Show
Cute, furry, and hungry. Your new pet is ready for puppy food, and you want to make sure you start them off right. Puppies grow fast. And providing the proper nutrition is important for building strong bones and teeth, adding muscle, and supplying all the energy needed for play and learning. But what should you feed them? There are dozens of varieties of puppy food. Plus, there’s the one your puppy received from the breeder or animal shelter. Which food is right for your puppy, and how do you tell if it’s a good fit? If you are wondering how to feed a puppy, read on. Puppies are growing rapidly, building bone and muscle, and developing organs. Adult dogs are maintaining their bodies. Your puppy needs extra nutrients to fuel their growth. Puppies should get solid food starting at about four weeks, when they’re not able to get all the calories they need from their mother’s milk. Most puppies are weaned by six weeks. Joseph Wakshlag, DVM, PhD, is assistant professor of clinical nutrition at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. He says that for puppies younger than 8 weeks, you may need to moisten dry food until it feels spongy. Start by asking your veterinarian what they recommend, says C.A. Tony Buffington, DVM, PhD. Buffington is a professor of veterinary clinical sciences at The Ohio State University Veterinary Hospital. “In the first six months or so, the nutrient needs are changing very quickly. And, they leave the least margin for error.” So asking your vet is a good idea since veterinarians typically recommend diets they’ve had the most experience with. The Association of American Feed Control Officials sets nutrient guidelines that most pet food manufacturers follow. Check the package label for a statement saying the food is formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient guidelines for complete and balanced nutrition, or that feeding trials following AAFCO guidelines have substantiated that it provides complete nutrition. Along with that statement, the label should give the life stage the food is suited for. Puppies should be eating food labeled for growth or for all life stages. After a month or 6 weeks on the food, assess your puppy’s health. They should be playful and energetic, with a shiny, thick coat. Formed brown feces are a sign that your puppy is digesting most of the nutrients in the food. Puppies should eat three times a day from weaning through four to six months, if possible. After six months, twice-a-day feedings are fine. But if you’re not able to feed your pup three times a day, don’t worry. Buffington says puppies can adapt. Puppies need to take in a lot of calories to fuel their rapid growth. At the start, that means about twice as many per pound as an adult dog of the same breed. Puppies grow the fastest in their first five months. Look for feeding charts on commercial puppy food labels. You can use them as a guide. They provide recommended amounts based on a puppy’s age and weight. Adjust as necessary to keep your puppy in the best condition, something you may need to do weekly. Veterinarians evaluate dogs using a body conditioning score, which ranges from one for emaciated, to five for obese. It's normal for very young puppies to have some baby fat, but after the first 8 to 10 weeks, "puppies should be a two", Buffington says. Another scale ranges from 1-9, with a 4 or 5 being a perfect body score. You can learn to assess your dog at home. At a score of 2, which is relatively thin, a puppy’s ribs may be visible. The tops of the back bones will generally be easily seen. You shouldn’t be able to feel any fat on its ribs. You should see a waist when looking down at your puppy and an abdominal tuck when looking from the side. By 5 months, your pup should look lean as it starts to wrap up its most rapid growth period. Large breeds such as Great Danes, Labrador retrievers, and Doberman Pinschers are more likely to develop skeletal and joint problems, including hip dysplasia. Although these conditions are primarily triggered by inherited factors, overfeeding can worsen the situation. Large-breed puppy foods are designed for controlled growth and may be lower in calcium and phosphorus than other puppy foods. Excess levels of calcium and phosphorus can contribute to skeletal problems. Large-breed puppy food also may contain more fiber to add bulk to the diet without calories. Large-breed dogs are more likely to develop chronic joint or skeletal problems when they get older if they are overfed, according to several studies. In one study that followed Labrador retrievers for 14 years, dogs fed a balanced diet with 25% less food than their littermates were less likely to develop hip joint arthritis. Dogs on the calorie-restricted diet also showed signs of arthritis at an average age of 12 years rather than six. Buffington says that keeping your large-breed puppy at a body condition score of 2 out of 5 will help ward off the excess weight that can cause orthopedic problems in later life. There is no official definition for organic pet food yet. