GREAT ARTICLE FROM TheLabradorSite.com

 There have been quite a lot of questions on the website lately about feeding Labrador puppies.

People often ask if it is OK to give puppies eggs,  or rice,  or milk,  and so on.

When I was small,  puppies were fed on all sorts of things, including scraps, raw meat, canned puppy food,  puppy meal, weetabix and milk, etc.

Nowadays life is much simpler.

Kibble

In most parts of the world you can buy ready-made pelleted puppy food
of good quality.

Otherwise known as ‘kibble’ , these dried, pelleted foods come in sacks or cartons.

They store well provided that you don’t get them damp.

Most vets and breeders believe that kibble is the best way to feed a puppy and that these foods contain every nutrient your labrador puppy needs in order to grow and remain healthy.

I cannot stress this too strongly:  if you are feeding  kibble you don’t need to feed anything else apart from water.

Puppy kibble from a reputable manufacture  is intended to be a complete and balanced food.   Pick a good source and stick with it.

Changing to adult food

Kibble manufacturers often  recommend feeding puppy kibble up to 12 months of age (longer for very large breed dogs).

Many breeders and experienced dog owners however, will switch their puppies on to adult food before this,  usually at some time after six months.

When you choose to make the switch is up to you,  but if you are unsure what is best for your dog,  have a chat with your vet.

Don’t add your own concoctions

Adding your own extras like cereals or milk might make you feel caring but will only unbalance the whole diet.  Don’t be tempted to fix what isn’t broken.

And no,  puppies probably don’t get bored from lack of variety.

What about raw?

Some people feel that kibble is not the best way to feed a dog.

Some people are worried about the long term effects of feeding kibble,  and believe there are advantages to feeding a more natural raw diet.

I feed my own dogs this way.

But, I would caution people from switching puppies to raw in a hurry.

If this way of feeding appeals to you, do get yourself a good book on raw diets for dogs, and check out the articles on this website on this topic.  Tom Lonsdale’s book is a good choice.

You need to do a fair amount of research on the nutritional needs of puppies in order to maintain a balanced diet during this period of rapid growth.

How much food?

People often tell me how much their puppy weighs and ask me how much his food should weigh.

But I cannot recommend a specific quantity (or specific brand) of food for your puppy,  even if you tell me how much he weighs.

Every puppy is different,  and some brands of food are more concentrated than others.   Use the guidelines on the packet as a guide,  then observe and feel your puppy to check how he is doing.

It is important that he does not get too fat,  nor too thin.  But you have some leeway here,  and should increase or decrease his rations accordingly as he grows.

Labrador puppies should not be rotund!  By three months or so  they should have definite waist just like older dogs.  Check out this page for more information and don’t forget that if you are unsure about your puppy,  your vet is the best person to guide you.

Small quantities

You need to make sure that your puppy’s daily ration of food is broken up into several small meals, fed three to four hours apart.

A common cause of puppy diarrhoea is feeding too much food at once, and if your puppy has rather loose stools on three meals a day,  try breaking his ration up into four meals a day for a while.

As a rule of thumb puppies fed on kibble require

• Four meals a day from eight weeks to three months
• Three meals a day from three months to six months
• Two meals a day thereafter

What if he is still hungry?

One of the things people most often ask me, is “what if my puppy still hungry?”   They have followed the guidelines on the packet, and it doesn’t seem to be enough to satisfy the puppy.

He wolfs down everything he is given and begs for more.

This is perfectly common and normal.  After all, your puppy doesn’t know for sure when his next meal will be along, so it makes sense to him to eat as much as he possibly can right now!

If your puppy seems ravenous, what you can do is to give your puppy his meal on a slow feed  bowl or plate.  Our favourite is the Northmate interactive feeder.

Stay away from milk

Old habits die hard and a few older breeders still give puppies milk and cereal for two of their four meals.   This is a throwback to the days before kibble was invented.

It is also very natural to want to give milk to a baby animal.  It feels like the right thing to do.   But dogs are weaned at a younger age than many other mammals.

At eight weeks old when you bring your puppy home,  he is fully weaned.  He does not need milk of any description.  In fact many older puppies are highly intolerant of milk and will simply get diarrhoea if you feed it to them.

If you are feeding a complete kibble, your puppy does not need milk to drink.  Only water.    There would be fewer puppies with upset stomachs if all new puppy owners were advised to resist pouring milk down their little dogs.

Don’t change over yet

If you haven’t brought your puppy home yet,  do make sure to get a diet sheet from the breeder, and to feed him on the same brand as the breeder for at least a week or two.

There will be quite enough for his little tummy to cope with when he leaves home,  without learning to digest a different food.

Good luck with your new puppy!  And don’t forget to contact your vet if you are worried about him in any way.