A balanced diet, proper diet and a suitable serving volume will provide the puppy's growing body with all the necessary elements, vitamins and minerals. High-quality nutrition will save on the services of a veterinarian and will make the dog healthy. How many times to feed a puppy in 4 months? What food to choose? In what cases are vitamins additionally needed?
Basic rules and recommendations
The puppy grows very quickly and needs a special diet, which must be changed over time. The main rule is balance. It is not only the balance in the diet of nutrients, vitamins and minerals that the dog needs for optimal growth. This also includes the regularity of feedings and the amount of food at one time. Dog handlers unanimously agree that the organization of proper nutrition of puppies up to a year requires the owner to observe several rules:
the bowl should match the puppy's height;
harmful goodies are prohibited, because it can negatively affect the still fragile digestive system;
food should be comfortable (room) temperature;
you can not overfeed the dog, otherwise the stomach will be overloaded (in this case, the likelihood of pancreatitis, gastritis, subsequent obesity is high);
food should be fractional;
you should choose the right food or diversify your pet’s diet with natural products;
regularity - puppies can eat up to eight times a day, two or three meals are enough for young dogs;
puppies need to be given special vitamin complexes.
How many times to feed a puppy
At 4 months or at 6, 10 the number of feedings is the same. But the older a pet becomes, the less often it needs to be fed. Up to three weeks, for example, puppies need only mother’s milk, which helps the baby adapt to new conditions, creates the prerequisites for the normal growth and development of the dog. By the way, dog milk is fatter and richer than cow's milk. It contains 8.1% of proteins, 9.8% of fats, and 3.3% and 3.8% in cow, respectively.
At the age of three to eight weeks, the puppies no longer have enough mother’s milk. You can start giving the first solid food. At three to four weeks, it is recommended to give 3-4 pellets of a few granules of special dry food soaked in water 3-4 times a day. Premium puppy food is different than usual. Granules must be selected in accordance with the breed and age of the puppy, and if necessary, with additional needs.
Dry food should be offered to puppies 3-4 weeks before access to breast milk. Closer to two months, you should begin to feed the pet in the absence of the mother, so that he gradually abandons the habit of sucking milk.
At the age of eight weeks to four months, all puppies already eat independently of their mother. A growing body needs food every four hours (during a 16-hour day). The first portion should be given early in the morning. Two and a half months after the introduction of this regimen, the number of meals can be reduced to three times a day.
Frequency of feeding at 4 months
How many times to feed a puppy in 4 months? At this age, dogs begin to grow actively, teeth are cut, so maintaining health requires an increased number of feedings. Optimal - 3 times a day. Closer to six months, you can switch to two meals a day.
How to feed a puppy in 4 months
Puppies are fed with special dry mixes that are manufactured industrially, or with natural feed. Up to three to four months, it is recommended to choose natural products: low-fat meats, cereals and vegetables, fruits, diet fish, chicken eggs, dairy products.
Protein foods should make up at least 70% of the diet. This is important for feeding a shepherd puppy at 4 months old, who needs more energy and nutrients, and for a small terrier. Meat and fish can be given raw or boiled.
Such a menu may seem meager, but animals do not need a significant variety of food, and sweet, fatty, fried or pickled foods are completely banned and can harm the health of a growing puppy.
Dry feed conversion
Up to three months, it is better to keep the puppy on natural food (this is the recommendation of veterinarians), but for various reasons, the owner may decide to switch to dry. The first dry food can be purchased in small granules, soaked and tried to give in a small amount so that the puppy can get used to the new food gradually.
Manufacturers of prepared foods for dogs of different breeds and ages are trying to ensure the availability of all vitamins and elements necessary for a certain age group. The recommended daily feed rate is also indicated on the packaging, exceeding which is undesirable. An important condition is the puppy’s free access to fresh water.
How to choose a dry food for a puppy
Each food has several characteristics that you need to rely on when choosing the right puppy for your particular puppy:
Therapeutic or regular. If the dog is healthy, a daily feed is suitable. Medical treatment is only necessary for feeding pets with problems of the gastrointestinal tract, arthritis, dogs prone to food allergies or obese. Such food is not used continuously. Duration of admission should be monitored by a veterinarian.
