Choosing the right food for your dog

PetSmart -
April 24, 2009

Most foods are available in specific formulations tailored to match your dog's age, breed, weight and activity level, called life-stage formulas. Most brands are divided by life stage into the following categories.

Dog food
Growth/puppy foods
Puppy foods are intended to be fed to growing puppies.

For small dogs, growth usually ends by 9 months of age and for giant breeds it can last until 18-24 months of age. For this reason, no single recommendation can be made as to how long to feed your puppies a growth diet.

Higher levels of protein, fats, vitamins and minerals characterize growth diets, which encourage proper muscle and skeletal development. This is necessary to meet the growing puppy's high energy and nutrient requirements.

Large-breed puppy foods are designed to optimize the growth rate, thereby reducing the risk of hip and joint diseases that can result from too rapid growth of large breeds.

Pound-for-pound puppies need as much as three times more nutrients than an adult dog. Be sure not to over feed your puppy, as too much weight can predispose your puppy to orthopedic diseases later on in life.

Because growth diets contain extra nutrients, they are also ideal for feeding pregnant and nursing moms.

Be sure to ask your vet how long to feed puppy Advanced Nutrition food, and when to switch to an adult Advanced Nutrition food.

Adult foods
Adult foods are intended to be fed to moderately active adult dogs. Most dogs will transition from puppy foods into adult foods, which are formulated for moderately active adult dogs.

They contain moderate amounts of protein, fats, vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates. Many adult diets come in two-piece sizes designed for smaller and larger dogs.

Special high-energy foods (i.e., premium performance, high-energy, etc.) are designed for highly active adult dogs requiring increased calories. Many adult diets come in two kibble sizes designed for smaller and larger dogs.

More sedentary adult dogs can be fed "light" formulas and older adult dogs should be fed senior formulas.

Lite/reduced calorie food: Products labeled "lite" are subject to strict industry rules and therefore must contain no more than 1,409 calories/lb. "Reduced calorie," "reduced fat" and "less active" labeled products are not subject to this definition and therefore may be higher in calorie content.

Lite foods are especially appropriate for weight loss and can be used for more sedentary dogs that require fewer calories. If the objective is weight reduction, larger calorie reductions result in greater weight loss.

Because reduced calorie foods suited for weight maintenance are higher in calories than light foods, they are better of more sedentary dogs than for weight loss in overweight dogs.

Your dog may transition into and out of these foods during certain points in his life. Your vet will help you decide if these foods are right for your dog.

Senior foods
As your dog ages, he may benefit from a senior dog food diet. Older dogs tend to be more sedentary and require fewer calories (i.e., lower fat)

These foods have reduced fat levels and increased fiber levels to help older, more sedentary dogs maintain a desirable weight level.

They also have reduced salt and phosphorus levels and generally contain higher levels of antioxidants, which help reduce the effects of aging and higher levels of glucoseamine, to promote healthy joints.

They have a moderate level of fiber, which helps prevent constipation and maintains gastro-intestinal health.

Again, because different sized dogs age at different rates, there is no one age to begin feeding your dog a senior diet. Generally 7 years is a good rule of thumb, with giant breeds starting earlier (around 5 years) and small and toy breeds starting later (around 8 or 9 years).

Treats
Everyone loves treats! They're fun to give and fun to get. But, with so many treats to choose from, how do you know which ones are right for your dog?

The most important thing you need to know is that treats should be no more than 10 percent of your dog's total calorie intake. Now that you know that rule, let's talk about the fun stuff!

Training treats
Training treats are used as a reward during training. They should be small, tasty and quickly consumable so they don't distract the dog from the training process. Freeze-dried liver cubes are a popular training treat.

Biscuits
Biscuits are crunchy treats that help clean teeth. Most Advanced Nutrition food brands offer biscuits along with food. Sticking with the same brand helps ensure your dog receives consistent nutrition.

Soft and chewy treats
Think of them as fast food for dogs. They're very tasty, but high in fat and calories, so offer them in moderation. These often feature people-food flavors like cheese and bacon.

For help picking just the right kind of treat for your pet, visit PetSmart's Treat Buying Guide.

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