In order for the four-legged baby to develop well and grew up well, his nutrition should be balanced. Ready-made dry diets developed specifically for dogs of tender age help to achieve this goal without complicated calculations and endless search for useful products. Today we will talk about how to properly give dry dog food to the puppies and avoid errors when feeding them.
The choice of diet
Each owner has the right to choose for his dog the diet that considers necessary. At the same time, it is important to consider several factors at once:
- Price-quality ratio;
- The availability of feed in the nearest stores (or the ability to order via the Internet);
- Compliance with the age and breed of the animal.
For example, storm for puppies of large and giant breeds contain special additives to strengthen the joints and are produced in larger granules. It will be problematic to defeat such food for the dwarf breeds, and their large brothers, on the contrary, often crush too small particles.
Gradual
Having picked up the optimal nutrition for a small four-legged friend, do not rush to switch to it. The first 10-15 days after arriving in the new house it is better to feed him with the food to which he is used to. Typically, the breeders themselves inform the buyer the name of the food, which fed the puppy, and the most responsible ones even give a small storage container with them.
As soon as the baby adapts to the changed conditions, you can transfer it to the product that the owner prefers prefers. The transition should not be sharp.
- Replace with new food about a quarter of a portion, leaving the previous total calorie content;
- Every day, increase the share of the new product, proportionally reducing the amount of the old;
- After 5-7 days, completely transfer the puppy to the selected food.
A gradual translation to another food helps to avoid stress and digestive disorders, as well as track the undesirable reactions of the animal’s body to a new type of feeding. The signal for the suspension of food “reforms” should be a stool disorder, allergic reactions: a rash on the stomach, itching and excessive discharge from the ears.
Squeezing granules
Often the newly made owners have a question of how to give food a puppy – in dry or soaked form. There is no only correct answer here: it all depends on the age and preferences of the baby.
If before he eats exclusively natural food or wet dog food, dry granules may not seem too attractive to him. However, this is not a reason to abandon the selected path. Just shortly before feeding, pour the food with warm water (50–70 ° C) and wait until it absorbs moisture. So its aroma will become more pronounced, and the consistency will be closer to natural food.
But keep in mind that the soaked granules quickly deteriorate, so if the puppy did not finish the food, you need to put the bowl in the refrigerator, but not longer than 12 hours.
Abundant drink
Pure drinking water should be in the public domain around the clock. If natural foods and dog canned food already contain a considerable amount of moisture, then in the dry granules it is practically absent. And regular consumption of dry dog food against the background of a lack of fluid not only causes the animal discomfort, but also leads to chronic diseases. Therefore, control over the drinking regime of the puppy is so important.
Check that there is constantly water in the bowl. If she was polluted and clouded, it is desirable to refresh her. Those owners who spend a lot of time at work should think about acquiring an automatic drinker for animals.
It is arranged in such a way that the bowl is replenished as it is drunk from a pre-prepared tank. Thanks to this useful device, the puppy will be enough, even when it remains alone at home.
Daily regime
It is correct to feed the puppy with dry dog food is to observe the daily routine. Animals eat better and absorb food if they get it at the same time. Therefore, regularity is the golden rule of dog feeding.
When drawing up the dog’s schedule, be sure to take into account your own schedule in order to manage to feed the puppy every day in the installed hours. The number of feedings directly depends on the age of the pet.
| The age of the puppy | 1-2 months. | 2-4 months. | 4-6 months. | 6-10 months. | 10+ months |
| Number of feedings per day | 5–6 | 4–5 | 3–4 | 3 | 2 |
The recommended daily norm indicated on the best dog food storage container with food is divided into equal parts in accordance with the number of feedings. It is undesirable to give a double dose at a time, since puppies, especially large breeds, often do not know measures and eat up, which eventually ends with vomiting.
In the breaks between the meals, you should not leave a bowl of food in the public domain. If the baby did not finish the laid portion or did not touch it at all, immediately remove the bowl in an inaccessible place. The next feeding should be strictly according to the schedule, and in volume – no more than usual.
This approach will protect the pet from overeating and related problems. Do not worry that he will be left without food for a while: if he were truly hungry, would never refuse the proposed food.
At what age can you feed the puppy with dry dog food?
Dogs of any breeds can be gradually accustomed to a soaked stern as soon as they have the first teeth. This usually happens at the age of 3-4 weeks. Starting from 1. 5 months, you can completely switch to “drying”, most importantly, do not forget about the drinking regime.
Do you need a puppy of vitamin preparations and supplements?
Blitz feed is complete. They are enriched with all the macro and microelements necessary for dogs, balanced in proteins/fats and other indicators, contain probiotics for comfortable digestion. Therefore, additional additives are not required for puppies, except when such drugs are prescribed by a veterinarian.
How to feed the puppy with dry dog food – before or after a walk?
Long-term active walks immediately after a plentiful meal are undesirable: they are able to provoke such a dangerous complication as a inversion of the stomach. This is especially true for giant and large breeds. But short-lived calm walks at the stage of accustoming to neatness are simply necessary. After all, usually a small puppy “doing your deeds” just half an hour after eating.
As the dog grows older, you need to gradually depart from this and rebuild for feeding after a walk.
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