| |
Organic
Puppy Food
Organic puppy food
has two major phases:
1) Takes
place during the puppy’s first 8 weeks
2) Occurs
from week 9 until the pup is a full grown adult
But
before we get into the best organic puppy food, it’s
probably a good idea to review the natural
organic dog food
page to understand the differences between
natural dog food, organic dog
food and most commercial dog food.
Long story short,
organic  food is to regular food
as a fresh mountain spring is to the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Okay, maybe I’m getting a
little carried
away. But the only
way to ensure that
your pride and joy is eating only the best and healthiest ingredients
is to “go
organic.”
In
order to be sure you
are buying a “complete and balanced” puppy food, look for
labels with this distinction. They
are required by the
Association of
American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) to either meet a nutrient
profile or
pass a feeding trial.
| We are in the
midst of conducting a natural
and organic dog food analysis to help you choose the best
dog food brands on the market. Please let us know if you would like us to
notify you once our analysis is complete. |
Now
let’s get into those
2 phases I was talking about...
1)
Organic Puppy Food for the First 8 Weeks
During
a puppy’s first 8
weeks of life, let them be nursed
by their mothers as the mother’s milk is by far the most nutritious
organic
puppy food out there (33.2% protein, 44.1% fat, 15.8%
carbohydrate and
6.9%
ash). Can it get
any more “organic” than
that? Go mom!
If
your puppy has been
separated from the mother or if the
mother is unable to nurse, use a formula as close to the mother’s milk
as
possible.
There
are many organic
brands that make effective formulas,
or you can blend your own formula at home using raw fresh foods. If you take the homemade
route, you’ll need
to add:
- Protein powder
– choose brands that have at least 80% protein on a dry weight basis
and come from animals (casein, egg albumin and lactalbumin) instead of
soy sources
- Vitamins
– use vitamins made for adult dogs.
Either go with the powder form or crush
the pills.
|
Dr. Pitcairn’s Puppy Formula Recipe
- ¾
cup
half-and-half (milk and cream)
- 1
cup
whole milk (preferably goat milk)
- 2
large eggs
- ½
tablespoon protein powder
- ½
teaspoon of Group I bone meal (or 1 tsp of Group II bone meal, or about
700 mg calcium from a Group III source, or 1/3 teaspoon eggshell powder)
- 1
– 2
days worth of dog vitamins (adult dosage), powdered or crushed
Mix ingredients
thoroughly and warm to body temperature
(between 101 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 and 39 degrees Celsius). Feed enough to slightly
enlarge the abdomen
using a pet nurser or doll’s bottle – if you are uncertain of the
amount to
feed, use the same amounts as provided on packaging for commercial
formulas.
|
Mix in solid food and
ground liver with the formula when the
puppy reaches 2 to 3 weeks, and transition away from the bottle after 4
to 5
weeks of age.
(back to top)
2)
Organic Puppy Food - Week 9 through Adulthood
Eight to nine weeks is
usually when pet owners adopt their
new family member. Until
puppies are
full grown (12 to 18 months), their organic puppy food should contain
extra
protein, calories and nutrients. And
as
a general rule, puppies eat about two times more per pound of body
weight than
adult dogs, which drops gradually as they age.
Here
are the other
guidelines to follow:
- Never
abruptly switch food on
 any dog, especially puppies.
Transitioning
to a new dog food should be done slowly,
generally over a
course of 7 to 10 days for an 8 to 10 week old.
- Use
dry foods if possible, adding a little water if needed, to pack the
most nutrients possible into the organic puppy food diet.
The following natural puppy foods top out our Healthy
Label Test with a 5 out of 5:
- Avoid
table scraps for puppies as it can be too tough to digest. Selective
raw and partially cooked foods can be a nice supplement to an organic
puppy food from a bag.
- Feeding schedule
– the amount of food and number of meals per day depends on your
puppy’s age and weight. Check
with your holistic vet to be sure, but here are the parameters that we
follow:
| Under 4
months |
3 times
per day |
| Over 4
months |
2 times
per day |
- Assuming you are using a good organic dog food brand such as the ones above, use the feeding amounts
on the bag
to determine
the proper amounts of organic puppy food.
When in doubt, it is better to feed
puppies a
little more per meal than
a little less.
 |
Taylor Tips!
My parents mix a little people food in with my organic puppy
food kibble. Last week they mixed in a little boiled chicken
and this week I got to have some cottage cheese. I get so
excited to eat in the morning that my parents don't even need an alarm
clock any more! |
- Organic
treats should make up less than 10% of your puppy’s total
caloric intake
- Puppies
should be allowed to drink as much water as they want.
However, assuming you like your carpet the
color that it is, you can (and we do) only serve water at scheduled
times.
(back
to top)
Also see: Best Natural Organic Dog Foods on the Market Dog Dietary Supplements
Back to Food
and Treats Topics from Organic
Puppy Food
Powered by
|
|
Healthy
Label Test Results