my 4 month old puppy

Question
Hi I would like to know how to meet the nutritional needs of my 3/4 Pekinese and 1/4 Pomeranian puppy. she can be a fussy eater I started making homemade dog food for her chicken beef broccoli or carrots sweet potatoes or brown rice or whole wheat pasta.  can you suggest anything more or let me know you opinions regarding this breed  

Answer
Hi Trina,

The best food for a puppy of any breed of dog, is to be on a puppy food for it's first full year. Puppies have special nutritional needs, being growing babies, so it's important to provide your puppy with this kind of food.
Unlike a puppy food, which is specially formulated to meet your puppy's nutritional needs, human food alone usually does not provide your dog with its daily protein, vitamin, mineral and other nutritional requirements.

It is definitely possible to formulate home-made diets that are safe to use, with the help of a nutritionist who knows the dietary requirements for dogs/puppies. If you wish to do this it is important to have a nutritionist evaluate the diet you plan to use to be sure it is nutritionally adequate. You can get a referral from your veterinarian for a nutritionist, or get this advice on line. Here is one such web site:

http://www.petdiets.com/

Your puppy isn't a breed of dog, she's a mixed breed. That doesn't really matter though, you can follow the feeding guidelines on any package of puppy food, go by weight, size and age. The amount of food can vary depending on the brand, as nutritional values can vary.

By giving into your puppy's whims, you are creating a finicky eater. A home made diet is good, if it meets the animals nutritional needs. You should run this past your veterinarian who would know best on what may be lacking in the diet you prepare. Mixing the homemade chicken beef broccoli or carrots with a good quality puppy food is one way of ensuring that your puppy gets the nutrition she needs.

Some really good quality puppy foods to consider are:

Innova Puppy food (canned or dry)
Wellness SuperMix 5 Puppy Formula
Canidae All Stages of life
Nutro Natural Choice Ultra Puppy Food

Best of luck,

Patti