Puppy Tips 2: Care and Feeding of Your New Puppy by Kathy ~ Courtesy of Kathy Anderson, Mocksville, North Carolina an experienced veterinary assistant and breeder. She is the owner of Neyll's sire, Obladi's Day Tripper. ~ [Edits made by Patricia] Your puppy has been
eating [Nutro Natural
Lamb and Rice Puppy Formula] I chose this brand of puppy
food because it is a quality food that is easily accessible at any pet
store.]
There are many good foods on the market today. It is not necessarily the most expensive food that will be the best for your dog. If you decide to change to another puppy food, it is best to do this gradually over a week or so. Do this by giving your pup 1/4 new food to 3/4 [Nutro] for the first few days. next split the foods 1/2 and 1/2, finally 3/4 to 1/4. This will eliminate problems with digestion which can cause serious problems for a small puppy. I suggest wetting the food for all pups. I do this for all my dogs including the adults. This helps to prevent bloating. Bloating occurs when the dog eats too quickly and drinks water. The food expands in the stomach, which can cause a twist [in the intestines] and cause death. This happened to me years ago, I will never forget that sweet little (10 week) pup. I fed him dinner and checked on him later, everything was fine. The next morning I went to let him out and he was dead, I was shocked. The vet found a twist. This is why I always wet my dogs' food down and you should too. FEEDING YOUR PUP Feed at least twice a day. Put 1/2 cup dry puppy food and add 1/2 cup (at least) of water -- let sit for 30 minutes or until moist. Your pup should gobble this up in 15 minutes or so. Any uneaten food should be removed. Do not allow pups to have access to food all day long, this leads to overweight dogs and can cause growth problems. I also recommend "Pet Tabs" (multi vitamins) through the growing year and even into adulthood and "Milkbones" which are high in calcium and very good for strong teeth. Water should be available at all times, this may prove to be difficult because many of my puppies love to swim, especially in their dishes. When your pup is indoors you may want to get a small heavy crock dish and put just a small amount of water in the dish. This prevents the puppy from throwing all the water over your floors and making a big mess. During the time you are house training your pup take it out right after it drinks. Rule of housebreaking is that pups generally go right after they have eaten or drank and as soon as they wake up. If your pup is spending time outside, it should always have lots of water and protection from the sun. Make sure your pup has a safe place out of the sun with a shade tarp and a house. Puppies can have sunstroke very easily. Scotties do well in moist environments -- they make great house pets ... Never leave your pup outside without some form of fencing, whether it is a pen or an yard enclosure. These dogs are rare and recognizable -- which makes them targets for thieves. Even though the Scotties think they are big dogs, larger dogs or wild animals coming into their yard can hurt them. Their nature is to chase and hunt small varmits (what they were raised for on the Scottish farms). So be prepared for them to chase squirrels etc. Keeping them on the leash is always a good idea when they are out of their yard. Enjoy
your new pup!
The Scotty Appeal - Food, Supplement, Grooming, and Scottie Standards  |