The right puppy food will give your pooch the best start in life as it's packed with all the nutrients they need to grow, but we know the choice of food out there can be a little overwhelming, which is why we've rounded up some of the best weaning puppy food you can buy in the UK. We've also put some of the most frequently asked questions about weaning puppies to Take A Break Pets' resident vet, Dr Michael Lazaris, for his expert advice.
One of the first big milestones in a puppy's life is when they start weaning. It's a sign they're starting to get more independent as they move on from relying on their mother's milk or a puppy milk alternative to trying solid foods. In the early stage of meaning, you'll want to choose a food that is rich in calories and protein to help them grow while also ensuring it's packed with essential vitamins that will support their development. Of course, you'll want to make sure it's tail-waggingly tasty, too, to entice them to their bowl.
Best weaning puppy food at a glance:
• Best for mini breeds: Royal Canin Starter Mother & Babydog Dry Puppy/Adult Dog Food - view on Pets at Home
• Best for pups up to eight weeks: Royal Canin Mother and Babydog Adult Dog/Puppy Food - view on Pets at Home
• Best hypoallergenic weaning puppy food: AVA Veterinary Approved Wet Puppy Food - view on Pets at Home
• Best grain-free weaning puppy food: Forthglade Complete Natural Wet Dog Food - view on Amazon UK
Puppies can be introduced to solid foods from around three weeks old, but you'll want to make sure you do it gradually with only a small amount to being with to avoid upsetting their delicate tummies. It's up to you whether you opt for dry or wet puppy food for weaning. However, you'll need to break it down into tiny bite-size pieces so it resembles a 'puppy porridge' consistency. This is so puppies can break down with their small mouths and ensures it can be easily digested, too. You'll find Dr Michael's tips for introducing food to a weaning puppy in our FAQs section, which includes how to best prepare their food.
To help you decide what food would be best to give to your growing pup, we've searched the web for the best weaning puppy food you can buy in the UK. We've included a mixture of wet and dry puppy food, but they are all nutritionally balanced and complete and will all offer your pup everything they need to be strong and healthy.
Best weaning puppy food UK
Best dry weaning puppy food for mini breeds
Pets at Homewww.petsathome.com
The Royal Canin Starter Mother & Babydog Mini Breed Dry Puppy/Adult Dog Food is made for mini-breed pups on their weaning journey for up to two months old. It’s designed with an exclusive combination of nutritional elements that are the same as those found in a mother’s milk and reinforced with specific nutrients that contribute to supporting a pup’s digestive health and natural defences.
Customer review: "I used this product while my Bulldog was pregnant with the tinned moose by the same company. Once puppies were born plus when weaning pups at 3 weeks i gave them this soaked in warm water with goats milk and the tinned moose a great start for mum and pups."
Pros
- Contains same nutritional elements as a mother's milk
- Tailored kibble for mini breed pups
- Can be given to mothers during gestation and lactation with an adult weight of up to 10kg
Cons
- Caters specifically for mini breeds so won't be suitable for puppy breeds larger than this
Best wet weaning puppy food for pups up to eight weeks
Pets at Homewww.petsathome.com
Another great option from Royal Canin, if you'd prefer to give your puppies wet food while they're weaning, is the Royal Canin Starter Mother and Babydog Wet Adult Dog and Puppy Food. Unlike the dry food we've listed above, the wet food is suitable for all-size puppies and has an ultra-soft mousse formula to be the consistency and texture for their little mouths.
Customer review: "Perfect for even very young pups, easy to eat so helps with weaning and/or top ups and gentle on little tummies. Puppies ate every drop. Fab for mums as full of essential nutrients and again, gentle on mummies tummies too."
Pros
- Supports a strong immune system
- Combines prebiotics (MOS) and highly digestible proteins to help promote a healthy digestion
- Suitable for mothers, too
Cons
- Need to store it in the fridge once opened to keep it fresh
Best hypoallergenic weaning puppy food
Pets at Homewww.petsathome.com
AVA Veterinary Approved Wet Puppy Food Chicken & Lamb Pate is suitable for puppies from six weeks to 18 months old so it will see them from first being introduced to food and beyond. It has a hypoallergenic recipe with no added wheat or wheat gluten and offers a high quality source of easily digestible protein. It also includes a rich source of Omega 3 and 6, which helps to support skin and coat condition, heart and kidney health and ongoing brain function development.
Pros
- Helps maintain strong teeth and bones
- Supports joint condition and general mobility
- Made with gentle, natural ingredients
Cons
- New product so no customer reviews yet
Best dry weaning puppy food with high meat percentage
Pets At Homewww.petsathome.com
Rich in chicken and rice, the Arden Grange Dry Weaning Puppy Food is a tasty and complete food for weaning puppies. It offers a high-calorie diet with just the right balance of vitamins that puppies need to grow big and strong at this crucial stage of their development. Also containing prebiotics, joint supplements, krill and yucca extract, you simply need to add water and mash to create the perfect 'puppy porridge'.
