Puppies need a special diet with all the required nutrients to aid in their rapid growth. For the first year of its life, a puppy should only eat specially formulated puppy food. But how do you manage the transition between different brands of puppy foods, and how much to feed a small breed puppy? Here are some tips from vets:

Change the Puppy’s Diet Gradually

When you bring your puppy home, find out about its feeding schedules and the brand of puppy food it is familiar with. Remember to stick to the schedule. You can gradually begin to add the new puppy food suggested by the vet to the puppy’s diet.

This means that for a period of 7 to 10 days, you will be feeding it a mixture of the brand of food it is familiar with along with the new food. Increasing the proportion of the new food gradually will reduce the chance of tummy upsets.

Watch the puppy’s reaction as you increase the amount of new food. If it becomes constipated or has loose stools, reduce the amount of new food you’re feeding it.

Puppies should be fed puppy food until they are a year old. Some breeds require puppy food for two years. Seek the vet’s advice.

The Best Food Type for Your Small Breed Puppy

Basically, there are three kinds of dog food available in the market – moist food that comes in cans, semi-moist food that comes in sealed packages and dry kibble. Most vets suggest you feed your puppy dry food.

Canned foods contain higher levels of fat and are not worth the expense as they are composed mostly of water.

The semi-moist foods also have high water content (about 55%) and are unhealthy because of the considerable amount of sugar or salt used as preservatives.

In contrast, dry food barely contains any water, is easier to handle, and is less expensive despite the good quality.

Many people think that cow’s milk is the best for puppies, but this is a myth. Milk contains lactose which dogs cannot digest. They lack the required enzyme. Often diarrhea is the result when dogs are fed milk.

Benefits of Dry Food

Dry food is good for your puppy because it keeps the gums and teeth in good condition. Dogs fed on soft foods tend to suffer from gum disease, build up of plaque, tooth loss and abscesses. This is because soft food does not provide the abrasion needed for dental health.

How Often and How Much

Puppies need to eat more often than adult dogs. Usually, vets suggest 3 to 4 meals a day for puppies younger than 6 months. But of course, a small breed puppy will eat smaller amounts than a large breed one.

If you choose a high quality brand of puppy food, your puppy will digest it better and not need to eat large amounts.

Chances are, your puppy will seem hungry all the time, but feeding it too much will make it ill and obese, leading to health problems in later years. Check with the vet about the amount of food required for a small breed growing puppy, and stick with it.

Puppies should be allowed to remain with their mothers until they are 8-weeks-old. The mother’s milk provides them with the immunity they need to grow into healthy dogs.

If you want the best for your puppy, feed it dry food specially formulated to aid in its growth. Most vets suggest 3 to 4 meals a day until the puppy is 6-months-old. Do check with the vet about the amount you should feed your small breed puppy. The amount varies according to size and breed.