What and how to feed a puppy in 2-3 months?

The first 30 days after birth, puppies feed exclusively on mother's milk, but already in the second month, the milk diet of babies is supplemented with the first complementary foods. The correct composition of the diet at such an early age is the key to the health of an adult dog, since it is at the age of two months that the animal forms the correct eating habits. Because of what breed the pet belongs to, how it metabolizes, and also how genetically predisposed it is to this or that type of food, the order of drawing up a daily nutrition program for it also depends.

The puppy can be fed with either natural food or special and balanced commercially produced ready-to-eat foods. The most difficult task is considered to be feeding the dog with natural food, since in this case the owner is responsible for the correct preparation of the menu for the baby.

For a growing puppy of 2-3 months old, the most important thing is to get enough energy from food, which the dog needs for active movement and development. In addition, complete food is the so-called building material for a young dog's body, and thanks to this, the animal grows and develops bones, muscles, and internal organs.

Towards three months, the dog's natural diet 70-75% should consist of foods that contain a lot of protein: low-fat meats and ocean fish, dairy products, eggs. To improve the functioning of the digestive tract, cereals and boiled vegetables should be added to the puppy's food, and their volume in the daily diet should take up to 10%.

Below are natural foods that are suitable for feeding your puppy at 2 and 3 months old.

• Milk and whey. Milk is used both as a separate food and for preparing complementary cereals based on it. Whole goat's milk is best absorbed in the puppy's body. But if it is not possible to purchase it, then you can replace it with a cow analogue, but only in a diluted form. Whey for puppies can be added to food in small quantities - it is a source of lactic acid bacteria and microelements.

• Cottage cheese, sour cream, kefir. Sour milk products with a low content of fat are fed to puppies 2-3 times a day to introduce calcium into the body and enrich the intestinal microflora. You can use cottage cheese, kefir, sour cream and even small pieces of semi-hard cheese.

• Meat and offal Is the main source of energy and protein for a dog. The kid can be fed with beef, rabbit, chicken or turkey, horse meat and veal. Boil the chicken and turkey and remove the skin. Other types of meat can be given both raw and boiled. From by-products, puppies are recommended to give beef tripe, lung, udder, liver, after cutting them into small pieces.

• Saltwater fish and seafood. Meat can be replaced with fish twice a week - fillets of pollock, mackerel, hake, cod, peeled from skin and bones, are suitable for this. Crushed squid or shrimp can be fed to puppies. Such food contains essential omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for the full development of a growing dog.

• Fresh vegetables - an integral part of a dog's natural nutrition. Vegetables contain not only minerals and vitamins, but also plant fiber, which helps to improve digestive processes and cleanse the intestines. It is best for puppies to add fresh fruits and vegetables to their food, rubbed through a coarse grater. But you can use vegetables in stew for porridge or curd mass.

• Fruits, berries. These ingredients are not only a treat for puppies, but also a vitamin supplement. Fruits are peeled, fruit seeds are removed, and then crushed on a coarse grater. Small berries can be given whole, slightly mashing them. Fruits and berries should be given raw to the dog to retain more nutrients. For kids, an apple, pear, apricot, peach, raspberry will suit.

• Cereals. They are necessary in the baby's diet in the form of cereals. At 2-3 months, porridge is cooked for puppies using milk, and when they grow up, milk is replaced with water or vegetable broth. Porridge is only a small part of the diet and cannot completely replace the entire amount of daily food for a puppy. For cooking porridge, buckwheat, rice, semolina or oatmeal are used. Introducing cereals into the diet, it is necessary to observe the reaction of the dog's body and, if symptoms of allergy appear, refuse to use it.

• Egg. It is a very valuable protein product and should be given to puppies at least 2 times a week. Puppies should be fed an omelet or crushed boiled egg yolk. Quail eggs are considered the most beneficial for a dog's health.

• Fats. In a small amount, vegetable or butter is added to the puppies' food. Babies should also be given slave fat. The animal's body needs fats constantly, so the puppy should eat them every day.

For feeding puppies, you can also use dry ready-to-eat food of industrial production, which fully meets the needs of the growing organism.

Foods with an optimal content of protein and vitamin components include products of the class super premium and holistic. These types of feed are made from high quality natural meat raw materials, they do not contain genetically modified products, preservatives, chemical dyes and flavors. In addition, the cereals included in these feeds do not contain gluten, which is a strong allergen.

The best wet foods for growing dogs are listed below.

• Super premium canned food Hills Ideal Balance... They are made from chicken and turkey with the addition of vegetable components, bran, flaxseed and rice starch. The product is enriched with a complex of minerals and vitamins, and also has a balanced composition of essential fatty acids.
• Super premium canned food Eukanuba. They are made from chicken meat and by-products with the addition of vegetables. The product is fortified, enriched with vegetable and animal fats, minerals, fully balanced for feeding puppies.
• Almo Nature products are super premium. It contains 50% natural meat and vegetable components. There are several options available as pates or canned food with chopped pieces of fish, meat cooked in their own juice, broth or jelly. All ingredients are natural and have a balanced composition for puppies.
• Belcando canned food for puppies... It is a holistic product, cooked in meat broth and contains chicken fillet pieces, as well as chicken offal and a whole chicken egg. This food is intended for puppies and is fortified with vitamins D, E, and also contains thistle oil and chia seeds.
• Almo Nature Bio Pate puppy pate, holistic class. Made from natural products: beef, poultry or fish. The pates are packaged in pouches of 100 g or 300 g. Additional ingredients are gluten-free vegetables and cereals. Each type of pate contains its own specific mineral supplements and vitamins.

