The 10 Best Puppy Foods For Pugs
- May 27, 2023
- By Dr. Deborah Fletcher
Pugs are among the most charming dogs known to man, which may explain why they become such cherished parts of their owners' families. As proud Pug owners, we strive to provide our dogs with the greatest nutrition possible so they may live long, healthy, and happy lives as our companions and friends.
But with so many options available, how can you choose which Pug meals are worth purchasing and which you should avoid? We were curious about this, so we tested all of the most popular Pug meals on the market in order to definitively answer our own question.
The eleven reviews that follow will compare the meals we tried. In the end, just three items pleased us enough to be recommended, and we will review them again so they are fresh in your memory. Let's examine the best puppy foods for Pugs options listed by BestForPets (bestforpets.org).
Reviews
Rachael Ray Nutrish Bright Puppy Dry Dog Food
Feeding your dog the highest-quality meals to maintain its health can be costly. However, this is not the case with the Rachael Ray Nutrish Bright Puppy Dry Dog Food. This food is available at pricing that won’t deplete the family’s shopping budget, which is why we consider it to be the finest Pug puppy chow for the money.
You will not, however, be sacrificing the health of your Pug by feeding it this food. Instead, you will provide them with nutritious food that contains DHA for optimal eye and brain development. In addition, it contains omega fatty acids for healthy fur and skin.
Although reasonably priced, this dog chow was made with high-quality, whole-food components, beginning with actual chicken as the first ingredient. This makes it not only nutritious for your Pug companion but also gentle on their tummy. Even though it contains grains, this makes it a wonderful option for dogs with delicate digestive systems.
Pros
- DHA and omega fatty acids are present.
- Value pricing
- Friendly to dogs’ tummies
- Utilizes whole-food components
Cons
- Contains grains
Royal Canin Pug Puppy Food for Dry Dogs
Consider Royal Canin Pug Puppy Dry Dog Food if you want the prestige and satisfaction of knowing you’re giving your Pug one of the most prestigious brands of dog food.
It is one of the few breed-specific dog diets we’ve encountered that is designed to supply Pugs with the nutrients they require. However, it is one of the most costly things we’ve encountered, with a 2.5-pound bag costing more than a 14-pound bag from comparable brands.
This meal is formulated for Pugs between 8 and 10 months of age. It has an innovative blend of nutrients that support the skin, coat, and digestive health of your Pug.
In addition, prebiotics and antioxidants enhance the immune system of your Pug. Due to their brachycephalic, short-faced breed, this kibble’s clover-leaf form makes it simpler for them to pick up and chew.
On the other hand, this food’s ingredient list leaves much to be desired. It cites brewers rice as the primary component and chicken by-product meal as the secondary ingredient. For such a pricey Pug dish, the quality of the components was certainly compromised.
Pros
- Dog-specific nourishment
- Supports skin health, digestion, and natural defenses
- Brachycephalic dogs have an easier time picking up kibble that has been specially shaped.
Cons
- Cost-prohibitive
- Rice is the primary component of brewing
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Dry Dog Food
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Food is not the cheapest food you could give your pug, but it may be the best for their health. It is chock-full of vitamins, antioxidants, and chelated minerals to support immunological health. DHA and ARA are also present to promote healthy brain and ocular development.
But there’s more. This meal provides omega fatty acids to maintain the health and beauty of your pug’s skin and coat. It has a minimum of 27% crude protein, with deboned chicken as the principal ingredient, so you can be assured that your pug is receiving enough nutrition when they consume this Blue Buffalo chow. It may be pricey, but if you can afford it, it might help your pug puppy live a long and healthy life.
Pros
- Contributes to immune system health
- Contributes to the brain and ocular development
- Omega fatty acids present for healthier skin and coat
- Boneless chicken is the primary component.
Cons
- Quite costly
VICTOR Select Nutra Pro Active Dry Dog Food for Dogs and Puppies
The VICTOR Select Nutra Pro Active Dog and Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food, which is loaded with nutrients designed to feed dogs with moderate to high levels of daily activity, first appeared to be a better alternative than it actually was.
