What not to Feed a Puppy

There are some general guidelines that responsible puppy owners need to follow to ensure their young pet will get the balanced food and supplementation which its growing body requires. One of the most important aspects of canine nutrition in this respect is knowing which types of foods should not be given to a pup.

Human foodr
Most canine nutrition experts agree that adding table scraps to a dog's diet can do more harm than good. If owners repeatedly give their puppies human food, they will not only get more used to eating an unbalanced diet, they may well also reject their own food. This can lead to poor physical development as well as a fussiness with eating in later life.

Supplementsr
Many vets believe that the majority of commercial vitamin and mineral supplements available today are a waste of money. Indeed, there really is very little motive for providing a dog with separate vitamin or mineral supplements in addition to their own food. In fact, most supplements are ineffective and some can even be detrimental to some degree. One of the best examples of this can be seen with young canine calcium supplements. Despite what some people may think, these supplements do not aid in bone growth. In fact, they can actually have the opposite effect as too much extra calcium can lead to a pup developing certain types of bone problems. Quite simply, the addition of supplements and combinations of supplements can help to create potentially harmful nutritional imbalances.

When it comes to food, young pups are far better off with good, commercial dog foods that are specifically tailored to their particular needs. This is because these foods provide the exact right balance of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and carbohydrates which young pups need to enjoy a healthy development.