Feeding
Your puppy has been eating – Royal Canin Medium Puppy Dry Kibble since it was weaned from its mother.
Your puppy has been receiving a 1/4 to 1/2 cup (a handful) of this food 3 times each day at around about the following times
🐾 7am 🐾12 noon 🐾5pm
It is important that your puppy continues with this food and a similar routine for the first few days to a week until it settles into your home. Changing food without gradual transition will probably result in an upset tummy and possibly diarrhoea.
Why do I feed my dogs and puppies dry kibble?
The better brands have been scientifically developed by experts for growing puppies.
They contain the correct amounts of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants the puppy requires.
Tummies are rarely upset – and if they are it is usually that they have eaten something they shouldn’t have.
The puppy maintains a healthy weight.
There are as many opinions about the best diet to feed your dog as there are dog foods. Your choice may come down to what suits your lifestyle or what your Vet recommends or based on your past experience or recommendations from others.
I do know however, from the many dogs I have had and the many foods I have tried with them, that feeding mainly a quality dry kibble like Royal Canin or Hills Science and giving them chicken wings, or chicken frames or raw meaty bones a couple of times each week is easy, keeps them in excellent health and generally avoids tummy upsets and diarrhoea.
Helpful Tips
If you are introducing your puppy to new food, be sure to do it gradually, introducing a little of the food each day and slowly increasing the new food as you reduce the old food. Be consistent with what you feed them or their tummy will get upset.
Talk to your Vet about what they recommend to feed your puppy, and follow their recommendations for food quantities. An overweight puppy or dog will end up with health problems.
Feed your dog in the same location each day, and close to the same time/s to help establish a routine.
Clean fresh water must be available to your dog at all times during the day.
Wash their food bowl and water bowls regularly to minimise bacteria.
Puppies in their growth stage up to 12 months benefit from being fed multiple times each day - initially three times per day, moving to twice daily and eventually, if it’s easier, once per day once they’re 12 months old (many people continue with splitting the daily requirement across 2x daily feeds).
Chicken wings or chicken frames and raw weight bearing bones are great to feed your puppy a couple of times each week - great for their teeth, and to help when chewing everything in sight is an issue.
If you decide against kibble and want to raw feed your puppy, you MUST make sure your puppy/dog is getting vegetables and fruit as well as meat. You cannot give your dog only raw meat.
Got more questions? Do some research - find reputable websites and also post questions on our Facebook group, the community and ourselves are happy to share our experiences and help where we can.
What NOT to do
Never EVER feed your puppy or dog cooked bones. Cooked bones can splinter and get caught in their throat.
Do not feed your puppy chicken necks. Wait until they are 12 months old before introducing chicken necks.
Don’t feed your dog from the kitchen table! Not only will mealtimes become a pain, but you might accidentally feed them something that may make them unwell. Put them outside or on a lead away from table where they can have their own meal.
Keep rubbish bins, inside and outside, secure from your puppy. This is a wonderful place for puppy to explore all these amazing smells. But you are asking for trouble and possibly a very costly trip to the vet as a result.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Some human foods are highly toxic to dogs!
Chocolate amongst other things, is poisonous to puppies and dogs, make sure all the members of your family are aware of this, especially children who want to spoil their new puppy.
Here’s a few useful links to lists of foods your dogs can (or can’t) eat
What should I feed my puppy (RSPCA)
What should I feed my dog (RSPCA)
8 things not to feed your dog (Canstar)
Definitive guide to food that your Dog can or can’t eat (petcare.com.au)
