DoctorPup Complimentary Service

Picking food

Q: Hi Dr, Are there is any list of brands that you can suggest for puppy's food? It's really confusing to choose the right one. I've seen videos on picking up puppy food. When you say, crude protein do we need to look for min or max ?. Also, could you please comment on grain-free food for puppies? Do you recommend grain-free food?

A: You will find that most crude protein values are similar, that is by design.  I am not a fan of grain free foods for any puppy, or at all.  Here is some additional Natures recipe c d Iams woof  soft Iams Eukanuba small bites d Royal Canin  c  d Pro plan savory soft Authority (ProPlan for Petsmart) c d Hills ideal balance c d Castor pollux organically Simply nourish c d Wellness c d Bil jac frozen   c-can     d-dry kibble   Originally grain free foods were offered to provide some relief to dogs that had allergies to common grains like corn, wheat or soy.  They did work well in those situations.  Now it is like many dog food traits it has become a marketing tool and fad to offer or use grain free products.  The manufacturers created the feeling that grain free is better for everyone.  Nutritionally I have no problem with dogs eating diets containing well designed amounts and types of grain.  There are many valuable nutrients in grains.  Using these diets to help manage allergies in adult dogs can work well but I do not see any advantage for young, growing dogs.