Customer review: "Arden Grange Weaning Puppy is the best puppy weaning food you can buy. Excellent for keeping the milk flow up in the girls when they have a litter and makes up into a nice paste for starting the pups off. If you haven't tried it before you will be staggered at how healthy and chunky your babies will be on this product. Nothing else compares! I have fed Arden Grange since 1996 and it is the best food by far!"
Pros
- Contains 44 per cent chicken
- Naturally hypoallergenic with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives
- UK made
Cons
- With it being a high-calorie food, you will want to keep an eye on your pups' weight to make sure they're not gaining too much
Best grain-free weaning puppy food
AmazonFeaturing two recipes, lamb with liver and chicken with liver, the Forthglade Complete Natural Wet Dog Food - Grain Free Variety Pack is sure to get a weaning pup's tail wagging every mealtime. These complete and balanced meals contain everything your pup needs to be happy and healthy and it's free from junk and fillers, as well as artificial colours, flavours and preservatives. Made with natural ingredients with added vitamins, minerals and botanicals, this Forthglade food is bursting with goodness.
Customer review: "This pack of 18 trays of set dog food is excellent value for money. The food is grain free, made of chicken and liver. It's really good if you have a dog with allergies, it's gentle on the tin for puppies and a good way to get from weaning to eating more solid food. Every morsel is eaten, there's no waste, and trays are easily recyclable."
Pros
- High quality recipe made with 75 per cent lamb or chicken
- Two recipes available
- Natural ingredients with added vitamins, minerals and botanicals
Cons
- Some reviewers have reported that their boxes were damaged on delivery by Amazon
Best natural weaning puppy food for all breeds
AmazonWith a simple, wholesome recipe made with 100 per cent natural ingredients, Naturediet - Feel Good Wet Dog Food provides a gentle, nourishing diet that's ideal for a pup's sensitive tummy. Suitable for puppies ages four weeks to 12 months, this complete and nutritionally balanced food contains all the essential nutrients puppies need for a healthy diet. Plus with eco-friendly packaging made from sustainable source, renewable materials, it's good for the planet as well as your puppy.
Customer review: "Excellent puppy food, my puppy is absolutely thriving on it, gobbles it up like a hoover and thoroughly licks the bowl clean every meal time, she has a beautiful shine to her fur even the vet commented on and asked what she’s being fed on, highly recommend this puppy food👍"
Pros
- Contains freshly prepared chicken and wholefoods
- Made in Norfolk with British sourced ingredients
- Eco-friendly packaging
Cons
- Has a strong smell that some owners may find overpowering
Best luxury weaning puppy food
Lily's Kitchenwww.lilyskitchen.co.uk
Lily's Kitchen believe that puppies deserve the very best start in life, which is why they've worked closely with their in-house vet and nutritionist to create this delicious and nourishing Turkey & Duck Puppy Recipe. It's made with freshly prepared turkey and duck alongside wholesome fruit and veg to keep your puppy sustained and full of energy. It also includes salmon oil to provide a natural source of Omega 3 & 6 that will aid with their growth and development.
Customer review: "Pup loves, eats well (8 weeks). Going to keep her on Lily’s & try the dry food also."
Pros
- Made with natural ingredients
- Grain-free recipe
- Contains all the right levels of protein, calories and fat that growing pups need
Cons
- Could include more trays per pack
Best weaning puppy food UK FAQs
Want to know more about weaning puppies? We asked Dr Michael all about what is best to feed weaning puppies and the steps you should take to introduce them to food.
What is best to feed weaning puppies?
"Puppies naturally start showing an interest in solid food from around three weeks of age but may still drink their mother's milk up to seven or eight weeks old.
"The safest food you can use should be a complete puppy food designed for weaning pups. This ensures it will contain all the essential nutrients your pups need to grow. Good quality foods will also contain added ingredients like omega fatty acids and probiotics. Some even contain immune-boosting colostrum to help the puppies fight off infection."
If your pup is showing signs of having tummy troubles while you're weaning them, you may want to consider giving them puppy food for sensitive stomachs as they're made without common ingredients that can often trigger an upset belly.
What are the steps for introducing food to weaning puppies?
"Once you've found a good quality puppy food to start using, add some warm water and let it soak up for a few minutes. Then mush the food with a fork and offer it to the puppies. Any food not eaten after 20 minutes should be thrown away.
"Feed the pups small amounts regularly throughout the day. As they grow, you can gradually increase the amounts. Most complete puppy foods will give you an easy guideline on the packaging which you can follow.
"Don't forget to provide fresh water for the puppies once they're around four weeks old. And if the puppies aren't showing much interest in their solid food, try feeding them at the same time as their mother, who leads by example."
When should puppies be weaned?
"Puppies can start being weaned from three weeks of age, but their interest in solid food can vary and some pups may need a little coaxing."
Rosie Floyd is a Homes and Garden Product Writer for Take A Break Pets, specialising in all things dogs. She grew up always having at least one dog as part of the family and has experience in owning a variety of breeds, including Labradors, Cockapoos and Yorkshire Terriers.