Your pet needs adequate playtime, exercise, and most importantly, the right quantity of food to grow healthy and agile. Being a caring pet owner, you must be curious to know the right feeding habits of your pup. Before you purchase any kind of dog food online, it makes sense to know what to buy, when to feed, and how much to feed.
In this article, you will get to know the right quantity to feed your puppy, depending on its age and nutritional requirements.
Calculating your puppy’s food intake based on weight
Veterinarians recommend feeding the right quantity to your puppies based on their weight. Typically, you need to be careful about the puppy meal for the first eight months. Gradually, you can move towards adult dog food after this stage.
Depending on the breed, your puppy would weigh between 3 to 12 pounds in the first eight months. Experts recommend feeding four to six meals a day to your pup. When you purchase branded dog food online, you would find the prescribed portions and diet charts along with the packages.
To help you out, here’s a rough estimate from the experts.
- During an initial couple of weeks after birth, feed your puppy half cup to one cup of dog food on each serving.
- As the dog keeps growing, you need to adjust the quantity. Considering four to six meals a day, when the puppy attains an age of 4 to 5 months, serve the portions in 2/3rd cups to 1.3 cups of quantity per meal.
- Between 6 to 8 months of age, your puppy should receive 0.5 cups to 1.5 cups of food per serving. Of course, the weight of your pup would be gradually increasing throughout this time.
- After the dog crosses 8 months of age, you can switch to adult dog food.
It’s easy to customize your dog food when you purchase the meals online. Simply choose from the wide range of dog food packages available for sale.
How often should you give dog food to your puppy?
Now that you know how much you should feed your dog, it makes sense to be informed about the right frequency of feeding it. Here’s a guideline that would help you out.
- The first three months: Between four to twelve weeks, puppies generally need three or more feedings per day. Depending on the breed, this can even range between four and six meals. You need to consult the veterinarian and divide the recommended calories throughout the day.
- Three to twelve months: You need to reduce the number of meals as your puppy keeps growing. Between three to twelve months of age, it would need two servings a day. During this phase, their energy requirements reduce, as they become less playful.
- After one year: Once the dog crosses the mark of one year, you should serve it adult food. Two good meals within 12 hours should be adequate for your pet.
Tips to ensure a healthy diet for your puppy
- Well, you might feel it right to present some occasional treats to your puppy. Make sure that this doesn’t exceed 10% of your pet’s overall food intake each day.
- While the dog is young, make sure to stick only to branded dog food. Table scrap or human food might lead to irritation in their stomachs.
- Regularly clean the food bowls of your puppy and give it fresh water.
- Unless the veterinarian recommends, don’t move on to supplements or a medical diet.
It makes sense to check the ingredients when you buy dog food online. This ensures that you can make an informed decision regarding what you feed to your pet.
