You are all excited - you just brought your new puppy home. You have the crate, dog bed, pee pads, the harness, the leash - and the dog food.
As puppies are in a high growth stage, they have different needs than an adult dog. This means that you should feed a puppy food that is designed for puppies. What I found to be very interesting is that puppy food is not only formulated to meet a puppy’s special nutritional needs, but formulated to limit the puppy’s growth rate. According veterinarian, Dr. Gary Richter, a puppy who grows too fast can be at a greater risk for hip dysplasia as he/she gets older.
Here are 5 Puppy Feeding Tips (below).
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Don't buy too much food at once - best to buy a 1 month supply
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Don't give your puppy human food - this can set the stage for trouble in the future
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Transition foods gradually - this avoids a shock to their system
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Switch over to adult food around one year of age - this can vary a bit by breed
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Set a regular feeding schedule - get those good eating habits in early
With the exception of #4, all of these tips also pertain to adult dogs. I admit that I learned the hard way - not to change food or schedules or I end up cleaning up a big mess. And, that's a good reason to have an easy to change dog bed cover.
Feel free to share your thoughts on these tips.
Image by Poodles 2 Doodles @ pexels.