How to Feed Your New Puppy
Apr 17
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Small, Toy, and Teacup breed puppies need more care with their feeding than larger dog breeds. Like a new human baby, your new puppy will need to be fed every few hours. All or most of our puppies have started out eating Royal Canin puppy food, Ceasar’s puppy soft foods (pink label), Danon ActiviaYogurt, rotisserie chicken (yes, we mean the kind you would eat, not a “rotisserie” flavored dog food) and for especially tiny, teacup puppies clear Karo syrup. If possible, it’s best to continue this diet, at least for a few weeks, before slowly integrating a new food. Let us know if you have trouble with any of these items, and we can help. Sudden changes in diet can lead to intestinal problems and other health concerns for your puppy, so it’s vitally important to let us know if you need help.
When choosing a puppy food, make sure that a specific meat is listed as the first ingredient, such as chicken, beef, or lamb, instead of a grain or meat-by-product. Puppies need a lot of protein to encourage healthy growth. If possible, avoid puppy foods that contain corn or wheat as these can lead to skin allergies, as well as overeating as the dog will instinctively eat more to try and gain more protein. As well, consider that small and extra small dogs have smaller, therefore weaker jaws, and cannot handle foods meant for medium or larger dogs.
If your puppy is not eating or not eating well, supplement by mixing with high protein enticements such as ground beef, chicken, or turkey in either a raw or cooked form. Before shying away from raw meat options, consider that in the wild your dog would be eating exclusively raw meats and bones. These are what their bodies are designed to eat. However, for long term diets in adult dogs, avoid alternating cooked and raw foods. Stick to one kind of diet as their bodies process raw and cooked foods differently and an intestinal blockage could occur.
If you wish to use “table scraps” or cooked foods as treats, remember to always put these directly into your puppy’s bowl and never feed from the dinner table or while you’re preparing a meal, as this can lead to begging behaviors and refusal to eat their own food. Treats can also be used to encourage your puppy during training sessions. Pick a special treat to use for these sessions and only give it during training sessions.
Whatever kind of diet you decide on for your puppy, remember that it should be high in protein and low in fillers such as corn, wheat, and “meal.” It should also be designed around breed special needs and adult dog size. Water should be available at all times.
Don’t forget to check out our pages on Yorkie puppies for sale, Maltese puppies for sale, Havanese puppies for sale, Pug puppies for sale, and other puppies for sale in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
