The body and needs of an adult dog and a puppy differ greatly. Maintenance, upbringing, care and, of course, nutrition should ensure healthy growing up of the pet. Proper feeding of a puppy is a balanced diet, when the age of the dog, its breed, physical activity and the state of the body are taken into account. Such a diet ensures the full growth and development of the animal.
EFFECTS OF FOOD
The size of a dog is determined by genes. Nutrition helps to maximize the puppy’s genetic material. You can buy a thoroughbred animal for a lot of money, but when it grows up, with an unbalanced diet, you will get a mediocre representative of the breed.
DIFFERENCES OF A PUPPY FROM ADULT DOGS:
increased activity,
intensive growth,
fast metabolism,
imperfect immunity
weak digestive system,
imperfect thermoregulation.
All this must be taken into account when the owner composes a diet for a small pet.
Diet balance
The diet should contain essential nutrients such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
Proteins are the building blocks of the body. These macronutrients are part of biologically active substances, that is, hormones, enzymes, etc.
Sources of animal protein are meat and meat products. This type of protein contains essential amino acids that are not synthesized by dogs on their own.
Vegetable proteins are found in legumes.
Carbohydrates are a kind of fuel for the body. Physiological characteristics of puppies, such as growth, activity, development of cognitive function require a lot of energy. The amount of energy or calories a small puppy has in its diet will affect its growth rate and body weight.
The fats in dog food are fatty acids that are essential for harmonious development.
Vitamins and minerals in animal food should be not only in the required amount, but also in a certain proportion. A violation of the proportion of food elements leads to an imbalance in the diet. At the same time, one must not forget that an excess of nutrients is just as harmful as their deficiency.
WHAT SHOULD A PUPPY EAT AND WHAT SHOULDN’T
Complementary feeding begins, on average, at the age of three weeks. This is usually done by breeders.
When a puppy gets to a new owner, he can already consume some kind of dog food. Sometimes breeders provide a package of food so that owners do not have to change the dog’s diet for some time. But you can always change the type of feeding.
BASIC PUPPY FEEDING RULES:
When choosing dog food, it is recommended to consider a premium or super premium commercial one. Such rations are usually sold in specialized pet stores or on the websites of manufacturing companies.
When choosing food for a dog, you should consider its age, breed, sex, activity and health.
Do not mix natural products and ready-made food in the same bowl. Dogs do not require as much variety in their diet as humans do.
In any case, it is best to consult a veterinarian when choosing a diet.
HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD BE IN THE DIET
To maintain water balance, the puppy should always have access to clean drinking water. It is better to use filtered or bottled water for drinking. The water in the bowl should be changed 1-2 times a day or as the bowl is emptied. You always have to monitor the pet while walking, do not let the dog drink from puddles, ponds and eat snow. This can cause indigestion, poisoning, and sometimes infectious and invasive diseases in the puppy.
The amount of water consumed depends on the type of diet, physical activity, the amount of treats consumed and the ambient temperature..
If your pet does not drink water for a long time, this may be a sign of various diseases. In this case it is imperative to consult your veterinarian.
HOW MANY TIMES SHOULD I FEED THE PUPPY?
The smaller the puppy is, the more often you need to feed it.
Pets aged 1 to 6 months need to be fed 4-6 times a day, by 6 months the frequency of feeding decreases to 4 times a day. From 6 to 12 months, the dog can be fed 2 or 3 times a day: the frequency depends on the size and characteristics of the organism. From 1 year old, the dog is fed 2-3 times a day, often large breeds are given food once a day.
Regardless of the frequency of feeding, the puppy should eat the daily feed rate. In this regard, industrial balanced diets have advantages. These foods are ready-made, they are easy to ration, they can stay in the pet’s bowl for a long time and not spoil. This is especially true for dwarf puppies, which are prone to a rapid sugar decrease in blood during prolonged fasting. For such breeds, you can leave the food in the bowl, while taking into account the daily allowance.
FEEDING THE PUPPY NATURAL FOOD
30 lb. Bag $48,95
Some owners feed their puppies natural products, often “off the table” food, including bones, cartilage, fried and smoked. But this is contraindicated: in combination with the sensitive digestion of puppies, these excesses lead to diseases of the digestive system and metabolic disorders.
This type of feeding should consist of many components to ensure the normal development of the growing dog. The proportions should be determined based on the age, weight, breed and activity of the dog in order to avoid a deficit or excess of calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Since it is difficult to monitor the balance of consumed vitamins and minerals with natural feeding, veterinarians recommend vitamin-mineral complexes and dietary supplements to be used additionally. For example, sources of fatty acids, collagen.
At the same time, the food must be fresh at every feeding, it is impossible to allow the leftovers of the food to lie in the bowl for a long time. Natural foods spoil quickly, especially in hot weather, and eating stale food can lead to severe toxic infections.
