How much should I be feeding my puppy?
I'm a new pug puppy owner. We have a 12 week old male, Taz. Can you recommend how much dog food we should feed this little
guy and how often per day?
Right now we feed him Science Diet about 3 times a day. I would say total
about 1 cup.
- Marc and Taz
From the time your pup is born until about six months of age he is doing an amazing amount of growing and needs a lot of fuel!
My advice is not to restrict the amount of food you offer at all. When my two pugs were puppies I kept dry food down for them at at all times. They ate when they were hungry and still maintain a healthy weight.The only caution that I would offer is to restrict the variety in your pup's diet. Pugs have very sensitive tummies, especially at a young age, and will often become ill (diarrhea/vomitting) if their diet is changed. Best to keep your pup on a dry food if they are doing well on that and try not to introduce snacks or people food.
If for some reason you really must change dry food brands, do so gradually by mixing a small portion of the new food in with old food and increasing that mix ratio over a period of a couple of weeks. This will give your pup's system time to get used to the new food and make the transition a lot easier for both of you.
When I brought
my first pug puppy home I worried that he wasn't eating enough. I mentioned
it during a vet visit and my vet said to me 'touch your index finger to
your thumb' (like making an 'okay' sign). 'That's how big your puppy's
stomach is right now!'
That's about only a tablespoon or so of room in his stomach for food! Your vet is a great resource when it comes to caring properly for your pup. He or she can help you keep your pup's weight healthy.
Best of luck with your beautiful pup!
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