We have been getting quite a few queries lately about whether our Ocean Fish dog food is suitable for puppies. When I formulated Ocean Fish the goal was primarily to create a New Zealand made, high protein food that would support adult dogs with sensitive skin and gut issues, as well as being a premium quality food for all adult dogs.
However, because of the ingredients used, being high in real meat protein and in omega 3 fatty acids, I have always thought that it could well meet the requirements for pups. Now that we have our own new pup, the beautiful Tyson our tricolour border collie, I reached out to our nutritionists to get them to crunch the numbers on our Ocean Fish product to see if would meet the AAFCO requirements for puppy food.
Yes, you can feed Genius to puppies!
So, if you would like to feed Genius Ocean Fish to your pup, or have a household with both an adult dog and a puppy, this is absolutely fine.
Puppies do have different energy requirements to adult dogs and so we have a separate feeding guide for them.
Ocean Fish puppy feeding guide
| Puppy weight | Less than 4 months age | Over 4 months of age |
| 2 kg | 95 grams | 65 grams |
| 4 kg | 160 grams | 105 grams |
| 6 kg | 215 grams | 145 grams |
| 8 kg | 270 grams | 180 grams |
| 10 kg | 329 grams | 215 grams |
| 12 kg | 365 grams | 245 grams |
| 14 kg | 410 grams | 275 grams |
| 16 kg | 455 grams | 305 grams |
| 18 kg | 495 grams | 330 grams |
| 20 kg | 535 grams | 360 grams |
| 22 kg | 575 grams | 385 grams |
| 24 kg | 615 grams | 410 grams |
| 26 kg | 650 grams | 435 grams |
| 28 kg | 690 grams | 460 grams |
| 30 kg | 725 grams | 485 grams |
| 32 kg | 760 grams | 510 grams |
| 34 kg | 795 grams | 530 grams |
| 36 kg | 830 grams | 555 grams |
| 38 kg | 865 grams | 580 grams |
| 40 kg | 900 grams | 600 grams |
Please note: puppy growth is a really important time to get nutrition correct. For that reason we don't give our feeding recommendations for puppies in cups, only in grams. Studies have shown that using cups is a really inaccurate way of feeding. We recommend that you use a gram scale to weigh out your pups food.
What is the difference between an adult dog food and a puppy food?
The main differences between the different life stage diets available for adult dogs and puppies are the minimum amount required of:
- Protein
- Fat
- DHA - an essential omega 3 fatty acid
And, crucially, the amount and ratio of Calcium to Phosphorus in the diet. This is especially important for large breed pups.
It's really crucial to get these nutrients right for growing puppies as you are setting them up for life!
Why you shouldn't feed a grain free food to a puppy
With the discovery several years ago of a link between grain free dog food and nutritional related dilated cardiomyopathy (heart disease) in dogs, I personally wouldn't recommend feeding a grain free dog food to a puppy. A growing pup needs to be absorbing the right nutrients from it's diet to grow into a healthy, strong adult dog and until such time as the cause of these cases of heart disease is fully elucidated it would be risky to choose a grain free food.
Genius Ocean Fish is a healthy alternative to grain free dog food. It contains New Zealand King Salmon as it's number 1 ingredient and New Zealand Fish Meal as it's 2nd ingredient and so is high in real meat protein. It contains rice as its main carbohydrate source and this is balanced with a range of vegetables and fruits.
Want to know more about how to feed your pup?
Our next blog post is coming up soon and will cover:
- More on working out how much to feed your pup
- Monitoring your pup's growth rate
- How often to feed
- What type of bowls to use
- How best to measure out your pup's food
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