How to feed a puppy: tips and tricks

One of the most frequently asked questions to the veterinarian is how to feed a puppy. It seems like a simple thing that we can take for granted, but how to feed a puppy is not that easy. Adequate nutrition, carried out from puppyhood, ensures optimal physical development for the dog, safeguarding its health in the future. First of all, when we know that a puppy is coming home we must make sure have the right puppy food for him in order to avoid the fact of not having anything to give him at the time of his arrival, this is something that tends to happen quite often. It is advisable to make a visit to the veterinarian to establish the best diet for your puppy; a high-quality puppy food is usually the right option. Knowing how to feed a puppy is essential for its correct development. 

The puppy's diet

We must keep in mind that the dog is an omnivorous animal; in general, its diet consists of approximately 40% proteins, another 40% carbohydrates and 20% fats. A quality puppy food offers all of this perfectly dosed. This is a consideration to take into account if we are going to offer our puppy a completely homemade diet. Remember that not all foods that people consume are valid for dogs and that it must be carried out by an expert veterinary nutritionist.

If you have any questions about how to feed a puppy, consult your veterinarian.

Regarding commercial dog food, it would be good to make a clarification. There are some people who declare themselves completely against this type of dog food. These people argue that there is little certainty about the origin of the raw materials that make up dog food. At this point a certain type of reasoning must be done. It is true that There are many brands of dog food and that there are many of very low prices that do not have quality, in these dog foods it is likely that some of the raw materials of which they are composed are of low quality and do not meet the nutritional needs of dogs. If we choose these options we may be saving a little money, but our dog will not be fed in the best way. However, as with everything in life, there are brands of dog food and very high quality puppy food that ensure the origin of all their raw materials and provide the dog with healthy and balanced nutrition. Many of the people who ban dry or canned dog food or dog food do so with leftover human food, such as dinner leftovers or other supermarket products that are no longer suitable for human consumption. Without a doubt, this is much more harmful to our dog's health. From here we believe that Offering your puppy quality dog food is the most appropriate option. and practice.

weaning

During the first 3 or 4 weeks of life the puppy feeds on its mother's milk. Sometimes, the mother cannot offer all the breast milk to her puppies, this can happen for various reasons (a litter that is too large, stress...) In these cases, special powdered milk for dog puppies must be integrated into the food for one-month-old puppies and administered during the first 2 weeks throughout the day every 3 hours. This should be supervised by a veterinarian. Another option is a vaccine, but this can cause problems such as diarrhea. Powdered dog milk is more expensive, however it is a better option, as it is rich in protein, fat, calcium and phosphorus. Naturally, at 3 weeks the puppy will become interested in its mother's food. At first it is normal for him to put himself fully into the food container, which is a very funny and tender action. Little by little, as he watched his mother, the puppy will start eating solid food. Often in the weaning phase, soft foods are introduced into the puppy's diet to artificially breastfeed. Once again following the suggestions of a veterinarian.  This is a important stage in our puppy's life, so we must inform the veterinarian of any changes that we may observe in the puppy, if it is not growing, if it is not very active, if it cries at all times or any other behavior that draws our attention, it is likely that it requires analysis by the veterinarian. Remember that the transition from liquid to solid diet should always be done gradually. If the puppy does not begin to try solid food, you can bring him a little food so that he becomes familiar with it, sometimes it is just a matter of distrust.

