When acquiring a little four-legged friend, you should know that physical activity and his health depend on the feeding and content of the puppy. Therefore, it is very important to provide the pet with the correct regimen and a complete diet, starting from the very first days of life. Not all dog owners know how to do this. Below we will talk more about how to organize proper nutrition of puppies from 1 month.
First days of life
In the first two weeks of life, puppies eat only mother's milk. During this period, it is necessary to ensure the nutritional value and calorie content of the diet of the dog in the bark. If she does not have enough milk, the cubs can be put in another lactating bitch. The fact that he is missing is indicated by the anxiety of the litter: puppies sleep little and poorly, squeak, crawl and whine. Well-fed puppies fall asleep immediately after feeding and sleep long and hard. A clear indicator that there is enough milk is a constant increase in their weight. Cubs must get colostrum after birth, otherwise there is a high risk of dying.
In the absence of a mother, puppies are fed using dog milk substitute purchased at a pet store or veterinary clinic. The procedure is carried out using a bottle and nipples.
If the mother is kept together with the puppies, then they should always be able to suck when they want to eat. If a female is separated from her litter for some reason, then they should be fed at least 12 times a day.
Feeding puppies from 1 month
As a rule, experienced breeders sell puppies after 1.5 months of their life. In some kennels, you can buy a puppy no earlier than 3-4 months after the end of vaccination quarantine. However, in some cases, for example, when a pet is sold without documents, the owners begin to sell litter from 1 month.
Feeding a puppy at this age should not be difficult for the owner. Most often, breeders begin to feed babies from three weeks, so that they themselves can eat from a bowl. But having brought the pet into the house, it is necessary to prepare the necessary minimum of products per several days.
This list includes:
- buckwheat, oatmeal, rice;
- chicken, beef;
- offal;
- carrots, pumpkin;
- kefir, milk, cottage cheese and semolina.
When to feed
You should also observe the feeding time of the puppy, it must be fed every three hours. It is best to offer your pet different dishes each time. Sample ration:
- 6:00 - porridge from semolina;
- 9:00 - porridge from oatmeal with meat or carrots;
- 12:00 - cottage cheese with kefir;
- 15:00 - rice porridge with offal and vegetables;
- 18:00 - buckwheat or rice with meat and vegetables;
- 21:00 - porridge from semolina.
What should be the food
How to serve food for puppies from 1 month? You should know that all dishes in the diet should be heavily chopped. But you should not grind the products in a blender. The puppy must learn to chew food.
Initially, meat products are boiled, but after a week the meat can already be served raw in two of the three feedings. Food should not be hot or cold, the best option is the room temperature of the food.
It is important to know the feeding portions of puppies. The amount of food for a monthly pet per day is calculated based on the breed, large dogs require more food.
Feeding in 1.5-2 months
Most often, it is at this age that the calf is weaned and given away or sold. In the new house, bowls and toys are already ready for him. A warm and soft place is waiting for the baby. And at this moment, the future owner has a question, how to ensure proper feeding of a 2-month-old puppy.
His diet should resemble the feeding of a breeder: meat, cereals, milk and soups. A couple of times a week you can offer boiled and bone-free low-fat fish, washed and chopped vegetables (zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, pumpkin). A puppy trained from early childhood, he will be happy to eat them when he grows up.
Feeding a 3-5 month old puppy
How to feed a puppy three months old or older? At this age, the diet remains the same. It is also based on dairy products and meat, as the main sources of animal protein needed by the young body. Protein can also be obtained from fish, but it is not recommended to give it too often. Fruits, vegetables and cereals are sources of vitamins and carbohydrates.
Additionally, pets can be given nutritional supplements (meat and bone meal, blood meal, fish meal) and fats (linseed, sunflower and pumpkin oil, fish oil). At the same time, the puppy should get acquainted with the boiled lungs and liver, as well as with the scar and brain bones (to strengthen the teeth). In addition, chicken and beef are introduced.
How often do you need to feed
In order for the pet to receive the amount of nutrients he needs per day, an optimal schedule for feeding the puppy should be made. How often to give food depends on the age of the animal. The younger he is, the more often he should eat in small portions. With age, the number of meals is reduced, and the amount of food is increased. All this helps to divide the daily diet into optimal parts.
Feeding the puppy from one to two months should occur every three hours. At the age of three months, the dog eats 4-5 times a day, at six months - 3-4 times a day, and after the first year the pet is transferred to two meals a day.
The reason for frequent feeding the puppy at the age of one month is a small stomach, which is not able to accommodate the necessary amount of food, but the growing body requires a large number of calories.
Basic Rules
Regardless of the nutrition plan and pet feeding schedule, you should adhere to some rules:
- The feeding portion of any puppy should contain a volume of food, according to the size of the baby.
- Serving increases according to age.
- The menu must include sour-milk and vegetable dishes.
- Up to three months is not recommended to feed babies with dry food. If necessary, it is dry food that you should buy food specially for dogs from one month.
- A bowl of food should be given no more than 15 minutes. This will help to teach the animal to discipline. A cup of water does not need to be cleaned.
- For the same reason, feeding should be done at a strictly defined time.
