HOW TO FEED THE PUPPY CORRECTLY

The body and needs of an adult dog and a puppy differ greatly. Maintenance, upbringing, care, and, of course, nutrition should ensure the healthy growing up of the pet. Proper feeding of the puppy is a balanced diet, specially selected taking into account the age of the dog, its breed, physical activity, and the state of the body. Such a diet ensures the full growth and development of the animal.

INFLUENCE OF NUTRITION

The size of a dog is determined by genes. Nutrition helps to maximize the puppy's genetic material. You can buy a thoroughbred animal for a lot of money, but when it grows up, with an unbalanced diet, you will get a mediocre representative of the breed.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A PUPPY AND AN ADULT DOG:

increased activity,

intensive growth,

fast metabolism,

imperfect immunity

weak digestive system decreased activity of certain enzymes and intestinal bacteria,

imperfect thermoregulation.

All this must be taken into account when the owner composes a diet for a small pet.

BALANCED DIET

The diet should contain essential nutrients such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.

Proteins are the building blocks of the body. These macronutrients are part of biologically active substances, that is, hormones, enzymes, etc.

Sources of animal protein are meat and meat products. This type of protein contains essential amino acids that are not synthesized by dogs on their own.

Vegetable proteins are found in legumes.

Carbohydrates are a kind of fuel for the body. Physiological characteristics of puppies, such as growth, activity, development of cognitive functions, are energy-intensive. The amount of energy or calories a small puppy has in its food affects its growth rate and body weight.

The fats in dog food are fatty acids that are essential for harmonious development.

Vitamins and minerals in animal food should be not only in the required amount but also in a certain proportion relative to each other. At the same time, one must not forget that an excess of nutrients is just as harmful as their deficiency. At the same time, a violation of the proportion of food elements leads to an imbalance in the diet.

WHAT CAN AND CANNOT BE FED TO A PUPPY

Complementary feeding begins, on average, from three weeks of age. This is usually done by breeders.

When a puppy gets to a new owner, he can already consume the industrial feed. Sometimes breeders provide a package of food so that owners do not have to change the dog's diet. But if there is a need or indications for the health of the animal, you can always change the type of feeding and the type of feed.

BASIC RULES FOR FEEDING PUPPIES:

When choosing a feed, it is recommended to consider premium or super-premium commercial feed. Such rations are usually sold at specialized pet stores or on the websites of manufacturing companies.

When choosing food, you should build on the age, breed, sex, activity, and health of the pet.

Do not mix natural products and ready-made feed in the same bowl. Dogs do not require as much variety in their diet as humans do.

In any case, it is best to consult a veterinarian when choosing a diet.

HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD BE IN THE DIET

To maintain a water balance, the puppy should always have access to clean drinking water. It is better to use filtered or bottled water for drinking. The water in the bowl should be changed 1-2 times a day or as the bowel is emptied. You must always carefully monitor the pet while walking, do not allow the dog to drink outside from puddles, ponds, and eat snow. This can cause indigestion, poisoning, and sometimes infectious and invasive diseases in the puppy.

HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD BE IN THE DIET

HOW MANY TIMES A DAY TO FEED THE PUPPY

The frequency of feeding a dog depends on its age, size, and condition of the body.

FEATURES OF THE DIGESTION OF PUPPIES:

insufficient production of certain digestive enzymes,

a small volume of the stomach and its rapid emptying,

increased absorption of nutrients from the intestinal lumen,

a tendency to rapidly decrease blood sugar levels.

All this in combination with a high metabolism (metabolism) results in the need for frequent feed intake in small portions. Therefore, the smaller the puppy, the more often it is fed.

Pets aged 1 to 6 months need to be fed 4-6 times a day, by 6 months the frequency of feeding is reduced to 4 times a day. From 6 to 12 months, the dog can be fed 2 or 3 times a day: the frequency depends on the size, fatness, and characteristics of the organism. From 1 year old, the dog is fed 2-3 times a day, often large breeds are given food once a day.

Regardless of the frequency of feeding, the puppy should eat the daily feed rate. In this regard, industrial balanced diets have advantages, for example, PRO PLAN ® with OPTISTART ® complex. These foods are ready-made foods, they are easy to ration, they can stay in the pet's bowl for a long time and not spoil. This is especially true for dwarf puppies, which are prone to a rapid drop in blood sugar during prolonged fasting. For such breeds, you can leave the food in the bowl, while taking into account the daily allowance.

FEEDING NATURAL FOOD

Some owners feed their puppies with natural foods, often table food, including bones, cartilage, fried, and smoked. But this is contraindicated: in combination with the sensitive digestion of puppies, these excesses lead to diseases of the digestive system and metabolic disorders.

This type of feeding should consist of many components to ensure the normal development of the growing dog. The proportions should be determined based on the age, weight, breed, and activity of the dog to avoid a deficit or excess of calories, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Since with natural feeding, it is difficult to monitor the balance of consumed vitamins and minerals, on the recommendation of a veterinarian, vitamin-mineral complexes and dietary supplements are additionally used. For example, sources of fatty acids, collagen.

At the same time, the food must be fresh at every feeding, it is impossible to allow the remains of the food to lie in the bowl for a long time. Natural foods spoil quickly, especially in hot weather, and eating stale food can lead to intestinal upset and severe toxic infections. In large dogs, food that has been in the bowl for a long time can cause bloating and bloating.

If you do not follow the norm of calories, fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, as well as give the animal inappropriate or poor quality foods, feeding with natural food can provoke digestive upset.

HOW TO FEED DRY FOOD

Ready-made dry food is easy to use. They are balanced, it is easy for the owner to determine the daily ratio of food depending on the characteristics of the puppy. They are also available and can be stored for a long time. Dry food can be left in a bowl for a long time without spoiling, which is perfect for animals that stay at home for a long time.

RULES FOR FEEDING PUPPIES WITH DRY FOOD:

Choose food, taking into account the age, breed, and temperament of the puppy. It should be remembered that puppies of different breeds have different growth rates and durations, respectively, different needs for energy and nutrients.

Determine the daily allowance according to the weight of the pet - it is indicated on the package. This volume must be divided into portions: for this, it is necessary to take into account how many times a pet eats a day.

If the puppy is left alone, the owner should leave the dry food in the bowl. Since puppies are prone to rapid decreases in blood glucose, they need to eat regularly.

Provide access to fresh water.

As the puppy grows, it is recommended to adjust the daily dry food intake according to the animal's weight.

Also, for puppies with special needs, it is recommended to choose special foods. For example, to maintain healthy skin and coat the PRO the PLAN ® OPTIDERMA ®, support function to the digestive tract the PRO the PLAN ® OPTIDIGEST ® and bezzernovye diets for puppies with sensitive digestion the PRO the PLAN ® OPTIDIGEST ® GRAIN FREE.

HOW TO FEED THE PUPPY CORRECTLY