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Puppy nutrition can be confusing — but it doesn’t have to be.
From “puppy-specific” formulas to protein and calcium concerns, we break down the latest scientific evidence.
Also learn how complete, balanced fresh foods support growth, digestion, and development — helping you make evidence-based recommendations with confidence.
Key topics & insights
Let’s dive in to some of the hot topics and common misconceptions about puppy nutrition!
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Do puppies need puppy food?
Myth: Only puppy-specific diets are safe.
Fact: Puppies have different nutritional requirements to adult dogs. However, when balanced correctly, it is possible for a diet to meet the requirements of both adults and puppies, including giant breed puppies.
Here’s an example of how Lyka meals, formulated by Board-Certified Veterinary Nutritionists, meet both adult (maintenance) and puppy (growth) needs recommended by AAFCO1.
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ND = not determined
Note: All Lyka meals meet the AAFCO requirements of all nutrients for all life stages, including large breed puppies. This is just a shortened example.
Calcium and phosphorus. What is it all about?
Why it matters: Puppies under 6 months cannot effectively regulate calcium absorption, making them vulnerable to excess uptake2.
Excessive calcium disrupts bone mineralisation and modelling, increasing the risk of osteochondritic lesions (e.g. OCD)3 and dysplastic disease (e.g. hip dysplasia4).
As dogs grow, calcium homeostasis is managed through vitamin D3, parathyroid hormone and calcitonin, protecting older puppies from excess uptake. Before this, however, up to 70% of the calcium absorbed from the diet enters the body through passive absorption in the small intestine.
Equally: calcium deficiency (absolute or relative to phosphorus), leading to nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism, can negatively affect skeletal development5, weakening skeletal structure.
In an attempt to avoid calcium deficiency, owners may supplement calcium excessively, potentially causing more problems. Most commercial foods balanced for puppies remove the need for such supplementation.
So, why does phosphorus matter?
Like calcium, phosphorus also plays a significant role in bone remodelling and development6.
Therefore, the ratio between the two minerals is crucial to minimise developmental skeletal disorders.
Too much calcium relative to phosphorus → bones become overly dense but brittle, with delayed cartilage-to-bone conversion.
Too much phosphorus relative to calcium → can draw calcium from bones, leading to weaker skeletal structure.
An optimal calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of between 1.1:1 and 1.3:1 is suggested for large breed puppies in the literature7.
Why are large breeds at higher risk of skeletal abnormalities?
While the answer isn’t entirely clear:
Large breeds have a higher growth rate8. The negative effects of calcium imbalance are amplified alongside greater mechanical strain on bones and joints.
Certain large breeds, like Great Danes, have breed-specific differences in calcium uptake and vitamin D metabolism8, making them particularly susceptible.
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High Protein & Skeletal Problems
Myth: Protein-rich diets cause skeletal abnormalities in growing dogs.
Fact: Protein-rich diets have not been shown to have a disturbing influence on skeletal development9.
While it was previously thought high protein led to rapid growth rate, the apparent effects were caused by excess energy intake rather than the protein level in the food.
Overfeeding and rapid growth rate significantly increases the risk of developmental skeletal abnormalities including osteochondrosis10 and hip dysplasia11.
Can early nutrition prevent problems later on?
In short, yes!
We’ve talked about skeletal disorders, but did you know?:
Antioxidant-enriched diets (e.g. vitamin E, lutein) in puppies improve immune response and vaccine efficacy12.
Fresh, whole food diets enhance nutrient digestibility13, microbiome diversity14, and reduce risk of chronic enteropathy later in life
Similarly, feeding a fresh, whole food diet early in life has been shown to reduce the risk of otitis15 .
Lyka’s Evidence-Based Approach For Puppies
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All Lyka meals are formulated by Board-Certified Veterinary Nutritionists.
They meet AAFCO recommended nutrient levels for growth, including large breed puppies, while providing targeted nutritional support for healthy development.
✅ Optimal calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of between 1.1:1 and 1.3:1 to support healthy skeletal development, including large breeds7.
✅ Pre-portioned and tailored to the individual to prevent overfeeding, aiming for an optimal body condition score throughout growth.
✅ Highly digestible13 supporting delivery of key nutrients and microbiome development through key ingredient inclusion (e.g. berries)16.
✅ Antioxidant-dense to support immune development12.
Vitamin E
Phytonutrients, such as beta-carotene
✅ High in DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid known to support neurological development17.
✅ Offers variety of complete and balanced options to suit individual needs.
Flexibility in macronutrient ratios.
Avoid fixed food preferences.
Variety of ingredients to support microbiome development.
