Discover our Puppy Growth Program
Puppies are a bundle of fun but even though they seem boisterous and playful, they are at a delicate stage in their life. They’re discovering a lot, learning about the world, and their little bodies are experiencing big changes as they grow and develop rapidly.
They start their life being completely dependent on their mothers, but within a year they’ll develop into confident and independent young dogs. That’s why they need specific nutritional support for healthy growth and development.
ROYAL CANIN Puppy Growth Program – meeting their needs at every stage of growth
What puppies eat has a big impact on how they grow and their overall health. They have complex nutritional requirements, a delicate digestive system, an immature immune system and a developing brain. They need food that provides them with all the energy and nutrients they require to sustain healthy growth. That’s why we have created the ROYAL CANIN® Puppy Growth Program, a 4-stage feeding solution containing all the nutrients a puppy needs so your puppy always gets the right food at the right time. Let’s have a look!
From birth to 3 weeks
You might not think there’s much happening at this point because your puppy will spend most of the time sleeping. But beneath a peaceful exterior, their development is racing ahead. By the time they’re a couple of weeks old, your puppy will already be starting to walk, taking tentative steps to explore their new world. At the same time, your puppy is receiving protective immunity from their mother as they nurse. This maternal immunity protects the puppy for the first few weeks of life while their own immune system develops.
If additional nutritional support is needed, ROYAL CANIN® BabyDog milk can help. It is formulated to be as close as possible to mother’s milk with highly digestible protein and carefully selected nutrients for their immature and delicate digestive system.
From 4 weeks to 4.5 months
Socialization Stage
As puppies become more social and energetic, they need higher levels of nutrients than they can get from milk alone. At this point, your puppy will be ready for a slow transition to solid food. ROYAL CANIN® Starter Mother & Babydog rehydratable kibble is designed to be a puppy’s first experience with solid food. It is energy dense and highly digestible to support this transition, while providing all the nutrients they need for exploring and socialization.
At around two months old, your puppy will be ready for their first visit to the veterinarian for a health check and vaccinations. Between 4 and 12 weeks of age, the maternal immunity the puppy received from nursing progressively decreases and your puppy’s own immune system is still developing; this period of time is called an immunity gap. This is also a good time to transition from ROYAL CANIN® Starter Mother & Babydog to ROYAL CANIN® Puppy. Both of these diets contain antioxidants, which includes vitamins C and E, lutein, a nutrient that gives marigold flowers their yellow colour, and the amino acid taurine, that help support the development of your puppy’s immune system.
From 4.5 to 6 months
In this stage, your puppy is growing rapidly and their energy requirements are increasing. Growing bones require the right balance of calcium and phosphorus, and ROYAL CANIN® Puppy helps provide these nutrients in just the right level to support this development while continuing to support the puppy’s developing digestive system and immunity.
Nutrition for the Juvenile Stage
Developed by veterinarians
Designed by veterinarians in our Research & Development centres
Breeder tested
Tested with breeders to help ensure excellent real-world results
Puppy approved
Tested by 884 puppies worldwide.
Brain development
The first year is a time with intense and important development and maturation of your puppy’s brain, vision, and behaviour.
A formula enriched with DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid essential for the support of brain development.
Immune system support
What is at stake:
After weaning, the maternal immune system protection declines overtime, and your puppy will need support to build their own strong immunity.
Nutritional solution:
A formula with antioxidants, including vitamins E and C, can help support the development of their healthy immune system.
Microbiome support
What is at stake:
Puppies have a delicate digestive system. The beneficial microbes that live in the digestive system, or microbiota, are slowly adapting as your puppy transitions from a diet of milk to solid food and development of the puppy’s digestion is ongoing.Nutritional solution:
A combination of prebiotics like mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) & highly digestible proteins can help to promote a healthy intestinal microbiome for digestive health.
Weight management
What is at stake:
Weight issues can start early for puppies and may have a negative impact on their future health and wellbeing. Healthy habits, set early, are key to supporting your pet for life.Nutritional solution:
A formula with balanced nutrients and an adapted energy intake to help satisfy their appetite without compromising their weight.Brain development
The first year is a time with intense and important development and maturation of your puppy’s brain, vision, and behaviour.
A formula enriched with DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid essential for the support of brain development.
Immune system support
What is at stake:
After weaning, the maternal immune system protection declines overtime, and your puppy will need support to build their own strong immunity.
Nutritional solution:
A formula with antioxidants, including vitamins E and C, can help support the development of their healthy immune system.Microbiome support
What is at stake:
Puppies have a delicate digestive system. The beneficial microbes that live in the digestive system, or microbiota, are slowly adapting as your puppy transitions from a diet of milk to solid food and development of the puppy’s digestion is ongoing.Nutritional solution:
A combination of prebiotics like mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) & highly digestible proteins can help to promote a healthy intestinal microbiome for digestive health.Weight management
What is at stake:
Weight issues can start early for puppies and may have a negative impact on their future health and wellbeing. Healthy habits, set early, are key to supporting your pet for life.Nutritional solution:
A formula with balanced nutrients and an adapted energy intake to help satisfy their appetite without compromising their weight.
The additional benefits of mixed feeding
As your puppy grows, their senses of smell and taste are also developing. By offering them a variety of sensory experiences you can make their feeding time even more stimulating. Each type of food, dry and wet, comes with their own set of benefits.