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Is a new puppy on your holiday wish list?

Victoria pet store A Pet’s Life suggests planning food for new family members before taking them home
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Food options for puppies are endless: kibble, canned-wet, lightly cooked, but have you considered raw? Victoria pet store A Pet’s Life thinks you should.

It’s that time of year where ‘a puppy’ ends up on holiday wish lists for children (and adults) everywhere. If you’re thinking about making holiday dreams come true, there is lots to consider before bringing the little one home, including what should they eat? Options are endless: kibble, canned-wet, lightly cooked, but have you considered raw? We think you should.

Puppies’ diets are important because they build a strong foundation for good health and wellness as they grow-up. A raw ancestral diet can be fed to a puppy once they have weaned from their mother and there are some serious benefits.

1. Skin allergies and/or related skin symptoms

According to a recent study by the University of Helsinki, Finland, a puppy’s diet seems to be a significant factor in the development of allergy and atopy related skin symptoms in adult dogs. No consumption of raw food at all or eating 80 per cent or more of the puppy’s diet as dry food, indicated a significant increase in the prevalence of allergy symptoms in the same dogs, later in life.

2. Growth and development

A raw food diet is composed of highly digestible protein, essential minerals and, with proper supplementation, essential fatty acids. This is important for your puppy’s growth, the development of body mass, brain function, a strengthen immune system and healthy organs.

3. Gut health

Processed diets can contribute to poor gut health. By feeding your new puppy raw, you will be feeding your pup a diet full of healthy bacteria that will encourage healthy microbe formation in the intestinal tract and ultimately be supporting a healthy gut. A diverse micro-biome will lead to better nutrient absorption and more consistent, less smelly, smaller and less frequent stools.

If you’re looking for something more tailored, there are puppy-specific raw diets on the market that provide specific ingredients, like blueberries, that wolf-pups would naturally eat in the wild. If you’re not ready to make the leap to a full raw diet, every bit counts. We recommend adding raw to your kibble to help them get the best start to life.

This holiday consider their diet ahead of the big ‘I got you a puppy!’ surprise. They will thank you.

Shop A Pet’s Life by phone, online or in-store at 2019 Cadboro Bay Rd. Check-out their Instagram or Facebook for products, events or cute pictures of pets!

FURTHER READING: Pet parents: How often are you cleaning your pet’s teeth?