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How Much Should My Dog Be Eating?
Its important to know that a dog who is overweight doesn’t live as long as a dog of a healthy weight.
They say that there are a few health issues that are prone to overweight dogs. Here are a few
Do yourself a favour and please don’t just follow the instructions manufacturers put on the packet.
They really do just guess this amount, they can’t know every type and breed of dog.
So by following this you could easily be overfeeding or underfeeding your dog.
First, remember to always check the ingredients and make sure that it states what kind of meat is in your dogs food. And that it doesn’t just say “meat” or animal meat. Make sure it specifies chicken or beef.
If it states By-products then you need to note that this mostly consists of skin, feathers, hooves, eyes, and feet. These are not good for you
They say a good way to judge it would be to look for food which says “Duck meal” for example. This would mean that they weighed the meat after it was cooked and after the water was removed. So this would mean the meal would consist of more meat. If it says Duck and Corn meal. Chances are there will be more corn than actual Duck meat.
Corn is also not an ideal thing for your dogs to be eating – corn can cause bloating, joint swelling and allergies
I don’t know if you have ever noticed, but the more expensive dog foods have less grains and corn in it. This is because the dog doesn’t need to eat so much, as the body gets everything they need from the little bit of great quality food, and therefore – LESS waste. WIN WIN 🙂
If your dog has a bad diet, you might find it makes them shed more and have a less healthy coat.
BASIC GUIDE – Note this can differ between dogs
|
1 – 10 Pounds |
¼ – ¾ cups |
|
10 – 25 Pounds |
¾ – 1 cup |
|
25 – 50 Pounds |
1 – 2 cups |
|
50 – 75 Pounds |
2 – 2 ½ cups |
|
Over 75 Pounds |
2 – 4 cups |
If you want to give your dog dry and wet food – you can mix the amounts 50/50
FOOD AMOUNTS
First 8 Weeks Of the Puppies Life
- Puppies should remain with their mothers until at least 8 weeks of age
- There is a higher chance of your dog getting sick if you take them away from their mom to early. They say this could be due to weakened immunity or mourning for the loss of their mom and siblings
- At roughly 3/4 weeks the puppies will start eating solid foods. Its recommended to mix 3 parts food with 1 part milk substitute/water
- If your puppy is eating solids before you take them home, they will adjust more easily into your home
- They say you should feed your puppy 3-4 times a day
- You need to be sure that there is the right amount of nutrients and calcium in their food as puppies have different requirements to adult dogs. Puppy food will always say PUPPY food on the packaging.
- The specified meat should be the first ingredient on the packet.
After 8 Weeks
- Feed your puppy twice a day
3-6 Months
- Stick to two meals a day – but remember your puppy will start teething, so they may not always be eager to eat.
6 Months – 1 Year
- Even if your puppy is full sized, and may look like an adult they are still a puppy.
- Some foods you get at the vet are so high in everything needed by both adult and puppies, you can feed this to your puppy and your adult dogs. The biggest difference here will be the size of the pellets.
1 Year
- In most breeds its ideal for your dog to be fed twice a day.
TIPS
- Keep food and water bowls clean
- Refill the water everyday
- Monitor your dogs weight and activity levels
- Its good to feed your dog at the same time everyday, this will help keep their bathroom schedule regular – this is great if you stay in an apartment
- Keep to the same brand of food
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When you get a new puppy there are a few important things you would need to look at buying
Here are a few awesome examples
