The Best Foods for 6-Week-Old Puppies

What you feed a dog during its formative years is important. At six weeks, a puppy should be eating small meals four to six times a day, and is probably still with its mother. As a puppy grows, its caloric requirements escalate rapidly. Consult your veterinarian for specific feeding information for your puppy's size and breed; also check a pet food manufacturer's instructions.

  1. Mother's Milk

    • For the first six weeks of a dog's life, it should feed, ideally, entirely on its mother's milk, according to the Dog Breed Info Center. This diet provides the puppy with the adequate nutrients and antibodies it needs to grow and develop its immune system. The Info Center advises that a puppy should not be taken away from its mother, and its mother's milk diet, for at least eight weeks. Six weeks is the youngest that a puppy should start to be weaned off its mother's milk.

    Puppy Food Formula

    • Serve puppy food formula in a bottle at room temperature. Make sure to give the puppy less than it wants to actually drink. Also, check the formula for lots of protein, vitamin D, and essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron. According to pet food company Purina, switching to dry food too quickly can harm a puppy's newly developing immune system.

    Dry Food

    • Later on in a puppy's life, eating crunchy, solid food can help it strengthen its teeth; however, for a very young puppy, you'll still want to mash up the dry food and add a bit of water or formula to make it into a gruel-like substance. Dog Breed Info recommends a ratio of 3 parts food to 1 part liquid.

    Puppy Treats

    • You can purchase treats specifically for puppies, which are chock-full of nutrients to encourage healthy growth. Please note that these are the only treats you should feed your puppy, as table scraps can be harmful to puppies. In general, do not feed a dog chocolate, onions, grapes, or raisins, as these can be toxic to your dog.