5 Of The Best Pug Puppy Food–(Guide and Review)
Owning a dog is an extraordinary adventure that will bring you endless rewards. Owning a Pug is amazing because they have a huge personality in a little body. Each dog’s needs are different and the best dog food for Pug puppies must address their very specific needs.
Pug nutrition 101
Pugs in general, are the type of dog that would eat just about anything. Pugs may seem a bit more classy, but don’t worry, the moment you drop a bit of food, they will gulp it right up.
So, we must admit that Pugs should not be trusted to be food smart. The owner is in charge of reading dog food nutrient profiles and of making a decision.
This is why it’s up to you to find out what is the best dog meal for your Pug puppy, and it’s up to us to present you the correct information that will benefit many Pug puppies.
It was proven that, as adults, Pugs have a tendency for obesity and other health issues like diarrhea.
Furthermore, many adult Pugs suffer from various health issues that affect their immune system and can be correlated with bad nutrition. In fact, there are many dog breeds that suffer due to poor nutrition.
Here are some of the health conditions that commonly affect Pugs
- Dermatitis
- Excessive shedding
- Bad body smell
- Food allergies
- Flatulence and colitis
- Cartilage deterioration
Even if we are going to talk about how to feed a Pug puppy, taking under consideration the future possible health problems of the adult Pug is essential. You must be able to adjust and target their diet to ensure that you have proper food for your Pug so that it will live as long as possible and that the quality of its life will be excellent.
Also, you should keep in mind that investing in proper nutrition is much more efficient than paying veterinary bills and seeing your Pug puppy suffer.
In this article we will focus on nutritional solutions that will help your Pug avoid illness and live a long and happy life with you and your family.
The Best 5 Dog Foods For Pugs
Let’s take a look at the best 5 dog foods for Pugs so that you can make an informed decision and discover the best food that you can offer Pugs.
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Pug puppies need a formula that avoids grains because they are susceptible to allergies and diarrhea. Ideally, their food should contain a lot of protein, because as we all know the Pug’s ancestors are wolves that used to eat mostly meat. So, dogs are carnivores.
Furthermore, a Pug puppy dry dog meal needs a bit less fat than for other breeds, due to their small breed size and their tendency for obesity. The fat in this meal comes from chicken fat and salmon oil, which are both natural and healthy.
This formula adds healthy carbohydrates from sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes and fruit, which represent a great source of energy.
We like Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food because it uses bison and buffalo as a primary protein source, meaning that it mimics the natural diet of dogs in the wild.
We also like this puppy food because it is made in the USA with state of the art technology, which translates in the fact that feeding your Pug puppy with it will support local business.
Another important feature, considering that Pugs are known for their problematic digestion, is that this dog food contains live microorganisms. It’s healthy bacteria that helps digestion and improves the absorption of nutrients while keeping the gut healthy. This factor is especially important for puppies because it’s essential to create a microbiome while the dog is young and has a healthy immune system.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of feeding a Pug puppy with Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Pros:
- Puppies love it;
- High protein content of a minimum of 28.0%;
- It contains Omega 6 and 3 Fatty acids that promote brain and cardiovascular health and development;
- Is supplemented with all the right vitamins and minerals that will help your Pug puppy grow into a healthy adult;
- Is made from premium ingredients like bison, buffalo, and roasted venison which are a great meat and protein source;
- There are no additives that could cause allergies or intolerances;
- This is a grain-free formula that is similar to what dogs eat in the wild;
- It is aimed at puppies, meaning that it is perfectly balanced and that the kibble is small enough for a young pup to eat;
- It is designed for small breeds so the kibble is slightly different than the average meal for young dogs.
Cons:
- It might be difficult to source since it’s not widely available;
- Its price is not the most attractive feature, since it’s a bit expensive when compared to other brands.
American Journey Lamb & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Puppy Dry Dog Food
This is another all American dry dog food for puppies, which comes with great ingredients and can offer complete nutrition for Pug pups while keeping them healthy.
