You just got yourself a cute Burmese Mountain Dog puppy and you don’t know what to feed it yet. This breed grows quickly and because it is a large breed, it will need a lot of sustenance, especially while it is still a puppy.
If you want your dog to grow up big and strong, you should consider buying the best food for Bernese Mountain Dog puppies.
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Table of Contents
Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy Food Comparison
- Merrick 1 Count Backcountry Big Game Recipe
- Wellness Core® Natural Grain Free Dry Dog Food
- Addiction Grain Free Dry Dog Food Formulas
- Fromm Family Foods Gold Nutritionals Dog Food
Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy Nutrition
Bernese Mountain dogs are also known as Sennenhunds. They come from a line of herding breeds from Switzerland. The Bernese Mountain Dog is characterized by its large size and distinctive coat pattern – black all over with a white chest and neck, with brown patches on their muzzle and paws. They are a beautiful breed when all grown up, but an even cuter dog when they are puppies. That is why it is important to choose their dog food wisely.
Although most dogs can eat various brands of food, it is best to find one that considers all of the nutritional and dietary needs of certain breeds. There are also other factors to consider which include:
Nutrition Needs
- Because the Bernese Mountain Dog is considered a large breed, they will require large amounts of calcium to prevent any bone diseases and injuries. They are prone to hip and elbow dysplasia, which can cause them pain and anxiety because of their inability to move. This also means that they must build the muscles needed to support their body weight and bone structure. That is why protein should be considered a mandatory majority of your Bernese Mountain Dog puppy food.
Food Predisposition
- All dogs react positively to high protein food, but some of them have aversions to certain ingredients like corn, grain, and wheat – common ingredients used in kibble. Some breeds, especially mixed ones, can handle the most type of kibble and wet dog food. However, some breeds with sensitive stomachs can’t handle kibble and may end up with indigestion. This is especially important when they are puppies because if they don’t respond positively to the food, they won’t absorb the nutrition that they need.
Allergies
- It is difficult to know what a dog is allergic to until their owner feeds them a meal. Some dogs are prone to allergies to poultry and fish, while others are allergic to grain, corn, and rice. If you think your dog is allergic to something, bring them to the vet so they can be put on a hydrolyzed protein diet. The vet will determine the cause of the allergy and recommend a suitable Bernese Mountain Dog puppy food. According to BMD owners, they’re usually allergic to poultry and grain.
Ingredients
- Because of the cost of raw or cooked meat and bones, dog food manufacturers have to make up for the expense of producing the food by adding food products that are not natural for dogs, such as vegetables, grains, and sometimes, MSG. Try to avoid food products with poultry and grain for your Bernese Mountain Dog puppy.
Food Production
- The Food and Drug Administration, Federal Trade Commission, and United States Department of Agriculture came together to create a set of rules and regulations that companies must adhere to. However, some dog food can be produced carelessly and end up making dogs sick. This could be due to improper sanitation, cost-cutting, or using low-grade ingredients. There have also been some instances where huge batches of dog food were recalled because they had bacteria like Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium botulinum, Salmonella, E. coli, and many others.
Owner’s Predisposition Towards Dog Food
Apart from the state of the puppy dog food you are buying, it is also important to consider how you want to go about feeding your pet. You may be inclined to feed them a raw food diet or you may want the convenience of canned food or kibble. Regardless, these are factors you must consider before buying puppy dog food for your Bernese Mountain puppy. Here are some other factors that you should think about before buying Bernese Mountain dog puppy food:
Budget
- How much are you willing to spend on dog food? An adult Bernese Mountain can consume up to 4 cups of premium dog food per day. A puppy will consume twice that because of their growing needs. When buying dog food, you must check to see if what you’re buying is cost-effective but still healthy for your dog.
Accessibility to Dog Food
- Some brands are harder to acquire than others. That is because some of them have exclusive contracts with pet product providers, which prevents you from just going down the corner store to buy food whenever you need to. It is even more important to note that you can’t just replace the dog food when you run out because changing it requires a transitional feeding phase that lasts up to a week. That is why you need to buy dog food before it runs out and make sure that you can easily get it from your preferred provider.
Puppy Taste Test
- Although puppies will eat whatever they want, they can sometimes be picky for a variety of reasons. It could be the new environment or the change from breastfeeding from their dam to transitioning to adult dog food. It could also be that they just don’t like the smell and taste.
