As you walk towards the aisle of dog food within a pet supply store, you might be overwhelmed by the wide assortment of options available there. It holds good, primarily for the new puppy parents. Long gone are the days when the options for dog food were limited to only a few.
With the increase in the varieties of food, responsible dog parents are now more concerned about the type of dog food. It is a prerequisite to make the correct decisions related to your puppy’s nutrition as it will have an impact on his development, growth, and behavior. It is recommended to feed supreme quality of food to him as it ensures a healthy and long life.
Often, dog parents wonder how much dog food should be fed to the puppy? It will help if you keep in mind that every puppy is different. If there are any questions or worries about the puppy’s food, nutritional health, or feeding schedule, kindly go through this article.
Topics to Talk About
Feeding the puppy
When your puppy is 6-12 weeks old
Speaking of the dog food for the puppy within the duration of 6-12 weeks, it is recommended to offer a diet, which is meant to accomplish normal development’s nutritional requirements. You should refrain from feeding any sort of adult dog food to them as it might deprive them of the crucial needs necessary for their growth.
It is essential to feed them at least four times daily as they are essential to accomplish their nutritional requirements. You should feed unmoistened dry food to them for almost 9 to 10 weeks. On the other hand, you should feed them dry food to them for small dogs by almost 12- 13 weeks.
When your puppy is 3-6 months old
Once your puppy reaches the age of 3-6 months, it would be wise to reduce the feedings to three daily. It is important that your furry friend should lose the pudginess and potbelly by the time she reaches by 12 weeks to avoid any sort of health complications. However, if you find that she is yet rolying and polying at the age, you should make sure to feed the portions of puppy-size to them till the body type is matured.
When your puppy is 6-12 months old
During the time, you should make sure to feed the dog food twice, every day. It is recommended to spay the energy needs a bit during the time. After this, you need to start giving them adult maintenance food from nutrients, enriched dog food. For small breeds, it is recommended to make the switch from seven to nine months. However, for the bigger breed of dog, you should make sure to give them food filled with nutrients during the 13, 12, and 14th months. It is better to feed them puppy food a bit longer instead of not giving them long enough.
Once the puppy reaches the age of 1 year
The majority of the dog parents should feed dog food to the adult ones, to about two and a half portions every day.
Tips to know whether your little one is eating the right amount of dog food
Veterinarians make the best use of body conditioning scores to evaluate the dogs, which starts from one for those emaciated dogs, whereas it is five for the obese dogs. If it is a young puppy, it is quite normal to have some amount of baby fat. However, if the puppy is about 8 to 12 weeks old, according to statistics, the puppies need to have the body conditioning score of about two. You will be capable of learning the dog assessment, sitting in the comfort zone of your home.
If your little one’s body conditioning score is two, he will be thin, and the ribs of your furry friend will be visible. You will be capable of seeing the tops of the puppy’s backbones. Once he reaches the age of five months, the puppy will look lean, as it will begin to wrap up the most rapid growth period.
If your dog is eating the food in the right amount, you will find that he has an excellent body conditioning score, which means eating the food in the correct amount. A lower body conditioning score, on the other hand, signifies that the dog is suffering from nutritional deficiency.
Does the large breed puppy require any sort of special food?
Larger dog breed like Labrador retrievers, Great Danes have the tendency to develop different types of joint and skeletal issues, such as hip dysplasia. Such conditions are triggered primarily by overfeeding and other inherited factors that will worsen the conditions.
Dog food for the larger breed of dog is meant for controlled growth. They are lower in phosphorus and calcium than the other types of puppy foods available in the market. Phosphorus and calcium in excessive amounts will lead to all sorts of skeletal issues. However, puppy food of larger breed comprises additional fiber, which plays an integral role in adding bulk to the diet without any calories.
Larger breeds of dogs have the tendency to develop types of skeletal and chronic joint issues as they get older once they are fed. It is essential that the dog’s body conditioning score is two out of five as it is useful in warding excessive weight, which might lead to any sort of orthopedic issues at a later off stage.
There are a plethora of dog parents who love to give treats to the dogs. However, it would be a better idea to limit them. Puppies require different nutrients for their growth. So, it is essential to offer them food as it offers balanced and complete nutrition. You should ensure that the puppy you have in your home has a lot of calories. In addition to this, you should avoid giving them any sort of treats as they do not offer complete nutrition to them.
