Puppy Feeding Guide for Optimal Health

Daily Puppy Diet: What Should They Eat to Meet Their Nutritional Needs? Ensure Comprehensive Physical and Mental Development. Choosing the Right Food for Your Puppy Shows Your Care and Love. But, Once You’ve Chosen the Food, How Much Should You Feed Them?

There is no specific answer to this question. It depends on the age, breed, activity level, or metabolic rate of your pet as well as your personal schedule. From there, you can build a reasonable and scientific diet for your puppy.

What kind of nutrition does a puppy’s menu need?

In the early stages of life, the puppy’s diet needs to be adequately nutritious. The dog’s health later on is mainly determined by nutrition. Foods not only provide energy for the body. But also contribute to the synthesis of body cells. At the same time, maintain the dog’s daily activities. Prevent diseases related to the digestive tract, intestines, bones and joints and other diseases.

To meet the above needs, food must follow the correct nutritional formula. Not too much, not too little. The right amount of nutrition can achieve the development goal. Depending on the dog breed, the nutritional needs are also different. The body weight ratio of Chihuahua and Saint Bernard is 1: 100. Therefore, their nutritional intake is also different.

It depends on the activity level, age, breed and food sensitivities. Even Golden or Labrador, many people think that because they have similar characteristics, their needs are the same. But in reality, the dietary needs of puppies are completely different.

Daily Calories in Puppy Diet

Calories (Kcal) are a measure of the energy you get from eating. Every mammal needs this type of energy to survive. Get familiar with the concept of resting metabolic rate (RMR). This is the lowest level of energy an animal’s body needs to survive.

• For dogs weighing under 2kg: RMR = 70 x (weight in kg 0.75).
• Dogs weighing over 2kg: RMR = 70 + (weight in kg x 30).

But that’s just the basic amount of calories your pet needs at rest. You’ll need to adjust your puppy’s diet a little bit based on their activity level. Your pet’s daily maintenance energy requirement, also known as MER.

MER = RMR x A

In which, A is a certain index, depending on the pet’s activity level.

• Less active: A = 1.2
• Normal operation: A = 1.4
• Working or farm dogs: A = 2 to A = 3
• Lactating animals: A = 3
• Livestock in growing stage: A = 1.5 to A = 2.5

Diet for puppies over 2 months old

For lazy people, dry puppy food is very convenient, providing enough nutrition for your dog without having to spend time researching what to cook and how much to cook. It is also simple to preserve. Prepackaged foods now come with instructions for use. Very convenient for dividing puppy food portions.

Daily feeding rules

• During the first 8 weeks: puppies should live with their mother and be breastfed. From the 4th week, you can start feeding the puppies dry food, but it should be soaked in water to soften it for easier eating. You should choose food specifically for puppies. Or at least food for all stages from puppies to adult dogs. And you should use a dog bowl to avoid food spilling on the floor.
• Up to 3 months: Puppies should be fed 3-4 times a day and the food should be soaked in water for a few hours to soften it and make it easier to eat. Always make sure the puppy has enough water to drink every day.
• From 4 months to 1 year: can be fed every 2 days and no longer needs to be soaked in water. It is recommended to gradually change from 3 meals to 2 meals over 1 week by reducing the amount of food in 1 meal and increasing the amount of food in the other 2 meals.

Quantify the number of meals per day

The needs of each individual pet are different. Therefore, it is necessary to rely on many factors to determine the exact number of food portions for puppies per day. Or it can also be different according to each stage and physiological development.

Puppies need to be fed regularly and adequately. Unlike older dogs that are less active, their diets will also change slightly. Even the diet of a 2-month-old puppy is different from that of a 4-month-old or 6-month-old puppy. Therefore, choosing the right diet depends on many different factors. You need to consider carefully before deciding and building a diet for your puppy.

Puppies need to be fed the correct amount of food according to their weight and age. If they are fed too much, they will soon become obese and have deformed bones. If they are fed too little, they will become malnourished.

• From 8 weeks to 12 weeks old: best to feed 4 times a day. 700g of food divided equally into breakfast, lunch, afternoon, and dinner. Always have water available for the puppy, and replace the bowl at the end of the day.
• From 12 weeks to 16 weeks old: feed the dog 4 meals a day. The amount of food is about 1.2 kg divided evenly into meals. Give the dog enough water if it eats a lot of dry food.
• From 16 weeks to 20 weeks old: feed 3 meals a day. Increase protein and meat intake (avoid fatty meat because it is difficult to digest and causes diarrhea). Provide enough water for puppies.

See other modes

When dogs are of different ages and months, the daily diet for puppies is also different. The frequency of feedings in a day and the amount of food for puppies at a time are also different.

• Under 2 months old: feed 6 times/day, each time 3.5 hours apart
• From 2 – 4 months: feed 5 times/day, each time 4 hours apart.
• From 4 – 6 months: feed 4 times/day,
• From 6 – 10 months: feed 3 times/day,
• From 10 months and up: feed twice a day as for adult dogs, each time feeding the dog more than usual.

