When it comes to pugs, we know them as a small dog breed. These dogs have a lot of joys to owners. But, they require a specific need for nutrition. They are also easy to become overweight.

In order to manage their weight, you need to give them the right food. It is also necessary for keeping them fit well. However, there are many options to choose from. That’s why it’s not easy to determine the best one for your pug.

We’re here to help you learn how to choose the best foods for your pugs.

Top 5 Best Foods for Pugs

Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Pug Adult Dry Dog Food

This food can be able to meet your pug’s nutritional meets. It offers a balanced diet for your pug. So, it can give him a healthy weight. Indeed, it provides your dog with vitamins and minerals. It comes with omega 3 fatty acids in order to improve his skin and coat. Also, it can maintain your dog’s muscle tone.

Moreover, it’s a good choice for him to improve dental health. Its first ingredients include chicken by-product, Brewers rice, corn, brown rice, and corn gluten meal. This food is specially made for dogs that are over 10-month old.

Wellness Complete Healthy Natural Dog Food

This is one of the best choices for your pugs on the market now. It offers him natural ingredients. Moreover, it contains no meat by-products, wheat, corn, and soy. Also, it’s free of any artificial flavors, colors, as well as preservatives. Because this food is small size, so your pug can easily chew it.

Coming to the Wellness Complete Healthy, your dog can get balanced nutrition. Besides, it contains DHA for not only his healthy eye but also his brain development. Many pet owners choose this product because it’s easy to digest. So, it can be able to give your pug enough energy he needs for all day. Plus, the food is high in antioxidants.

Purina Beneful IncrediBites Dry Food for Small Dogs

The Purina is made to meet a dog’s metabolic need. It’s a good option for small dogs, including your pug. It offers a high quantity of meat protein. This food provides your dog a lot of vegetables for balanced nutrition. It can be able to keep your dog pooch keen on their food.

Furthermore, it helps to push your dog to chew foods for good dental health. Its ingredients include beef, egg, and chicken. Plus, it contains a wide range of vitamins such as A, B, D, E, folic acids, biotin, and calcium.

Eagle Pack Natural Dry Dog Food

If you want a food dog made from high-quality ingredients, take consideration of the Eagle Pack dog food. This food is made with no wheat, corn, and meat by-products. Besides, you won’t find artificial colors, preservatives, as well as flavors in this dog food.

It promises to provide your pet with the right balanced nutrition. It means this food can help him get enough proteins, fats, omega fatty acids, carbohydrates and antioxidants your dog requires for good health. It can support your pug’s healthy digestion thanks to the whole grains as well as fiber.

Moreover, his coat and skin are also improved due to the fatty acids. This food is perfect for dogs that are over 1 year old.

Holistic Select Natural Dry Dog Food

Although this dog food is not specially made for small dog breeds, it is still a great option for your pug. Actually, it brings a lot of benefits for your pug. This food promises to provide your pet with a balanced diet. It offers your dog fruits, high-quality meats, as well as vegetables.

In addition, it can be able to support your dog’s digestion because of natural fiber, digestive enzyme, probiotics, and prebiotics. This product is made from natural sources. It isn’t made from meat by-products, wheat, fillers, and wheat gluten. Also, it doesn’t contain flavors, artificial colors, or preservatives.

The food includes chicken fat and lamb. Besides, it contains vitamin A, D3, C, E, folic acid, taurine, and calcium.

How to Pick the Best Dog Foods for Pugs

In addition to determining the best foods for your pug, you also need to know his nutritional need. At the same time, learn about the ingredients that your pug should avoid.

Your pugs are actually small ones. They love playing. Also, they prefer to eat. So, you need to give him a balanced diet to prevent him from overeating. These dogs are energetic, so it’s important to give them a high protein diet.

Protein

For your pug, he requires a diet with at least 18 % protein. However, puppies need at least 22% protein in the content to meet their growth and development. When you are finding the best food for your pug, it’s important to choose ones with high animal protein. If you choose ones with animal by-products, you need to balance it with different protein sources like fish.

Complex Carbohydrates

The foods you choose should come with slow complex carbohydrates. It purposes to give your pug enough energy for all day long. At the same time, it helps to protect him from crashes as well as spikes.

However, these dogs get difficulty when digesting fiber. That’s why you shouldn’t provide him with more than 5% of carbohydrates and fiber in his diet. It’s best to purchase dog foods that contain brown rice, potatoes, or sweet potato for great carbohydrates.

Crude Fats

The best sources of energy and fats for your pug include fish oils and chicken fat. You should provide adults with at least 5% crude fats in his diet, and at least 8% for puppies.