We appreciated the enormous 40-pound quantity available and the reasonable pricing. Even better was the high protein and low carbohydrate content, which is ideal for all dog breeds, especially pugs.
However, we quickly learned that things were not as favorable as we had initially believed. The first three ingredients of this cuisine are chicken meal, blood meal, and whole-grain millet; there is no indication of a high-quality, whole-food protein source.
After feeding it to our dogs, we discovered that several of them had little interest in eating it. Others consumed the food but had trouble digesting it. However, several of our dogs consumed it without incident, indicating that it is safe for all canines. Nevertheless, dogs with sensitive stomachs would do their best to avoid this diet.
Pros
- Available in large numbers
- Excellent protein content
- 35% or fewer carbs
Cons
- Not made with the finest components.
- Some canines developed digestive difficulties.
- Not all dogs were eager to consume it.
Nutro Wholesome Essentials Dry Dog Food for Puppies
Many firms choose low-quality ingredients like livestock by-products and GMO veggies to save money, but not Nutro. Their Wholesome Essentials Puppy Dry Dog Food is manufactured with non-GMO ingredients and has no by-products, but it is competitively priced. They partially achieve this by combining many grains into their recipe and maintaining lower protein levels than other diets.
Nonetheless, this dish contains at least 29% crude protein obtained mostly from chicken and chicken meal, the first two specified components. However, several of the remaining components, like brewers rice, whole brown rice, and oatmeal, are not our favorites, which is why Nutro Wholesome Essentials Puppy Food did not make our top five.
Pros
- Reasonable in cost
- Produced without the use of genetically modified organisms or by-products.
Cons
- Made with several grains
- Lower in protein than other dog meals
Purina Pro Plan Focus Dry Dog Food for Puppies
Purina is a well-known brand of dog food, however, we did not appreciate their Pro Plan Focus Puppy Dry Dog Food. However, the recipe still contains DHA for stronger teeth and bones and prebiotic fiber to assist digestive health, so it’s not all terrible.
The minimal crude protein content of 28% is not ideal, but it is sufficient to guarantee that your Pug receives the necessary nourishment.
Unfortunately, we are not impressed with the components in this dish. Ingredients include corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, corn germ meal, and more. Given this list of ingredients, it’s no wonder that some of our Pugs refused to eat this meal!
We wouldn’t either, and we wouldn’t recommend that you give it to your Pug when there are so many other fantastic alternatives.
Pros
- Contains prebiotic fiber, which promotes digestive health.
- DHA for teeth and bone strength
Cons
- A number of substances include corn.
- Utilizes low-grade components
- Some of our canines refused to eat it.
Dry Diamond Puppy Recipe Dog Food
We were initially intrigued by Diamond Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food’s dirt-cheap cost and bulk packaging. It appeared to be a terrific method to save money, but we quickly discovered that it is not a good value at any price.
This meal contains protein sources of low grade. Here you will not find deboned chicken or beef. Instead, chicken by-product meal will be stated as the first and major component, followed by whole grain ground corn. This maize is not easily digested for your Pug because it is a whole grain, but it is a cheap filler component, which is why it is in this dish.
If you want to provide your Pug with the appropriate nourishment it needs to live a long and healthy life, you may want to avoid the Diamond Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food, which appears to be a good deal based on its price and quantity alone.
Pros
- Dirt-cheap
- Available in bulk quantities
Cons
- Utilizes inferior protein sources
- Contains corn
- Containing difficult to digest grains
- Provided our Pugs with flatulence and diarrhea
Merrick Grain-Free Puppy Food
Merrick is recognized for producing high-quality dog food, and we have previously had success with their products. Unfortunately, we did not encounter this when feeding our Pugs Merrick Grain-Free Puppy Food. To be fair, things began well with high-quality ingredients and several types of protein, including deboned beef, lamb meal, and salmon meal.
These protein sources, however, lead the price of this dish to soar, making it far more expensive than other alternatives. Despite this, it includes less protein than many other products we’ve tested, with a minimum crude protein content of only 28%.
Worse, several of our Pugs refused to consume this meal! Less than fifty percent of the Pugs we offered this meal to were interested. This was unexpected, but the results appeared to be consistent with each puppy we fed this chow to. Although Merrick is normally a high-quality dog food manufacturer, neither we nor our Pugs were impressed by this product.
