Did you know that pugs were considered special enough to accompany royalty in Ancient China? As a matter of fact, they were bred just to be pets of the royal figures.
Apparently, someone thought pugs are that adorable — which is exactly what we think now. Some things never change.
However, pugs are not just about the looks. Another interesting fun fact — freemasons considered pugs to be a symbol of loyalty.
Amusingly enough, freemasons even had Order of the Pug — it paints a picture, doesn’t it? Obviously, someone with a high rank had a pug.
Pugs aren’t quite fast or known for their energy — as you probably know, pugs sleep for nearly 15 hours a day. But, you’ve got to love them anyway.
Our bug-eyed friends have been around for a very long time — they go way back, there’s even data about them in the BC era. Obviously, the humankind had some time to get used to them.
So, we completely understand why you got one yourself. However, the question is — how to feed your pug?
Naturally, you want your puppy to be happy and healthy for a very long time — for that reason, your pug needs proper nutrition.
What Are Your Pug Food Options?
The quest for a good food brand is a challenging one. The thing is that food can either give your dog a long and happy life, or it can dramatically shorten it.
Contrary to popular belief, dog food doesn’t necessarily contain leftovers. You can find a lot of dog food companies that contain only the finest ingredients.
Royal Canin, for example, has a product that’s specially made for pugs. Thus, it contains everything your beloved pet might need.
However, dog food like Holistic Select Lamb, which contains pure meat and no by-products may be a good choice too.
Wellness CORE is an interesting choice too — it contains a lot of vegetables other than the common protein sources.
You might like Eagle Pack as well. Aside from being a rich source of protein, Eagle Pack also contains antioxidants — they should take care of your pug’s health.
Finally, there’s also ORIJEN. As you’ll see a bit further in the text, ORIJEN contains multiple protein sources — quite necessary for your pug.
Both pug owners and vets appreciate each of the companies we listed. However, we are yet to find a brand your dog will like.
Review of the Best Pug Food
Royal Canin Pug Dry Dog Food
Once your pug turns ten months, it is ready for Royal Canin. This edition of Royal Canin is actually dry food made just for pugs.
Pugs really do get special treatment, don’t they?
It’s always good to know exactly what your dog is eating, so let’s start with the Royal Canin contents:
- Ground corn
- Chicken by-product
- Oatmeal
- Brown rice
The team that made Royal Canin really knew what they were doing. Being that they are lazy, pugs need food that’s low in calories and rich in protein — which is exactly what this is.
A combination of ingredients like this should keep your pug fed but slim.
Moreover, Royal Canin also contains Omega-3 acids. All the wrinkles on your pug’s face are adorable, but they are also very tempting to skin disease.
With a regular intake of Omega-3 acids, your pug shouldn’t have any skin issues.
As a bonus, the Royal Canin food is also beneficial for your pug’s teeth. The food is made in a way that both makes the chewing simple and improves your pug’s dental health.
User Experience
If you check out the Amazon reviews, you’ll be able to see that an amazing 88% of users gave Royal Canin all five stars. It seems that a lot of pugs in the world are enjoying this product — and owners say they absolutely love it.
However, some customers say they are not really satisfied with the fact that the product doesn’t contain actual chicken — just its by-products.
Because Royal Canin is created for pugs only, the price is a bit higher. According to users, real chicken meat should come for that price.
What we like:
- Rich in protein
- Low in calories
- Contains Omega-3 acids
Things we don’t like:
- Pricey
Holistic Select Lamb Natural Dry Dog Food
Although it’s not made especially for pugs, Holistic Select Lamb is actually a good choice for your puppy.
Why? It’s because of lamb — as you probably know, it’s a great source of protein.
What makes this food stand out on this list is the fact that it’s made of real lamb. For that reason, you can be confident that your pug is eating only the best ingredients.
In addition, Holistic Select Lamb contains prebiotics as well as probiotics. Both prebiotics and probiotics are necessary for both human and pug nutrition — they keep the gut flora healthy.
Besides, Holistic Select Lamb food has Omega-3 acids, too. Because of this ingredient, your dog’s coat and skin will be healthy and shiny.
The company behind the product is proud because the food doesn’t contain any by-products. All ingredients are specially chosen to create a healthy balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
User Experience
Being that dogs have personalities of their own, you yet need to see your pug’s reaction to this food. Although it’s small, there’s still a chance your dog might not even want to lick it.
If that happens, we advise you not to insist on Holistic Select Lamb. Although your pug’s behavior might seem spoiled, your dog can smell what their stomach won’t like.
As you probably know from your own experience, some people don’t like lamb.
It’s pretty much the same with dogs — some of them just can’t digest it. Some dogs have negative reactions to this food — vomiting, and diarrhea are included — so don’t make them eat it.
What we like:
- Pure lamb
- Contains Omega-3 acids
- Prebiotics & probiotics
What we don’t like:
- Not for every stomach
Wellness CORE Grain-Free Small Breed
Lean meat like lamb, chicken, and turkey is not only a great source of protein for you but for your dog as well. Being that pugs are not that active, they need this type of meat in their nutrition which is low in calories.
Wellness CORE Grain-Free is food specially made for small breeds. The package contains an interesting list of ingredients:
- Turkey
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Salmon Oil
- Spinach
- Kale
- Broccoli
- Vitamin supplements A, E, B12, D3, C
- Chicken Meal
- Turkey Meal
- Blueberries
- Rosemary & Greentea Extract
- Carrots
- Apples
The list actually doesn’t stop here — it’s quite extensive as we mentioned — but is the group that you should pay attention to. Anyway, as you can see, your pug will get a lot of nutrients from the Wellness Core Grain-Free food.
