How to Choose the Best Dog Food for Plott Hound Puppies
Plott Hound puppies are typical hounds, full of mischief, love, and fun. A breed brought to America by a German gentleman with the surname of Plott in the mid-18th century, the Plott Hound’s original job was to hunt wild boar. In the United States where boar were less plentiful, this dog type was put to work hunting bear. During its time in America, the Plott Hound was selectively bred to other American hounds, giving the breed better scent detection capabilities and a new color pattern: a black brindle throughout the saddle area.
The Plott Hound puppy is a loyal, loving, and affectionate family companion. The breed does well with children and with other animals, making it an excellent choice for families with multiple pets in their home. A brave and strong breed, the Plott Hound puppy is highly intelligent and loves to learn new things, making it a true joy to train.
Both athletic and active, the Plott Hound puppy is not likely to gain weight easily if sufficiently exercised. At a minimum, this pup should be exercised an hour per day, but this amount of activity should be broken up into smaller blocks of time when the pup is yet small. Because of its high activity requirements, this breed is not well suited to apartment life.
The Plott Hound puppy typically enjoys excellent health. However, there are a few health problems that can plague this hardy breed including hip dysplasia, ear infections, and bloat. The best dog foods for Plott Hound puppies should contain supplements to boost joint health such as glucosamine and chondroitin.
At present, it is not known what factors must combine to produce bloat. Experts generally agree that eating too much and too quickly may play contributing roles. For this reason, the Plott Hound puppy should be fed a large breed puppy food as the pieces of kibble are big enough to discourage the dog from gulping its food or eating excessively.
The Plott Hound puppy is a large breed pup, and thus, enjoys a long maturation period. With this in mind, this breed should be fed a large breed puppy food until the pup reaches one year of age or 75 percent of its full adult size. At this time, it can then be transitioned to an appropriate adult diet.
The ideal diet for the Plott Hound puppy contains approximately 22 percent protein and 8 percent fat as well as the correct ratio of calcium to phosphorus to support proper bone growth: 1.2 parts of calcium for each part of phosphorus.
Choosing the Correct Calorie Count for Plott Hound Puppies
Trying to determine how much of a diet to feed a pup can be a challenging task, often requiring some trial and error in the process. The best dog foods for Plott Hound puppies do provide helpful suggestions through their recommended serving sizes printed on the packaging. These guidelines are based on age and weight and can be adjusted until the proper meal size is found.
Though unlikely to gain weight readily, the Plott Hound puppy still should not be free fed. All meals should be carefully measured, and all intake monitored to ensure a healthy body weight.
Dietary Requirements for Plott Hound Puppy Foods
Plott Hound puppies are carnivores, thriving on a diet that is based on a lean, meat-based protein. The best dog foods for Plott Hound puppies base their foundation on a whole meat or meat meal. Best avoided are by-products and the plant-based proteins soy, corn, and wheat as they are less nutritionally viable, more difficult to digest, and can be common allergens for many dogs.
Many commercially prepared dog foods include such ingredients as chemicals, fillers, additives, preservatives, and artificial flavors and colors in their formulations. These ingredients are present only to improve the appearance of a food or to preserve its shelf life for longer periods of time. They offer no nutritional value to the Plott Hound puppy and are best avoided if possible.
Since the Plott Hound puppy is not typically affected by food allergies, this pup can enjoy a diet that is grain-inclusive or grain-free with no ill effects. Carbohydrates can come from fruits, vegetables, or whole grains. Of primary importance in any included carbohydrate is its amounts of dietary fiber and antioxidants. These ingredients support a healthy immune system and good digestion.
Healthy fats give the Plott Hound puppy the necessary nutrients for strong energy reserves, coat and skin health, and cognitive and vision development. These fats are best found in such foods as oily fish and chicken fat. Some plant-based oils also offer bountiful amounts of these essential fatty acids such as canola, safflower, sunflower, and coconut.
Supplements added to a food help a diet to work its most efficiently. The ideal supplements to look for in a food for the Plott Hound puppy are prebiotics, probiotics, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
Things to Look for in the Best Dog Foods for Plott Hound Puppies
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in the best dog food for a Plott Hound puppy:
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Lean, meat-based proteins heading up the ingredients list
A true carnivore, the Plott Hound requires a diet based on a lean, meat-based protein to attain optimal health and wellness. Whole meats and meat meals make the ideal foundation for a diet for this active pup.
By-products and the plant-based proteins soy, corn, and wheat are not of sufficient nutritional quality to benefit this athletic puppy, and thus, are best avoided.
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Prepared without the addition of chemicals, flavorings, fillers, or mystery ingredients
Chemicals, fillers, artificial flavorings and colorings, and mystery ingredients provide no nutritional benefit to the Plott Hound puppy’s diet. Many of these items can trigger an allergic reaction in dogs with food sensitivities.
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Enriched with probiotics and helpful supplements
Supplements help a diet to work its most effectively. The most beneficial supplements to look for in a food for the Plott Hound puppy are glucosamine, chondroitin, prebiotics, and probiotics.
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Meets AAFCO nutritional requirements for a complete and balanced food
All foods appropriate for the Plott Hound puppy should bear the AAFCO seal of approval, indicating it meets the standards for a complete and balanced food.