Feeding

Food glorious food. Dogs love it. But its up to you to make sure they eat the right things and the right amount.

By the time we wean our puppies at 8 weeks of age, they have been properly fed, vaccinated and wormed. It is important that this continue, so we have provided a few basis for feeding your puppy when he or she arrives home.

FEEDING & DIET

When purchasing your new puppy ask the breeder their feeding program and stick to this for the first few weeks. You can then gradually change him/her to your program without making the transition too great. As a general rule, a puppy from weaning age (5 weeks) to 3 months of age should be fed 3 - 4 meals daily; from 3 to 4 months of age 3 meals a day, and from 4 months to 18 months of age 2 meals daily. Most adult dogs do well on one meal a day although 2 small meals may be preferred. The amount that will keep your dog healthy is right for him, not the “rule book amount”. A feeding schedule to give you some idea of what an average puppy will eat is as follows:

Morning:

½ to 2 cups of dry food soaked in warm milk. The amount of dry food depends on the age, size and activity levels of each individual puppy. Add to this some Farex and some good quality mince.

Lunch:

½ to 2 cups of dry food (puppy brands i.e. Science Diet Growth or SuperCoat Puppy are good brands; just make sure whatever dry food you choose it is for growth in big breeds) along with some canned food added. Pal Puppy or even the cat brands are good i.e. Whiskas or Dine. Try to avoid fish brands as they can give puppy diarrhoea, and as they contain fish meal can potentate allergy. A tablespoon of cottage cheese can also be added, or shredded cheese.

Dinner:

½ to 2 cups of dry food. Cook up some meat with noodles (2 minute) using the flavour sachet for taste and refrigerate the remainder, as this will last one puppy a few days. Any leftover vegetables can be added as well as an egg yolk. The amount of meat in the diet increases with age BUT should never exceed 60% of the meal. A diet of over 50% of meat contains very little calcium, and this can lead to bone problems in a growing puppy.

A puppy fed the above diet does not need vitamin supplementation as the diet is complete. The dry food should be soaked until the puppy is at least 9 weeks old and able to chew it without difficulty. (You can leave some dry food out for your puppy as they have already started eating it before they leave the breeder).

Adult dogs can be fed 2 - 3 cups of dry food with some fresh or cooked meat at night and a 4 x 2 dry biscuit, Lamb flap or Brisket bone for breakfast. The biscuit can be purchased from any produce store and bones from your butcher. Another brand is Bonio, but these are not as big as the 4 x 2’s.

It is very important that you do not let your dog get fat as this can lead to hip and other bone problems. Some dogs (those prone to obesity) may require as little as one cup of dry food per day (low in fat) and a much smaller amount of meat as a maintenance diet. Gauge your dog’s diet on what he looks like and how much exercise he does. Puppies always consume larger amounts while growing, especially the more active ones. If your puppy is not active then there is no need for larger meals. Do not feed your adult dog the amounts he was getting as a puppy as this will only lead to problems. Do not change the foods or amounts of food too suddenly as this may lead to diarrhoea. If this happens cut back his food until he is normal again. If diarrhoea persists for more than 2 days, or if he vomits, seek veterinary advice as there may be a more serious reason for this.

Calcium:

As Rottweiler puppies grow very quickly, calcium is essential to ensure strong bones and to avoid bone problems as the puppy develops. It is important that the correct amount is given as over supplementation can be just as crippling as no calcium and a high meat diet. I suggest that you use either SuperCoat, Hill’s Science Diet or another brand that has no artificial colours or preservatives. Some of these brands are not very cheap, but you will be saving on vet bills in the long run as your dog will receive the right diet when growing.

 

ALWAYS HAVE FRESH WATER AVAILABLE (CHANGE DAILY).