We really like it because it uses only natural ingredients and because it uses real deboned lamb as a protein base. Lamb is a type of meat that is great for dogs with a sensitive stomach or who are prone to allergies and, as we discussed, the Pug puppy may need a food that is gentle with its digestive system.
Also, lamb is a very easy to absorb type of protein and 30% crude protein content will make sure that your Pug will develop a great muscle mass and will have a lot of energy to burn.
Another protein rich ingredient is Chicken Meal that is also rich in Glucosamine and Chondroiton, which are naturally found in cartilage and ligaments. These nutrients help the Pug develop a healthy musculoskeletal system.
Their fat comes from salmon oil and chicken fat that is conserved with Tocoferol, a form of vitamin E.
Looking at their carbohydrate source we are happy to see that they are sourced from sweet potatoes, carrots, chickpeas, peas and beet pulp, with the addition of super foods like blueberries.
Furthermore, remember when we talked about how a Pug would eat just about anything causing them to become… fluffy? Well, this dog food is perfect for them because the fat content is not too high, it’s just right for dogs with a tendency for obesity.
All in all, the American Journey lamb ; sweet potato recipe for puppies offers a great balanced diet, with a small number of ingredients supplemented with all the right vitamins and minerals like glucosamine for strong muscles, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, and is probably one of the best grain free Pug puppy dry foods on the market.
Pros:
- A high protein content ;
- The main source of protein is lamb and that is both delicious and great for allergic puppies;
- Promotes a healthy weight;
- It’s supplemented with vitamin D and A to support bone development and growth;
- Sustains muscular development through the addition of glucosamine;
- Sustains cardiovascular health with the omega 3 and 6 fatty acids;
- It’s grain free;
- It’s safe for dogs with a sensitive digestive system;
- The kibble is palatable and the puppies enjoy eating it;
- Additive free;
- Made in the USA.
Cons:
- Given the high density of nutrients, the serving size is smaller and dogs will need to adapt to this fact;
- This dog food is slightly more expensive than the average dry dog food;
- You will need to look harder for sellers, since many shops don’t have it.
Purina Pro Plan Puppy Small Breed Chicken; Rice Formula Dry Dog food
The third dry dog food for Pug puppies on our list is a premium recipe dry dog food that is aimed at small breeds, so it suits a Pug.
We know that Pugs aren’t aware of the fact that they are small, but their moth has particular needs, like smaller kibble.
Unlike the other foods that we presented so far, this one does contain grains in the form of rice, which would be a reasonable choice for a Pug. Rice is a great source of carbohydrates, and is a good option for dogs with a sensitive digestive system, especially for those who are prone to diarrhea, and it’s a good addition to a Pug puppy dry dog meal, due to its fiber content.
However, its main source of carbohydrates is Corn Gluten Meal, and they also list whole grain wheat as an ingredient, which could not be a well tolerated food for your Pug.
Although the main protein source is chicken, it also contains beef fat, fish meal and dried egg, which is a bad idea for owners who have a sensitive or allergic dog.
Furthermore, chicken by product meal is another ingredient and they don’t state the proportion. This is a second-hand type of product that offers little nutritional value.
Another interesting fact is that the last ingredient on their list is garlic oil, and we already know that garlic can be toxic for dogs, there is no good reason for it to be found in puppy food.
Purina Pro Plan Puppy Small Breed Chicken; Rice Formula Dry Dog food is supplemented with all the nutrients required for the fast growing Pug puppy, but it isn’t exactly “clean” of colorants and preservatives so it isn’t the best food available for Pugs.
Pros:
- A high level of crude protein (33%);
- Supplemented with Bacillus Coagulans to support gut health;
- It’s supplemented with vitamin E and Omega 6 fatty acids;
- It is also supplemented with vitamin D3 and vitamin A to prevent rickets;
- The kibble is designed for puppies of a small size bread
- The recipe is created to encourage growth, which makes is suitable for puppies.
Cons:
- There is a long list of ingredients and many of these aren’t naturally sourced;
- There is more than one source of protein;
- This food contains corn, rice and wheat, none of which are found in a natural dog diet;
- It contains garlic oil which is a controversial ingredient;
- It also contains Biotin (vitamin B7) which is a good ingredient. However, it can alter the results of blood work and that is never good, especially when most people aren’t aware of this fact.
