Fuel for mischief!

How can you support your new pup’s growth and development? Offering the right nutrition and exercise is a great place to start.

Nutrition
It’s recommended that puppies are fed a high quality, complete and balanced puppy growth diet until they have reached around 80-90% of their expected adult size. For smaller breeds, this will be until they’re about 10-12 months old. For large to giant breeds, this will be until they’re about 18-24 months old.

Puppy growth diets are designed with higher levels of energy for growth, and a specific percentage of calcium (in the correct balance with phosphorous) for healthy bone development. We recommend veterinary brand pet foods to our clients, which have been tested with long-term feeding trials to ensure they are balanced and complete in macronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates) as well as micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).

If your dog is expected to reach an adult size of 23kg or over, it’s best to feed them a large breed puppy diet. These have intermediate levels of energy and calcium content to support the slower, steadier growth that is healthiest for these breeds.

Exercise
It’s recommended that growing puppies are not over-exercised, as this can cause damage to their immature joints. This is especially important in large breed pups, who are more prone to developmental joint problems, such as hip dysplasia. But what does this mean practically?

A good rule of thumb is to allow your growing pup to play only as they would with a pup of the same age, and supervise play to ensure they take regular rest periods. Large breed pups should not be taken jogging, or be allowed to regularly jump from heights or exuberantly chase sticks/balls, until they’re at least 13-15+ months old.

If you have any further questions about your pup’s healthiest eating or playing options, ask our expert vet team. We’ll keep your pup on the up!