User Experience
Almost 80% of dog owners on Amazon gave this product five stars. According to customers, dogs who eat Wellness Core Grain-Free are healthy, happy, and active.
However, the product doesn’t contain Omega-3 acids. Considering that pugs can develop skin problems because of all the cute wrinkles they have, Omega-3 acids are necessary for their nutrition.
Therefore, if you decide to get Wellness Core Grain-Free for your dog, make sure to add supplements to their food.
Finally, you should also know that Wellness Core Grain-Free isn’t for every dog’s stomach. Even though they find it tasty, some dogs simply can’t digest it properly.
What we like:
- Great source of protein
- Contains fruits & vegetables
- Made for small breeds
What we don’t like:
- Not for every stomach
- Doesn’t contain Omega-3
Eagle Pack Lamb & Rice Natural Dry Dog Food
Your pug is ready to eat Eagle Pack after they turn a year. Before that, their stomach isn’t quite ready for the digestion of this food — it’s for adult pugs only.
Eagle Pack doesn’t contain any by-products or extracts. The company behind the product made sure that the food contains only the finest ingredients for your dog.
If you start using Eagle Pack, your pug will eat:
- Lamb
- Antioxidants
- Omega-3 acids
- Whole-grain fiber
We’re looking at a quality list of ingredients here. Thanks to lamb, your pug will get enough proteins without getting chubby.
Moreover, antioxidants will take care of your immune system. As you’re probably aware, pugs tend to catch a cold every now and then — antioxidants may prevent this.
To keep your pug’s fur shiny and their skin healthy, you need Omega-3 acids. With Omega-3 acids, your pug’s skin will be dandruff-free.
If you introduce continuous healthy nutrition filled with Omega-3, your dog will be practically at no risk to develop dermatitis.
Furthermore, we have whole grain fibers as one of the main ingredients. Thanks to fibers, your pugs gut flora should be healthy and high-functioning.
User Experience
Dog owners have many words of praise for this product. Eagle Pack seems to contain just enough of everything for a dog — more importantly, for your pug.
Eagle Pack is rich in protein and low in calories, which is the combination we’re looking for.
However, you should know that some dogs won’t eat it because it’s extra dry. After all, Eagle Pack belongs in the dry food category, but it seems it’s a bit too dried.
What we like:
- Improves gut flora
- Contains Omega-3 acids
- Lamb proteins
- Immunity booster
What we don’t like:
- Dry
ORIJEN Original
Although we went through the product with an interesting list of ingredients, we believe this one will really catch your attention. ORIJEN Original contains:
- Chicken (kidney, liver, heart, and meat)
- Turkey (liver, heart, and meat)
- Eggs
- Mackerel
- Herring
- Lentils
- Beans
- Potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Butternut Squash
- Kale
- Spinach
- Carrots
- Apples
- Sunflower seeds
As you can see, ORIJEN is filled with proteins.
Interestingly enough, meat isn’t the only important source of protein here — ORIJEN contains eggs as well. Being that eggs are easier to digest than meat, we believe this ingredient was a good call.
Furthermore, ORIJEN also contains Omega-3 acids but they are not artificially added as a supplement like with other products on the list. ORIJEN contains fish — both mackerel and herring.
As far as your pug’s skin problems go, you shouldn’t have any with ORIJEN. Aside from Omega-3, both butternut squash and pumpkin contain retinol.
Otherwise known as vitamin A, retinol is necessary for healthy skin — it should protect your dog from skin issues.
User Experience
ORIJEN is highly recommended — both vets and experts consider this is one of the best products on the market. Because the product contains a really extensive list of healthy ingredients, people recommend it without hesitation.
However, some dogs had a pretty negative reaction to ORIJEN. Some customers have doubts about the legitimacy of the company even.
So, perhaps it’s not a bad idea to do some background checking before getting ORIJEN for your dog.
What we like:
- Multiple skin benefits
- Multiple protein sources
- Vet recommended
What we don’t like:
- Not for every stomach
What to Look for in Pug Food?
Pugs as a breed have a tendency to develop some health problems you should know about. Pugs are prone to:
- Dermatitis
- Dandruff
- Epilepsy
- Nerve disorders
- Dry eyes
- Colds
Although pugs can be sensitive, you shouldn’t be alarmed. With a good diet, you can protect your pet.
So, you’re looking for food that’s rich in protein and low in calories.
Moreover, there’s another thing you should have in mind. Although your pug may be an adult, its snout isn’t.
Therefore, make sure to get the right kibble size — otherwise, your dog won’t be able to eat it.
Final Thoughts
In the end, it’s also important to know how much food your pug needs — every breed has different requirements.
A pug can weigh up to 18 pounds — the weight is usually a bit less, but this is the upper limit. According to research, pugs should eat 50 calories per pound.
Being that pugs are not that active and that they sleep a lot, they don’t need too much food.
So, you can find an answer by simply weighing your pug. Naturally, you should pay attention to your dog’s development and increase portions when necessary.
However, pugs love to eat. If you allow your pug to eat as much as they want to, they will become obese.
So, you need to put together a special diet that’s rich in protein and stick to. It’s probably best to avoid eye contact with your pug when they want food — chances are they will break you down.
