Puppy-Dogs.com

Adult  puppy dogs require sufficient nutrients to meet energy needs and to maintain and repair body tissues. The amount you feed your puppy dog should be based on the it’s size and energy output. Activity levels vary dramatically between different dogs, and will play an important role in determining caloric intake. Here are some tips:

• Environment influences energy needs. Extreme hot or cold weather can increases a pet’s energy needs. Both keeping warm and keeping cool require extra energy expenditure.
• A dog recovering from surgery or suffering from a disease may have an increased nutritional requirement for repair, healing and fighting infection.
• Dogs may be fed successfully in a number of ways that meet both the owner’s and the dog’s needs and circumstances. Owners should consult with their  veterinarian to determine the best feeding schedule and types of foods for their puppy dogs.

First up is portion-control feeding. You will measure your dog’s food and offer it as a meal, thereby controlling the amount of food that can be consumed. This method is used for weight control programs and for dogs who might overeat if fed free-choice. Food can be provided in one or more meals daily.
It is generally recommend that all dogs be fed twice daily. Simply divide the amount suggested on the label of your pet’s food into two meals spaced eight to twelve hours part. Puppies and dogs recovering from certain medical conditions often require more than two meals per day.
Free-choice feeding is also known as “ad lib” feeding or “free feeding.” Food is available at all times, as much as the dog wants, whenever the dog wants. Most lactating dogs are fed by the free-choice method. This method is most appropriate when feeding dry food, which will not spoil if left out. Some dogs , however, will overeat when fed free-choice, which can result in:

• Obesity. If your dog eats free-choice and has put on too much weight, you will need to switch to portion-control feeding, AND
• Developmental Bone Diseases. If you have a large- or giant-sized puppy of a breed susceptible to OCD, hypertrophic osteodystrophy, or hip dysplasia, do not free-feed your pet. He may overeat, which can lead to rapid growth and a greater incidence of bone diseases. Large- or giant-breed pups should be fed with the portion-controlled or timed-feeding methods.

The timed feeding method involves making a portion of food available for your dog to eat for a specified period of time. For example, the food can be placed in the dog’s bowl for a period of thirty minutes. After that time, if he has not consumed the food, it is removed. This can be a good feeding method for puppies, particularly just after weaning. A standard guideline would be to offer food to your puppy for 30 minutes, two or three times per day.

Share This