The food that puppies receive throughout their first year must obviously provide energy and materials to build the skeleton, muscles, and all new tissues. But nutrition does not stop there, it must also help puppies develop a fully functioning nervous system and effective immune system. Any deficiency in essential nutrients (those which cannot be synthesized by the animal's body) during this very delicate period may affect the dog's future health.
Many recipes developed by veterinary nutritionists are available for owners who wish to prepare a nutritionally balanced home-made diet for their puppy dog food needs. However, it is illusory to succeed in respecting all the required conditions because the nutritional balance of a household ration is subject to various hazards. The owner will always find it difficult to follow the recipe exactly, the necessary ingredients are not always available, and the nutritional composition of the ingredients can vary considerably depending on the origin of the product. When preparing a home-made diet, no laboratory analysis can verify the nutritional composition of the raw materials used!
Therefore, even when accompanied by the distribution of a mineral and vitamin supplement, home-made diets for dogs often show deficiencies in some essential nutrients. For a safer and more balanced alternative, consider feeding your pet a high protein food for puppies designed to support proper development. Commercially prepared dry puppy food options are often the best puppy dog food choices for consistency and reliability.