You bring a precious little puppy home and one of the first things you need to figure out is what will it eat. You enter a pet shop to browse your options and instantly feel overwhelmed as your eyes peruse through the dog food aisle. It is normal for first-time puppy owners to get confused, after all, there is a wide variety of dog food available in the market today. A few years ago, puppy food guides were nothing to be confused about because food options were limited, and dog owners did not have an array of products to choose from.
Today, there are many different formulations of dog food available with high-quality ingredients and different specialisations to make sure every dog is taken care of. Here is a basic puppy feeding guide with standard information on how and what to feed a puppy.
Puppy feeding schedule
Here’s a brief puppy feeding guide to give you an idea of what to feed your floof according to its age:
3-6 weeks: When a puppy is this young, ideally its mother should feed it. So, if the mother of your pup is around, you do not need to worry about its meals. However, if the puppy’s mother is not around, there are substitutes for its food. Puppies so young are usually fed milk with the help of a dropper or a sipper bottle. Consult your vet to know the right amount of milk your puppy needs every day.
6-12 weeks: A 6–12-week-old puppy must be fed food specially formulated to meet the nutritional needs of a growing dog. Your pup must be fed 4 times a day at this age. If your pup is a large breed, feed it unmoistened dry food when it turns around 10 weeks old. If you have a small dog breed, start doing the same once it turns 12-13 weeks old.
6-12 months: Start feeding your puppy twice every day once it turns 6-12 weeks old. If you decide to neuter or spay your pup, its energy requirement will decrease post the procedure. After the procedure, you can switch to adult dog food! Small breed dogs can switch to adult food at 7-9 months old and bigger breed dogs at 13-14 months old.
After a year: After your puppy has turned a year old, you can feed it two-half portions. You can also consult your vet to make sure you are providing your pooch with all the nutrition it needs.
How much should you feed a puppy?
There is no set puppy food guide that works for all dogs. Every dog is different and has its own individual needs. For instance, a small breed dog cannot stomach portion sizes of a large breed dog even if they are of the same age. In fact, two dogs of the same breed may need different portion sizes because of factors such as metabolism, energy levels, medical history, and more. If you notice that your dog is not finishing its food, maybe it's time to change the portion size since you might be serving it too much food. If you give your dog treats throughout the day, factoring that into its meal plan is also important.
The best way to take care of your dog’s nutritional needs is to consult a vet. A vet can advise you on portion sizes and food content for your dog that will suit its bodily needs.
Puppy feeding chart
Ensure that your furry friend receives the correct nutrition with PEDIGREE at every stage of life. Take a look at our comprehensive puppy feeding chart:
Puppy Complete Nutrition |
Chicken, Egg & Milk Flavor |
Recommended Daily Feeding |
Puppy | Toy | Small | Medium | Large |
<3 Months | 16-117g | 54-117g | 90-384g | 151-566g |
3-6 Months | 35-135g | 117-226g | 197-449g | 384-749g |
6-9 Months | 40-135g | 135-223g | 226-448g | 449-756g |
9-12 Months | Change to Pedigree® Adult Food | 135-223g | 223-439g | 448-751g |
12-18 Months | Change to Pedigree® Adult Food | 439-710g |
Gestation | Toy | Small | Medium | Large |
Gestation | 27-90g | 90-152g | 152-302g | 302-508g |
>4 weeks | 44-161g | 161-282g | 282-599g | 599-1066g |
Lactation | 74-302g | 302-560g | 560-1281g | 1281-2416g |
Note:
- Should separately serve puppy 2-4 meals per day with the recommended daily amount.
- This feeding amount is for a lactating dog that has 4 puppies.
- You can increase or decrease the daily amount according to your dog’s activity level. Always ensure fresh clean water is available.
What’s best: Wet food or dry food?
Wondering what to feed your puppy? Dry kibble is the most popular puppy food but there are also many other options available. Upon visiting any pet store, you will instantly notice a wide range of puppy food with both dry and wet food options. As long as the formulation of your chosen brand is right, you can feed your puppy whatever it likes. Once you start feeding it, you will also learn its preference which will make things much easier for you! Kibble, canned food, semi-moist food, there are so many options for your pup to choose from. Once you know what it likes, you can stock up!
When a new puppy comes home, it is crucial that you feed it the right food according to its age, metabolism, and overall nutritional needs. And with this guide on what and how to feed a puppy, you can make sure your pooch receives all the nourishment it needs to lead a healthy life. Consult your vet to ensure that you are giving your floof the nutrition it deserves!
