It’s chowtime! - Puppy Feeding

Getting a puppy is not unlike having a baby. That cuddly little fur ball will be dependent on you for many years to come.

By the time you bring home your new four-legged friend, it would have been six to eight weeks old and weaned off its mother’s milk. Puppies should not be separated from their mothers until they are ready for solids. Like children, puppies need mother’s milk for the necessary antibodies.

Puppies are frisky little creatures who grow quickly, thus require more daily feedings, calories and nutrients than full-grown dogs.

You should seek advice from your veterinarian on the amount of food your puppy needs. Small breed puppies reach about 40% to 50% of their adult bodyweight within three months while a large breed puppy achieves that in five.

Feeding your dog table scraps teaches it bad habits, and could make it a finicky eater. You should provide it nutritional food, at the same time and place every day.

Generally, a pup under six months will require three to four feedings a day. At about six months, feeding frequency can be reduced to twice a day. Do ensure an adequate amount of fresh water is available at all times.

It is also a good time to cultivate good eating habits in your dog at this stage. You should feed your puppy at the same time and place each day. It helps its digestive system and makes for good housetraining. Your puppy’s diet should be consistent too, with the same brand fed every day.

If you wish to change the brand of dog food, do it gradually over a period of about a week by overlapping the new and old brands until the old one is phased out completely.


Allan