When you own pugs, the first thing that you are concerned about is their diet. It is important for the diet to have high-quality ingredients, vitamins, and minerals that support their health. After all, Pugs are small-breed dogs who are irresistibly adorable.
There are plenty of brands that make bold claims for providing high quality on the market but do they really provide what they are claiming?
To find out the best dog food on the market, we bought and used some of the highest-rated dog foods for pugs on the market and consulted our residential vet as well. So here are our top choices for the best foods on the market for your pugs.
Since pugs are known for being obese, Purina Pro Plan Weight Management Adult Dog Food is the best you can get that does help pugs in weight management. One thing that we loved about it and that makes it to the top of our list is that it uses 25% less fat than other dog foods. Weight management had always been an issue for our pug and Purina Pro Plan Dog Food has solved the issue for the most part.
The primary ingredients used in the kibble are chicken and rice. This kibble is a shredded blend which means some of the pieces are crunch and others are partially soft. Purina Pro Plan Weight Management Formula has also used live probiotics which help in healthy digestion and improve the immune system.
Blue Buffalo Super Nutrition Senior Dog Food is the best for senior dogs because it uses real meat as the primary ingredient. This formula is specially designed for senior pugs as it contains less protein, less fat, and more fiber to help the pug’s digestion. It also contains calcium for your pug’s bones.
After using Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula, we felt that our pug’s itchiness, dry skin, and allergies have almost gone. If your pug is sensitive, allergic, or picky, no need to worry because this dog food will suit all pugs. Although it is slightly on the pricier side but in our opinion, it is well worth the price.
Royal Canin Weight Care Adult Dog Food comes in canned form and provides the proper nutrition your pug needs. This canned food includes pork and chicken to keep its protein content very high. What we did not like about this dog food is that the pork added to it is made of by-products. Another thing added to this canned food is flour. Both corn and rice flour are added to it.
Dried beet pulp is added to this canned food which makes the pugs feel full. Taurine is also an ingredient that improves the heart health of your puppy. Royal Canin Weight Care food is a wet dog food that makes it fatty and that’s not good for your pet’s teeth so we mixed some dry kibble into it before giving it to our pug.
We also tested out Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free real chicken and sweet potato recipe for small breeds. It is suitable for all life stages, especially senior dogs. The added probiotics in this grain-free food help dogs in their digestion and the crunchy texture of the kibble help keep the dog’s teeth clean.
Senior pugs need energy so Merrick Lil’ Plates Senior Real Chicken Dog Food provides that energy and the protein in it helps a lot with muscle health. The sweet potatoes added to this kibble are an excellent source of dietary fiber and improve the digestive health of your senior pugs.
For our puppy, we tried Royal Canin Health Nutrition Puppy Pug Dog Food as it is full of nutrition and made from a lot of healthy ingredients. This kibble is designed in a tiny and cute shape which makes it perfect as it is easier for short-nosed pugs to chew it.
Chicken by-product meal is the primary ingredient which makes it rich in protein. For carbs, brewer’s rice and corn are added. Chicken fat and fish oil are also added to this kibble to provide omega fatty acids to your pug. It is very affordable food for your Pug and hence comes highly recommended if you want to keep things on a tight budget.
Wellness Complete Health Grain-free Dog Food is made from natural ingredients. It is made using turkey, chicken meal, salmon meal, and chicken fat which makes it high in protein and essential amino acids. One thing that we loved about this dog food is that it is made from natural ingredients and free from grain and does not use any filler ingredients. Nutritious foods are added like peas and lentils for carbs.
This Dog food also includes salmon oil but Salmon oil has a strong odor so our puppy didn’t like the smell. Overall, we love Wellness as a brand we trust, and there this particular dog kibble is great for your pug if it doesn’t have any issues with salmon oil odor. You can consider getting this dog food if money is not an issue for you as this product is a little pricier due to its premium ingredients.
There are plenty of dog foods on the market that claims to be best for pugs but you need to carefully check the bag and ingredients before buying it as it can tell you if the dog food is of high quality or not.
The back side of the bag of dog food contains all the necessary information you need to know. Below are some of the factors that you must check before buying dog food for your pug.
The first thing you need to look at in your pug’s food is the ingredients list. The best dog food is the one that is made with premium ingredients and offers the right nutritional value that helps them grow.
Pugs need a balanced diet that includes protein, fat, and carbs as well as vitamins and minerals for their overall health. Look for natural ingredients, quality meat, fresh fruits, and veggies before buying dog food for your pug.
Pugs are small breed dogs so they need something they can easily chew and digest. It is best to get pug food that has a small kibble size because it is easier for pugs to chew on.
Pugs are more prone to obesity than other dog breeds so it is important that you check the calories before getting certain dog food for your pug. Make sure to get dog food that has a low-calorie count because it will save your pug from obesity and diabetes etc.
A low-calorie formula keeps the pugs active and helps your pug to manage a healthy weight.
We all know skin allergies are most common in pugs. They would eat something and have allergic reactions so avoid dog foods that have filler ingredients like corn or soy because they can cause allergies and prefer dog foods that have natural ingredients.
Pugs need energy to stay well and these energy requirements change at different stages of life. Puppies need more calories than adults for activity and growth. As they grow older, their energy requirements decrease.
Puppies: A pug puppy needs roughly 50 calories per pound of body weight.
Adults: An adult pug needs roughly 40 calories per pound of body weight.
Seniors: Pugs enter their senior years when they are around 6 to 7 years old. A senior pug needs 32 calories per pound of body weight.
Pug puppies have more energy needs so they need to be fed three times a day with several snacks in between each meal. Pugs at the age of 8 to 12 months should be fed 2 times per day.
Pugs older than 12 months can be fed 1 or two times depending on their activity level.
Avocados, green tomatoes, mushrooms, raw potatoes, peach pits, plums, and cherries are not good for pugs and should not be fed to pugs. While chicken, beef, lamb, and cooked potatoes should be fed to pugs.
Chicken, lamb, beef, and turkey can provide quality proteins to your pug. Processed byproducts should be avoided.
Dry kibble is best for pugs as they keep the teeth clean while wet dog food may lead to runny stools.
