Not sure what to feed a 5-month-old puppy? Don’t worry. You aren’t alone. Every pet parent wants to make sure they’re feeding their cute, furry friend the best puppy food possible.
Puppies tend to grow fast. And so, it’s essential to provide proper nutrition for building strong teeth & bones, adding muscles, and improving your puppy’s quality of life.
But, what should you be feeding your 5-month-old puppy? With so much information available, it can somehow be confusing to decide. That’s why we’re here to help.
In this ultimate guide, we’ll be covering everything there’s to know about feeding a 5-month-old puppy. So, make sure you read till the end!
Do Puppies Have the Same Nutritional Needs as Dogs?
Most pet parents wonder if puppies actually require a different food type or if the whole idea is simply a marketing gimmick.
Surely, there are a lot of false claims and hype going around in the dog world. However, this one’s actually correct: puppies do need a different food type than adult dogs.
The truth is puppies have specific nutritional requirements that differ from that of adult dogs. Most of your dog’s growth will occur during the first year (though most breeds continue growing until they’re three years old).
As such, your 5-month old will require a whole lot of resources as compared to adult dogs. As such, you must provide a diet specifically curated for 5-month old puppies.
If you’re still unsure, Ollie, for instance, is an excellent option for this. They offer high-quality, customized meal plans based on your dog’s profile. As such, you can make sure your puppy is getting the necessary nutrients.
Now, we aren’t saying adult dog food is dangerous. Feeding a bowl of dog food to your puppy won’t likely cause any severe health problems.
However, it’s crucial not to make it their primary food because of the long-term risks. Besides, adult dog food could upset your puppy’s tummy.
So, What Should You Feed Your 5-Month Old Puppy?
Every dog diet needs to have specific ingredients, including vitamins, proteins, minerals, carbohydrates, and fats.
Because your 5-month old pup is still growing, its nutritional requirements are different than that of adult pooches. Their muscles and other tissues are actively developing, and energy requirement is at an all-time high when they’re young.
As such, your pup’s diet should generally include double the amount of unprocessed fat and protein than adult dogs. Make sure the puppy food you chose is explicitly formulated for development and growth.
Also, ensure that it includes essential nutrients, such as:
- High-quality crude protein (for strong muscle);
- DHA ( a fatty acid that helps support brain and vision development);
- Minerals like phosphorous and calcium (to support good teeth and bone development).
Twenty-two percent of calories should come from protein. While many puppy food offers even more protein, twenty-two percent is the minimum requirement per day to keep your pup healthy.
Most top-grade puppy foods are packed with additional minerals and vitamins. Some even contain antioxidants to boost the immune system and fatty acids like omega-3 for the pup’s brain development.
Note: If your pup is a large breed, its diet must contain low phosphorous and calcium for good bone development. That’s because larger breeds tend to mature slowly.
Dog Food Type for 5-Month Old Puppies
Another critical consideration concerning what to feed a 5-month old puppy is the food type. There are three popular dog food types available: dry dog food, raw dog food, and fresh dog food.
Now, let’s look at each type in detail.
Dry Dog Food or Kibble
Kibble or dry food is a popular dog food type that most pet owners prefer to feed their furry companion.
It contains a mixture of ingredients that differ for each brand. Nonetheless, they all need to be balanced and fulfill the dog’s nutritional needs.
In kibble, the ingredients are prepared together and cooked. Dry dog food
includes a mixture of fruits, vegetables, meat sources, starches, grain, minerals, and vitamins.
Higher-quality kibbles tend to have more protein as compared to starches. That said, all kibbles require preservatives to stop the fat from turning rancid.
Some kibble brands include low-quality ingredients, high carbohydrates, and added sugar. Also, carb-heavy dry food can harm the dog’s heart over time.
To avoid such risks, some dog owners rely on fresh dog food like Ollie Petfood.
Nonetheless, feeding kibbles have been known to offer certain benefits: healthier gums, reduced dental plaque, low bacteria risk, low spoilage risk, and cost-effectiveness.