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is developing rules on what types of synthetic additives, like vitamins and purified amino acides, may be used in "organic" pet foods. Many pet owners like to reward their dogs with treats, but it’s best to limit them. Because puppies need so many nutrients to grow, it’s important to give them food that provides complete and balanced nutrition. A puppy should get most of their calories from puppy food rather than from treats, which typically don’t provide complete nutrition. Aim for no more than 5% of calories from treats, say nutrition experts at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Choose treats that are the right size for your puppy. A Yorkshire terrier, for instance, doesn’t need an extra-large dog biscuit. And avoid table scraps, which teach your puppy at a young age to beg for treats at the table and can cause digestive upset and pancreatitis, a serious illness. Consider giving other types of treats to deepen the bond with your puppy. Healthy snacks like bits of carrot, green beans, or bell peppers give your puppy something to crunch without many calories. And remember, in your puppy’s mind, spending time with you is the best treat of all. “Play is a treat, training is a treat, learning tricks is a treat,” Buffington says. “Dogs are a pack species, and they want to be a member of the pack. Anything a member of the pack does with them is positive reinforcement.” Once puppies have reached 90% of their expected adult weight, they should switch from a growth diet to one that’s suitable for maintenance. Small breeds may finish growing by 9 to 12 months; for large breeds, expect 12 to 18 months. Some foods that people enjoy can be harmful to dogs. Keep your puppy away from avocados, chocolate, grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts, and raw bread dough made with yeast. Also avoid onions, garlic, and chives; milk and large amounts of dairy products such as cheese; alcohol; coffee and caffeine; salty food, such as potato chips; and food sweetened with xylitol, such as gum, baked goods, and candy. Xylitol, also used in products such as toothpaste, can cause liver failure and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in dogs. Puppies grow oh-so-quickly. But not all puppies reach full maturity at the same time, which begs the question, how long should your puppy eat puppy food? The answer depends on the breed. Large and giant breeds reach full maturity in two years, while a toy breed can be fully grown in as little as seven months. Knowing your pet’s anticipated full-grown size is the best place to start when it comes to planning your puppy’s meals. With the help of this guide, you can plan a balanced diet for your puppy and know when they’re ready to make the switch to adult food. How many times should a puppy eat a day?By six weeks of age, puppies should be weaned from their mother’s milk, and fully transitioned to a kibble or wet, canned food — either a puppy formula or an all-stages formula. Once they’re eating their kibble four feedings a day, you’ll eventually phase that back to three feedings a day and ultimately two. As a rule of thumb, this timeline shows how many meals a day puppies need:
How do I know if I’m feeding my puppy enough?Watch their eating habitsAs puppies enter new growth stages, their calorie needs will automatically adjust and you should see this showing up in their appetite levels. If your once-ravenous four-bowl-a-day pupper is almost three months old but has lost momentum in the “clean bowl club,” their body may be ready to transition to three meals a day. Keep treats in mindTreats are another thing to consider when right-sizing your pup’s meals. If you’ve had a busy day of training, and you’ve doled out many treats and rewards, you’ll want to adjust the mealtime accordingly. Consider how many calories they’ve consumed, and put a little less in the bowl. Keep an eye on their size and weightThe puppy pudge and potbelly should be gone by the time your young dog reaches one year old. At the same time, they shouldn’t look too skinny or underweight. Generally speaking, you should see a dip between the stomach and hips if you’re looking at your puppy from the top down. It’s OK if their ribs are showing, you just don’t want their skin to look sunken between them. They should be lanky, not emaciated. How many cups of food should I feed my puppy?The amount of food your puppy needs will depend on their age and weight. Small-breed puppies will have different calorie and mineral needs than large-breed puppies. To stay on track and in balance, here’s what you’ll need to do: 1. Follow the feeding directions on the bagThere’s no universal portion that will meet the needs of every pup. Whether you’ve opted for a puppy formula or an all-stages formula, follow the feeding directions provided by the brand to guide you. High-quality brands, like NutriSource, are dense in calories and nutrients, which means you’ll need to put around 30 to 40% less food in the bowl than you would, say, a supermarket brand. Using your puppy’s age and weight as a guide, you can adjust the portion as they grow. 2. Do regular weigh-insEvery couple of weeks or so, have a quick weigh-in with your pup. This will help you see if your dog’s growth is on schedule — not too little, not too much. You don’t need any special equipment to weigh your dog. All you need is your bathroom scale. How to weigh your puppy at home:
