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Feeding Your Puppy
The arrival of a litter of puppies in the household is usually greeted with the same amount of joy and apprehension that one would feel following the birth of a human child. This tiny creature is going to have more needs and require more care than the average pet, and its owner may find itself quite intimidated by that fact.
Fortunately, most female dogs know instinctively what is required of them when it comes to caring for their puppy. Unlike a human child, almost all puppies will be able to nurse directly from their mother without the assistance of any supplemental feeding. It is important that during this stage of your puppy’s life you ensure that the lactating mother receive the extra calories and calcium she needs to produce milk for her pups and stay healthy herself. If a puppy is not receiving adequate nutrition from its mother in the first few weeks after birth a veterinarian should be consulted. A supplemental formula will probably be prescribed, and the owner will find themselves playing mommy until the time comes for the puppy to be weaned.
By the age of three weeks the puppy should be able to begin eating regular dog food. As with a human child the puppy should start off with soft dog food until it becomes accustomed to the process of chewing prior to swallowing. By the age of six weeks the dog should be able to eat dry dog food and may be weaned from its mother. Even though the puppy’s nutritional needs can be met by a dry dog food it is still going to have different nutritional requirements than an older dog and therefore is going to need a dog food specially formulated to meet those requirements. This fact lays to rest the common belief that special puppy food is merely another attempt on the part of manufacturers to make a profit.
A puppy requires nearly twice the calories of an older dog in order to meet its energy requirements. Like any child puppies are extremely active, and therefore burn a tremendous number of calories in a day. They are also going to need plenty of calcium and vitamin D to ensure that their teeth and bones are able to develop properly. A commercial puppy food will provide these extra calories, as well as giving the puppy adequate amounts of protein and fat. (Calorie, protein and fat requirements are the major changes in a dog’s dietary requirements as it ages.) A quality puppy food will consist of 30% protein and 15% fat, much higher ratios than those found in an adult dog food.
Signs of malnutrition in a puppy are similar to those of an adult dog. In addition to poor growth the pup will show signs of listlessness and an inability to eat. These symptoms should be brought to the attention of a veterinarian immediately so that any supplemental nutrition (vitamins) can be prescribed.
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