What do orphaned puppies need for proper nutrition?
Water is a critical nutrient for orphaned puppies, just as it is for all other stages of their life. Normal water intake is relatively high for puppies, needing 130-220 milliliters (mL) of fluid per kilogram (kg) of body weight each day.
On average, the total fluid volume fed per day (including milk replacers) should be approximately 180mL/kg of puppy body weight. Mothers milk is highly digestible and very calorie dense. Compared to cows milk, milk from a puppys mother contains more than twice as much protein, which helps to explain why cows milk is not ideal for feeding orphaned puppies.
Commercial puppy milk replacers are recommended as they are superior to cows milk and home-made mixtures. The milk replacer you choose should meet several key nutritional factors. For every 100g of milk replacer fed (on a dry matter basis), there should be:
What can a pup eat after 8 weeks
After about 8 weeks, you can start feeding your pup kibble. This is probably the age at which you received the purchased pup. Yarrah offers special puppy food specifically geared towards healthy growth and development of your puppy. A healthy pup grows fast and needs a lot of nutrients to facilitate healthy and proper growth. Puppy food contains more energy and proteins than food for adult dogs and the kibble is often a bit smaller in size which makes it more suitable for the puppy’s young teeth.
Puppies grow fastest during the first stage of life. Supporting their growth requires balanced food containing the right amounts of fat and proteins. Fats and proteins are vital nutrients for a puppy. The pup needs proteins to grow properly and fat provides the energy it needs in order to get enough exercise. Yarrah Puppy dry food contains an optimal ratio of 28% proteins and 16% fat.
Of course, a puppy also needs fluids. The body of a puppy contains more water than that of an adult dog, which increases the risk of dehydration. Do make sure that your pup has access to fresh drinking water every day. As a rule of thumb, a dog needs about 50 ml water every day for each kg of body weight. This makes it easy to calculate how much water you should be giving your puppy. Keep in mind that it will need more than that on a particularly warm day or if it gets a lot of exercise. Giving the pup wet food is another way of making sure it gets some extra fluids. Yarrah offers wet food for dogs of all ages.
How often you need to feed your pup, depends on its age. A pup that is up to 10 weeks old, needs 4 to 5 small meals a day. Between 10 weeks and 5 months, it needs 3 meals a day and after the 5th or 6th month, it will only need 2 meals a day. The most important thing is to feed your puppy around the same time of day, every day; its internal clock will calibrate as a result. Check the feeding schedule on our products for the recommended daily amount of food. In addition, you can use our food calculator to determine how much daily dry and wet food a dog needs.
If the breeder was not feeding the pup Yarrah food and you would like to switch, make sure you allow it to get used to its new food gradually. Want to switch? Mix Yarrah’s organic food into its current food throughout the first week. Slowly increase the proportion of Yarrah, and decrease the proportion of current food. This allows your dog to get used to Yarrah food without artificial scent, pigment and flavouring gradually.
Cooked meat such as boiled chicken or lamb may be offered occasionally, but ensure there are no cooked bones, onions/onion sauces or other toxic substances present (see below). As mentioned above, raw meat and bones carry bacteria that can make both animals and humans ill and so are not recommended. However, if you do decide to feed your puppy any raw meat or raw bones, we recommend you choose only human-grade raw meat and bones. You should avoid raw meat products marketed as pet food (pet meat/pet mince/pet rolls and bone products), sausages, sausage meat and cooked manufactured meats as they can also contain sulphite preservatives. There have been many pet food safety incidents linked to sulphite preservative-induced thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency, which can be fatal. See this article for more information.
If you do choose to offer bones to your puppy, they should always be raw and introduced gradually. The bone must be large enough so that the puppy cannot fit the whole bone in their mouth or swallow the bone whole. Avoid large hard marrow bones, T-bones, ‘chop’ bones (e.g., lamb cutlets), large knuckle bones or bones sawn lengthwise. Ask your butcher for non-bone chewy alternatives such as cow hearts. Always supervise your puppy when they are eating bones.
Bones and raw meat are not recommended as they can break teeth and cause internal blockages, raw bones also carry bacteria that can make both animals and humans ill. Read the article Should I feed my dog bones? for more information.
Puppies should be offered food at least 4 times per day to begin with, gradually reducing the number of meals as they grow (adult dogs should be fed at least twice per day to help avoid bloat, which can be fatal).
Between four to six months of age, the permanent teeth appear and grow rapidly. Introducing puppy-specific chew toys and healthy chewable treats can alleviate “teething” issues and train your pet’s attention away from gnawing on household items. – the global Veterinary Oral Health Council lists dental products that meet standards for safety and reducing plaque/tartar.
Feeding Puppies 8 weeks old
Milk offers a bevy of health benefits to humans, from encouraging strong bones to offering much-needed energy. However, that in no way means that the white stuff is in any way beneficial to the canine species, puppies included. In fact, the only milk a puppy needs comes straight from Mom.
Newborn puppies require a lot of milk in order to grow healthily, although certainly not from a cow. Until a puppy reaches appropriate weaning age, his mothers milk can satisfy absolutely all of his dietary needs. The ASPCA notes that mother dogs often start weaning their puppies at around 3 weeks in age, and the process often lasts until 8 weeks, and perhaps even slightly longer. During this time frame, an 8-week-old puppy strictly needs Mamas milk, so keep the “cow juice” away.
Milk from a cow is even inappropriate in cases where the mother dog is simply not available. In these situations, it is important to either seek out a foster doggie mother for nursing or to use a canine milk replacer and formula.
According to the ASPCA, cows milk can bring upon unpleasant effects in the delicate digestive systems of young puppies — no, thank you. If an 8-week-old puppy drinks cows milk, he may experience stomach distress and diarrhea, so dont chance it. Its not worth compromising your puppys comfort and well-being, so play it safe.
Although you may associate lactose intolerance with being a feline thing, the condition is also very common in canines, as well. The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine indicates that just like cats, many dogs are incapable of proper milk digestion due to insufficient lactase. Without the lactase enzyme, dogs simply arent able to easily digest milk and other dairy products, leading to watery stools and overall discomfort.
The bottom line is keep milk away from puppies and adult dogs alike. In most cases, their digestive systems just cant handle it.
When a puppy is 8 weeks old, solid foods are most certainly a part of his daily diet, if not already 100 percent of it. The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine advocates water as the most suitable beverage for the fluffy cuties — not milk from a cow. Water is an absolutely vital form of nourishment for puppies. Always leave clean water within easy reach of your puppy. Hydration is key for raising a healthy and content junior canine.