Fatty Acids

This is also one of the most important parts of a dog’s diet. Fatty acids are essential for your pug’s coat and skin. They can be able to maintain your dog’s moisture level. Moreover, they help to protect your dog from drying out.

Common Health Problems for Pugs

The most common health problem with a pug is obesity. When feeding your pug, you should monitor his diet carefully. Otherwise, he will become overweight easily. So, what is the solution for this issue?

The answer is to give your dog high-quality dog food. This way also helps to prevent the joint and breathing problems. Also, your pug needs plenty of exercises as well as play time. In addition to the obesity, there are some different health problems with a pug as below:

Nerve Degeneration

This problem is common in older dogs. If you see any signs of incontinence in your pug, he may be having nerve degeneration. If your pug suffers from this condition, he may feel painful. You should take him to a vet. He will provide you with medication for all symptoms.

As a pet owner, you should consider purchasing a doggy wheelchair for your dog. It can help your dog get around more easily.

Corneal ulcers

Your pug is prone to eye conditions as well as injuries. So, what’s the cause of this problem? Actually, your pug’s eyes are very large when compared to his face.

If your pug gets injuries, he may have to face ulcers developing on the cornea. This condition is shown through some symptoms such as squinting and redness in your dog’s eyes. It can lead to excessive tearing and eye rupture. To treat it, you need to take your pug to a vet for medication.

Dry eyes

Your pugs are easy to get pigmentary keratitis as well as keratoconjunctivitis sicca. These problems may happen together in some situations. All of them can result in reduced tear production. If your dog’s eyes are not kept moist, they will get dry eyes.

In order to treat all of these conditions, you need the right medication for your dog. Also, it’s important to give him the correct care.

Other eye problems

There are some eye conditions your pug may suffer from because of the size as well as the nature of his eye. Proptosis is one of these problems. Your pug is also prone to distichiasis. This can make your dog’s hair rub against the eye. Irritation is also one result. In fact, the lower eyelid easily happens this problem.

Allergies

Your pug can easily get allergies, so you need to choose the foods for him carefully. When shopping for the best dog foods, keep in mind it’s important to avoid choosing ones made with additives, fillers, and some ingredients that can lead to reactions. It’s best to visit your vet to get recommendations for the best way to choose the right ingredients.

Hemi-vertebrae

This condition is popular in short-nosed breeds. Normally, this condition will make no noticeable effects. However, if you let it become extremely serious, it can cause paralysis. Then, he needs surgery for the treatment.

Hip dysplasia

Hip dysplasia is a common condition in large dog breeds. It can affect your pug. That’s why you have to pay attention to his diet as well as his environment.

Leg-Perthes Disease

It normally occurs in toys or small dog breeds, including your pug. It can result in degeneration of the head. This condition is easy to happen in pugs that are from 4 to 6 months old. There are a few of common symptom such as leg muscle atrophy and limping. To treat it, your dog needs surgery.

Vaccination Sensitivity

You know, vaccination plays an important role in your pet’s wellness routine. However, they can more easily get reactions compared to other breeds. The main reactions include facial swelling, soreness, lethargy, and hives. But, these reactions can be able to become more severe. That’s why you have to monitor your dog with care after you let him be vaccinated. If there are any unusual signs, please to contact with your vet right away.

Ingredients to Avoid

Besides useful ingredients, there are also some kinds to avoid. In fact, you need to have some precautions when choosing the food for your pug. You should avoid giving your dog some ingredients such as onions, grapes, chocolate, and raisins. Avoid choosing them to keep your pug healthy.

The main ingredients you need to avoid are fillers. They can affect your dog’s digestion. Also, remember to say no with animal by-products. In fact, they just can provide your pug with very little protein. Last, avoid choosing foods with wheat as well as gluten sources. They are not good for dogs, especially for dogs with a sensitive stomach or ones with allergies.

How often to Feed A Pug

If your pug is three-month-old, you can provide him with high-quality puppy foods. More importantly, you have to structure meal times. Remember to monitor your pet’s food intake in order to maintain a healthy weight for your pug. When he’s from 3 to 6 – month old, you can feed him three times every day.

Conclusion

As a pet owner, keep in mind that it’s extremely essential to pay attention to foods you feed your dog. His diet can affect his health. Especially, this dog breed can be able to become overweight easily. It makes choosing the best foods more vital. In this article, we’ve already given you the details of the best dog foods for pugs today. Hopefully, they can help you when providing your dog a healthy and nutritious diet.