Dog food rations by season

Climate, temperature, and humidity always change with each season, which also requires you to change your dog’s food regularly. So what should you pay attention to in your dog’s food ration according to each season?

In the spring

Understanding the weather characteristics, you will know what kind of food to feed your puppy? This diet is to ensure good health and resistance to adapt to each weather condition. For example, in winter you cannot feed them food that is too cold. Or in summer – the hot season, do not feed them cool food to cool their body.

Spring is full of vitality. Warm temperatures will become warmer after a cold winter. Dog food should be reduced by 10% compared to winter. Snacks can no longer be given to them indiscriminately. This can easily cause dogs to become obese or have digestive problems. The temperature difference in spring is very large, and the weather is cold and humid. Dog food should be placed in a ventilated, sealed place to avoid mold.

In the summer

Summer weather is extremely uncomfortable, both sunny and hot. Every day you must ensure that your dog drinks enough water. Drinking plenty of water is very beneficial for cooling down and avoiding heat. You can add some unsweetened ice to your dog’s drinking water but do not let the water get too cold.

In the summer, dogs eat very little. Hot weather can easily cause dogs to lose a lot of energy and have low immunity. You should supplement protein for your dog. Choose a nutritious puppy food specifically for each breed.

Sugar, vegetables and grains should be fed to dogs in appropriate amounts to maintain normal body temperature. Maintain a balanced heat and physical strength for dogs. In addition, avoid snacks because snacks often contain a lot of fat. Especially beef and goat meat will make dogs feel hotter. Even constipation or dry stools, constipation.

Many fruit juices on the market are high in sugar. For example, watermelon, peaches, etc. will be difficult for puppies to digest. Instead, add vegetables and inorganic salts. This is a delicious and nutritious food that is beneficial to the dog’s metabolism. Do not feed your dog food that is too cold to cool it down. Puppies can get diarrhea or other gastrointestinal diseases.

In the fall

In the fall, the dog’s metabolism is faster. They start to eat more. You need to supplement the puppy’s diet with protein. Provide nutrients in moderation for the dog to accumulate energy to prepare for the upcoming winter. Especially for Rottweiler, Poodle, German Shepherd breeds…

The sudden change in temperature and climate during this season will also weaken the dog’s physical condition. They are susceptible to colds, fever, coughs and other diseases… You also need to pay attention to their sleeping place. The nest should be placed in a cool, warm and windproof place.

In winter

Winter air temperatures are very low. Daylight hours are short. The north is dry, the south is humid. Too dry weather will cause chapped skin, high humidity will cause dermatitis. When feeding dogs, pay attention to adding water and vitamin B group containing a lot of fat.

The winter food portion for puppies also limits overfeeding them. Because even though winter requires more energy than other seasons to fight the cold. But no matter what, you must adjust the appropriate amount. If dogs and cats eat too much and do not go out for a walk, they are prone to obesity and other serious diseases. As long as you pay a little attention to dog food according to each season, your dog will be healthy all year round.

Homemade puppy food

There are many ways to prepare dog food at home, this depends on the owner’s time. However, it is also necessary to arrange the puppy’s diet in the most reasonable way. You can let your dog eat freely as he likes. Usually applied to puppies from 3 to 6 weeks old. That is, until they start to wean. However, even if you feed freely, you should control the amount of food. Do not pour too much to avoid waste. Food left outside for a long time will quickly spoil. This is not good for puppies.

Build a diet for puppies 3 meals a day. Applicable to dogs aged 6 weeks – 3 months. After weaning and practicing eating, you should feed them by meal to form good habits. Add dry food for better digestion. For dogs over 3 months old, you can reduce to 2 meals a day. Especially for ornamental dogs, adult working dogs, large dog breeds… Dog breeds that do not work, do not breastfeed, adults of medium-sized dog breeds may only need to be fed one meal a day.

What should dogs not eat to avoid getting sick?

According to veterinarians , 2 to 6 months of age is the stage when the puppy’s digestive system is not yet stable and adapted to the surrounding environment. They are very susceptible to intestinal diseases. More seriously, it can affect the dog’s liver and cardiovascular system .

Do not feed your dog food that is too hot or too cold. It will have a negative effect on the dog’s stomach. Avoid foods that are too greasy, fatty or too sweet. This is one of the causes of intestinal diseases in dogs. Dogs can get sick right away or incubate for a week depending on the resistance of each puppy.

Absolutely do not feed puppies ready-made foods. For example: ham, sausage, smoked meats or foods that are too salty. Because they are not good for the dog’s digestive system. If eaten for a long time, it can damage the liver and cause death before reaching adulthood.

What should not be fed to dogs to grow quickly?

If you want your puppy to grow up quickly, be smart and healthy, it is best not to feed it too many sweets. It is these sweet foods that make dogs always feel full and bloated.

Feeding dogs too many sweets will disrupt their digestion. Moreover, this is also the reason why dogs often have watery eyes even though they are in a normal state. Dogs should not eat uncooked foods such as chicken eggs, fish, mice or lard, lamb fat, etc. These foods make dogs most susceptible to diarrhea.