Should my 3-month-old puppy's dry food have corn or animal protein?

Congratulations on adding the puppies to your family! The main food for the puppies should be an AAFCO certified puppy food. These diets are fortified and so they contain to proper amounts of Calcium, Phosphorus, protein and other essential components for proper growth and development. I recommend to look for well known brands with good reputations like Royal Canin, Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Nutro or Purina. Here is a link about feeding puppies: https://www.petcoach.co/article/feeding-puppies-what-when-how/ If you want to add something extra to the food (but keep in mind this is not needed and can create a dog who is a picky eater), you can add plain white or brown rice, boiled white meat chicken (white meat ONLY), canned organic pumpkin, peas, carrots, green beans, eggs whites or a few tablespoons of canned dog food. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, while there are many opinions on which dog food is best, the general consensus is that any food that lists meat as the first ingredient is a decent food. Corn is just filler and is not harmful to a dog unless he has allergies or a sensitive stomach. Your food should not be a large percentage of corn. Grain free food is very popular as some dogs can be sensitive to grain. There is no easy answer as to what is the best dog food out there, it is what works for your particular dog. The most expensive food is not necessarily needed. The organic and holistic foods are aimed at people thinking that dogs have the same nutritional needs, in my opinion. I would chose a high quality food with meat listed as the first ingredient, a low percentage of filler like corn, and no extra additives like colors or dyes. If you choose a high quality food like those purchased at a pet store and your dog seems to be tolerating it well, stick with that food. If he has diarrhea or skin problems, he may need a different type of meat or grain free. Science diet has been around for a long time and is a very reputable brand for vets and pet owners. But ultimately, it is your choice. You are Prince's caregiver and have to decide what is best for him, which is a mostly meat, low additive food regardless of the brand. Puppy food should be fed until he is 1 year old then feed adult food of the same brand. If you are looking for organic food, Newman's own makes an organic food, as well as Trader Joe's, Spot's choice, Wellness, etc. I would google a list of organic foods and compare their ingredients. Dogs do not need organic food, this is more of a preference of their owners, like if you eat only organic food and want your dog to do the same. Most dogs are very tolerant of most types of foods and as long as introduced to a new brand slowly, should do just fine. Good luck with your puppy and I hope this helps you decide on a dog food for him!

Choose a good quality food with a named protein source. Avoid meat meals and by products. Stay away from store or discount brands. These typically contain low quality ingredients an dmore fillers. A "large breed" formula would be recommended. Premium brands include the Royal Canin line, Acana, Canidae and Orijen. The website www.dogfoodadvisor.com is an excellent resource for comparing foods.

Trusty can of course eat dry food! Sometimes if they seem uninterested you can add a little warm water to soften the food but this most likely is not needed. I would recommend sticking with a basic hard puppy food and not mixing in human foods. Giving human food to dogs is a hard habit to break the earlier you start it. IF Trusty is on a well rounded dog food she should not need supplementation. Hope that helps

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not necessarily indicative of a bad diet though preferably you would like to see a primary protein product or carbohydrate like chicken and rice for instance. Good luck!

I agree. I do not recommend to feed pets a grain free diet unless they have a known grain allergy. There are a few brands that I recommend because I think they’re high quality and pets tend to like the taste. Royal Canin is my number one choice. It is highly digestible and low residue and this tends to result in good stool quality with low stool quantity. Another brand I like is Purina pro plan. Nutro is also a good brand. Make sure to transition any diet slowly. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

In my opinion (and most veterinary nutritionists who have years of additional training), there is nothing to be concerned about with these ingredients unless your cats have been diagnosed with a food allergy or intolerance. Corn, wheat and soy can provide important nutrients for cats. Royal Canin makes quality adult cat food as well, so you could transition to this. I also think Purina ProPlan dry is a good quality food as well. If you would prefer a food without wheat, corn or soy I would recommend talking to your veterinarian to see what food they would recommend.