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Healthy Weight Adult Dry Dog Food
This might be a review aimed at Pug puppies, but we considered the fact that you may think ahead and you might also need to know a bit about what dry dog foods there are for an adult Pug. Adult dogs have different needs than puppies, an adult Pug has already done all its growing so we need to look at foods for Pugs who have become adults, meaning that they are older than 12 months old.
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Healthy Weight Adult Dry Dog Food is a super premium dog meal that offers complete nutrition and adds antioxidants and nutritional supplements to maintain to fight off free radicals and support the immune system.
The main ingredient, and the largest source of protein, is deboned chicken, followed by deboned chicken meal, adding up to 20% crude protein.
The main carbohydrate source comes from brown rice, but the meal also contains oatmeal which is a good source of dietary fiber.
One of the things we like about this dry adult dog food is that it is supplemented whit glucosamine and chondroitin which help the bouncy, fearless Pug, maintain its joints healthy, even if it puts a lot of pressure on them while jumping around.
We decided to include this product in the reviews because of the crude fat content of only 9% that is great for dogs like Pugs that tend to overeat.
Let’s make your decision even easier by starting a pros and cons list
Pros:
- It contains more than just one source of antioxidants;
- The protein content is moderate which is great for adult dogs especially if they don’t exercise a lot;
- The main fiber comes from brown rice a carbohydrate good for sensitive digestive tracts;
- This food contains many aminocids, like Taurine, which promote muscle development;
- There are a few million good bacteria in it, that will help your Pug’s digestive tract;
- It doesn’t contain corn, soy or wheat so there aren’t many allergy causing ingredients.
Cons:
- This is not a grain free diet, like the one that dogs naturally consume in the wild;
- It is not a cheap dry dog food.
Royal Canin Pug Puppy Dry Dog Food
Royal Canin produces the last food on our list and it sounds great because it is breed specific and it is designed especially for Pug puppies.
Royal Canin pride themselves with the fact that they offer breed specific nutrition, for various breeds, and this particular dry dog meal should be an ideal food for Pug Puppies. Right?
Let’s take a closer look at it and determine what is so special about Royal Canin Pug dry puppy food.
Surprisingly, the first ingredient on its list (the most abundant one) is Brewers rice, a byproduct that comes from processing rice, and not the best carbohydrate or calorie source.
Moving on, the second ingredient for this Pug puppy dry food, and the main source of protein, comes from chicken by product meal, which means that there are bones, joints, meat and organs, minced together. This is definitely not a good protein source, but it does increase the protein content of the food to 28%.
Furthermore, this dry dog food also contains wheat and beet pulp as an additional source of carbohydrates.
It does contain a lot of nutritional supplements in the form of vitamins and minerals, with the addition of fish oil, which was proven to be a super food for dogs.
Our opinion on this food is that Royal Canin used a great marketing strategy by claiming that it is bread specific and that it is ideal for Pug puppies. In fact it is nothing more than a money grubbing technique because the food itself is not the best and the ingredients are of poor quality.
This is the Pros and Cons list that you have been waiting for
Pros:
- It is very, palatable. Most dogs love Royal Canin;
- The price is accessible;
- It is easy to source this foods, it can be found in most shops
Cons:
- There is almost no meat in this dog food, it only contains a by-product of chicken
- The main ingredient is a byproduct of a cereal;
- Pugs who eat it have a tendency to refuse other dry dog foods because this one tastes good;
- The amount of natural ingredients is very small;
- It doesn’t mimic a natural diet
Related: Best Dog Collars For Pug
Frequently Ask Questions:
Can a Pug puppy eat human food?
Before we discuss which human foods are safe for your pup, we should talk a bit about the power of habitude. Having good habits is good for anyone, and this includes your Pug puppy, since we already agreed that it lacks self control.
