Monthly Food Consumption: The First 8 Weeks
During the first eight weeks / two months puppies should not be separated from their mother in order for them to become fully adjusted to life and their surroundings, as well as being protected from illnesses.
A mother's milk provides puppies with the needed nutrition and antibodies to help them develop into healthy dogs. Between three and four weeks of age, puppies should begin eating some solid food, which can be done by mixing three parts food with one part water or puppy replacement milk. This will make digesting the food a lot easier. Puppies who begin eating solid food before leaving their mother will have an easier time adjusting when they change owners and are brought to a new home.
6 to 8 weeks
Once your puppy reaches six weeks old you should begin to feed it 3-4 times a day. It is important to remember that puppies have different nutritional needs than adult dogs, so choose a food that provides the appropriate balance of nutrients your puppy needs. Another important factor is protein and calcium intake, as well as making sure your puppy receives the proper amount of calories. Check the label to determine if you are feeding your puppy a balanced diet, and make sure that meat is the first ingredient on the label.
After 8 weeks
At this stage you should feed your puppy twice a day.
Buy Puppy Food
3 to 6 months
Between three to six months your puppy will be teething, which will result in it becoming a fussy eater or loose their appetite. Keep feeding it nutritious food twice a day. If at any point it has an upset stomach for more than one or two days, take it to the veterinarian.
6 months to 1 year
After a year your puppy should still be fed puppy food for the added nutrition, even though it starts to look more like a grown up dog. Puppy food should be fed for the first year, and with some larger breeds even into the second year. Only make the switch to adult food once you have received advice from your veterinarian. Make sure the adult food you feed your dog still contains a balanced diet, with the first ingredient being meat.
8 to 9 months
At this stage feeding can be reduced to once a day.
2 years
Smaller breeds can start on adult food when they are a year old. Larger breeds should stay on puppy food until they are fully mature which is usually at around 2 years of age.