The age of the dog. Tibetan mastiff puppies at 4 months of age require a different type of feeding than adult dogs. Therefore, you need another feed. The premium range is usually offered by premium food manufacturers: Starter - for puppies from two weeks of age, Junior food - from two to eight to ten months, Adult - for adult dogs, Senior - for aging and elderly dogs.
Dog size. Food for puppies of medium breeds is suitable for almost anyone, but owners of small and miniature dogs, large and giant dog breeds need to take care of finding special granules. This is important because the size of the feed pellets matters, and such nutrition takes into account nutrient requirements.
Dog lifestyle. If a dog is used in the service, actively spends time on the move, it is best to immediately choose food for energetic dogs (marked Active or Energy). The same food, by the way, is suitable for fed bitches, dogs after illness and in the winter season. If a pet spends most of his time in a dream, then Standart, Normal, or Light feeds are suitable (for dogs with obesity or very inactive).
Feed Class. Dry food can be economy class, premium or super premium. The compositions are distinguished by the quality of the ingredients. The nutritional value of food for premium or super premium puppies is much higher, high-quality nutrition will save on costs at the veterinarian, because it reduces the likelihood of a puppy having any health problems.
How much to give dry food to a puppy
How many times to feed a puppy in 4 months and how much feed to give for each meal? Typically, the serving size is indicated on the package. It is worth following the recommendations of the manufacturer, but watch out for the puppy: if he eats all the food and remains hungry, then it is worthwhile to slightly increase the portion, if granules remain in the bowl, the portion is reduced.
In order to independently calculate how much food a puppy needs, you need to know the energy value of the selected mixture. In three to four months, one kilogram of weight requires about 200 kcal, in four - eight months - 136 kcal. This is averaged data. For different breeds, the norms are different: for example, at 4 months a puppy who weighs 2 kg needs only 55 kcal per day (5/8 servings), 3 kg - 74 kcal, 5 kg - 109 kcal, 7 kg - 139 kcal.
Food for puppies of medium breeds should be given based on the following standards: 12 kg - 204 kcal per day, 14 kg - 229 kcal, 15 kg - 241 kcal, 16 kg - 253 kcal, 18 kg - 275 kg, 20 kg - 297 kg . For large breeds: with a weight of 26 kg in 4 months - 342 kcal per day, 28 kg - 340 kcal, 30 kg - 339 kcal, 32 kg - 356 kcal, 34 kg - 373 kcal, 36 kg - 388 kcal. For giant breeds: weighing 45 kg in 4 months - 449 kcal per day (5 servings + 2 \ 8 servings), 50 kg - 492 kcal, 55 kg - 525 kcal, 60 kg - 556 kcal, 65 kg - 698 kcal.
Features of tooth change in puppies
At 3-3.5 months, a change of teeth occurs. First, puppies have new incisors, then fangs and premolars. Finally, the teeth finish to form only by six months. During this period, the puppy needs to provide free access to various “chewing” treats that are convenient and safe.
Often, owners use bones, dried animal products, and compressed tendons as chewing toys, but this can be unsafe. Spoiled products can cause poisoning, and cracked bones can be dangerous for the animal. Therefore, it is better to use only special goodies.
Toys must be chosen to fit the size of the dog. Any goodies should be comfortable. A small Spitz puppy at 4 months old is unlikely to like playing with a bone that can be compared to him in size. Such chewing toys are suitable for larger dogs.
Toys should not be heavy or too big. The material of manufacture must be resistant to chewing, safe and strong. When the first signs of damage appear, you need to throw the toy and replace it with a new one.
Vitamins for growing dogs
Vitamins for puppies are necessary as a daily supplement to a natural diet, which is usually not balanced enough. If the dog is on a full dry feed, then vitamins are required only during periods of stress, illness, active growth and increased stress.
Professional breeders often choose Swiss Vitamins Wolmar Winsome PRO BIO Booster Ca. Advantages: diverse composition, the content of calcium and phosphorus, probiotics and enzymatic extracts necessary for the formation of bone tissue, a sufficient amount of useful amino acids, a standard set of vitamins.
A full-fledged combination of all the necessary substances to meet the needs of a growing organism is Excel 8 in 1 Multivitamins for Puppies. Vitamins with rare trace elements and a wide composition are recommended when feeding with natural food. The only drawback is the small amount of antioxidants.