Raw Dog Food
Raw dog food is typically store-bought, dehydrated, or freeze-dried. It can even be homemade.
A raw dog diet generally includes a mixture of muscle meat, organ meat, ground or whole bone, raw eggs, fresh vegetables, and fruits.
Some pet owners say feeding a raw diet to their dogs offers several benefits, including smaller stools, higher energy, better dental health, healthier skin, and shinier coats.
That said, there are certain disadvantages to feeding raw food to your dog. For instance, if you have young kids or someone with weak immunity, providing raw diets to your dogs isn’t suitable.
Moreover, it isn’t easy to fulfill your pup’s nutritional requirements with raw dog
food. Also, it’s much better to feed freshly cooked food to puppies.
Most veterinaries also oppose providing unregulated raw diets, especially if they haven’t undergone a pathogen elimination process.
That’s because such pathogens present in raw food can make your pup sick and even the people around.
That’s why we recommend opting for fresh dog food services like Ollie Petfood, where expert veterinary nutritionists prepare custom meals for your dog.
Fresh Dog Food
Fresh dog foods are basically homemade meals that are even suitable for human consumption.
The main ingredients typically include top-quality protein sources, grains, veggies, and supplements to fulfill your pup’s nutritional needs.
Feeding fresh food has been known to improve your dog’s heart health, make coats shinier, and promote its eyesight.
Prepare fresh food for your pup is quite similar to how you prep meals for the weak. However, making fresh food for your dog is a process that demands your space, time, and money.
In addition, homemade dog meals lack the scrutiny and necessary testing required to create a complete and balanced diet. It’s advised to prepare meals using recipes developed by veterinary nutritionists if you wish to provide fresh dog diets to your pup.
Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about all that anymore. Today, there are
several fresh dog food delivery services available, like the Ollie Petfood.
Such services work closely with experienced veterinary nutritionists to come up with personalized meal plans for your pup.
Best of all, every custom formula includes ingredients that meet the required dog food standards. We’ll cover more on this in the next section So, keep reading!
Ollie Petfood: Why it’s a Great Choice for 5-Month Old Puppies
Do you wish to feed your 5-month old dog with the best puppy food enriched with all the necessary ingredients? If so, Ollie Petfood is an ideal choice.
The following reasons are why Ollie Petfood is a great choice for 5-month old puppies:
- High-Quality Ingredients
When feeding your pup, it’s imperative to see that the meal contains safe and appropriate ingredients and is of the right amount. With Ollie Petfood, all that will be taken care of.
Ollie’s dog foods are made using high-quality, human-grade ingredients that are sourced from trusted farms. Plus, the ingredients are approved by expert veterinarians. Every meal is free from preservatives, fillers, artificial flavors, or by-products and prepared in USDA-regulated kitchens.
- Expert Help
Another reason why Ollie Petfood is an ideal choice is because of its expert team. Ollie teams with veterinary nutritionists that use their expertise to develop the appropriate meal plans for your pup.
They take account of your pup’s profile and then prepare the best recipes suited for your puppy.
- Personalized Meals for Your Pup
All meal plans are custom-made for your puppy after considering its allergies, weight goals, body condition, and dietary preference (suitable for pickier pups and sensitive tummies).
- Positive Reviews From Customers
Ollie Petfood has received several positive feedback from industry leaders and customers. Those who have used Ollie Petfood for their dogs reported shinier coats, improved weight management, and more. In addition, Reader’s Digest, Pet Life Today, and Forbes have named it one of the top brands for dog food.
Things to Consider When Picking Dog Food For 5-Month Old Puppies
Here are a few points to keep in mind when picking dog food for your 5-month old puppy:
- Must Meet AAFCO Standards
The dog food you pick must meet the necessary AAFCO standards for “all life stages” and “growth and reproduction.” As mentioned earlier, puppies’ nutritional needs are different than adult dogs. As such, it’s important to pick dog food that is formulated to fulfill those needs.
