Feeding puppies properly - The best diet for puppies and young dogs

Your new family member will soon be moving in. Or do you already have your puppy at home and are enjoying the little fur nose? As cute as the little rascals are, they are completely dependent on you from now on. In this article, we'll tell you how to feed your puppy properly so that you get everything right from the start.

The best food for puppies and young dogs?

Many prospective puppy parents ask themselves the question: How do you feed your puppy properly? The first thing you need to know is that the puppy's diet lays the foundation for the health of the adult dog. Depending on the breed, the four-legged friends develop very differently. To ensure optimal growth of the little fur nose, the food, the amount of puppy food and the frequency of meals must be adapted to its needs.

Puppies are usually fed on their mother's milk until the third week, after which weaning begins slowly. When you bring your new family member home, he is usually already weaned and eating solid food. The little rascal should be given special puppy food that covers all the important needs of his breed. You can ask the breeder about your puppy's nutritional requirements in more detail; a competent and trustworthy breeder will provide you with satisfactory information.

When your puppy moves in with you, you should continue to feed the breeder's puppy food for the first few days. If you want to change it, be careful not to make the change too suddenly. Otherwise it can upset the puppy's stomach and it will take a while for the puppy's gastrointestinal tract to recover. The table below shows you the best way to proceed with a change of food:

If you want to feed your puppy dry food correctly, we recommend soaking the dry puppy food in lukewarm water for a while first. This prevents the pellets from bloating so much in the stomach and causing abdominal pain and flatulence. In addition, the puppy's small stomach can digest the softened food better.

Feeding puppies - how often is enough?

Feeding your puppy properly is not that difficult. But remember: "Small stomach, small amount of food" - this is the guiding principle when feeding puppies. The little rascals get up to five meals at the beginning. This is because a puppy's stomach is still very small and therefore cannot hold a whole day's ration of food. As a rule: up to the 12th week 4 - 5 meals, from the 13th to the 20th week 3 - 4 meals and up to 11 months the dog can be fed three times a day. The respective periods depend on the breed and size of the dog. Small or medium-sized dogs can usually be switched to fewer meals more quickly than large breeds.

Once the dog is fully grown, you can switch to one meal a day. However, we recommend feeding the dog twice a day, as two meals a day are better tolerated. This is particularly useful for voracious breeds such as Beagles or Labradors. You can halve the amount of puppy food and give the first half in the morning and the rest in the evening. Under no circumstances should you give your dog the full meal twice a day, as this is bound to lead to excess weight gain.

It is also essential to find out from the dog breeder what times the puppy is fed and adjust the puppy's diet accordingly for at least the first two weeks. Otherwise, follow the breeder's guidelines and instructions when feeding.

Pay particular attention to the amount of food so that you do not overfeed the puppy. If the four-legged friend receives too much food and therefore too many nutrients, this can lead to faster growth. This is unhealthy for the puppy and especially for the adult dog later on. Serious health problems can result - especially for the bones, muscles and skeleton. Overfeeding puppies can lead to deformities and diseases that only become apparent in adulthood and cannot be reversed.

You would like to spoil the little balls of fur, but this should not be in the form of an excessive flood of treats. After all, treats are also part of the daily food ration and should therefore not be fed indefinitely. To be able to feed your puppy properly, you should also prevent other family members from overwhelming him with too much different food and snacks.

Feeding puppies correctly - adapted to the growth phase

The main purpose of food for puppies is to provide energy and important nutrients for healthy growth and optimal development of the four-legged friend. Especially in the first few weeks, it is crucial what the little noses get to eat. Puppies need up to three times more calories than adult dogs, as they go through the biggest growth spurt in their first year.

However, a distinction must be made between small breeds, medium-sized breeds and very large breeds. While small dog breeds are already fully grown at 8 - 10 months, the growth phase of a giant breed extends into the 2nd year of life. Dogs weighing over 30 - 40 kilograms when fully grown grow differently to Chihuahuas and Maltese. They have a different growth curve. Breeds such as St. Bernards, Great Danes and Kangals therefore need to be fed an adapted puppy diet for longer than small dog breeds.

The most important nutrients in puppy nutrition

Not only the frequency of puppy feeding and the amount of food in the daily puppy ration are crucial, but the nutrients must of course also be right. Carbohydrates, fats and animal protein (also known as protein) are among the three most important macronutrients for puppies and should not be missing from the puppy diet. These macronutrients should be provided to the young dog in a balanced mix. If it receives too much or too little of these nutrients, deficiency symptoms and further malformations can occur in the long term.

Carbohydrates for puppies:

Carbohydrates are the body's fuel and are converted into energy by the body's own processes. They are stored in the puppy's liver, kidneys and muscles. If a puppy is given too many carbohydrates, this can result in obesity, among other things. However, dogs are not necessarily dependent on carbohydrates, as they can produce energy primarily from fats and proteins. Carbohydrates are a supplementary option, but are not absolutely necessary, not even in a puppy's diet.

Carbohydrate sources for dogs:

• Millet
• tapioca
• oat flakes
• Potato flakes or potatoes (only cooked)
• pasta
• Rice flakes
• buckwheat
• barley
• amaranth

Fats for puppies:

Fats provide puppies with essential fatty acids such as omega-3, -6 and -9. Fats are there to keep the hormone balance going and to build up the cell walls. Among other things, they are components of skin, hair and brain. An appropriate amount of fat is important for the healthy development of the puppy. Healthy fats are mainly found in high-quality oils.

Sources of fat for dogs:

• Salmon oil
• Black cumin oil
• coconut oil
• Cod liver oil
• High-fat meats such as beef, duck or pork (never feed pork raw due to the risk of Aujeszky's virus)
• High-fat fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring

Animal protein for puppies:

Proteins provide the still young puppy's body with important amino acids. They are responsible for cell renewal and formation, act as transport proteins by carrying oxygen to the cells and are components of the puppy's immune system in the form of antibodies.

Protein sources for dogs:

• Eggs
• yoghurt
• cottage cheese
• cottage cheese
• cheese
• Meat

In addition to macronutrients, which mainly provide the young puppy's body with energy, micronutrients are also essential for healthy growth. These include vitamins, minerals, trace elements and secondary plant substances. Most of these substances must be supplied with food or food supplements, as puppies cannot produce them on their own.

Micronutrients for a strong skeleton and robust bones:

• Protein
• calcium
• phosphorus
• collagen

Micronutrients for eye and brain development:

• Omega-3 fatty acids
• B vitamins
• selenium
• lutein

Micronutrients to support the immune system:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D
• Antioxidants
• iron
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• selenium

Micronutrients for vital skin and a shiny coat:

• B vitamins
• Essential fatty acids
• Zinc

Puppies should already be given these substances with their puppy food. If some of these nutrients are missing from the puppy food, deficiency symptoms can quickly occur. It is therefore worth studying the nutrient tables for individual types of food if you want to feed your puppy correctly.

Making your own puppy food menu

You can also prepare your puppy's food yourself. This gives you full control over the composition, quality and nutrient intake. With our BARF nutrition plan, we support you in compiling and adapting the diet to your puppy's basic needs. This is because all important factors such as breed, size, previous illnesses, typical breed diseases and much more must be taken into account when putting together the individual puppy food so that health problems and deficiency symptoms can be prevented at an early stage. Professionally trained animal nutritionists and veterinary practitioners analyze the needs of your puppy and create an individual BARF nutrition plan for your darling. This ensures that your new family member is well looked after right from the start.

Dos and don'ts when feeding puppies