obesity can contribute to numerous health issues including degenerative joint disease, arthritis, heart problems, kidney failure and diabetes, to name a few.
Pay careful attention to how much you feed your puppy. Most experts agree you simply can’t follow the feeding guidelines found on the label. “Just like people, each puppy is an individual, with a different metabolic rate,” Nichol says.
The guidelines, usually based on controlled laboratory conditions, don’t account for differences in activity levels or other health issues that may affect an individual pup’s metabolism or special nutritional needs. Ask your veterinarian to help you determine the right amount for you puppy.
Very young puppies should eat small amounts four times daily. Then, wan yours down to three times a day after 16 weeks of age. Nichol explains the reason for this frequency: “Because puppies’ livers are not yet mature, they are likely to have low blood sugar [hypoglycemia] and therefor must eat more often.”
Most puppies can switch to twice a day feelings at around 6 months, but discuss this with your veterinarian before cutting back.
Most veterinarians recommend feeding adult dogs only twice daily.
Another way to keep your puppy at the right weight? Exercise. Get outside and play. By taking walks, going for short runs, and playing fetch, you and your pup can stay fit and trim.

The plump pup
What should you do if you have an overweight puppy? Ask your veterinarian to calculate its body condition score (BCS). This information will help the two of you create a weight loss plan.
Depending on breed, a dog at its ideal weight should have a palpable, but not visible, ribs and a distinguishable waist and abdomen. Nichol determines a BCS by having the dog stand while he feels its chest and abdomen and counts its ribs with his fingertips “especially in dogs with fuzzy coats, whose ribs aren’t distinguishable just by sight,” he says.

The Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine web site describes the five-point BCS as:

Emaciated. Ribs and lumbar vertebrae, pelvic bones and all other bony structure obvious and prominent. Tail base prominent and bony. Accentuated concave abdominal tuck. Accentuated, severe hourglass shape to waist. No discernible body fat. Obvious loss of muscle mass.

Thin. Ribs and lumbar vertebrae easily seen with no fat cover. Pelvic bones obvious. Tail base bony with little soft tissue. Marked concave abdominal tuck. Marked hourglass shape to waist.

Optimal. Ribs, lumbar vertebrae, pelvic bones and other bony structures easily palpable with slight fat cover. Tail base smooth with thin, soft tissue cover. Concave abdominal tuck. Smooth hourglass shape to waist.

Fat. Ribs and lumbar vertebrae are difficult to palpate. Pelvic bones are palpable with moderate tissue cover. Tail base has a fat deposit with moderate soft tissue cover. Concave tuck is decreased to absent. Loss of hourglass shape to waist with back slightly broadened.

Obese. Ribs and lumbar vertebrae are very difficult to impossible to palpate. Pelvic bones are difficult to palpate with thick tissue cover. Tail base is thickened from fat deposits with thick soft tissue cover. Abdomen is convex with or without a pendulous ventral bulge. Back is markedly broadened.

If your veterinarian determines that your pup weighs too much, he or she can help you create a gradual weight-loss plan that reduces caloric intake, increases exercise, and limits snacks to low calorie doggie biscuits and raw vegetables.

Beyond Food
Although you can give your pup treats, do so in moderation and choose them wisely.
Linda P. Case, M.S., author of Dog: its Behavior, Nutrition, and health (Iowa state press 1999) and a companion animal sciences lecturer at the University of Illinois College of Agricultural Consumer and Environmental Sciences, advises that treats make up no more than 5% to 10% of your pup’s daily caloric intake.
And don’t give in to begging by feeding table scraps. It’s sometimes hard to resist sad, pleading eyes, but this sets up a difficult-to-break pattern.
If you have more than one dog in your house, feed them separately, Nichol advises. Otherwise, they’ll compete for the food. If you have a puppy and an adult Labrador Retriever, who do you think will win? You don’t want your adult dog devouring your puppy’s specially formulated food.
When faced with food, dogs’ natural instincts take over, Nichol explains, and they perceive an “approaching famine.” The likely result? The dogs will likely eat too much too fast.
By following nutritional experts’ advice, doing some research before selecting a diet that works for your puppy, taking steps to prevent obesity, and maintaining a good relationship with your veterinarian, you can raise a healthy dog. It’ll repay you with licks, snuggles and plenty of wags.