Has your little puppy just come home and you are worried about feeding him? Of course, as long as we comply with responsible ownership, we have to worry about being able to cover all the needs of our pet, and food is one of the most important.
A puppy needs a high concentration of nutrients so that its complete development can take place without problems, but it also needs these nutrients to be contained in foods that are adapted to its chewing possibilities. If the question of what do puppies eat? is running through your head, continue reading our site where we give you more details about their diet and nutrition.
What do newborn puppies eat?
When we talk about everything that concerns what puppies eat, the first thing is to clarify that we should never rush to take it home, since forced weaning is a very serious mistake In order for the puppy to obtain all the nutrients it needs, to mature its immune system and also to begin to socialize properly, it is essential that it spend some time with its motherminimum of 2 months. Therefore, the first month, whenever the puppy is with its mother, it will feed on her milk.
In this situation, we must know that what a puppy eats is going to be solely and exclusively special milk for dogsThis milk can be found at any veterinarian. We can never feed a puppy of less than 8 weeks solid food, since they have not yet started to get their first teeth. In addition, we must administer it through a bottle because it is the closest thing to its mother that exists.
According to the weeks, the doses of milk that can and should be ingested are:
- Less than a week: every two hours, ten times a day.
- After the first seven days: every two and a half hours.
- After two weeks: every three hours.
Discover more information about feeding prematurely weaned puppies in this other article that we recommend.
What can you feed a 1 month old puppy?
What we must bear in mind is that the puppy will need nutrients to be able to create good natural defenses and incorporate beneficial bacteria inside of his digestive system, which for the few weeks of life will be very delicate and sensitive. At one month of age, the puppy will be able to:
- Start drinking special purée: we will not introduce the purée in all the shots, but we will only do it in a couple of them. In the other shots of the day, we will keep the special milk for dogs. You have to be careful because your puppy won't have all his teeth yet, so we don't want to cause him any further damage.
- Take shots only four times a day: it is best to distribute them throughout the day according to the human schedule. In this way, we can distribute them at breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner.
If you're wondering what to feed a 1-month-old puppy without a mother?, the answer is the same. We must bear in mind that what puppies eat without a mother will continue to be special milk for dogs. The process to acquire nutrients will be identical to that of a puppy that does have a mother, as explained in the previous points.
What does a puppy 2 months or older eat?
Food that 2-month-old baby dogs eat should have a soft texture, not only during these first two months, but also from the fourth month of life, since it is then when the change towards the definitive denture usually begins. For this reason, it is recommended that different textures be introduced progressively in the following order:
- Porridge
- Wet food
- Solid food with water or softened
- Solid Food
Each puppy lives a unique rhythm and therefore there is no strict schedule that works for everyone. You can see for yourself, by watching your dog eat, when he needs to experiment with other textures.
We leave you with this other article on our site about When do dogs change their teeth? that you might find interesting.
Food or homemade food?
Probably what puppies eat is the care that worries you the most when it comes to having puppies. A hungry pup may eat a wide variety of foods, but you may want to monitor this process to try to offer him the best. Next, we are going to detail more information so that you can decide.
- Food for dogs: various veterinary experts in canine nutrition take a stand against this unique feeding model. While it is true that food for puppies contains all the nutrients they need, its exclusive use cannot be synonymous with a good diet. Here you can find more information about the best food for puppies.
- Homemade diet: on the other hand, even knowing that a puppy mainly needs foods rich in protein and fat, exclusively carry out a homemade diet requires the professional supervision Check out this post on our site about Homemade Puppy Dog Food that you can offer your new furry friend.
Therefore, always adapting the texture to the puppy's chewing, it is advisable to feed it with a specific good quality feed and also with homemade food, never mixing both types of food in the same meal as they have very different absorption times.
