If you’re about to become a new pet parent, congrats! This is an exciting journey for every new parent. As puppies grow, proper nutrition is integral to their development. Unfortunately, selecting the right food for your new pup can be somewhat confusing. It’s our goal to help make feeding your new family member a little easier, so you can focus on the late night cuddles and training!
We often get asked “What are the benefits of Open Farm’s puppy food?” and “Why is Open Farm the best puppy food for my pet?”. In this blog, we’ll dive deeper into what you should look for in a puppy food & how we are trying our best to support with our new Puppy recipe.
1. Multiple proteins to prevent the development of allergies
Puppies can develop allergies & sensitivities from a young age. As their immune system begins to strengthen, they need to be introduced to a wide variety of foods in order to prevent those sensitivities from developing in the first place. In our Puppy dry food, we include humanely raised chicken, pork & wild-caught salmon. We talk a lot about rotational feeding for this very reason and developed this recipe to make exposing your pup to multiple proteins a breeze. The early exposure to protein rotation will help prevent those pesky allergies and sensitivities from developing while growing.
2. Wholesome Ingredients
Having meat as the first ingredient is not enough. Our pets deserve the world’s best ingredients from animal protein to minerals and starting them off on proper nutrition makes all the difference in their overall immune system. In all our dry food formulas, 80% of protein comes from animal ingredients, all of which are antibiotic and growth hormone free and all our fruits & veggies are strictly non-GMO. We go to great lengths to ensure that 100% of our meats come from family farms that meet stringent animal welfare standards and are audited and certified by Certified Humane®, and our fish ingredients meet the Ocean Wise® seafood sustainability standards. We have developed our business around providing the very best nutrition for dogs and cats and take ingredients seriously. All of our ingredients can be traced back to the source. Learn more about our commitment to transparency here.
3. DHA for healthy brain development
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is an omega-3 fatty acid important for neural development in puppies. In many cases, DHA is used as a supplement specifically for young offspring, like babies or puppies. By introducing meaningful amounts of DHA into our Puppy recipe, it helps encourage healthy brain development for growing pups.
4. Proper mineral levels for bone development
Calcium and phosphorus levels are important factors in puppy food as these minerals help support bone development. Especially in large breeds, having too little or too much calcium could be detrimental. We’ve ensured that our Puppy formula includes an optimal level of calcium at 1.2% and phosphorus at 1.0%, perfect for puppies of all breeds and sizes.
5. Higher kilocalorie (kcal) recipe
Puppies simply need to eat more calories to support their rapid growth within the first year. However, it’s important to refrain from overfeeding your puppy as this may cause health issues as well. Our puppy dry food includes a higher kcal amount to ensure proper nutrition and development. To control overfeeding, we’ve created a feeding guideline for our puppy parents to easily find the recommended quantity for your pet.
6. A fit for your dog’s breed
Ensure that the puppy food is a fit for your dog’s size & breed, from the minerals included in the formula to the size of the dry food. Our Puppy recipe is suitable for all breeds and sizes. We’ve included a small sized dry food as it is perfect for smaller dogs to eat, but also great for larger dogs who tend not to chew their food. It truly makes the perfect small & large breed puppy food.
7. No transition needed
Find a pet food that doesn’t need transitioning as your pup grows. If your dog starts on our Puppy recipe, there is no transition necessary when your dog turns into an adult and needs to change to our all life stages dry food recipes. Training a puppy is hard enough, so we’ve made feeding easy.
To learn more about our Puppy recipe, click here!