What to feed a puppy from 1 month to a year

Proper feeding of puppies in the first year of life is of particular importance. This is a guarantee of the full development of the pet’s body and the prevention of possible diseases. To organize a complete balanced diet, you need to know how many times a day to feed the puppy, how to calculate the portion of food depending on its age, and take into account other nuances. With love and care you can raise a healthy, strong, beautiful and cheerful dog.

Important rules and organization of the feeding area

Anyone who has a dog for the first time has many questions about how to feed a puppy. They are easy to understand if you pay a little attention to the important rules.

Main feeding rules:

1. It is important not to overfeed your puppy to prevent his stomach from becoming bloated. Large breed dogs are at risk of developing joint problems due to overeating, and other breeds may be prone to obesity.
2. Never give animals food from your table. This food is not suitable for the digestive system of dogs and cats.
3. If you feed your baby natural food, then the food should always be fresh.
4. It is recommended to feed the animal at the same time.
5. Food should be at room temperature.
6. Give your puppy 10-15 minutes at each feeding. If during this time he has not finished his portion, then it must be put in the refrigerator so that it does not spoil.
7. A bowl of fresh water should always be there.
8. Dry food should not be mixed with natural food.
9. Do not give your puppy chocolate, flour, processed foods, spices and other foods that are considered treats in the human world. They are very harmful to the dog.
10. Dairy and meat products should not be given at the same feeding.
11. Never give your puppy bones - you need to teach your baby to chew and not swallow them whole. In addition, not all bones are suitable - for example, tubular ones are strictly prohibited.

Puppies' meals should be organized in a specially designated place where it is convenient to maintain cleanliness. The most comfortable place is the kitchen. It is better to place the bowls on a rubber mat so that they do not slip.

While the puppy is small, the bowl can be placed directly on the floor. When he grows up, it is better to use a stand to make it more convenient for the animal to eat and not strain the cervical spine. This will also help prevent you from swallowing air while eating.

The bowl should be ceramic or iron, not plastic. It will be more stable and the puppy will not tip it over.

There should be different plates for water and food - it is advisable that they stand at a distance from each other - so that pieces of food will not fall into the water and spoil it.

What should you not feed a one-month-old puppy?

Let's figure out what you shouldn't feed a one-month-old puppy and for what reasons. Many of the prohibited foods for one-month-old puppies are not recommended or prohibited for dogs of any age.

Puppies should absolutely not be given:

• Chocolate, sweets, any products containing sugar or its substitute.
• Flour, butter, yeast products.
• Any products containing spices, marinades, vinegar, including sausage products.
• Bones, skin, fat.
• Grapes, raisins.
• Food for cats or adult dogs.
• Leftovers from the table.

Products of questionable usefulness are:

• Wheat – can cause allergies.
• Honey – can cause allergies.
• Raw chicken eggs can cause allergies.
• Steamed pork is considered too fatty meat; in addition, it is a source of dangerous helminths and the false rabies virus.
• Fish and seafood without heat treatment are sources of dangerous helminths.
• Liver is a healthy product, which in its raw form can cause diarrhea, and when boiled, constipation.

All controversial products can and should be given to your pet if he does not experience any adverse reactions. Liver, fish, seafood, honey, eggs are rich sources of nutrients, vitamins and microelements. Lean boiled pork is a dietary source of proteins.

Features of feeding puppies by breed

The nutrition of puppies of different breeds varies. This has to do with the size of the dog, its activity needs and background history.

Large

The diet for breeds such as Alabai, Doberman, Rottweiler, St. Bernard, Great Dane, Newfoundland, East European Shepherd and others requires a special approach. This is due to the fact that large dogs grow quickly and gain weight, and this places a heavy load on the musculoskeletal system. When choosing a diet, you must take this into account and under no circumstances overfeed large breed puppies.

The diet of large dogs should be enriched with protein and calcium. For normal growth and development, raw meat and fish should predominate in the daily diet by 50-60%. Particular attention should be paid to additional vitamins and microelements: glycerophosphate, phytin, calcium gluconate.

