What does a puppy’s daily diet include? What should they eat to meet their body’s nutritional needs? Meets comprehensive development both physically and mentally. Choosing dog and cat food is a way of caring and showing the owner’s affection for his or her dog. But once the food has been chosen, the owner will wonder how much food is enough.

There is no specific answer to this problem. It also depends on age, breed, and activity level. Or your pet’s metabolic rate as well as your personal schedule. From there, it is possible to build a reasonable and scientific diet for puppies.

What nutrition does the puppy menu need?

In the early stages of life, the puppy’s diet menu needs to provide enough nutrition. A dog’s future health is mainly determined by nutrition. Foods not only provide energy for the body. It also contributes to the synthesis of the body’s cells. At the same time, maintain your dog’s daily activities. Prevent diseases related to the digestive tract, intestines, bones and joints and other diseases.

To meet the above needs, foods must follow precise nutritional formulas. Not too much, not too little. Only the right amount of nutrition can achieve development goals. Depending on different dog breeds, nutritional needs are also different. Chihuahuas and Saint Bernards have a body weight ratio of 1:100. Therefore, their nutritional intake is also not the same.

It depends on activity level, age, breed as well as food sensitivities. Even Golden or Labrador, many people think they have similar characteristics so their needs are the same. But in reality, the dietary needs for puppies are completely different.

Calories per day in puppy diet

Calories (Kcal) ↗ is a unit of measuring the energy you absorb from eating. Any mammal needs this type of energy to survive. Let’s become familiar with the concept of RMR. This is the lowest level of energy that an animal’s body needs to survive.

For dogs weighing less than 2kg: RMR = 70 x (weight in kg 0.75).
Dogs weighing over 2kg: RMR = 70 + (weight in kg x 30).
But that’s just the basic amount of calories your pet needs for rest. You need to consider their activity level to adjust the puppy’s diet a bit. Energy required for daily maintenance of livestock, also known as MER.

MER = RMR x A

In which, A is a certain index, depending on the pet’s activity level.

• Less active: A = 1.2
• Normal operation: A = 1.4
• Dog breeds that work hard or work on farms: A = 2 to A = 3
• Lactating pets: A = 3
• Animals in the growing stage: A = 1.5 to A = 2.5

Diet for puppies over 2 months old

For lazy people, dry puppy food is very convenient, providing enough nutrition for your puppy without having to waste time researching what to cook and how much to cook. Also, preservation is simple. Prepackaged foods today all have instructions for use. Very convenient for dividing puppy food rations.

Rules for daily feeding

• During the first 8 weeks: puppies should live with their mother dog and be fed breast milk. From the 4th week, you can start feeding your puppy additional dry food, but you should soak it in water to soften it for easy eating. You should choose food specifically for puppies. Or at least food for every stage from puppy to adult dog. And you should use a dog bowl to avoid spilling food on the floor.
• Up to 3 months: puppies should be fed 3-4 times a day and soaked in water for a few hours to make it soft and easy to eat. Always make sure your puppy has enough water to drink every day.
• From 4 months to 1 year: can be fed every 2 days and does not need to be soaked in water anymore. You should make the transition from 3 meals to 2 meals slowly over a week by reducing the amount of food in 1 meal and increasing the amount of food in the other 2 meals.

Quantify the number of daily meals

The needs of each individual pet are different. Therefore, it is necessary to rely on many factors to determine the exact number of diets for puppies per day. Or it can also be different according to each stage and physiological development.

Puppies need to be fed regularly and adequately. Unlike older dogs, they exercise less, so their diet also changes a bit. Even the diet of a 2-month-old puppy is different from the diet of a 4-month or 6-month-old puppy. Thus, choosing the right diet depends on many different factors. You need to consider carefully before deciding and building a diet for your puppy.

Puppies need to be fed the correct amount depending on the puppy’s weight and age. If you eat too much, your dog will soon become obese and have deformed bones. If you eat too little, it will lead to malnutrition.

• From 8 weeks to 12 weeks of age: best to feed 4 times a day. 700g of food divided equally into breakfast, lunch, afternoon, and evening. Always have water available for your dog, and replace it with another bowl at the end of the day.
• From 12 weeks to 16 weeks of age: feed your dog 4 meals a day. The amount of food is about 1.2 kg divided equally between meals. Give your dog enough water if he eats a lot of dry food.
• From 16 weeks to 20 weeks of age: feed 3 meals a day. Increase protein and animal meat intake (avoid fatty meat because it can easily cause indigestion and diarrhea). Provide enough water for puppies.

Refer to other modes

When dogs are of different ages and months, the puppy’s diet during the day is also different. The frequency of feeding times per day and the amount of food given to puppies at one time are also different.

• Under 2 months old: feed 6 times/day, each time 3.5 hours apart
• From 2 – 4 months: feed 5 times/day, each time 4 hours apart.
• From 4 to 6 months: feed 4 times/day,
• From 6 – 10 months: feed 3 times/day,
• From 10 months and up: feed twice a day as for large dogs, each time feeding the dog more than usual.

