Feed a high quality diet designed for puppies. A wide
variety of diets and formulations are available and your veterinarian should be
your primary source of information as to the best choice for your puppy. The
amount fed will vary with the type of food and the individual dog, but in
general, should only be as much as the puppy can consume in 5 to 10 minutes at
a given meal. Puppies are usually fed 3 times daily when between 6 and 12 weeks
old, 2 times daily when 12 weeks to 6 months old, and may be fed 1 or 2 times
daily when older than 6 months. For certain large breeds of dogs, your
veterinarian may recommend that several smaller meals be fed rather than 1
large meal (even when your dog becomes an adult) because an association has
been suggested between the consumption of large meals and a serious medical
condition called gastric dilatation/volvulus or “bloat.”
Be careful not to overfeed. Generally, portion as much as
the puppy can consume in 5 to 10 minutes at a given meal.