- When introducing a new product, it is given in small portions.
- After the baby has eaten, he needs to give a little time to rest, after which he can begin active games.
- It is forbidden to alternate natural and dry food.
- The schedule should include fasting days a couple of times a month.
- Gradually, various additives can be added to the menu: chalk, fish oil.
The puppy’s feeding regimen directly affects his health, no less than heredity. In this regard, it is important to select food, in accordance with the individual and age characteristics of the pet.
Small breeds
Almost all small dogs are prone to heart and vascular disease. Therefore, puppies of York, Toy Terrier, Chihuahua, Pekingese and other small breeds from a young age need to be given a large amount of vitamin foods. In addition, the menu of such a dog should be well balanced.
Puppies of small breeds are required to provide a complete feeding with vitamin supplements containing an increased amount of fluorine and calcium. This is due to the structural features of a very vulnerable and long spine, which should have time to grow stronger in a short period of time. You can not compensate for the poor quality of food by increasing the portion.
Feeding puppies of medium breeds
These dogs need more basic nutrients and energy than a small breed puppy. But much less than a pet of a large breed. The nutritional need of such an animal can be covered by already balanced and ready-made feeds, which incorporate an average content of minerals, vitamins and nutrients.
Experienced breeders know that premium dry foods, as well as holivics, contain a balanced and optimal amount of fats, proteins, digestible fiber, minerals, vitamins and carbohydrates. This allows the owner of a puppy of medium breed not to buy additional expensive food additives.
It is important to know that excessive or, conversely, insufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals have a bad effect on the development and growth of the dog. A diet with a high protein content causes an imbalance in the volume of calcium and phosphorus in the pet's body.
Large breeds
Features of the norms of feeding a puppy of a shepherd, labrador, husky, alabai, husky and other dogs of large breeds consist in an increased amount of protein compounds. Low-fat meats in this case should be combined with boiled or stewed vegetables. Such food is best given to the puppy before bedtime and only in small portions.
With a well-formed diet, a large-breed pet should gain about 150 grams of weight every day. It is allowed to use both finished industrial feeds and natural food. Ready-made feed should be intended for puppies of large dog breeds. To understand how much food to give the animal at a time, it is necessary to divide the volume indicated on the package per day by the number of feedings.
You should know that large breeds are predisposed to joint diseases, so you should not overfeed the animal at an early age.
What can not be fed
There are not so many products forbidden to feed puppies, but they should be taken into account when creating the menu for the dog. In one month, fresh cow milk, liquid cereals from milk, fresh wheat bread, pasta and potatoes are absolutely contraindicated for pets.
Puppies, regardless of breed and age, should not be fed raw chicken, raw river fish, chicken bones and sausage. In addition, the dog is forbidden to give marinades, smoked meats, pickles and fried meat products. Fatty, sweet, rich and salty foods are also contraindicated.
Bulldog
Bulldog puppies are big lovers of a good meal, so it is important to observe the pet's body weight. Feeding the dog in the first month of life also amounts to six servings and observing the same intervals between meals. The diet itself should be varied.
Raw bulldog is a must for a bulldog puppy, as it contains more minerals and vitamins. Like other dogs, the bulldog should not be given too hot or too cold food. The optimal food temperature is from +35 ° C to +37 ° C. The monthly puppy's diet includes: fish, offal, soups, cereals, vegetables and dairy products.
Mastiff: feeding features
Mastiff puppy belongs to large breeds of dogs. The weight of an adult reaches ninety kilograms. In this regard, the formation of the skeleton is important. A pet at the age of one month must necessarily receive a complex of vitamins and minerals. Dog nutrition must be properly balanced.
The following products are included in the diet of a monthly puppy of mastiff:
- chicken, beef, rabbit, turkey (meat);
- kefir and cottage cheese (milk is not allowed, only fermented milk products);
- buckwheat, rice (cereals);
- quail eggs;
- greens, carrots, bell peppers, cabbage (vegetables).
In addition, top dressing from vitamins and minerals is added to the list of products. Most often, when purchasing a mastiff puppy, the breeder voices the recommended menu and the number of feedings. Usually a dog is given food five times a day.
Switch to dry food
If necessary, transfer the puppy to dry feeding, it should be done gradually. Otherwise, the puppy’s stomach will not withstand a sharp transition, and therefore problems in the body may begin.
Production dry feeds must be selected only at the highest level. The best rations in this segment include: “Pro plan,” “Dog Chow,” “Yakanuba,” “Hills,” “Pro Pak,” and others.
After the dog has completely transferred to such nutrition, natural food from the diet should be completely excluded. For many owners it is more convenient to buy production feeds than to create a menu on their own.
Nutrition should be fully consistent with the breed of the dog and its age. With a lack of vitamins in such a diet, mineral supplements should be additionally purchased. There should always be a bowl of water next to the food bowl.
Conclusion
Feeding puppies from 1 month old is due to a varied diet, in which there should be an optimal ratio of all nutrients, vitamins and minerals. The diet should completely cover all the physiological needs of the baby. Only in this case a strong and healthy four-legged friend will grow out of the pet.