- Must Address Specific Health Concerns of Your Puppy
This is another important consideration to make when picking dog food for your 5-
month old puppy. For instance, if your pup is allergic to beef, it’ll be essential to avoid beef-based dog food to ensure your pup’s wellbeing. So, you may want to opt for food services like Ollie that take account of your pup’s health concerns and formulates meal plans accordingly.
- Must be Approved by Vets
This is a very crucial step that most pet owners neglect when selecting food for their pooch. Vets know your puppy well enough, and they know exactly what’s good and bad for your pup’s needs and growth. Top dog food brands like Ollie provides vet-approved meal plans that are customized to meet the needs of your puppy.
- Must Contain High-quality Protein
The best diet for dogs of any age contains high-quality proteins as the main ingredient. A protein-rich diet will provide the necessary nutrients for muscle development, healthy hair skin, and tissue repair, among other benefits.
- Know where the food is made
You should also find out where the food is made and the ingredients are sourced from. It’s always recommended to choose products made in a country where the pet-food quality standard is high. Ideally, dog foods manufactured in the US, Australia, Western Europe, New Zealand, or Canada will do.
- Where the Ingredients are Sourced From
Besides considering the manufacturing location, you should also consider where the ingredients for the food are sourced from. Even for this aspect, it’s recommended to choose a dog food with ingredients obtained from western
countries. Fresh foods (like Ollie) fit the bill as their ingredients are procured from Australia and the US.
5-Month Old Puppy Food FAQs
In this section, we’ll be answering the most commonly asked queries pet owners have about their puppies. So, continue reading to learn more!
How Much Should You Feed Your Puppy?
For this, you have to follow the guidelines offered by the food manufacturer. Typically, you’re supposed to feed about two to five cups or more, but it’ll vary depending on your pup’s size and the predicted adult size.
How Often Should You Feed Your Pup?
You should feed three comparatively small meals to your puppy in a day. The typical feeding times are morning, afternoon, and evening. This schedule will help keep your puppy’s tummy satisfied and free from intestinal issues.
When Should You Switch to Adult Food?
Generally, you can start feeding adult food once your pup has reached 80 to 90 percent of its adult size. For small breeds, it’s nine to twelve months. On the contrary, you can switch to adult pet food for larger dog breeds when your pooch is around 12 to 24 months.
Conclusion
Finding the right dog food for your 5-month old puppy doesn’t have to be complicated. Remember that your puppy needs more nutrients as compared to adult dogs.
Also, pick puppy food that is vet-approved, meets AAFCO standards, and is made using top-quality ingredients obtained from Western countries.
We believe that this article has answered any queries you might have regarding what to feed 5-month old pups.
Some of My Favorite Products For Dog Owners
I hope this article has helped you just a bit in everyday life as a dog owner. Being a dog owner for more than 25 years, I’ve tried many different products with varying success, but these products below are some that I can highly recommend to every dog and their owner without hesitation!
These links are affiliate links, so if you do end up using the links, I will earn a commission. But it’s products that I use daily myself, and I have the utmost praise for.
Dog Food: Every dog needs to eat correctly, and finding the best food for your dog can be challenging, as the market is absolutely flooded with products. But since 2015 when the company was founded, I’ve been using Ollie Petfood. With their product being tailor-made to suit every dog’s specific needs, and as my dogs love the product, I’m pretty sure I’ve found a product I will continue to use for many years more. If you use my link you can get 50% off your first order.
Dog Training: If you’ve ever owned a puppy, you know that it requires a lot of training to grow into a well-behaved adult. Brain Training for Dogs has helped me immensely with the mental training part of raising a dog, and it’s something I strongly recommend you consider.
Grooming: If you have a dog in your home, you’re going to need a brush, and for this, I recommend a Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush. For that price, you simply can’t beat this brush for everyday grooming.
If you’re looking for the most up-to-date recommendations, check out my recommended products section that I’ve created to help every dog owner!
