How Much Food Should a Puppy Be Given?

Misconceptions

• Feeding a puppy is not a matter of common sense for most people. Many people believe you can feed a puppy anything at any time, but that's not true. You need to ensure you feed your puppy the right kind of food at the right time and in the right amount.

Time Frame

• Concerns with how much to feed your puppy will start soon after they are born. For the first three to four weeks, the puppy will get all of the nutrition he needs from his mother's milk. At three to four weeks, begin mixing one part water to four parts of puppy food based on weight or veterinarian recommendation. At 6 to 8 weeks old, feed your puppy the required amount of food for his weight as stated by the puppy food manufacturer. This usually starts at about ½ cup a day, and you might continue to mix it with water if the puppy seems to struggle with the hardness of the food. You will need to feed your puppy of this age three to four times a day. At 8 weeks old, defer to the weight guidelines of the puppy food feed him the specified amount twice a day. To ensure your puppy is getting a balanced diet, ensure the food has meat listed as the first ingredient. At 3 to 6 months old, there will be a weight gain and you'll likely need to increase the amount of food twice a day. This can be a trying time as puppies are usually teething. At 6 months to 1 year old, it can be tempting to switch from puppy food to dog food, but he still needs puppy food because he is growing and maturing. Between 6 months and 1 year old, some dogs can be switched to a once a day feeding, although many breeds do better with two smaller meals a day.

Benefits

• The benefits of feeding your puppy the appropriate food are vast. Puppies introduced to small amounts of food at the three- to four-week period usually do much better when separated from their mother and siblings around eight weeks. Puppies continually fed premium puppy foods in the right amount will develop a well-functioning digestive system and be in better health.

Significance

• It's important to feed puppy food because it is the only food that is going to give the dog all of the nutrients he needs. Puppy food is created to give a puppy the specific amount of calories needed to sustain his growth. In the past, it was thought puppies only needed puppy food until they were about 1 year old, but this is no longer the way most veterinarians think. Larger breeds are often fed puppy food for two years, while smaller breeds are full grown at about 1 year old.

Risks

• A puppy not fed premium puppy food might not have the calories and nutrients in his system to grow and develop at a normal pace. This could result in malnutrition resulting in poor bone growth, poor coat quality and other health issues. Feeding a puppy too much food is just as dangerous as not feeding enough. Dogs, like people, have to stick to a balanced and proportionate diet so they do not become obese and suffer an array of health problems related to being overweight.