Anyone who has ever owned a puppy knows that it is hard to resist its begging eyes when it wants another helping of food or just one more treat. However, few things can ruin a puppy’s health faster than raising it on a poor or excessive diet. Read on to learn three tips that will help you feed your puppy a proper diet:
Use High-Quality Food
To ensure that your puppy grows and develops normally, it’s crucial to feed it a nutritious, high-quality diet with the perfect balance of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. You can identify a good brand by consulting your veterinarian and doing some investigative work of your own at the supermarket. You should seek out foods that bear a label stating that they meet the nutritional guidelines of the Association of American Feed Control Officials, as these are specially formulated for optimum nutrition.
Develop a Feeding Schedule and Set Portions
Puppies have higher nutritional requirements than adult dogs, and should be fed about three times per day. You can switch to twice-daily feedings after they reach six months of age. The amount of food that puppies need is up for debate by veterinarians, but the feeding charts on the backs of food packages are usually accurate as reference points. These charts recommend food amounts based on age and weight, which takes a lot of the guesswork out of the feeding process.
Limit Treats
Treats are important to keep puppies happy and also to jumpstart their training. However, treats should constitute no more than 5% of a puppy’s daily caloric intake, and they should only be genuine dog treats, to avoid it developing unhealthy food tastes or gastrointestinal problems.
If you are in need of a professional opinion on puppy diets, look no further than Heart of Chelsea Animal Hospital. Our expert veterinarians are always happy to answer any questions you may have about ensuring that your furry friend is always happy, healthy, and well-fed.
