How to find the right grain-free puppy food here
Grain-free puppy food is dry food for puppies in which grains such as wheat, corn and rice have been replaced with other carbohydrate sources, typically potato or sweet potato. On this page you will find grain-free puppy meals that are at the same time put together for a puppy's growth, that is, with the amount of protein, calcium and phosphorus a growing body needs.
A grain-free food is not the same as a low carbohydrate content. Potato and sweet potato still provide starch; the difference is which source the carbohydrates come from, and that meat makes up more of the recipe. If you want to know whether grain-free is what you should choose at all, read on. If you are sure, you can go straight to puppy & junior and find a meal that suits your particular puppy.
If you are starting completely from scratch with a new puppy, the puppy starter box gathers food and the practical essentials for the first weeks in one place.
Why many choose grain-free for puppies with a sensitive stomach or itching
The most common reason for going for grain-free puppy food is a puppy that reacts to its current food: loose stools, itching, repeated ear problems or a coat that just will not shine up. The idea behind grain-free is that the dog descends from the wolf and is biologically designed for a diet dominated by meat, where grain does not play a large part.
Here it is important to separate two things. Actual grain allergy is rare in dogs. Most food intolerances are caused by a protein source, most often an animal protein the dog has had a lot of over time, not the grain itself. So if you switch to grain-free and experience improvement, it could just as easily be the protein source in the new food that made the difference as the absence of grain.
This does not mean grain-free is a bad idea. For a puppy with a sensitive digestion or signs of intolerance, it is often a sensible place to begin, because a good grain-free food typically has fewer and simpler ingredients. If you have a puppy with clear reactions, it is worth also looking at our allergy-friendly and sensitive stomach ranges, where the food is put together with sensitive dogs specifically in mind.
Protein and meat matter more than the word grain-free itself
When you choose, you should not fixate on the word grain-free, but on what actually appears at the top of the ingredient list. A grain-free food where potato and peas make up the most is no better than a food with meat up front. Look for a named meat source as the first ingredient rather than a vague term like "meat and animal by-products".
A puppy needs plenty of good-quality protein to build muscles, organs and tissue. At the same time, fat and the right fatty acids must be present, including omega-3, which supports the brain, coat and skin. If you want to dig into what the numbers on the bag actually cover, we have gathered it in the articles what should good dog food contain and dog food with high protein content.
Calcium and phosphorus are critical for a growing puppy
What distinguishes puppy food from adult food is not primarily whether it is grain-free, but the balance between calcium and phosphorus. A puppy builds its skeleton at a rapid pace, and large breeds in particular are sensitive to too much calcium, which can adversely affect bone and joint development.
That is why it is crucial that a grain-free puppy food is declared for puppies and is not simply an adult food without grain. The food on this page is formulated for the growing body. If you are unsure whether your puppy's food is put together correctly, the article is your puppy food in balance provides a review you can hold your current bag up against.
Small and large breeds should not be fed the same
Breed and expected adult weight determine both which kibble size and which composition suit best. A small puppy has a small mouth and a fast metabolism and benefits from smaller kibble it can chew. A large puppy grows over a longer period and should grow at a calm, controlled pace, so joints and bones can keep up.
That is why our puppy packages come in two versions: PUPPY LOVE PACKAGE SMALL BREED for the small breeds and PUPPY LOVE PACKAGE LARGE BREED for the large ones. If you have a small puppy, for small dogs is a good place to look further, while owners of large puppies can go to for large dogs. If you want to read more about what the large breeds particularly require, we have gathered it in large dog breeds.
How to switch to grain-free without upsetting the stomach
If you switch your puppy to a new food, it should happen gradually over about a week. Mix a small portion of new food into the old for the first few days, and increase the proportion a little each day until the puppy is eating the new food alone. Too rapid a switch is one of the most common causes of loose stools, and this also applies when you switch to grain-free.
A transition period is at the same time the best way to read whether the grain-free food makes a difference. Give it a couple of weeks once the puppy has completely moved over to the new food before you judge coat, stomach and itching. The full procedure is described in how to switch dog food, and if you want to try a meal before committing to a whole bag, you can start with trial meals.
How long should the puppy have puppy food?
A puppy should stay on puppy food until it is close to its adult size. When that is depends on the breed. Small breeds are often fully grown around 10 to 12 months, while large and giant breeds do not finish growing until one and a half to two years. If you switch to adult food too early, the puppy risks lacking the nutrition and the calcium-phosphorus balance the growing body still needs.
The same principle applies whether the food is grain-free or not. If you are unsure about the timing for your particular breed, we go through it in how long should a dog have puppy food. When the day comes, you will find the next step in adult.
Grain-free wet food as a supplement or topping
Grain-free pâté can be used as a standalone meal or as a topping on the dry food, and for a picky puppy the smell and texture often make the food more tempting. Wet food is at the same time an easy way to get more moisture in, which some puppies benefit from.
If you want to combine dry and wet food, you will find grain-free pâté for puppies under pâté for puppy & junior. If you need ideas for how to use it in practice, 7 brilliant ways to serve pâté to your puppy gives concrete suggestions.
Read more about the thinking behind grain-free food
If you want to understand the arguments for and against grain in dog food before you decide, we have written several articles that go into depth. Why choose grain-free dog food and grain-free dog food - is it the secret behind better well-being address when grain-free actually makes a difference, and when it is other things in the food that come into play.
If you are looking for broader grain-free food for the whole family's dogs and not just the puppy, you will find the entire selection under grain-free.