The diet of a 2-month-old large breed puppy should consist of:

• 60% from animal proteins (meat, fish, offal, dairy);
• 20-30% - from carbohydrates (cereals, fruits);
• 10-15% - from fiber (vegetables) and other foods.

Dogs of Japanese origin (Akita Inu, Shiba Inu, American Akita) need fish in larger quantities. Historically, meat is less healthy for them than seafood.

Average

Jack Russell Terrier, Labrador, Dachshund, Beagle, Cocker Spaniel, Staffordshire Terrier, German Pinscher, Medium Spitz, Corgi are all medium or small breed dogs. Their distinctive feature is activity, so they spend a lot of energy. Their diet includes 50-60% meat and dairy products, and the rest of the menu consists of vegetables, fruits, and cereals.

Puppies are given food little by little, but often (about 6 times a day). A sample menu should include cottage cheese, sour cream, milk porridge, meat, vegetables, fruits and non-acidic berries.

Small

Puppies of small and dwarf breeds have an accelerated metabolism. They spend a lot of energy maintaining body temperature. In addition, they are very mobile, so they quickly burn up calories.

Puppies of decorative breeds need high-calorie food rich in proteins (at least 75%) and carbohydrates. Feeding puppies should be frequent, and the portions should be small (due to their small stomachs), but satisfying.

You also need to take into account that small breed dogs have small teeth, so food should be cut into small pieces, and dry food should be soaked in water. Pates and pouches are perfect for feeding these puppies.

Small dogs have a lot of stress on their spine. To avoid problems, the pet must receive sufficient amounts of calcium and fluoride, which are contained in dairy products.

Why is it so important to choose the right diet?

At the age of one month, puppies are very vulnerable to almost all environmental factors. Nutrition is the main nuance of care when it comes to the timely growth and formation of the baby. A healthy one-month-old puppy should be able to empty his bowels and bladder on his own, keep his coat clean, and exhibit a high level of activity.

At one month of age, puppies learn to drink water and eat from a bowl independently. An indicator of a puppy’s health is its desire to establish communications and explore the outside world. Depending on individual characteristics and breed, some puppies develop in spurts, which is normal if the baby does not lag behind in growth and weight gain.

At the age of one month, the puppy does not have its own immunity, but is protected by the mother's antibodies. Unfortunately, in the period from 1 to 3 months, when infected with a viral infection, most puppies die, so it is not recommended to walk your pet outside.

Any alarming symptoms at such a young age can lead to rapid development of the clinical picture, so it is better not to self-treat, but to immediately contact a veterinarian.

Why is it so important to choose the right diet? The energy and protein needs of one month old puppies are unimaginable. The better the pet’s diet, the more reliable the foundation for normal growth and development.

At the age of 3-4 months, the puppy’s teeth will begin to change, but this process will “start” on time only if the puppy receives enough vitamins and minerals.

Important! With the beginning of the change of baby teeth, due to a lack of microelements, many children's ears fall off or an abnormal bite develops.

What and how to feed a puppy correctly

The rules for feeding puppies depend, first of all, on their age. At each period of life, they have certain developmental characteristics and nutritional needs.

What to feed a puppy at 1 month

The situation when a dog breeder ends up with a month-old puppy in his arms is quite rare. Puppies are usually weaned from their mother at the age of two to three months, when they are able to socialize normally without danger to their physical and mental health. But unforeseen circumstances happen when you have to feed a small baby, for example, loss or shortage of milk, illness of the mother dog or her death. The digestive system of small puppies is not sufficiently developed, many nutrients are not fully absorbed or not absorbed at all, so food for a month-old kitten must be selected with extreme caution.

The best option is a substitute for bitch's milk. These are special dry mixtures for puppies, containing the entire necessary set of nutrients and microelements. They contain a natural concentrate of colostrum - a source of immunoglobulins that contribute to the formation of good immunity. Neither cow's nor goat's milk can replace dog's milk and provide the puppy's body with everything it needs.

