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Puppies & Dogs
Feeding Your New Puppy
Your puppy not only depends on you for what's
in his bowl, but also for the quality of the ration that you put
in the bowl. That's a big responsibility. Owners need guidance
to sort out the truth from the fiction and old wives tales. Additionally,
with so many products on today's market, is it any wonder that
people are confused?
Goals of Feeding
The goal in correct puppy feeding is to provide the right food
in the right amount so that your puppy will achieve the average
growth for their breed. We don't want him to grow too fast since
this can produce health problems later on. Researchers have shown
that overfeeding for maximal weight gain should definitely be
avoided. In fact, slight underfeeding is preferable!
Type of Food
A puppy food must be just that - a food for puppies. An adult
diet is not suitable for growing active puppies. Cat food is not
appropriate as dogs require different components in their diet
from that of cats. Our hospital can advise you on the most appropriate
food and feeding regime for your puppy. An important point - once
you have decided on a partcular product feed it exclusively. Avoid
supplementation with meat, table scraps, mineral and vitamin supplements
etc. as this will often create a finicky eater, nutritional imbalances
or both. Bones, fat trimmings and grease should not be given to
your puppy as these can cause serious stomach and intestinal problems,
including perforation and pancreatitis.
Feeding Method
Our hospital believes that "time-restricted" feeding,
as opposed to free choice, is preferable for most breeds and most
owners. By time restricted feeding we refer to a meal being placed
before them for a designated amount of time. When the time is
up, the food bowl comes up. Most animals will catch on to this
in the first couple of feedings. Ideally, puppies should be fed
three times daily until four months of age. When puppies are young
they have small energy reserves and need food more freqently than
adults so they do not develop low sugar (hypoglycemia). Hypoglycemia
can cause weakness, shakiness and even seizures in puppies. Once
your puppy is six months of age you can decrease feedings to twice
daily. As an adult dog feed once or twice daily depending on your
pet's preference.
The other alternative is free choice feeding, which
means leaving a bowl of food down at all times so the animal can
eat whenever it wishes to. One drawback to this method is that
it makes it more difficult to monitor food intake. With puppies
it also makes house-breaking infinitely more difficult.
Regardless of the feeding schedule chosen, it is
very important to measure your dog's food and give just that amount
daily. Remember to take the calories from treats into account.
This will help to prevent obesity in your dog.
Rules for Puppy Feeding
- Use a puppy formulation food
- Don't give any additives - unless directed
by a veterinarian
- Puppies should not be fed adult type
foods, or the very inexpensive dry foods. In many instances,
because of the low caloric density of these products, the puppy
cannot consume sufficient quantities of digestible nutrients
to satisfy optimal growth requirements
- Puppies should be switched to an adult
formula food at between six to eight months for larger breed
dogs and around twelve months for smaller breed dogs
- As a general rule, do not feed your dog
around exercise time. This can lead to gastric bloat or a more
serious condition called gastric dilation volvolus (GDV or twisted
stomach). This problem is most commonly seen in deep-chested
dogs (German Shephards, Great Danes, Golden Retrievers ….).
GDV can be fatal even with surgical correction and prompt medical
care. This condition can be fatal. To be on the safe side, do
not feed your dog for an hour before or after excercising.
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