12 Best Puppy Food of 2024, According to Vets

How many times you feed your puppy throughout the day depends on their age. During the early phase of puppyhood, around 6 to 12 weeks of age, you should feed them at least three times per day, which helps maintain their energy levels and supports their fast metabolism, says Savageau. Once they’re 4-6 months old, you can transition to twice a day, she says. Large and giant breed puppies should get three meals per day until they’re about 6 months old, says Savageau.

However, due to their rapid growth during this time of life, your puppy may still be hungry after feeding them those 2-3 meals per day — this is especially true for puppies under 6 months of age whose growth and metabolism rates can vary day to day, says Ostermeier.

“If you feed your puppy their allotted meal portion and they still seem hungry, it is ok to give them extra food or an extra meal,” says Ostermeier. Signs that your puppy is still hungry could include sniffing or searching for food, crying or whining, pawing at you or trying to get your attention.

It’s best to check in with your veterinarian about the exact feeding amount or calories per day that you should be giving your puppy, says Ostermeier. If you’re feeding them a puppy-specific formula, you can follow the guidelines recommended by the dog food company. Most commercial puppy food has feeding guidelines based on weight on the back label or on the brand’s website, according to our experts.

Most importantly, puppies can easily become hypoglycemic if they aren’t receiving enough food.

“The main reason we want to feed more frequently when they’re younger is because they can become hypoglycemic quicker, so they’re blood glucose level can drop,” says Savageau.

If your puppy ever appears weak or “drunk,” this could be a sign of hypoglycemia and you’ll need to feed them as soon as possible and call your veterinarian, says Ostermeier.

Switching from a puppy-specific diet to adult dog food depends on your dog’s breed and size. “The appropriate time to change to adult food is generally anywhere from 6 months to 14 months,” says Ostermeier.

Large to giant breed dogs should usually take longer to transition so they don’t grow as quickly. They typically need to switch after 1 year and even up to 2 years for giant breeds, says Savageau. Since that’s a wide range, all of our experts recommend consulting with your veterinarian on when it is best to switch your dog to adult food, especially for giant breeds.

Dry food is more economical and typically more stable if stored in a cool, dry environment compared to wet food, which goes bad at room temperature after opening, according to our experts. But the main difference between dry kibble and canned dog food comes down to water content: Kibble is typically made up of 10% water, while canned food has upwards of 70% water, experts told us in our guide to dog food.

All of our experts suggest combining your puppy’s dry food with their canned wet food or other moisture-rich foods, especially if they’re picky eaters or need an extra boost of hydration.

“Feeding a combination diet that includes moist options such as fresh, gently cooked food or a quality canned food increases the moisture of the diet and aids in hydrating the animal,” says Ostermeier. This includes adding fresh, dog-safe vegetables and fruits to their meals to add nutritional value without adding the calories as long as they’re still getting their normal kibble (more about toppers below). “Moist foods, especially fresh or gently cooked options, are [also] very minimally processed,” says Ostermeier.

Ostermeier doesn’t recommend feeding your pup 100% dry kibble meals. “Dry kibble was created to provide convenient, balanced meals for dogs. TV dinners were created to do that same thing for humans,” she says. “In my opinion, processed food as part of the diet is okay, but it doesn’t make sense for any living being to eat processed food all the time because it just isn’t the healthiest option.”

While most puppies don’t need supplements if they’re on a balanced diet, underweight puppies or those with health conditions might require them, according to Gonzalez. Morgan recommends adding organic toppers like pumpkin, eggs or blueberries to your pup’s kibble. “These toppers boost the immune system and provide fresh vitamins, [but] should not make up more than about 15% of the meal,” she says.

You can also consider adding a probiotic supplement to boost your pup’s gut health. “They will be going through the stress of weaning, moving to a new environment and having a new ‘pack’ of family members,” says Morgan. “Good gut health helps them navigate this stress more easily and helps avoid bouts of [gastrointestinal] upset.”

All of our experts advise against feeding your puppy a raw diet. “Raw diets can be risky for puppies due to potential bacteria and nutritional imbalances,” says Gonzalez. Just like humans, the potential for contamination puts dogs at a greater risk of getting bacterial infections like salmonella or E. coli, and especially puppies who have a weaker immune system, according to Savageau. Also, because harmful parasites and bacteria can contaminate raw diets, your dog may transmit them to you and your family, too, she says.

No, a grain-free diet (which means the dog food is made without wheat, rye, corn and barley) is not better for your puppy. Unless your puppy has a gluten intolerance, or a grain-free diet is specifically recommended by their veterinarian, it’s not necessary to give your puppy grain-free food, according to our experts.

In fact, grain-free diets are commonly associated with certain heart diseases if not carefully balanced, so you’ll need to discuss any diet change with a vet, says Savageau. Feeding your pup grain-free kibble can sometimes prevent them from getting their appropriate daily nutritional intake, experts say.

It is very rare that puppies have food allergies — in fact, allergies in dogs typically develop over time due to prolonged exposure to certain ingredients, especially proteins like chicken and beef, says Savageau. “Dog owners will often say, ‘Well, I’ve been feeding him the same diet his whole life, there’s no way he could be reacting to it’ — well that’s the exact reason why he could be reacting to it,” she says.

The most typical signs of an allergy for dogs of all life stages include constantly itching, licking their paws and getting ear infections, says Savageau. However, these signs are more likely due to environmental allergies than food reactions, says Savageau. Even gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea in puppies are more likely to be due to other factors (like parasites) than related to their diet, says Savageau.