Getting a puppy? What to check before buying and what food to feed?

Unfortunately an ingredient list can be misleading, and I recommend sticking to foods that follow WSAVA nutrition guidelines. This includes foods from Purina, Iams, Hill’s Science Diet or Royal Canin. https://www.wsava.org/WSAVA/media/Arpita-and-Emma-editorial/Selecting-the-Best-Food-for-your-Pet.pdf

I would not take her to the vet straight away, I would take her home for a week and continue the same diet recommended by the breeder and same number of meals. Then in one week have her checked over. It is always best to have them settled at home for a week, as changing home can trigger tummy upsets in its own. Changing the diet would also contribute to having tummy troubles . Keep her on the same diet and discuss then with your vet, if the diet is appropriate for her, according to her age and weight. Your vet will also check her microchip number and advise you on any changes that need to be done, if necessary.

Milo should have teeth by now so either a starter puppy food from a high quality brand like Royal Canin, Eukanuba or Hills Science diet . Make sure it's a puppy Large Breed food as well. Natural Balance is also a relatively good brand of food as well. You may have to do canned food for a few weeks if puppy has a hard time with the dry kibble. Or moistening he dry kibble with a little bit of water is a good alternative to canned food. Best of luck with your new puppy! Here is more info on puppy nutrition. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3501

It's best to get him a food that is meant for large breed puppies. The brands that put the most research into these particular products are Hills and Royal Canin. There is a lot of misleading information on the front of many brands of dog food, but the most important thing on that bag is a tiny bit of writing under the guaranteed analysis called the AAFCO statement. This statement tells you what actual research went into making the product. Below is a link to an article that will help explain this more and give some other info about feeding your dog: https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-your-pet-s-food/ I hope that helps and all is well with your pup.

I recommend a good quality food like Hills puppy food for large breed dogs. That has all the nutrition he needs without giving him too much nutrients which can make him fat and cause bone problems from growing too fast. I don’t feed dogs wet food, it’s not necessary. You can moisten the dry for a week or two until he can chew it well. Personally I do not let puppies be around other unvaccinated dogs until they have completed their series of vaccinations at fourteen weeks. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Blueberry.

When you pick up the puppy ask the breeder to give you a week's worth of the food he is used to so you can either buy more of the puppy food (sometimes breeders use strange brands that cannot be found in your local petshop) or have time to slowly transition your puppy to the new complete puppy food for large breeds. You should also schedule an appointment with your vet, preferably within 7 days or picking up the puppy for a puppy wellness exam to make sure the puppy is healthy. Your vet can then advise you on what vaccinations to get when and which flea medication to use as well as on heartworm prevention.

Any food that has an AAFCO certification label on the bag has been tested to be well balanced. And any food that is labeled for puppies is designed to support growth. So I would go with a small breed, puppy dog food with an AAFCO label. I really like the following brands: Royal Canin, Hill's Science diet, Evo, and Eukanuba. Best wishes taking care of your new puppy. And don't forget that vaccinations usually start around 8 weeks of age, so schedule an appt with your veterinarian soon if you haven't done so already. Take care.