Feeding Your New Puppy - Do's and
Don’ts
When you have a new puppy, it's hard to know where to begin.
You have to figure out where he'll sleep, where he's to stay
when you're not home, how to get him to go potty outside, how
to train him to come, how to give him a bath, and when to get
his shots. It's a little overwhelming, isn’t it? One of the
most immediate issues will be concerning the feeding of your
new puppy. In this article we'll cover what to feed your puppy,
how often, and how much.
First of all, puppies should be with their mother until at
least eight weeks old. During this time they should get
everything they need from their mother so we won't worry about
that here. Once the puppy is weaned from his mother and you
bring him home, this is when your tour of duty starts.
Puppies need puppy food, not adult dog food. Check the
ingredients on the package and make sure the first ingredient
is meat. Skip the brands that list grains or meat by-products
as the first few ingredients. This is not what your puppy needs
for healthy growth, plus the grains may upset his little
tummy.
Stick with puppy food for at least the first year. After
that, it could depend on your dog's size. Larger dogs may need
to stay on puppy food longer, but ask your vet to be sure.
A dog's stomach usually doesn't like a lot of variety and
you'll notice some diarrhea or throwing up if you suddenly
change dog foods. If you are going to change the brand or
flavor, do it slowly by mixing the first brand with the second
and increasing the second over a period of time so their
stomach can handle it.
Very young puppies may need to be fed three or four times
per day. Sometime after 8 weeks you can switch the feedings to
twice per day. Feed your puppy at the same times every day and
be consistent with this. Imagine how you would have felt if it
was dinner time and your mom didn't feed you until 2 hours
later.
Dog food packaging should list feeding amounts based on the
dog's weight. If you are unsure, or if it doesn't seem right to
you, ask your vet for their recommendation. Of course you don't
want to starve your pup, but you also don't want to over-feed
him either.
Now you have the what, when, and how much regarding the
feeding of your puppy. If you have any problems, your vet's
office is just a phone call away.
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