Feeding Your Puppy

A small puppy should be thought of as a small wind up toy. Once the toy is wound up it does not take long to wind down. Small puppies like the Maltese and Yorkie need to eat several times a day. Think of them very much like a human baby that needs to be feed more often than an adult. Their metabolism is very high and will burn through their caloric intake from each meal quickly.

Here is a feeding schedule that I use with my puppies:

· 8 weeks to 12 weeks 4 Times a Day Every 6 Hours

[2 Times are Snacks]

· 12 weeks to 18 weeks 3 Times a Day Every 8 Hours

[1Time is a Snack]

· Over 18 Weeks 2 Times a Day Every 12 Hours

Ideally for young puppies up until the age of 6 months I recommend feeding a mixture of dry puppy kibble and canned puppy food. Any high quality dry puppy kibble food will be fine. Mix a small handful of the dry kibble with 2 tablespoons of canned puppy food and 1 tablespoon of water. Let the mixture sit for 10minutes to allow the dry kibbles to absorb some of the canned food flavoring so the puppy will eat everything and not just pick at the canned food. Once the puppy is done eating you can pick up his bowl and replace it with dry kibble so that he can have access to food all day. Premium puppy foods will provide everything your puppy will need. They are well balanced and provide a fully nutritious and balanced diet without the need for mineral supplements, and vitamins.

Always make sure that your puppy has access to clean fresh water. Dehydration is a huge culprit to hypoglycemia. Make sure to change the puppy’s water daily. Ideally you should change the water after every meal. This will help keep down bacterial growth in the puppy’s water dish. The best water to use for the puppy is distilled water.

One very important factor to keep in mind when you are feeding your puppy is to be aware of his activity level. It is important that you regulate the amount of activity your puppy gets. Too much activity can cause a puppy’s sugar level to drop. This can be very dangerous. In the event your puppy should start to act lethargic, dizzy, disoriented or convulsive act quickly and give him something like Nutrical, honey or corn syrup and place it directly on the roof of the mouth. Allow the puppy to try and swallow and repeat until the puppy is acting normal. Be careful not to give the puppy too much since you can cause the puppy’s system to go into shock. The best solution for this is to always monitor your puppy and make sure he is eating correctly and not over exerting himself. If you ever have any doubt about your puppy’s health please contact your veterinarian immediately. Wasted time can mean the difference between life and death.

A new puppy should be a fantastic addition to your family. However, you will need to take certain precautions to care for your new companion. Please make sure to educate yourself about the breed as much as possible and remember that an ethical, responsible breeder will be available to help you out even after the puppy has gone home.