Why good nutrition is important for puppies

Good nutrition is as important to our pets as it is to us as humans . We are what we eat and if we don’t eat well it can lead to weight gain and long term health issues . 

But the pet food industry is dominated by pet food manufacturers who make highly processed pet food.

In order for thriving health to occur, all living things must consume the foods they were designed to eat . This is known as species-appropriate nutrition and all our recipes and products are based around this concept.

Puppies have different nutritional needs to adult dogs, because they are going through such important growth and developmental stages.

Puppies require more protein and fat than adult dogs, but these increased requirements are met with ease when we choose a species-appropriate diet.

They also require more calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, sodium,
manganese, zinc, selenium, some fatty acids and all of the essential amino acids.

Some of these nutrients also have reduced upper limits – namely calcium and phosphorus – which is to ensure bone growth is slow and steady for long term skeletal health.

What should puppies eat?

All of the above factors have been carefully considered and our puppy recipes have been developed in line with the recommendations set out by the AAFCO nutritional standards for growth in dogs, using a range of deeply nutritious and easily digested whole foods.

Our Puppy Program and recipes are designed to get your dog in their best health possible and start their home made and raw food diet..

Our Puppy recipe and raw feeding program contains a full 4 week program designed by pet nutritionists. The program includes home made fresh recipes and exercises to follow that are designed to help your puppy be in their best health possible

  • Healthy Active Pet makes home cooking for puppies easy, safe - and tasty
  • Created by pet nutritionists for excellent nutrition
  • Includes recipes & meal plans for puppy performance & nutrition
  • Easy home-cooking recipes, personalised for your puppy, plus feeding guide
  • All recipes have been formulated to meet the AAFCO standards

When can I start my puppy on a fresh food & raw diet?

So long as you are prepared, you can start your puppy on a fresh food and raw food diet as soon as you bring them home.

Whether you fully transition them immediately or do it gradually over a period of time (say, a week) is really up to you, but there is no reason you need to wait for them to hit certain milestones before introducing dietary changes.

And if you need help on raw feeding meal plans for your puppy then check out our puppy recipe plan and eBook here

Puppies are resilient and there are so many long term benefits to exposing them to different flavours, textures, nutrients and organisms (the good kind) when they are still very young. 

This is partly due to the importance of the microbiome, which is made up of trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, yeast, fungi and viruses, mostly residing on the skin and in the digestive tract of animals.

While we tend to view things like bacteria in a negative light, in fact most of these cells offer protective benefits, including making up a significant portion of the immune system.

Focusing on developing your puppy’s microbiome from a young age is a fantastic way to set them up for long term health, and failing to do so can have long term negative consequences. 

A puppy’s first microbiome colonising event is birth, when they are exposed to all of the good bacteria in the birth canal.

This is followed by food, initially in the form of colostrum and then milk from their mother.

Once they are weaned onto solid food at several weeks of age, this process of developing the gut microbiome continues, so it’s difficult to overstate the importance of diet in young animals.

Feeding a wide variety of nutritious foods with real, bioavailable vitamins and minerals, digestive enzymes, probiotics and prebiotic fibres, antioxidants, digestible proteins and healthy fats is an incredible way to achieve this

What can you do to ensure your puppy lives a long and healthy life?

We have summarised out top 10 tips to help your dog live a long and healthy life

1. Ditch the heavily processed, carbohydrate dense dog food

2. Start your dog on a fresh, species appropriate diet

3. Focus on nourishing your dog

4. Exercise with your dog daily

5. Make sure your dog is hydrated

6. Quit the ultra-processed treats and make simple, healthy swaps

7. Become a planner and incorporate your dog’s food prep into your family’s routine

8. Keep healthy, easy options in the pantry for when life inevitably gets busy

9. Monitor your dog’s body condition score regularly to track their progress

10. View this as an investment in your dog’s health that will extend your life together

Check out our products, recipes and programs that are suitable for puppies

Let customers speak for us

from 333 reviews
Super happy

My girls are living their new diet. As retired work dogs making see they do t gain weight is so important for their health. It’s nice to be able to do this and feed them nutrioal

Michelle Knight
Beef Hearts Freeze Dried Dog Food Treat
Another winner from HAP!