In parallel with feeding with formula milk, complementary foods should be carefully introduced. At first it is liquid porridge, then boiled, ground tender meat. Feeding a one-month-old puppy what older animals are fed is strictly prohibited.

What to feed a puppy at 2 months

When organizing proper nutrition for a small puppy, it is important to immediately decide which type (natural or dry) you choose, so as not to change it later.

If you have chosen to feed natural products, then it is important to know exactly which foods are allowed for two-month-old puppies and which are not. The diet of small pets, starting from the age of two months, must include: meat, dairy products, eggs, vegetables, cereals; soups with meat or vegetable broth are recommended.

The daily diet should consist of almost 50% dairy products, since the body of a two-month-old puppy is in dire need of calcium, which is necessary for the normal development of the skeletal system, teeth, and the prevention of rickets. The most optimal treats are kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream. You need to buy either low-fat products or products with a low fat content. The use of products with flavors and dyes is prohibited.

Meat and fish should make up approximately 30-40% of the daily diet. The most suitable types of meat are beef or poultry. They should be given boiled. It is recommended to exclude pork due to its fat content. It is better not to grind the meat into minced meat, as it sticks together into lumps that are not completely digested in the stomach. It's better to chop it into small pieces.

Vegetables and cereals should make up 10-20% of a two-month-old puppy's diet. Rice and buckwheat are suitable cereals. Porridge should be well boiled in milk or vegetable broth. It is advisable to give different foods at different meals, and not mix everything together. What can you feed a two-month-old puppy using the example of one day:

1. In the morning, you can offer a dairy menu: it is quite easily digestible and does not overload the gastrointestinal tract.
2. In the afternoon, cook something meaty: boiled poultry or beef plus a couple of spoons of porridge.
3. For evening feeding, as for morning feeding, it is better to prepare something light, for example, low-fat or low-fat cottage cheese.

Vegetable oils should not be included in the menu of a two-month-old puppy. It is also not recommended to add salt to food or spices.

A two-month-old puppy needs to be fed every three hours, that is, about six times a day. Portions should be small, appropriate for age standards.

Introduce fish into your baby's diet. If he refuses to eat it in its pure form, try mixing the fish mass into the porridge. The fact is that fish at this age is very important, as it contains a large amount of phosphorus, which is necessary for the normal development of the skeletal system and teeth. But fish can only be given boiled and without bones.

What to feed a puppy at 3 months

The older the puppy gets, the less dairy products should be on his menu. Instead, the amount of meat ingredients should be increased. But three-month-old puppies still need dairy products, the main supplier of calcium. The daily diet of a three-month-old puppy should consist of 30-40% dairy components and approximately 50% meat components. Cereals and vegetables, respectively, should occupy 10-20% of the total daily menu.

You can give the same foods as a two-month-old puppy. But the portions increase, and the frequency of feedings decreases by 1-2 times.

What to feed a puppy at 4-5 months

At the age of four months, puppies begin to demonstrate their taste preferences. Try to take this into account. If your pet prefers dairy products, offer more cottage cheese or kefir. If your baby enjoys eating meat, then include more animal proteins in the menu. But don’t exclude milk completely – try to mix it with porridge.

It is not recommended to mix different types of protein in one feeding. Space out your intake of meat and dairy products. A cocktail of meat, fish and cottage cheese will not bring anything good to a growing organism with a fragile digestive system, but will only do harm. The number of feedings the puppy receives during the day is enough to give him everything he needs (there are about 4 of them).

Up to 6 months, porridge for puppies is prepared mainly with milk. But, if the porridge contains meat, then it should be cooked in meat or vegetable broth.

If your baby refuses fruit, you can add fruit purees to porridge. Puppies have an enviable appetite, so this supplement is unlikely to stop them from eating, for example, their favorite buckwheat or chopped meat.

