It is very easy to feed a puppy and a dog. But how and with what to feed a puppy or a dog to make it not expensive and maximum nutritious and healthy? Ground on the information at this article, but after some time you will create the feeding plan for your puppy grounding on your own experience.
Puppy feeding, as well as an adult dog feeding, demands quite a lot of time. Under a word "a lot" understand in time, quality, proper menu choice and ration of puppy feeding. You are a responsible dog owner, aren't you? Treat a puppy feeding as well as your own meals.
It is very good that people adore their dogs. And most people express their care by feeding a puppy or a dog with various food, sometimes puppy food even more diverse than the owner's own meals. It is very easy: feed in time, without waste products but with a really quality food.
Feed additives and vitamins
There is a couple of words about different feed additives and vitamins. Though, this theme deserves a separate article.
You've probably heard that a dog under 1 year old should be well fed and get a lot of vitamins, additives and other "supplements". it sounds reasonable, and we cannot decline it. But you should not buy all the assortment of a vet drug-store, and moreover worry, if you forgot to buy some one kind of vitamins. It is easy substituted with eggshell. But it is better to buy cheaper but really effective products: bone meal, fish oil etc.
There is a lot of ads, that assures that you will spoil a dog's health without a following pack of vitamins. In the USA the feed production of supplies and vitamins for pets is a multi-billion business. Though, as far as we know, their dogs do not suffer. And their outer look does not say that they need additives.
Of course, people feel the most positive emotions for a puppy and feed it with different nutritive food: vitamins with phosphor and some other active components, usual pharmaceutic brimstone (for fur), bone meal, eggshell (milled), fish oil, and even pieces of choke etc.
Different food additives are good for a dog, it will scarcely feel worse because of it. But we should remember about natural products. Any product for a puppy has nutritious elements: meat, eggs, milk, carrot, paprika, nuts, cabbage, cereals etc.
Here we will try to give maximum of useful information and to explain it with simple words and after reading it you will have a clear image of puppy feeding ration, food for puppies, and amount of it.
How many times a day a puppy is to be fed?
Puppy feeding from 1 till 2 month should be 6 times a day, approximately after each 3 hours. Usually, till two months puppy feeding does not cause any problems with its appetite. A puppy eats well, but what should do the owners if it refuses to eat the following carefully prepared portion?
Train it since a puppy age: if it does not want to eat - leave a plate in front of a puppy, and if it does not eat within a couple of minutes - take a plate off. It is not cruel. But a puppy will eat better the next time.
The portion of food should be more at 3 months old and the number of feeding less: five times a day. If a puppy has eaten everything but still licks the plate - make a portion more. Here again you should not worry if a dog refuses to eat. Some dogs may not eat the whole day and then express their appetite in the evening. It is normal. Do not panic.
A puppy of 4 - 5 months can be fed 4 times a day. Divide its daily food regularly to the whole day: in the morning, afternoon, evening and a couple of hours before sleep.
From 6 - 10 months a puppy can be fed 3 times a day. It is approximately the same as a daily ration of a human.
Beginning from 10 months and within all the adult life of your dog it should be fed twice a day.
Puppy feeding ration
Calculate a portion according to a puppy size. I made it the following way. I fed my shepherd till 1,5 month as follows. In the morning I prepared a boiled (with milk) buckwheat (changing it with rice, porridge).
After several hours (by timetable) she ate cottage cheese mixed with milk. It is useful to add a little honey (1/3 tea spoon) - this way milk products are absorbed better and a puppy enjoys it. Once a week put a raw egg instead of honey.
Then I gave it a broth with meat, cereals (change different cereals) and vegetables and herbals.
You'd better don't give a raw meat till a puppy is 1,5 months old.
It is not a strict ration and if you have no milk at the moment feed a dog with a boiled cereals. It is not a problem it will not eat a cottage cheese a day or two. It is the most important to provide a dog with nutritious elements and to keep it not hungry. And also react in time when a dog does not eat food proposed by you.
Don't forget to add a little milled eggshell to dog food. Change it with bone meals.
It is useful to feed a puppy with sour milk. But not from a supermarket, but made at home.
Don't forget fruit, nuts and mix it with vegetable oil. Some dogs adore baked pumpkin.
Treat a dog with bones, but not tube-like. Dogs have special attitude to bones. If a dog growls when it has a bone, or just when you feed it - act immediately. About it read in the chapter about puppy upbringing.
Beginning from 1,5 month you can give a dog raw met several hours before sleep. Meat is very healthy for a puppy.
There is a simple calculation of meat amount for a dog (for puppy as well as for adult): 1 kilo of dog weight : 20-30 g of meat.
Remember that it is not advised to give pork, it overloads dog liver. The best for dog is beef. Chicken is also good, but without bones.
Several times a week feed a dog with fish instead of meat. But you need more fish amount to substitute one portion meat.
Ocean fish is given raw. If it is a fish from river - boiling of t is necessary. Be careful and watch that it should not have bones.
Feeding of a puppy from 2 months till 4 and elder
Here you can give less dairy products and more cereals with meat. Don't forget to add vegetables and fruit to boiled cereals. Use different kinds of cereals.
Nota Bene. Remember
Watch your dog not to eat excessive. If you see that you dog has too full belly, make a portion less.
Watch a dog to have fresh water available constantly. Just don't forget to change water it its plate.
If you skipped a feeding, do not give more food the next feeding to compensate it.
A puppy refuses to eat? It is not a problem. Just take off a plate till the next feeding and it will eat with better appetite. But if a loss of appetite is accompanied with other symptoms - visit a vet.
If your puppy licks a plate after a meal, make a portion larger.
Don't bother a puppy while it is eating.
Don't make a puppy got used to delicacies. If a dog eats the tastiest in the plate - the next time give him to eat the rests.
Make a plan of your dog ration and note the most important rules and you puppy will be healthy and active!