Why do we have specially formulated puppy food at Dogs Delight?
Having specially formulated puppy food is essential because the time period from when puppies leave their mum to join their new family at around 8 weeks through to 12 months of age, corresponds to their period of greatest growth and development as they move into adulthood.

With this comes an increased requirement for all nutrients. During the growth phase, 50% of the energy from their food is used for growth and the other 50% to support their day-to-day activities.

Generally, a growing puppy needs twice the number of calories per day as an adult dog of the same weight. For this reason our puppy food is designed to have a higher energy density which provides fuel for their growth needs. In other words, they can obtain all the goodness they need from the portion size that they can manage. This makes sense because they have smaller tummies, smaller jaws, and of course a digestive system that is still developing. Feeding three to four smaller meals can be very helpful for puppies as they go through their phase of rapid growth.

As 50% of energy needs are for growth, puppies need a higher level of protein in their diet than adult dogs. Our puppy food is highly digestible to ensure that all of the essential amino acids are used by the body for growth. If the food was of poorer quality with low energy density and low digestibility then the puppy would need to eat lager volumes of food to ensure they met their nutritional requirements. Sometimes, a food which may seem more expensive at the outset can actually work out cheaper because a smaller portion is needed.

As well as good quality protein, we include Omega-3 which is essential in early life for normal neurological development (behaviour, learning etc and to support the developing bones and joints our puppy food contains Glucosamine, Chondroitin Sulphate and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM).

We also have specially designed puppy food for large and small breeds
Because different breeds of dogs have different rates of growth, mature weights and body types the food that is fed during growth should reflect these differences. Our Puppy food is specially formulated for small and large breeds.

A series of studies has shown that dogs that too grow rapidly are more prone to skeletal disorders and this is particularly true for large and giant breeds. What is important to remember is that although orthopaedic problems present later in life, they develop during the rapid growth phase when the dog is a puppy.
Our breed specific puppy food is formulated to ensure a steady rate of growth so it has the right amount of:

• Energy (calories) – to support the rapid growth phase as providing too much energy can increase the rate of growth too much leading to skeletal problems in later life
• Calcium – before the age of 6 months, puppies cannot regulate how much calcium they absorb from their diet and so are at greater risk from excessive levels. Calcium does not affect the rate of growth but has a negative impact on the developing bone. The important thing is not to switch a large breed puppy over to an adult formula too early as this would supply too much calcium in the diet.