Below are the best dry puppy foods.

• 1st Choice brand introduces super premium dry food for puppies. The feed contains natural chicken meat, pearl barley or oatmeal, chopped beets and tomatoes. Granules intended for feeding puppies are small and enriched with a vitamin complex. The negative factor is that the product contains salt. The food is intended for puppies from 2 to 12 months of age.
• Eukanuba super premium food intended for puppies from 1 to 12 months of age. The product contains chicken or turkey, as well as rice, wheat and corn. The feed is enriched with calcium and prebiotics. There are no flavorings or preservatives in the feed.
• Dry food Trainer have a super premium line of products designed for puppies from 1 to 10 months of age. The product contains natural turkey or chicken meat, as well as fish, pork, fruits and vegetables. The composition is completely balanced in terms of the ratio of vitamins and microelements, allowing the puppy to grow and develop quickly.
• Acana holistic food grade have a line designed for puppies. This food is suitable for a fast-growing organism and is balanced in the amount of proteins and carbohydrates. The share of natural meat in feed is at least 60-65%. In addition to it, the composition includes hypoallergenic oats, as well as fruits and vegetables.Using this food, you can be sure that your puppy will receive the daily dose of vitamins and proteins.
• Dry food Grandorf holistic class intended for puppies, as it contains only high quality ingredients. The food is made from beef, veal, lamb, turkey. In addition, it contains fruits and vegetables. In the composition of these feeds there are no offal and cereals, but they are enriched with a balanced complex of vitamins and minerals.

When choosing food for your puppy, remember that good quality food will be the key to his health in adulthood. Whenever possible, it is best to use super-premium and holistic food to feed the baby, and the choice of brand should be made based on the needs of the pet's body.

A puppy needs access to clean water for normal digestion and life support. If the dog is on a natural food ration, then a certain amount of moisture is received by his body already with food. If the puppy is fed with dry food, then his need for water supply doubles. If the animal does not have enough water, then its digestion will be impaired. - food will not be able to be digested and absorbed by the body, and it will also be difficult to excrete it naturally due to the development of constipation.

In order for the puppy to drink fresh water, it must be changed periodically, since, mixing with the animal's saliva, such water can become a source of bacterial infection.

Food for a growing puppy should be nutritious and high in calories. In order to properly organize a healthy diet for a puppy, you need to take into account that it must be performed strictly at certain times. This mode allows the dog to develop a conditioned reflex, and when the time comes for feeding, it will have a sufficient amount of digestive enzymes necessary to digest and assimilate the food eaten.

It is required to feed a puppy at 2 months at least 5 times a day, and sometimes the dog needs to be given food 6 times a day. The distribution of periods of food intake depends on the capabilities of the owner and the dog, but it is best if the food is carried out at regular intervals without long hunger breaks. The nutritional norm of a 3-month-old puppy should also be at least 5 times a day. The most important thing is to observe the mode of food intake built by the owner and not break it, so that the dog can get used to it.

A sample natural food menu for a two month old puppy will look like this:

• 8.00 - first morning meal: cottage cheese 1% fat with stewed vegetables;
• 11.00 - buckwheat porridge with pieces of raw meat;
• 14.00 - stewed vegetables with boiled meat;
• 17.00 - kefir and cottage cheese, in a 1: 1 ratio, you can additionally grind half of the egg yolk;
• 20.00 - rice porridge in vegetable broth with vegetables and raw meat;
• 22.00 - boiled meat.

Menu for a three-month-old puppy fed with ready-to-eat foods:

• 7.30 - dry food granules should be poured with warm vegetable broth, after swelling, mix with meat paste;
• 10.30 - canned food in lamb sauce;
• 13.30 - pour dry food granules with warm diluted meat broth and add stewed vegetables;
• 16.30 - meat pâté and yolk of one chicken egg;
• 19.30 - dry food granules should be poured with warm vegetable broth and mixed with canned meat.

The norm of the daily amount of food depends on which breed the pet belongs to.For example, miniature dogs will eat less than mongrels, and larger breeds require a larger portion of food. Large and active breeds of dogs, which already from puppyhood move a lot and get physical activity, often need to be given additional complexes of vitamins and minerals. It is best to choose such a vitamin composition together with a veterinarian.

Naturally fed portion sizes should be based on the dog's breed and weight. The average daily needs of a dog aged 2-3 months in a particular product will be as follows:

• meat - 250-300 g;
• groats - 100-150 g;
• vegetables - 170-200 g;
• milk - 400-450 g;
• sea ​​fish - 30-35 g;
• fish oil - 1 teaspoon.

Experienced dog breeders are of the opinion that three-month-old puppies need so much food a day so that its volume is at least 7% of their weight. The need for a growing organism in good nutrition depends on the speed of metabolic processes, the temperature of the environment, the presence or absence of stressful situations, physical activity, the density of the coat and many other factors.

You should watch your pet when he eats:

• if within 10 minutes his bowl is empty, it means that there is enough food for the dog;
• if the food ends earlier than after 10 minutes, then there is little food for the animal;
• if after this time the bowl contains leftover food, it means that the owner is overfeeding the dog.

See the next video for how to feed your puppy.