What puppy food is best for my 9-week-old to prevent digestion issues?

As you've experienced, diet changes can certainly cause some changes in stool volume, and for some dogs, can cause a bit of vomiting and diarrhea. When it comes to the countless brands of dog food on the market today, it's overwhelming to pick one for your pup. I recommend brands that have been formulated by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, are manufactured in their own facility (less cross-contamination that facilities that manufacture numerous formulations), conduct AAFCO feeding trials, and meet WSAVA guidelines. When it comes down to it, the brands that meet those criteria include Hill's Science Diet, Purina, Royal Canin, Eukanuba, and Iams. As a result, I would recommend switching Lilly over to the Science Diet puppy food. Just remember that anytime you switch foods, be sure to do so by gradually mixing the old and new foods together over a 5-7 day period. I hope that everything goes well!

Hello. Unfortunately, there has been an explosion of new & "boutique" type foods that have hit the market lately, some are fine to feed, some are just gimmicks & have no science to back up their claims. You should always look for the AAFCO statement on every label, but be aware that this is a voluntary claim & there is no regulatory agency watching out for dishonest manufacturers. Personally, I recommend sticking with the 3 biggest companies that can actually provide the science behind their pet foods. They are Science Diet, Royal Canin & Purina. All three of these have developed formulations to fit every lifestyle, every trend, & every stage of life that you just cannot go wrong feeding one. If the food you have is suspicious, I would transition Diggy off as soon as possible to another puppy food soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Good question! I recommend either Royal Canin Puppy food or Hill's Science Diet puppy food. Both of these companies do a lot of research and quality control and they utilize the expertise of veterinary nutritionists in formulating their diets. If you do transition Jax from one diet to another please make sure to do it gradually (over 4-5 days) to ensure he doesn't get an upset stomach. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and best regards to you and Jax!

Hello. At this age, a puppy should be fed 3 times a day with limited treats. You can transition him to twice a day feedings somewhere between 16 - 20 weeks of age. As long as the food you choose is a well-balanced puppy food, such as Science Diet, Royal Canin or Purina, you can continue to feed Roman the canned, or a combination of canned & dry. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If Nala is doing well on the Purina, there's no need to change her food, but if you wanted to try another brand, I recommend Royal Canin, Hill's Science diet, Purina ProPlan, or Iams. Should you make the decision to switch her food, be sure to do it slowly to avoid GI upset. Mix together the old food and new food, and over the course of two weeks, slowly increase the amount of new food and decrease the amount of old food until Nala is eating the new food only.

Congratulations on your new puppy Diggy! In general I like the brand Royal Canin. The dogs that I see (including my own) that eat that diet tend to have nice hair coats and good stool quality. They make a variety of breed specific and size specific diets. The breeds for the small dogs also have enzymes that make harder for bacteria to cling to teeth (which helps reduce tartar build up). I also like Purina ProPlan and Iams. Please post again if you have any further questions!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Every dog is different. What one puppy tolerates another may not. If Lobo is having diarrhea be sure to have your Vet check for worms, as that is a common cause of diarrhea in puppies. I would try a different brand of puppy food. I like Hill's Science Diet, Purina and Royal Canin. It may take some trial and error to find on that he tolerates. If his abnormal stool persists you should have your Vet examine him. Be sure you keep him up to date on his shots. Have a great day!