Puppy feeding in the first year: meals by age and portions

A puppy needs a food made for growth, fed in measured meals at set times, and portions adjusted to its body rather than to its appetite. The last part is the hardest to stick to. Puppies will usually eat whatever is put in front of them, and extra calories during growth show up as fat and, in large breeds, as strain on a developing skeleton.

Why puppy food is different

Growth costs energy and building material. A growing dog needs more calories per kilogram than an adult of the same weight, and more protein. Under the AAFCO nutrient profiles summarized in the Merck Veterinary Manual, a growth diet must contain at least 22.5% protein on a dry matter basis, against 18% for adult maintenance. Omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA, are listed among the essential fatty acids for growth. Adult food can fall short on these, which is why the American Kennel Club advises against feeding it to young puppies.

Puppies are poor judges of how much to eat. VCA Animal Hospitals notes that leaving food out all day raises the risk of a puppy getting too fat and, in large breeds, of skeletal abnormalities. Measured portions give the most control.

Meals by age

A young puppy's stomach is small, so the day's food is split into several meals. The AKC's first-year feeding timeline is a reasonable default:

• 6 to 12 weeks: four meals a day. Large-breed puppies should be eating dry food without added water by 9 or 10 weeks, small breeds by 12 or 13 weeks.
• 3 to 6 months: drop to three meals a day at some point in this window. The puppy's pot belly should be gone by about 12 weeks.
• 6 to 12 months: two meals a day, which most owners keep for life.

Toy breeds can be an exception at the start, because very small puppies are prone to low blood sugar and may need more frequent meals for longer (see the Maltipoo guide for the signs). Whatever the number of meals, keep the times regular and take the bowl away after about 15 minutes. A puppy that picks at food or skips a meal may simply be getting more than it needs, or be ready to lose a meal.

How much to feed

The feeding chart on the bag is the first estimate. It is built for an average puppy of a given weight and age, and individual puppies vary. A calculation gives a second estimate. Merck's formula for resting energy requirement (RER) is 70 multiplied by body weight in kilograms raised to the power 0.75, in kcal per day. Puppies under four months need about three times RER, and older puppies about twice RER. For a few current weights, rounded:

Divide the daily figure by the kcal per cup or per 100 g printed on the food to get an amount, then weigh it on a kitchen scale, since a scooped cup varies from one fill to the next. The daily total is recalculated as the puppy gains weight, which in the first months means every week or two.

Treats, training rewards and chews come out of the same total. VCA suggests keeping them to no more than 10% of daily calories. For a puppy in training, that often means using part of the measured meal as rewards.

Neither the chart nor the formula overrules the puppy's body. The AKC recommends weighing weekly and comparing progress with a growth chart for the breed. Look and feel as well: the ribs should be easy to feel under a thin layer of fat without being visible, and there should be a waist when the puppy is viewed from above. If the ribs are hard to find, cut the portion by about a tenth and check again in a week or two. If they show, or the hip bones stand out, increase it and ask the vet to rule out worms or other illness.

Choosing a puppy food

The one label detail that matters most is the nutritional adequacy statement. AAFCO explains that "complete" means the food contains all required nutrients and "balanced" means they are present in the correct ratios, for a stated life stage: gestation and lactation, growth, maintenance, or all life stages. A puppy food should be complete and balanced for growth or for all life stages. A food for adult maintenance is not suitable. In Europe the equivalent guidelines come from FEDIAF, the European pet food industry federation, and a puppy food should be labeled complete for growth.

Puppies expected to be large as adults need a food formulated for large-breed growth. VCA points out that calcium in these diets needs particular care, because large and giant breeds have the highest risk of growth abnormalities, and that in these breeds excess calories can also lead to abnormal skeletal development.

DHA is worth looking for. In a year-long study of Beagle puppies, those fed a high-DHA food from weaning did better on some learning and visual tasks than puppies on lower-DHA foods, though the high-DHA food also differed in a few other nutrients. Fish oil, fish meal or algal oil in the ingredient list are the usual sources.

Ingredient order and marketing terms tell less than they seem to. A named meat as the first ingredient says nothing about whether the finished food meets growth requirements; the adequacy statement does.

Common feeding mistakes

Overfeeding

A round puppy is not a healthier one. The clearest evidence comes from a lifelong study of 48 Labrador Retrievers paired by litter: the dogs fed 25% less than their pair mates from 8 weeks of age lived a median of 1.8 years longer and developed osteoarthritis later, and the restriction did not harm skeletal development. The restricted dogs still grew normally. They were simply leaner.

Adding supplements

A complete and balanced growth food needs no additions. Extra calcium is the one that causes real harm. Merck reports that in fast-growing large-breed puppies, diets with more than 3% calcium on a dry matter basis caused more severe osteochondrosis, a disorder of cartilage and bone, than diets with 1% to 3%. VCA advises giving no vitamin or mineral supplements without checking with a vet first.

Sharing human food

Scraps unbalance a puppy's diet and add calories that are rarely counted. Some foods are also dangerous. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center lists, among others:

• Chocolate, which can cause vomiting, tremors, abnormal heart rhythm and seizures
• Xylitol, a sweetener in sugar-free gum and some peanut butters, which can cause low blood sugar and liver damage
• Grapes and raisins, which can damage the kidneys
• Onions, garlic and chives, which can damage red blood cells
• Macadamia nuts, which can cause weakness, tremors and overheating
• Bones, which can injure or block the gut

If a puppy eats any of these, call a vet or a pet poison helpline straight away rather than waiting for signs.

Giving cow's milk

The ASPCA notes that dogs do not make much lactase, the enzyme that digests milk sugar, so milk and dairy can cause diarrhea. An orphaned or very young puppy that needs milk should get a commercial puppy milk replacer.

Moving to adult food

Timing depends on adult size, because small dogs finish growing much earlier. The AKC gives these ranges:

• Small breeds: can switch at 7 to 9 months.
• Larger breeds: at 12, 13 or even 14 months.
• Large and giant breeds: take 15 to 24 months to reach full size. Ask the vet when to switch.

If in doubt, staying on puppy food a little too long is the safer error. Neutering lowers energy needs slightly, so a puppy neutered in the second half of the first year may need smaller portions, or an earlier move to adult food, to stay lean. The vet can judge this at the neutering check.

Change foods gradually. A sudden switch can cause stomach upset and loose stools. A typical plan runs over 7 to 10 days: about a quarter new food for the first few days, then half, then three quarters, then all new food. Slow down if the stools soften. Vomiting, diarrhea lasting more than a day or two, blood in the stool or a puppy that stops eating needs a vet, since young puppies dehydrate quickly.

Sources

1. Puppy feeding fundamentals: timeline for puppy feeding. American Kennel Club.
2. Feeding growing puppies. VCA Animal Hospitals.
3. Nutritional requirements of small animals. Merck Veterinary Manual.
4. Reading labels. Association of American Feed Control Officials.
5. Evaluation of cognitive learning, memory, psychomotor, immunologic, and retinal functions in healthy puppies fed foods fortified with docosahexaenoic acid-rich fish oil from 8 to 52 weeks of age. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2012.
6. Diet restriction and ageing in the dog: major observations over two decades. British Journal of Nutrition, 2008.
7. People foods to avoid feeding your pets. ASPCA.