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When you bring your first puppy home or decide to adopt another family member, it is highly important to take the utmost care of your puppy’s diet and balanced feeding routine from the early days. Puppies have very different nutritional requirements than mature dogs and should not be fed adult dog food. Puppy food should be high in calories and other nutrients to help support your puppy's rapid growth and should also contain high amounts of calcium to promote strong and healthy bones.
Getting a puppy is an exciting occasion, but it is no simple task. All puppies experience rapid growth in their first six months. Toy breeds can reach maturity by 12 months and many smaller breeds will reach maturity shortly after 12 months. Larger breeds can take as long as 2 years to mature. It is important to feed your puppy high calorific, high protein and high calcium dog food while they are maturing but it is equally important to ween them to adult dog food once they reach maturity to avoid obesity problems with your K9 friend.
The table below is intended as a guide only and we recommend you consult your vet who will be able to give you advice that is specific to your breed of dog.
Total Daily Recommendations |
|||
Puppy Weight |
Up to 4 months |
4-10 months |
10-12 months |
kg |
Cups |
Cups |
Cups |
1-5kg |
100-190g (⅘ - 1 ½ cups) |
66-120g (½ - 1 cup) |
52-96g (⅖ - ⅘ cups) |
5-10kg |
190-360g (1 ½ - 2 ⅘ cups) |
120-240g (1 - 2 cups) |
96-192g (⅘ - 1 ½ cups) |
10-20kg |
360-600g (2 ⅘ - 4 ⅘ cups) |
240-400g (2 - 3 ⅕ cups) |
190-320g (1 ½ - 2 ½ cups) |
20-35kg |
600-850g (4 ⅘ - 6 ⅘ cups) |
400-560g (3 ⅕ - 4 ½ cups) |
320-448g (2 ½ - 3 ½ cups) |
* During the first three months your puppy should be weaned off breast milk and it is best to combine puppy food with milk replacers to make a gruel to help your puppy become accustomed to eating solids.
The recommendations shown above are total daily amounts. Ideally, young puppies should be fed four times a day. After your puppy is 4 to 5 months old it is ok to feed them three times a day and as they approach 12 months of age it is ok to feed them just twice a day. When calculating how much to feed your puppy in each sitting divide the total amount shown in the chart above by the number of times you are feeding your puppy each day.
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While there is no right time to feed your puppy it is a good idea to spread your feedings evenly throughout the day. Once you establish a feeding schedule try to stay consistent and feed your puppy at the same times each day.
A simple schedule that is easy to follow is to feed your puppy before each of your meals (assuming you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner each day). Consistency in feeding times is the most important factor for your puppy. Be sure that the final meal of the day is a few hours prior to your pooch's bedtime to ensure they have enough time to digest their meal before sleeping. This can also help avoid 'little accidents' inside...regular feeding times ensures regular pooping times which will help you toilet train your puppy.
While there is a wide range of choices available we believe that we have researched the best formulas, sourced the best ingredients and made the best puppy food available for your new family member.
Vetalogica offers two different choices for your puppy. Both were developed by pharmacists who are passionate about creating pet food to keep your dog in optimal health throughout their lives.
Things to consider:
It is suggested to start transferring your puppy to adult dog food around 6-8 months old since they begin their growth into maturity. However, switching from puppy food depends on your puppy breed and size. Small and medium dog breeds tend to mature around general 6-12 months, while large breeds mature around 12 to 18 months as they need more time for steady growth and development, taking a little longer.
Total Daily Recommendations |
|||
Puppy Weight |
Up to 4 months |
4-10 months |
10-12 months |
kg |
Cups |
Cups |
Cups |
1-5kg |
100-190g (⅘ - 1 ½ cups) |
66-120g (½ - 1 cup) |
52-96g (⅖ - ⅘ cups) |
5-10kg |
190-360g (1 ½ - 2 ⅘ cups) |
120-240g (1 - 2 cups) |
96-192g (⅘ - 1 ½ cups) |
10-20kg |
360-600g (2 ⅘ - 4 ⅘ cups) |
240-400g (2 - 3 ⅕ cups) |
190-320g (1 ½ - 2 ½ cups) |
20-35kg |
600-850g (4 ⅘ - 6 ⅘ cups) |
400-560g (3 ⅕ - 4 ½ cups) |
320-448g (2 ½ - 3 ½ cups) |
While your puppy is still young, keep a close eye on what type and kind of food they like, what flavours they prefer and what allergies they have, if any. These will be useful when the transition into an adult dog starts as you can keep the same flavours as before. Follow the chart above to understand when you should start moving your dog into adult food. We suggest that over the course of a few weeks you gradually increase the proportion of adult feed mixed in with puppy food to adjust the puppy’s taste and ensure there will be no problems.
Puppies can be hard to raise, but remember that you’re raising a dog, a guardian and a friend. By referencing and following our puppy feeding guide above, you can help your pup to live a happy and healthy life with you.