Are you planning to welcome a new puppy into your home soon? It’s such an exciting time to bring a new life into your world to focus on and have a new best friend.
You run out to the store to buy toys, a collar and leash, and bowls for food and water. Then comes the choice of what to feed her… Ages ago, the choice was easy: Puppy Chow. But now, with the advent of more sophisticated food formulations, you have to do a bit of homework before picking the right food that will help her grow strong and healthy. Here are some puppy food guidelines to look at as you bring your new dog home.
Feeding Your Puppy – The First Two Months
We’re making the leap that the puppy you’re bringing home has been weaned from Mom. If not, and the puppy is still between six and eight weeks old, you will want to find some milk replacers that will simulate the milk she would get if she were still nursing.
By six weeks of age, your puppy should have started the weaning process onto solid food. These little guys have high nutritional needs so the best brand of puppy food you can buy is recommended by veterinarians.
Be a food detective and read the label on the bag of puppy food. Avoid anything that talks about corn byproducts because you want to have meat as the first ingredient. Some puppies grow into dogs that have grain allergies and there are some good zero grain dog foods out there to help with this.
See Also: Puppy Vaccinations Schedule
Puppy Feeding Frequency
New puppy parents also wonder about the frequency of feeding. Since your puppy was used to nursing as many times a day as she would like, it’s important to follow that as a guideline. For a while, your pup will need to eat about a ½ cup of food between three and four times per day. This schedule will help them grow appropriately and get the caloric intake they need, and smaller meals are easier on your pup’s digestive tract.
Also See – Dog Food Storage Mistakes
How Long Should You Feed Your Dog Puppy Food?
One question we have pondered is how long do you feed your dog puppy food? Keep an eye on how much she’s eating and if she looks like she is starting to put on some weight, that’s the time to switch her to lower-calorie regular dog food.
It’s important to make sure that you don’t keep her on puppy food for any longer than you need to. That’s because the calorie content is so high in puppy food your dog will start to put on weight and possibly develop some joint problems. As always, consult with your vet if you have any concerns!
Feed her right for just the proper amount of time and you will have a happy and healthy canine for years.
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Additional Reading – What To Do If You Bought A Sick Puppy
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