Nutrition & Feeding - Puppy Nutrition

Puppies have very different food and nutritional requirements than adult and senior dogs. The information provided in the previous articles on "Food Types" and "Food Requirements" are particular to older, more mature dogs. Puppies will have various nutritional needs as they age and ensuring that puppies are fed the correct diet will help them grow into healthy and well developed adult dogs. Improper nutrition during their growth stages will result in bone malformation, skeletal and muscular problems, and possibly even neurological problems. Feeding puppies is not difficult provided basic principles are followed during the various growth stages. Since the developing puppy will gradually need more calories, different protein requirements and changes in the amount of food needed the feeding requirements are broken down by ages.

Puppies under the age of three to four weeks should be relying on their mother's milk for their nutrition. They will have little interest in food or water and will solely depend upon the bitch for their nutrition. It is very important that the puppy's nurse at this time as the mother passes antibodies and nutrients to the puppies through the milk. Many puppies that are not nursed until at least four weeks by the bitch have health issues and chronic health conditions throughout their lives.

At about the age of three to four weeks puppies can start to drink puppy replacement milk. The replacement milk is a powder that you can purchase from a pet food store, online pet supply companies or through a veterinarian. Each different brand has its own mixture ratio, so be sure to read the label for mixing instructions. Generally the powder can be mixed with water in a blender or simply with a spoon. Be aware that puppy replacement milk is not the same as powdered milk that can be purchased at the grocery store for human consumption. The puppy replacement milk is specially formulated to have the same amount of lipids (fats), protein and nutrients that puppies need from their mother.

The first time that you try to feed the puppies the milk replacement be prepared for a fair amount of washing up. A good idea is to purchase a small child's plastic swimming pool or place the puppies in the bath. They will have no idea how to lap the milk, as they have always nursed the mother, which is a completely different process. A deep dish is not effective as puppies will dunk their whole head in the milk replacement. A more practical dish for teaching puppies to drink is a very shallow cookie tray with sides. If you can find a very small one this works perfect for a few puppies, a larger one is effective for larger litters. To get puppies interested in the milk replacement place them in the bathtub or plastic pool, then gently push their chins into the mixture, careful to not push their nose into the milk as this will scare them. Just allow the chin to dip in, then the puppies will lick at the liquid. Within a couple of times of completing this procedure they will start to look forward to their meal. Be sure to wipe off the puppies coats and heads after the first few times as they are likely to have more milk on them than they actually consume. Milk left on the puppies will quickly develop a foul odour and will make the whelping box less than pleasant smelling. Some breeders recommend mixing some ground dog food that has been completely powdered or small amounts of canned food into the milk replacement to make more of a semi-liquid mix. Whatever the puppies do not eat be sure to dispose of immediately and only mix enough milk formula or pet milk mixed with ground food for each feeding.

By the end of the fourth week the puppies should be eating a fairly thick mixture of ground dog food, pet milk, and canned dog food. You do not need to add the canned food if you would prefer not too, the puppy kibble can just be crushed into very small pieces and soaked in the milk replacement to make a soft paste.

The bitch should start to naturally wean the puppies at about the fourth week. It is generally considered appropriate by most breeders to complete the weaning in the fifth week, so the puppies should be well on their way to eating dog food. If the puppies are already eating the weaning process will be much easier. If the bitch seems to want to continue to allow the puppies to keep nursing after the fifth week she may need to be separated from them for longer periods of time to encourage her to wean the litter.

After puppies have been weaned they need to be fed three to four times a day. They should also have access to fresh, clean water at all times. The water dish should not be deep enough that the puppies could actually get into it as they could potentially drown, as they will not know how to swim at this age. The meals should be small and scheduled on a regular basis. Watch the puppies to ensure that they are all getting enough to eat and that one or two puppies from the litter are not eating the bulk of the food. It may be necessary to separate the dominant from the submissive puppies to make sure that all are allowed to eat.

Choosing the right puppy kibble or food is very important. Be sure that it is indicated as puppy food on the label and that there is at least 28% protein and 17% fat. This will provided the nutrition that growing puppies need. Too little protein will result in poor growth and development and too much protein can pose extreme problems especially in large breeds. Large breed puppies fed too much protein will grow faster than their muscular development can handle, and they will run the risk of brittle bones and other skeletal malformations. Large and giant breed puppies may benefit from one of the special puppy kibble products specifically made for large dogs. Puppies with kidney problems should only be fed a minimal protein diet and should be closely monitored by a vet.

Continue feeding the puppies three to four times a day and eliminate the addition of the milk replacement product. The puppies can have kibble softened with warm water or a small amount of warm water and low sodium beef or chicken broth.

It may be possible, depending on how the puppies are handling the transition, to feed only three times a day. Generally puppies will eat until satisfied and then will stop, so it is not important to measure each serving or portion. If you have one or more dominant puppies it will be important at this time to feed them separate from the rest of the litter. If puppies are going to their new homes at the end of the eight weeks, they need to be well adjusted to eating puppy kibble by this time.

If you are able to continue feeding three small meals a day most breeders recommend this especially for the large and giant breeds that are more prone to bloat or digestive problems. If three meals are not practical dogs can manage very well on two meals a day. Try to avoid a single meal a day as puppies tend to over-eat leading to vomiting and diarrhoea problems. Puppies should be fed a consistent diet without any dramatic changes. If you are planning to change the puppy's diet follow the process as outlined in the "Food Requirements" article to avoid any possible problems.

