How to Choose the Best Dog Food for Italian Greyhound Puppies
The sweet natured Italian Greyhound puppy wins hearts everywhere it goes. A breed with the sleek, lithe body of an athlete, the Italian Greyhound is believed to have ancient origins reaching back over 2,000 years ago. Though it is not known precisely what this loving and affectionate breed was developed for, ancient artifacts seem to indicate hunting of small game may have been one of its primary jobs.
The Italian Greyhound puppy of today retains its high prey drive, willingly chasing other animals or moving objects at every opportunity. Because of this natural tendency, this pup needs to remain in a securely fenced yard to prevent its escape attempts. The breed does require regular daily exercise but is not naturally predisposed to becoming overweight.
A breed capable of running up to 25 miles per hour, the Italian Greyhound is a dog of great athleticism. This pup is extremely versatile, excelling at many different disciplines such as agility, obedience, Rally, lure coursing, and much, much more.
The Italian Greyhound puppy is intelligent and enjoys every opportunity to learn. However, a typical hound, this pup often requires motivation in the form of treats, praise, or other rewards.
Loving with its family, this gentle-natured breed delights in any opportunity to snuggle with its loved ones. However, the Italian Greyhound puppy can be aloof and shy with strangers.
Typically, a healthy puppy, Italian Greyhounds can be predisposed to a number of different health problems including progressive retinal atrophy and patellar luxation. To provide an excellent foundation for optimal health, it is recommended that the Italian Greyhound puppy be fed a diet that contains ample servings of DHA, ARA, glucosamine, and chondroitin to support eye and joint health.
The best dog foods for Italian Greyhound puppies contain a minimum of 22 percent protein and 8 percent fat. In addition to this, it is vitally important that any diet for this sweet and gentle pup include the proper proportions of calcium to phosphorus to support a healthy rate of growth. This is rated as 1.2 parts of calcium for each included unit of phosphorus.
Choosing the Correct Calorie Count for Italian Greyhound Puppies
Trying to figure out how much of a commercially prepared diet to feed a dog is typically a process that involves some trial and error. The best dog foods for Italian Greyhound puppies provide suggested serving sizes based on the pup’s age and weight. These can be a great foundation from which to start with adjustments made through small increases and decreases until the correct portion is found.
Free feeding the Italian Greyhound puppy is not recommended even though this breed is highly unlikely to become overweight. Since this breed has delicate bones and needs support for optimal joint health, the ideal body condition is vitally important to maintaining good health. To this end, all intake should be measured and carefully monitored to achieve a healthy weight.
Dietary Requirements for Italian Greyhound Puppy Foods
Since the Italian Greyhound puppy is a natural athlete, this breed requires a high performance diet to fuel its active lifestyle. The best dog foods for Italian Greyhound puppies list a lean meat-based protein as their foundational ingredient. Whole meats and meat meals are the recommended basis for a diet for this sweet and lively breed. By-products and the plant-based proteins soy, corn, and wheat are not nutritionally beneficial to the Italian Greyhound puppy, and thus, are best avoided.
Many of today’s commercially prepared diets for dogs include such ingredients as chemicals, additives, fillers, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. These ingredients don’t contribute anything beneficial to a dog’s diet. Many of them are difficult to digest and can be common allergens for many dogs. Experts recommend avoiding diets that include one or more of these items in their formulas.
Carbohydrates play an important role in helping the Italian Greyhound puppy to attain good digestion and a healthy immune system. Carbohydrates can come from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, or a combination of these three food types. The main priority of any included carbohydrate in a diet for the Italian Greyhound puppy is its high concentration of antioxidants and dietary fiber.
Healthy fats are the building blocks of a well-rounded diet for the Italian Greyhound puppy. Optimal coat and skin health and support for eye and brain development is supported through these important ingredients. Healthy fats are best found in animal-based sources such as chicken fat and oily fish. Some plant-based oils such as canola, safflower, and coconut also offer ample amounts of the essential fatty acids that the Italian Greyhound puppy needs to thrive.
Supplements included in a diet offer an additional health boost to Italian Greyhound puppies. The ideal supplements to look for for this pup include prebiotics, probiotics, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
Things to Look for in the Best Dog Food for Italian Greyhound Puppies
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in a food for an Italian Greyhound puppy:
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Lean, meat-based proteins heading up the ingredients list
Lean meats are the best basis for a diet for the Italian Greyhound puppy’s nutritional needs. Whole meats and meat meals are the best foundation for a high quality puppy food for this breed. By-products and the plant-based proteins soy, corn, and wheat are not of sufficient nutritional quality to benefit the Italian Greyhound pup and are best avoided.
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Prepared without the addition of chemicals, flavorings, fillers, or mystery ingredients
Chemicals, flavorings, fillers, and mystery ingredients are not nutritionally sound additions to any diet. Many of these items can lead to allergy flareups in the Italian Greyhound puppy.
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Enriched with probiotics and helpful supplements
It is always an excellent idea to select a food that includes helpful supplements in its formulation. The most beneficial supplements to look for in a diet for the Italian Greyhound puppy are prebiotics, probiotics, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
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Meets AAFCO nutritional requirements for a complete and balanced food
The AAFCO seal of approval certifies that a food has been inspected, assessed, and found to be worthy of the declaration that is a complete and properly balanced food.