WHAT DO I FEED MY PUPPY? Trying to figure out what and how to feed your puppy can be a challenge. There are so many brands and so many varieties available. One thing to keep in mind is that no matter which you choose, introduce it slowly along with whatever the puppy is used to eating. Start mixing in a small amount of what you would like her to eat into her diet, over the next week or two increase your choice of food while decreasing the other until you have made a complete transition. While she is young, it is best to offer a combination of canned and dry food to encourage her to eat when it is meal time. Very young puppies will probably have some trouble with the dry food unless it is softened a little with canned food. Baby puppy teeth were not meant to do real hard work when it comes to eating. Make sure what you feed is easy to eat. You can always phase out the canned food as she grows if you want to. You will help her system adjust to the new food and probably avoid problems with an upset digestive tract. If you switch too suddenly you may encourage vomiting and diarrhea. Your better foods will be available at pet stores. Try to avoid the grocery store aisle. In order to sell foods at cheap prices the grocery varieties have limited nutritional value. There are many sources of animal protein that can look good on a label but are not very digestible. Science Diet, Natures Recipe, and Nutra Max are some popular high quality foods. It is best to pick a flavor and stick to it. Do not change her diet regularly, it may upset her system. No matter what brand or flavor you choose, make sure it is for growing puppies. Puppies need more now than they will when they are grown. What you feed her will influence her immune system and her proper growth. Make sure it is a good quality. Compare labels but remember, percentages of ingredient mean less than the quality of the ingredients. HOW MUCH DO YOU FEED? Your puppy is probably the best guide for this. There are usually guides on the bags of food but they tend to be generous. Keep in mind it is in the companys best interest to encourage you to feed freely in order to sell more food. The best guide you can follow is her lead. Offer her roughly what the bag indicates for her weight. Watch her. She should have as much as she wants in about 10-15 minutes each feeding. If she eats all you gave her in a couple of minutes, give her more inside that time table. If she leaves any, throw it away and give her a little less next feeding. If she is just a gulper, you may have to feed her less, but more often. Puppies can get into trouble if they gorge themselves by eating too much at one time. Dont free feed. Dont leave food down all the time. There are several potential problems with it.
1. If she starts to get sick, the first thing to go will be her appetite. That will be hard to notice if you are used to seeing food in her dish at all times.
2. Food will attract ants, stray cats, squirrels, and other animals to your yard, all of which can create a variety of problems for your puppy. Many other animals carry puppy viruses that you dont want him exposed to.
3. Food spoils, even dry food turns rancid and can make her sick if she eats it when it has turned. HOW OFTEN DO I FEED ? Puppies that are very young, 6 to 12 weeks old, should be fed about four times a day. Puppies 13 weeks to six months should still eat three times a day and it is quite safe to feed her twice a day for the rest of her life. Smaller meals are easier to digest and will balance her system well. SPECIAL CONCERNS AND CONSIDERATIONS LARGE OR GIANT BREEDS If you have a large breed puppy look for varieties made specific for them. They have different needs than do small or medium breeds. Adding calcium or other nutrients is NOT a good idea. Let the manufacturers with the staff of veterinarians do the guess work in the proper balance of nutrition and vitamins and minerals. Some breeds go through bone growth too fast with added supplements, this can cause severe problems with the tendons and ligaments as they dont grow as fast. TOY OR TINY BREEDS If you have a tiny breed, like a Chihuahua, Maltese, Poodle, or any toy breed you should be very careful to make sure they are fed frequently. Four or more feedings a day may be necessary when they are very young. Tiny breeds do not have good food reserves and can become hypoglycemic very quickly. This condition can lead to coma and death if not treated immediately. If you have a tiny breed it is advisable to keep Karo syrup on hand in case of hypoglycemic attacks which may look like listlessness, malaise, or exhaustion. Jars of lamb baby food is also good to keep on hand in the case of a picky or sickly eater, but only while you are nursing them to their regular diet. If you notice symptoms like these rub a small amount of Karo syrup on her gums. If she perks up a bit, try to get her to take her regular food, or baby food if she wont eat regularly yet. If she doesnt perk up, get her to the vet right away. |
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