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Name
Feeding Guidelines for New Puppies
Short Description
Feeding Guidelines for New Puppies
Affected Animals: Puppies.
Description:
Deciding on what, how much, and how often to feed
are the key questions that need to be addressed by the primary
caretakers of a new puppy. Before introducing a puppy to a new
household, owners should find out the type of food the animal has
been fed, as well as its feeding schedule. Providing a similar diet
will help ease the transition to the home environment.
Dog foods are available as canned or dry products. Most
veterinarians recommend feeding a dry growth product because this
type of dog food is less expensive than canned foods and the crunchy
kibble helps to minimize tartar build-up. Canned products, however,
are more palatable and can be used as periodic treats during puppy
training. In addition to the extra cost, canned products must be
covered and stored in the refrigerator once the can has been opened.
Dog food products made specifically for puppies should be nutritious
and should promote growth; look for the words "complete and
balanced" on the label. Complete and balanced products contain all
the necessary nutrients, in appropriate amounts, for young, growing
dogs. Owners should also check the label for the Association of
American Feed Control Officials' claim, which confirms that the
product has been tested in animal feeding trials.
For puppies less than 16 weeks of age, offering small meals three or
four times each day may ease the transition to the new home. In
addition, by feeding a meal every few hours, owners will have more
opportunities to observe the animal's food intake and to train it to
eliminate outdoors directly after each meal. Once the animal is six
months old, the feeding schedule can be gradually shifted from the
multiple daily feedings to two meals of equal portions, given in the
morning and in the evening.
In considering where to feed the puppy, owners should take into
consideration how they plan to manage training and housebreaking,
and whether there are additional pets or children in the household.
Some feeding places include a kennel, the garage, the kitchen, the
bedroom, or even beside the owner's chair in the living room.
Some puppies do very well when food is made available all the time
-- an approach called ad libitum or free choice feeding. However,
many young dogs tend to overeat with this method, and the extra
weight they carry as puppies can lead to health problems as they get
older. Feeding instructions listed on pet food packages offer
reasonable recommendations to follow for about two weeks with the
initiation of the diet; after that, owners should adjust the
quantity of food provided at each meal based on the animal's body
condition.
A puppy with good body condition should have an hour-glass shape
when viewed from the aerial view, or from above. In contrast, a
puppy that is overweight will not have any definition or shape
around the midsection. Owners can assess body condition by running
their hands over the dog's ribcage to feel the ribs. The ribs should
be distinguishable by palpation, but not visible. The animal may be
too thin if the ribs can be seen; if so, the owner should increase
the total calorie intake. However, if there is too much fat over the
rib cage, and the puppy's ribs cannot be distinguished, the total
amount of calories allowed should be reduced.
Most puppy owners want to feed treats or snacks of some kind, and
there are several commercial pet treats available in grocery stores,
pet specialty shops, and even on the Internet. The use of treats as
rewards during training is appropriate, but the portions should be
small because most treats, snacks, and human scraps fed to puppies
are a source of extra calories. To avoid problems such as obesity
and diarrhea, treats and snacks of all kinds should not make up more
than 10 percent of the puppy's total caloric intake; this guideline
applies to adult dogs as well. Back to Encyclopedia Listings
