Nutrition For Your Developing Puppy

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     Puppy nutrition is crucial to proper puppy development ?yet hardly any owners can keep up with their rapidly-developing puppies' nutritional requirements. Many puppies experience less-than-optimal brain and nervous system development due to improper nutrition. The implications of this are long-lasting and may result in shortened life span or decreased quality of life. Most puppy foods today lack the specific nutrients which stimulate development and enhance sensory and cognitive functioning ?key underpinnings for puppy training. A surprisingly high number of puppies, more so females, are also affected by Urinary Tract Infections.

Common health problems found in puppies are caused by a lack of several critical nutrients in their diet. The first of these is Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA is commonly found in fish, but the highest-quality DHA comes from microalgae. In fact most people do not know that even fish obtain their DHA from microalgae they consume. Aside from being fully vegetarian, sustainably grown microalgae contains none of the heavy metals, PCB抯 or dioxins commonly found in fish oils. DHA plays an essential role in brain development. Scientific studies have confirmed that a diet high in DHA improves eyesight, learning, memory and concentration ?all essential for proper puppy development, particularly for those who want a smart and easy-to-train puppy.

A second nutrient that works in synergy with DHA to improve nervous system development is choline. Choline helps with proper nerve cell transmission and is also essential for maintaining an optimal growth rate and good appetite in puppies.

The third class of nutrients for ensuring the health of puppies into adulthood are Phytochemicals, (literally plant derived chemicals). Particularly enriched in berries like cranberries, phytochemicals particularly anthocyanidins are critical for maintaining a healthy urinary tract in puppies. These compounds keep E.Coli, the bacteria responsible for up to 90% of all UTIs, from adhering to the urinary tract lining. With a diet high in anthocyanidins, puppies enjoy a greatly reduced risk of contracting UTIs and healthy kidney function.
The inclusion of berries in your puppies diet has many additional benefits too. Cranberries are the world抯 healthiest fruits and are high in antioxidants called Polyphenols. Polyphenols help rid the body of free radicals, harmful compounds which damage internal tissue and arteries. Puppies that consistently ingest high levels of polyphenols can look forward to a long and healthy life.

Despite the strong health benefits of DHA, anthocyanidins and polyphenols, puppy owners worry their pet will not eat berries in sufficient quantities to attain significant health benefits ?not to mention the cost of feeding a growing dog fresh berries. It may also be difficult to obtain high quality sources of DHA from micro algae. Fortunately, recent advances in pet nutrition give consumers a growing variety of concentrated pet supplements which can be added to a puppy抯 meal each day. Not all supplements are created equal: look for those which are certified organic, vegetarian, food-grade (e.g. Kosher), and made exclusively with natural ingredients.

Puppies face many health and developmental challenges as they become adult dogs, but their odds of encountering degenerative diseases like cancer, arthritis and immune dysfunction can be greatly reduced with proper nutrition. By incorporating DHA, choline, anthocyanidins and antioxidants into your puppy抯 diet, you can help guarantee your puppy a healthy childhood and adolescence.