A healthy and balanced diet is essential for the health of dogs and necessary for puppies to develop excellent learning, communication, socialization and adaptation to environments and people.
That is why, whether it is going to arrive, or if one of them has already arrived at home, it is essential that you know how to feed your puppy, how often to feed it or what foods are the most recommended.
How to feed a newborn puppy
The perfect food for any newborn dog is none other than mother’s milk . A substance that has all the nutrients so that your puppy can grow healthy and strong.
Although it is true that these are ready to stop suckling between the sixth and eighth week of life, it is also true that a large part of the furry ones begin to show interest in solid foods from the third or fourth week.
When this happens you will know that it is time to start working on the transition to feed by making homemade porridge based on crushed puppy feed (1/3) and milk (2/3).
A formula that you can alternate with breast milk until you see that your little one only wants solid food.
How often should a puppy be fed?
The first thing you should know is that, despite their size, the vast majority of dogs are real gobblers.
If it were up to them, they would be eating all day, so you should be the one to set certain limits in order to avoid overfeeding.
Surely you have wondered how many times a day your dog should eat. Although depending on the type of dog the figures may vary, specialists recommend that nursing puppies ingest about 15 milliliters of dissolved milk daily for every 100 grams of weight.
Once he begins to try solid food, and until his final weaning, which will occur around the eighth week, it is recommended that you offer him between 4 and 6 meals a day.
Quantity that you will have to reduce to four between the second and the third month , to two or three between the fourth and the sixth and to two from the middle of the year.
The best times to feed a puppy
The best times to feed a puppy are, according to experts, when you wake up, at noon and after five in the afternoon.
If possible, always try to do it at the same times, since that way the dog will learn to wait for its food and will stop asking for it outside the hours you set for its feeding.
Every time it’s your turn to eat , don’t forget:
- Make sure you have a large and quiet space so you can eat at ease.
- Serve new foods at each meal.
- Accompany them with fresh water (which you should always have within reach to drink whenever you feel like it).
- Give him a maximum period of half an hour to eat before removing the remains from the bowl.
- Offer you a comfortable and quiet place so that, at the end of each meal, you can take a nap and digest your food perfectly.
- Wait for at least an hour after each meal before taking him out for a walk to prevent stomach upset.
How much should a puppy eat?
To the question of how much should your puppy eat, the answer is it depends. Specifically of the weeks of life that he has, his race, his state of health and his degree of energy.
To know exactly how many grams of porridge or feed your puppy should eat , we recommend that you ask your veterinarian , who, taking into account all the factors indicated above, will establish what type of feed is the most recommended and in what quantities you should give it.
That said, it is important that you know that almost all feed bags and cans of solid food for dogs usually contain a section dedicated to this matter that can serve as a guide.
Beyond the portions and the amounts per portion that he ingests at every moment of his life, so that your new best friend can have a healthy, balanced and happy life, it is essential that he enjoys a routine of walks and daily exercises from a good age. little.
And it is that, as different studies point out in this regard, there is nothing like combining a good diet with daily physical activity so that a dog enjoys a good physical and mental balance.
We hope we have helped you with these tips on how to feed your puppy. I’m sure you’ll do great!