What Do Pugs Eat (And the Best Types of Food)

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Pugs are undeniably one of the cutest breeds of dogs, but what do pugs eat? It’s not always what you would think (though what they eat depends on their owner).

We explore what types of food pugs like to eat and other important information about what pugs need to live healthy lives.

What Types of Food Do Pugs Eat?

Pugs can be picky when it comes to what type of food they will deem worthy for consumption. A lot depends on personal preference, but the most common types of food they eat include the following.

Home Made and Raw Diets

Pugs are known to love many types of food, but what they eat depends on their owner’s willingness to give them. They also prefer meals that include meats and vegetables—so you’ll need to cook up something healthy before feeding it to your pug.

Making raw diets for your dog is also beneficial as it allows you to customize what your pug eats. It saves you the trouble of searching for commercial diets.

Giving your pug a raw diet comes with a fair share of benefits, including:

• Healthy skin, teeth, and coat
• Strong immune system (fewer health problems)
• Less chance to develop allergies. Even if your pug is allergic to certain foods, they might be able to eat raw diets without exhibiting any symptoms.
• Remarkable energy levels

While a raw diet comes with numerous benefits to your pug, you should understand that not all pugs respond the same way to raw diets. You might want to talk to your vet before making the decision. Some pugs might react adversely to raw diets.

Commercial Dog Foods

While commercial dog foods might not be as natural or organic as what you can prepare at home, they contain many nutrients that your pug needs.

Commercial dog food is very convenient for busy pet owners who don’t have time to cook or spend hours finding the best ingredients and preparing their pugs’ meals.

Pugs might be one of those breeds that cannot live without their commercial dog foods. In this case, you should make sure that what they are eating is healthy and nutritious for them.

Some commercial dog foods consist of ingredients like chicken meal or lamb meal, which can benefit pugs’ health. These kinds of food provide protein without the high-fat content that comes with meats like beef or pork.

There are also commercial dog foods that have vegetables and fruits as their ingredients. Some brands even contain carrots, apples, sweet potatoes, or blueberries which can be great for pugs’ eyesight and heart function.

It’s also important to read what the labels say so that you can identify whether what your pug eats has a high fiber content or not. Adequate amounts of fiber in the food help to relieve constipation and aid in digestion.

Commercial dog food can also include dry or wet foods and dog treats and chews. You can go for one of these depending on what your dog loves most and their dietary prescriptions.

Dry Dog Food

Dry dog food is what most people go for because it lasts a long time and is easy to store. This type of dog food doesn’t have moisture, so you will need to provide your pug with water after each meal and during the day.

It’s important to note that not any dry dog food you find on the retail shop shelves is ideal for your pug. Pugs will gain maximum health benefits from dry foods that are formulated for smaller dog breeds.

With many dry dog foods in the market, choosing what works for your pug might be a daunting task. The rule of thumb is to always go for what your vet advises you to give your pet as they are best placed to know what works best for your pet.

Pugs love to eat, so it’s best to find a brand that makes affordable dry dog food.

If you can’t afford what your vet recommends, take time looking around and compare prices of different brands until you find one that fits within your budget but is still what your vet recommends.

Wet Dog Food

Vets usually recommend owners to feed their pets wet foods if they are not on a diet. These foods have higher protein and fat content, which makes them more caloric than dry dog food.

However, before purchasing any wet foods for pugs, it’s advisable to consult your vet to recommend the best food for your pug, depending on its condition.

You can rationally mix wet and dry foods for your dog by giving them wet foods occasionally or once per week and leaving the other days for dry food.

Dog Treats and Chews

You can also choose to buy dog treats and chews to add variety to what your pet eats. These will give them small amounts of protein and fat but are unnecessary for their diet; thus, owners should only use these sparingly if they want the pugs to lose weight.

The most common types of dog treats and chews you can give your pugs include real beef bone marrow, real beef trachea, elk antlers chew for dogs, and marrow bones.

However, you should avoid giving your pug small bones like fish and chicken bones, as these can easily choke them.

Cooked hotdog, cheese, and small chunks of cooked meat could qualify as ideal treats for your pug. However, only give these to them once in a while as appreciation or ‘gifts’ but not as part of their main diet.

Human Food (Fruits, Vegetables, etc.)

In general, you should avoid giving human food to your pug. This is because most of them contain things that can be unhealthy and poisonous for dogs, like chocolate and avocado (which have high levels of fats). Additionally, some may also cause health problems such as bloating or diarrhea if given in large amounts.

However, there are a few exceptions. Human foods like apples, bananas, blueberries, sweet potatoes, and carrots can be ideal treats for your pug. Just make sure to give them small pieces (no bigger than the size of their mouth) and in moderation. This is because they are high in sugar which can cause health issues if given too much.

Tips to Help Improve Your Pug’s Eating Habits

For your pug to embrace the various types of food you may introduce it to, it needs healthy eating habits. You can help it develop such by following these simple tips:

• Feed your dog at the same time every day. This will help establish a healthy eating habit and encourage it to be excited about mealtime.
• Give them food that is specifically meant for their age (i.e., puppy or adult). Puppies need more calories than adults since they are still growing.
• Cut down on the treats you give them, but do not eliminate them. They are excellent at rewarding good behavior and make for great rewards during training sessions (such as sitting or staying).
• Do not let your dog eat table food without supervision. Some foods like garlic contain things that can be toxic to dogs if consumed in large amounts.
• If your dog is overweight, you may need to cut back on the amount of food it eats per day and exercise more with them. You can also consult a veterinarian about weight loss options for dogs if they are severely obese or have health issues that prevent regular exercising (such as arthritis).

Pugs can be fed a healthy and balanced diet that will keep them happy and strong by following these steps.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some of the commonly asked questions on what pugs eat.

What Types of Food Should I Not Feed My Pug?

Numerous foods could harm your pug and cause dangerous health complications. Most of these harmful foods are human foods that most dog owners give little relevance to. The most common ones are garlic, avocado, chocolate, coconut, coffee, etc.

Do Pugs Eat Rice?

Yes, pugs love rice. But what type of rice should you feed them? It is important to note that white or polished rice can cause adverse effects on your pug’s digestive system and liver because it lacks the necessary nutrients they need to digest properly. Brown, wild, red-and-black are some types of healthy kinds of rice for your pug.

How Often Should I Introduce New Food to My Pug?

You should never introduce new food to your pug suddenly. Doing so can cause adverse reactions that may impair their health significantly. A rule of thumb is at least three days to adjust and metabolize the nutrients in the new type of food you are giving them.

Bottom Line – What Do Pugs Eat?

If you are a first-time dog owner and don’t have enough knowledge about what to give your pug, take advice from your vet or consult other pet owners who can recommend what they usually feed their pets with. This way, you’ll be sure that what you’re giving your pug is good for its health and affordable at the same time.

Do you have any pug health questions? Contact our qualified veterinarians, who are available 24/7 to give you the answers that you need.