What to feed puppies at 6 months and later

Starting from the age of six months, the puppy is gradually transferred to the diet of adult animals with three daily feedings. The meat component of the daily menu is determined at the rate of 20-25 g of meat per 1 kg of pet weight. Beef, rabbit, poultry, and fish fillets are used. Fatty meats and fish are not recommended at any age. Various offal products are useful, especially liver.

Do not give your puppy bones, especially tubular ones. Like ordinary sticks that small pets love to chew, their fragments can cause injury or intestinal obstruction. You can replace natural bones with a special treat from a pet store - collagen or vein bones.

The remaining cereals are buckwheat and rice; you can add oatmeal if tolerated well. Porridges are prepared with meat or bone broth. Bone broths are more flavorful and taste better. You can cook bone broth, then remove the bones, add grains and meat. There is no need to specially salt food for dogs; there is enough natural salt in the food. Boiled cereals can be prepared for future use and stored in portions in the freezer.

Vegetables are required in the diet, with the exception of potatoes and legumes, eggs (1-2 per week), vegetable oil (in small quantities).

Don't forget fruits and greens, as well as veterinarian-recommended vitamin supplements.

Keep the feeding area and bowl clean. It is necessary to wash the bowl after every meal.

Approximate diet for a 1 month old puppy

A puppy's diet at the age of one month should consist of proteins. Meat, dairy and fermented milk products should be considered as sources of proteins. Puppies of small and miniature breeds begin to introduce sources of carbohydrates into their diet from 5-6 weeks of age. For puppies of large breeds, sources of carbohydrates are introduced into the diet from 2–3 months of age or as needed.

Note! The smaller the puppy, the more energy it spends on heating its own body.

An approximate monthly diet should consist of the following products:

• Natural whole milk - goat or cow.
• Calcined cottage cheese.
• Homemade yogurt.
• Ryazhenka, yogurt, homemade kefir.
• Boiled meat without skin, fat and bones - it is best to give beef or veal, but chicken, turkey, and rabbit can be alternatives.
• Low-fat broths.
• Neutral vegetables in very small quantities - carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, maybe a little pumpkin.
• Chicken egg yolk or quail eggs - only boiled.
• Cereals (if the puppy is not gaining weight well) – rice, buckwheat.

How often to feed a puppy

The frequency of feedings depends on the age of the baby. When transitioning to solid food, puppies are fed 6 times a day, and by 10 months they switch to feeding twice a day.

The table shows the calculation of premium dry food. Cheaper foods are lower in calories, so you will need more of them.

Natural food is calculated according to the dog’s weight. Before six months, a puppy needs 6% of its body weight, after six months – 4% of its body weight.

Vitamins

Supplements for dogs are usually available in tablet form. They have an attractive aroma and taste. For particularly picky individuals, multivitamin complexes in powder or drops are suitable.

This is interesting: 10 tips on how to accustom a puppy to dry food

They are mixed into food or water, and also applied to the animal’s tongue. The drug is selected on the recommendation of a veterinarian, taking into account the breed and its weight.

Calcium, phosphorus and phytin are needed by puppies and adults for the formation and maintenance of bone tissue. But constantly adding vitamins to your diet is not recommended. They should be given in courses with a break of 2 weeks to 3 months.

For dogs receiving natural feeding, dog handlers and veterinarians advise choosing natural mineral supplements.

But ready-made pharmacological preparations (yeast SFK, Canina, Welpenkalk) can provoke a histamine reaction or indigestion in the animal.

Feeding puppies dry food

When getting a dog, every owner faces the dilemma of what food to feed the puppy: dry or natural. Feeding your pet natural food is cheaper, but preparation takes a lot of time. Therefore, many owners eventually switch to dry food.

Product selection

If you have chosen to feed dry food, then you must take into account that not all varieties are suitable for feeding puppies. It should be high-quality holistic or super-premium food. On the packaging, manufacturers indicate for which breeds and ages a specific product is recommended, the daily amount, the volume of a single serving and the feeding regimen (number of meals). Please read the instructions carefully to avoid mistakes.

