What should I feed my puppy?
At Dogs for Good, our assistance dogs and puppies are fed on dried kibble provided by Royal Canin. Our friends at MORE THAN have put together some great information about the different types of food available by their in-house vet, Martin.
Transitional Period: Week Two-to-Four
The second week of life brings great changes for the puppy. Ears and eyes sealed since birth begin to open during this period, ears at about two weeks and eyelids between ten to 16 days. This gives the furry babies a new sense of their world. They learn what their mother and other dogs look and sound like, and begin to expand their own vocabulary from grunts and mews to yelps, whines and barks. Puppies generally stand by day 15 and take their first wobbly walk by day 21.
By age three weeks, puppy development advances from the neonatal period to the transitional period. This is a time of rapid physical and sensory development, during which the puppies go from total dependence on Mom to a bit of independence. They begin to play with their litter mates, learn about their environment and canine society, and begin sampling food from Moms bowl. Puppy teeth begin to erupt until all the baby teeth are in by about five to six weeks of age. Puppies can control their need to potty by this age, and begin moving away from sleeping quarters to eliminate.
My puppy isn’t interested in their food
Although the breeds we work with at Dogs for Good tend to be very food motivated, some puppies might not be that interested. “You might find that your puppy is a bit hit and miss with their food,” says Vicky. “They may refuse to eat for a day and that can obviously cause concern because getting the right nutrients is important to a growing pup. But, I wouldn’t advise immediately changing their food as sometimes this can result in upsetting their tummies.” Vicky says that it’s a good idea to take a look at their environment first and see if you can notice anything going on there that could easily be changed.
“It could be something simple such as their collar disc banging on the side of their bowl or their bowl being too near the wall or in a corner so they can’t see around them. Also, other pets in the household might stare and scare them while they eat – cats are quite good at this and it’s easy to see how it might unnerve a puppy!” says Vicky. You could also try feeding your puppy in their crate, further reinforcing this space as a safe space.
Once you’ve had a look at their environment, you could try enticing them a little by mixing their food with a spoonful of gravy or something different and smelly and see if that does the trick. “Some dogs are just fussy,” says Vicky. “Some of the golden retrievers we work with aren’t bothered by kibble but mix it with a bit of gravy and it’s a different story!”
If nothing works and your pup is still refusing food, be sure to seek advice from your vet.
Puppies still need the appropriate amount of food inside them to keep them healthy as they grow but as they get older, they don’t need it as frequently. “Some people feel bad when they start to reduce mealtimes down from four to three times a day and so on,” says Vicky. “But remember that they aren’t ‘missing’ a meal as you’ll still be feeding your puppy the right amount of food over the course of a day but you’re doing it in two meals rather than three.”