Pros
- Multiple sources of high-quality protein
Cons
- Extremely pricey
- Contains less protein than the majority of competing brands
- Less than fifty percent of our Pugs would eat it.
Buyer's Guide
If you’re searching for a quick approach to select the best puppy food for your Pug, you may skip to the conclusion to read our recommendations and end your dog food struggle. Read on if you want to discover how we compared this puppy feeds so that you may make smarter feeding selections for your dog in the future.
In this brief buyer’s guide, we will explain the most crucial factors to consider while selecting pug puppy food. Considering these three factors will guarantee that you always choose Pug food that is healthy and affordable.
Ingredients
No dog food recipe can be of greater quality than the components used to create it. Therefore, the first thing you should do when evaluating dog food is to examine the list of components.
Ingredients are given in the same order as their respective quantities in the recipe. Therefore, the first component mentioned is used in the greatest quantity, the second ingredient in the second-most quantity, and so on until the last ingredient, which is used in the smallest quantity.
By examining the contents list, you may quickly determine the quality of the formula’s constituents. For instance, if the deboned chicken is listed as the first component in a puppy meal, you know that the majority of the protein comes from a nutritious, whole-food source. However, if the first ingredient is a poultry by-product meal, you know it’s a low-cost, low-quality mix.
Generally speaking, the first element should be a high-quality protein source. You don’t want to see a carbohydrate listed as the principal component because protein and fats are the key sources of nutrients for dogs.
You should also be on the lookout for grains. Grain fillers are less expensive than many other choices, including maize, which is unhealthy for dogs. These grains are more difficult for dogs to digest, so avoid them wherever possible.
Nutritional Content
However, components only reveal a portion of the narrative. The total nutritional value of the meal is a further essential factor to consider. This includes protein, lipids, carbs, and other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
As with other dogs, pugs thrive on a high-protein diet, thus it is important to seek out such items. Numerous foods have at least 27% crude protein, which is a reasonable starting point. Remember that the more fats and proteins in the formula, the less place there is for less nutritious carbs.
Also, seek for meals enriched with nutrients to assist your pug’s healthy functions. For example, DHA and ARA for eye health and vision or calcium and phosphorus for bone health. Today, many foods are loaded with these essential nutrients, and they may help your Pug maintain optimal health.
Price
The pricing is the final consideration when selecting food for your pug. Although we would always want to purchase the finest food for our beloved pets, it is not always the most economical option.
However, this does not imply you should neglect your closest friend’s nutrition. There is a variety of reasonably priced puppy feeds that provide all of the nutrients that your Pug need.
First, search for meals that will provide appropriate nourishment for your Pug. Then, reduce the alternatives by selecting those that are likewise inexpensive and eliminating those that are excessively costly. Finally, evaluate the remaining dog meals to see which one provides the best value.
Conclusion
Our Pugs appeared to love assisting with these reviews because they got to try so many new dishes. Hopefully, these suggestions have been helpful in your hunt for the best puppy foods for Pugs.
BestForPets (bestforpets.org) believe that Rachael Ray Nutrish Bright Puppy Natural Dry Dog Food offers the greatest value. It is prepared with whole-food components that are nutritious for your Pug, gentle on their tummy, and priced inexpensively to provide you unmatched value.
We recommend the Royal Canin Pug Puppy Dry Dog Food if you want to give your Pug a breed-specific formula that is both expensive and prestigious. It contains a mix of nutrients designed particularly for Pugs aged eight to ten months to maintain healthy skin and coat, improve digestive health, and strengthen the immune system.
Dr. Deborah Fletcher
Deborah R. Fletcher, DVM, is a skilled veterinarian with more than 15 years of experience dealing with companion and exotic animals. She has experience caring for a variety of animals, including household cats and dogs, reptiles, birds of prey, and even primates. Dr. Fletcher is a valuable part of the BestForPets team, where she contributes to their aim of providing pets and their owners with the finest possible treatment and services.
Veterinarian (DVM) Dr. Deborah Fletcher
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