It may seem like a lot to take in, but dog feeding is very important. Don’t believe what you see on television where owners feed dogs whatever they want. You must always choose the best type of dog food and be discerning in your choice. Now that we’ve put the considerations out of the way, it is time to discuss which is the top Bernese Mountain Dog puppy food.
Best Food For Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy
Merrick 1 Count Backcountry Big Game Recipe
Merrick Backcountry prides themselves in producing grain-free dog food based on the species’ ancestral diet. This means that their food is packed with lots of protein and calcium. This dog food is ideal for your Bernese Mountain Dog puppy because they are one of the few breeds that are more inclined to stick to their ancestral habits, i.e. needing something to work on, feeding on raw diets like game, and storing up calories for their body and bone mass.
Merrick’s Big Game recipe consists of exotic meat like venison, rabbit, and salmon. Before choosing dog food that has salmon in it, make sure your dog isn’t allergic to fish first. You can do this by feeding them a small amount of dog food with salmon and check to see if they develop any welts or rashes.
The only downside to this type of dog food is that you will need a lot of it to feed your Bernese puppy. You are required to feed them 1/3 of their body weight three times a day. That can amount to a lot of kibble. Luckily, the recipe is known to help prevent allergies and give your puppy all the nutrition it needs.
Wellness Core® Natural Grain Free Dry Dog Food
Wellness Core is a premium grade dog food that is also grain-free. It is rich in protein and made mostly out of poultry products. Its puppy formulation is packed with calories and DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid) to ensure ample growth of muscles and bones. They don’t use any soy, corn, or meat by-products such as offal, the extra parts that are usually thrown out in slaughterhouses. This means that the food is wholly made out of natural products. Even the flavor is natural because they do not use additives or flavoring in their recipes.
The great thing about Wellness Core is that it has a Wellness Guarantee backing it up, ensuring that your puppy is consuming the type of food that is best for his growth. Although it is not breed-specific, it is ideal for your Bernese Mountain dog puppy. Wellness Core Dry Food is also good for your puppy’s coat, as well as their eyes, teeth, and gums. Since it has a high caloric formula, expect your puppy to be full of energy after a meal as well. If you can afford the cost, this is great Bernese Mountain Dog puppy food.
Addiction Grain Free Dry Dog Food Formulas
Don’t let the name fool you. A lot of Addiction Grain Free Dry Dog Food is good for your Bernese puppy. One of their core values is that they use the finest grass-fed, free range-meat from New Zealand. One thing you should note about Addiction is that they add berries and herbs to improve the overall health of your puppy or dog.
It also received accolades from Whole Dog Journal and Dog Food Advisor. It is recognized as a premium brand by major pet food authorities. They also received an A ranking from the World Animal Protection Index, which means that this dog food has been proven to improve the health of pets without any harmful side effects.
Since Bernese Mountain Dogs were bred in the same type of terrain, it’s no surprise that they may react positively to the formulation in this type of dry dog food. The added nutrition and vitamins is also a plus, since other dog food is formulated to increase protein, calcium, and calorie consumption. The great thing about Addiction is that Bernese Mountain puppies won’t gain too much weight when they eat. They’ll only gain what is necessary and burn the rest with the energy they process. Lastly, this type of dog food is free from artificial hormones and steroids that are used to increase the performance of dog food products.
Fromm Family Foods Gold Nutritionals Dog Food
Fromm Family Foods is famous for producing a wide variation of dog food based on size, breed, and age. Their Large Breed Puppy formulation is an ideal Bernese Mountain Dog puppy food because the kibble is filled with enough nutrients to sustain the fast growth and development of a large breed puppy.
They’re not particular about flavors, but they are very meticulous about the ingredients they use. What’s great about Fromm Family Foods is that they are also helpful for dogs with health issues like acid reflux, diarrhea, and gas.
It is also known to reduce the effect of allergens on dogs. The amount of food in one package is also best for a heavy eater like the Bernese Puppy. It’s value for money and embodies both quality and quantity. The only downside to this product is that it isn’t grain-free, so you’ll have to see how your dog reacts to it first.
The dog food we listed is essentially made for growth and development. While other dog food is produced only for sustenance, these brands are thinking more about what the puppy needs as a whole. Now that you have some premium choices of Bernese Mountain Dog puppy food, which one do you think is best for your pup?