How to Feed Puppy Fresh Food

Common FAQ When Feeding Puppies Raw Meat:

What is the best puppy food?

Raw feeding older puppies is easy, simply feed them in the same way as adult dogs (5:1:1) but with a little more fat. That is 5 parts mince types  with some bone (10-12%) in it, 1 part fresh organ additions (liver, heart, kidney, spleen) and 1 part veg (for more on how to make raw dog food follow the link). You can use literally any meat (chicken, turkey, fish, pork, duck, beef, lamb) though for younger pups make sure you use slightly fattier cuts. They need the oomf. Ideally buy minces with a little bone in there already (or feed meat on the bone). If using boneless meats make sure they have good access to meaty bones, they need the calcium. When feeding puppies I tend to add a good pinch of cheap fatty beef mince to the "normal" dog mix. You can pick up cheap beef mince from your local butchers or try the half-priced aisle of Supervalu or Tescos, there's always bargains to be had. Perhaps a raw egg now and again (puppy building rocket fuel) and some cod liver oil. Easy as that. Vary it up each time you make your mix, use different meats, different organs etc.

How much raw dog food do they need?

An 8wk old puppy will eat 10% of his body weight per day in fresh food! This drops to 5% by 6mths of age and 3% by 12mths of age. However, all dogs will differ depending on their expected adult size and growth rate. For a more accurate figure see our free online dog food calculator!

Feed Puppies Fresh Bones For Their Teeth

The best puppy food contains raw meaty bones. Puppies will cut their baby teeth between the 4-8wk period. Lots of sharp little teeth poking out through their gums. It's sore. They need to chew things to relieve the pain. The best things for dogs to chew are fresh meaty bones. If you're concerned about this in any way please read our article on feeding dogs bones. Puppies will chew, get a bit of meat, get fresh calcium from the bone, they'll relieve the pain in their jaw and not destroy your furniture! And they're free. Need we go on?!

Perhaps the best bones for little puppies is big bones, so they can't really try and swallow them, just sort of gnaw at them but by 8wks they will be moving on to bones they can chew and swallow parts of. The article above will show you some different sizes. At 5mths they will start teething their adult teeth. Very sore. Bones are even more important now as the baby teeth need to be massage out. There is no alternative to feeding dogs bones.

What Not to Feed Puppies?

Cows milk. This means no dental sticks etc.

Wheat: No bread, dental sticks again, most dry food, cheap pet store treats, etc.

Dry food: It's full of stale wheat, strange meat, is high in salt and chemicals, the complete opposite to what a young carnivore needs.

Pet store treats in general. Make your own dog treats, much healthier!

How often should pups be fed?

Some people feed them four meals a day others feed them three. Aim to be feeding them two meals by 5 to 6 months. I would never go to one meal a day, I'd hate it for myself and dogs are scavenging carnivores meaning they like to eat all day, same way we do.

Will Raw Food Make them Aggressive / Give them a Taste Of Blood / Poison them?

Absolutely not, it is actually proven to do the opposite and there is a number of reasons for this. With a fresh meat mix, all the cheap cereal carbohydrates (which fuel high blood sugar) have been removed, chemicals (if they can't be pronounced then don't feed them) have not been put in, it is high in fresh vitamin B complex (for the mind) and their is increased fresh protein in the diet, this calms dogs by releasing dopamine.

More on the safety of raw dog food compared to dry here!

Raw food, so far, does not seem to give dogs a taste in meat. We have advised on the feeding of numerous hunting types, retrievers, setters, collies, and not one has become aggressive as a result of eating fresh food. Collies don't eat their sheep. Retrievers don't eat their ducks. Quite the opposite, they become more focused and easier to train.

What About the Calcium / Phosphorus Ratio?

Worry about that as much as you worry about it in yourself! How much calcium did you give your child growing up? Any idea? Know what their weekly RDA of calcium is? 'course not, and they're fine…..aren't they?! Same goes for any nutrient. You are asking that question as dry food manufacturers have done an incredible job on both the vets and the public to convince them all that you are incapable of feeding puppies yourself! It's simple. As long a little fresh cartilage and bone is going in to your dog they'll be right as rain.

We don't recommend supplementing with calcium as they get plenty of calcium in the bones they eat. Feed them a natural diet with some bone content and they will be more than fine.

Dr Brady's Fortified Milk Mix For Young Pups

For the unfortunate situation where it is necessary to substitute the mother's milk, try the recipe below, it's rocket fuel and they will LOVE it.
– One cup (250 ml) of goats milk (never feed cows milk)
– One can of evaporated milk (for energy)
– Table-spoon of probiotic yoghurt (for the gut)
– Two raw eggs
– Tablespoon of kelp (natural multivitamin and antioxidant)
– Optional: One or two teaspoons of a coconut or almond oil

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I have spent a lot of time building up my knowledge. From a doctorate in animal behaviour and nutrition to years in guide dogs and the last seven year inside and out of the pet food industry, I have always provided all my information free to the public, articles that I spend a lot of time putting together. While it's clearly a passion of mine the fact remains, I can't do this and a steady job at the same time. Without a salary or fancy sponsorship, I am left trying to monetise my site as much as I can without pushing on you horrible adverts for car loans and crap pet products. One way I do this is by tracking some of the links to products I recommend (as an Amazon Associate I then earn from qualifying those purchases). Another is by popping a few ads for my products in some of my bigger articles. Finally, I'm now putting a donation button at the bottom of my longer articles. So, if this helped you in any way and you feel you'd like to give me the price of a cup of coffee, please free to do exactly that. If you're strapped and can't afford it, I can totally sympathise, you're free to read on, no questions asked. We're glad to have you on board spreading the word regardless.

Many thanks and continued good health to you and your pets.

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Source: https://dogsfirst.ie/best-food-for-puppies/#:~:text=Puppies%20should%20be%20moved%20to,not%20small%20enough%20to%20chew.

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