My girls love these treats! Perfect size and the girls just gobble these up. I also use these sometimes as a topper for their meals from the HAP recipe book 😊

Shanna Bootes
Special Offer Beef Hearts Freeze Dried Dog Food Treat
Happy healthy dogs 🤤

My dogs love all off healthy active pet meals but this New formula had them all going crazy and such a great option for dogs that have sensitivities to chicken

Aurora the vet nurse
Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food - Turkey & Salmon Recipe
Amazing high quality

As a veterinary nurse, I’m always on the hunt for something simple and easy and with healthy active pet I know the Quality is there top priority

Aurora the vet nurse
Pack of 3 Essential Powders - Wheatgrass, Kelp & Tumeric
Amazing quality

Hodge loves this recipe. I also love feeding him salmon as it helps keep his coat nice and shiny. I use these as a meal topper alongside Hodges raw meals he gets as it helps me know he’s getting all the nutrients he needs

Hayley Mark
Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food - Turkey & Salmon Recipe
So convenient!

I’ve been using this for about a month now and my dogs love it and I love it. I use it in rotation with raw food and it’s nice to have a nutritious meal on hand without having to worry about a fridge. It’s also convenient to pop into a Kong after soaking it with some water. Highly recommend!!

Julie
Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food - Turkey & Salmon Recipe
Went down a treat.

Our girl eats and licks her bowl clean. I soak some in warm water and mix it into her raw food diet and the good quality dry food. I can see and smell the quality of the food.
Very happy that I made the decision to buy this product.

Karina H
Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food - Turkey & Salmon Recipe
Yummy yummy get in my doggies belly

The dogs love them. Quality is awesome

Tania Brady
Salmon Bellies Freeze Dried Dog Food Treat
10/10!

So happy you now have this! My dogs love the new recipe!

Bec
Trial Sample Pack Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food - Turkey & Salmon Recipe
The best book I have seen in this area!

Well done on creating such a fantastic book. So comprehensive and so many great recipes that my dogs LOVE

Majella
Healthy Dog Happy Dog Book - Raw Feeding Dog Food Recipes
YES! So happy you now have this!

My dog is insanely fussy and now I can trial this product on them - thank you!

Sukie
Trial Sample Pack Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food - Turkey & Salmon Recipe
Comprehensive

Very happy with the presentation, and the menus that are detailed. No need to guess as the recipes are clearly written and even explained why they are included. It was what I was looking for.

Karina H
Flash Offer On Our Healthy Dog Raw Recipes & 4 Week Program
Extremely impressed

It is so hard to find goo quality dog food - let alone one that is chicken free so I am so happy this exists. My dogs loved it and I will be using again. I also like who it is so versatile to use.

Berryl
Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food - Turkey & Salmon Recipe
Dog Crack

The turkey treats are like crack in our house. Just the best

Tania Brady
Freeze Dried Raw Turkey Treats
Trial Sample Pack Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food - Beef & Salmon Recipe.

I'm So Glad That Healthy Active Pet Has Decided To Do The Trial Packs Of This Food Which Is An Excellent Size. Being On A Pension, I Cannot Afford The Price Of The Normal Sized Pack, Even When Discount Specials Are On, As I Always Wanted To Try This Food For My 2 Small Furkids. Well, My Kids Absolutely Loved This Flavor, & Gave Them An Extra Pep In Their Step, As I Mix It In With The Healthy Fresh Human Grade Food I Cook For Them :) I Hope You Will Keep The Trial Packs As A Permanent Feature, As It's A Good Affordable Size For Me & I'll Be Buying More In The Future. You Could Also Introduce A Chicken One With The Same Ingredients As The Beef & Don't Forget To Add Blueberries To Both, As It's A Great Antioxidant For Cancer Prevention In Dogs.
Thank You Healthy Active Pet & Keep Up The Great Work :)

Cruza
Trial Sample Pack Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food - Beef & Salmon Recipe

Want the best value? Become a member!

Get exclusive access to our catalog of recipes as well as instant access to new recipes added every month.

You'll also get access to ALL health & wellness programs for all pets, VIP access to sales and launches, and access to our private group with animal expert Q & A's.

We'll also give you 5% OFF everything just for being a member!What are you waiting for?

JOIN TODAY