Kibble is the most nutritional dense dog meal, and using dry food for your Pug’s meals is one of the ways to make sure that it will get all the right nutrients.This is why it is important to make sure that your puppy will learn to eat dry dog food and you should start to help it form this habit as early as possible.
A Pug needs around 25 to 30 calories per body weight. Puppies should eat up to six meals per day, but this quantity will decrease as they grow. If your Pug is very active, you should ask your vet how to adjust the number of calories per meal and if you should increase the number of meals per day.
These being said, offering your puppy treats in the form of human food that is healthy for them can be useful, especially for teething and training.
There are a few foods that are particularly nutritious and that a Pug puppy would enjoy.
Nutritious human food for Pugs
- Eggs
- Meat (chicken, beef, veal, turkey, pork)
- Fish
- Carrots
- Apples
- Broccoli
There are a few human foods that are toxic to dogs. In some cases, these caused the renal failure or even death. Check out this study about it and make sure that your Pug never receives items from this list.
Toxic Foods for all dogs
- Alcohol
- Chocolate or caffeine
- Xylitol (artificial sweetener)
- Grapes, raisins and sultans
- Onion
- Garlic
- Avocado
- Macadamia nuts
What does a Pug puppy eat?
Ideally young Pugs should receive kibble created specifically for puppies that are going through growth spurts, meaning that it has all the vitamins and minerals needed to sustain their rapid growth.
The puppy foods that you should consider for your pup, must contain vitamin A acetate and a vitamin d3 supplement as they are crucial for the healthy development of their bones and for avoiding rickets but also for keeping at bay a number of other health issues.
A vitamin B12 (cobalamin) supplement is important in many growth-related aspects, but it’s also vital for the normal function of the nervous system and the brain.
Wet food will always be preferred but the kibble is easier to handle, and the nutritional needs of your best friend would be addressed better by feeding it with a dry meal.
What should I feed my 8-week old Pug?
When you first bring your Pug puppy home, you need to be aware that they will go through an adaptation period. This includes everything for your Pug as your pup will need to adapt to the dog meal that you will be offering even if it is the best dog food.
The best way to help Pugs adapt is to ask the person who sells them, about the dog food they were offering. If the dog food that the Pug puppies received wasn’t the one that you will be offering to your pup, you should start mixing the dog foods. Start by using 25% of the new dog food mixed with 75% of the old dog food.
In a few days, you should increase the proportion of new dog food until you replace your Pug puppy’s dog food completely.
You can also serve Pugs some wet food of your choice. And yes, boiled meat with veggies, aka soup can be a great addition.
It is important that the food that you will be feeding your Pug puppy is nutritionally dense and that it is supplemented with certain nutrients like:
- dl alpha-tocopherol acetate
- vitamin b12 supplement
- Vitamin D3
- Vitamin A
- copper proteinate
- zinc proteinate
- manganese proteinate
- sodium silico aluminate
- zinc oxide
- folic acid
Conclusion
Considering all we know about these products, about the breed specific nutritional needs and about what nature intended dogs to eat, we believe that the best food for Pug puppies is: American Journey Lamb; Sweet potato Recipe Grain-Free Puppy Dry Dog Food.
The reason for which believe this is because it uses only natural ingredients that Pugs love and because of its main protein source that is lamb meat. This means that your Pug will avoid allergies, maintain a healthy weight while having strong muscles and it will love the taste of its food.
Also, dogs shouldn’t eat grains. Look at their natural diet. Wolves certainly didn’t eat corn or rice. They eat meat and occasionally scavenge some fruit and veggies and this is what you will find in American Journey Lamb; Sweet potato Recipe Grain-Free Puppy Dry Dog Food.
Owning Pugs is wonderful. They are brave, loyal, always happy and their purpose in life is to make their owner happy.
Knowing your choices of food for Pugs is important because you will want to offer your Pug the best dog food that you can find on the market. This will help your best friend to live a long life next to you, and you will avoid the dreaded trips to the vet.
After reviewing these five dog foods, we can definitely say that American Journey Lamb; Sweet potato Recipe Grain-Free Puppy Dry Dog Food is the best Pug puppy food.