Taking care of a puppy is no easy feat. Some even compare it to having a newborn child. While they may be cute and cuddly, you will need to make sure that they are cared for as they are still young. Aside from making sure that they have their medicines or shots, they also need to be given nutritious foods so that they grow healthy and strong.
In the first few weeks of a puppy’s life, they will get their nutrition from their mother’s milk. But when that time is done, it is your turn to give the puppies their food. Here are some of the things you need to keep in mind when feeding your puppy.
Each one has different needs
In the same way that people, most especially babies have different nutritional needs, the same is true for your puppies. What they should eat will be depending on their breed, weight and many more factors. Large breed dogs will need a different type of food than small breed ones. So if you have different types of dogs you cannot feed them the same thing. Doing so will result in one of the puppies not getting enough nutrients which can hinder their growth. Some will grow with joint problems, while some may be overweight.
Younger puppies need small, frequent meals
Up until two months or even three months old, your puppies should be fed about four times daily. The meals should only be small, as you need to remember that they have small tummies and cannot handle large amounts of food at a time.
It’s important to only feed them enough, and not leave out food
This is a big mistake that many new homeowners make. Instead of taking time to feed the puppy several times a day, they will just put a lot of food on the bowl. This can result in them eating more than they should because it is intrinsic in them to eat what is served. What you do is give them five to ten minutes to eat their food. If they do not finish, just get the food and offer it an hour later.
What kind of food should you give your puppy?
One is for sure, you cannot feed your puppy human food. Do not try to give them your family’s leftovers as this will only harm them. You can start giving them solid food at four weeks because they will need more calories which they will not be able to get only from their mother’s milk.
It is important that you choose the proper dog food for them. Other owners opt to cook the dog food themselves, but if you don’t have time to do that, worry not. There are many commercial dog foods that are well-made. They provide the necessary nutrition and taste good too. Check out this Farmina dog food review. They have a whole line of organic products that makes them a cut above the other brands in the market.