References
Association of American Feed Control Officials. (2013). Pet Food Report: Annual 2013 – Appendix A: Revised AAFCO Nutrient Profiles [PDF]. AAFCO. https://www.aafco.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Pet_Food_Report_2013_Annual-Appendix_A.pdf
Böswald, L. F., Klein, C., Dobenecker, B., & Kienzle, E. (2019). Factorial calculation of calcium and phosphorus requirements of growing dogs. PloS one, 14(8), e0220305. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220305
Schoenmakers, I., Hazewinkel, H. A., Voorhout, G., Carlson, C. S., & Richardson, D. (2000). Effects of diets with different calcium and phosphorus contents on the skeletal development and blood chemistry of growing great danes. The Veterinary record, 147(23), 652–660.
Richardson D. C. (1992). The role of nutrition in canine hip dysplasia. The Veterinary clinics of North America. Small animal practice, 22(3), 529–540. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0195-5616(92)50053-5
Kawaguchi, K., Braga, I. S., 3rd, Takahashi, A., Ochiai, K., & Itakura, C. (1993). Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism occurring in a strain of German shepherd puppies. The Japanese journal of veterinary research, 41(2-4), 89–96.
Kiefer-Hecker, B., Kienzle, E., & Dobenecker, B. (2018). Effects of low phosphorus supply on the availability of calcium and phosphorus, and musculoskeletal development of growing dogs of two different breeds. Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition, 102(3), 789–798. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpn.12868
Lauten S. D. (2006). Nutritional risks to large-breed dogs: from weaning to the geriatric years. The Veterinary clinics of North America. Small animal practice, 36(6), 1345–viii. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvsm.2006.09.003
Tryfonidou, M. A., Holl, M. S., Vastenburg, M., Oosterlaken-Dijksterhuis, M. A., Birkenhäger-Frenkel, D. H., van den Brom, W. E., & Hazewinkel, H. A. (2003). Hormonal regulation of calcium homeostasis in two breeds of dogs during growth at different rates. Journal of animal science, 81(6), 1568–1580. https://doi.org/10.2527/2003.8161568x
Nap, R. C., Hazewinkel, H. A., Voorhout, G., Van den Brom, W. E., Goedegebuure, S. A., & Van 'T Klooster, A. T. (1991). Growth and skeletal development in Great Dane pups fed different levels of protein intake. The Journal of nutrition, 121(11 Suppl), S107–S113. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/121.suppl_11.S107
Dämmrich K. (1991). Relationship between nutrition and bone growth in large and giant dogs. The Journal of nutrition, 121(11 Suppl), S114–S121. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/121.suppl_11.S114
Kealy, R. D., Olsson, S. E., Monti, K. L., Lawler, D. F., Biery, D. N., Helms, R. W., Lust, G., & Smith, G. K. (1992). Effects of limited food consumption on the incidence of hip dysplasia in growing dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 201(6), 857–863.
Khoo, C., Cunnick, J., Friesen, K., Gross, K. L., Wedekind, K., & Jewell, D. E. (2005). The role of supplementary dietary antioxidants on immune response in puppies. Veterinary therapeutics : research in applied veterinary medicine, 6(1), 43–56.
Do, S., Phungviwatnikul, T., de Godoy, M. R. C., & Swanson, K. S. (2021). Nutrient digestibility and fecal characteristics, microbiota, and metabolites in dogs fed human-grade foods. Journal of animal science, 99(2), skab028. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skab028
Kim, J., An, J. U., Kim, W., Lee, S., & Cho, S. (2017). Differences in the gut microbiota of dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) fed a natural diet or a commercial feed revealed by the Illumina MiSeq platform. Gut pathogens, 9, 68. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13099-017-0218-5
Hemida, M. B. M., Vuori, K. A., Borgström, N. C., Moore, R., Rosendahl, S., Anturaniemi, J., Estrela-Lima, A., & Hielm-Björkman, A. (2023). Early life programming by diet can play a role in risk reduction of otitis in dogs. Frontiers in veterinary science, 10, 1186131. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1186131
Vuori, K. A., Hemida, M., Moore, R., Salin, S., Rosendahl, S., Anturaniemi, J., & Hielm-Björkman, A. (2023). The effect of puppyhood and adolescent diet on the incidence of chronic enteropathy in dogs later in life. Scientific reports, 13(1), 1830. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-27866-z
Rodrigues, R. B. A., Zafalon, R. V. A., Rentas, M. F., Risolia, L. W., Macedo, H. T., Perini, M. P., Silva, A. M. G. D., Marchi, P. H., Balieiro, J. C. C., Mendes, W. S., Vendramini, T. H. A., & Brunetto, M. A. (2023). The Supplementation of Docosahexaenoic Acid-Concentrated Fish Oil Enhances Cognitive Function in Puppies. Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 13(18), 2938. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13182938
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