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Nutrition for Puppies
December 21, 2006 Posted: 2:58 PM EDT (1958 GMT)
By Jennie Grover
Absolute Collies
Puppies have different nutritional needs than adult dogs.
By feeding complete and balanced nutrition now, you can impact your dog's life-long health.
Nutritionists recommend three things:
1. Consistency. Puppies can benefit from a consistent diet. Feed your puppy the same food, at the same time every day. Very young puppies (six to eight weeks) should be fed three times a day, older puppies twice a day. Fresh drinking water should be available at all times.
2. Don't Overfeed. Studies indicate that avoiding overfeeding may help a puppy's development. Follow the feeding guide-lines on the puppy food package for recommended amounts and monitor your puppy's weight, making adjustments as necessary. Obesity is not healthy during puppyhood or at any time in a dog's life. In fact, maintain- ing an ideal body condition is the key to encouraging proper growth in all puppies, small and large breeds alike.
3. Changes in appetite.Don't be alarmed if your puppy's appetite changes. Growing can be stressful to a puppy's digestive system. It is normal for your puppy to lose her appetite or experience digestive upset occasionally. Stay the course and continue your consistent feeding regimen. If the upset should become severe or linger longer than a day or two, contact your veterinarian.
REMEMBER: Puppyhood is the time to establish good eating habits. Never feed your puppy food from your table or supplement his meals with anything other than an occasional commercially prepared dog treat. Supplementing is not only unnecessary, but can be harmful, unless there is a medical need.
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