Large Breed Puppy Food

A puppy will require plenty of food. From birth to six months of age the puppy will require to eat two to four times as much as an adult dog to support all its growth. A good idea is that after its first week of life when its weight doubles from birth that it should gain one or two grams per pound of anticipated adult weight each day. For example if your German Sheppard puppy weighs 75 pounds as an adult than it should gain three to five ounces per day as a puppy. The best diet for a puppy would be a puppy branded dog food as it is higher in protein and enriched with vitamins, minerals and fats essential for growth when compared to adult dog food made by the same company. It is important that you purchase the food that is labelled “puppy food”
as it is more likely to have the extra nutrients a puppy needs until it is fully grown.
Consider the breed of dog when choosing the correct puppy food as if it is a larger breed for a puppy than you need large breed puppy food as bigger pups grow at a rate gradual enough that they have time to develop strong bones and joints.
Whereas small breed formulas provide concentrated nutrition in small, bite – size kibbles that meet a smaller puppy`s high metabolic needs. Medium breed formulas aim somewhere in between. You will need to be able to feel their ribs but not see them and they should have a visible waist when you look down at them. This is true of all breeds of puppies. At around eight to 12 weeks of age your puppy is more than likely eating three to four times a day and now doesn’t have to eat as often anymore. When your puppy reaches six months of age you must reduce the number of meals you feed to only two. Also reduce the amount of food it receives. Some dogs may tell you that you have fed them too much by leaving some food in their bowl.
Large breed puppies need slow, sustained growth to help prevent orthopaedic problems such as hip dysplasia. You should put them on a diet for larger breed of dog or food for adult dogs and should not over provide them with protein, fat and calories. Small but chunky breeds of dogs like pugs also need require a lower- calorie diet than what is provided by many puppy foods as they are more prone to the hip dysplasia. Your dog should be fed at set times each day. However with tiny breed dogs like Chihuahuas who can be prone to hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). These dogs should have food available to nibble
on.
For example if you have a puppy German Sheppard then you can feed them Royal Canin German Sheppard puppy dog food and it is a type of kibble. This food supports healthy digestion and due to the shape of the kibble it is easy to grasp and chew. This type of food is designed for pure breed German Sheppard puppies from 8 weeks to 15 months. The table labelled figure 4 shows the amount of food you should feed your puppy at certain ages. This diet contains 3663 kilocalories of metabolizable energy (ME) per kilogram or 333 kilocalories ME per cup on an as fed basis. The puppy`s food should be provided in a bowl in which they cannot tip over such as a ceramic one. The feeding schedule of your puppy will be influenced by your own schedule. By feeding your puppy on a schedule it will make house training easier as they are more likely to need the toilet at the same sort of time each day. You should also make it a habitat to give your puppy some quiet time after its meal. You shouldn’t let him or her play for the first hour and a half after eating so that it reduces the chances of a stomach upset.