Puppy food

At 6 weeks old, the puppy should have been completely weaned, which means it should be fed solids and no longer needs milk, needs specific puppy food. Many people mistakenly believe that a puppy needs to drink milk until it is 6 months old. From weaning onwards, mother's milk has already fulfilled its function in the puppy's life by giving it the necessary antibodies. Continuing to give our puppy milk can cause intestinal problems. In this way, milk should never be considered a substitute for water. Giving milk instead of water would increase the food ration too much, since milk is a complete food, and the puppy must always have fresh water available. Many times this decision is made when the owner observes that his puppy drinks little water and that is when they decide to replace it with milk, this is a serious mistake, this would not be the correct way to feed a puppy. It is normal for dog puppies not to drink a lot of water since they have the ability to absorb a large amount of water from food. When we give our friend puppy food, he is likely to drink more water since it is dry food.  To choose what type of puppy food we want to give our dog First of all we must make the decision whether to give homemade or commercial food. Let's remember that homemade food must be supervised by a veterinary nutritionist. Veterinarians usually recommend a diet based on quality puppy food, for the simple fact that they are correctly balanced and present healthy and strong nutrition. When it comes to puppies that need to grow a lot in a short period of time, it is very easy to make mistakes regarding the food we provide them, hence the confidence of a veterinarian in offering a complete diet through a guaranteed puppy food. Another consideration to take into account is that the most expensive dog food is still cheaper than homemade food for a puppy correct and quality, as well as much more practical. However, although a puppy food offers a balanced and correct dietSometimes growth disorders can appear in puppies, so in the first months of our puppy's life it is important to take him to the vet frequently to check his correct development. If we realize that its development is very rapid, it is likely that it needs less food or a change in diet. The opposite is true, if it takes a while to grow and develop, it is possible that it needs more food or a change in diet. The veterinarian will be the one to help us diagnose how to feed a puppy. Usually in small dogs These problems of how to feed a puppy do not occur, but even in this case, if the puppy is not fed correctly it will develop health problems, which is why it is important to feed it well with quality puppy food and never feed it with leftover food.

How many times should a puppy eat

As for the number of meals, for a puppy it is recommended that they be small and frequent, around 4 or 5 times a day. As the puppy grows, we must reduce the number of daily meals until reaching 3 and then 2 like an adult dog.  If in the process of feeding a puppy we decide to give it homemade food instead of puppy food, we have to take into account a series of considerations:

• Choose good quality meat. It is expensive, but if problems arise in the puppy's growth, its treatment will be much more expensive.
• Avoid connective tissue, fats and tendons. Select quality cuts of meat, preferably beef or chicken.
• If intolerance or allergy problems arise, consult with your veterinarian for another protein source.
• The meat should be boiled or grilled and without condiments or sauces.
• Boiled vegetables such as carrots or zucchini should also be added without seasonings or sauces.

 We must keep in mind that many of the products that people consume daily are harmful to dogs, which is why if we choose to feed our puppy food homemade must be supervised by a veterinarian expert in canine nutrition. Choosing quality puppy food is simply more practical, cheap and prevents us from making serious mistakes when feeding our puppy.

How a puppy should eat

We will give you some tips on how to feed a puppy to provide you with a good education. We must choose a place to install the water bowl and the food bowl, this place will always be the same and our puppy must be able to access it without problems. Remember that a dog must always have fresh water at its disposal. It is highly recommended always give our puppy meals at the same times thus following a routine. Frequent changes can destabilize the dog and make it nervous, they are animals of habit. When we prepare taking food for puppies We should offer it when the dog is calm and sitting, we should not give it food while it is upset, jumping and fluttering around happily because it is time to eat. We must wait without talking to him (if we do, we increase his emotion) and maintain a neutral expression until he calms down. That is the moment when we should give him the bowl of puppy food and walk away. We should never stay with the puppy until he finishes eating, if he gets used to it, he will not eat if we are not close to him. As we already mentioned, the water container must always be available to the puppy with clean, fresh water. Unlike food. The dog should not have unlimited access to the food bowl, this is an important factor in training how to feed a puppy. It is important to control one hundred percent the food our puppy eats, the quantity and frequency.  The most appropriate thing is to leave the bowl with the food within reach of the puppy for about 10 or 15 minutes, then return and remove it, regardless of whether the dog has finished the puppy food or not. This is done so that the dog understands that this is the time to eat, if it is done this way, our puppy will immediately understand and quickly learn what the meal times are. We should not worry if the first few times they have not emptied the food bowl, if we follow this process they will always get used to it very quickly. The most suitable time for feed our puppy It is usually after we eat, so the dog associates that the leader of the pack (the owner) is always the first to eat. This behavior is appropriate for dogs because they are gregarious animals and must play a role in their pack. If our puppy resists completely eating the food we provide, we should never give him something substitute like a cookie. You may end up using this behavior to only eat foods that are not recommended at all. And finally, we must remember that It is not good to regularly change our dog's diet. If we choose to give him a puppy food and he does well, it is not advisable to constantly change brands and, if you do, it is important to do it gradually so that he assimilates the new arrangement of nutrients little by little and thus avoids the development of gastrointestinal problems. If you follow this simple routine on how to feed a puppy, he will grow up healthy and happy.