Dog food rations according to the season

Climate, temperature, and humidity always change with each season, which also requires you to change dog food regularly. So what should you pay attention to in dog food rations for each season?

In the spring

Understanding the weather characteristics, you will know what kind of food to feed your puppy? This diet is intended to ensure good health and resistance to adapt to each weather condition. For example, in winter you cannot feed them food that is too cold. Or in the summer – the hot season – don’t let them eat cool foods to cool their bodies.

In spring, everything is full of life. Warm temperatures will become warmer after a cold winter. The amount of dog food must be reduced by 10% compared to winter. Snacks cannot be given to them arbitrarily anymore. This easily causes dogs to become obese or have digestive system problems. The temperature difference in spring is very large, it is still cold and wet. Dog food should be placed in a well-ventilated, sealed place to avoid mold.

In the summer

The summer weather is extremely uncomfortable, both sunny and hot. Every day you must make sure your dog drinks enough water. Drinking lots of water is very beneficial for cooling down and avoiding heat. You can put some unsweetened ice in your dog’s drinking water, but don’t let the water get too cold.

In the summer, dogs eat quite a bit. Hot weather can easily cause dogs to lose a lot of energy and have low immunity. You should supplement protein for your dog. Choose a nutritious puppy diet specifically for each dog breed.

Sugar, vegetables and grains should be fed to dogs in appropriate quantities to maintain normal body temperature. Maintains a balanced temperature and physical strength for dogs. Besides, avoid junk food because junk food often contains a lot of fat. Especially beef and goat meat will make dogs feel hotter. Even if you are constipated or have dry, constipated stools.

Many fruit juices on the market are high in sugar. For example, watermelon, peaches… will make it difficult for puppies to digest. Instead, add vegetables and inorganic salt. This type of food is both delicious and nutritious, beneficial for the dog’s metabolism. Do not feed your dog too cold food to cool down. Puppies may suffer from diarrhea or other gastrointestinal diseases.

In the fall

In the fall, dogs’ metabolism speeds up. They started eating a lot. You need to supplement your puppy’s diet with lots of protein. Provide nutrients in moderate amounts so your dog can accumulate energy to prepare for the upcoming winter. Especially the Rottweiler, Poodle, German Shepherd breeds…

Sudden changes in temperature and climate during this season will also make dogs physically weak. They are susceptible to colds, fevers, coughs and other diseases… You also need to pay attention to their sleeping area. The nest should be kept in a cool, warm and airtight place.

In winter

Winter air temperature is very low. Short daylight hours. The weather in the north is dry, in the south it is wet. Too dry weather will cause the skin to crack, and high humidity will cause dermatitis. When feeding dogs, pay attention to supplementing water and B vitamins that contain a lot of fat.

Diets for puppies in winter also limit feeding them too much. Because even in winter, we have to consume more energy than other seasons to fight the cold. But no matter what, you have to adjust the appropriate amount. Eating too much and not going out for a walk can easily lead to obesity and other serious diseases. As long as you pay a little attention to seasonal dog food, your dog will be healthy all year round.

Make your own puppy food at home

There are many ways to prepare dog food at home, this depends on the owner’s time budget. However, it is also necessary to arrange the puppy’s diet in the most reasonable way. You can feed your dog freely as you like. Usually applied to puppies 3 – 6 weeks old. That is, until they start weaning. However, even if you are feeding freely, you should control the amount of food. Don’t pour too much and cause waste. Food left outside for too long will spoil quickly. This is not good for puppies.

Build a puppy’s diet for 3 meals a day. Applicable to dogs aged 6 weeks – 3 months. After weaning and learning to eat, you should feed them meals to form good habits. Add dry food to help them digest better. For dogs over 3 months old, it can be reduced to 2 meals per day. Especially with ornamental dogs, adult working dogs, large dog breeds… Non-working dog breeds, non-nursing dogs, adults of medium-sized dog breeds can only need to be fed every meal. a day.

What should you not feed your dog to avoid getting sick?

According to veterinarians, 2 to 6 months of age is the period when a puppy’s digestive system is not yet stable and adapted to the surrounding environment. They are very susceptible to intestinal diseases. In more severe cases, it can affect the dog’s liver and cardiovascular system.

Do not feed your dog food that is too hot or too cold. It will have a negative effect on the dog’s stomach. Avoid foods that are greasy, fatty or too sweet. This is one of the causes of intestinal diseases in dogs. Dogs can develop the disease immediately or incubate for 1 week depending on the resistance of each puppy.

Absolutely do not feed your puppy ready-made foods. For example: sausages, sausages, smoked meats or foods that are too salty. Because they are not good for the dog’s digestive system. If eaten for a long time, it can damage the liver and cause death before adulthood.

What should you not feed your dog to grow fast?

If you want your puppy to grow quickly, smartly and healthy, it’s best not to feed your dog too many sweets. It is sweet foods that make dogs always feel full and full.

Feeding your dog too many sweets will disrupt the dog’s digestive process. Furthermore, this is also the reason why dogs often shed tears even though they are in a normal state. Dogs should not eat uncooked foods such as chicken eggs, fish, mice or pork fat, lamb fat… These foods make dogs most susceptible to diarrhea.