We recently got a question about feeding puppies in the forum. The person said they were feeding their 8 week old Border Collie half a cup of puppy food per day per the bag’s instructions, but their puppy was not gaining weight. While working at the vet’s office, I heard many people asking about feeding puppies, so I’ve decided to give everyone some tips on feeding your little fur babies.
The Key to Feeding Puppies
Don’t over think it. That’s the true key to properly feeding puppies. Puppies and babies both need as much food as they ask for. You really can’t over feed a puppy. Those little guys grow like weeds, and they are super active. They need as many calories as they can get. Just like we don’t question how much food we’re stuffing our babies with, we shouldn’t question how much food we give our puppies.
Many people don’t realize that it is actually FAR worse to under feed a puppy than it is to over feed. When a puppy doesn’t get adequate food, it can adversely impact their blood sugar levels. When their blood sugar goes out of whack, it makes it hard for them to eat. Their little bodies aren’t working correctly, and they can’t adequately process what they’re trying to ingest. So the key to feeding puppies is really to just stuff them until they’re full.
Tips on Properly Feeding Puppies
How Much is too Much?
The short answer is that you can never give a puppy too much food. A good rule of thumb to feeding puppies is to start with the recommended amount on the puppy food bag. If you feed your little fuzzy mutt, and its still hungry, just give it more. Don’t worry, it WILL use up those calories for either growth or play, but you won’t hurt it by feeding it as much as it wants. Just remember, when your puppy hits about a year, you’ll want to begin monitoring their caloric intake, because they won’t be growing anymore. THAT’S when you need to consider energy level and food calories, but not before.
Activity Level
Puppies are go, go, go all the time, and they’re constantly growing. So when feeding puppies, everyone should remember that there are two things happening. There’s an animal with an insane amount of growth happening AND an insane amount of energy. Because puppies grow so rapidly and play so much, they need a lot of calories. So feed, feed, feed. You’ll know when to stop, because they’ll stop eating. =D
Feeding Puppies is Scary. Scary Easy
Feeding puppies really is a simple as just putting food in front of them until they’re stuffed. They’re just like babies in that way. There is one simple rule to remember when feeding puppies. Feed them three times a day, and at each sitting, feed them until they stop eating. It’s a simple as that. =D
Do you have any other questions about feeding puppies? Ask in the comment section.
