Norm of dry food for puppies: calculation table, frequency and feeding rules

When a puppy appears in the house, many questions immediately arise regarding his care, the main one of which is feeding. Dog owners in this matter are divided into two camps: some categorically against dry food, others, on the contrary, believe that it has all the necessary nutrients for the pet. Supporters of ready meals should get acquainted with the features of this food and learn how to calculate the daily norm for a pet.

This question at first tormented many good hosts, because you do not want to feed your pet or constantly keep him hungry. But before you start calculating the daily allowance for the pet, you should familiarize yourself with the features of using dry food.

The benefits of dry food are obvious.

1. Convenience to the owner. There is no need to cook daily for the animal and calculate the rate of each dish.
2. Nutrition Most dry foods contain all the nutrients necessary for dogs, which free the owner from additional costs and visits to the veterinarian.
3. Diversity. If a pet needs special nutrition, then it can be found among a variety of feeds.
4. Saving finance and time. When using dry food, it becomes possible to save money on food, because a portion of the food will obviously differ in quantity and price in comparison with the food prepared by the owner.

Many dog ​​breeders using dry food worry that their pet's food is monotonous.In this regard, sometimes they “dilute” the pet’s menu with home-made food, relying on the dog to do so well, but often this is not so. Such feeding has its consequences.

• If you mix feed with meat, then there will be an excess of protein. The kidneys suffer from this, as a result of which the pet may develop renal failure and allergies.
• If you mix food with fish, you can not avoid a large amount of phosphorus in the body. In this case, the reproductive system of the animal will suffer, primarily the urethra: stones are formed that adversely affect the liver and intestines. Hemoglobin in the blood also decreases, which leads to a weakening of immunity and subsequently small hemorrhages. The bones begin to weaken, causing the dog to undergo multiple fractures.
• If you mix feed with porridge, then we get an excess of carbohydrates. This leads to excess weight, due to which there are already other problems, such as: obesity, heart problems, excessive appetite.
• A mixed type of feeding has a bad effect on the stomach, so gastritis is inevitable.

When using this or that type of food, the daily norm should be calculated. It is not difficult to do this with natural products, because each of them has its own energy value. Calculating the daily rate of dry food is even easier, because it is divided into classes, for each of which this indicator is also known.

There are four classes of dry food.

1. Economy Energy value - 260-300 Kcal. The composition of such feed includes the cheapest food, or rather, residual meat. This class of food will help save your budget, but the dog’s body will be “befitting”, because it has practically no vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates.
2. Premium Energy value 310-350 Kcal. Many thoroughbred dogs are allergic, therefore it is recommended to take food not lower than the premium class. The composition in small quantities includes the necessary vitamins, the amount of protein is significantly increased.
3. Super premium. Energy value - 350-450 Kcal. It is considered a complete balanced diet. The composition of this class includes proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, oils and fats, as well as a vitamin and mineral complex. Thanks to this combination, the pet will not only receive all the necessary substances, but also feel great.
4. Holistic. Energy value - 350-450 Kcal. It is made exclusively from natural products. Such food is comparable in its ingredients to human food.

In order to determine the daily norm of food for a puppy, you need to know its weight and calculate daily activity so that calories are restored in a balanced way. The table below shows the daily serving volume for a pet with moderate activity. If the pet is less active, then the norm should be slightly reduced, if more active, then, conversely, increase. (Reduction and increase goes within +/- 15 gr).

Daily feeding rate, depending on the weight of the pet:

If you can’t determine the class of dry food that your pet consumes, pay attention to the packaging. Usually it indicates the energy value and the content of useful nutrients in 100 grams. You need to familiarize yourself with the packaging, because the grammar can sometimes diverge from the above table. It is important to know the number of Kcal that a puppy needs to get per day, and already from this you can start from the determination of the number and weight of servings.

Number of kcal per puppy per day:

It is necessary to calculate the number of feedings per day depending on the breed and age of the dog. And it is better to give food to the pet at a certain time and a certain number of times, then the pet will get used to the diet, and there will be no digestive problems. The time intervals between feedings should be left approximately equal and keep in mind your own regime, so that the owner or the one who will feed the dog has the opportunity to do this regularly. It is also worth noting that puppies need to be fed more times a day than adult dogs.

Number of puppy feeds:

We must not forget that the regimen for the pet is a very important component, therefore it is not recommended to constantly change the number of feedings. It is advisable to immediately calculate the correct dosage of feed per day. After reviewing the data on the package, calculating the required number of Kcal per day for the pet and realizing how many times it will be necessary to feed the puppy, you should proceed to calculating the portion size. This indicator per day will depend on the age, weight and activity of the pet.

The table below shows the possible daily feed rate for puppies with moderate activity. Depending on the feed, the grammar may change compared to the table.

Daily feed rate for puppies (in grams):

If the pet is too active, for example: a sports dog or a service dog, then the calculation of the feed norm changes slightly. An additional 1/3 must be added to the standard portion, while it is not necessary to increase or decrease the number of feedings. Otherwise, there will be overfeeding of the puppy or, conversely, there will be a lack of nutrients, and to prevent this from happening, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the feeding rules.

In order not to overfeed the puppy, You need to follow a few rules.

1. It is necessary to feed at the same time, so that the body gets used to the daily routine. It will also help to avoid the expansion of the stomach, and subsequently obesity. In this mode, it will be easier to train the puppy to the toilet, and the pet should be walked after each meal after 15 minutes.
2. If your puppy ate a certain food before you, then you should not immediately transfer it to another - give him time to adapt. The first week should be fed with the products to which he is accustomed. Then gradually add to the portion нового part of the new feed (increase the amount of new feed in relation to the old one for a week). And only after that you can completely switch to another food. Add new food preferably in a separate bowl.
3. If the puppy has never eaten dry food, then in the first days of feeding, you can slightly soak it. Not all pets can eat dry food with pleasure, so that the body can safely take food and there is no digestive problem, a couple of minutes before feeding, you can pour dry granules with warm water so that they can absorb water. If in this form the puppy did not eat the food, then it is better to put it in the refrigerator, because in the soaked form it spoils.
4. There should always be clean water to drink. Due to the abundant consumption of dry food, a lack of fluid may appear, which will lead to metabolic disorders, and against this background, a number of diseases arise. Make sure that the water bowl is always filled in sufficient quantity.
5. If the pet has not finished eating the serving or has not touched the bowl at all, then remove the food. The next feeding will be on schedule - in no case do not give food earlier or in larger quantities.But if the refusals of food are repeated, then you should review the feeding schedule or consult a veterinarian - perhaps the pet was simply sick.
6. It is undesirable to mix different varieties of feed. This can adversely affect the condition of the pet.
7. If the puppy has not yet completely switched to dry food, then it is best to observe him while eating. Usually 10 minutes is enough for him to eat. But if during this time all the food disappears and the bowl is licked, then this amount is not enough - you need to slightly increase the dosage. If there is food left in the bowl, then this is too much and it is necessary to reduce the amount of feed.

The fact that the pet does not eat up can be understood by the quickly eaten portion and the licked bowl or by the condition of the dog shortly before a new meal: it can be lazy, exhausted and expect to be fed. In this case, there may be different solutions:

• To begin with, you should once again familiarize yourself with the packaging of the feed: each species has its own dosage, based on age and weight category;
• if the information on the packaging did not help, then you can find another feed, maybe that’s the problem;
• if the matter is not in the feed, then the feeding schedule and daily allowance should be reviewed, perhaps the dog leads a more active life than was originally calculated.

See how to feed your puppy in the next video.