Do puppies have unique nutritional needs?

All those wildly energetic antics we love to see in puppies require energy from food… lots of food. A three- to five-month-old puppy uses two to four times as much energy, pound for pound, as an adult dog. Puppies therefore need a highly digestible, energy- and nutrient-dense diet about four times a day.

On the other hand — or other paw — you don’t want to overfeed a puppy. Baby fat is neither cute nor healthy on a dog of any age. So when you’re feeding, follow label instructions and consider your canine’s lifestyle and activity levels. Consult your Veterinarian through all of your puppy’s growth stages, and remember — that puppy has some obedience tricks to learn, so save room for a few treats.

– Dr. Andrea Looney, DVM for the “Purina® Animal Instincts” Podcast Series

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