What's the best food for my puppy and does she need supplements?

A diet consisting of primarily boiled chicken is not balanced and is lacking in vitamins, fatty acids, fiber and minerals. Proper nutrition, prevention of parasites and disease and genetics are what affects the over-all adult size. She may not get much bigger due to her age (the window of growth closes). I recommend to feed her Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy until 15 months of age and then switch her to the adult version. German Shepherds can have some unique dietary needs and the diet is formulated specifically for them to address these needs. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Great question! Puppies should not need supplements as long as they are on a quality, balanced food. I am not sure what foods are available in Ghana, but I like Royal Canin, Purina One, Iams, or Science Diet/Hills. These diets are tested and their ingredients have the balanced vitamins and minerals Fierce needs. Make sure you are feeding a Large Breed Puppy formula until she is about 1 year of age. The bag will tell you how much to feed daily based on her age and weight. If you are training with treats, make sure she is still getting her recommended about of dog food and not too many treats. Good luck and kisses to Fierce!

Hello. This may be a pretty low quality food. And adding unnecessary supplements may do more harm than good. You are much better off feeding a good quality large breed puppy food such as the ones made by Purina, Science Diet & Royal Canin. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. Good care is all you can do for Kyra. At 2 months of age, she still has the potential to reach her potential maximum growth. Feed her the best large breed puppy food you can purchase. Do not supplement her with any vitamins or minerals. Deworm her based on a veterinarian's analysis of her stool & make sure she receives all appropriate vaccinations at the appropriate times. Treat her well & she will mature into a healthy, beautiful dog. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for your question. Any of the premium dog foods such as Hills, Purina, Royal Canin, to name a few are excellent choices. Which ever food you choose I highly recommend getting the diet specific for large breed dogs. You also want to be diligent about being sure to weigh Zeus once a month and adjust the amount you are feeding accordingly. Following the suggested feeding amounts provided by the food is perfectly fine. Keeping on top of Zeus' weight and body condition now is important for the future health of his joints and bones since he is a breed predisposed to diseases like hip dysplasia. Keeping him leaner while his bones are still growing may not prevent him from having problems down the road, but it will give him a better chance. Unfortunately, genetics is the determining factor. This was probably way more information that you wanted, but I hope that it is helpful. Best of luck to you and Zeus.

Commercial dog foods are required to contain all necessary vitamins and minerals and Gunner should not need an additional vitamin supplement. I'd recommend purchasing a high quality puppy food intended for large breed dogs and using the feeding recommendations on the bag as a general guide for how much to feed in a day. Many dogs need less food than what is suggested on the bag, and if he doesn't finish the food offered in 15 minutes you don't need to coax him. It is important for large breed puppies to stay lean when growing for appropriate growth of the bones and joints.

Great question! I personally never recommend a grain free diet for dogs unless they have a proven (i.e. diagnosed by a vet) grain allergy. Grain allergies are actually very rare in dogs. Only about 5% of dogs with allergies have a food allergies, and of that 5%, the majority of the allergies are protein. Grains are beneficial to dogs, they provide a sustained source of energy and help them keep fuller longer. When feeding a puppy like Zeus, I recommend a puppy formulated food. Puppies need higher amounts of protein, calories, and calcium than adult dogs, and a puppy formulated food will provide that. Once he's 12 months old, he can have an adult formulated food. He needs protein, fat, and carbs as well as many vitamins and minerals to have a balanced diet, which is why feeding a dog food is easier. Brands of dog food I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. If you want to do a home cooked diet, I will put links below to two websites that provide recipes for homemade diets. Keep in mind that finding the correct balance of nutrients for a dog is hard with a homemade diet, so that's why these websites are excellent sources of information. The recipes are formulated by veterinary nutritionists. Good luck, I hope this helps! https://secure.balanceit.com https://www.petdiets.com