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Dog Food and Treats How Much And How Often Should You FeedThe feeding of puppies is different from feeding adult dogs in as much as they have special nutritional requirements, so I will start this page with their needs. Special Needs of PuppiesThe first year is critical to your puppies development. During this time they need the best possible nutrition to provide strong bones and teeth, proper development of body functions, clear eyes and a thick, lustrous haircoat.At 6 to 8 weeks of age a puppy needs 3 times the adult caloric requirement per pound of body weight. This reduces to 2 times the adult caloric requirement by the time the puppy is 16 weeks old. The caloric requirements decrease gradually over time and varies by the breed. Many breeds complete growth and development in approx. one year, some take as long as 2 years. When Should You Wean Your PuppyWe don’t wean our puppies until they are at least 8 weeks old. Puppies who are wean too early have a rougher time adjusting and may be at risk for illness or other problems.A puppies digestive system is not yet ready to process whole foods before they reach the age of 8 weeks and some of the smaller ones, runts for example, should be held back even longer. They receive the essential nutrients and antibodies that mothers milk provides. You can start to slowly introduce whole foods at 6 weeks, watch them closely for any digestive problem. Slowly work up to 3-4 times a day. Keep in mind individual puppies may differ, even from the same litter; you may have to separate them to keep a closer watch. How Often Should You Feed Your PuppyBetween 6-8 weeks feed them 3-4 times a day with a well balanced puppy food, make sure meat is the first ingredient on the can. After 8 weeks you can cut this back to twice a day. From 6 mo to 1 year he may look grown but he's still a puppy, so keep the extra nutrients provided by puppy food. Somewhere around 8-9 months switch his feeding schedule to once a day, but check with your vet first.
How Much Should You FeedFollow the directions on the label. If you are feeding multiple meals, divide the daily amount accordingly.For my Chihuahuas up to 10lbs I feed 1/3 -1 cup dry food and I mix this with 1/4 to 3/4 cup can food. Its very important to not overfed your dog, obesity is very dangerous for any dog but most dangerous for the smaller breeds such as my chihuahuas. Treats And Table ScrapsYou can give your dog table scraps, provided that they are low in fat and sugar, but treats developed for dogs are a much better choice. Just make sure that treats or table scraps do not comprise more than 10% of your dog's total diet.Look out for this though, because you may be setting yourself up for a behavior problem by feeding table scraps, you'll typically have a lifelong "beggar" at your table whenever you eat. Another behavior problem you may be developing, feeding table scraps may encourage your dog to steal food left on an unattended table- some of which could be hazardous to your dog's health.
Feeding Your Pet Free-ChoiceWhether you feed your pet free-choice (providing a constant food supply throughout the day) depends on the pet.If your pet is a "nibbler", Chihuahuas and other Toy Breeds typically are, you can put out the day's ration and let her eat it throughout the day. Now, don't just fill the bowl whenever it becomes empty, or your pet will probably overeat, and if you are feeding multiple dogs as I do, you will find it difficult to tell if one "goes off feed" (is not eating well).
Feeding Tips
How To Stop Your Dog From Gulping His FoodSome pets gulp an entire bowl of food down in a just a few seconds. This can cause stomach and digestive system problems, because the animal takes in large amounts of air with the food.If your dog is a "gulper," place a large object in the food dish, or buy a special feed dish that has a raised center. This forces them to take more time and smaller bites as they eat around the obstruction. Whatever object you place in their bowl should be something that is too large to picked up in their mouths. Try a ping-pong ball for a cat, a baseball for a toy dog, a softball for a medium-size breed, and an even larger ball for large and giant breeds. In the beginning it may need to be a large heavy object or they will just push it out of the bowl. If you have more than one pet, feed them separately to reduce competition for food. I have used this trick with one of my more aggressive eaters, I scattered dry food over a large area of floor or on the grass, which forced him to spend time finding and eating each individual piece of food.
Are You Feeding Healthy?Dog Food and Treats can get expensive even with small ones like mine. The issue here is not so much the cost but what's in it! I've become very careful about this. They rely on me to give them Good Stuff.The big scare over the tainted Commercial stuff got me thinking;
"I would be totally devasted if something happened to any one of my little ones". Alternatives to Commercial FeedThad Tucker offers some interesting information on this subject, as well as over 60 Breakthrough Meals and Snack Recipes you can make at home.
Not all store bought meals are bad but there is no way you should ever risk the life of your Dog by providing it as the only Nutritional source! If your dog is experiencing medical problems you may need to look into his diet and make adjustments. I certainly don't want a vet bill, or Worse! What looks good to me or smells good isn't always the best approach. And just because it's convenient isn't the best answer either.. Convenience, well eating fast food (McDonalds) every night is sure convenient for us two-leggers, but not exactly healthy! Return to Patz dogs Home
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