What Should You Feed a New Puppy?
As a veterinary technician, one of the most common questions I hear from new puppy owners, is 'what should I feed him?' Being in the veterinary field and seeing how much people differ in what they feed their animals, makes it a harder question to answer than you might think.
There are so many choices of dog food from home cooked meals, to top of the line organic pet foods and even freeze dried meats.
It's no surprise to hear new puppy owner's who are often confused and want to know what the "correct" choice is.
The truth about dog food is that there's really not one perfect food to feed your dog, but for growing puppies, it's important to choose a food made specifically for them.
From my experience, what puppies need to develop into strong, healthy dogs, is either Hills Science Diet for puppies or Eukanuba as my top two types of recommended food.
When you read the feeding instructions on the side of the bag, take note if they mention whether it is for a small or large breed puppy.
It's best to get the right size kibble for your puppy's breed.
You can mix the canned version of the same brand of food into the dry food to moisten it when the puppy is under 3 months old, but beyond 3 months, your puppy should be ready to eat just the dry food.
Although there is plenty of nutrition in the canned food of these brands, the dry is recommended in order to help keep you puppy's teeth cleaner.
It is also important to always make sure there is plenty of fresh water for him/her to drink as well.
Finally, be careful not to over feed you puppy.
A puppy under 3 months will need to be fed three times a day, but should drop down to twice a day, soon after reaching 3 months of age.
Remember that the puppy food bag shows the amount you should feed each day and not every time he/she eats, so divide the food up for whichever feeding schedule you have him/her on.
Feeding your puppy a high quality diet like one of these brands can provide him/her with a good healthy start in life.
And there you have it, my answer to one of the most common questions about new puppies! P.
S.
To find out more about dog nutrition, which foods are safe, and which foods your dog needs to stay healthy, check out the "Dog Food Secrets" link on my website puppy for an eBook that covers all the bases.
There are so many choices of dog food from home cooked meals, to top of the line organic pet foods and even freeze dried meats.
It's no surprise to hear new puppy owner's who are often confused and want to know what the "correct" choice is.
The truth about dog food is that there's really not one perfect food to feed your dog, but for growing puppies, it's important to choose a food made specifically for them.
From my experience, what puppies need to develop into strong, healthy dogs, is either Hills Science Diet for puppies or Eukanuba as my top two types of recommended food.
When you read the feeding instructions on the side of the bag, take note if they mention whether it is for a small or large breed puppy.
It's best to get the right size kibble for your puppy's breed.
You can mix the canned version of the same brand of food into the dry food to moisten it when the puppy is under 3 months old, but beyond 3 months, your puppy should be ready to eat just the dry food.
Although there is plenty of nutrition in the canned food of these brands, the dry is recommended in order to help keep you puppy's teeth cleaner.
It is also important to always make sure there is plenty of fresh water for him/her to drink as well.
Finally, be careful not to over feed you puppy.
A puppy under 3 months will need to be fed three times a day, but should drop down to twice a day, soon after reaching 3 months of age.
Remember that the puppy food bag shows the amount you should feed each day and not every time he/she eats, so divide the food up for whichever feeding schedule you have him/her on.
Feeding your puppy a high quality diet like one of these brands can provide him/her with a good healthy start in life.
And there you have it, my answer to one of the most common questions about new puppies! P.
S.
To find out more about dog nutrition, which foods are safe, and which foods your dog needs to stay healthy, check out the "Dog Food Secrets" link on my website puppy for an eBook that covers all the bases.
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