Most puppies will start to teeth somewhere between three to six months. This is a natural process much like how babies lose their baby teeth. The adult teeth for a dog are much heavier and thicker than the thin, sharp baby teeth. Often during this time the puppies will have red, somewhat inflamed looking gums and you may notice some slight bleeding from the gums. Anything that seems unusual or out of the ordinary should be checked out by the vet.

During this time the puppy's mouth may be rather sore and they may not eat for a couple of days, or may just choose to skip a meal or two. Moistening kibble with warm water or broth can make food softer and easier to eat at this time. Even thought the puppy may not eat regularly continue to feed on a schedule.

Many of the breeds, especially the small and medium breeds may look fully grown by six to eight months, even though they are really still growing and developing. Many of the large and giant breeds are not fully grown until they are two years old. If you have a small to large size dog it is important to keep feeding them puppy kibble until they are at least a year old, no matter what their physical appearance may be. Usually a visit to the vet at about a year of age will help determine if your puppy is now fully grown and ready to change over to dog kibble or food.

When you switch to an adult food be sure to check the label and make sure that it contains at least 26% protein for an active adult dog. Further information on this can be found in the sections on "Feeding Requirements" and "Food Types".

While many books and articles advocate the single meal a day feeding most breeders and vets recommend continuing on with a twice a day feeding for the duration of the dog's life.

Starting your puppy off right on the correct type of diet is very important. Many puppies, when started on the wrong diet, develop poor eating habits and become picky and finicky eaters. Puppies that are started on a diet of treats, table scraps or canned food often become problematic eaters, especially if owners tend to give in to the puppies demands for these special items.

While it may be tempting to give a puppy that bit of cookie or piece of steak from your plate, think about what it is teaching your puppy. A dog that is not fed scraps from the table will never engage in begging behaviour, nor will they hrefuse to eat their food without human food added. By sticking to a high quality, well-balanced dry food the puppy will have all its nutritional requirements met as well as having additional benefits. Dry kibble is effective in removing tarter from the gum line as well as keeping food away from between teeth.

Canned food is practical for some breeds, especially toys and small dogs. Puppies that are fed a diet of canned food may not have all their nutritional requirements met and also may have issues with dental problems and a lack of roughage in the diet. Puppies that are fed exclusively canned food will have difficulty in accepting kibble later on in their life. A compromise could be a mix of canned food and kibble although it will be more difficult to ensure your puppy is getting all required nutrients when you are mixing foods.

Semi-moist foods are not generally recommended for puppies although there are some special packaged foods on the market for puppies. The reason that semi-moist foods are not considered appropriate for puppies is because of the amount of preservatives that are often found in these preparations.

BARF diets or "Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods" are also a bit problematic for puppies. The milk or puppy teeth simply cannot chew on the bones in order to get the calcium, phosphorous and other nutrients found in the bones, the cornerstone of the diet. Older puppies can easily go on a BARF diet, and most of the BARF systems advocate feeding a puppy based on its body weight. The systems use a 10% standard, so if your puppy weighed 20 pounds you should feed about 2 pounds of the raw materials divided between three feedings during the day. Puppies started on a BARF diet often have a difficult time transitioning to a kibble or other foods when they get older, simply because they do not find the kibble palatable.

Puppies should not be fed certain foods that can interfere with their digestion. Foods such as cow's milk, cheese, cottage cheese, ice cream or cream should be avoided as it is likely to cause digestive problems. A bit of non-flavoured or plain yoghurt is acceptable in very limited quantities, but it is not necessary in the puppy's diet.

Puppies should not need any type of supplement, vitamin or additional minerals. Many companies market supplements for puppies that are supposed to enhance growth and allow for proper skeletal and muscle development. The reverse is actually true. Puppies fed too many nutrients are likely to have growth problems throughout their lives. Vitamins and minerals can also cause toxicity problems in puppies and can lead to seizures and even death.

As with dogs, feeding puppies consistently is the key to good health and nutrition. It is very important to monitor the puppies as they grow and to use common sense in adjusting their feeding levels and quantities. If you notice that the puppy seems to be gaining weight but not developing skeletally, you should reduce the amount of food in total, but still continue with the three or four feedings a day. It is nutritionally better for puppies to have several small meals a day rather than one or two large meals. If your puppy appears to be overly thin a trip to the vet is the first step, especially if you are feeding on the guidelines and the puppy is eating all of their food. This is often the first sign of a metabolic disorder or other medical condition that can be more easily treated if diagnosed early in the puppy's life rather than later.

It may be possible to feed a puppy free choice especially if there is only one puppy or dog in the house. To effectively feed the puppy free choice you should still carefully monitor and measure the feed until you are confident that the puppy is eating properly. This is best accomplished in one of two ways. The first way is often the easiest, which includes measuring a daily ration of dry food and placing it out for the puppy. Check periodically throughout the day to ensure that the puppy is not eating everything at once. Over a week, the puppy should learn to eat its fill and then walk away from the dish, leaving some for later. If the puppy continues to try to eat everything all at once, he or she may not be a good candidate for free access feeding. Free access feeding with other dogs will be discussed in the section on "Socialising".