Do not increase the recommended amount of food for a single feeding, even if your pet shows an increased appetite. All manufacturers' recommendations are compiled by specialists - zoo nutritionists and veterinarians. The restriction especially applies to breeds prone to obesity (cocker spaniels, pugs, basset dogs, dachshunds, Rottweilers, Scottish shepherds, Labradors).

Never mix natural foods and dry food, as they are digested differently. By receiving a cocktail of natural products and dry food, a small pet can be exposed to a number of serious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, urinary system and metabolic disorders.

Having chosen feeding prepared industrial products as the main type of nutrition, do not introduce additional vitamin supplements into the diet. This can lead to hypervitaminosis.

How to transition a puppy to drying

The transition to “drying” should not begin until the pet is 2 months old if it was fed natural food in the nursery. Dry food should be introduced gradually. The granules are pre-soaked and only then offered to the pet.

Veterinarians recommend choosing premium or holistic foods that are created taking into account the needs of young pets and do not contain harmful impurities.

Careful study of the manufacturer's recommendations allows you to choose a dosage. Information is located on the packaging and explains how to calculate the portion taking into account the weight and age of the puppy. Remember - an independent increase in the amount of food leads to metabolic disorders and causes obesity. If the puppy does not eat enough, try leaving the daily portion the same, but divide it into more frequent feedings.

Diet depending on breed

Regardless of the breed, you need to feed your pet following all the basic rules.

Little ones

A special feature of small breed dogs is their inherent pathology of the heart and blood vessels. Therefore, for puppies of Toy Terrier, Dachshund, Yorkshire Terrier, Spitz, Chinese Crested, Pekingese, Shih Tzu, Bichon Frize and other decorative breeds, it is necessary to additionally give complexes of vitamins and minerals.

The diet should not allow obesity, so the basis should be lean meat. Do not give frequent snacks or overuse treats. For example, the fluffy coat of a Pomeranian Spitz benefits from sea fish.

The diet should provide the need for calcium - cottage cheese and complex mineral supplements.

Average

Medium breed puppies require much more energy and nutritional components for normal growth. For puppies of Shar Pei, Pinscher, Russian and English Cocker Spaniel, French Bulldog, Beagle, Jack Russell, Pug, Corgi and others, premium, holistic dry food is needed.

What you can and cannot feed your Jack Russell Terrier

Natural nutrition should contain large amounts of meat, fiber, calcium and minerals. It is better to choose a special complex depending on the breed. For example, for a spaniel, food that provides a large amount of energy is needed, since the dog is often used for hunting.

Large

Giants such as huskies, German shepherds, Labradors, Alabais, Cane Corso, Rottweilers, Samoyeds, Staffies, pit bulls, Akita Inu, Caucasian Shepherds, Asian Shepherds need increased nutrition.

These dogs have pronounced muscle mass and often have problems with the joints and skeleton. Therefore, a small representative of a large breed must be provided with calcium, proteins, and fiber.

The basis of a natural diet is meat and offal, cereals and boiled vegetables. You need to be very careful about the serving size, since overeating and heavy weight in a puppy can lead to joint problems in an adult dog.

As for mongrel puppies, their diet should be approached based on growth prospects. If it is expected that the baby will grow up to be a serious dog, then the diet is prepared as for a large breed dog.

Photo: pixabay.com

Vitamins and supplements

If the dog eats natural food, then the owner needs to wisely select the diet so that it includes absolutely all useful substances: minerals, trace elements and vitamins. It will not be possible to solve the problem with natural food alone - the animal will need supplements from a veterinary pharmacy.

Before deciding what supplements you can feed your puppy, carefully study the list of vitamins that the animal needs: vitamin A, D, E, group of vitamins B. You can purchase special supplements and give them with food.

