Swapping Puppy Food Brands
Before you bring your new pooch home, its crucial to ask the breeder what food your puppy is accustomed to.
Maybe your puppys food is already the same you would have chosenin that case, wonderful! No changes are necessary!
However, if you would like to switch your puppys food, its important not to do it right away.
Moving into his or her new home is a challenging and exciting time for your Labradoodle puppy.
That alone can be enough for a slightly upset stomach, so its best to not add a food change to the mix right away.
Keep feeding what your pup is used to for at least two weeks. Then, slowly start mixing in the new food you have chosen for your pup.
Increase the amount of new food slowly over the course of one week, then remove the old food altogether.
You can add canine probiotics to your puppys food to help with this transition. We love Purina Pro Plan FortiFlora Dog Probiotic Supplement.
Raw Fed Dogs And Small Children
I dont recommend raw feeding in families with very small children. This is because raw fed dogs get messy. It is hard in this situation to keep raw meat juices containing pathogens, away from children too small to understand the importance of hand washing
The important fact here is that there is no right way to feed a dog. No single best way to provide a balanced diet.
I Was Told That Puppies Should Eat All They Want 3 Or 4 Times Per Day Is That True
Feeding a puppy all it can eat at one time is called ‘ad libitum‘ or ‘free choice’ feeding. This is not recommended as it can create juvenile obesity, binge eaters, as well as set the stage for some orthopedic problems and diabetes. Over-eating at any one meal can also cause stomach discomfort and bloating causing slower digestion. Dogs are acknowledged to have a genetically determined “set point” for their adult size. Slower, controlled growth in puppies optimizes body condition in adulthood.
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How Much Should I Feed My Labradoodle Puppy
If you want to know exactly how many calories your Labradoodle pup needs each day, theres a formula for this: 2 x RER .
The RER depends on your puppys current body weight.
However, most commercial foods come with detailed recommendations on how much to feed every day.
Just make sure to divide the total daily amount onto multiple feedings.
If youre feeding a Labradoodle puppy both kibble and wet food, and youre not sure how much to feed of which, your vet can help you with the calculations.
Choosing The Right Method Of Feeding
When learning how to feed a Labrador, youll realise there is more to feeding a dog than just the contents of his food bowl. Your family needs to be considered as a whole. The feeding method you choose needs to fit in to your lifestyle and current circumstances.
I fed raw to my dogs for many years. But I did not do this and could not have done this, when my kids were little. Nowadays, I sometimes feed kibble, if circumstances demand it. But prefer to feed raw whenever I can. Remember, many dogs thrive on kibble, and many dogs thrive on raw. Choosing the best dog food for Labs may also depend on your own circumstances.
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Feeding Puppies Large & Small
Not only do puppies need puppy food, but certain breed sizes can benefit from size-specific formulas.
If you have a large breed puppy, he may benefit from a large breed-specific puppy formula. Small breeds can also benefit from small breed-specific puppy formulas. Regardless of breed size, the food should be complete and balanced for growing puppies.
The difference in formulas comes down to the unique needs of large and small breeds. Large dogs have a higher risk of developing joint problems, so a large breed puppy food should include proper levels of nutrients to support their healthy growth and development.
Small breeds may prefer smaller kibble so they can more easily chew their food, which helps ensure they get all the nutrients they need.
According to Purina Nutritionist, Karina Carbo-Johnson, MS, Small breed-specific dog food is important due to their increased metabolism. This results in a nutrient-dense, high-energy formula which adults and puppies need to support a healthy lifestyle.
How Much Dog Food Per Day
22/12/2021
How much dog food per day? The basic requirement for a long and healthy dog life is that he is provided with all the necessary nutrients he needs. It should not be too little, but also not too much. After all, overweight is just as unhealthy for the dog as malnutrition. But how much dog food you need per day depends on many different factors.
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Availability Of Puppy Food
The big brands are widely available in many parts of the world, and they have a valuable reputation to maintain. So, the chances are, your puppy will be eating a good quality product if you choose one of these.
On the packet, your puppy food should give you the manufacturers quantity guidelines for that brand.
Again, this is a rough guide only, and you should not follow the advice slavishly. Overfed puppies are prone to diarrhea, obesity, and too-rapid growth.
Now, well explain how to figure out if your puppy is getting too fat or too thin.
What To Feed A Labradoodle Puppy
So lets get down to the details: What should you feed your Labradoodle puppy?
There are a couple of different options out there.
Your first decision to make is whether to buy commercial dog food or prepare the meals yourself .
If you dont have a lot of experience with puppy nutrition, we suggest sticking with commercial food for a start.
