How Many Meals A Day Should An 8 Week Old Puppy Eat?
As a puppy owner, one of the most important questions you might have is - "How often should I be feeding my pup?" Knowing the right number of meals and the right amount to feed your 8 week old pup can make a world of difference in ensuring their health and wellbeing. Find out in this article how to set up an appropriate feeding schedule for your 8 week old pup!
Size of 8 Week Old Puppies
As your puppy grows, so does their appetite. An 8-week old puppy should be eating 3-4 meals per day. The amount of food will vary depending on the size and breed of your puppy. You can imagine an 8 week old great dane will already be larger than an adult toy breed, so feeding amounts really need to be breed/size specific.
Toy or Miniature Puppies vs Medium and Large
When it comes to how many meals a day an 8 week old puppy should eat, there are a few things to consider. The first is the size of your puppy. Toy or miniature puppies will have different nutrition needs than medium and large breeds. The second is your puppy's activity level. A more active puppy will need more food than a less active one because they burn more calories. It's like putting gas into your car, the more you drive each day the more gas you need.
Generally speaking, toy and miniature breed puppies should have 3-4 meals per day while medium and large breed puppies should have 2-3 meals per day. However, this is just a general guideline. Always consult with your veterinarian to determine the best feeding schedule for your individual puppy. As well, the amount of daily feedings will change as the puppy grows. There is some research suggesting that one meal a day is beneficial for the body and that in a large study of 24,000 dogs those who ate once a day were healthier. And if you don't feed your adult dog once a day it is best to keep the feedings within an 8 hour window. But this is for adult dogs, not puppies.
The debate of how many meals a day a puppy should eat is one that has been around for years. Some people swear by feeding their puppies multiple times a day, while others find that feeding once or twice a day is just fine. So, which is the right method for you and your puppy? If you have a toy or miniature puppy, they will need to eat more often than medium and large puppies. This is because their tiny stomachs can only hold so much food at one time. As a result, toy and miniature puppies should be fed 3-4 times a day. Medium and large puppies can get away with being fed 2-3 times a day. Their larger stomachs can handle more food, so they don’t need to eat as frequently as toy and miniature breeds.
What should I feed my dog?
There are many, many dog foods out there so we have chosen one to recommend one that is recommended by hundreds of breeders across North America. You can find the food here. Feeding for long term health will help to keep your puppy healthy and out of the vet's office. If you feed kibble it is a good idea to add some liquid to it, not so much to soften it but to aid the puppy digesting it. Chicken bone broth is a healthy way to do this. Just remember that the liquid you ad should not contain any sugar as this is not healthy for any dog.
If you are having difficulty, the best way to determine how many meals a day your puppy should eat is to talk to your breeder. They can help you create a feeding schedule that meets your pup's individual needs.
When it comes to feeding your puppy, there are a few things you can do to help prevent bloating and gas. Perhaps the most important is to make sure they are getting enough water. A good rule of thumb is to give them one ounce of water per pound of body weight each day. Clean, fresh water should always be available for your puppy and it should not be in a plastic bowl.
In addition, you'll want to choose a food that is easy for them to digest. For puppies that are too young or too small to chew dry dog food well, look for a food that is highly digestible and has little or no fillers. Puppies have sensitive stomachs, so it's also important to avoid foods that are high in fat or contain artificial preservatives. As well if you need to switch your puppy's food it needs to be done slowly over the course of a of a week.
Day 1: 25% new diet and 75% old diet.
Day 3: 50% new diet and 50% old diet.
Day 5: 75% new diet and 25% old diet.
Day 7: 100% new diet.
One of the most common problems when feeding puppies is bloating and gas. This can be caused by several things, including feeding them too much at one time, not getting them to chew their food properly, or feeding them food that's not easy to digest.
Here are some tips to help prevent bloating and gas in puppies:
1. Feed smaller meals more often. This will help prevent your puppy from overeating and will also help their digestive system break down the food better.
2. Get your puppy to chew their food well. This may take some patience on your part, but it's important to get them to really chew their kibble so that it's easier for their stomach to digest. You can use a slow feeder found here to help this.
3. Choose a high-quality dry dog food that's easy to digest. Avoid foods that contain lots of fillers or artificial ingredients, as these can be hard for puppies to digest and can cause bloating and gas.
