| Feeding Puppies The nutrient requirements of puppies are greater than those of adult dogs due to the demands of growth that occur during the first year. Growing puppies need a complete and balanced diet that provides sufficient protein and energy to support normal growth and development. The driving force behind growth rate is energy. In a diet formulated for growth, other nutrients are balanced according to the energy content. Feeding a higher energy diet will encourage a faster growth rate than a lower energy diet. A puppy will need less of a higher energy food to meet its requirements for growth and development than if fed a lower energy food. Reduced consumption of an energy dense food results in smaller stool volume. Conversely, a diet lower in energy produces a slower growth rate and requires greater food consumption to meet daily requirements which in turn translates into greater stool volume. The feeding of large and giant breed puppies is currently a popular topic of discussion. Large breed puppies tend to grow very quickly. An extremely rapid growth rate in some breeds can result in an increase in skeletal problems. Research has shown that high protein levels in puppy food have no detrimental effects on skeletal development. However, excess energy consumption can cause a puppy to grow too fast and thereby increase the potential for skeletal problems. Excess energy intake during growth occurs when a high quality puppy food is fed free choice or when too much food is being fed on a portion controlled basis. Currently, there are some pet food companies that have a diet specifically designed for large breed puppies. These diets are lower in energy than their corresponding standard puppy food. Exclusive™ and PMI Nutrition® Puppy Formulas are suitable for any size puppy when fed according to the recommended feeding directions. Responsible feeding management will ensure that a puppy receives adequate nutrition for normal growth and development while helping to avoid an excessive growth rate. When large breed puppies are limit-fed an adequate amount of food, feeding an energy dense food such as the Exclusive™ Puppy Formula is not a reason for concern since growth rate is controlled by the limited amount offered. However, if large breed puppies are fed free-choice, a lower energy diet such as PMI Nutrition® Puppy Formula would be more appropriate since it will result in a slower growth rate. Exclusive™ and PMI Nutrition® Puppy Formulas are formulated to meet the nutritional needs of all puppies, large or small. Growing puppies should be fed 2-4 meals per day according to the feeding recommendations on the bag. This is especially important for large and giant breed puppies to achieve a controlled growth rate. Puppy food should be fed for the first full year of life. Some breeds mature more quickly than others while some larger and giant breeds will continue to grow for up to two years, during which time puppy food is recommended. When a complete and balanced diet such as Exclusive™ or PMI Nutrition® Puppy Formula is fed, puppies should not be fed vitamin/mineral supplements. Nutrient requirements of puppies Energy General feeding Guidelines for Puppies Large breed puppies
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