Commercial dog foods offer complete and balanced nutrition for your growing pup this means that they have all the right nutrients in all the right amounts and ratios.
If a puppy is fed an inappropriate diet, this could lead to long-lasting growth defects or other malnutrition diseases.
Is your heart set on feeding a Labradoodle pup a raw or homemade diet?
If so, we recommend you work with a veterinarian or a canine nutrition specialist to put together a balanced meal plan.
Before you make your decision, lets have a look at all the options in detail.
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Finding The Adult Right Food
Not all pet food is made the same way. When it comes to finding the right formula, look for a food that is gently cooked and highly digestible. A slow-cooking process, like the Bil-Jac Nutri-Lock cooking method, helps to protect the key nutrients your dog needs his daily diet.
Dry foods that are cooked quickly in large batches at high temperatures and pressure, the way most dog foods are processed, can have nutrients damaged in the cooking process. In turn, your furry friend could suffer from an upset stomach and even loose stools.
Its also good to maintain some consistency with your food choices. If youve been feeding your puppy a super-premium puppy food like Bil-Jac, its just as important to feed him a super-premium adult food as well.
Youll also want to match your dogs size with the right formula. Dogs don’t require a breed-specific dog food, but their size does make a difference in their metabolism. As such, you’ll want to select a high-quality dog food made for large breeds, small breeds, or more average-size dogs to match your particular pooch.
Best Puppy Food For Labs
Naturally, we all want the best for our puppies and want to give them a diet that is nutritious, healthy, and tasty. So, what is the best puppy food for labs? Most people feed puppies with commercially produced dry dog food also known as kibble. Thats fine and can give a perfectly balanced diet. Well look at some of the different brands of dry puppy food later.
Others like to mix in some commercial tinned dog meat, which is another healthy alternative. Pick a good quality brand that is specially formulated for puppies.
Feeding your Labrador puppy on home cooked food or on a totally raw diet is also possible. Youve probably heard of BARF, or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food. Feeding dogs this way is growing in popularity, and there are pros and cons to raw feeding puppies. Thats another area we will explore later on.
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What Other Food Should You Feed With Puppy Kibble
If your are feeding your Labrador puppy kibble, there is no need to provide anything else apart from water. Puppy kibble from a reputable manufacturer is intended to be a complete and balanced food. Some owners like to mix in canned dog food or even scraps of raw food with kibble.
Theres probably no harm in doing this occasionally with an older dog, but with puppies you may find it causes upset tummies and theres a risk that you wont be feeding a balanced diet unless you include considerable variety in your extras.
What Should I Feed My Puppy
Start your puppy out on the right paw with a variety of top-quality foods to not only support his or her growth and development but also to build a strong immune system. We recommend feeding your puppy a premium quality dry kibble like “I and love and you” Naked Essentials Puppy Formula. Complete with vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and digestive enzymes, our food ensures your puppys body has everything it needs for proper digestion, cell function and growth. This will keep your puppys health at its peak, possibly reducing your veterinarian visits and costs in the long run.
Dry Food, Wet Food Or Both?
While dry kibble is the most popular and economical choice for your pup, its not the only food selection. Wet food, which usually comes in cans or pouches, is typically the most expensive option, though your pup will probably find it tastier than dry food. However, many dog owners stick with dry food not just for its low cost but also its positive effects on oral health. The friction thats produced when your pup eats kibble helps keep his gums and teeth healthy.
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Do All Puppies Have Worms
Intestinal parasites are very common in puppies. Symptoms of intestinal parasites include poor overall condition, chronic soft or bloody stools, loss of appetite, a pot-bellied appearance, a dull, dry haircoat, and weight loss. Some parasites are transmitted from the mother to her offspring either in utero or in the milk and others are carried by fleas or other insects. Some are transmitted through the stool of an infected dog. Very few of these parasites are visible in the stool, so their eggs must be detected by the veterinarian with a microscope.
“Intestinal parasites are very common in puppies.”
A microscopic examination of the feces will reveal the eggs of most of these parasites. Generally this test should be performed at the time of the first vaccinations. However, it may be performed as early as two to three weeks of age if an intestinal parasite problem is suspected. The Companion Animal Parasite council recommends deworming puppies for roundworms and hookworms every two weeks starting at two weeks of age. Other treatment may be needed based on the results of a fecal examination. Your veterinarian should be consulted for specific recommendations for your puppies. You should not administer any over-the-counter deworming compounds without first consulting your veterinary hospital.
Move On From Puppy Food
Puppy food is very high in calories and nutritional supplements so you want to switch to adult food once your puppy begins to approach maturity. There is no set age when the switch should be made because it will vary with the breed and individual dog.