3. Keep a calendarIt’s easy to lose track of time. To help you anticipate important changes in your puppy’s feeding schedule, mark their upcoming milestones in your calendar: three months, six months, one year and so forth. When can I switch my puppy to adult dog food?When it comes to choosing the right puppy food, size definitely matters. Smaller dogs can transition to adult food earlier than large and giant breeds. Finding the balanceMaking the switch from puppy to adult dog food is something of a balancing act. While you don’t want to remove the food too early, waiting too long can give your best friend a calorie surplus. As a result, your dog could end up carrying a few extra pounds. While a little puppy pudge sounds cute, even one pound of excess weight can cause stress in the joints, and lead to health issues for your pup. At the same time, you want to make sure your puppy is getting the right proportion of nutrients to grow and develop normally. It’s OK to provide puppy food longer than needed, just to be on the safe side. But if your young dog is still carrying that puppy pudge, you can scale back a bit on the portion — and keep an eye on the number of treats they’re getting. Small to medium breedsFor many small to medium-sized dogs, the rule of thumb is your dog will be cutting back on calories sometime in the 5- to 7-month range. At 12 months, you may notice your pup’s calorie needs have scaled back again. At that point, when they’ve reached full size, that puppy is ready to make the switch from a puppy formula to an adult formula. If you’re feeding an all life stage food as opposed to an adult-specific food, you can safely switch a small to medium sized dog at any point. Large and giant breedsIf their adult weight is projected at 55 pounds or greater, that puts your puppy in the large-breed category. Larger breeds grow more slowly than medium to small breeds. They won’t reach physical maturity at the age of 18-24 months. This means the bigger breeds have different nutritional needs than those of their smaller-sized counterparts. Because they’re maturing at a slower rate, you want to make sure you don’t overdo it on minerals such as calcium. Puppy formulas for small to medium breeds pack in more calcium than large-breed puppy formulas. If you offer the large breed the wrong puppy formula, the overload of calcium can lead to too-rapid bone growth, causing problems in adulthood. They run the risk of developing a weaker skeleton and joints as well as developmental orthopedic diseases, according to VCA Hospitals. How to transition from puppy formula to adult formula or all-life-stages (ALS) formulaWhen that one-time ball of fluff is done growing, it’s time to transition to an adult formula. Sudden changes in food can be upsetting to a dog’s gastrointestinal system. For that reason, many brands recommend a phased approach, starting with a small ratio of adult food to puppy food, and gradually increasing that adult ratio. However, if you’re feeding your puppy NutriSource brands from the start, the phased approach isn’t necessary. in particular NutriSource chicken and rice recipes transition exceptionally well from puppy to adult formulations. If you’re feeding your dog a brand that does require a phased approach, here’s a basic formula to follow:
Is it OK to feed my puppy an all-life-stages diet?An all-life-stages formula can provide a convenient but still nutritionally sound option. All-life stages appeal to pet parents with more than one dog in the house, or for those who want to take the guesswork out of transitioning to an adult formula. What is an all-life-stages (ALS) diet? The Association of American Feed Control Officials sets nutritional guidelines for pet foods. There are three main diets under AAFCO:
An all-life-stages diet is a diet that is formulated to meet the needs of puppies as well as adult dogs. For NutriSource, formulas labeled as adult food are also considered all-life-stages formulas. If your puppy is a larger breed, it’s critical to read the label before offering an all-stages diet, explains Tufts University. What you’ll want to look for is AAFCO’s qualifier for nutritional adequacy statement. It will tell you whether that all-stages formula meets the standards of larger breed puppies. In particular, the formula should have a roughly 1:1 ratio of calcium to phosphorous to support healthy bone growth. The best puppy diet for a healthy startGive your puppy a strong start in life with NutriSource puppy diets, formulated for small- and medium-breed puppies as well as large-breed puppies. Healthy foods are the foundation for strong healthy teeth, proper nutrient absorption and solid stools (AKA good gut health!). After all, no one wants a puppy with diarrhea! Not only does NutriSource offer optimal nutrition in the right-sized bites, NutriSource formulates all foods with its innovative Good 4 Life® system. Good 4 Life has the probiotics and prebiotics that optimize your pup’s development because they help pup’s body absorb minerals and other nutrients. With less going to waste, you’ll have fewer messes to pick up in the backyard. Ready to pick up a bag of NutriSource? Shop local! |
How long should dogs be on puppy food
Pos Terkait
Copyright © 2024 membukakan Inc.
