How many times a day to feed a puppy?

Up to 3 weeks

For the first two decades of a puppy’s life, you don’t have to worry about food. At this time, the pet is completely dependent on the mother. Her milk is all he needs from birth to 3 weeks of age. It helps the puppy to optimally adapt to the conditions of our world, creates the prerequisites for normal growth and development.

By the way, dog’s milk is richer than cow’s milk: it contains 8,1% of proteins, 9,8% of fats. In cow, respectively, 3,3% and 3,8%.

3 to 8 weeks

During this period, puppies no longer have enough nutritional value of mother’s milk, they begin to be interested in solid food. So the time comes for the first feeding, when the owner should provide the pet with free access to new food for him.

3-4 week old puppies are recommended to give a little granules of dry food soaked in water 3-4 times a day.

They should be offered before accessing breast milk.

Closer to the end of this period, it is better to feed the puppies in the absence of the mother. In this way, they will gradually give up the habit of sucking milk and completely switch to the rations intended for them.

8 weeks to 4 months

Now that the puppies are fed independently of their mother, they are entitled to a different regimen. During this period, food is given to the growing organism every 4 hours during the 16-hour day, and the puppy should receive the first portion early in the morning.

10 weeks after the introduction of this regimen, the number of meals should be reduced to 3 times a day.

From 4 to 6 months

In this period of time, the puppy grows up in a way that no child has ever dreamed of. If a person at the age of 5 months weighs an average of 8 kg, which is just over a tenth of the adult weight, then, for example, a Labrador Retriever weighs 25 kg, or three-quarters of the weight of an already grown dog.

Accordingly, a puppy needs an increased amount of calories to maintain growth – 1,2 times more than an adult dog. At the same time, it should be fed in a regime that does not allow obesity – 2 times a day.

After 6 months

And now the puppy is almost an adult. If so, then he needs to eat according to his age – this is from 1 to 2 feedings per day.

It should be noted that all of the above are general recommendations. Changing the diet is allowed depending on the individual characteristics of the pet. But in no case not on your own – a veterinarian will always give competent advice on this matter.

15 2017 June

Updated: December 21, 2017