In general, the smaller the dog the faster they reach maturity. Small breeds up to 30 pounds mature around ten to twelve months of age although some toy breeds reach maturity even sooner. Medium breed dogs up to 80 pounds will reach maturity between twelve to sixteen months and I believe your puppy may fall into this category. It really depends how much Great Pyrenees she has in her. Large breed dogs weighing more than 80 pounds can take up to two years to reach maturity.
When making the switch to adult food, do it slowly over the course of one to two weeks by gradually mixing in increasing amounts of the adult food with decreasing amounts of her puppy food to minimize gastric upset.
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Dont Let Your Dog Get Chubby
It is important to be able to judge your dogs body condition score in order to determine how much food you should give.The recommendations on the labels are guidelines only and will not apply to every dog. You may need to feed a little more or less depending on your dogs condition score.
Ideally you should be able to feel but not see the ribs and by looking straight down at your dog while she is standing there should be a recognizable waist. Ask your veterinarian if your dog is at a healthy weight during your next visit and ask for examples of body condition scores.
Learn All About Grains In Pet Food
Grains? No grains? What are they and what do they mean for your dog or cat? Find out on this special Blue Buffalo Grain FAQ page.
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Dog Articles: Health
Puppy, adult and senior: all three stages are important times in your furry pals life when its appropriate to ask your veterinarian about your dogs diet.
Growth foods necessary at the puppy stage have higher protein levels and calorie counts to meet your pups developmental needs. But once your pup is six to 12 months old those needs change.
Thats usually when your puppy is nearing his adult height and can transition to adult food. Spaying or neutering usually occurs at this age as well, lowering your dogs need for increased energy hence a reason to switch from puppy to adult dog food.
Breed size matters
Switching to adult food coincides with maturity, but due to the large variety of breeds, different dogs mature at different rates. Smaller breeds tend to mature faster than larger breeds:
Dogs up to 30 pounds mature around 10 to 12 months of age.
Some toy breeds can mature as early as seven to nine months old.
Medium breeds, up to 80 pounds, mature between 12 to 16 months.
Large breeds can mature at 12, 13, or even 14 months old.
Giant breed dogs can take up to two years to reach full maturity.
No more three squares a day
Most pet parents feed two half-portions of adult food when their dogs are over a year old.
Eyes on your furry friend. Not his food.
Switch slowly
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How To Make The Diet Change
Any diet change should be done gradually to avoid gastrointestinal upset. This process can take a week or two depending on how you do it.
It may take some time and research to choose the right food for your now-adult dog. You may wish to stick with the same brand of food but switch to an adult formula. Of course, your vet can help you find an appropriate diet.
Once you have chosen the adult dog food, determine the portion size of adult food you will eventually need to feed based on your dog’s current weight. Then, add a small percentage of adult food to the puppy food, increasing it a little at each meal. For simplicity, you may want to work out a schedule so you are not trying to remember how much of each to feed. Many veterinary professionals recommend the “3 by 3” approach when switching diets:
- Days 1-3: Feed 1/3 portion of adult food and 2/3 portion of puppy food
- Days 4-6: Feed 1/2 portion of adult food and 1/2 portion of puppy food
- Days 7-9: Feed 2/3 portion of adult food and 1/3 portion of puppy food
- Day 10 and on: Feed full portion of adult food
During the switch, watch your dog’s appetite and bowel movements. Slow the transition if your dog experiences diarrhea or vomiting. If GI upset continues, you may need to choose a different adult diet and re-start the transition. Contact your vet if your dog has vomiting or diarrhea for more than a day.
What Do I Do To Care For The Newborn Puppies
The mother should spend most of her time with her puppies during the first few days after birth. For the first month of life, puppies require very little care from the owner because their mother will feed and care for them. In fact, in the vast majority of cases, the pet owner should not interfere with the mother’s care.
The puppies should be kept warm and should nurse frequently. They should be checked every few hours to ensure they are warm and well fed. The mother should be checked to make certain that she is producing adequate and normal-appearing milk.
“The puppies should be kept warm and should nurse frequently.”
If the mother does not stay in the whelping box the majority of the time, the puppies’ body temperatures must be closely monitored. If the puppies are cold, supplemental heating should be provided but caution needs to be taken to avoid burns as puppies do not have the same reactions to heat as adult dogs do. During the first four days of life, the newborn puppies’ box and external environment should be maintained at 85° to 90°F . The temperature may gradually be decreased to 80°F by the seventh to tenth day and to 72°F by the end of the fourth week. If the litter is large, the external temperature does not have to be kept as warm. As puppies huddle together, their body heat provides additional warmth.
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