One of the most important choices for you to make when introducing a new puppy into your home is the food you will feed.
Usually, the breeder or adoption group will recommend you continue to feed the same food they have been fed prior to moving into their forever home. We encourage you to do so for the first 2-4 weeks (as long as it is balanced). After this time, if you want to change the diet you can consider doing so, though it needs to be done slowly with a gradual transition feeding plan (that we will cover in more detail in a future post – or talk to one of our staff).
A good quality puppy food is highly valuable for your new puppy. We recommend foods that are formulated with the appropriate nutrients such as protein, DHA (healthy fatty acids and omega oils), vitamins, and minerals they need to assist with a healthy, balanced growth. The main food we recommend is Hills Science Diet Puppy Formula, which you can purchase at our clinic, online, or from pet shops.
Follow this link if you want to know more about Hills Science Diet Puppy Food, and much more helpful puppy information.
https://www.hillspet.com.au/puppy-food
It is important to know how to provide meals for your puppy during different stages of their young growth.
Between 4 to 12 weeks of age we routinely recommend frequent, smaller meals over the day, aiming at 4 or 5 meals daily, depending on the pet. From around 3-6mounts of age, feeding 2-3 times a day is recommended. Once they are around 6 months and beyond, morning and night provides a good base for most dogs to continue the enrichment, balance, and nutrition they need.
Feeding time also gives us a great opportunity to offer enrichment to our puppies.
While feeding from a bowl is a simple and common way to feed your puppy, there are other options to help make feed time a little more interesting and interactive for them.
Snuffle Mats, interactive puzzle feeders, and slow feeders are all excellent options to help keep your puppies brains working while eating their food.
It is recommended to observe your puppy while using any of these items to make sure their safety is maintained.
We also understand that feeding a formulated food is not the first choice for every family. There are various ways to provide nutrition to our fur family and we do not want to exclude anyone who wants more information on ways to best provide for their puppy’s health needs.
The team at Pet Society Vet are here to offer you advice on nutrition for all life stages, including puppies and growth. Feel free to call and we can organise an appointment with one of our nutritional nurses to discuss your puppy’s individual requirements. Let us work together to get you and your new puppy off to the best start in life.
