|
We're now feeding Purina
Puppy Chow because results of our surveys indicated that an
overwhelming majority of people feed Puppy Chow. Actually,
we are mixing Puppy Chow with
NutriSource puppy food, but Puppy Chow is
available nationwide, so we recommend that you begin with
that.
To avoid
stress of changing foods when puppies leave us, we have
decided to feed predominantly what most of you will (Puppy
Chow). If you want to feed
something different, we recommend buying a small bag of
Purina Puppy Chow (look at the picture on the bag and try to
get the one with
brown kibbles, and NOT the one with red and green
coloring...which also colors the stools) to mix with your
chosen food to acclimate the puppy to your puppy food.
-
We keep Purina Puppy Chow dry (brown kibbles
only...no red or green coloring) with the puppies almost all
the time.
-
Once per day, we give them dry
NutriSource puppy food mixed with warm water, and they
think that's a real treat for some reason, even though it's
just dry food with water. :-) You should be fine with just
the Puppy Chow, as that is what most of their diet is here.
A
high-quality puppy food is essential for the first few months. We
love
Diamond
brand Lamb and Rice Puppy for puppies that are 2 months
old and older. We also found a food at Wal-Mart that does
not contain corn called Maxim Puppy Food that might be good
to look into. Science Diet, Eukanuba,
Purina Puppy Chow, and Iams are also good, and your
veterinarian might have a suggestion that he/she prefers. Lamb and
Rice or chicken and rice foods are often recommended for breeds of dogs with
large ears that lay down, like beagles. We also like
the quality of
NutriSource puppy food, and supplement our puppies with
that. However, millions
of puppies have been raised on non-specialty store-bought food, and you sure can choose
that route as well.
How do you know if a food is good? Look at
the ingredients...if "corn" or "corn meal" (or similar) is
in the first few ingredients, it isn't as good as if those
ingredients were lower on the list. Better yet, avoid a
corn-based feed entirely and look instead for rice.
PLEASE DO NOT FEED YOUR PUPPY CANNED PUPPY
FOOD in unlimited amounts soon after receiving him/her.
Puppies are healthiest when fed dry food, and drastic
changes in their diets can cause severe digestive upset. Do keep a couple
cans of soft food on hand to use to tempt the puppy to eat
if he/she is off feed. But give just a couple tablespoons at
a time to prevent overeating. If the puppy eats soft food
until he bloats, he could begin a cycle of vomiting/diarrhea
that could lead to blood sugar problems and anemia which
could be fatal.
Ask your vet about vitamins. Puppy foods are supposed to be complete, so
giving vitamins might just be overkill and not necessary. Lots of people do
give vitamins, though.
Changing Foods Slowly
This is just "my idea" for a way to
acclimate the puppy to your new home's feed and feeding
schedule. The goal is "slow change" to help prevent
digestive upset. You don't have to follow this schedule, but
maybe it will give you an idea of what to do to reduce
digestive stress on your puppy. The change of home is enough
for the first few days...no need to add the change in diet
as well.
-
Feed straight Puppy Chow (brown variety, not
red/green) for 5 days.
-
For the first 3 days, have some dry Puppy
Chow in the food dish all the time or else feed at least
5 small meals per day. This allows the puppy to eat when
he/she is hungry, as his/her schedule will be unsettled for
a few days due to leaving the littermates and familiar home.
-
After 5 days, mix the Puppy Chow half and
half with your new food for at least a week, or until the
Puppy Chow is gone. During this time, offer food only at
meal times. Still offer 5 small meals per day, and not just
two meals. Puppies need to eat more frequently than adult
dogs.
-
After the 12th day, feed your preferred
feed.
|
Day |
What to Feed |
How Often |
| Day 1 |
Dry Purina Puppy Chow
(can mix some with water as a treat, but mostly offer dry food) |
Always available, or at
least 5 small meals per day |
| Day 2 |
Dry Purina Puppy Chow
(can mix some with water as a treat, but mostly offer dry food) |
Always available, or at least 5 small meals
per day |
| Day 3 |
Dry Purina Puppy Chow
(can mix some with water as a treat, but mostly offer dry food) |
Always available, or at least 5 small meals
per day |
| Day 4 |
Dry Purina Puppy Chow
(can mix some with water as a treat, but mostly offer dry food) |
Several small meals per day.
|
| Day 5 |
Dry Purina Puppy Chow
(can mix some with water as a treat, but mostly offer dry food) |
Several small meals per day.
|
| Day 6 |
Dry Purina Puppy Chow
mixed half and half with your preferred puppy food |
Several small meals per day.
|
| Day 7 |
Dry Purina Puppy Chow mixed half and half
with your preferred puppy food |
Several small meals per day.
|
| Day 8 |
Dry Purina Puppy Chow mixed half and half
with your preferred puppy food |
Several small meals per day.
|
| Day 9 |
Dry Purina Puppy Chow mixed half and half
with your preferred puppy food |
Several small meals per day.
|
| Day 10 |
Dry Purina Puppy Chow mixed half and half
with your preferred puppy food |
Several small meals per day.
|
| Day 11 |
Dry Purina Puppy Chow mixed half and half
with your preferred puppy food |
Several small meals per day.
|
| Day 12 |
Dry Purina Puppy Chow mixed half and half
with your preferred puppy food |
Several small meals per day.
|
| After |
Your preferred food |
3 or more meals per day. |
Other Info for New Puppy Owners
Visit our Table of Contents page
for links to information valuable to new puppy owners. This list includes
FAQ's, training advice, and much more!
|