What micro-minerals are missing from commercial puppy food diets?
Based on the sources, there are two conflicting viewpoints regarding whether micro-minerals are missing from commercial puppy foods:
The Supplement Program Viewpoint. According to the creator of the Blackwatch feeding program, all commercial diets on the market are missing critical micro-minerals (also known as trace minerals). The program claims these missing micro-minerals are necessary for proper bone formation and for running the body’s electrical system, and asserts that a lack of them is often at the root of developmental orthopedic problems. To fill this gap, the program recommends adding a supplement called “Spark of Life Trace Minerals”.
The Veterinary Nutritionist Viewpoint. Conversely, veterinary nutritionists state that dietary deficiencies are of “minimal concern” in modern commercial diets specifically prepared for growing dogs. They note that essential trace minerals, such as copper and zinc, are adequately supplied in these foods.
Furthermore, these experts strongly advise against adding multivitamin or mineral supplements to a balanced large-breed commercial diet. Because commercial formulas are already carefully balanced, they warn that the real danger is not a deficiency, but rather overnutrition—where supplementing can cause a dangerous nutrient overdose that directly triggers developmental orthopedic diseases (DOD
