How and when to feed your Puppy?
It's important to feed your puppy the right amount of food
at proper intervals. Your puppy will need the right amount of
nutrients in order to grow and become a healthy adult. It's
critical to your puppy's health that his physical condition is
monitored regularly and that the feeding amount is adjusted as
your puppy grows.
To help keep your puppy healthy, Hill's recommends following
the simple steps in this cycle:
- Weigh your puppy.
- Feed him based on feeding guide and veterinary
recommendations.*
- Evaluate your puppy's physical condition using our on
line growth tracker chart. Simply enter the date, your pet's
weight, and using the slider you can set your puppy's
condition score.
- Adjust the amount you feed accordingly as your puppy
grows.
*Large breed puppies, who will weigh more
than 25kgs when adult, have very specific nutritional needs to
ensure healthy bone and joint development.
Switching food
If switching your puppy to Hill's Science Plan Puppy,
gradually introduce it over a 7-day period. Do this by mixing
your puppy's former food with increasing proportions of the new
food, until only Science Plan is being fed. He will then be
able to fully enjoy the taste and benefits of the superior
nutrition provided by Science Plan Canine Puppy Healthy
Development. You and your vet Your vet is the
best source of information about the health and wellbeing of
your puppy. Ask your vet to advise regularly on your puppy's
weight because achieving and maintaining a pet's ideal weight
not only reduces certain health risks, but can lead to your
puppy having a more energetic, longer and healthier life.
Ask your veterinarian which of these three feeding methods
is best for your puppy:
Free Choice: Food is available to your
puppy at all times.
Time-Limited Feeding: Food is available to
your puppy for a limited time.
Meal Feeding: A measured amount of food is
available to your puppy at specific meal times each day.
Water Your puppy must have an adequate
supply of fresh water at all times. Not having water to drink
for a sustained length of time will harm your puppy's health.
Treats & tidbits Although it's tempting to
give them table scraps, they do not provide your puppy with the
correct balance of nutrients. Try to be sparing with treats, as
giving too many can lead to weight gain or nutritional
imbalance.
The next step When your dog reaches
maturity, his nutritional needs will be different. He'll need
to move on to an adult food that will provide him with specific
nutrients, vitamins and minerals in a balance that's correct
for his age and breed size. Hill's Science Plan can provide
exactly that. The life stage range is tailored to keep your dog
in the best of health throughout his whole life, whatever his
breed or lifestyle.
For more information on nutritional needs of your
adult dog
click here.