If you do not follow the norm of calories, fats, proteins and carbohydrates, as well as give the animal inappropriate or poor quality foods, feeding with natural food can provoke digestive upset.
READY- MADE DRY FOOD
Ready-made dry food is easy to use. They are balanced, it is easy for the owner to determine the daily feed requirement depending on the characteristics of the puppy. They are also available and can be stored for a long time. Dry food can be left in the bowl for a long time without spoiling, which is perfect for animals that stay at home for long periods of time.
FOOD FOR PUPPIES OF DIFFERENT BREEDS
Regardless of their size, pets should receive a balanced diet. The growth and development of puppies of different breeds has a number of characteristics:
Large breeds/ Medium breeds (intermediate position)/ Small breeds
Fast growth /Moderate growth/ Slow growth
Large body weight gain (increase in body weight up to 70 times)/ Average weight gain/ Small body weight gain (increase in body weight up to 20 times)
Long growth period up to 2 years/ Moderate growth period /Short growth period up to 10 months
Maximum growth rate at 4-8 months/ Maximum growth rate at 3-12 months/ Maximum growth rate at 2-3 months.
LARGE BREEDS
The condition of the bone tissue and the musculoskeletal system depends on the duration and rate of growth. The growth of a puppy is determined by the duration of the growth zones in the bones (zones of dividing cells), which ossify with age and the animal stops growing. This tissue is less developed and very vulnerable. Therefore, they are prone to diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
The basic rule of nutrition for large breed dogs is calorie control. Overfeeding provokes excess weight gain and this causes diseases of the puppy’s musculoskeletal system, which has not yet been formed. Moreover, when making up a diet, more attention is paid not to the increased protein content but to its ratio to the amount of vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus and other substances..
MEDIUM BREEDS
The diet also depends on the age of the animal. The growth of these dogs is more balanced than that of large breeds. When feeding, it is also necessary to monitor the calorie content of food, which should be maximum during the period of the most intensive growth – approximately at the age of 3 to 12 months.
SMALL BREEDS
The diet should be aimed at maintaining growth levels immediately after weaning, when growth rates are highest. For small and dwarf breeds ready-made food for puppies of small and dwarf breeds with chicken is suitable.
HOW TO FEED NEWBORN PUPPIES WITHOUT A MOTHER
When, for some reason, the female cannot feed the puppies, it is recommended to use a special milk replacer. It is similar to the milk of a lactating dog, it contains a lot of energy and protein.
Cow’s milk or other types of milk, food for babies are not suitable for puppies. These foods can provoke digestive upsets. A milk substitute will help you balance your diet. It is easy to use, especially since the instructions indicate the feeding rate and frequency, taking into account the age and body weight of the animal.
PUPPIES’ DIET AT THE AGE OF 1 MONTH
At this age the puppy’s nutrition is usually a combination of mother’s milk and complementary foods. Sometimes a milk substitute is added to the diet of an animal under the age of 1 month. The task of this period is to teach the puppy to eat from a bowl and to accustom it to a new taste.
PUPPY NUTRITION WHEN WEANING FROM THE MOTHER
You may gradually wean the puppy at the age of 4-6 weeks when the puppy’s teeth are erupting. During this period you can begin to give it dry food, first soaking the granules in warm water.
A good nutritional solution during weaning is the ready-made food for puppies. The diet should contain colostrum, which supports the pet’s immune system, is low in starch, is easy to soak and provides nutritional support when switching to solid foods. Such food is also suitable for dogs during pregnancy and lactation.
PUPPIES’ DIET AT THE AGE OF 2 MONTHS
Two month old puppies are usually fed a wet diet. It can be canned food for puppies or dry food for puppies soaked in water. During this period, the pet can still feed on mother’s milk. At the age of 2 months, you can begin to accustom the little one to dry food. Dry food is developed taking into account the age of the puppy and its breed. So for small breeds dry food granules are smaller.
Puppy Wet Dog Food, Chicken 12.5-oz can (Pack of 12)
PUPPIES’ DIET AT THE AGE OF 3 MONTHS
The pet’s diet at 3 months consists of ready-made dry and wet food for puppies according to their breed or natural products. Frequency of feeding – 4-6 times a day. At this age, the first problems with digestion, skin, caused by inaccuracies in feeding, heredity and infections may already appear. Therefore, you should pay attention to special industrial food for puppies with health problems.
Pet Snuffle Mat for Dogs, Stress ReliefAfter purchasing a puppy, the owner may wonder about changing feed. The introduction of new food into the animal’s diet should be carried out gradually over the course of a week, simply replacing part of the portion with new food. The conditions for the change are a healthy puppy and high-quality food, which is selected according to the breed and age of the animal.
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