Q&A: Know how to select chow

Q: I see so many different puppy foods and claims about feeding puppies. How can I choose the best food for my new puppy?

A: We don't doubt that it can be confusing to know what and how to feed a puppy. There's no one-size-fits-all answer, though, because their needs vary. Factors that affect what a particular pup needs from a food include activity level, age, breed, gender and size at maturity. A puppy's growth rate should be not too fast and not too slow. Puppies who grow too quickly and become overweight may develop bone and joint problems as they mature. Puppies who grow too slowly may not be getting enough nutrients.

So what you feed depends a lot on your puppy's breed or mix. Toy-breed puppies, with their high metabolism, need a food that gives them a steady stream of energy. Really tiny puppies often need smaller, more frequent meals to make sure they don't develop low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Large-breed dogs grow more slowly than toy and small breeds. It can take two to three years for them to reach physical maturity. They need foods that provide less energy and calcium so that they grow at a slow, steady rate. You can give a food that's specially formulated for large and giant breeds or provide the same effect by feeding smaller amounts of a regular puppy food.

To know if your puppy is in good shape, use your eyes and hands. He should have an hourglass figure when you look down at him, and when you put your hands on him, you should be able to feel the ribs beneath a light padding of fat.