There are 2 types of vitamin and mineral supplements:

1. Industrial

   . The best are considered to be 8 in 1 Excel Multi Vit, Canvit Junior, Beaphar for puppy, Biorhythm, Doctor Zoo.

2. Natural

   . Brewer's yeast, feed sulfur, bone meal, calcined cottage cheese, fish oil.

Large breed puppies (for example, St. Bernard, Rottweiler, Alabai, Samoyed) are given calcium, phosphorus and magnesium for the proper formation of bones and joints. And in winter, all puppies are recommended to take fish oil, vitamins A and D to prevent rickets and better protect against the cold.

Before you start giving your dog vitamin complexes, you should consult your veterinarian. He will prescribe the right dosage for your pet, based on the breed of the animal, its health condition and blood and urine tests. You cannot give vitamins thoughtlessly, as this can seriously harm the animal. Vitamin support is needed to improve the condition of dogs after illness, during pregnancy, during active growth, but strictly under the supervision of a veterinarian.

In pets who regularly receive dry food, vitamin deficiencies are less common. This is due to the fact that high-quality feed mixtures contain useful additives. If you administer drugs during dry feeding, this will lead to hypervitaminosis.

Recommended and prohibited products

What can you feed a small puppy? Most often, small puppies at 1-2 months are fed natural products . But there are several rules that should be followed to ensure your baby gets adequate nutrition:

• When feeding a puppy “natural”, 2/3 of the puppy’s diet should consist of products containing protein - meat, fish, cottage cheese;
• include vitamin and mineral supplements in your puppy’s menu;
• food should be served predominantly raw or boiled;
• cereals and vegetables can make up 10% of the daily volume of all food.

The puppy's diet should include lean meat, fish, eggs, a variety of fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and some crackers. Don’t be afraid if the dog’s menu seems meager to you - these animals, firstly, are predators, and secondly, they do not need such a variety of products as humans. Moreover, many foods from our table can be dangerous for dogs. Carefully study the list of such products and under no circumstances give them to your puppy!

Prohibited products:

• sweets - glucose is not absorbed in the dog’s digestive system, fermentation processes may begin in the intestines, which are unacceptable for predators;
• spicy, salty, generously flavored with spices - irritates the stomach;
• tubular bones are strictly prohibited - such bones crumble easily, and the dog can swallow their fragments, which can lead to injuries to the esophagus and intestinal obstruction;
• pork - the puppy can get sick with the dangerous disease trichinosis;
• whole milk – not digestible in the dog’s body;
• river fish – possible infection with worms;
• legumes and cabbage - can cause bloating;
• potatoes – very poor digestibility in the puppy’s body;
• sausages contain many harmful substances.

Drinking regime

Water is the main component of puppy nutrition. Water should always be freely available and in sufficient quantity. It is recommended to change the water 2-4 times a day, because when drinking, food debris, saliva, fur, and dirt get into the liquid. You should add water to the drinking bowl 5-6 times a day - or place several drinking bowls in the house.

The maximum daily dosage of water for a dog is from 70 to 100 ml per kilogram of the pet’s weight. If the dog consumes significantly more, then you need to show it to the veterinarian - there is a suspicion of diabetes or other diseases associated with metabolic disorders.

Thus, a miniature 5-kilogram dog should drink from 350 to 500 ml of water per day so that there is no risk of water-electrolyte imbalance. Large and giant breeds are given water in buckets.

The article is of a recommendatory nature. Consult a specialist!

At what age can you start feeding puppies complementary foods?

In general, experts recommend starting feeding puppies at one month of age. But this is true if the lactating bitch has enough milk. If it is a small dog, for example, a Yorkie, and there are many puppies, then there will be little milk. Then the breeder will have to intervene when the babies are about 20 days old.

Fact! The average fat content of dog milk is 9.5%, while that of cows is only 3.3%.

It is best to start feeding puppies with milk from three weeks of age. Ideally, take goat, as it is fattier. If this is not possible, you can use regular cow milk. For nutritional value, you can add one beaten quail egg per glass.